'Happiness can be found in the darkest of places if one remembers to turn on the light'
Hi guys 👋🏻
It’s exactly a month since Christmas day, today!!! WHATTTT. CRAZY.
So, here is this year’s bookish themed Christmas Haul 🎄 📚
I’m very lucky! 🤗 and very happy to have some brilliant books to start the yeat with.
I hope you got some lovely books this year! No better present than a book imo 😊
Until Next Time,
Roseanne 🙂
Hi guys 👋🏻
Another day, another bookish post! This is my complete 2025 list of booms that I read. So if you are looking for any recommendations, look no further.
I’ve added a little code to sort the books a little and represent the variety of formats I have read in and why I chose certain books.
Colour code:
DNF – means ‘did not finish’
I have put either ‘Audible’ or ‘Spotify’ next to my audiobooks, so if you see that its the audio version.
DISCLAIMER: ’25 books for 2025′ was a little challenge I set myself – I almost read half of the books I needed to but, I did trail off a little towards the end of the year keeping up with Book Club Books and my seasonal reads. But 11 isn’t bad.
It’s a wonderful life: Illustrated Edition
The Teacher by Freida McFadden
I died on a Tuesday By Jane Corry
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
Sleep by C L Taylor
This year’s for you and me by Emily Bell DNF
The Other Tenant by Lesley Kara
A Company Of Liars by Karen Maitland (Audible) 1/2
Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding (Re-Read)
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (Re-Read)
Friends Forever by Danielle Steele
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime by Mark Haddon
With This Kiss by Carrie Hope Fletcher
A Company Of Liars by Karen Maitland (Audible) 1/2
The Doctors Wife by Daniel Hurst
Ward D by Freida McFadden
The Wake Up Call by Beth O Leary
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara
The Girls by Lisa Jewell
I haven’t been entirely honest with you by Miranda Hart (Audible)
The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini
Best Summer Ever by Heidi Swain
The Tenant by Freida McFadden
The Boy Who Lived by David Holmes
(Audible)
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
Never Lie by Freida McFadden
The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
Return to the Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
(Audible)
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
(Audible)
The Split by Sharon Bolton
Traitors Gate by Jeffrey Archer
The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
Book Boyfriends by Lucy Vine
Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer 1/2 (Spotify)
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden
Little People, Big Dreams: Lenny Henry
Blind Spot by Paula Hawkins (Quick Read)
Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer 1/2 (Spotify)
A Gypsy in Auschwitz by Otto Rosenberg
The Story Spinner by Barbra Erskine (Audible)
Blackout by Emily Barr (Quick Read)
The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
Strange Houses by Uketsu
The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose (Novella)
The Crash by Freida McFadden
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis
A Slow Burning Fire by Paula Hawkins
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Future boy by Micheal J Fox (Audible)
The Intruder by Freida McFadden
All Wrapped Up by Heidi Swain
Love and Lattes at Pumpkin Hollow by Victoria Walters
The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan (Audible)
The Christmas Holiday by Phillipa Ashley
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore (Spotify)
The Cinnamon Bun Bookshop by Laurie Gilmore (Spotify)
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by J K Rowling – Full Cast Audio Edition (Audible)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling (Audible) 50%
The Christmas Clue by Nicola Upson
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling (Audible) 50%
All We Want For Christmas by Phillipa Ashley
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore (Spotify)
Not another Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton
Total no of Book Club Books: 8
Total completed books of my ’25 for 2025′ challenge: 11
Total no of books altogether: 63
Until Next Time,
Roseanne 🙂
Hi guys 👋🏻
Here is my 2025 cinema list using my Unlimited card ✌🏼
Safe to say I got my moneys worth again!
