Hello all I hope you’re all enjoying the glorious sunshine!

The proudly adorned England tops of bald men who lovingly clutch cans of Fosters aren’t the only thing that comes off in summer, (thankfully) we also have to blow the dust off those books we’ve received from Christmas past and finally indulge in some brain work! 

Reading is incredible, within 30seconds of reading a good book you can be transported to another world, you get the opportunity to live two lives and get the best of both worlds (not in a Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana kinda way).

As a child I was an avid reader, but I’m rather ashamed to admit that in the last 5 or so years, I ‘just didn’t have the time’ or ‘didn’t find anything I want to read’. Like most of the population my reading time was reserved for holidays, the sun is the perfect excuse to switch of our phones and cuddle up with a good book. 

Rather than see what Christine had for dinner last night on Facebook, why not aboard a 1971 tour of America with the Rolling Stones, or explore ancient Greece. Much more exciting, and let’s be honest it was probably another #leanin15 recipe anyway.

Since the new year, I’ve made a conscious effort to divert my eyes from ASOS new in, and towards the pages of a good book. I can’t say I haven’t made the most of my ASOS premium, but I can say I’ve found some amazing authors and thoroughly enjoyed reading. 

I’ve wanted to write a post about this for some time now, but I feel like given the excuse of this beautiful weather, it’s the perfect time to talk books when most people are engaging with them more in general!

Caitlin Moran. She needs her own sentence, because that’s how truly INCREDIBLE she is. In the last few months I have read 3 of her outstanding books; How to build a girl, How to be a woman and Moranthology. All three are absolute jewels; witty, relatable, fun and sharply intelligent. I recommend them to everyone, especially women: purchase one NOW. My boyfriend is currently sat next to me delving into Moranthology and even he is smirking and giggling at how fabulous it is. 

Moran, like myself, is a strident feminist, her articles on feminism are particularly poignant and for me, made me incredibly proud to be a woman and ever more determined to fight for equality.

 

Another book I have been enjoying the last month or so is Keith Richards’ memoir ‘Life’, its a whopper of a book (over 600 pages), but it honestly doesn’t feel like a chore to get through. The tales are as an exciting as you can imagine, and the main focus of the book is on the 60s/70s and I really feel like the writing transports you to all the exotic locations Keith has been to, from Marrakech in the late 60s, to living in the South of France in the early 70s through to a stint of living in Jamaica. 

It’s given me wanderlust, laughs and a whole new appreciation for Keith as a guitar player and the Stones as a band.

I know a lot of bloggers do a book club of sorts where each month they choose a book and then read and review the following. Similarly, I may begin to include a short reading list every month or so of recommendations, books I’ve read and ones on my list. 

If you have any recommendations please let me know, I’m pretty open to what I’ll read from fiction to Non fiction and of all genres (except love stories, I like my soppiness saved for cinema and the occasional sloppy kiss at the Rovers Return on Corrie, thank you).

Thanks for reading! Sorry my photos this week are just in my garden, now I’ve moved back home I need to think up good places to take photographs that aren’t cluttered with plant pots.

Em   x