Most kids love a good series of books. It's great to see them get stuck into something that will keep them entertained for a long time. Sometimes though they can get a bit stuck, they don't know what to read next. One of the most popular kids series at the moment is Diary Of A Wimpy Kid. Perfect for kids from ages 7-12, this book has captured the minds of millions. But with so many other books out there I've compiled a list of suggestions for things they can read next.


Tom Gates - Liz Pichon
Set out in a similar style to Wimpy Kid with doodles and drawings, Tom Gates is based around Tom and his hate of everything homework based and trying to impress that girl that sits next to him at school. An award winning series that sits perfectly next to Wimpy Kid with it's comic book style.

Gangsta Granny - David Walliams
Walliams has done an amazing range of kids books. Gangsta Granny is my highlight though. Ben doesn't know how great his granny really is. I mean beyond the boring cabbage and scrabble she's planning to steal the queen's crown! This has the great humour you would find in Wimpy Kid with a bit more of a challenging read.

Series Of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
A bit of a darker series compared to Wimpy Kid but the series that follows the Baudelaire orphans and their strange uncle is definitely a great addition. A series full of fun and mystery, it's one that kids will love. And with a Netflix series in the works it needs to be read!

Dork Diaries - Rachel Renee Russell
Think Wimpy Kid but with a girl as a lead character and Dork Diaries is what you come up with. This hilarious series follows Nikki who is, let's face it, a dork. All she wants to do at her new school is get by and reinvent herself.

Goth Girl - Chris Riddell
Ada Goth is an only child, a bit of a lonely one at that. When some visitors come to stay they must make sure that the indoor gamekeeper doesn't cause the havoc he is planning. A beautifully illustrated book that is great for the older end of the Wimpy Kid fans.

Fortunately The Milk - Neil Gaiman
Gaiman is a bit of a literary god in our house and this book is no different. Telling the adventure of a dad on his journey to get some milk, this book takes loads of unexpected twists and turns! With a hilarious story and great illustrations, this book is one that kids and grown ups will love to read together!

One highlight of our trip was the moment that one of the giant turtles took a fancy to Max. We assume his jumper must have caught his attention as he swam right up behind him and started interacting with us and Max. It was so amazing to see them that close. His marine biologist uncle would be proud!

Most YA books seem to be either coming of age love stories, road trips or dystopian Hunger Games style books. There's nothing wrong with that, I mean I love a good love story as much as the next person. But in an industry where some of the best publishing is coming from, some amazing books can get lost in the shelves. I'm not a massive Sci-Fi and fantasy reader, but I absolutely love some of the spooky and almost supernatural books that are hitting the YA shelves at the moment. Most of them still focus around the coming of age aspect but have a spooky element woven through.



The Accident Season - Moira Fowley-Doyle
The same time every year marks accident season for Cara and her family. Broken bones, scratches and bruises. You name it, they get it. No one can tell why it happens or what causes the accident season to have such terrible effects on their family. But Cara want's to find out what is cursing their family for all these years.
This is a wonderful Irish coming of age tale with a great supernatural twist. One that I will be recommending at work for a very long time!

Shades Of London Series - Maureen Johnson
This is a ghost hunting book with a twist. It's based around an American girl called Rory who has just landed at a boarding school in London. Not long after she arrives, Jack the Ripper style killings start happening. They are so accurate it almost feels like it's him back from the dead. But they can't pinpoint who the culprit is as there is never any evidence.
I don't want to spoil the twists of this book but just know that this is on the third book of the series now and I'm absolutely loving it.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
We all know that old photos give us the creeps and spooky stories can keep us awake at night. Well how about mixing the two together? That's exactly what this book does. After a family tragedy, Jacob travels to a remote island off the coast of Wales where Miss Peregrine's home stands. Despite the fact it's empty, he get's the strangest feeling that he isn't alone as he uncovers the mysteries surrounding the home.
This is being made into a film with Tim Burton at the helm so you know it's going to be creepy and wonderful!

The Dead House - Dawn Kurtagich
25 years ago there was an accident at Elmbridge High School which resulted in the death of three students. But one student, Carly Johnson went missing and her body was never recovered. No one knew what happened to her in that fire, well that is until a diary was uncovered. The diary tells of Carly and Kaitlyn Johnson and the strange and dark events that lead up to the fire. Except Kaitlyn never existed in the first place.
This book doesn't actually come out for a few weeks yet but it's definitely one to add to the list.

The Haunting Of Sunshine Girl - Paige McKenzie
Based on a popular YouTube channel, this book centres on Sunshine. She has just moved to a new house, but whenever she is asleep she is constantly hearing the sounds of a little girl saying "Night Night" over and over. As things start to turn from bad to worse she must act fast before things get way too real.
The first of a trilogy, this will leave you trembling - especially after reading the bathroom scene!


Other notable books:
Frozen Charlotte - Alex Bell
Under My Skin - James Dawson
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Demon Road - Derek Landy
Thirteen Days Of Midnight - Leo Hunt

It's my birthday at the end of the month and I've been trying to work out what I want from others. Normally I just ask for money or vouchers so I can get what I want, but this time I'm thinking hard so I have something nice to unwrap on the day.

