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"So many books…so little time"

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“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” 📕🗝☕️ Northanger Abbey is Jane Austen’s first novel and tells the story of innocent Catherine Morland, who is obsessed with reading Gothic romance and horror. Her wild imagination runs riot when friends invite her to stay the the grand Northanger Abbey. Will Catherine learn to understand the difference between fantasy and reality? 📕🗝☕️ For readers looking to try Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey is perhaps not the best introduction to one of Britain’s most beloved authors. Austen’s first novel is an excellent parody of Gothic literature, yet her style of speaking directly to the reader jars with her other superior novels. The setting is fantastic though, with the location of Northanger Abbey fuelling Catherine’s overactive imagination. 📕🗝☕️ I studied Northanger Abbey at university as part of a Gothic Literature module and just reread it last month for book club. Sadly I don’t seem to still have my university copy, but this did mean that I got to buy this gorgeous edition designed by @coraliebickfordsmith. I love these PEL editions! 📕🗝☕️ Northanger Abbey proved to be an excellent book club choice, with much discussion about women in society during that period and how Austen was a writer ahead of her time, with her stories remaining timeless and having an enduring appeal. 📕🗝☕️ The lovely Selah over at @abibliophilesstyle is hosting her #austenaugust2018 challenge and this is my belated post for the Town and Country (Favourite Setting) prompt. Surprisingly, I don’t own that many Jane Austen novels, so this is the first time I’ve been able to join in the challenge. Luckily, I have been able to join in over on the @rossiter_books account as we have plenty of Jane Austen editions at work! 📕🗝☕️ Are you a Jane Austen fan and have you read Northanger Abbey? 📕🗝☕️ This gorgeous tea set was a birthday gift from my fabulous friend @sweeneybricks. Isn’t it lovely?! 😍 I believe it’s from @lizzie_bunting, which is a great shop in Ross-on-Wye. Supporting independent shops really is so important, especially to keep the high street alive!

Blind since birth, Naomi Hannah is struggling to live in a small town and considers ending her own life. When she stumbles across a murder scene, the killer taunts her, yet lets her go. Soon, more victims are discovered and Naomi appears to be the only person who can identify the killer, with her left wondering why the killer let her live... 🔪 As well as being a gripping thriller, Before Her Eyes deals with issues of race, the care system, suicide and corruption. A blind central protagonist was an essential element of the story, yet it was refreshing to read a story featuring such a lead character. All too often, characters with a disability are relegated to the sidelines or written in merely as token characters. Naomi was a compelling character, who felt frustrated by how much her life was controlled by other people, despite her attempts at an independent existence. 🔪 With many red herrings, Before Her Eyes kept me guessing right to the very end! The novel is full of twists and turns and the final twist genuinely caught me by surprise and was well executed. The crime and thriller genre is one of my favourites and this was a welcome addition to my reading list! 🔪 I’m delighted to be a part of the Before Her Eyes book tour, which includes some of my real life Bookstagram buddies! Swipe right to see the lovely people taking part in the tour. Thank you @jackjordan_author for a great read and for my signed copy!

This week is National Allotment Week, which coincides perfectly with all this lovely fruit and veg that I received from work colleagues and family! I don’t have a garden or allotment, so I really appreciate home grown food, with the added bonus of it being local and free from plastic packaging. 🍅🥒🍑 Cooking is something that I really enjoy and allows me to switch off from everything else. I was intrigued recently to hear about the new feature that tracks time spent on social media and while I haven’t figured out how to use it yet, I would be curious to see just how much time I spend online! A book I discovered recently was Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier. The book suggests that being devoid of social media accounts attributes to a happier and more peaceful life. I definitely spend less time on social media accounts these days, apart from Bookstagram, of course! I do feel that Instagram is a more positive social media platform that enables the craft of a hobby and meeting like-minded people, and now having Bookstagram friends in my real life is a testament to this fact. 🍅🥒🍑 @rozannapurcell had a great post about social media last week and encouraged spending time outdoors at the start of the day before immediately checking in online. Roz also spoke about how important it is not to compare your own life to others online, something that is so easy to do. I follow Roz over on my personal account and while I might be biased because she’s Irish, her food and fitness posts really are amazing! Roz was actually in my home village of Glengarriff last week, at the same time as my brother was home from Australia, so I had two reasons to wish I was at home last week! 🍅🥒🍑 Have you used the new time feature yet on Instagram and are you conscious of how much time you spend on your phone?

