For our October book club, we had the pleasure of reading ‘Wonderland’ – Juno Dawson’s radical and contemporary retelling of Alice In Wonderland.

This compulsive and immersive novel provides the perfect literary rabbit hole we all need right now, all while tackling themes such as mental health, gender & sexuality with remarkable tact.

Find out how the team got on with this whirlwind tale of privilege, secrets and lies.

Alice lives in a world of stifling privilege and luxury – but none of it means anything when your own head plays tricks on your reality. When her troubled friend Bunny goes missing, Alice becomes obsessed with finding her.

On the trail of her last movements, Alice discovers a mysterious invitation to ‘Wonderland’: the party to end all parties – three days of hedonistic excess to which only the elite are welcome.

Will she find Bunny there? Or is this really a case of finding herself? Because Alice has secrets of her own, and ruthless socialite queen Paisley Hart is determined to uncover them, whatever it takes.

Alice is all alone, miles from home and without her essential medication. She can trust no-one, least of all herself, and now she has a new enemy who wants her head…

Lareese

I well and truly fell down the rabbit hole with this book! Seriously, what did we do to deserve Juno Dawson?! Admittedly, I don’t read a great deal of YA, so I would have missed out on this delight if it hadn’t been for book club. This contemporary and intelligent retelling of the classic Lewis Carroll tale was utterly compelling, which just goes to show how reading out of your comfort zone can totally pay off sometimes! Juno Dawson borrows the familiar dark dystopian setting we all know as Wonderland and brings it bang up to date with her 10/10 wit, relevance and effortless skill. Content warning: it handles many nuanced topics such as gender, attempted rape, suicide, cancel culture & mental health and doesn’t shy away from raw teenage experiences. Alice’s character is a pansexual transgirl and I love how, as a narrator, she doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to talking about her identity and the ups and downs of her transition. No spoilers but there’s one standout scene in a toilet towards the end of the book that’s incredibly powerful. Wonderland is a wild ride of a novel and an utterly addictive one at that. I’m going to call it, it’ll be turned into a binge-worthy series before we know it.

Rating: 5/5
Would you recommend? Yes

Danielle

I LOVE a modern re-telling of a classic story and Wonderland did not disappoint! Sometimes modernising something only includes a few texts and slightly out of date slang but Wonderland truly tackles really important subjects that often go ignored in YA fiction. The book is narrated by Alice – a pansexual transgender girl who takes absolutely no prisoners. As always I listened to this one on audible and the fact it’s narrated by Juno Dawson herself made it all the more important. The fun doesn’t stop there, the whole book is wild, Alice crashes a super-luxe secretive high society party, the characters are packed full of sex-positive pals. The book is political is the very best of ways, Juno has smashed this story I really couldn’t put it down.

Rating: 5/5
Would you recommend? For sure!

Darcey

Well what can I say! Wonderland is a truly amazing re-telling of the classic Wonderland we all know. I really enjoyed reading a book which tackled very modern day societal issues. Juno Dawson left no stone unturned, discussing difficult topics such as sexual assault, attempted rape, mental health and gender. I adored Alice the main character and getting to know her so well throughout the book, you are taken on Alice’s sexual awakening and also the awakening of her true-self. You can really see her character develop throughout the book and I found myself always rooting for her. The ‘Wonderland’ party of course is absolutely wild and the attendees even wilder, you discover some juicy secrets in this book and some real twists happen! One thing I would say is I wish there was more about the hunt for Bunny, especially when Bunny does something CRAZY involving a gun (no spoilers) and I was ready for a man hunt, but there didn’t seem to be one. Overall though I really enjoyed reading Wonderland and would definitely recommend it!

Rating – 4/5
Would you recommend? Yes

Charlotte

Sometimes a slighter shorter or more digestible book actually appeals to me more than a hefty hardback option, especially one with a cover as enticing as this! I was super intrigued by the plot and had quite high expectations before starting after hearing how much Lareese had loved it!

The tale was so cleverly told and I loved how witty and funny it was in parts. It discussed numerous heavy themes which I have to say I found quite triggering at times, which is my only fault of the book. I loved how intricately linked it was to the original Alice in Wonderland story, and as the first re-telling of a classic I’ve read, I really enjoyed this element of the story’s structure.

It was such an addictive read, and once I got into I really struggled to put down. It reminded me of the TV show ‘Skins’ in many ways because of the issues it tackled and relationships between characters, with the same addictive quality of a series you can’t wait to get to the end of.

The ending was a little disappointing but I don’t think this detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book, and I would still recommend it!

Rating – 3/5 (only because of the triggering issues that were sometimes hard to read)
Recommend? -Yes

We all know the holiday season is only really official once the John Lewis & Partners Christmas advert hits our screens, usually around mid-November.