• Vans Authentic Shoes - I love my Vans. And I'm in desperate need of some new ones. I wear them out and at work so they need to be hardwearing, durable and comfy. These fit the bill and still look smart!
  
• Fjallraven Kanken Classic Bag - My camera bag is looking a bit sorry for itself and I'm struggling to find a rucksack that actually works as a camera bag and a normal bag (that still looks good). So when I saw this I jumped at it with open arms as you can buy a camera insert to hold your gear safely and it still looks good. If I got this then I would be a very happy girl.
  
• Instax Mini Film - Still on the photography trail I need some new film for my Instax. I'm trying to use it more to take meaningful photos that we can treasure forever. That includes days out, holidays and memorable occasions.
  
• Homer Simpson PJ's - Me and one of my pals Jess have a massive thing about donuts. We send them to each other (yep mail order donuts!) and always send photos. No idea why but donuts are just our thing. So when I saw this I knew it was perfect for me!
  
• Gorillapod - I'm trying to start vlogging. I have an idea and need to execute it. For that though I need a tripod. I thought this was perfect as you could use a compact camera to film and wrap the tripod anywhere for on the go filming.

1. Download a programme such as Tweet Deck
   The most daunting thing about a chat is trying to keep up with it. I know at the start I struggled. Until someone introduced me to Tweet Deck. The way it works is that you can have several columns open at once. I normally have the hashtag that is being used, my notifications (and Pbloggers notifications). This means I don't lose track of the chat as easily.
   
2. Find out the chat topic
   Normally each chats twitter page will tweet out what the topic is. You might find that it isn't something you are interested in or it may be something you know loads about. Don't be put off with a topic that you may be unsure about. You don't always have to chime in with answers. Sometimes just reading the tweets can be helpful enough!
   
3. Schedule tweets if you aren't around
   I know speaking from running #pbloggers that lots of people use the hour to highlight their tweets. At the end of the chat we always retweet posts and links to people's blogs. This is a great way of finding new content and getting yours out there. But if you know you won't make it for that week a quick scheduled tweet saying "Gutted I have to miss x chat but here is my blog"
   
4. Don't forget the hashtag
   One key thing to remember is that the chat is followed by everyone via the hashtag. If you miss that out of your tweet there is a high chance that no-one will see it. We normally have it saved to clipboard so we can paste it on the tweet or write it before our text!
   
5. Have fun
   A twitter chat shouldn't be there to stress you out, it should be there to have fun and interact with likeminded people. If you find some new blogs to follow then that's an amazing perk too. Don't feel downhearted if people aren't responding to you; the chat may be going too fast to find your tweets. I've made some great blogging friends through twitter chats and love hosting them too. There are so many different topics out there for different bloggers that there is sure to be something for you. If not then set one up yourself! And it's not just blogging, I love to take part in the book related twitter chats. It's amazing what you find when you start delving!

It's been a hectic few weeks, in fact a hectic month. From the moment Max had his accident we have been in a whirlwind and it is only just settling down to normality. Here is what we have been up to though.

Dear mum,

You, yes you. The one whose toddler is having a full blown meltdown on the supermarket floor. The one that is screaming he hates being there and you are a horrible mummy. The one that is on the brink of tears and is worried that everyone is judging you. The one that drops everything and leaves the store just to stop the tantrums with your head hung low.

Please breathe. Take a second to see the situation from the outside. We've all been there. Well not all of us, but most of us. You may think that you are alone but in reality you are far from it. That toddler you see in front of you screaming obscenities is doing the same thing mine did only a few days ago.

He's not screaming because he hates you, far from it. You are the most important person to him. He is screaming because he is frustrated, frustrated because he is tired, cranky and let's face it, he's in a supermarket when there are so many other places to be. How many of us actually want to be there. If it was acceptable for an adult to throw themselves on the floor in disgust then most of us wouldn't even give it a second thought.

You aren't a horrible mummy. Well maybe taking him shopping isn't the nicest thing in his books but without shopping you won't have food or drink, and he would be screaming even louder then. You are a mum that cares, one that loves their child and wants to provide everything for them. You are doing the right thing and this is just a blip in the system of life.

Sometimes it's good to cry, sometimes it's good to sit in a closed room and let it all out. When your emotions get tangled with theirs it's hard to pick them apart. It's like you're spraying the knots out of tangled hair and working them back where they should be.

Take a deep breath. No one is judging you. And if they are then they obviously haven't had a child or theirs is so perfect it doesn't even matter. Being a parent is tough. It's bloody tough. You spend your life caring for this small ball of energy and emotion that is more erratic than any of us can be. This little ball needs nurturing, it needs you to help guide it along the paths of it's future. It's a bit of a bumpy path and this is just another one of those bits of turbulence.

But mum in the supermarket, please don't go. Please don't keep it all inside. You are not alone, mums of all shapes, sizes and experience have dealt with it too. I'm rooting for you, you can do it. If my child has forgiven me for the horrible experience of the supermarket then yours will too. It won't last forever and he won't remember it forever either.

From, that mum who had the same thing happen to them last week.

