I recently had a clear-out of a cupboard which wasn't really mine, but was full of my stuff. Dear parents, thanks for letting me store stuff!

While having a good root in boxes and through files, I found a dirty, old, thin newspaper. It was more of a gem than it sounds - my first article in print! My university (Keele) published a weekly newspaper, "Concourse", and I managed to get a book review printed in an issue during my final year. The piece is nowhere near perfect, but it made me quite nostalgic. I left university in 2006, so it's been eight years since I last saw this. 

After this first publication, feeling the early buzz of getting my name in print, I wrote another three or four articles. From memory, one was on the history of popcorn (following a film festival on campus), and another was extolling the virtues of studying abroad - check out "Why you should study in Canada", an updated version of this article which I posted on my travel blog recently. I forget what the other article was, but I was, and remain, excited to see my name in print. 

Finding old pieces you were proud of or enjoyed writing is a great excuse for keeping all you create. Has anyone else ever found some age-old writing they've written and been transported back years or decades? 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born to be a Tourist - my travel blog - have you checked it out yet?

I'm having a bad day. A toughie. Things don't always go the way you want them to, but it's detrimental in more ways that one. Sometimes chaos intrudes in my brain and it makes me not want to write. I'd rather be tucked up with my duvet watching the next episode of Dexter, the DVD box set I'm working through just now. 

However, I am a writer. I am a blogger who posts on Fridays, so I would be letting myself down if I didn't post something here. 

So what can I share when I'm feeling 'meh'?

Here is a list of things which make me feel better, even if it's just the thought of it, when times get rough. 

A cuddle and a cup of tea - that fixes many things!
A good joke  (OK, ok, here's the latest one I've heard... What do you call a donkey with three legs? A wonky....)
Pizza
Starting a good new book
Being productive  - cleaning can even help here!
A baby elephant smiling
Playing a game with my boyfriend - not that kind... even "I SPY works for us!
Jumping in puddles in my wellies
Spending time with my family
Baking a cake
Random stranger conversations which make me laugh. I was called 'babe' by a 70 year old school caretaker yesterday!
Walking through crunchy fallen leaves
Food in fun shapes
Pretty stamps (I don't collect them, but I love coming across them)

Simple things... 

And making a list is still considered 'writing', right?!

Check out Positive News online if you're having a touch day yourself - and then write about what inspires you!

I feel better already! Enjoy your weekend, guys!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

My wonderful local library, Towcester Library, are holding a book sale. This was no ordinary sale... Anyone can go along and grab a jute bag and fill it with books! Amazing idea - and it only cost £3 per bag. I say "per bag" because I could have walked away with one on each arm, but I showed great restraint in only filling one. That's more than enough to last me until the end of the year and through my next holiday, hooray!

I was a little disappointed there was no one volume there which was on my 'to read' list already, but all the better in a way - my 'to read' list has become longer and I am going to be trying new authors as a result of some literary gambles. Nothing could be worse than Don Quixote, the novel I'm reading at the moment for part of my 30 Before 30!

So how did I pick my books?

Three of them are a present for my fiance: Surviving Extremes (just his cuppa tea), Villainous Victorians (he loves history) and a book on how to improve your swimming technique. He wasn't too overjoyed with me choosing the last one for him - he's a good swimmer already - but I think he was 66% pleased, so that's not bad!

Another book chosen is intended as a present for a friend I'm borrowing a car parking space off next month. He loves to travel by bus and gets his money's worth of his pensioners bus pass, so the Great British Bus Journeys was irresistible as a little 'thank you' present. 

And the rest of the books - all for me! Whoopee! Cancel my social life, I'll be reading! 

I'm chuffed I found an Iain M. Banks novel (love him), and I know Small Island is a winner; I read it a few years ago and loved it - so glad to have my own (almost free) copy! Jodi Picoult is a throwback to my teen years, so it's a bit digressive, but I know I'll enjoy it. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry will bring back memories to anyone in my Mr Leslie English class at school - we studied it for SATs or GCSE (I forget which) and I can't remember any of it, so I grabbed this copy to remind me. It's one of those ones you should read, if I remember correctly. The rest are total mysteries to me, author and title. I hope I'll discover a new writer I love... if not, they'll all end up in a charity shop!

I'm starting to wade through the volumes this lunch time with Paul Torday - The Girl On The Landing. 

#ILoveLibraries
#ILoveBooks

15 books for £3. That's 20p each. Bargain. Thanks, Towcester Library! 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

P.S. I pinched the title from an actual campaign - check out Books Are My Bag on Twitter or search #booksaremybag!

DISCLAIMER: I am a book lover to the core. This is just a bit of fun!!!

