“War Storm” by Victoria Aveyard | BOOK RELEASE

Today, 15th May 2018, sees the release of the highly anticipated conclusion to Victoria Aveyard's bestselling young adult fantasy series, Red Queen.

Happy Mother’s Day!

"The clocks were striking midnight and the rooms were very still as a figure glided quietly from bed to bed, smoothing a coverlet here, settling a pillow there, and pausing to look long and tenderly at each unconscious face, to kiss each with lips that mutely blessed, and to pray the fervent prayers which only mothers utter." - Louisa May Alcott

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | MOVIE REVIEW

In this review I would like to focus mainly on how The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society works as an adaptation of the best-selling novel because, though I thoroughly enjoyed the film, the epistolary nature of the book called for some rather significant changes to be made in adapting the story for the screen.

Happy Birthday J. M. Barrie!

"Do you want an adventure now... or would you like to have your tea first?" - J. M. Barrie

“The Toymakers” by Robert Dinsdale | BOOK REVIEW

It is 1917, and while war wages across Europe, in the heart of London, there is a place of hope and enchantment. The Emporium sells toys that capture the imagination of children and adults alike: patchwork dogs that seem alive, toy boxes that are bigger on the inside, soldiers that can fight battles on their own. Into this family business comes young Cathy Wray, running away from a shameful past. The Emporium takes her in, makes her one of its own. But Cathy is about to discover that the Emporium has secrets of its own...

Tolkien Lecture 2018 | “In Search of Doors” by V. E. Schwab

"A fantasy set entirely in another world is an escapism with limits. You can read about it, sure, but you can never really get there. Fantasy with a door, a portal, a way in; that breeds a different kind of belief. It is the difference between Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. Middle-Earth is accessible only on the page, but Narnia had a door at the back of a wardrobe..." - V. E. Schwab

“Mary Shelley” | ANTICIPATED FILM

Starring Elle Fanning as Mary Shelley and Douglas Booth as Percy Shelley, the film sets out to tell the fascinating tale of how Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, arguably the originator of the science-fiction genre, was conceived.

“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows | BOOK REVIEW

Shaffer's novel is an exploration of the importance and power of books, reading and escapism. During the German occupation of Guernsey in WWII, the book club meetings became something of a refuge. Aside from a love of books and reading, the meetings brought these people together in a time when company and solidarity were needed most...

How the “Swedish Nightingale” Became “The Snow Queen” | Happy Birthday Hans Christian Andersen!

In honour of Hans Christian Andersen’s 213th birthday today I thought I would explore a link between two of his most famous fairy tales – "The Nightingale" and "The Snow Queen". That link is Jenny Lind, a beloved Swedish opera singer of the 19th century.