The Blogiversary celebrations end today with a Giveaway of Cathy Bramley's lates book, White Lies and Wishes. I'd like to thank everyone who has helped me celebrate. It's been a fun couple of weeks and the response from you guys has been incredible! 

"This story is a big celebration of friendship and also about learning to love yourself. I also think that it will inspire many, included me, to dream and dream big and then, actually go for it."

Read my full review here

Title: White Lies and Wishes

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: January 26th 2017 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: What happens when what you wish for is only half the story...?

Flirtatious, straight-talking Jo Gold says she’s got no time for love; she’s determined to save her family’s failing footwear business.

New mother Sarah Hudson has cut short her maternity leave to return to work. She says she’ll do whatever it takes to make partner at the accountancy firm.

Bored, over-eating housewife Carrie Radley says she just wants to shift the pounds – she’d love to finally wear a bikini in public.

The unlikely trio meet by chance one winter’s day, and in a moment of ‘Carpe Diem’ madness, embark on a mission to make their wishes come true by September.

Easy. At least it would be, if they hadn’t been just the teensiest bit stingy with the truth…

With hidden issues, hidden talents, and hidden demons to overcome, new friends Jo, Carrie and Sarah must admit to what they really, really want, if they are ever to get their happy endings.

Thanks to Becky, at Transworld, I have 3 paperback copies of White Lies and Wishes to offer to 3 very lucky winners! Don't miss your chance to win this up-lifting and warm novel:

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The Giveaway is open to Europe and the winners will be contacted via email. They will have then 48 hours to claim their prize. Good luck!

The Blogiversary celebrations continue today with a Top Three by book blogger Agi, from On My Bookshelf, and a Giveaway for a book of your choice. I've followed this blog since I started blogging myself and it's been an inspiration for me. It is a firm favourite of mine, so it's an honour to welcome Agi to the blog:

First of all, let me congratulate Alba on her 3rd Blogiversary! The blogging and bookish community wouldn't be the same without her - Alba, you are one of the warmest, nicest person ever and please, never stop blogging!

I was thinking long and hard about what to write about and the last minute idea is to tell you about my favourite books' titles. Earlier I thought that the shorter the title, the better but lately I've started to change my mind and I think the longer the title, the more hilarious/exciting/interesting/hooking it is. Don't you think?

1. It's one of the newest releases and the title is "The Good Girlfriend's Guide to Getting Even" by Anna Bell. I LOVE that almost all the words in this title begins with the same letter and it sounds brilliant when you read it out loud - just try. I think it is called alliteration? Whatever - I love it and this title truly describes what's waiting for us between the cover (that is gorgeous, BTW).

2. Is it cheating when I'm going to mention all titles by one author here? Lucy Robinson - not only is she a lovely, funny woman but also a genius writer and the titles of her books just tell it all: "The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me" (would you guess there is music involved?), "The Greatest Love Story of All Time" (would you guess it is really about THE greatest love story of all time?), "A Passionate Affair with a Total Stranger" (would you guess it is about a passionate affair?). They are brilliant, don't you think?

3. And Lisa Dickenson's titles - so eye - catching and so humorous! "You Had Me at Merlot" - it makes me want to drink wine immediately. "The Twelve Dates of Christmas" - not only do I want to go on a date but hello? Is it Christmas yet? "Catch Me if You Cannes" - don't you want to go on holidays, like, RIGHT NOW? 

Keep them coming, lovely authors :)

The Blogiversary celebrations continue today with a Top Three by author Katey Lovell and a Giveaway of her debut novel. I really enjoyed Katey's book, so it's an honour to welcome her to the blog. And as it's St Valetine's Day, Katey is sharing her favourite love songs with us:

1) Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me - The Smiths

This might not be considered the most uplifting track as it's about the lack of love within life rather than the pleasure and security of requited love, but it's a song that perfectly captures an overwhelming sense of longing and loneliness. The haunting melody combined with this songs poignant, heartbreaking lyric never fails to stir my emotions and makes it one of my favourite songs of all time.

