World Book Day 2023 đŸ“š

Hi guys! 👋🏼

Today is World Book Day. I mean everyday is Book Day for me haha.

As I work in a Primary School Setting I do love this Day simply for sharing stories and excitement around books.

Plus, it’s good fun to make a costume and dress up. My favourite part is reading to the children throughout the day though.


What could you do this World Book Day?

Get crafty and make a bookmark for you and or the kids.

Just enjoy a bit of quiet reading time with a new book or a favourite of yours…

Read to the kids! This is my favourite part of world book day at work ❤️📚

Try something new? A new type of book, a new genre. I have recently been enjoying the Heartstopper Graphic Novels which is not a book format that I usually read.

Read your favourite book ♡

Unfortunately I won’t have time today but, going to a local bookshop and treating yourself to a new book would also be an awesome way to spend it too. Especially if the kids have their book token too!


This year I have reused my Stick Man costume as I put alot of effort into making this last year so I thought I would get one more year out of it!


Whatever you do, I hope you have been able to enjoy a book and share that joy with somebody…theres nothing better ♡

What did you do for World Book Day?

What costume did you wear?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

A book review: The Christmas Murder Game đŸ“š

Hi guys 👋🏼

So, we have had book club meeting number one of 2023.

(A little later than planned as the madness of Christmas/January meant we all, for the most part needed more time to finish up)

This book was chosen as our December/January read – hence the Christmas theme. Although this was far from my usual cheery, festive fiction jaunt.

The Christmas Murder Game is by Alexandra Benedict.


Here is a brief overview of the plot:


Twelve clues.
Twelve keys.
Twelve days of Christmas.
But who will survive until Twelfth Night?

Lily Armitage never intended to return to Endgame House – the grand family home where her mother died twenty-one Christmases ago. Until she receives a letter from her aunt, asking her to return to take part in an annual tradition: the Christmas Game. The challenge? Solve twelve clues, to find twelve keys. The prize? The deeds to the manor house.


Some opinions on the book:

  • A different, interesting twist to a Christmas book.
  • Easy to read.
  • An interesting plot which made for a really good story.
  • Short chapters.
  • Something different to what I have read before.
  • It would make a really good film.
  • Some points are a little unbelievable.
  • The bonus riddles are so hard to find!!

Out of 5 stats I would give this a ☆☆1/2.

Simply, for a Thriller it wasn’t that thrilling. It was an easy read for sure and it was a good story… we were all in agreement that actually it would make a really good film, but I wasn’t personally gripped by it even though it is very easy to read.


Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

My Top 5 reads of 2022! đŸ“š

Hi guys! 👋🏼

I thought I would share with you some of my favourite books of 2022. I have read these over the course of last year! These have all been brilliant.

1. Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

2. The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas

3. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

4. A Christmas Celebration by Heidi Swain

5. The Therapist by B.A Paris


Domestic Fiction and Thrillers are probably my top two favourite genres of books.

Have you read any of these?

Which books have been your favourite of 2022?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

What’s first on my tbr list for 2023 đŸ“š

Hi guys 👋🏼

I hope 2022 was a fun, book filled year for you all!

I am looking forward to starting 2023’s reading adventure – my extensive TBR shelf needs to make space for some new books which I’m sure I will pick up in the coming year (plus, my new Christmas additions)

Let’s take a look at the ones that I would like to get started on first in 2023.

Lots of these I have been waiting to read for a long time or were due to read before I started on my Christmas novels.

[ I will include a short Synopsis of each book from Amazon. ]


The Maid by Nita Prose

It begins like any other day for Molly Gray, silently dusting her way through the luxury rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel. But when she enters suite 401 and discovers an infamous guest dead in his bed, a very messy mystery begins to unfold. And Molly’s at the heart of it – because if anyone can uncover the secrets beneath the surface, the fingerprints amongst the filth – it’s the maid . . .

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

Midsummer 2017: teenage mum Tallulah heads out on a date, leaving her baby son at home with her mother, Kim.

At 11 p.m. she sends her mum a text message. At 4.30 a.m. Kim awakens to discover that Tallulah has not come home.

Friends tell her that Tallulah was last seen heading to a pool party at a house in the woods nearby called Dark Place.

Tallulah never returns.

2018: walking in the woods behind the boarding school where her boyfriend has just started as a head teacher, Sophie sees a sign nailed to a fence.

A sign that says: DIG HERE . . .

