My favourite quotes about books and reading

Today I'm sharing some of my favourite quotes about books and reading!

"Wear the old coat and buy the new book." - Austin Phelps

"Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?" - Henry Ward Beecher

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." - Joseph Addison

"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are." – Mason Cooley

"I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life." - W. Somerset Maugham

"That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet." - Jhumpa Lahiri

Photo credit Christin Hume via Unsplash

"Once you've read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you." – Louis L'Amour

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." – Marcus Tullius Cicero

"Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while." – Malorie Blackman

"Some books are so familiar that reading them is like being home again." – Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

"The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. Now here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours." - Alan Bennett

"Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all." - Abraham Lincoln

Photo credit Joel Muniz via Unsplash

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies... The man who never reads lives only one." - George R.R.Martin

"There is nothing more luxurious than eating while you read—unless it be reading while you eat." - E. Nesbit

"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it." - P.J. O’Rourke

"Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks." - Dr. Seuss

"The only thing you absolutely have to know is the location of the library." - Albert Einstein

"Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them." - Lemony Snicket

Photo credit Nick Fewings via Unsplash

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all." - Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

"So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall." - Roald Dahl

"Books and doors are the same thing. You open them, and you go through into another world." - Jeanette Winterson

"Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all." - Henry David Thoreau

"A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say." - Italo Calvino

"I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in." - Robert Louis Stevenson

Five top road trips from Wellington

This is a collaborative post

Wellington is a brilliant destination to visit in its own right. But New Zealand’s capital, near the southernmost point of Te Ika-a-Māui, is also the gateway to a number of fantastic road trips across both the North and South Islands.

Incorporating everything from geothermal wonders and international wine regions to soaring mountains and magnificent beaches, there are plenty of places you can visit to satisfy your wanderlust.

In this post, we’ll highlight five of the best road trips you can take from Wellington. Whichever one(s) you decide to do, you are sure to experience the magic of Aotearoa.

Wellington to Napier

If you’ve got one to three days spare, a Wellington to Napier self drive road trip is a must. 

It will take you about 4 hours and 15 minutes to cover the 323 km distance, but once you are there, you’ll discover a fabulous 1930s Art-Deco city that is well known for being the epicentre of the famous Hawkes Bay wine-growing region.

The quickest way to get to Napier from Wellington is to go on State Highway 50 via the Port City of Porirua. However, it’s well worth investing an extra 10 minutes of driving time to embark on the scenic journey through the Hutt Valley.

The highlight of doing so is undoubtedly Cape Kidnappers, which might sound like a foreboding place to visit but actually showcases tremendous views of jagged cliffs.

Photo credit Leonie Clough via Unsplash

Wellington to Cape Palliser

For those who are short on time, the drive from Wellington to Cape Palliser is a good option. It will only take two hours, which means you can easily cover the 121 km distance there and back in the space of an afternoon. 

This part of the country, which takes you along spectacular coastal roads, is renowned for its fascinating colonial and Maori heritage sites. It is also home to the wonderful Cape Palliser Lighthouse which dates back to 1897 and showcases incredible panoramic views of the dangerous waters of Pallier Bay. Although you will have to climb 250 steps to take it all in.

Photo credit Joshua Bayliss via Unsplash

If you’d rather do something a little less strenuous, nearby Martinborough has some of New Zealand’s best vineyards.

Wellington to Nelson

Nelson has a reputation for being the sunniest city in New Zealand. So, if the inclement weather is getting you down, why not drive the 212 km distance to top up your tan?

You’ll take around six hours to get there if you drive non-stop, but most people complete this journey within 3 to 5 days, partly because it also involves taking the ferry over from the North Island.

Nelson buzzes with personality as a city. It is home to several art galleries, botanic gardens, farmers markets, and a notable food scene, which provides plenty to see and do.