2) What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction

I considered choosing 'Drag Me Down' or 'Fireproof', but 'What Makes You Beautiful' is such a joyful, bouncy song and that's why I had to include it. People can say it's cheesy (it is, unashamedly!) but I love it anyway. If you've ever been to a One Direction concert you'll know what I mean when I say it's a highlight of their live show. Yes, it's been played to death, but there's something very special about the song that started the phenomenon. 

3) Another Crack in my Heart - Take That

This isn't one of Take That's biggest hits - it's a track hidden away on the Everything Changes album that was never selected as a single and was only ever played live on one tour. Yet from the twinkly refrain of the piano at the beginning of the song to the slightly dodgy lyric of 'I am just one man with just one pair of eyes', this has always been a favourite of mine. The ghostly vocals of the middle eight set against electronic mixing really shouldn't work, but does. I love everything about this song.

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Thank you so much Katey for sharing your favourite love songs with us. Totally feeling the love now!

And now, here's your chance to win a signed copy of The Singalong Society for Singletons, Katey Lovell debut's novel. The perfect read for musical lovers! 

The Giveaway is open to Europe and the winner will be contacted via email. They will have then 48 hours to claim their prize. Good luck!

The Blogiversary celebrations continue today with a Top Three by rom-com author Catherine Bennetto and a Giveaway of her debut novel. I adored Catherine's book, so it's an honour to welcome her to the blog:

All of the Harry Potter books into all of the Harry Potter movies 

I love them all and still watch them frequently. My children don’t. My seven year old said ‘They’re for little kids, Mum’ with a disdainful glance down his not-yet-lost-the-puppy-fat nose. But that doesn’t stop my sister and I sitting down with Harry, Ron, Hermione and a family sized bag of Maltesers whenever we get the chance. 

My children have moved on to more sophisticated choices, like Richard Attenborough’s animals-eating-other-animals type stuff, but I’m still enraptured by floating candles and a sorting hat.

Bridget Jones’ Diary 

Even my husband will happily watch this movie – if only for the Hugh Grant/Colin Firth fight scene in a Greek restaurant. And when the sequel came out, with yet another posh-boy-kicking, jacket-and-hair-pulling, limb flailing fight in a fountain, he was more than happy to be forced into the wall-less restaurant/bootleg cinema on top of a cliff in India to watch it. And that’s even with Kill Bill: Volume 2 being shown at the open-aired seafood BBQ place with the cheaper Kingfisher beer three ‘doors’ (they didn’t have doors) down. 

The Avengers –Marvel Comics

This really was a toss up between The Notebook and The Avengers but seeing as the last time I shot out of my seat saying ‘GET HIM!’ was not when McAdams stood partially clothed and emotionally conflicted next to a shirtless Gosling, but was actually when Downey Jnr zipped over New York trying to neutralise some weird robot alien eel/dragon things, I realised The Avengers are AWESOME DUDE. 

These Producers really knew what they were doing when they selected their cast: Get the mums on board and you’ll make the CGI budget back in a weekend. You’ve got Robert Downey Junior and Mark Ruffalo for the older mums, Tom Hiddleston for the mid-aged mums and Chris Hemsworth for every single one of us. I’ve been to all variations of the Avenger franchise and my boys can’t quite believe my excitement. I can’t either really. But the films are surprisingly funny, well plotted, brilliantly shot and most of the men are in very tight suits.

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The Blogiversary celebrations continue today with a Top Three by book blogger Lili, from Utopia State of Mind, and a Giveaway for a book of your choice. Since discovering this blog, it has become a firm favourite of mine, so it's an honour to welcome Lili to the blog:

If I had to pick my top 3 books, it would be:

Dawn by Octavia Butler. This was the book series that started my obsession with science fiction. It challenged me and I loved it so much I wrote my thesis on that series. It covers so many different issues, not only aliens, but also race and the figure of Lilith. I highly recommend it as a great starter into science fiction.