The Murder List by Jackie Kabler

‘When Mary receives a blank diary as a present, she thinks nothing of it. Until she opens the diary, and sees it’s not blank after all…

1st January MURDER LISA, OXFORD
1st February MURDER JANE, BIRMINGHAM
1st March MURDER DAVID, CARDIFF
1st April MURDER MARY, CHELTENHAM

Is this a sick joke? But…it’s the end of January now. And a woman called Lisa was murdered in Oxford on 1st January. Could there really be a killer out there, planning to commit a new murder each month? And is the Mary due to be killed on 1st April her?’

You and me on vacation by Emily Henry

’12 YEARS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they’ll never speak again. 11 YEARS AGO: They’re forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together. 10 YEARS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver.
Poppy holds his hand the whole way. 7 YEARS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans. 2 YEARS AGO: It all goes wrong. THIS YEAR: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.’

The Curfew by T.M Logan

The curfew
Andy and Laura are good parents. They tell their son Connor that he can go out with friends to celebrate completing his exams, but he must be home by midnight.
The lie
When Connor misses his curfew, it sets off a series of events that will change the lives of five families forever.
The truth?
Because five teenagers went into the woods that night, but only four came out. And telling the truth might mean losing everything…
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer

In the highly anticipated finale, Conner and Alex must brave the impossible. All of the Land of Stories fairy tale characters – heroes and villains – are no longer confined within their world!
With mayhem brewing in the Big Apple, Conner and Alex will have to win their biggest battle yet. Can the twins restore order between the human and fairy-tale world?’

The Castaways by Lucy Clarke

‘You wake on a beautiful, remote island.
Sparkling blue seas, golden sunsets, barely a footprint in the sand.
Yet this is no ordinary escape.
Next to the wreck of a plane, a stranger paces. Another sharpens a knife, scoring a list of the dead onto a palm tree. Others watch from the shadows of a campfire – all with untold stories, and closely-guarded secrets…’

The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain

‘Five years ago, Erin Kennedy moved to New York following a family tragedy. She now lives happily with her detective husband in the scenic seaside town of Newport, Long Island. When Erin answers the door to Danny’s police colleagues one morning, it’s the start of an ordinary day. But behind her, Danny walks to the window of their fourth-floor apartment and jumps to his death.
Eighteen months later, Erin is in court, charged with her husband’s murder. Over that year and a half, Erin has learned things about Danny she could never have imagined. She thought he was perfect. She thought their life was perfect.
But it was all built on the perfect lie.’


Beyond the wand by Tom Felton

‘From Borrower to wizard, Tom Felton’s childhood was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame saw him catapulted into the limelight aged just twelve when he landed the iconic role of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films. Speaking with candour and his own trademark humour, Tom shares his experience of growing up on screen and as part of the wizarding world for the very first time. He tells all about his big break, what filming was really like and the lasting friendships he made during ten years with the franchise, as well as the highs and lows of fame and the reality of navigating adult life after filming finished.Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.’

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

‘A faded list.
Nine favourite stories.
For two strangers, friendship is only a page away . . . When Mukesh Patel pops to the local library, forgoing his routine of grocery shopping and David Attenborough documentaries, he has no idea his life’s about to change. He meets Aleisha, a reluctant librarian and the keeper of a curious reading list – just a scrappy piece of paper with the names of 9 stories. It doesn’t seem anything special. Yet something tells her to keep it close . . . Story by story, Mukesh and Aleisha work their way through the list – their worries slipping away with every encounter, with every world discovered in their unlikely book club of two. A fresh chance at life, at friendship, wasn’t on the cards for these lonely souls – but every story starts somewhere . . .’


What’s on your tbr list this year?

Which book are you going to read first?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

Rating our 2022 Book Club Books đŸ“š

Hi guys 👋🏼

If you follow my blog you may be aware that in February of 2022 I joined a local book club.

It’s been amazing and one of my favourite things about 2022.

I thought that I would share my ratings for each book that we have read, with you guys.

Let’s take a look!

22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson
3.5/5

The Sanitorium by by Sarah Pearse 4/5

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
4/5

Midnight is a lonely place by Barbara Urskine
4/5

Wrong Place, Wrong Time Gillian McAllister
5/5

Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
5/5

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey
2.5/5

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse
4/5

The Girls Who Disappeard by Claire Douglas
5/5


Have you read any of these books?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

What have I read in 2022… part 2 đŸ“š

Hi guys 👋🏼

So I already posted part one back in July, halfway through the year… that post is below if you would like to take a look at that first…

Here is what I read in the second half of 2022.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley-Heller

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey

The Therapist by B A Paris

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Library by Bella Osborne

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J K Rowling

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse

The 24 Hour Cafe by Libby Page

The Girls Who disappeared by Claire Douglas

A Christmas Celebration by Heidi Swain

An Unfortunate Christmas Murder by Hannah Hendy


I definitely seemed to slow down a little at the end of the year so that’s something I need to work on.