However, if you have time, make a point of driving about an hour south of the CBD to Nelson Lakes National Park. This park represents the gateway to the Southern Alps, which will blow you away with its stunning glaciers, rugged mountains and dense beech forests. 

Wellington to the South Island West Coast

If you fancy embarking on a longer road trip from Wellington, take the Great Coast Road down the west coast of the South Island.

Many travel experts regard this drive as one of the best in the world as it includes the jaw-dropping Paparoa National Park, which accommodates the iconic Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowhole.

Most people take around 3 to 5 days to complete the 719 km distance, although the more days you can spare the better.

During this drive you’ll take in the incredible Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. Both of which can be easily accessed by road. These glaciers can be walked on, but they are dangerous. So, make sure you hire a local tour guide if you want to do this.

Photo credit Jackman Chiu via Unsplash

If your budget allows, hire a helicopter for a once-in-a-lifetime ride over the glaciers. Make sure you have your cameras at the ready!

Wellington to Queenstown (via Christchurch) 

Another road trip for adventurous souls takes you from New Zealand’s capital via Christchurch to Queenstown. You can even do it from Nelson, too.

Ideally, you should set aside about a week to do this 912km trip as both destinations have plenty to keep you occupied. Again, it will involve taking the ferry to the South Island. However, once you have done this, stop by Kaikoura, which is one of the country’s best spots for whale-watching.

Christchurch is the second-biggest city in New Zealand. While there, you can check out fabulous attractions like the International Antarctic Centre and Quake City. You should also devote a day to visiting Arthur’s Pass National Park, one of the most scenic and highest routes within the Southern Alps.

To get to Queenstown, take Highway 8, a scenic drive that passes some of New Zealand’s main landscape highlights, including Aoraki Mount Cook, Lake Tekapo, and Lindis Pass.

Queenstown is also the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’. So, once you arrive, why not take the opportunity to go bungee jumping, jet boating or skydiving?

Well in to my forties and still collecting stickers

One of my prized possessions from childhood is my sticker album. Sticker collecting and swapping was a huge craze back when I was in Year 8 - over thirty years ago! 

I loved collecting stickers. There was a gift shop in my Grandma's town that had a wall filled with rolls of stickers with individual sheets to tear off for pennies. I used to make special trips and spend ages choosing which ones to buy. Then I enjoyed swapping them with friends and arranging them on the pages of my album by type and design. 

Recently my daughter became interested in stickers, and of course there are so many more sticker options around now. Until now I've been watching from the side lines, but on her most recent order from Stationery Pal I couldn't resist adding a few packs in for myself. Then we did a joint order from AliExpress and added some more stickers to the collection. They are so cheap, there are so many varied designs, and really good quality!

As a teenager I favoured the felt and glittery stickers, particularly of animals. Now I find myself drawn to florals, botanicals and vintage designs like postage stamps or old pieces of writing.

I love anything related to travel...

...and I particularly adore stickers that come in little boxes or are bound into tiny books.

What do I do with all these stickers? Well I must admit that many of my purchases are purely for the joy of collecting them. I have some free pages in my album, and I've been filling those up with my absolute favourites! 

I also use them to decorate my bullet journal and as accents in my illustrated journal. I add them to cards that I'm sending and to letters that I'm writing. I have one on my water bottle, my phone case and on the fronts of notebooks. My daughter and I also have fun laying them out to admire together and to swap with each other. 

I think it's a harmless and cheap hobby!

What I've been up to lately - September 2024

I know I've been a bit quiet here recently - here are some of the things that I've been up to:

Reading

I am reading loads at the moment! The other day I shared a list of books that I've enjoyed recently, and I've read several more since then. I have a big stash of books by the side of my bed to get through but I couldn't resist a trip to the library earlier this week when my daughter had an after school rehearsal. I was really pleased to find a copy of Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey which has been on my radar for some time, so that will be my next read. 

