Why you need to read The Baby-Sitter’s Club

I grew up in the 90s and 00s, and a lot of my time then was spent reading series that would shape much of my outlook on life. One such series was The Baby-Sitter’s Club by Ann M. Martin.

For the uninitiated, this series focused on a group of seven friends in a fictional Connecticut town who established a babysitting business in their local area. I adored this series of books, borrowing them from my local library every Tuesday after my Irish dancing classes. I would pore through the books, and I’m pretty sure they’re where my intense love of reading stems from.

Holiday Book Haul

I treated myself to a solo holiday at the end of February/beginning of March. I spent a few nights in Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest. Even though my current financial situation really did not allow it, I spent a whole lot of money on six new books.

It’s part of my routine whenever I go somewhere new. I always come back with a new fridge magnet and a new book. This time, I just took it a little further. In fact, I didn’t even buy two each place, as the maths would suggest. I picked up two in Vienna, three in Bratislava, and one in Budapest.

Favourite LGBT Characters

This post is part of Six for Sunday, run by Steph from A Little But a Lot

I have to admit that my meetings with LGBT characters seems to be pretty slim. It’s definitely something I need to improve on in my 2019 reading. That said, there are some great characters I’ve met previously who have stayed with me for a long time, and who I will ship until the end of time with their beloved.

Bookish Hates

This post is part of Six for Sunday, run by Steph from A Little But a Lot.

Last week Steph asked us to list our bookish faves, but this week the tables have flipped a little. This time we’re talking about the aspects of books we’re not so keen on. Just like last week, I could go on and on. There are a couple of things that really grind my gears when I notice them in books. These are just some of the things I’d like to see less of in literature.

Favourite Musical YA Books

Music has been a pretty big part of my family. My Dad’s father played the accordion for years before he passed away, and his parents used to hold dances in a hall by their house. IN Ireland in the 1950s, dances like this were a Big Deal because they were where a lot of relationships started. Ask your grandparents – it’s likely they started “courting” in one of these dance halls.

I played the piano for years, though I haven’t played in ages and I feel like now, I would be really rusty. It doesn’t much help that sight reading was never my strong point. My brother can play guitar, and one of my 2019 new year’s resolutions is to learn it myself. So, it’s no big surprise I love reading about books that also add in a little bit of music in their narrative.