Rosie Scribble

So is everyone reading Fifty Shades of Grey?

I recently stumbled across a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James. I say stumbled, it was actually sitting on the table next to me unattended and just asking to be picked up. Some books are just like that.

Intrigued as to what all the fuss was about, I’d decided not to flick through it on a recent visit to Stresscos. It was sitting there in the bestseller slot right by the entrance. If I'd reached out to subtly read the back cover, no doubt the entire display stand would have fallen over, an alarm would have sounded and the whole of the store’s security team would have rushed to my side.

No doubt it would have been highly embarrassing and more than a little awkward. Knowing my luck my parents would also have been in that store at that very moment along, with the local press. Images of me causing havoc with the carefully crafted instore display could have been beamed around the world. At least, that's the sort of thing that runs through my head in circumstances like this.

Book review: Polly Wally Time for Tea

We absolutely loved Peely Wally by Kali Stileman so we were delighted to receive Kali's latest book Polly Wally Time for Tea.

Polly Wally is a tiny bird - with a super cool name - in search of food for her tea. On her journey she meets Jemima Giraffe, Xanthe Zebra, Eleanor Elephant and Colin Crocodile and Mavis Monkey. They offer her lip-smacking leaves, sweet green grass, fabulous fruit and vegetables and nice nobbly nuts.

Where I opt for full disclosure

It was tempting, for all of ten minutes, to arrive at the family home this weekend laden with gifts and spend the rest of the day basking in the glory of being both incredibly generous and a wonderful Aunty.

But thinking better of it I opted for full disclosure* and admitted they were review products that had cost me only the time it took to write this post. That said, in that time I could have outlined the plot for a best-selling novel (unlikely) or purchased that winning lottery ticket (unlikely still), so it’s not without some sacrifice on my part.

Still. I have made myself incredibly popular because four year olds and one year olds don't know what blogging is and have never heard of review products, so in their eyes I am wonderful. Long may their lack of Internet awareness last.

So I handed over three picture books and a Peppa Pig campervan on Easter Sunday and spent the rest of the day feeling as proud as punch (possibly a northern expression).

How organised are you?

I'm going through an inspirational business book reading phase at the moment, and the one I’ve just started reading is Making Ideas Happen - Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality  - by Scott Belsky.

I've been working on a number of ideas recently, and while they are certainly taking shape, the whole exercise is becoming a rather long and drawn out process. 

None of this is helped by my inner drive to pop out to the shops for the day when it all seems a little overwhelming and I'm wondering where exactly to start. Which is how I ended up with this book – taking a leisurely walk around Waterstone’s on a sunny afternoon. As you do.

And it seems that just a handful of pages into the book Scott has identified my main problem - a lack of organisation.

How did he know?

New book releases from Kids at Random House

As it's World Book Day it seems appropriate to mention some of the books we’ve received recently from Kids at Random House.

I've always thought that everyone's experience of a book is different and it's all down to personal taste, so the books we’ve enjoyed and those we haven’t might not necessarily be viewed the same way by the next person. With that in mind, here's a summary of a selection of kids’ books we received and what we thought of them.

Six Little Chicks by Jez Alborough, RRP £10.99

Released today, Six Little Chicks is aimed at the Easter market. It’s a picture book for younger children and tells the story of Busy Hen who is trying to look after her five chicks, and another one about to hatch, from the scary fox who is busy sniffing them out. When the other chicks warn her they are in danger she hurries to protect them, but they are braver that she realises and they put a stick in his jaws so he can’t eat them.