My 2020 Reading Challenge

One of my goals for 2020 is to read one book per month. It doesn't sound like much, but as someone who can never seem to find the time to read unless I'm on holiday, this feels challenging but also achievable. I have set the same goal for the past three years and the closest I have come is seven books in 2019. I have always loved reading and I feel almost ashamed that I've read so few books in my adult life so far, so I'm excited to work towards my goal this year and get back into the swing of reading instead of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram.

My 'to read' list is already ten books long thanks to my friends and family gifting me some lovely books for my birthday and Christmas. 

Biographies/Autobiographies

I am a huge fan of biographies and love to read about the people that inspire me. I feel you can learn a lot from a person's life, opinions and choices and I really enjoy challenging my own thoughts in this way. The biographies on my list are:

• Becoming - Michelle Obama 
• Me - Elton John 
• Roger Federer

I chose Michelle Obama's book for January as I started this in 2019 and stopped half way through. I'm now less than 50 pages from the end and have thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. Like Michelle, Elton John and Roger Federer are two of my inspirations for various reasons and I can't wait to get stuck into their life stories later in the year.

Personal Development

I really love to learn and reading is undoubtedly one of the best ways to expand your knowledge. I find that slotting these kind of books in between fiction really works for me. All of the books in this category were bought as presents for me - my friends and family know me well!

•  Feel the Fear and do it Anyway - Susan Jeffers
•  Is Butter a Carb? - Rosie Saunt
•  The Body - Bill Bryson
•  The Beginner's Photography Guide

As an anxious person who definitely lets her insecurities hold her back in life, Susan Jeffers' book is one I have wanted to read for many years. I'm sure it will prompt lots of life-changing thoughts and actions so I will save it for a quiet month! 

'Is Butter a Carb?' and 'The Body' are both right up my street: science, nutrition and biology are three of my favourite things to learn about. Photography also falls in this category as a passion I have held for the majority of my life. I finally bought myself a DSLR two years ago and ashamedly still don't know the ins and outs of it so I feel it is definitely time to learn.

Fiction

Who doesn't love a good fiction book? Saying that, books in this genre that float my boat are difficult to find. Thankfully some of my favourite authors have a backlog of books I'm yet to read. Once again, these books were all gifts from my husband - someone who reads around 50 books per year and continues to encourage my reading, despite buying me many books that have sat unread!

•  How to Stop Time - Matt Haig
•  On a Beautiful Day - Lucy Diamond
•  The Starless Sea - Erin Morgenstern

Last year my husband and I listened to 'Humans' by Matt Haig. It was unlike anything I'd ever read before, but fantastic nonetheless. I was surprised to receive 'How to Stop Time' for Christmas, but thankful as I can't wait to get stuck into this one. Similarly, I was shocked to receive a new book from Erin Morgenstern. I read 'The Night Circus', a few years ago and it has remained my favourite book since so I'm hoping for similar things with 'The Starless Sea'. 

Finally, 'On a Beautiful Day' is a book I started last summer and really did enjoy. I then got distracted by a busy workload and life took over so the book went back on the shelf. I can't wait to pick it up again and find out what happens.

I have a lot of books to get through, but I am really looking forward to reading more. My hope is that by sharing this blogpost that I can come back at the end of the year and provide reviews and recommendations. I'm determined the achieve my reading goal this year!

What books are you reading at the moment?

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Paris

Paris is one of our favourite cities in the world. We visited on a shoestring budget meaning we made the most of every second!

Getting the coach from London Victoria overnight to Paris is cheap, relatively comfortable and doesn’t take too long. We arrived at Charles de Gaulle at around 7am and promptly trekked across the city via the metro to our Ibis hotel on the other side. While out hotel was on the outskirts, it meant we made the most of the metro ticket to the centre and spent 12+ hours there each day.

We had 3 full days in Paris and while that was enough to visit all the major attractions, we could easily have spent a further 5 days exploring! When planning a trip, I would recommend making daily itineraries to determine how long you will need.

First stop – The Louvre. Now this is a place we could have spent days exploring, but sadly only had a few hours. At the time of visiting, we were university students which meant free entry, so don’t forget your student cards! 