Mufasa: The Lion King
With Mum, Tim, Noah, Casey & Dan
Better Man
With Sarah & Tim
Secret Screening: Companion
With Sarah
The Sloth Lane
With Tim, Noah & Casey
The Monkey
With Sarah
Heart Eyes
With Sarah
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
With Charlotte D
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
With Mum & Sarah
The Woman in the Yard
With Sarah
The Penguin Lessons
With Tim
Flow
With Noah & Casey
Drop
With Sarah
Warfare
With Tim
Sinners
With Sarah
Hallow Road
With Tim
Final Destination: Bloodlines
With Sarah
Clown in a Cornfield
With Sarah
Lilo & Stitch: Live Action
With Noah & Casey
The Salt Path
With Sarah & Tim
28 years later
With Tim and Sarah
Jurassic World: Rebirth
With Tim
UNLIMITED 25: LOTR The Fellowship of the Ring
With Tim
I know what you did last summer
With Sarah
The Wild Robot: Family films for £1
With Noah & Casey
Fantastic Four
With Tim
The Naked Gun
With Tim
Weapons (4DX)
With Sarah
The Roses
With Charlotte
The Smurfs
With Sarah, Noah & Casey
SECRET SCREENING: I Swear
With Tim
Dead of Winter
With Tim
The Long Walk
With Sarah & Christy
Night of the Zoopocalypse
With Sarah, Noah & Casey
Horror Double Bill
The Fog: 45th Anniversary
With Sarah
Horror Double Bill
The Strangers: Chapter Two
With Sarah
I Swear
With Mum & Sarah
Black Phone 2
With Sarah
SECRET SCREENING: The Running Man
With Tim
Regretting You
With Sarah
Christmas Karma
With Noah, Casey, Evie & Tim
45th Anniversary Screening: The Shining
With Sarah
Silent Night, Deadly Night
With Sarah
It’s A Wonderful Life
With Sarah & Tim
Fackham Hall
With Tim
The Shining
The Sloth Lane
The Monkey
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
The Naked Gun
I Swear
It’s A Wonderful Life
The Strangers: Chapter 2
The Naked Gun
What was your top cinema pick from 2025?
Until Next Time,
Roseanne 🙂
Hi guys 👋🏻
Happy New Year 🎉 and welcome to 2026!
I thought I would make my first post of 2026 a book one! These are my top 6 (because I couldn’t choose just 5 😂) that I read in 2025.
I have put them in order from, so my top book for 2025 was…
1. Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer
A absolute hilarious read, and a brilliant sequel to his first novel ‘The Satsuma Complex’. He writes brilliantly and they are so easy to read, witty and fun.
I listened to Hotel Avocado on Spotify and it was brilliant as it was narrated by Bob Mortimer himself, as well as some other hilarious comedians such as Paul Whitehouse and Sally Phillips.
2. Best Summer Ever by Heidi Swain
I always enjoy Heidi’s books and this was no exception. I enjoyed revisiting Wynmouth by the sea and this story introduced lots of new and very likeable characters, I enjoyed it alot.
3. The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
This was a very different choice for me but I loved the ideas and imagination in this story. It was the beautifully colourful front cover that first drew me to it. I have never read translated fiction before so I didn’t know what to expect, but it was full of such interesting ideas and fun. This was one of my choices for our book club in 2025. Everyone really enjoyed this book.
4. The Boy Who Lived by David Holmes
Honestly, this was pretty harrowing in places and a tragic story in many ways, but it was a also a story of amazing strength, perseverance, bravery and friendship. It was a poignant and heartfelt look into the often unseen world of the stunt man working on one of the biggest film franchises to ever be created.
I listened to this in Audible and it was read by David Holmes himself.
5. The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini
This was a brilliant thriller that just kept you guessing constantly. This was one of my choices for our book club in 2025. Everyone really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and very gripping.
6. All Wrapped Up by Heidi Swain
Another Heidi Swain and an exciting one as this was her first Autumn themed novel. Back in the cosy town of Wynbridge but in the ‘ber months, it was great to revisit this cosy little town. It was like revisiting old friends. The perfect seasonal read.
Recommendations always welcome!
Until Next Time,
Roseanne 🙂
Roseanne Byford 