Sabriel by Garth Nix. I first read this series when I was in high school, and it meant, and still does, so much to me. It inspired me to be a strong woman, to go against what society told me I was capable of and break those walls. I know it seems nostalgic, but when I think of books that I love and would read again, this makes my top. On the subject of books like this, I have to mention the Tamora Pierce novels as well in the same category of "inspiring books for a young feminist without the words to express herself". 

And to update my reading list, my last pick is The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan. I have been trying to come to terms with my cultural identity lately and my recent dive into Asian Fiction has really made me happy. This book portrays some fascinating mother/daughter relationships that I loved reading about! The things we do to our family never ceases to surprise me and this story does it right. It is such a great and complex story that I highly recommend.

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Thank you Lili for sharing your top books with us. I definitely need to add those to my tbr pile!

And now, for a chance to win a book of your choice from Book Depository, enter the following giveaway. Thanks to Lili, from Utopia State of Mind, for offering this generous prize to celebrate my 3rd blogiversary! 

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The Giveaway is open Internationally and the winner will be contacted via email. They will have then 48 hours to claim their prize. Good luck! 

The Blogiversary celebrations continue today with a Top Three by historical fiction author Hazel Gaynor and a Giveaway of her latest book. I adore Hazel's books, so it's an honour to welcome her to the blog:

I love historical novels because I’m fascinated by the way people lived in the past, and by the life-changing events that took place over the last century. Often it’s an image from the era, or a person or event I read about that first ignites the creative spark, then I let my imagination take over. My first novel (The Girl Who Came Home) was inspired by the Irish connections to the Titanic, my second (A Memory of Violets) by the flower sellers of Covent Garden in Victorian London, my third (The Girl From The Savoy) by the Great War and 1920s London and my fourth (The Cottingley Secret) by ‘alleged’ photographs of fairies at the bottom of the garden. I’m nothing if not diverse! It is probably no surprise that my book shelves are full of historical novels, and here are just three of my favourites (although I could easily argue the case for many more!)

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory - This was my first Philippa Gregory novel and I loved it so much I went on to read all her others. I studied History to A’ Level and thought I knew a lot about the Tudors, especially Henry VIII and his six wives, but this novel challenged the historical assumptions of that period by telling the story from the point of view of the women who had mostly been written out of the history books. Who had ever heard of Mary Boleyn?! I firmly believe this was the novel that led to me write historical fiction because for the first time I could see a way to combine my fascination with history with my desire to write fiction. Philippa Gregory offers a unique insight into a period of history we think we know, and brings it to life through her attention to detail and brilliant storytelling. She writes history in a way that feels almost contemporary in its narrative and voice. Her real skill is in giving the reader the sense that we are always peering over the shoulders of these characters. Far from being separated by centuries, we are right there in the room with them, privy to their innermost thoughts, fears and secrets. I interviewed Philippa Gregory in 2012 and she kindly gave me some wonderful advice as a new writer. Her signed copy of The Other Boleyn Girl sits proudly on the shelf above my desk. 

Restoration and Merivel by Rose Tremain - Robert Merivel, physician and courtier to King Charles II, is one of my favourite fictional characters – historical, or otherwise. His story begins in Tremain’s Booker Prize nominated novel from 1989, Restoration and continues in Merivel. Set in the seventeenth-century, following the gaudy years of the Restoration, Tremain brings humour, pathos, warmth and a huge sense of place and character to these exceptional novels. I cannot remember when I last cried at the end of a book, purely because I was so sad to part company with a character I had fallen in love with. Merivel, and his wonderfully imagined life, are an absolute pleasure to spend time with. Fabulous.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - This beautiful little epistolary novel, set on the island of Guernsey in the aftermath of World War II, is full of wonderful characters, wit and emotion. It opened my eyes to how historical events can be written about in a way that feels far more immediate and personal than a straight historical account and is a book I have re-read many times, and often evangelise about to anyone who will listen! This book also led me to want to understand more about the two world wars. My co-written historical epistolary novel LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS, due out later this year, was partly inspired by this wonderful book.