Shopping

I don't shop a great deal, but I have had some treats this month. My daughter recently introduced me to Stationery Pal which is an online stationery shop and it's amazing. It's based in China so there is a hefty charge for shipping, usually around £8-10. But if you are putting together a reasonably large order then the prices are so good and the products so unique that it makes up for it. As an example, I bought a pack of five excellent gel pens for just 8p! In the past I've just purchased things for my daughter but this time we did a joint shop and I got myself some lovely stickers, pens and washi tape. You can see a short Instagram story of the things we bought here - Stationery Pal Mum and Daughter Haul.

Watching 

We are working our way through The Rings of Power which isn't bad, it's quite watchable. But I just keep thinking that it's nowhere close to being as good as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which I can watch over and over and never get bored! I do like the lovely scenery and costumes, especially the parts with the elves.

Listening to

It's back to the school run which means plenty of time to listen to Spotify in the car. I have a few Zoe Science and Nutrition podcasts to catch up on from over the summer and I'm also enjoying listening to Pulp at the moment. I also have a great playlist called 'Jen's car singing playlist' which is songs that I know all the words to and can belt out as I'm driving along, I probably get some funny looks from other drivers!

Learning

Our school has set up a Duolingo challenge for parents and students which promises prizes, so I have downloaded the app and got stuck in. It has become very competitive! I've decided to learn German which some might say is a bit of a cheat as I do have a degree in German. But that was a long, long time ago, and I'm really enjoying refreshing my skills. I've also not started from scratch, I've gone in at Section 4 which is quite advanced. I'm pretty good at the listening, speaking and reading, but my written German definitely needs some work. All that grammar has been long forgotten!

Crafting

I've taken out my Olde World Map cross stitch project again this week. I'm finding it really difficult! Especially at this time of year when the light isn't as good, many of the colours are very similar. I'm also enjoying working on my journal, especially with all my lovely new stationery. I enjoy setting up pages with washi tape and stickers and using a coloured pen to write. I get inspired by seeing journal spreads on social media, even though I know that they've been created purely as shareable content!

Planning

At the moment we are partway through a large building project, an orangery extension. It's something that we've been thinking about since we moved in over 12 years ago, and it's very exciting. We've never done any work to the house so it's all new to us, luckily we have a project manager to help us. But there has been so much planning required. We are having a new kitchen too and we are quite picky so we designed it all ourselves which took many hours. There are just so many decisions to be made! 

We are a few weeks in now and in the middle of the chaos, but hopefully it will be completed by the end of the year. 

Eating

I've been busy trying to eat up as much food as I can before we have to empty the kitchen, so lots of tinned tomatoes and beans. I really changed my eating habits at the beginning of the year, and I'm pleased to say that I've managed to keep up with it really well. I cut way down on my intake of ultra-processed foods and I just generally try to be a bit more mindful with what I'm eating. I did lose quite a bit of weight in the early months although I've noticed it creeping back on over the summer - I still eat quite a lot of calories even though they are healthier ones! I'm not too worried though because I think that my diet is generally pretty good.

So we have a busy couple of months ahead with all the work going on, I'm hoping that I can find some peace and quiet and time to relax!

Review - Sakuraco monthly Japanese snack subscription box

I received this snack box in exchange for a review

Recently I was given the opportunity to try out a Sakuraco monthly Japanese subscription box. The boxes support local Japanese snack makers, and each box contains twenty traditional, authentic and artisan Japanese snacks and teas. The box also includes a lovely piece of special Japanese tableware which you can use to display and serve the snacks. 

I received the September 2024 box, which is themed around the Autumn Moon Festival. The box celebrates the Japanese tradition of viewing and embracing the serene beauty of the autumn moon, when people will often gather with friends and family to celebrate the changing seasons and connect with nature's rhythm. Several items in the box depict rabbits under the moonlight that represent the Moon Rabbit, a popular Japanese legend.

