Crafty Gifts by Jane Bull

Stuck on gift ideas for mum, dad, grandparents, or teacher? Then turn to Jane Bull's charming new children's craft book. Packed with over 20 ideas for presents, wrapping, and cards, perfect for kids who love to craft. Crafty Gifts is full of amazing projects for children aged 7+ to make, all with clear step-by-step instructions. Jane takes you from creating lovely presents, all the way to the finishing touches of wrapping and cards. Children will love crafting delightful doodle mugs, brilliant button-art pictures, and more. Even better, each project can be customised and personalised, meaning every present really is a one off. Let Crafty Gifts show you it's better to make a gift than buy one.

Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Ltd
ISBN: 9780241275801

     

A great gift idea for a child who loves crafting or as a resource for primary school teachers, early years providers or carers of young children for rainy day or festive crafty ideas.

Published by DK Books it is a well thought out and presented book. There are three main sections within the book: Crafty Gift Ideas (button charms, salt dough treasures, apple packs, gingerbread folk, jars of goodies, bath fizzes, picture it, this belongs to and thanks a bunch), Craft cards (love bugs, pop out cards, snap happy and cards for crafters and grafters) and Crafty Gift Wrap (pillow boxes, make a box, flat packs and brown paper packages).

The book begins with a crafty kit - what tools are needed to complete most of the projects within the book - always good to have a basic craft kit before starting any project (scissors, glue stick, sticky tape, all purpose strong glue, felt tip pen, pencil, ruler and colourful paper/card), add to this paint, glitter and crafty sparkles and you have a great craft box ready for any eventuality or rainy day!

Each crafty idea has lots of photographs and easy to follow step by step instructions. There is the basic project and, in many cases, suggested alternatives or examples. The pages are full of colour and ideas. The projects split down into easy to follow steps with very clear instructions. The crafts are suitable for small hands, with adult supervision, and will make great presents for friends, family and many other recipients. They can be adapted for a range of celebrations or for sale at fund raisers or fayres.

Even though this book is aimed at children I really like a number of the craft ideas and will be looking to adapt them to encompass my favourite crafting styles

Thank you to the publishers, DK Books, for sending me the book in return for an honest review.

Shady Bay Buddies created by Emma Brown

Today I would like to introduce my younger blog readers to the Shady Bay Buddies who have been created by Emma Brown.

Emma Brown in an expert in crochet, who has created a cast of adorable crocheted characters. Originally created for her daughters, they spent many a happy time making up stories together about them. The animals live together on a far-away island called Shady Bay. Emma began thinking up designs for the characters and wrote her own patterns to bring them to life.  Emma's patterns for a number of her animals can be found in 'Crocheted Bears and Other Animals'.

A picture book designed to inform and reassure children who are worried about going to the doctor.

Archie and his big sister Amber are two of the Shady Bay Buddies who live in the close-knit community of Shady Bay Island. They love playing outside together, but one day Archie falls from the garden swing and hurts his arm. He's very worried when it's made clear he'll need to see the doctor. With his mum and Amber by his side, Archie goes off to the doctor and is pleasantly surprised to find it's not that bad after all. There are fun things to do there and the doctor is very kind. This delightful picture book, with adorable crocheted characters designed and made by Emma Brown, will become a firm favourite with young children who are fearful of doctors and hospitals.

Publisher: Ryland, Peters & Small Ltd
ISBN: 9781782495444

A picture book designed to inform and reassure children who are starting school.

Archie and his big sister Amber are two of the Shady Bay Buddies who live in the close-knit community of Shady Bay Island. Archie is starting school and wondering what to expect. Amber reassures him that it will be fun. We join Archie as he gets ready for school, meets his teacher, Miss Whimsie, and enjoys lots of fun activities on his first day. He even makes a new friend called Woolie. This delightful picture book, with adorable crocheted characters designed and made by Emma Brown, will become a firm favourite with young children as they embark on that all-important first day at school.

Publisher: Ryland, Peters & Small Ltd
ISBN: 9781782495451

I really enjoyed both of these books. They are beautifully photographed, each double page spread being a great photograph with Emma's crocheted characters taking central stage, and including Archie's felt bunny which has been cleverly placed in each scene for young readers to spot. 