Thank you for inviting me to be part of your third birthday celebrations, and congratulations on reaching this milestone! I’m a big admirer of ‘Alba in Bookland’ and wish you many more happy years of reading and blogging.

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Thank you so much Hazel for stopping by and sharing your love for historical novels with us. I absolutely adore The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society too, such an amazing book! But not as amazing as The Girl from the Savoy, Hazel Gaynor's latest book. And today you can win a signed copy of it. 

"The Girl from the Savoy is a fascinating story with captivating characters and a stunning setting and it went directly to my top read of the 2016. I think there was not a thing I didn't love about this book. Seriously, historical fiction at its best."

Read my full review here

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The Giveaway is open to Europe and the winner will be contacted via email. They will have then 48 hours to claim their prize. Good luck! 

Hello everyone! This weekend marked the 3rd blogiversary of my little blog. When I first started it, I really had no idea what I was doing. I had been following a couple of book blogs, to get recommendations and I thought, what a fun way to share the love for books. I didn't know what a proof was or that NetGalley existed. I just wanted to spread the love. 

To tell you the truth, it's what I still want: to spread the love for books and reading. But I have to say that in the last three years I have discovered that blogging is a lot more fun and social than I had first thought.

So to celebrate another year blogging about books and all things bookish, I have invited several authors and fellow book bloggers to share with us a Top Three of favourite things: books, authors, movie adaptations, genres... Stay tuned for all these guest posts in the next few days!

Today though, I wanted to start the celebration with my own Top Three and a giveaway. My Top Three is all about why I love blogging so much. And there'll be more giveaways in the next days!

Top Three: Why I Love Blogging

1. Interacting with fellow book bloggers and bookworms in general. I had always thought that reading was quite a lonely activity, especially as my close friends when I was a teenager, were not big readers. But thanks to twitter, I have met so many bookworms! I love talking about our latest reads, the releases we are excited about or sharing our enthusiasm for the latest stationary buy!

2. Discovering new books, new authors and new genres. Before blogging I was always waiting for my favourite author's new releases and filled the time in between rereading old favourites. But since then, I have read books I would have never imagined I would have likes, discovered genres I didn't even know existed and basically now my tbr pile is always growing and threatening of falling on my head and bury me in books. Isn't it wonderful?

3. Finally, spreading the love for amazing books! As I said, this is why I started blogging and it's still my favourite part of it. I loved it when I finish a book that took a part of my heart with it and then I shout about it on Twitter, Instagram and the blog and people start telling me they read it too because of my comments! Best feeling ever!

And now, time for the giveaway. Today I'm starting with a cute little one. Lately I've been obsessed with two things: nifflers and magnetic bookmarks. So today I bring you a combination of both: a Fantastic Beasts bookmarks set from the fabulous BeedooTo! I have many of their bookmarks and the quality is amazing. Plus, how cute is this one?

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This Giveaway is open Internationally. The winner will be contacted via email and they will have 48h hours to claim their prize. 

The sixth blogiversary giveaway comes to you thanks to lovely book blogger Sophie, from Reviewed the Book, and you can win We Are All Made of Stars by Rowan Coleman (for me, Rowan's last was out of this world good, a heartbreaking but uplifting story that will leave no one indifferent)! First, I'd like to thank Sophie for helping me celebrate my 2nd blogiversary. The giveaway is International. The winner will be contacted via twitter or email and will have 48h to claim their prize. Good luck!

We Are All Made of Stars by Rowan Coleman

What if you had just one chance, one letter you could leave behind for the person you love? 

What would you write?