Do you ever come across a place in your town and realise it's the best kept secret you have ever discovered? Well I think I've found Bournemouth's...

Bournemouth Vintage Emporium is an amazing emporium filled with over 50 traders selling various vintage wares from clothes to furniture. It's a treasure trove of everything you can imagine and you will definitely be thrown back to a place in your childhood.

Situated just past Pokesdown station in Bournemouth, it's the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Whether that be to browse and buy or to just sit in the cafe area, take in the atmosphere and pretend you don't have a care in the world.

Bournemouth Bloggers arranged for a group of bloggers to head over there one evening for a fun filled night of shopping. Now I'm not your typical vintage girl. Yes I have a bit of an eclectic style, but living in rented accommodation means that there is only so much that I can do to this little place.

I definitely think that I have found my place to get lost in. I was wandering around the whole place, taking in all the different trinkets and displays, being transformed into eras that I wasn't part of but felt like I was at that moment in time. We had a blast shopping away to our hearts content and trying on everything!

Myself along with many other women can struggle with financial problems. Whether that be budgeting for a new handbag or trying to save up to pay for a new baby. This can become a problem when you are left in a money pickle.

I had financial problems when I went on maternity leave. In that time I had to budget for a household that was growing and purchase everything for a new baby with little to no savings. Luckily we had family and friends to give us a hand but if things had been different then we would have struggled even more than we did.



I later returned to work and was left in an even worse financial state when they refused to give me back my original job. They didn't want to be flexible on hours and left me in a store I had never worked in with staff that didn't treat me with respect as a young parent. I soon found myself unemployed, depressed and fretting about money more than ever.

Luckily another job came along (one that I am still in now and I love) but it left me completely terrified. If I was to have stayed unemployed them we wouldn't have been able to afford our rent, let alone food and warmth. It made me think about all the outcomes that could have happened.

We then found ourselves in another problem when we were at university. Due to our situation (studying with a toddler) there were lots of problems with student finance and childcare but eventually we got that sorted and now the biggest problem is repaying that horrendous student loan of ours.



One thing we realised once Max was born was that we needed to secure our future. Not only did we want to make sure that we had money in case of a rainy day, but we wanted to make sure that Max was safe if anything happened to us. That's why we took out life insurance. We wanted to know that there was a backup plan if anything were to go horrifically wrong. We sought advice from Legal and General as to what the best policy was for us and invested in our lives.

We now have insurance that will cover us in any eventuality. It gives me that peace of mind that if things were to go wrong then we would have a cushion behind us. It would help us pay for important things such as bills and childcare. Would help us get back on track in case of the worst.

Knowing we have a policy means we can now save for the better things. A new home, a holiday and of course a designer handbag!

If you haven't read my review of Blloon yet then head over to my introduction post. For those that do know, Blloon is an amazing app that you can download on your phone or tablet and then access a wealth of books. You can subscribe and receive a certain amount of pages per month to then download your books with. Once downloaded they stay on your device!

I'm slightly obsessed with this app. There's so many books that I've not been sure of buying, but with the app it means I can try before I commit without breaking the bank. So here's what I've been reading on Blloon for the past couple of months.

 Apple Tree Yard - Louise Doughty. 

This tells the story of a woman who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time which results in her being on trial for murder. Flitting between past and present, you slowly build up a case yourself on what's actually happened to find her in that position.

Honestly this was a slow burner for me. I've read loads of crime/thrillers lately and I don't think that this one packed as much punch as some of the others. That's not to say it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat.
 The Perfectionists - Sara Shepard

Most of you know that I'm a Pretty Little Liars addict. I've read all the books and I devour the TV series as soon as it airs in the UK (not to mention obsessively checking for theories on who A is!). So when I saw that Sara Shepard had released a new series I knew it was going on my to read list immediately.

This tells the tale of seemingly perfect students in a seemingly perfect school. The ones that are going to ace exams and get into the best universities. There is of course Nolan, the guy who everyone loves to hate. So when a group of girls plan the perfect murder they are shocked to find someone has taken their idea.

A gripping novel and I honestly can't wait to carry on this series!
 We Were Liars - E. Lockhart

A group of cousins and their families all meet on the same private island each summer. Except one year Cadence suffers an accident and can't piece together what happened that summer. The story follows Cadence as she tries to piece together what happens.

It's one of those stories that you will finish and want to read all over again. I leant my copy to a friend so as soon as I got the app I re-downloaded it so I could read it all over again.

Whatever you think about the book, lie about the ending. No-one needs spoilers like that!
Say Her Name - James Dawson

I'm not normally one for horrors. Thrillers, crime, blood and gore I can deal with. But horrors normally leave me crying or screaming. This one however kept me hooked. I read it in a day and now I completely avoid looking into mirrors and saying Bloody Mary over again.

A classic horror tale with a twist, this story is one that is based around a boarding school, one that is haunted by a ghost that only emerges when you say her name. From that moment you need to watch your back.







Honestly I love reading using the Blloon app. It means that I'm not carrying around a boat load of books anymore and I can have a great selection at my fingertips for less than the cost of a coffee each month!

What have you been reading recently?