“I like pushing the envelope. But I don’t like to do it just for the sake of doing it. I don’t like to be provocative for the sake of being provocative. I like to be provocative. I like to make people think. I like to touch people’s hearts. And if I can do all three of those things in one fell swoop, then I feel like I’ve really accomplished something.” - Madonna 🎶 Fearless Female Friday and a Flashback Friday to memories of being mesmerised in the 80s when Madonna burst on to the music scene. Watching music videos was quite an event then and I was enthralled by every Madonna music video. I have such fond memories of singing La Isla Bonita with my best friend during break time in primary school and the two of us listening to her Like A Virgin tape at her house. Getting to borrow the tape and listen to it repeatedly was such a highlight! 🎶 I finally got to see Madonna perform live in concert six years ago in Ireland. It was an even more special moment as Madonna’s manager plucked myself and my friends from the crowd before the concert to join the sacred Golden Triangle! We couldn’t believe our luck and to be so close to Madonna was just incredible! Swipe right to see some of my photos from the concert. After waiting for so long to see Madonna, I then ended up seeing her the following year when she made a speech at the Chime for Change concert in the U.K.! 🎶 Madonna was a force to be reckoned with, right from the start of her career. She did things her way, in a male dominated industry. She embraced her sexuality and was never afraid to be controversial, yet often used her position to champion causes such as equal rights. She was one of the first stars to raise awareness for HIV, at a time when many of her male friends were battling with the disease, and she campaigned to publicise preventative measures for AIDS. 🎶 It was wonderful to see the love and celebrations for Madonna’s 60th birthday yesterday, emphasising just why she is deemed the Queen of Pop. Now I am excited for new music from Madonna this year! 🎶 Is there a singer that has had a similar effect on you over your life and have you been to see them in concert? 🎶 #grimdragon - You need this in your life!

Happy birthday to my Harry Potter loving sister @hockingbreda! I have so many happy family memories associated with Harry Potter, with one of the main ones being when our mom @meekbernadette took us and our sister @kerrymeek and my niece to the Harry Potter studios a few years ago. It was such an exciting experience! Have a great day, sis! ❤️⚡️⚡️⚡️

“It is a terrible pattern. But it is a pattern. There is a predictability to it, and this has always struck her as the most terrible part.” 🐘🦍🦏🦒🐆🐅 An ordinary day at the zoo turns into a nightmare for Joan and her four year old son Lincoln when they are forced to hide during a mass shooting. As Joan and Lincoln find themselves trapped for hours, Joan discovers that she will do anything to protect her son... 🐘🦍🦏🦒🐆🐅 Fierce is a story told in real time between the hours of 4.55pm and 8.05pm, leading to a heightened tension when reading the novel. As well as being a gripping read, the book reiterates once again just why the law on gun control in the US needs to change. The book doesn’t shy away from the horrific subject matter and its tragic consequences, yet the story is told in a sensitive manner. As well as highlighting such a topical issue, the novel explores motherhood and the nature vs nurture debate, with the zoo setting emphasising those elements and the enclosed environment enhances the claustrophobic atmosphere. The story is fast paced, yet also allows time for the reader to witness the close bond between Joan and her son. The story does leave some unanswered questions, which is slightly frustrating but ultimately adds to the realism of such a relevant story. 🐘🦍🦏🦒🐆🐅 Thanks to @penguinrhuk for asking me to be a part of the live readalong, which was such an exciting experience! 🐘🦍🦏🦒🐆🐅 U.K. Giveaway! If Fierce sounds like the book for you, then you’re in luck as I have two extra copies from @penguinrhuk to giveaway! All you have to do is be following me and comment below why you think important issues need to be written. Giveaway closes on Sunday 19th August and is not affiliated with Instagram, etc. Good luck!

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