Book Loving Blog

 Happy February! I hope this new year has been finding you well so far, and to mark the first whole book finished this year, I wanted to highlight the wonderful Tayari Jones.  Having read An American Marriage through the recommendation of a friend a few years ago, I knew I had to read Jones's second book. In it, her characters are so alive and fully-formed, with nuance, flaw and individuality. Her writing style is detailed and crafted, easy to get lost in. Jones covers race, class and the messy lives of humanity so effortlessly, you find yourself pages in within minutes.  Silver Sparrow follows the parallel lives of two stepsisters and through the majority of the narrative, only one is aware of the other. It spans generations, decisions made in youth and the varied nature and nurture parenting, that projects each of us into our fate.  I didn't want this book to end and I will absolutely be getting my hands on anything else released by this incredible writer. If you'v...

 Hello, I hope this post finds you well and having a slow, wintery start to the new year.  This review is my first for a while, mainly because I started a, just for fun, podcast and that took up every part of my creative brain since October. I loved creating it, but now that that has finished, I feel more able to turn my attention to writing and photographing, so I'm back reviewing.  I have just read Rebecca for (I'm sure?) the third time. I read it once I think from a library copy, in, 2022. I then brought my own copy after loving it (I rarely buy books new, but I did with this one, as an after work treat whilst in Liverpool in the same year). I then picked up this copy again in November, as I felt the lead up to Christmas, with its dark and cosy nights would be the perfect time to snuggle up with gothic fiction.  So 'Rebecca'... How can I do it justice in this post? It has been reviewed probably hundreds of times, and turned into multiple film adaptations. I think ...

 Hello,  It's cold and dark today, so I hope you can go and grab a blanket and get cosy. Today is Halloween after all, and what better way to celebrate than by reading a spooky story.  Today's review is exactly that. The Small Hand is a ghost story first published in 2010 by Susan Hill, the author of the famous horror story The Woman In Black. I first saw this story only a few days ago, sitting merrily in the Oxfam Bookshop window. I can not resist a good ghost story and I first saw the beautiful embossed blue cover and thought "It can't be.. It is! Another ghost story!"  I brought it straight away with a Victorian collection of ghost stories I also found - strangely linked to this, as in both antiquarian's are featured. This Victorian collection is a little harder to read, but this story is a perfectly formed and accessible ghost story. It follows Adam Snow, a rare book seller as he stumbles upon a derelict house one evening. The house is overgrown, dilapidat...

 First published on my other blog on April 29th 2024. Hello,  Two blogs in two days Molly?! I hear you proclaim,  I know, doesn't write for six months and then writes two posts... Like buses really.  I love blogging and sometimes when life gets busy it's so easy to forget about the joys of writing. I've recently been taking courses in literature and I've been really delving into creative writing for the first time in the past few months. I realised recently how much blogging helps with finding my own narrative voice and just finished a course on  BBC Maestro  an online learning platform where industry experts guide you in their field. It was incredibly informing and was called  Writing Children's Picture Books  with Julia Donaldson. In that time I have read dozens of picture books, marvelled at the prose and craft and enjoyed the beautiful illustrations that you find everywhere in children's literature. I'm now learning about  Writing Love St...

First published on my other blog on 17th September 2023.   Today I'm writing this a little worse for wear whilst recovering from Covid. It's the first time in a few days I haven't been sleeping and as I finished this wonderful book a few days ago, I really wanted to try and muster my thoughts on it whilst it's still fresh in my mind.  - a few hours after I wrote these lines I slept for quite a few hours and struggled to concentrate properly so continued this post later -  In recent months I've really been drawn to nature writing. My love of nature writing really started back in 2021 when on a trip to the Scottish Highlands with Jack, I picked up Lucy Jones's 'Losing Eden' about the importance of nature and protecting it. Whilst good nature writing can make you feel overwhelmed at the climate crisis it can also make you feel overwhelming gratitude at the wonderful planet we have been born into and everything that nature provides. There isn't such thin...

First published on my other blog on September 7th 2023.  Hello, Gosh it has been a long time since I wrote a blog post. According to the tracker that tells me when I last posted, it has been two whole years since I wrote a book review on the little separate blog space I created and then forgot about. I thought it may be less confusing for me just to use this blog - Antics And Ramblings Of a Twenty Something - for all posts again (at least until I am a lot less rusty). So much has happened since I last wrote, reader. I moved to a new city, I have moved homes twice, I got engaged, I got married, I've stayed in hosptial three times and been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. I have a new job. I have lost loved ones and I have been to beaches, forests, cities. I have made new friends here and Jack has had two new jobs. So much has changed. I have grown. I have missed writing.  I am currently not feeling very well whilst starting treatment for EGPA Vasculitus and whilst waiting ...

 Hiya, I hope, as ever, this post finds you really well and maybe even enjoying the lovely sunshine today. Whilst the world is a bit crazy at the moment, at least the sun is shining and the birds are singing. It makes you feel at least some things are normal (though we are in England, is sun normal?) I thought it may be nice to document my day today, for anyone who is THAT bored and also for future me. I’ve realised how I love blogging more than any other sharing on social media because unlike photos it gives me an insight to my thoughts and ideas at the time, and I think that’s pretty cool to look back on. It’s also really calming to write and I do recommend it to anyone wishing to write a diary but doesn’t have the stamina to write daily. You could write it just for yourself and never share it anywhere. Give it a go :) So today started early for me, I woke up actually really refreshed for a change at 7.30am after falling asleep at 9.45pm last night. Normally I’m a getting to slee...