Books!

Every week my mum and I would buy a trashy magazine and then we'd swap when we'd read them. Whenever I got hers, all the puzzles would be done and she'd have turned down pages and put asterisks by things with notes like "mum might like this for her birthday", "this would make an ideal mother's day pressie". She'd then act surprised when Lucy and I would rock up with one of the items she'd suggested!

I realised, that I'd started to do the same thing to my sister Lucy, but with books. I think in the run up to my birthday and Christmas, our whatsapp messages are full of links to books I might like. So when a friend of ours asked Lucy what I might like for my birthday, she said, "just get her a book token and she'll be happy."

I know my friend was sceptical at first, but honestly it was perfect. I think as soon as I opened it, I'd already spent it 5 times over.

My love of books started from a really young age. My mum gave me some of her books from when she was younger, so I read a lot of Enid Blyton. I loved the Famous Five and the Secret Seven and during the summer holidays, me and my friends would head off on our bikes trying to find a crime we could solve. We weren't really allowed off the street on our bikes and I lived in a cul-de-sac, so we were pretty much relying on the fact that one of the five neighbours who lived in our little horseshoe was a criminal mastermind. They weren't, but it didn't stop us hoping!

I loved books like "The Secret Garden", "The Little Princess", anything by Judy Blume. Then I discovered Sue Townsend and fell head over heels in love with Adrian Mole. To this day, his diaries remain amongst my favourite books, if ever I feel a bit fed up, Adrian Mole can always put a smile on my face.

My well read copy of Adrian Mole

One summer my mum came back from her friends house with a copy of Jilly Cooper's "Riders", after she'd read it, she said I might like it. I read it and loved it. I think I spent the whole of my summer holidays ploughing my way through Jilly Cooper books. I've read them all multiple times. I read "Rivals" every Christmas, and I can't wait to see what Disney have done with the TV adaptation that comes out earlier this year. My first thought is they've got Declan O'Hara (Aidan Turner) spot on!

I've read "Polo" so many times, that should I ever get invited to The Guards Polo Club, I shall be fully confident to offer my sporting analysis on any of the chukkas and know how to partake in divot stomping, whilst enjoying witty reparte with our King and the Prince of Wales. They'll never know I've never been to a match before, I may even chuck in the fact that I understand the offside rule too!

On Friday, me and the ladies from my book club went along to Waterstones in Nottingham to see Steve Cavanagh. Steve Cavanagh is one of my favourite authors, I accidentally stumbled across his book "Thirteen" a couple of years ago and loved it. It's part of a series he writes about a lawyer called Eddie Flynn. I loved it so much, I bought all of them and then read them from the beginning, including "Thirteen" again, but in order this time.

On Friday he was there promoting the 8th in the series "Witness 8", so we all went along to get a signed copy and have a night out.

If you've never read any of Steve Cavanagh's books, then I highly recommend them, just warn your family that you will be unavailable to talk to them until you've finished them all.

Me & Steve Cavanagh

Signed copy of Witness 8

"Witness 8"

For me, reading gives me joy, it's chance to loose myself in a different world for a bit, whether it's 10 minutes or an hour, I can immerse myself somewhere else.

Reading challenges me, it makes me think and it makes me use my imagination.

You ask any book lover how they feel when their favourite book is turned into a film or TV show and the actor doesn't match who they had pictured, there'll be an outcry. Tom Cruise was not a popular casting for the role of Lestat in "Interview with a Vampire" and I am personally a little bit unsure that Pierce Brosnan is Ron in "The Thursday Murder Club", but I'm hoping to be proved wrong, because I need the film to be as perfect a the books.

I think reading makes me a better writer, OK, I'm not brilliant, I haven't had a Times Best Seller, but I have written a book, "Stanley Thomas is a Very Bad Man" and I'm proud of it. Was it perfect? Not at all. Could I have done things differently? Yes absolutely! Did I learn from it? Yes! I'm currently working on my second book, it's a slow process, but I'm getting there and I'm excited for people to meet "The Merry Hart Wives", they're a sassy, bitchy and glamourous bunch .

I'm currently in the process of creating a "book nook" in the corner of my bedroom, my sister bought me a a basket I wanted and I have a rocking chair I want to paint and then I just need to find a lamp I like and I'm good to go.

In the meantime, I have a pile of books waiting for me!

My reading pile.

What's on your reading pile?

Oh and if you want to come along to my book club, you are more than welcome, the next one is Tuesday 13th August and it's filth month!

Details of my book club