Following in Heidi's Footsteps in the Swiss Alps

I'm most in my element when I can combine two of my loves: travel and literature. I've written about it extensively in my 'a book lover's guide to' series, and earlier this month my travels once again transported me to one of my favourite childhood novels: Heidi by Johanna Spyri. If you're not familiar with the classic tale of the spirited girl who lives in the Swiss mountains with her grandfather and spends her days herding goats with her friend Peter then I highly recommend you check it out before exploring the scenic mountain trail at Pizol in the Swiss town of Bad Ragaz.

The Last by Hanna Jameson

When I first heard about The Last it sounded like it could be a pretty compelling read, but I didn't anticipate quite how gripped I'd be by this post-apocalyptic murder mystery. So much so, in fact, that when I started reading the novel I missed my stop on the commute into work – a journey I make every single day... I'd flown through the pages and the story, hooked by the disconcerting unknowns and the depth of the characters, and I clearly didn't want it to end. If that isn't a sign of a true page-turner, then I don't know what is.

Dead Popular by Sue Wallman

I love a good boarding school story. The first books I remember reading by myself were the St. Clares ones by Enid Blyton, and I was so enthralled by them that I subsequently read them over and over again, at least once a year until I was well into my teens. Fast-forward a few (ahum) years, and I still have a soft spot for novels taking place in a boarding school, so I was thrilled when I discovered that Sue Wallman's latest book is set in one.

Living My Best Li(f)e by Claire Frost

A few months ago I was in a reading slump. I hadn't been finishing as many books as previous years because of lack of time around my job, and so I wanted each read I picked up to be truly worth it and wow me. But they didn't. Until I devoured Lindsey Kelk's I Heart Hawaii (the final installment in her most wonderful I Heart series) and Claire Frost's Living My Best Li(f)e back-to-back. I finished Claire's brilliant debut in almost one sitting, it was that good, and together this power-duo has rekindled my love for reading ♥