Each title is a great story, helping children to understand what will happen at a visit to the doctors or on their first day at school.  The stories are told in simple text, short sentences which are accompanied by the brilliant photographs. The crocheted characters are adorable and are joined by lots of their friends. Children of all ages will enjoy meeting them and the scenes tell their own story, lots of look at on each page and to discuss.

I really do like this new series of books. Parents will love the clean and non fussy scenes, the stories are short and easy to understand, but the illustrations can be used as the start of conversations. I really like that the characters are crocheted - perfect for craft lovers - and as Emma's patterns are available in 'Crocheted Bears and Other Animals' children can own their own Archie and Amber, allowing children's to recreate scenes and make up their own stories with their favourite characters.

Thank you to the publishers, Cico Books, for sending me the books to review in return for an honest review. 

Blog Tour - It Had To Be You by Keris Stainton

Twenty-five-year-old Bea is a hopeless romantic with a hopeless love life – until now. New beau Dan ticks all the boxes: he’s good-looking, kind and thoughtful. The complete opposite of Bea’s ex, who once threw her out in the middle of the night when she was ill so she didn’t disrupt his sleep.

So when her friends point out that she and Dan don’t have fireworks, Bea ignores them. Dan is the whole package. And yet Bea can’t stop comparing him to her best friend Henry… Because Dan doesn’t get Bea’s jokes. Or like books. Or make her laugh until she can’t breathe. Or become speechless when Bea puts on her favourite black dress for a night out… 

As time goes on, Bea can’t shift the feeling that something just isn’t right. On paper Dan is the perfect man. But in reality… Will Bea be brave enough to ask for more from life – and get the fireworks she deserves?

A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy for fans of Giovanna Fletcher, Cate Woods, and Mhairi McFarlane.

Today I am pleased to be part of Bookouture's Blog Tour to celebrate the publication of Keris Stainton's new release, It Had To Be You. Keris is an author who has written a number of books for both children, young adults and adults.

It Had To Be You is a laugh out loud novel with characters who everyone can relate to and care about. The storyline is also relatable to many readers, two people meeting, having a relationship but finding that there is something missing and not being sure, or brave enough, to do something about it.

I really enjoy Keris' style of writing. I have read a number of her previous novels and always find them to be well written, comedic and great story lines. They are easy to pick up and get lost in and have great casts of characters.

I recommend everyone to pick up It Had To Be You this Christmas time for a great, easy to read, comedic story, which everyone can relate to.

Thank you to the publishers, Bookouture, for inviting me to take part in this blog tour and for giving me a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher

You can run from your past, but it will always catch up with you…
 
Susie was forced to do something she will always regret: giving her baby son up for adoption. Everything that led to this child, this choice, had to be buried and forgotten.

Her secret echoes down through the years, tainting everything it touches. Her husband wonders why his wife is so distant. Her daughters can’t understand their changeable mother. 

Susie knows her past is pushing her family apart, and the guilt is eating her up, but she can’t escape the longing for her lost son. No-one but Susie knows the whole story, and when her daughters discover a piece of the puzzle, she must face the question she has struggled with for most of her life:

Would the truth bring them back together, or break them?
 
From the bestselling author of The Silent Wife, The Secret Child is a heart-breaking and unputdownable novel about family secrets and lies. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Jojo Moyes and Diane Chamberlain.

Today I am part of the Bookouture blog tour to celebrate the publication of Kerry Fisher's latest release, The Secret Child, a heart warming novel which addresses a mother's worst nightmare, giving birth to a baby and having to give him up because he was the result of a fling with a naval officer while her husband is away at war. 

I really enjoyed this book. It was a book that tugged on my maternal heart strings on a subject which I am sure many women have experienced and still hold this secret many years later. I really liked the inclusion of the Janet and John books within the story, where Susie (the mother) is reminded of the 'traditional' family, mum, dad, daughter and son, and a constant reminder of the missing son she had to give away and only her mother knows of his existence. It is a walk down memory lane for those readers growing up in the sixties, Family Circle magazine, also plays a big part in the story, another grounding element within the well researched story. The story really is a tear jerker, but in a good way, it was a book that I could loose myself in and I really felt for Susie and her family through this difficult time. 