My Top Rated Book: ‘Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Five Books That I would Recommend:

  • Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
  • The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
  • The Therapsist by B A Paris
  • The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas
  • The Harry Clifton Series by Jeffrey Archer

What has been your favourite book of this year?


Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

What books did I get for Christmas?

Hi guys 👋🏼

I hope you all had a lovely, book filled, reading relaxation filled Christmas.

I thought I would do a blog post on my new books, that I received for Christmas. There’s quite a variety of genres so I have some cool new additions to my bookcase.

Let’s take a look!

The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain.

‘He jumped to his death in front of witnesses. Now his wife is charged with murder.

Five years ago, Erin Kennedy moved to New York following a family tragedy. She now lives happily with her detective husband in the scenic seaside town of Newport, Long Island. When Erin answers the door to Danny’s police colleagues one morning, it’s the start of an ordinary day. But behind her, Danny walks to the window of their fourth-floor apartment and jumps to his death.

Eighteen months later, Erin is in court, charged with her husband’s murder. Over that year and a half, Erin has learned things about Danny she could never have imagined. She thought he was perfect. She thought their life was perfect.

But it was all built on the perfect lie.

Christmas at the Little Waffle Shack by Helen Rolfe

‘Heritage Cove is in full swing for the festive season and as the temperature dips, who will be lucky in love this Christmas?

It’s December in Heritage Cove and along with the village Christmas tree, frosty mornings and the promise of the most wonderful time of the year, the new waffle shack is about to open. And its owner isn’t a stranger to the Cove, because after all this time, Daniel is back to make amends with his brother Harvey – as well as a few other locals he might have offended along the way.

Fairly new to the village, local blacksmith Lucy has kept up the pretence of being with her ex for the sake of his gran but she’s fed up with all the lies. Determined to come clean and live the life she wants to live, she’s devastated to find that her attraction to Daniel is tainted by the fact he’s hiding a few things of his own. And his secrets are ones she isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to get past.

Heritage Cove is full of friendship and community; it’s a welcoming place people visit and never want to leave. But will it work its magic for Daniel and Lucy?

Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton.

This is Tom Feltons Autobiography. He played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series. I am really looking forward to reading this.

Fantastic Beasts and where to find them by JK Rowling.

This is the Original Screenplay of ‘Fantastic Beasts and where to find them’. This is the script of the film. A great addition to my collection.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling.

As the Order of the Phoenix keeps watch over Harry Potter, troubled times have come to Hogwarts in a year filled with secrets, subterfuge and suspicion. The deliciously dark fifth instalment of Jim Kay’s inspired reimagining of J.K. Rowling’s classic series is an epic artistic achievement, featuring over 160 illustrations in an astonishing range of visual styles.

A lovely haul.

I also got a voucher that I can use to buy more books! 😁


What books did you get this year, for Christmas?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

Blogmas Day Twenty Three: My favourite Christmas Books đŸ“šđŸŽ„âœ¨ď¸

Hi guys 👋🏼

It’s always a good Christmas when you have a new Heidi Swain to read. They are the most festive, cosy, comforting Christmas fiction and perfect for this time of year.

Whether it be trip to Wynbridge, a stay at Wynthorpe Hall or a visit to Wynters one thing is guaranteed, you’ll have a fun, festive, friendly (sometimes fraught) time with lots of Christmas cheer and brilliant characters.

Reading a Heidi Swain Christmas book is like visiting old friends for Christmas, but from the comfort of your own home!

My favourite one is ‘Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market’ because it is the first Heidi Swain book I ever read.


Let’s take a look at them all…

This is the most recent release, this November, based at Wynthorpe Hall.

‘A Christmas Celebration.’

When Paige turns up unannounced at Wynthorpe Hall, she discovers the place she knew when she was growing up has changed beyond all recognition. She’s only planning to stay for a short time, but is quickly pulled into local life.

‘Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market.’

