It’s Working Mommy Wednesday! Today’s prompts are:

1. Does being a mom cause your co-workers to think of you as the “office mom”?
2. Children’s books can be, boring – have you found any that are fun to read over and over?

Have I found any fun children’s books which we can read over and over?

I sure have!!  In our house, we all love reading our huge collection of Barefoot Books together!

I joined Barefoot Books as an Ambassador in April 2008, and enjoy displaying and sharing the beautiful books at events, parties and fundraisers throughout Central Scotland.

My daughters have a whole cupboard full of beautiful Barefoot Books that they love to read alone or with Mummy. Some of the books also include an audio CD with stories, songs or rhymes! I like to give these beautiful books as gifts to friends and family, and my ‘special box’ (as the girls call it!) is a frequent source of inspiration for last-minute gifts for children’s parties!
Here’s a few of our favourites:

• The Gigantic Turnip
• The Parrot Tico Tango
• The Barefoot Book of Princesses
• Mama Panya’s Pancakes

Here’s some Halloween fun from Barefoot Books:

Read my WMW Part 1 post from earlier today: Working Mummy But Not Work Mum

Join in the WMW fun over with Rachel over at Occasional Boredom.

I’m linking up with my friend Amy Palko for her Summer Read-along. We are reading The Time Traveler’s Wifeby Audrey Niffenegger. Amy has read the book before, several years ago and says that it had a profound effect on her life. I have not yet read the book, nor have I seen the film. However, I have heard good reports about both the book and the film from a wide range of friends.

I joined a book group just over a year ago, and this book was one of their books before I joined. Therefore, I thought I would take this opportunity to read the book and join in the read-along fun with Amy and others.

I ordered the book on Amazon yesterday, and have received it through the post today. (I *heart* being an Amazon Prime customer!)  Therefore, I have yet to start reading it!…

The first official Read-along post (with a blog hop linky!) is for this Friday 24th June, but I just wanted to give you all a heads up in case you wanted to join in.  You still have a couple of days to get your hands on the book!!…

You can find out more about the Summer Read-along on Amy’s blog here, and you can purchase the book from Amazon here:  The Time Traveller’sWife

I’ll be back on Friday for the first official Summer Read-along post to let you know how I’m enjoying the book!….

Roomby Emma Donoghue

It’s Jack’s birthday, and he’s excited about turning five.

Jack lives with his Ma in Room, which has a locked door and a skylight, and measures 11 feet by 11 feet. He loves watching TV, and the cartoon characters he calls friends, but he knows that nothing he sees on screen is truly real – only him, Ma and the things in Room. Until the day Ma admits that there’s a world outside . . .

Told in Jack’s voice, Room is the story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible. Unsentimental and sometimes funny, devastating yet uplifting, Room is a novel like no other.

This fabulous book was my choice for the book group I attend.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!  I thought it was well-written, and I loved that the story was told by a five year old boy.  It made the sometimes dark and disturbing subject matter easier to read, as the innocent and naive Jack did not fully comprehend what what going on.

The book evoked feelings of fear, suspense, sadness, disgust, disbelief, joy, amusement, frustration, relief, admiration and and empathy.  Reading this book is like riding an emotional rollercoaster!

The subject matter may have made this book an uncomfortable read to some extent, but it was so beautifully and tenderly written.  The relationship between mother and son is so engaging and endearing, that I became totally absorbed in the story, and came away with a new perspective on my own life.

I’ve read a lot of books that I can truly say I’ve LOVED.  However, there is one book that stands out from all the others.  One book that still haunts me.  One book that gives me goosebumps.  What is that book?  Well, here it is…

…My ALL-TIME FAVOURITE book is….

The Heartsong of Charging Elk


I read The Heartsong of Charging Elk by the late James Welch back in 2000, and ten years on, just thinking about it gives me goosebumps!  It moved me to tears.  I literally sobbed my heart out while reading this heartwrenching novel.

A member of Buffalo Bill’s touring Wild West Show, wakes up in hospital in Marseille, France, after a riding accident.  Seemingly abandoned by his people, and unable to communicate with anyone, the story follows the adventures of this exotic stranger in an alien world.

Based on historical precedent, Welch’s powerful narrative provokes a myriad of emotions.  It is very moving!  I loved it!

