I have always wanted to go to Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival (or simply referred to as ‘Harrogate’ in my house) for years, but for one reason or another I haven’t been able to. But I’ve been unwell for the last 8 years and I thought “sod it, I’m going”, and so I emptiedContinue reading ” My Thoughts – Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2025″
Category Archives: Blog Posts
My Favourite Books of 2025: Part 1 😊
With every passing year it’s becoming harder and harder to pick out my favourite books as the standard is so high!! Below you will find my favourite reads of January through to June 2025. Please be aware that whilst I aim not to write out-and-out spoilers in my full reviews, because I have only providedContinue reading “My Favourite Books of 2025: Part 1 😊”
Women’s Prize Longlist 2025
Last year, I decided I would read the Women’s Prize shortlist before the winner was announced. But like a lot of well-thought plans, I only got round to reading one of them, even though I bought them all. So, following that success, I decided to go one further and read the 2025 longlist before theContinue reading “Women’s Prize Longlist 2025”
Laura Pearson
Hello! I’m Laura and I live in a village in Leicestershire with my husband, our two children and our cat. I’ve previously lived in London and New York and sometimes miss big cities (but mostly don’t). I help run the Bookload on Facebook alongside writing novels. I love reading, games, chocolate and watching reality TV,Continue reading “Laura Pearson”
My Favourite Books of 2024: Part 2 😊
Aaaaaaand we’re back. Hi! By now I assume you’ve already had a look at my Favourite Books of 2024: Part 1 – if not, you can find it HERE! Today I’m posting my favourite reads from July to December, as well as my overall favourite read(s). JULY Victoria might just hold the key to savingContinue reading “My Favourite Books of 2024: Part 2 😊”
What I Read In 2024
It’s that time of the year again – the time I look back and reflect on what I’ve read. So let’s get started. My aim in 2024 was to read 250 books across the 336 days. In all I managed to read 351! I will just say now that reading is not a competition. WhetherContinue reading “What I Read In 2024”
Books I Have Bought In 2024
Okay, so if you follow me on Twitter (I will never call it X!) then you will have seen the copious amounts of books I have bought myself over the year. A tiny part of my brain is appalled by just how many I purchased and how much I’ve spent, but most of my brainContinue reading “Books I Have Bought In 2024”
2024 Debuts
I really enjoyed looking back on 2023 at all the utterly fabulous new authors I had discovered, so thought I’d do it again for 2024! Not every book on this page was released in 2024 – although most are; instead there are books I have read in 2024 that just happened to be that author’sContinue reading “2024 Debuts”
The Booker Prize 2024
Each year I say I’m going to read the prize shortlists – the Booker Prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction etc. – and what happens every time is I buy all of the books, they go on my shelves with the 1,300 others I have, and I never read them. But this time, I’ve actuallyContinue reading “The Booker Prize 2024”
Cathryn Kemp
Writing has been a way of life for me for 25 years. I was a cub reporter on the local paper, and quickly moved up to the national press. A few years later, I became life-alteringly ill, spent years in and out of hospital, writing diaries and stories all the way through, which culminated inContinue reading “Cathryn Kemp”
Books By Your Bedside 