• Favourites,  The Library

    Library Volunteering: 1 YEAR ON.

    As you might be able to tell from the title I have now been a library volunteer locally for over a year and what a year its been. I have had my ups and downs but overall helping out has been a good experience & I aim to carry on for another year…

    Meeting new people

    In a library, it is impossible to go a shift without seeing and greeting new people. They are either regular members of the library or new-comers. Sometimes you bump into people you know outside the library and start a conversation and get distracted. I love chatting to members about books and how their life is going.

    Reading new authors:

    Being in a library you see lots of books being checked in and out, you start out a conversation with the member; get to asking “whats your favourite author or series?” and create a list of of new books or old favourites, then you go and read the synopsis and see if its something you would like to read yourself. I have found lots of new book series and authors this way.

    Getting involved in the Book Community & creating this Blog:

    Because of my volunteering, I got the confidence to create this blog and run it 100% myself, with technical help from my good friend Matthew. This blog has become an outlet for all my library wonderings and get the word out about libraries closing. The library also inspired me as a blogger as I write reviews for books I read and I also now get requests from publishers and authors who would like honest reviews online which makes me feel proud.

    Do you use your local library? Has your library closed down?
    Do you prefer to own books rather than borrow?
    Tell me WHY in the comments below.

  • Blogging,  Favourites

    ONE YEAR OF BLOGGING, IN 2018.

    This post is a celebration of blogging for a whole year. Am I proud? Yes. Will I continue? Yes. Do I think I can improve? Definitely. Will you join me reading my blog? I hope so!

    As this year has flown by so quickly, I want to look back on what I’ve learned this year blogging. Then do a brief description of what My Blog was, is & My new goals.

    WHAT I HAVE LEARNED:

    This year has been an eye-opening experience into the world of blogging. Although I have tried before in my teens it wasn’t until I fully dived into the community of books and blogs I didn’t have a clue it even existed. Blogging may look easy but it takes a lot of work, effort and sometimes creativeness to pull it off.

    It is a competitive world but most bloggers all pull together and help one another. I feel I have been neglecting this blog recently due to a thing called “Life” and I’m hoping to jump back into it soon. I noticed that some bloggers are more successful than others but others are a more interesting read. Just because they are popular right now doesn’t make the blog superior – blog popularity quickly changes.

    Just because your blog isn’t “popular”, doesn’t mean you haven’t put in the same amount of work into content!

    My blog personally has tried a few things and failed but that’s okay because you need to think outside the box and try – sometimes it works & sometimes it doesn’t.

    WHAT MY BLOG STARTED AS: This blog started out as a hobby as I enjoyed reading I wanted to share it with the world. While first starting out in the blogging world I had no clue what I was doing and had to change a lot of my posts. Most of my first few posts were obviously book reviews. This is my first blog post HERE.

    WHAT IT CURRENTLY IS: My blog has recently become self-hosted (post about it HERE). I am looking into different topics to add to posts as I don’t believe I am doing my best by writing book reviews. I believe I need to create more posts with more passion for what I am writing. This means right now I am coming up with a few different posts and seeing which ones work best with readers.

    WHAT I WANT FOR THE NEXT YEAR: In the next year, I hope to get more daily views and continue posting good quality posts. I don’t know which direction my blog is going yet as it is an on-going process. I want to increase activity and start writing more posts. I would love this little space on the internet to become my full-time career maybe a few years down the line. I think if I put enough effort into creating content I could create an income from this blog one day.

    WHAT do I want TO ADD TO MY BLOG?: I am going to start adding a huge variety of different topical posts on my blog, which I hope will become popular!

    What are your blogging achievements? Will you be continuing following my blog?
    What are your favourite posts on my blog? What can I do to upgrade my blog?
    LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS.

  • Books,  Favourites,  REVIEWS

    [REVIEW] Animal Farm – George Orwell

    “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.” – George Orwell

    As I finish this book I am reminded why I wanted to read it. Not only is it a good commentary on modern sociology but a great book to read. This book follows the liberation & revolution of a farm in England that drives out all humans and establishes a hierarchy of animals in control of themselves. It is a quick read and rather interesting. This is a tale that shows the darker side of human nature through the eyes of animals copying them.

    This book is one of my favourite books of 2018. I thoroughly enjoyed and had a good time reading it (but slightly distressed, due to graphic descriptions within the book). This is a great read that has a brilliant film adaptation.

    George Orwell, the author, is famous over the world for writing both this and “1984” among other less-known novels. Both books have individually stood the test of time & known all over the world for being modern classics.

    Did I see the ending coming? Honestly, Yes as well as watching the film first I could also tell by the way it was written how it was going to end, but that didn’t take anything away from the final few pages when I was reading it.

    Would I recommend this book? Yes, to all ages over 12 (purely due to graphic violence). This is a book that anyone, anywhere can read and if you didn’t know; it is based on the real-life event of the Russian Revolution.

    SPOILERS BELOW…

    Although Snowball is taken out of the equation early on and to be honest you don’t know whether to trust him or not, about 10 pages into him leaving the farm I started to question Why? …and I wanted him to come back.

    My favourite character has to be Boxer, not for the way he is but because he shows how loyal he is to the farm, how his undying devotion eventually is his own demise. He is the best character and lovable throughout the book.

  • Favourites,  The Library

    Libraries in 2018 (part 2)

    I think this is an interesting topic. Do you use your library? As you might know, if you have been following my blog I volunteer at my local library. Some days I can’t wait to get home and other days I enjoy my time there. This is part 2 of my “series” talking about Libraries. Part 1 is here!

    In the library, there are many things to do and it keeps you busy. There is looking for books and giving our books out to lend and keeping our costumers happy.