The Secret Child is a poignant tale, one which will stay with the reader after finishing it and is a book suitable for book club reads with a number of topics that make for great discussion.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - Lucy's Book Club for the Lost and Found by Emma Davies

Sometimes you’ve got to run away to find yourself…

Twenty-four-year-old Lucy needs a fresh start. Forever single and frustrated with her studies she gives up everything to run a little library in the leafy village of Tilley Moreton.

Lucy loves reading almost as much as she loves fixing other people’s problems, so starting a book club seems like the perfect opportunity to do both. As she meets her new members, it’s clear she’s going to have her work cut out for her. Handsome but silent Callum is the biggest puzzle of them all...

But Lucy’s meddling begins to cause more problems than it solves, and no one is more surprised than Lucy when Callum steps in to help. Could there be more to him than people think?

As Callum and Lucy start working together to fix the broken hearts of the library’s most loyal customers, the first sparks of romance begin to fly.

Can they right all the trouble Lucy has created, and might there be a chance for a happy ending of their own?

An utterly uplifting, emotional page-turner that will bring tears to your eyes and a smile to your face. Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan and Milly Johnson.

Today I am pleased to be part of the Bookouture Blog Blitz to celebrate the publication of Emma Davies' new release, Lucy's Book Club for the Lost and Found.

I really enjoyed this book, it is one of the those books that once picked up, can not be put down until it is finished! It is one of those books that take the reader through a rollercoaster of emotions while in the middle of a great read.

Lucy, the main character, is in temporarily in charge of a library, while also suffering confusion about her teaching career and unsure what to do. Her life is in turmoil but she, as I am sure many of us do, finds the solution within a good book. 

There is a great cast of characters, and we meet them all through the library's book club. Each member has their own life, and their problems are also dealt with within the book. As I previously said, this book is a roller coaster of emotions and I really enjoyed reading about the reading club's members lives, they represent communities all over the country and I am sure everyone can relate to a number of the cast within this book.

I definitely would recommend this book to all, get settled one weekend with a drink, comfy chair, some chocolate and some tissues - you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to the publishers for  inviting me to take part in the blog blitz. I did receive a copy of the book in return for an honest review on my blog.

Blog Tour - The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop by Caroline Roberts

Today I am really excited to take part in the blog tour to celebrate the publication of Caroline Roberts' new book, The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop. 

The snow is falling, the hot chocolate's warming, and hearts are melting . . .
Emma is the proud owner of The Chocolate Shop by the Sea, nestled in the heart of the cosy seaside village that's become her home. With Christmas right around the corner, she and her assistant Holly are busy cooking up the locals' festive favourites.
From cinnamon hot chocolates to reindeer lollipops, Christmas wouldn't taste the same without a little cocoa magic. And for Emma it's the perfect distraction from her romantic pains of the past. So when the shop's miserly landlord threatens to hike up the rent, Emma's Christmas and New Year suddenly look a lot less cheerful.
With the whole village rallying behind her - and loyal spaniel Alfie by her side - Emma's determined to hold onto her chocolate-box dream.
The chocolate calendar countdown is on. Can Emma rescue her business and her broken heart?

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780008236281             

Christmas is a time for everyone to indulge in everything and top of a lot of peoples' lists is chocolate. This book is a pure celebration of this tradition, a shop within a small village where chocolates are handmade and packaged to order, where villagers pop into the shop for their favourite chocolate of choice to enjoy after their evening meal or to give to loved ones as a present to say 'just thinking about you'. It is definitely not a book to read if the reader is on a diet or trying to cut down on chocolate before the festive period. Emma's handmade chocolates are described in great detail and the reader can almost smell the chocolates as she is making them. The publishers, Harper Impulse, and Caroline have very kindly shared with me a recipe for Emma's festive Chocolate Orange Truffles.

(Makes approx. 36)

Ingredients:

• 250g of good quality (at least 70%) dark chocolate 125ml fresh orange juice (or home squeezed even better) 150g caster sugar
• Zest of 1 orange
• 150g dark chocolate to decorate

Method:

1.            Finely chop the dark chocolate and place in a bowl.

2.            In a saucepan, bring the orange juice, sugar and zest to a simmer, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3.            Pour onto the chocolate and stir until melted.