Stella Carey has good reason to only work nights at the hospice where she is a nurse. Married to a war veteran who has returned from Afghanistan brutally injured, Stella leaves the house each night as her husband Vincent, locks himself away, unable to sleep due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

During her nights at the hospice, Stella writes letters for her patients containing their final wishes, thoughts and feelings – from how to use a washing machine, to advice on how to be a good parent – and usually she delivers each letter to the recipient he or she has died.

That is until Stella writes one letter that she feels compelled to deliver in time to give her patient one final chance of redemption…

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The fourth blogiversary giveaway comes to you thanks to lovely book blogger Sophie, from Reviewed the Book, and you can win the fantastic Wickham Hall by Cathy Bramley (if you haven't read it yet, you are missing out)! First, I'd like to thank Sophie for helping me celebrate my 2nd blogiversary. The giveaway is International. The winner will be contacted via twitter or email and will have 48h to claim their prize. Good luck!

Wickham Hall by Cathy Bramley

Wickham Hall was originally published as a four-part serial. This is the complete story in one package.

Holly Swift has just landed the job of her dreams: events co-ordinator at Wickham Hall, the beautiful manor home that sits proudly at the heart of the village where she grew up. Not only does she get to organise for a living and work in stunning surroundings, but it will also put a bit of distance between Holly and her problems at home.

As Holly falls in love with the busy world of Wickham Hall - from family weddings to summer festivals, firework displays and Christmas grottos - she also finds a place in her heart for her friendly (if unusual) colleagues.

But life isn’t as easily organised as an event at Wickham Hall (and even those have their complications…). Can Holly learn to let go and live in the moment? After all, that’s when the magic happens…

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The fifth blogiversary giveaway comes to you thanks to Krysten Lindsay Hager, author of the True Colors Series, and you can win the ebook of the first book in the series! First, I'd like to thank Krysten for helping me celebrate my 2nd blogiversary. The giveaway is International. The winner will be contacted via twitter or email and will have 48h to claim their prize. Good luck!

True Colors by Krysten Lindsay Hager

Landry Albright just wants to be one of the interesting girls at school who always have exciting things going on in their lives. She wants to stand out, but also wants to fit in, so she gives in when her two best friends, Ericka and Tori, push her into trying out for a teen reality show modeling competition with them. Landry goes in nervous, but impresses the judges enough to make it to the next round. However, Ericka and Tori get cut and basically "unfriend" her on Monday at school. Landry tries to make new friends, but gets caught up between wanting to be herself and conforming to who her new friends want her to be. Along the way she learns that modeling is nowhere as glamorous as it seems, how to deal with frenemies, a new crush, and that true friends see you for who you really are and like you because of it. This is the first book in the series.

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The fourth blogiversary giveaway comes to you thanks to lovely book blogger Alison Drew, from Ali the Dragon Slayer, and you can win a £5 Amazon Voucher! First, I'd like to thank Alison for helping me celebrate my 3rd blogiversary. Please enter the giveaway only if you have a UK Amazon account. The winner will be contacted via twitter or email and will have 48h to claim their prize. Good luck!

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The third blogiversary giveaway comes to you thanks to lovely book blogger Rachel, from Rachel's Random Reads, and you can win the debut all book bloggers are raving about: Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. Rachel herself says she just couldn't stop reading it! Do you want it? Then enter the rafflecopter below, it's open Internationally and the winner will be contacted via twitter or email.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris 

Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train and The Ice Twins 

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace.

He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do. Though, you’d like to get to know Grace better.

But it’s difficult, because you realise Jack and Grace are never apart.

Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.

Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.

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The second giveaway to celebrate my 2 years blogiversary is here and it's fantastic: a paperback copy of A Question of Betrayal! I would like to thank the author, Zoë Miller, for offering her book as a prize. The giveaway is International and the winner will be contacted via email or twitter. Good luck!

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I can't believe my little blog is turning two today. I really think that these past two years have changed my life for the better. I have met so many amazing bookish people, both online and in person and I have discovered so many new stories and authors! I couldn't be happier being a book blogger and I am so very grateful to everyone who visits my little piece of cyber world. 

