What I've Been Reading - Book recommendations

I know some of you will look at the title and this blog and thing back to last year when I attempted 12 books in 12 months (spoiler alert! I read one book, yeah) and think how could I possibly be writing about reading. Well, guess who found her love of books again! I've put down Amazon Prime (damn Grey's Anatomy gets me every time) and picked up the books again and I'm hooked. Whenever I have a spare 5 minutes you will find me with my nose in a book lately and its been so great, so I thought I would share what I've been reading. 

Disclaimer - Some of my links are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you chose to buy something from my link, but it will not affect the price you pay!

1. Flowers In The Attic - V.C Andrews

Now this book I know is quite well known, and I remember reading it at around 13 or 14 (shocking) and loving the story so much I was hooked on V.C Andrews. Well recently I discovered a Facebook group dedicated to all things V.C Andrews and I'm hooked once again. If you are in the UK these can be really difficult to find so I get mine second hand from World of Books. The Dollanganger Series is also available on Amazon but if you just want to try the first book click Flowers In The Attic

2. My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult

Not too much I can say about this one except, the book is 1000 times better than the film, and I LOVED the film. I highly recommend any book by Jodi Picoult, I've read so many now and am never disappointed. She somehow manages to merge themes seamlessly. You can pick up My Sisters Keeper on Amazon  here

3. Before I Die. - Jenny Downham

This book was something else. I think it's technically a YA book, which has never bothered me before, but this gave me all sorts of feels. It was also turned into a film called Now is Good, but reading this one I was laughing one minute and crying the next. It was a really great read that isn't took long and makes you truly appreciate life. Pick this up on Amazon here (please note this is now published as Now Is Good)

4. My Best Friend's Girl - Dorothy Koomson. 

This book was so good. The blurb reminded me a bit of the film Beaches and I think that's why I went for this one, but I have loved Dorothy Koomson since reading The Ice Cream Girls (Also highly recommend this one. Its great!) All the feels and I immediately text my bestie after reading. This one is available on Amazon

5. Marked - P.C and Kristin Cast

This is the first in the House Of Night series, and again is technically YA, I first read these somewhere in my Twilight phase - I know we all had that phase - and picked it up because it was something similar but different. Its based on a vampire school with lots of mystery but so well written when I saw my copy in the local charity shop I had to pick it up, now looking to finish the collection as I never got to finish reading the series. Buy the first one on Amazon or the entire series available here

6. Glass Houses The Morganville Vampires book one - Rachel Caine. 

This was another one from my Twilight phase but a little more older YA this time. Again this is the first in the series and I saw it in the charity shop and couldn't resist. I don't think Sam wants me to go into the charity shop anymore because this is just another series I need all of! You can buy Glass Houses here or the first 5 books in the series here

So that is what I've been reading lately! I will be doing another book order on pay day, and of course visiting the charity shop regularly. I have also been listening to audio books at every chance so if you would like to know what books I have been listening to let me know!

What have you been reading?

Five things I've learnt since becoming a mum

Parenting is one of life's greatest adventure, if it is something you chose to do with your life it can be the most rewarding experience, but can also leave you screaming and crying and throwing things. I've lost count of the amount of times I've cried because its been a hard parenting day, or its overwhelming, or I'm struggling to juggle everything, but then I pick myself up and do it all over again the next day. 

I thought I would share five things I've learnt in the four years I've been a mum. 

1. It is just not possible to do everything. This is something I tell myself every single day. I am the type of person who gets up in the morning and writes out my to-do list, which lets be honest is so long I wouldn't be able to complete it if I didn't have a toddler and full time job! Then at the end of the night when maybe three of these things are ticked off (if I'm lucky!) I feel like the day has been wasted, but honestly my child is clean and fed and happy and to me, that's all that matters really. 

2. You are their mum, not their friend. Growing up my mum was one of my best friends, but looking back I realise that actually while I loved her and we have a really great relationship, she was always my mum first, and while I always thought I would be my child's best friend that's not the way its suppose to be. Harry doesn't like me all of the time, especially when I have to tell him off or take a treat away from him and that's okay. Because I'm his mum. 

3. There is absolutely no point in comparing your child to any other child. I'm guessing this would even apply to siblings, because every child is different. Harry is different to most of his peers, but also different to lots of other children with Down's syndrome and Klinefelter's Syndrome, and that's fine. Every child is different and its about embracing those differences. 

4. Everyone has opinions, but not everyone's opinions matter. The amount of judgement there is for mothers in the world is ridiculous. I've been told I shouldn't work, I should stay home with my child, I needed to feed him certain foods or put him in certain clothes and I've developed a thick skin about it all. I don't listen. I have a little rule; If I didn't ask for your opinion, it isn't welcome. 

5. Money isn't everything. As a child who grew up with very little money, I always said when I had a child we would have loads of money and my child would have the best of everything. How ridiculous was I?! We have by no means loads of money and Harry definitely isn't spoilt but we are happy. I've also learnt you don't need to spend money to have a good time. As long as Harry is smiling, its the best day ever for me. 

30 before 30

For todays post I thought I would share my 30 before 30 list. I'm currently 28 so I've got just under 2 years before I turn 30 but I have a list of things I would like to achieve before then!

1. Visit America

2. See Chicago on stage

3.Visit Disney Land Paris

4. Get married

5. Hit my goal weight/size

6. Start earning money from my blog/Youtube

7. Visit Scotland again

8. Visit Wales again

9. Visit Ireland

10. Finish writing my book 

11. Learn to drive

12. Feel more confident

13. Feel more in control of my anxiety

14. Learn to crochet

15. Learn to cook

16. Bake more recipes from Jane's Patisserie

17. Read classics like Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and Oliver Twist 

18. Read 20 compeltely new books

20. Learn an instrument

21. Learn to drive

22. Learn to make/ adjust my clothes

23. Eat more adventurously

24. get my nails done

25. Dye my hair red again

26. Eat at a Michelin Star restaurant 

27. Watch classic films

28. Sky dive

29. Scuba Dive. 

30. get a new tattoo

What's on your list? and how long do you have to complete it?