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WELCOME TO BLOGGER'S BOOKSHELF...


where our team of writers love to talk all things books, sharing reviews, features, lists, interviews and more.

Getting lost in a book is escapism at it's finest and it's what everyone who contributes here thrives on.

NEWSLETTER

Tuesday, 31 July 2018

How to be a Grown Up | Daisy Buchanan | Review


Do you ever feel like you haven't quite figured out this grown up thing yet? I definitely do. In fact, I even wrote a whole post about being an almost grown up a few years ago (which you can find here, if you are interested) and most of the things I said then are still very much true. Sometimes it feels like everyone else took an exam on adulting and I'm just winging it. 

Luckily for me, Daisy Buchanan clocked on to this culture of improvisation and wrote a whole book all about facing the real world. How to be a Grown Up is for the twenty-somethings who haven't quite figure things out yet. With chapters on money, style, love and plenty of other topics, this book is full of plenty of comforting, supportive and down-right hilarious advice which comes from Daisy's own experiences. The fact that the chapters are rooted in her own life make How to be a Grown Up feel like you are sat with an old (and incredibly wise) friend with a cup of coffee, trying to put the world to rights.

The fact that Daisy made these mistakes and came out of the other side means that this book is not at all preachy but truly and utterly reassuring. I finished reading this book feeling like I had just been wrapped up in a giant hug and immediately wanting to pass my copy of How to be a Grown Up on to all of my friends. It's the book you need if you ever feel like you haven't quite figured something out. 

A word of warning however: this book is hilarious and should be read by everyone BUT some of these chapters aren't family friendly. Save this one for your 20 -something friends. They'll love it.

Kelly x
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Friday, 27 July 2018

Love Her Wild | Atticus | Review


There is nothing
prettier in the
whole wide world
than a girl
in love
with every breath she takes.”
Canadian Instagram sensation, Atticus, has been making people swoon over his words for years now, and lucky for us, it doesn't look like he'll be stopping any time soon. If you're unfamiliar with Atticus, he is an anonymous short-form poet, who shares his stunning words on Instagram (and now also Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest). Check out this interview with him on The Globe and Mail to read more about why he keeps his identity a secret, and why he writes what he does.

"...in Love Her Wild, Atticus captures what is both raw and relatable about the smallest and the grandest moments in life: the first glimpse of a new love in Paris; skinny dipping on a summer’s night; the irrepressible exuberance of the female spirit; or drinking whiskey in the desert watching the rising sun. With honesty, poignancy, and romantic flair, Atticus distils the most exhilarating highs and the heartbreaking lows of life and love into a few perfectly evocative lines, ensuring that his words will become etched in your mind—and will awaken your sense of adventure." - Goodreads

Love Her Wild is his first book, which is a compilation of some of his best words, interspersed with his signature black and white, whimsical photos. The book is cut up into three sections: Love, Her and Wild. Love focuses on first loves, lost loves, heartbreaks and butterflies; Her is about a girl, her soul, her personality, her being; and Wild is more about nature, being in it, seeing it, experiencing it via someone else.

What good are wings without the courage to fly?” 

I've never been a big poetry fan. I enjoy it, but most of the time it's too long and I struggle if there's no Dr. Seuss like rhythm (thanks, parents). What I love most about Atticus' poetry is how in just a few words he captures your attention, makes you think, encourages, and gives hope, and, of course, those warm fuzzies. It's short, it's bittersweet, it's to the point, it's wonderful.

The hardest
step
we all
must take
is to blindly
trust in
who we are."

If you've discovered Atticus on Instagram, then do pick up a copy of his book. While the internet is great for sharing these poems, there's something about holding a collection like this in your hands, and having the chance to go back to the words time and time again.

His second compilation, The Dark Between Stars, comes out in September, and I've pre-ordered a copy. I think I could get into poetry after this, and I'll gladly take suggestions.

Check out Ria's poetry post: Falling Back In Love With Poetry.
Also read Blogger's Bookshelf very own poetry using book spines in this fun collaborative post here.
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Wednesday, 25 July 2018

Art Starts With A Line | Erin McManness | Review

*Review copy c/o Netgalley

It’s been a little while since I last reviewed an art/craft book but as soon as I saw Art Starts With A Line I was drawn in by the beautiful pastel cover design. Written and illustrated by Erin McManness, the owner of greeting card and gift company Paper Raven Co, the book shares a range of tips and techniques for mastering the art of line drawing and is a perfect guide for beginners.

The book begins with a guide to tools and materials, covering pens, pencils, paints and more, showing the different effects that can be created. It then splits into sections focusing on a range of different subject areas including borders, lettering, plants, animals and even iconic landmarks. There is also a short but informative section discussing how to work digitally with step-by-step guides on scanning and editing in Photoshop.

art starts with a line illustration book review

One of my favourite things about the book is the fact that the author encourages an interactive experience with sections to practise the various techniques right there on the pages - although sadly as I had a digital copy I had to dig out a sketchbook instead! I also really enjoyed the design of the book overall and how some of the ideas such as the illustrated borders are incorporated into it.