Have you read this book?  Have you read anything else by James Welch?

What is YOUR all-time favourite book?  Join in the blog hop over at Beauty Queen Gene.

Today, I’d like to share a couple of Halloween freebies with you:

1. FREE Spooky Halloween Recipes to make your Halloween spook-tacular!
2. FREE Halloween e-card to share and scare!

Why not treat your little monsters to The Barefoot Book of Monsters by Fran Parnel and Sophie Fatus? 

WAS £12.99 – Now £11.99 (HARDBACK)

*guisers – Trick-or-Treaters.  In Glasgow, children go ‘guising’, rather than trick-or-treating.  They have to tell a joke or sing a song in return for some fruit, nuts or sweeties.

DISCLOSURE:  I am an Ambassador for Barefoot Books.

This week’s Girls Talk at Beauty Queen Gene is all about thrilling page turners.

My favourite thriller writers are Patricia Cornwell, Stephen King, Sidney Sheldon and Denise Mina. However, my ultimate favourite is, without a doubt, the late Stieg Larsson, Swedish author of the Millennium Trilogy.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy Book 1)

The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium Trilogy Book 2)


The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest  Millennium Trilogy Book 3)

If you haven’t yet read the Millennium Trilogy, I strongly advise you order a copy of the first book,

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy Book 1)

today!  I guarantee that you will NOT want to put the book down until you finish it!!…

What are your favourite thrilling page turners?

Join in the Girls Talk at Beauty Queen Gene.

The King's Christmas List

The King’s Christmas List is a lovely childrens’ book, wonderfully written by Eldon Johnson and beautifully illustrated by Bonnie Leick.    This is the story of a little girl and her dog who are invited to the King’s birthday party.   After selecting a birthday gift fit for a king, they make their way to the castle.  However, their journey is interrupted by the various unfortunate people they meet along the way.

This charming book reminds children and parents the true meaning of Christmas via an enchanting story that children will want to read again and again.  My six year old twin daughters love it!

This book would make an ideal Christmas gift for children up to about eight or nine years old.  It’s the perfect book to read with your child on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, and one that I’m sure they’ll enjoy year after year.

The book also gives details on how children and their parents can give to charities like Blood: Water Mission and World Vision.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Today, I’m hooking up with The Beauty Queen Gene to chat about the funniest books we’ve ever read.

I enjoy reading books with a lot of humour to help me relax, unwind and escape the doom and gloom of the world.

Here’s a list of five of my favourite funny reads:

1. Foetal Attraction
2. Mad Cows
3. Girls’ Night Out
4. Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married
5. Bridget Jones’s Diary: A Novel

The first three novels are written by Australian author, Kathy Lette, who has a really wicked sense of humour! She gives hilarious accounts of conception, pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood, that most women can relate to! I’ve read some of her short stories and articles and she always makes me laugh out loud!

The fourth book is by Irish author, Marian Keyes, who can make you laugh one minute and cry the next! She’s a very talented author.

The last book is the world-famous best-selling book by Helen Fielding. I loved this book and adored Bridget! She reminds me of one of my friends, always getting into embarrassing awkward situations, but so likeable!

I think Chick-lit can get a bad press. Some literary snobs easily dismiss it! But hey, life would be very dull without such entertainingly funny books!

1. The Help
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy)
3. The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium Trilogy)
4. Roots
5. Bridget Jones’s Diary: A Novel
6. The Catcher in the Rye
7. The Great Gatsby (Wordsworth Classics)
8. Lord of the Flies: Educational Edition
9. Diary Of An Ordinary Woman
10. The Heartsong of Charging Elk

What are YOUR favourite books?  Are any of your favourites on my list?  Did you perhaps NOT enjoy reading one of the books on my list?

The One-Minute Writer: Today's Writing Prompt: Book


Today, I have to write about a book I’m currently reading.

Every time I pick up my current read, I am transported to the world of Jackson, Mississippi in 1962, where rich white folk have black maids to clean their houses, cook their meals and raise their children.   Page by page, chapter by chapter, I am absorbed by this skillfully plotted novel.

The book centres on the three main characters, whose extraodinary, courageous lives are intertwined to tell a powerful, heart-breaking story, which provokes tears and laughter in equal measure.

I am currently reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and it is the September book for my monthly book group.