The museum itself is absolutely stunning inside and it is huge. There is just so much to see, and all of it is picturesque and makes you feel very intelligent!

Following this, we swiftly headed over to a boulangerie to sample some macarons. You have to try the hazelnut flavour!

We then went on to the Pont Des Arts to do the (old) traditional thing of securing a love lock to the bridge. 

We wandered along the Seine, picked up some baguettes and cheese and headed to the Jardin du Luxembourg to eat our lunch. This is a relaxing and beautiful park to have a walk and soak up some of the quieter parts of this lively city.

You must visit the Champs Elysees, if not for the shops, then for the true metropolitan feel of the city. It is very modern, a la mode and bustling with life.

The Notre Dame is another beautiful building, but a place we never got to see inside as we simply didn’t have time to queue! If you want to go in I would recommend visiting early in the morning or allowing enough time to queue.

One of our final stops was the Sacre Coeur. I had been told before going to Paris that this was a stunning spot, but nothing quite prepared me for its size and beauty. You aren’t allowed to take pictures inside, but it is simply breathtaking. The view across the city from the steps outside is equally as beautiful. 

A place not to miss, if simply for its uniqueness, is Galeries Lafayette – a very beautiful department store filled with equally beautiful things. There is food, high end designer clothing, and everything you could ever need, all situated under one gorgeous glass roof with balconies and a theatrical feel.

If you visit, be sure to head to the roof where you can see all the way across the city to the Eiffel Tower!

Of course, we also visited the Eiffel Tower and decided to walk up the 669 steps to save some money! Having walked literally across the city (to avoid metro prices), our feet were already tired. By the time we walked back down, our legs were shaking. Fortunately, there are some lovely water fountains in the courtyard below the tower where we dipped our feet and enjoyed our final few moments in Paris.

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The Cabin, Sheffield

When living on a tight student budget in Sheffield, we came across The Cabin - a 2 minute walk from our flat! From that day, we couldn't get enough and saved our pennies each week to make a visit and indulge. 

The Cabin is a pancake house that brings together Norwegian waffles and Canadian pancakes with a plethora of yummy toppings. 

Visiting The Cabin is a truly pleasant experience, from the welcoming staff to the cinnamon smell, the amazing Canadian decor to the large choice of food, it really is a must!

We have visited The Cabin many times and as such have tried multiple things from the menu. Our favourites are the raspberry and white chocolate pancakes (Ellen), "The Works" (Tom), the cinammon pancakes and all of the smoothies. The tea is also loose leaf which is a favourite for both of us. 

The Cabin may just be our favourite place in the world and will always hold a special place in our hearts!

Rating out of 5 
Taste: 5
Food presentation: 4.5
Customer service: 4.5
Price: ££
Hygiene: 4.5
Would recommend to a friend: yes yes yes!

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Wild Thyme, Norwich

Last weekend we finally got round to visiting Wild Thyme - a vegetarian restaurant tucked away in a backstreet of Norwich. The cafe/restaurant offers a vast menu beginning at breakfast and ending at dinner. There are also a great selection of specials and the menu changes seasonally. 

We popped in on a warm Saturday morning ready for brunch. We were seated next to the window in a lovely setting. The cafe is beautifully decorated with simple wooden chairs and tables, flowers and a lovely 'WT' light feature on the brick wall. 

Upon arrival we were served very quickly and there was a minimal wait on the food. We ordered a matcha latte and beetroot latte with oat milk to start. Both were presented beautifully, and the taste was even better!

We followed this by sharing the 'full vegetarian' breakfast and the pancakes. The breakfast was certainly full with homemade beans, wholemeal toast, roasted sweet potatoes (Ellen's favourite!), grilled tomato, a mushroom, spinach, a poached egg and a veggie sausage. We shared this with some pancakes topped with greek yoghurt, fruit and maple syrup. 

The food was presented in a very appealing way, there was plenty to fill you up until the afternoon and it certainly ticked all the boxes!

We will be returning to Wild Thyme as soon as possible not only to try some other dishes from their brunch menu, but also to try their lunch/dinner menu too.

Rating out of 5 
Taste: 4
Food presentation: 4.5
Customer service: 4.5
Price: ££
Hygiene: 4.5
Quality: 4
Would recommend to a friend: yes!

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