February Wrap Up…

Welcome to my February Wrap-Up. I had an okay reading month in February, finishing 3 books (0 books off my TBR). I also received 2 ARCs this month. I have reviews up or coming up for these books so as usual this is just going to be a brief rundown on each book I read.

Without further ado, let’s get into my February Wrap Up:

Burri Burri and Ezy by Dr. Jodi Edwards: This was a great read. I loved getting to read this book in both languages and use the website provided to hear the correct pronunciation. The fact that this book was more about words than stories was really wonderful to see. On top of the writing, this book is filled with absolutely stunning illustrations by Amy Lea Hill-Trindall. This book is not to be missed.

Budjaan and Ezy by Dr. Jodi Edwards: After reading Burri Burri and Ezy I was excited to read this book, and thankfully it was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. I loved that I was more confident trying to pronounce words in this book and I adored getting to check how close I had gotten. This book is once again filled with stunning illustrations by Amy Lea Hill-Trindall. I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this fantastic book.

Mrs Winterbottom Takes A Gap Year by Joanna Nell: I adored this book. I have read Joanna Nell before so I was excited to jump into this book, and I am happy to say it was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. The story was smart and emotional, the characters were real and relatable, and the writing had a wonderful cinematic quality to it. I will definitely be re-reading this book many times in the future.

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That’s it for my February Wrap Up. I hope you all had a great reading month. Let me know what you guys read this month in the comments section.

Happy Reading…

GEM

End Of Summer 2024 Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the End Of Summer 2024 Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

WHICH BOOK CAN YOU NOT STOP THINKING ABOUT?

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

WHICH BOOK WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE NOT READ?

Death On The Nile by Agatha Christie

WHAT GENRE DID YOU READ THE MOST?

Middle Grade

WHICH BOOK SURPRISED YOU THE MOST?

A Treasury of Christmas Stories by Parragon Books

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE COVER?

Hamlet Is Not OK by R. A. Spratt

WHICH BOOKS DID YOU PLAN ON READING, BUT NEVER GOT AROUND TO?

The Archive Of The Forgotten by A.J. Hackwith

The God Of Lost Words by A.J. Hackwith

The Bookseller’s Apprentice by Amelia Mellor

WHICH BOOKS DO YOU PLAN ON READING IN AUTUMN?

Tell Her She’s Dreamin’ by Simone Amelia Jordan

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

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Well, that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading… 

GEM

Paddington At Large by Michael Bond

‘When the kitchen turns into a syrup-filled mess and a riot breaks out at a basement sale, the Brown family knows that Paddington has been out and about once again.’When the kitchen turns into a syrup-filled mess and a riot breaks out at a basement sale, the Brown family knows that Paddington has been out and about once again.

“Even Paddington can’t come to much harm in half an hour,” said Mrs Brown optimistically. But he can manage a lot of other things in even less time – like hanging Mr. Curry’s lawnmower from a tree-top, or coming up through the bandstand floor during the ‘Surprise Symphony’.

Then Paddington has a sticky time of it making toffee in Mrs Bird’s kitchen, and an even stickier time explaining what went wrong.

And who else but Paddington could set Father Christmas’s beard on fire?’

This book was sweet.

So far I have loved making my way through these books in my Paddington read-a-thon, and this book was no exception. I went into this book knowing what to expect yet I found so much more joy and happiness than I thought I would while reading this book.

I loved getting to catch up with the characters that I have grown so fond of over the course of this series. I also loved getting to see the characters grow; both independently and together. The way the characters react and interact is both entertaining and beautiful to see.

Michael Bond has done a lovely job with this book. The story was fun and sweet which I want I have come to expect from a Paddington book. The story was perfectly written to draw out many varying emotions from the reader, and the characters are utterly perfect.

Adding to Michael Bond’s wonderful story are the brilliant illustrations by Peggy Fortnum. The illustrations are perfectly placed to give maximum effect to the story points being explored. The combination or words and illustrations elevates this fantastic little book to a whole new level.

Paddington At Large by Michael Bond is a wonderful addition to the Padding series.

Pointless Facts 45!

As I am really enjoying compiling Pointless Facts, I am going to stick with my plan of posting a new list every month; at least until it stops being fun for me. So I hope you all enjoy this month’s installment of Pointless Facts.

998 people in Sydney, Australia put their books above their heads at the same time to break the Guinness World Record.

Australia has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.

If you publish a book in Norway, the government will buy 1000 copies.

Australia is the smallest continent of the seven continents in the world.

Charles Dickens used fake books as decoration for his library.

Australia exports camels to Middle Eastern countries.

The word “yahoo” originated from the book Gulliver’s Travels.

Australia is the birthplace of the word selfie.

