Although most of you will know me for my fruit and vegetable growing adventures, I also spend a significant amount of my time reading. Quite a few years ago now, I graduated from The University of Edinburgh with an MA in English Literature. I then pursued a career in teaching, where I spent 13 years as an English Teacher and the last year and a half has been spent as a Principal Teacher of Guidance… which basically means that I support students from a pastoral perspective. Within my school, I run training sessions for newly qualified teachers where we discuss a range of issues pertinent to teaching pedagogy and literacy and I also host a staff book club where we, as a group, are keen to explore a range of fiction and non-fiction texts with pertinent themes and interesting characters. I love reading a range of genres but historical fiction is my favourite, with crime and literary fiction a close second and third. I also really enjoy reading non-fiction books about history, society and politics, gardening, sustainable living and nature.
At present, I am a part of the Bloomsbury Creator’s Circle and also the Penguin Influencers’ Group. I am also active on Netgalley and regularly read and review upcoming titles for numerous publishers, such as Penguin, Headline, House of Zeus, Random House and Canongate.
Here are some of my favourite reads of 2024 so far…
I also regularly write reviews about the books I receive, especially advanced and proof copies. You can find some of those here:
