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Lauren

@lollyj

4.7K

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1524

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Passionate reader & hobbyist
📚Historical fiction, lit fic, & most unputdownable reads.
📍Cape Town, 🇿🇦
📧 [email protected]
♿ 🐈‍⬛ ✈️

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I’ve gained a fair few new followers over the last week or so, so I thought it only fitting that I introduce myself to you all.

Here’s a bit more about me and some of what you can expect to see here.

#aboutme #books #reading #hobbies #travel by @lollyj

What a gem of a book!

So pleased I gave this dark and gritty novel a go.

Rating: 5 ⭐️

#bookreview #Southafricanreads #Southafricanauthor by @lollyj

My 10 before the end is nothing if not aspirational.

Aspirational because:
1️⃣ there is absolutely NO way that I’ll get through another 10 books in the next two months, and
2️⃣ at this point I actually only own one of these books (Good People).

But it’s good to have goals, so here are mine.

📚 The Pirate Queen - @ariel.lawhon
📚 Pachinko - @lee_minjin
📚 American Hagwon - Min Jin Lee
📚 Hollow Bones - @jodipicoult
📚 Good People - @patmeenasabit
📚 Partita - @barbara.kingsolver
📚 The Burning Side - @sarahdamoff
📚 Yellow face - @kuangrf
📚 Big Little Truths - @lianemoriarty_official
📚 Five - @ilona.bannister by @lollyj

I’d been planning and looking forward to this cozy reading session with A Fatal Love all week, and it was everything I’d hoped it would be! by @lollyj

I’ve wanted to read @louisatreger ‘s latest novel for quite a while now.

Thanks to the team at @jonathanballpublishers for all the makings of a deliciously decadent reading session!

Watch this space for my review.

#unboxing #historicalfiction by @lollyj

Who can resist a quick browse at @exclusivebooks @kingshaka_airport on the way home. 🫣

Here’s a small sample of the many books on my wishlist. by @lollyj

The blurb for this literary fiction read really piqued my interest. Suffice it to say there is much more to this one than is covered in the blurb. Which as we know is not always the case.

I picked up a mistake in my final edit, which kind of changes the entire plot. It should be “son’s killer” not “killers son” 🙈😂

Of All Things We Need Hope would make an excellent choice for book clubs as there’s lots to delve into and discuss.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

#bookreview by @lollyj

Two 5-stars, four 4-stars, and the first in a new series - here’s everything I read in the first two weeks of September.

Which left me with a bit of a book hangover 😢, so my next read (which isn’t mentioned here, as I’m not done yet) I’m taking at a slower, more leisurely pace. by @lollyj

So enjoying my latest hobby - cozy colouring with @cocowyocoloring and @ohuhu_sa alcohol markers! The colours are so vibrant and go on so smoothly.

I’m slowly beginning to play around with techniques. Absolutely love shading and shadowing (the birds, tree and lit window in this image) but desperately wishing I’d invested in a larger set of markers first time around. Will have to work towards that.

Also quite like the touches of gold. 💛 by @lollyj

I’m currently reading and thoroughly enjoying:

📖 @caityvenniker ‘s 𝘜𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥
📱 @svenaxelrad ‘s 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘝𝘪𝘷𝘰 (Libby)
📱 @jomurraywrites 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘔𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 (Kindle)

#currentreads #whatimreading by @lollyj

What I read in August.

7 books and three of them 5 ⭐️ made for quite the month.

#monthlyreads #augustreads #monthlyreadingwrapup by @lollyj

My 2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge is done! And it’s only August. I think I’ll need to be a bit more ambitious next year.

In case you’re interested, here are my 4 and 5 star reads of 2026 so far.
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#readingchallenge2026 by @lollyj