5 Reasons You Should Start A Blog in 2016

With a new year almost around the corner I’ve been thinking about all the good things that 2015 has brought with it for my online space and it lead me to thinking about why everyone should have a place for their creativity and uniqueness to shine. Here are my reasons why I think 2016 should be the year you start your blog (if you’re not already part of this cool club).

It’s a place for your creativity and uniqueness to shine. Well I kinda gave away this point in the intro but having your own blog or website might be the one and only place you ever have to be fully in creative control and your wonderful personality shine through. Even those of us who work in creative fields often spend our time bringing other people’s dreams to reality – products, businesses, services – but your blog can be 100% about what you and only you care about.

It’ll push you to learn. I think one of the biggest things I’ve missed since leaving my studying days behind me is the constant stream of new information entering my brain. Blogging in lots of ways has brought new skills to my fingertips and while sometimes it’s highly frustrating trying to figure out coding and editing and photographing on your own its also highly rewarding.

It will increase your confidence. When I published my first blog post I was so nervous about putting my words out onto the internet where the whole world could see them. But slowly over time I started to feel more comfortable about having a voice and putting it out for people to read. When a few months ago I had an idea that maybe I should film a video for my site it only took me a few moments to decide that it was a good idea. Just like that my confidence had grown without me really realising it!

It shows you have passion. If you are looking for a job in a certain area or dreaming of working one day in a different field, a blog is the perfect way to show you have passion. Employers love people who are passionate about what they do and blogging really is a hobby fuelled by this.

You never know where the future will take you. Opportunities on the internet are abound for people who want to go out and grab them. Now I'm not saying you should start a blog because you want to get internet famous but, if you do want to create wonderful beautiful things for other people you should absolutely start a blog as you may amass a few fans along the way! As long as what you are doing is with authenticity blogging is a great way to reach out to an audience and build your community up.

So, if you have always thought about taking the plunge online and starting your own space please, make 2016 the year you do. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Would Love Santa To Gift Me

I was one of those kids who believed in Santa for a really long time. Sometimes one of the downsides of being a third child is that people can just forget to tell you things that were relevant to their other two children. Like oh, Francesca's ten years old and still believes in Santa, right maybe it's time we addressed that issue. Anyway, the point of that little tangent is that today's Top Ten Tuesday is one my ten year old self (pre-Santa is not real discovery) would love because it involves asking Santa for books! So Santa, if you are reading (there's still a part of me that belieeeeves) here is what I woudn't mind you leaving under my tree on Christmas morning - obviousy not all because I am not greedy but The Broke and the Bookish said choose ten, so ya know....

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell :: I have a habit of buying books for other people that I want to read because I love to share the love. I bought this for my Dad and now Im like dammit I really wanna borrow that.

Anything by Rainbow Rowell :: Because even though I have only read Landline I already know I love her writing.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Illustrated version :: It's so pretty! I still don't own a copy of the first HP book as I think I borrowed it from a friend to read so what better edition to have than a beautifully illustrated one?!

The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelley :: This is the best historical fiction series ever and I need to finish it!

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray :: Oh boy I cannot wait to read this sequal to The Diviners and if I found it under the tree might just do a tiny squeal of delight.

A Collective Magazine subscription :: I dont read magazines much any more as I get my fashion and beauty fix from the many babes in the blogosphere but Collective magazine are so awesomely inspiring focusing on young entrepreneurs and how to live your dreams.

A pretty notebook :: I am all about using pretty planners in the New Year and as of yet haven't found one for 2016. Hint, hint.

A surprise :: I love books but I also like suprise books!

The Glam Guide by Fleur de Force :: I love getting books that are both useful in substance but also really pretty! Having read Sally Hughes' Pretty Honest last year I've kind of caught the beauty bug and Fleur is one of my favourite and most trusted Youtubers!

Emma by Jane Austen :: I've been meaning to get around to reading some more Jane Austen since I read Pride and Prejudice almost two years ago now. I love the cloth bound covers that her books come in and Emma is a story I already know and not just to the Clueless adaptation.

What books are you hoping Santa brings to you this year?

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Rating **** 325 pages. Published January 13 2015 by Riverhead Books

I feel like I've been winning a little bit with my book selections lately and The Girl on the Train is one that did not disappoint. I have been hearing so much about this book for ages that when I finally got around to reading it a few weeks ago I wondered if it could really live up to the hype. Touted as the next Gone Girl, I wasn't sure but I really couldn't put this book down.

Every morning on her work commute Rachel passes a house with a perfectly happy couple outside. Their seemingly perfect life reminds her of all that she used to have and Rachel goes about giving them names and inventing a perfect backstory each day she passes on the train. But when Rachel witnesses something shocking she inserts herself into the couples lives with dire consequences.

Rachel has problems. As an alcoholic she pretends to take the train to work each day so that she doesn't have to tell her flatmate that she was recently let go from her job. Despite her lying and I guess somewhat morally ambiguous ways I really liked the character of Rachel. She's a total mess but I liked that she was battling her own demons but yet trying to do the right thing when she interferes with her perfect strangers lives.

Narrated by Rachel, the novel unfolds through her eyes as she tries to piece what she can remember of her own whereabouts at the time of the incident she whitnesses. As a blackout drunk she's not the most reliable of narrators and thus The Girl on the Train is a fantastic mystery since even Rachel has no idea what she has been involved in.

Although a lot of people have compared this to Gone Girl the writing doesn't quite have the same depth but that doesn't take anything away from what The Girl on the Train is; a fantastically hard to put down book that had me drawn in until the very end.