The thickest published book has a width of 12.67 inches

Australia is truly a land of extremes with the highest temperature ever recorded being 50.7 °C (123.3 °F) and the lowest temperature recorded being −23.0 °C (−9.4 °F).

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I hope you all enjoyed today’s pointless facts. Let me know in the comments if these pointless facts were new to you or if you had already come across them.

GEM

Paddington Abroad by Michael Bond

‘The Browns are going abroad, and Paddington considers a holiday in France is not to be taken lightly, So he packs a disguise outfit, his magic set and a map of France printed on a tea towel. But even with the whole trip planned down to the last marmalade sandwich, somehow Paddington takes the family off the beaten path on a voyage no one could forget. 

Paddington is in charge of the “EYETINNERY” and, as Mrs Bird mutters darkly, “There’s no knowing where we might end up.” But Paddington is planning some very good holiday ‘doings’ indeed for the Browns. And he even becomes the only bear ever to ride in the famous Tour de France bicycle race!’

This book was wonderful.

When I started my Paddington read-a-thon, this was one of the books that I was excited to get to, and I am happy to say it was everything I had hoped it would be and so much more.

I loved that this book was the perfect blend of sweet, fun, and compelling. As I have gotten more familiar with the characters as I have been making my way through this series I loved seeing their growth and personalities shine in this book.

Michael Bond has done a fabulous job with this book. The story was interesting and even educational in certain parts. The characters were honest and warm, and the writing was easy to follow, fast-paced, and full of great descriptions.

On top of Michael Bond’s great descriptions, this book is beautifully illustrated by Peggy Fortnum. I loved the placement of these illustrations in this book. As the illustrations were scattered throughout the book and not on every page I felt that they added emphasis to certain story points and as such had more value to the story being told.

This is one of those books that felt like a warm hug, and I will definitely be re-reading this book many times in the future.

Paddington Abroad by Michael Bond is a great addition to the Paddington series.

Summertime Craziness Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Summertime Craziness Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

SHOW A BOOK WITH A SUMMERY COVER! I.E SUN, BEACH ETC.

The Wrong Sister by Fiona Palmer

PICK ONE FICTIONAL PLACE THAT WOULD BE THE PERFECT DESTINATION FOR YOUR SUMMER VACATION!

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

YOU’RE ABOUT TO GO ON A FLIGHT TO YOUR SUMMER VACATION. BUT YOU WANT TO READ A BOOK THAT LASTS FOR THE WHOLE FLIGHT SO WHAT BOOK DO YOU CHOOSE?

Hamlet is Not OK by R.A. Spratt

YOU HAVE A CASE OF SUMMERTIME SADNESS WHAT HAPPY BOOK DO YOU PICK UP TO SHINE A SMILE ON YOUR FACE?

Bookishly Ever After by Lucy Powrie

YOU’RE SITTING AT THE BEACH ALL ALONE…WHICH FICTIONAL CHARACTER WOULD BE YOUR BEACH BABE?

Daniel Johns – The Book of Daniel: From Silverchair to DREAMS by Jeff Apter

TO MATCH YOUR ICE CREAM YOU WANT AN ICY COOL SIDEKICK! WHICH FICTIONAL SIDEKICK DO YOU PICK?

Wendell Bambleby – Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

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Well, that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading… 

GEM

Paddington Helps Out by Michael Bond

‘The hilarious adventures of everyone’s favourite bear, Paddington, now a major movie star!
“Oh dear!” said Paddington, “I’m in trouble again.”

Somehow trouble always comes naturally to Paddington. What other bear could catch a fish in his hat, or cause havoc in the Browns’ kitchen just by trying to be helpful?

For more than sixty years, Paddington Bear has touched the hearts of adults and children worldwide with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures.’

This book was very cute.

I know I am only three books into my Paddington read-a-thon but so far Paddington Helps Out has been my favourite. I was smiling from the first page until the last and I had some genuine laugh-out-loud moments while I was reading this book.

One of the things I loved about this book was how hard Paddington was trying and yet he kept making mistakes. This is something that I feel everyone can relate to regardless of their age. I also loved how Paddington never had bad or selfish intentions; this made his mistakes forgivable, sweet, and more than a little amusing as a reader.

Michael Bond has done a great job with this book. The story was fun while still being warm and kind at its core. The characters were relatable in their reactions and emotions. And that writing was perfectly paced and brilliantly detailed which made this book hard to put down.

Peggy Fortnum illustrated this book and her illustrations were amazing. The illustrations were perfectly placed to enhance certain scenes in the story and perfectly complimented Michael Bond’s writing. The combination of writing and illustrations made for a really lovely reading experience.