    The library is so useful for people with a low income as they can borrow books for 3 weeks at a time for free. We as book bloggers and vloggers take for granted a lot that we can receive books without paying for them (although we are tied to making reviews – I understand that).

    Some negatives to using a library card is 1. you do not own the books you read so can not add them to your shelves and 2. you can only have a few weeks to read a book before you are asked to return it – not a problem at under 300 pages long, a big problem at 600!

    My personal experience with a library

    Although I didn’t use the library until I volunteered there in 2017 I always as a child read books and I’m pretty sure my primary school borrowed books from the library (and still do!). As I hit my teens I was self-conscious and didn’tt read in secondary school except for English studies but bout 6 years ago at 21 years old I decided to start reading again and I have not looked back

    Something to consider

    As some people might be aware there has been series of closures around the UK, which has resulted in libraries such as my own have been demoted to “Community” libraries, This means we rely on the public and the library itself raising funds to keep it open. This month it is a year since the volunteers (like me) took over.

    Do you use the library? Is there a local library near you? Has your library closed down? What would makee you go to your library? Share your opinions on libraries!

  • Favourites,  The Library

    Libraries in 2018 (part 1)

    A library is an old idea which has been around for centuries. It hold books and recently since the 21st century DVDs and Audio books (tapes & CDs). It is a place where both young or old gather for their love of books & reading. It is a place anyone can go & not be judged. – (tweet this quote)

     

    Adults

    In a library there is the Non-Fiction which house books on subjects from DIY to Cooking to Mental Health guides and everything in-between. It is the section for those of us who want to gather new knowledge.

    In the library there is the Fiction section. This is where the magic happens. You get transported into alternate realities, face dragons and queens, sometimes you even help solve crimes.

    Children

    The other side of the building is for children This is split into fiction & non-fiction.

    Children’s non-fiction includes topics such as history and how animals are born and live. It is a wonderful place where children’s brains are constantly engaged and active.

    The children fiction is a place for fantasies and fun. It is where after a hard day in school they can switch off and read a classic Jacqueline Wilson book or the newest David Walliams book. There are so many books to choose from that it is nearly impossible for a them to decide.

    Picture Books

    There are also books for the youngest library members, the toddlers. There are over 100 books to choose from to keep their minds active. These are the picture books and short and full of pretty designs that engage with the child and the parents who read to them.

    My experience

    As I grew up I loved reading but after I hit high school I decided that reading books wasn’t cool enough and reading was for old people and children. I would read occasionally when no-one was around and when I went home but reading in my teens lost it’s mojo.

    Fast forward 15 years and I joined the local library in 2017. I am still amazed by how many people go there from all ages. I decided after careful consideration that I should start reading again. I forgot how much I loved choosing a book, how I felt after I finished and how enjoyable reading is.

    My recommendation

    I am now unofficially an advocate for reading and for libraries. Everywhere I go and whenever I meet up with friends I like to discuss my latest book I’m reading or which place is the best to get a cheap book if the library doesn’t have the book.

    I love going shopping sometimes as I get to check the book section. The best sellers at half price or the new releases to see if my favourite authors got a new book out.

    I can’t stress enough how important reading is to all ages. It’s not only a hobby it keeps your mind active and some people use reading as a stress reliever after a hard day or week in work.

    Go to your local library and please support them!

    Not many people are aware of this but government cuts have left many libraries struggling to keep open. Just one more person (that’s you!) could be the difference between a library shutting its doors for the last time or staying open for the public for another year.

  • Blogging,  Favourites

    Social Media – Good thing or Bad?

    Social Media is a high priority to anyone into blogging or other internet based ventures. It is such a success that if you hope to become well-known on the internet, Communities recommend you create multiple identities on sites such as Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter to get noticed.

    Do you use Social Media often? Are you confused by Social Media?

    Examples of how Social Media works you post on Instagram a photo with various comments relating to the photo. Food bloggers would have a photo of tasty and good-looking food, Fashion bloggers would have a photo shoot or pretty jewellery…etc. Underneath the photo will have “Hashtags” which relate to the photo such as “FoodofInstagram“.

    This works if you have over 1,000+ followers, which means over 1,000 people will see your post and possibly share with their other social media or word of mouth – this gives the company in the photo publicity. The more followers you have the more chance a brand or company or place will work with you to create a post. This is because whoever is sponsoring the photo will hopefully get people to see and use the product.

    I personally choose to delete my Instagram [I HAVE SINCE REMADE INSTAGRAMS – Aug, 2018] both personal and blog related. I didn’t have many followers and I didn’t see the point in putting out posts that no-one’s interested in. If no-one visits your Instagram for example and you have under 50 followers, is it worth keeping? I say no as I can invest my time in places where I am continuing to grow my brand (which is my blog).

    I have decided to use my blog for posts and I will use my trusted personal Twitter profile to publicise all my blog posts. I use Twitter basically every day and I have a small but reasonable following over nearly 750 followers which is increasing all the time. This makes me happy to see.

    I also tweet more popular accounts that I am getting familiar with to boost my tweets, give out advice and also I may get some new followers. As they are not new to Social Media & Blogging they have lots of useful advice to give to me. The best thing about the blogging community, in particular Twitter, is that people are friendly and there for whenever someone is struggling .

    There are many different sides to social media. One pro of social media is having a possible career if you are good enough or motivated to create constant good content. One of the main negatives known is when random people on the internet tear you down or insult your content.

    My aim for when I get above 1,000 Twitter followers is to create new contacts and be friendly to those who are new or struggling. Eventually I want to start giving advice on how to use Twitter but that’s for another blog post!