How many times have you read a book you'd say is unputdownable? My laptop spellchecker doesn't like that word, but you know as well as I do it's a word! There's even a book festival named 'Unputdownable'. Case closed. 

We've all got a claim on a book so good we spend all morning engrossed in it. I've missed offers of tea reading 'Room' in one sitting, for example. 

This can be quite detrimental to one's life, so I am here to help. Here's how to put down that utterly unputdownable book. 



1. Read until you fall asleep on it. Your wrist will go limp and you'll put the novel down. 

2. Get a dog (responsibly). Your hound will need enough attention to enable you to keep your nose out of that book. 

3. Start reading something not worth finishing. You'll lose interest fast. Huffington Post has some suggestions for awful books.  

4. Set a timer to limit your time spent reading. And don't ignore that alarm!

5. Decide you're going to become a quitter. You can make up your own version to how the story ends. 

6. Put Post-It notes through the pages to limit you to a certain number of pages per read. A great tip for those who forget to (or can't...!) count. 

Want to test out my methods? Real Simple has recommended 17 books you won't be able to put down. Go on, prove them wrong!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

A week ago today, the literary world lost one of its greats. 

Sue Townsend 
(2 April 1946 – 10 April 2014)

Sue Townsend was an English writer, best known for creating Adrian Mole, the character which first introduced me to the comic and poignant genius of this woman. 

Did you know, the diaries of tortured teenager Adrian Mole sold more copies than any other work of fiction in Britain during its decade? The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ was a gift from my mum when I was an angst-ridden teenage with a secret diary of my own. Mum opened a door to the world of Sue Townsend, and I hope I can encourage you to begin reading her books too. 

You might be forgiven in thinking that Mrs T was all about just one spotty teenager, but you'd be wrong. Sue's work includes novels, plays and works of journalism. Her warm and touching writing opened up the world of books for me beyond Roald Dahl when I was a young teenager, and I have been a fan ever since. 

It made me wonder though, how many more of her books can I still look forward to reading? A quick look on Wikipedia revealed Sue's full fiction bibliography. Gotta love the internet!

Adrian Mole series

• The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ (1982), her bestselling book READ IT!
• The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (1984) READ IT!
• The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole (1989) READ IT!
• Adrian Mole: From Minor to Major (1991)  - an omnibus of the first three, plus a bonus section
• Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years (1993) READ IT!
• Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years (1999) READ IT!
• Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction (2004)
• The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole, 1999–2001 (2008)
• Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years (2009)

I've still got a few Mr Mole books to read, then - I had no idea! Whoop, whoop!

Other novels

• Rebuilding Coventry (1988)
• The Queen and I (1992), a story about the British Royal Family living a "normal" life on an urban housing estate. I've wanted to read this one for long time, so it might be the next ST one I devour. 
• Ghost Children (1997), a novel covering issues of bereavement, child abuse and women's self-esteem through their body image. 
• Number Ten (2002) READ IT!
• Queen Camilla (2006)
• The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year (2012) READ IT - just before ST died. Recommended - hilarious as well as touching.

Which books have you especially enjoyed by the late Sue Townsend? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Have a look at the lovely obituary Sue's publisher posted, then get into your favourite online/local bookstore and grab one of her books. You won't regret it!

Enjoy the long weekend, 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

This week on MISS WRITE I'm featuring the charity "Beanstalk".

Beanstalk is a British organisation who says their visions is "a nation of confident children who can read and grow up to lead successful lives."

I grew up with having a bedtime story every night - and if I'm honest, I'd still take one before bed if I could! Every child should have this opportunity, for family bonding as well as education and teaching them how fun books can be. I hope you enjoy hearing about their valuable work, and that it inspires you to give a little more (books, time, your skills - anything!) this week. 

---------------------

What’s your earliest memory of reading? Did you read by torchlight after your parents strictly put you to bed? Which author makes you think of your childhood? These are the memories every child deserves.

About Beanstalk

Beanstalk is a national charity that recruits and trains local people to volunteer to go into a local primary school to support children who are struggling with their reading. Beanstalk has been
working with schools for almost 40 years to help raise literacy standards. 

Why are we needed?

 • Almost one in eight children leaves primary school behind in their reading in England.

• Research has shown that literacy leads to low employment prospects, disengagement and is
closely linked with poverty, educational under-achievement, crime and long term unemployment.

Beanstalk helps by providing sustained one-to-one literacy support to children who are falling behind the expected reading level for their age. By sharing dedicated reading time with a trusted adult on a weekly basis, a child can build their confidence around literacy.

In Northamptonshire we are currently supporting over 100 primary schools and nearly 400 children across the county but we currently have more schools and children waiting for reading helpers than we do have volunteers.

What's the impact of the service?