I love Japanese culture but I'm not very familiar with the food, so I was eager to try some different treats! All of the packaging is in Japanese, but the box comes with a booklet which contains detailed descriptions of the snacks alongside information about the makers and some cultural insights. There is also allergy information.

I had a lovely time trying out all the different treats and serving them to myself on the gorgeous rabbit plate! The portions were just the right size - small enough to be able to try several in one sitting, and large enough to give you a good impression of the treat. I particularly loved the Lemon Baked Chocolate in the paper case in the photograph above, it had a really crumbly texture and a sweet lemon flavour.

I also really enjoyed the Tsukimi Mikan Cream Cookie with a printed rabbit design, and the Custard Taiyaki sweet fish-shaped pastry which is sold on street stalls at this time of year. They were the ideal size to leave you satisfied and they paired perfectly with the Tsukimi Ryokucha green tea.

The box contained a great selection of savoury treats too, like these Black Sesame Miso Arare. They were satisfyingly crunchy and had an interesting mix of umami and sweet flavour. 

I really enjoyed the opportunity to try out this range of Japanese snacks and treats. I also loved the theming, and the snippets of information about Japanese culture that accompanied the various items. It was a really fun way to sample some Japanese flavours. The selection of snacks was varied and interesting and it felt as though there was plenty included.

You can find out more about the boxes here - Sakuraco Japanese snacks subscription boxes.

Some books that I've enjoyed recently

My To Be Read pile at the moment is huge! I recently got back into using our local library, I have a friend that regularly passes me piles of books, and I have a huge stash borrowed from my Mum, along with a few others that I've picked up here and there. I'm not daunted though, I love having a selection of books to choose from and work my way through. 

Here are some excellent books that I've enjoyed recently. All are written by women, all have one or more female protagonists who are both intelligent and creative, and three have the word 'book' in the title which is always a big draw for me!

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

I don't read many psychological thriller type books, but I have enjoyed several by Lisa Jewell and this one was gripping! It's about a teenage mum and her boyfriend who disappear on a night out, and a new resident who starts to uncover clues to the disappearance. I felt that there were lots of different ways that the story could play out, and it really kept me guessing.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

This romantic comedy is a bit of a twist on the 'uptight city girl moves to the country and falls in love with a handsome local' trope which I liked, as I've read many books that follow plot! Maybe it's a little predictable, but it was a really enjoyable read with plenty of romance, a traditional bookshop that needs a helping hand, and a few twists and turns.

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

I've been wanting to read this for ages, and I wasn't disappointed. The book tells the story of a failed writer who witnesses her rival die in a freak accident and takes the opportunity to update and publish her unfinished novel. The catch is that she's a white author rewriting a story about Chinese history, she makes her own biased revisions to the story, and she publishes it under a version of her name which makes her appear Chinese. It's beautifully written, really engaging, and I always love an unreliable narrator. Lots of insights too into the cut throat writing industry, and how some authors and up at the top while others fade into obscurity.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

Maggie O'Farrell is a favourite author, so I was pleased to spot this recent release at the library. It's a historical novel, inspired by the poem My Last Duchess. In sixteenth century Florence, sixteen year old Lucrezia is married off to a Duke, and the story charts Lucrezia's childhood, as well as jumping ahead to when she starts to suspect her husband is going to try and kill her. It's beautifully written, quite long and slow moving and although the outcome is made clear from the beginning, the ending isn't quite as expected. 

The Book Share by Phaedra Patrick

This was a fun read about a housekeeper and aspiring author who finds herself entrusted with finishing her employer's final novel. I don't have any aspirations to write a book of my own but I love reading about people who do, and imagining what it would be like to be a writer. It was a simple and quick read, humorous, with plenty of engaging characters.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

This was a magical story and beautifully written story about a mysterious bookshop and the three people that it brings together. It was a really enjoyable read and I loved all the characters as well as the literary references and the unusual story. Great for a bit of escapism.

Photo credit Lenin Estrada via Unsplash