Aura Print: Wedding Stationery Samples

AD* | When you're in the process of planning a wedding, nobody tells you just how much there is to plan. Sure, you know you need to pick a date, book the venue, and find the perfect dress, but let me tell you - if you want to plan a wedding, your organisational skills need to be on point! 

As regular readers will doubtless know by now, my fiancé and I are currently in the process of planning our own wedding. With time ticking down (I can finally say that we get married this year, eek!), the amount of "wedmin" we need to do has never been higher. 

All this means that I'm constantly on the lookout for easy ways to tick things off in my wedding planner - and this post is all about how you can check your wedding stationery off your own to-do list!

Book Review: The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club by Faith Hogan

Three women. Three different stages of life. United by one thing: the chance to start again.

When Elizabeth's husband dies, leaving her with crippling debt, the only person she can turn to is her friend, Jo. Soon Jo has called in her daughter, Lucy, to help save Elizabeth from bankruptcy. Leaving her old life behind, Lucy is determined to make the most of her fresh start.

As life slowly begins to return to normal, these three women, thrown together by circumstance, become fast friends. But then Jo's world is turned upside down when she receives some shocking news.

In search of solace, Jo and Elizabeth find themselves enjoying midnight dips in the freezing Irish Sea. Here they can laugh, cry and wash away all their fears. As well as conjure a fundraising plan for the local hospice that will bring the whole community together...

Book Review: The Unravelling by Polly Crosby

AD* | Tartelin has been employed by Marianne Stourbridge to hunt for butterflies, but she quickly uncovers something far more intriguing. The island and Marianne share a remarkable past, and what happened all those years ago has left its scars.

The island has a strange effect on Tartelin, too, finally allowing her to confront her own, painful, memories. As she does, Marianne’s story begins to unravel around her, revealing an extraordinary tale of two girls, an obsession with pearls, and truth beyond imagination.

5 Books I Want to Read in 2022

2021 was my best ever year in terms of the number of books I read. I managed a whopping 101 books in twelve months which works out at roughly 2 a week. Not bad going at all! 

However, I've heard it said that book reading and book-buying are two very different hobbies. With the number of unread books sitting on my shelf, I think I'd be inclined to agree! So, I've scoured my shelves - both physical and virtual - to come up with a shortlist of books I can't wait to sink my teeth into this year. 

Book Review: The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman

AD* | Magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war. When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces. 

Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic – a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict – she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they’ll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic.

Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumoured to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key – and even more to lose if they fail. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political marriage. Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani needs it to clear his name. And Riya, a runaway who cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels who want to strip the nobility of its power.

They must work together to survive the treacherous journey. But with each sibling harbouring secrets and their own agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family – and their world – for good.

The Writing Greyhound's Top 5 Books of 2021

2021 has been a brilliant year for reading. So many incredible books were published this year, and with the uncertainty around the pandemic continuing, staying at home with a good book has never been a better - and safer - option. 

With that in mind, it's probably not a surprise to hear that I managed to achieve my personal reading goals this year. I set myself the ambitious target of reading 100 books which is more than I've ever previously managed in twelve months. However, I set aside a little more time for reading and managed to finish the year on a total of 101 read books. I'm super happy with that!

However, with reading more books comes greater difficulty when picking my top reads of the year. After a lot of deliberation (hence why this post is delayed compared to previous years!) I've finally narrowed it down. Read on to find out which books I've picked!