Ruby has finished with university and is heading home for the holidays to save up for her trip around the world in January. Against her father’s wishes, she takes on a stall at the local market, and sets about making it the best Christmas market stall ever. There’ll be bunting and mistletoe and maybe even a bit of mulled wine.

‘Underneath the Christmas Tree’

Wynter’s Trees is the home of Christmas. For the people of Wynmouth it’s where they get their family Christmas tree, and where Christmas truly comes to life. But for Liza Wynter, it’s a millstone around her neck. It was her father’s pride and joy but now he’s gone, she can’t have anything to do with it. Until her father’s business partner decides to retire and she must go back to handle the transition to his son Ned.

‘The Winter Garden’

‘Freya Fuller is living her dream, working as a live-in gardener on a beautiful Suffolk estate. But when the owner dies, Freya finds herself forced out of her job and her home with nowhere to go. However, with luck on her side, she’s soon moving to Nightingale Square and helping to create a beautiful winter garden that will be open to the public in time for Christmas.’

‘Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland.’

After calling off her engagement, Hayley, the Wynthorpe Hall housekeeper, wants nothing more than to return to her no-strings fun-loving self, avoiding any chance of future heartbreak. Little does she know, Wynbridge’s latest arrival is about to throw her plan entirely off course . . .

‘Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair.’

‘When Anna takes on the role of companion to the owner of Wynthorpe Hall, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, she has no idea that her life is set to change beyond all recognition.
A confirmed ‘bah humbug’ when it comes to Christmas, Anna is amazed to find herself quickly immersed in the eccentric household, and when youngest son Jamie unexpectedly arrives home it soon becomes obvious that her personal feelings are going all out to compromise her professional persona.

‘The Christmas Wish List’

‘After being let go from her job in a swanky hotel just weeks before Christmas, Hattie is feeling lost. Even more so when her high-flying boyfriend announces he’s landed his dream job in Abu Dhabi and asks her to move with him. Luckily, Hattie’s long-time friend Dolly is on hand to help and invites Hattie to spend one last holiday in the small, festive town of Wynbridge, determined to give her a Christmas to remember . . .’


So many brilliant and different festive stories to choose from!There’s something for everyone.

These are great if you need a cosy Christmas read, a gift for someone (or yourself!!) Or a stocking filler, look no further.


Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

2 days to go!

Blogmas Day Twenty: Christmas Eve Boxes 📦 â™Ľď¸

Hi guys 👋🏼

Every year I make Christmas eve boxes for my two nephews (who are brothers) and my niece. They arrived aged between 5 – 8 so still nice and easy to cater for this year.

So, I thought I would share with you the sorts of things that I have got to put into their boxes this year.

Let’s take a look!


We started off with Colouring/Colour by number/puzzle books…

Followed by some fun Christmas craft activities…

This year I go Christmas Scratch art, Christmas characters and a paint your own Santa ornament.

These ranged from ÂŁ1 – ÂŁ2 in Wilko so super affordable.


I also added in some funny little novelty ‘Elf Racers’ for them to play with, as well as some tasty treats including chocolate coins (Classic!) and a hot chocolate bomb.


Finally, I added a Christmassy book to each box…

The Works do 3 books for ÂŁ5 which is awesome when there are three little ones to buy for haha!


Lots of fun and treats to keep them occupied during Christmas eve and the following days.

And a great way to get into the festive spirit and make Christmas eve special.


Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

5 days until Christmas!

Blogmas Day Eighteen: Our final book club meeting of 2022 đŸ“š

Hi guys 👋🏼

So on Thursday (15th Dec) we had our final book club meeting of 2022.

It was a smaller affair than usual as lots of the usual group were ill 🤒

The four of us carried on and I chaired the meeting on Sarah’s behalf.

We enjoyed discussing Novembers book… ‘The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas’

I thoroughly enjoyed this boom and it is up there with one of my favourites from the year.

It’s a Thriller about Olivia Rutherford and her friends who are involved in a car accident and when she wakes up they have disappeared and are still missing 20 years later.

I really enjoyed the twists, turns and audible gasps that escaped me as the story started to unfold. It was a very enjoyable and easy read and with lovely short chapters it took me just under two days to read.

I would give it ☆☆☆☆☆ out of 5!


The Christmas Murder Game’ by Alexandra Benedict has been chosen as our December Christmas read.

It’s not your usual festive fair but I am looking forward to this as its different to all of the ‘domestic fiction’ easy reader, festive books that I have to read over the next few weeks and January.


What festive books are you currently reading ?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

ONE WEEK UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!