Whilst the majority of the content covers basic techniques there are also elements that I’m sure will appeal to those simply looking to improve upon their illustration skills or find new inspiration. Although I don’t use a bullet journal or scrapbook myself I can certainly see how this would be a great little guide full of ideas on how to jazz up your pages and make more personalised designs. I also think the techniques included in Art Starts With A Line would be fantastic for using on homemade cards, or even to create unique pieces of illustrated art for your home.
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Monday, 23 July 2018

BB Book Club | August's Book Is...

book club travelling in the dark

'Set in the wild and unreliable landscape of southern New Zealand, Travelling in the Dark is an evocative story of a woman coming to terms with her past.'


I'm going to be really honest with you and admit that I really struggled with what to pick for this months book club. Don't get me wrong, I adore a good short story collection but as five out of seven of our BB book club titles so far have been anthologies I knew that I wanted to switch things up for August's pick. Whilst this seemed like a great plan in theory, all of the potential ideas I had noted down over the last 10 months or so seemed to be short story collections so I took to the bookshops for inspiration. Even after perusing all (yes, all) the shelves at my local Waterstones I was still lacking inspiration until I stumbled across this Instagram post showcasing the newly released Fairlight Moderns collection.

The collection features five novellas set in different locations across the globe and whilst I know we're told we shouldn't judge books by their covers, with beautiful designs like these it would have been difficult for them not to catch my eye! I headed over to the publisher's website, read the descriptions of all five titles and decided that Travelling In The Dark sounded like an interesting story. As Team BB is currently a combination of bloggers based in the UK and New Zealand and the book was penned by Emma Timpany, who was born in NZ and now resides in the UK, I took this as the first sign that it would be the perfect for pick for the book club! The second sign was when I realised that I recognised the author's name as there's another BB connection; Emma edited Cornish Short Stories which features The Haunting Of Bodmin Jail by Team BB's very own Stasia.

If you'd like to read along with this month's selection, head over to Book Depository (who offer free worldwide shipping), Amazon or your local bookstore to pick up a copy.

Once you've read the book you can share your thoughts through this Google form, by the 24th of August deadline. This month we've included many of our usual feedback questions but also taken inspiration from the book club notes on the publisher's website.

You can also use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub to share your book photos, thoughts and mini reviews with us, and sign up for our newsletter to make sure you don't miss out on any future updates!


If this month's book doesn't sounds like your kind of thing check back next month for Ria's next pick!
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Sunday, 22 July 2018

BB Book Club | July 2018 Roundup | Portuguese Irregular Verbs

This year we decided to launch our very own online book club, with a new book for you to join us in reading every month. Our July title was Portuguese Irregular Verbs, a quirky short story collection selected by Anjali. Here's our July infographic to tell you a little bit more...

Reader's comments & favourite quotes:

"I really enjoyed this quirky book. Von Igelfeld was super odd but also brilliant in an endearing way." - Anjali @ This Splendid Shambles

And as we lost the words, we lost the texture of the world that went with them.


"I had no idea what to expect from Portuguese Irregular Verbs but found it to be a unique read with some quirky characters!" - Erin @ A Natural Detour


Thank you to everyone who read along with us this month! If you would like to get involved with next month's BB Book Club check back here tomorrow where Erin will be introducing her selection for August.

You can also sign up to our mailing list to make sure you don't miss out on any future book club updates!

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Friday, 20 July 2018

Features | A Summer Reading List


The sun is out and summer holidays are here. Long days and breaks from school or work mean plenty of time to relax and enjoy your favourite hobby. They also mean it's time to get serious about summer reading and I am here to help you build your perfect summer reading list.


The first thing you need for a comprehensive summer reading list is a cosy classic. My recommendations are I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith or Emma by Jane Austen, but any comfy story from a bygone era featuring lots of important walks in the countryside and innocent misunderstandings that almost ruin everything will do.


The next thing every summer reading list needs is a romance to make you swoon. For this I recommend Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins or Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, two sweet high school romances guaranteed to give you that summer love feeling.


No summer reading list is complete without a mystery to keep you gripped at the side of the pool. For an update on a classic mystery duo, go with Brittany Cavallaro's Sherlock Holmes retelling, A Study in Charlotte, or for something a little more mind-bending try Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart.


Summer days are good and long, giving you plenty of time to sink your teeth into something a bit more epic. If you're looking for a fast-paced, political fantasy, I recommend the Rebel of the Sands series by Alwyn Hamilton. If complex heists are more your thing then you can't go wrong with Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows duology.


Finally, what would a summer reading list be without a little bit of magic? My recommendations for modern stories with just a hint of the supernatural are Wing Jones by Katherine Webber, which features a small dose of corner of the eye magic, and The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, which features more than a small dose of straight on supernatural.
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