After reading this book I am very excited to jump into my next Paddington book.

Paddington Helps Out by Michael Bond is a wonderful book for young readers and their families.

Holiday Wrap Up + Haul!

Welcome to another Sunday Session post.

I am just back from my annual summer holiday with my family, so today is going to be a brief rundown of how it went.

We had a fair few days of rain this year which was annoying but it did allow us to do some wet weather day activities. We went to a few historic pubs in some small towns for lunch and just to look around, we also went shopping and to Timezone which was fun.

One of my favourite things about our annual holiday is catching up with friends and so I am happy to say that we got to have a few really great catch-ups this year. Between nice dinners and afternoon chats, the bad weather didn’t dampen these great moments.

I also go to spend some really great quality time with my family. Given how chaotic the lead-up to Christmas, Christmas, and New Year’s is, it was wonderful to just relax and hang out with my family. These are the moments that make our annual holidays so special.

While on holiday I also got some shopping done, so I am going to give you a quick rundown on my holiday purchases.

So without further ado, let’s jump right on in:

Harry Potter Alarm Clock

Hamlet Is Not OK by R.A. Spratt

The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

Budjaan And Ezy by Dr. Jodi Edwards

Burri Burri And Ezy by Dr. Jodi Edwards

NYC Skyline Print

Note Book

Hand Carved Wooden Bookmark

Library Card Bookmark

Crystal Book Mark

Crystal Necklace

Tote Bag

Hand Fan

Harry Potter Hair Clips

Mini Recorder

Crystal Necklace

Crystals

Address Book

Paper Flowers

Harry Potter Hair Bow

Lucky Coin

Inspirational Card Pack

Scratch Art

Koala Pen

Lip Balm

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Well, that’s it from me today. I hope you all enjoyed today’s post. I will catch you all next week for another Sunday Session.

Happy Reading…

GEM

More About Paddington by Michael Bond

‘Paddington Bear becomes a celebrity when he takes portraits of the Brown family with a very old camera. Thanks to the unique results, a local shop puts the photos on display. And that’s just the first adventure this extraordinary bear finds himself in. From wallpapering to mystery-solving, Paddington does it all with the sense of wonder and playful charm that readers have come to love.’

This book was lovely.

After reading A Bear Called Paddington I was very excited to get into this book and thankfully it was everything I wanted and so much more.

One of the things I loved most about this book was even though I was already familiar with Paddington you don’t have to be to enjoy this book. The way it was written makes it easy to jump right in and love every second of your reading experience.

I also loved that this book feels like a nice warm hug. I know that this book is aimed at young readers but everything about it was just comforting and oddly nostalgic. After reading this book it is easy to see why it is such a popular and much loved story.

Michael Bond has done a fantastic job with this book. The characters have grown throughout the two books which gives the reader more to love about each character. The story was fun, sweet, and very entertaining, and the writing was fast-paced and easy to follow.

Adding to the wonderful story are the beautiful illustrations by Peggy Fortnum. Scattered throughout this book, Peggy Fortnum’s illustrations are detailed yet dainty and they bring to life various characters and story elements to help elevate this book for young readers and their families.

Now that I have finished More About Paddington I am looking forward to diving into the next book in this series as part of my Paddington Bear read-a-thon.

More About Paddington by Michael Bond is the perfect sequel to A Bear Called Paddington.

February 2024 Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the February 2024 Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

THE SHORTEST MONTH OF THE YEAR: A SHORT STORY OR NOVELLA THAT YOU WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT

Our Souls At Night by

VALENTINE’S DAY: YOUR FAVOURITE ROMANCE NOVEL

Millionaire Mountain Climber by Laura Boon

ROMEO: COULD BE A BOOK BOYFRIEND, COULD BE YOUR FAVOURITE MALE CHARACTER

Dimitri Belikov – Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

JULIET: COULD BE A BOOK GIRLFRIEND, COULD BE YOUR FAVOURITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Audrey Rose Wadsworth - Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

LOVE TRIANGLE: LOVE IT OR HATE IT

Hate It!

ENEMIES TO LOVERS: LOVE IT OR HATE IT

Love It!

SWEET LIKE CHOCOLATE: A BOOK THAT IS POSITIVELY DELICIOUS

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME: A BOOK WITH A ROMANCE THAT YOU DIDN’T EXPECT

Jess and Peter – Secrets Between Friends by Fiona Palmer

A BOOK THAT BROKE YOUR HEART

Dear Mum by Samuel Johnson

LEAP YEAR — ‘ONE RING TO RULE THEM ALL’ — THE YEAR FOR PROPOSING: A BOOK WITH YOUR FAVOURITE COUPLE

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

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Well, that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading… 

GEM