4.            Chill until firm in a fridge (around 4 hours). 

5.            Scoop out a teaspoon of mixture and roll into a ball between the palms of your hands, place on a tray lined with greaseproof paper; repeat. 

6.            Melt the decorating chocolate gently in a bowl over hot water. Using a fork or cocktail sticks, dip the truffle balls into the melted chocolate to coat. It needs to be smooth but not too runny to coat the truffle centres properly; just allow to cool a little more if it seems to slide off.

7.            Transfer to greaseproof paper to set.

I really recommend this book to all my readers. It is the perfect book to read in the build up to Christmas. The book is set in a fictional seaside village, where the shop owners knew their regular customers by name, often knowing what they would be buying before they have asked. The Cosy Chocolate Shop is one of the shops within the village and is very popular. I wish I lived in the village, although I am sure that I would be a very regular visitor. Emma also has an assistant, Holly, who loves working in the shop almost as much as Emma, and she soon begins a relationship with the assistant manager of the local hotel - it is through this friendship that Emma begins to extend her business and tries to find ways of working with local businesses to promote the shop and her range of handmade chocolates. 

The book is based around the build up to Christmas and I really enjoyed watching Emma's thought process about building her business and her plans to extend her small shop to include a small coffee shop. It sounds like a great premises, an old cottage, which was refurbished to become a shop and the coffee shop was a great idea which also improved village life - a place for the older generation and younger, teenage generation could meet with their friends. 

Aswell as the story of the chocolate shop, and Holly's relationship, there is also a possible friendship for Emma, but of course it isn't plain sailing and I really enjoyed this part of the story, one which I don't want to spoil for my blog readers.

This book is very easy to devour in a weekend and it is one of those books that leaves the reader with a warm cosy, festive feeling.

Thank you to Harper Impulse and to Caroline Roberts for asking me to take part in the blog tour and for sharing the scrummy recipe for Chocolate Orange Truffles which I think I will be trying very soon.

Blog Tour - Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage by Lucy Daniels

Today I am pleased to be a stop on the Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage by Lucy Daniels blog tour. As a child I read a number of the popular Animal Ark books and I have also bought a couple for my daughter when she was younger. Lucy Daniels is also the author of the Animal Ark series. 

Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage is the second book in this series of books which is set at Hope Meadows, a rescue centre, set up by our main characters, Mandy, who has returned to live with her parents and help out in their vetinary surgery, while also fulfilling her dreams and setting up a rescue centre for all those animals that need to be rehomed or rescued from unsuitable owners or surroundings (including two fluffy donkeys in this book).  If I am totally honest, I read the first book in this series, Summer at Hope Meadows, and was not immediately loving the story. I really liked the characters and the settings and the storyline within the book but I wasn't sure about the actual book,  I felt that it was rather slow in places, however I have definitely changed my mind since reading Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage. I really enjoyed the story, great to meet up again with Mandy and her parents and also Jimmy, the hunky bloke who has also returned to the village and has just opened a rope adventure centre within the local woodland.  The storyline seemed to move quicker and I found myself wanting to read just one more chapter before sleep (one of my signs of a great book).

The title suggests that the book is Christmas focused and there is a note to Christmas within the book however it is not a book solely about the Christmas period, rather the winter months (first book called Summer, second book Christmas (Winter) and the third book, out next year, is Spring) and therefore it is not only for the festive period. It is great to read about the changes in season and the related changes that occur in nature. There is lots of talk about the surroundings and all the fields and woodland and also the wildlife that lives within. It is great to get lost within the book, imagining the scenery and all the animals in the surroundings.

Although this book is the second book in the series, it could be read as a standalone very easily, however reading Summer at Hope Meadows first gives the background of why and how Mandy returned to her parents home and her reasons behind opening up the rescue centre.

A great book to loose yourself in over the autumn/winter months which transports you to the middle of the English countryside. I am already looking forward to spring and our next visit to Hope Meadows.

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for inviting me to join the tour.