Children are selected for a variety of reasons:

 • They may have low confidence in reading

 • They may have English as a second or third language

 • Their reading may be below the expected national curriculum level

 • They may have insufficient reading opportunities (e.g. no books at home, no one to help encourage them to pick up a book).

• They may be a "Looked After Child" who needs a bit of extra guidance.

 Who are our "reading helpers"?

Our reading helpers come from all walks of life. They are independent, committed individuals with a genuine interest in helping children achieve. Reading helpers spend 30 minutes with each child twice a week, chatting, reading and playing games. They will have the chance to build up a great rapport with the children and tailor the sessions to their individual needs.

We provide training to our reading helpers before they start and further development training in areas such as dyslexia awareness and phonics. We ensure they have resources for their sessions which are suited to the children they’re helping by providing them with Beanstalk book boxes. 

 ‘ The children give me immense joy and pride in seeing children develop during the course of the school year is amazing. I enjoy their smiles, the fun, the stories and their humour’.

                        ~ one of Beanstalk's existing reading helpers

How can you help? 

At Beanstalk we look for people with a passion for reading who can give their time to help inspire the next generation of readers.

If you can spare a couple of mornings or afternoons a week during school term time this could be the ideal opportunity for you.

--------------

Beanstalk needs reading helpers - badly. However, not everyone has this time to give. Please do check out Beanstalk on Twitter and Facebook  though, and see where it takes you. If you don't feel you can give any of your time, get in touch with Beanstalk anyway - there may be other ways you can help (e.g. donating money or books, or helping to spread the word about their excellent and worthwhile work).

Thanks Greg - it's wonderful to hear about such great charity work involving books and literacy here in Northamptonshire. I am all for this! Also, as a bonus, I think my readers will be pleased I'm back to writing and book themed topics after a couple of weeks of environmental issues and... bacon! 

See you next week!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

This is my book shelf. 

I love books and just wanted to share my shelves with you this week. It's nothing special, a fiver off a car boot sale, but these shelves are special to me. 

You can see it's not all books... I don't have a lot of storage in my current place and my DVDs need somewhere to go!

I have many more books than this - my windowsill is also piling up with books I want to read in the future. My elephants are kept company by books I love. 

I try to keep the books I know I will read again, but sometimes my list of books I want to read (and therefore have a copy stored somewhere) is an even bigger pile!

The ornaments are treasures from my life. I collect elephant figurines, so there's a few here. I also have gifts from my boyfriend, a hardy plant (can't believe it's still alive!), and one of my favourite photos of me. I really feel like these three shelves reflect who I am!

I will always have a book shelf. I tried out the phenomenon of the ebook last week, and I still prefer paperbacks. Even if my living quarters get too small one day for an actual bookcase, I'll probably pile my books on top of the toilet or something - somewhere!!

What does your bookshelf look like?

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist

It's International Book Giving Day, so a perfect time to tell you which books I was given on my birthday last week. 

You should know this - if in doubt, buy me a book! It was my birthday last Saturday and my mum pulled it out the bag again with a great title. 

STONER ~ John Williams

'Stoner' was book of the year 2013, according to Waterstones. I'm currently finishing the second of my two Christmas book presents, but I look forward to getting stuck into this new one. Having not read a lot in the last few months (Christmas, work disruption, fiance in the country with me!), I'm really looking forward to getting a few volumes under my belt before Easter. 

I have yet to buy myself a birthday present (personal tradition, not to be missed!), and I'm thinking I might try to clear out some of my Amazon Wishlist of books. I'll try to limit myself!

Have a great weekend all, see you next Friday. 

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To Be A Tourist

Christmas is a time of giving. I'm a reader. If you're in any doubt on what to give me as a present in the future, do as my family wisely did*. Give me books. 

Two books came my way this Christmas:

THE WHITE TIGER ~ Aravind Adiga

This author is previously unknown to me. This novel was added to my Amazon wishlist, originally recommended by a friend when I was travelling last year. 

THE UNFORTUNATES ~ Laurie Graham

I loved Laurie Graham's "The Future Homemakers of America", so this one will hopefully be a good 'un too!

I'm currently trying to finish "Dexter By Design" by Jeff Lindsay (big fan of the Dexter TV series, wading through the books), but I can't wait to get stuck into these two. 

Welcome to any new readers, by the way. I was lucky enough to be invited onto BBC Northampton Radio this lunch time with presenter Helen Blaby. We talked about lots about getting into reading and how great blogs are...  and I managed a cheeky bit of promo for this blog, so it's good to have you here. 

See you next week!

Lou x

Find me on Facebook
...And on Twitter
Born To Be A Tourist - my travel blog - almost a year old now!

*Feel like I should mention my family didn't just give me two books. I was a very lucky girl this year!