Plus, today is Harry Potter Book Night! What a fantastic occasion to celebrate my blogiversary too! For the next few days, I have prepared some really amazing giveaways for you all that I hope you will love. But for today, I have decided to do a HP themed giveaway. Because who doesn't love a bit of HP?

I'm giving away a Harry Potter Colouring Book to one lucky winner. The Giveaway is International and the winner will be contacted via twitter or email. Then they will be able to choose which one of the two there are available they want. Good Luck! 

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I have an iron bed in my living room, something I've seen in a holiday home in France and had to have straight away. It looked so cozy and was so comfortable with many pretty quilts and pillows. As soon as I found it I knew it was going to be the perfect reading spot. I read there every night and even though we have a perfectly comfortable sofa I prefer my bed. Such luxury to have it in my living room.

I love surrounding myself with books, stories that make me dream of endless possibilities. I like it when they have a hint of magic, so Magical Realism is my favourite genre. I love books by authors like Sarah Addison Allen, Joanne Harris and Menna van Praag. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a gift or to be just a bit different from everybody else, because you have magic? 

My living room is filled with books. My shelves are completely full and there are stacks of books everywhere. I’m having my own private library. Books have always been my life and since I started blogging my addiction has become even worse. Fortunately I enjoy every single minute of it and it’s contagious as a lot of people I know have started to read with me. 

Thank you Suze for sharing you own bookland with us. I love a bit of magic too.

A special thank you to Suze because she is a lovely friend and has supported me from the beginning. I love her blog, you always find something new there and it's a joy to read.

Now, enter to win some Happy Mail: 

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My little book blog is one! I still can't believe how amazing this year has been. To celebrate it, I have asked some of my lovely bookish friends to talk about their own booklands, the place where they get lost in their books and travel far far away! 

My guest today is the lovely Hannah Emery, Harper Impulse author of Secrets in the Shadows. And she has offered a copy of her book to giveaway. Don't miss the opportunity to win this fantastic book. Hannah, all yours: 

I think if I could live anywhere fictional, it would have to be somewhere magical. My favourite books are those that weave enchantment into real life. It was after I’d written Secrets in the Shadows that I discovered the amazing Sarah Addison Allen, but her worlds of magical inheritance and subtle mystery are the kind that I would love to live in.

Perhaps my inclination towards this kind of fiction began with Enid Blyton: I loved books like The Magic Faraway Tree and The Wishing Chair. I even love the titles! The magic of children’s stories like these, and of fairy tales and fables, gives me a real thrill when it’s weaved into otherwise realistic adult stories of relationships and families and work. 

I’m not talking full-on supernatural and sorcery: I wouldn’t want to change my car for a flying carpet, or my favourite black heels for glass slippers, but if there was chance of magic hiding around the corner, I’d like to find it…

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My little book blog is one! I still can't believe how amazing this year has been. To celebrate it, I have asked some of my lovely bookish friends to talk about their own booklands, the place where they get lost in their books and travel far far away! 

My little book blog is one! I still can't believe how amazing this year has been. To celebrate it, I have asked some of my lovely bookish friends to talk about their own booklands, the place where they get lost in their books and travel far far away! 

Today I have the honor of welcoming author Jennifer Gilby Roberts to my blog. Jennifer is a fantastic Chick Lit author, have a look at her website, and has offered two copies of her last book, But I Said Forever to giveaway. So don't miss this fantastic opportunity. Jennifer, all yours: 

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Thank you Jennifer for sharing you own bookland with us. I love the "ideal bath length" concept! 

Enter this giveaway to win ecopy of But I Said Forever, Jennifer's latest book: 

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My little book blog is one! I still can't believe how amazing this year has been. To celebrate it, I have asked some of my lovely bookish friends to talk about their own booklands, the place where they get lost in their books and travel far far away!