Miscellaneous

My Bookish Highlights from 2017

bundleofbooks 6 Comments

It seems like only a minute ago that I was writing up my 2016 end of year post! 2017 has been a reasonably eventful year for me. I started a new job, turned 30, and got married. I’ve also enjoyed getting to know the Czech Republic a bit better, travelling further afield than my local hangouts in Prague, which means I’ve done quite a lot of reading on trains and buses!

Most importantly, I’ve read some really fantastic books, even if I haven’t managed to review them all. Here are just a few of my favourites in no particular order: Continue reading →

Happily Ever After? My Favourite Weddings and Proposals in Literature

bundleofbooks 4 Comments

I’m getting married in less than a month, which has got me thinking about my favourite weddings in literature. It turns out that authors don’t usually write about perfect weddings and marriages. After all, that would just be boring! So this post won’t be brimming with romance. Also, please read with caution, as there will be spoilers…

*** Spoilers Alert ***

 

Continue reading →

Literary Cooking

bundleofbooks 3 Comments

A few months ago, I discovered The Little Library Café, a blog that combines two of my favourite things: books and food. The recipes are designed by bookworm Kate and inspired by food from literature. Her reading tastes are similar to mine and many of our childhood favourites overlap.

Kate’s blog is beautifully clean and has a simple layout. It’s user-friendly and organised into a book index, recipe index and gallery menu. The food looks mouthwatering and the instructions are easy to follow. But the best thing is that everything comes from the heart. Each post begins with a quote and introduction detailing Kate’s personal link to the book and recipe. I was eager to give some of them a try. Here are the results…

Illustration by the talented Lenka Zelená. For more, check out her Instagram account!

Continue reading →

Six Books to Curl Up with on a Winter’s Evening

bundleofbooks 9 Comments

We’ve had a dusting of snow here in Prague, which makes everything look very pretty. But it’s a reminder that winter is here to stay, at least for a while. Christmas is over, it’s cold outside and there’s a general feeling of deflation. The long wait for springtime starts now and it can be the most miserable time of year. However, there are some advantages, such as grabbing a blanket and a hot drink and curling up with a good book for hours on end (preferably by a crackling fire). So put on your woolly socks and take a look at some of my favourite winter reads…

six-books-to-curl-up-with-on-a-winters-evening

Continue reading →

My Top 5 Books Read in 2016

bundleofbooks 9 Comments

Happy New Year

Wow! 2016 has gone by in a flash. It’s been a turbulent year politically and there are many reasons to want it over and done with. However, I’ve personally made some happy memories and will be thinking about the positive bits of 2016 as we welcome in the new year.

Some of my good memories include my two month trip to Asia, where I read a lot and visited some great bookshops, moving to Prague in July and getting engaged last month. It was all very exciting stuff! I haven’t read and blogged as much as I would have liked though, so hopefully I’ll pick up the habit again in 2017.

But for now I’ll end 2016 you with my five favourite books (in no particular order) that I read this year…

Continue reading →

Top 5 Bookish Instagram Profiles

bundleofbooks Leave a comment

Instagram is fast becoming my favourite form of social media. In a world that has felt increasingly dark and uncertain in recent weeks, it’s been the perfect place to turn when news broadcasts get me down. I particularly like following fellow #bookstagrammers. They are a lovely bunch from all over the world, sharing their current reads and having civilised bookish chats. Here are a few of my favourites.

The Guy with the Book

Continue reading →

Packing My Bags Again

bundleofbooks 3 Comments

I’ve been back from my travels for almost three months and already life has thrown another adventure my way. I’m very happy to announce that I am moving to Prague in July! It’s been one of my favourite cities since living there for nine months back in 2008 and I can’t wait to get back.

Praha

I’ll miss London, especially my local area and, of course, my local bookshop, but I am looking forward to spending lazy days in beer gardens and getting to know new people and places. I also can’t wait to have some more space. The new flat will have a sofa, bedside tables and a dining table – items of furniture my boyfriend and I have missed a lot. We’ll also have room for some bookshelves so I don’t have to squash my reading pile on to half broken shelves like this… Continue reading →

Reading Habits of a Backpacker

bundleofbooks 3 Comments

Gili Meno SnorkelRecently the blog has mostly focused on bookshops rather than books. That’s because my two month trip around Bali, Lombok and Thailand introduced me to some fantastic bookshops, and I was simply too excited about them not to share my thoughts and photos.

It wasn’t just bookshops that I fell in love with, I also came across a number of book stalls. My favourite was this one on Gili Meno, a small and quiet island just off Lombok in Indonesia. Continue reading →

Top 5 Bookish Highlights from 2015

bundleofbooks Leave a comment

Fireworks

Happy New Year everyone!

May 2016 be filled with plot twists, superb writing and great bookish conversation! But first, a quick look back at last year.

I may not have been all that active on the blog in 2015, but behind the scenes I’ve read some brilliant books and had some lovely bookish experiences. Here are just a few… Continue reading →

Top 5 Bookish Gifts

bundleofbooks Leave a comment

‘Tis the season to… stress out about Christmas shopping, well if you’re anything like me anyway. Not to fear though, there are plenty of bookish gifts out there! Read on for some inspiration…

magazine-christmas-tree

Photo Credit: Want to make your own literary Christmas tree? Take a look at this blog for instructions!

Continue reading →