Ever since the launch of the first-ever John Lewis Christmas ad back in 2007, its debut has become synonymous with the start of yuletide glee. And how much do we need a bit of that this year?

From accident-prone dragons (2019) to Monty The Penguin (2014 – aka the best one. We said what we said) and lonely sentimental old men living on the moon (2015), the retailer has perfected the Christmas ad recipe over the years, so it could be said that they certainly know a thing or two about making a nation weep. Then again, this is 2020, it won’t take a lot to have us oozing from our eyeballs. We are fair, pathetic game and they know it.

Here’s what the team predict we’ll be seeing from the John Lewis festive ad this year.

Zoe says…

Honestly one of my highlights of every year is watching the John Lewis Christmas Advert and I feel like there will be so much anticipation around this one after such a whirlwind of a year. The pressure is truly on JL, just saying. I’m hoping for something that is uplifting, wholesome and makes you shed a happy tear (I’m not sure we could withstand a man on the moon scenario this year). My guess is a classic John Lewis dreamy cover of a happy song (but possibly a lot slower) and I’m going to go with Lewis Capaldi. I love his voice and I just think a John Lewis advert song would be something he would absolutely NAIL! I’m not 100% sure on a full-frame by frame breakdown, but I do think there will be a nod to the pandemic in some way (although I do believe they would have been working and storyboarding this before March of this year, so maybe a few tweaks have happened along the way). I’m torn by this because I think they will either bring it into the advert or completely avoid it in order to give people a sense of escapism! Okay, I’m going to go with the pandemic nod. I think it will be based around the lack of being able to be physically close to our loved ones, so finding ways in which we can feel close through thoughtful gifts/funny inventive ways to see each other at Christmas? Either way, I will almost definitely love it and cry! Can’t wait to see what they do.

Danielle says…

I’m such a big JL advert fan, in fact, I get pretty fired up over most Christmas ads (I know, I know, super cool). 2018 was a bit of a miss for me, as much as I love Elton John it just didn’t bring those sweet sweet wholesome feelings the previous ads evoked so easily. They brought it back for 2019 with Edgar however I did miss the classically British Love Actually style scenes of people bundled up in scarves and hats. My absolute fave was “The Long Wait” where the little boy was SO excited for Christmas day and when the day came all he wanted to do was give his gifts which is exactly how I feel about Christmas, I’m all about the giving people.

I think it will go back to being all about love and the relationships we have with each other as the cute animals take a step back. Maybe it will be a child writing their Christmas list, pouring over it, researching for hours, but when they hand it over to their parents it’s just a list of all their family members they want to be with on Christmas day. WOW, I actually just shed a tear writing that, what a flippin year eh!

Basically, all we want this year is to be together, happy and healthy, gifts have never mattered so less. It must be SO hard for them to try and guess what kind of situation we’ll be in by the end of the year especially as they have to start working on it so far in advance. So perhaps the tagline would be something like ‘This year you’re the gift’. I hope the cover singer is female as we haven’t had one for a while, maybe Dua Lipa or Charlie XCX as they’re pretty big at the moment. My absolute dream would be Laura Marling singing Fleetwood Mac Landslide. BRING ON THE TEARS.

Charlotte says…

SO! It’s really hard to think of any sort of ad during 2020 not acknowledging the state of affairs we’re currently in, and there’s only so many ways to spin or romanticise that into feel-good magic. Having said that, John Lewis always pull on the ol’ heart strings, so I imagine this year’s ad will be the ultimate tear jerker to really make us sob. I’m kind of not ready …

I’m envisaging animals being a central theme this year, which I know is something they’ve played on before but I just feel like humans and the endless worries we’ve had to deal with might feel a little too close to home. Maybe something about animals in little packs and tribes and not letting anyone get left behind? I think it would feel weird to see masks or social distancing in what is normally such a magical storytelling experience, so I think they might go a little off-piste and surprise us with something that feels like pure escapism.

It would be fun to see them tap into some of the trends of 2020, maybe some banana bread, TikTok or toilet roll thrown in for good measure, but whatever it is I can’t wait for that little slice of normality and joy when you hit ‘play’ for the first (of many) times.

Darcey says…

There’s no doubt that this years advert will be based around the pandemic and I would put money on it being focused on a family member being alone at Christmas. Now I don’t think it will be one of the grandparents because they have done similar before with ‘The Man On The Moon’ 2015 advert. I’m imagining a university student who can’t come home for Christmas or someone who is having to isolate due to Covid and unable to see anyone. I’m thinking a whole lot of community spirit, people dropping off presents and food to them. People carolling outside their door, a heartfelt FaceTime thrown in there somewhere too. I’ve got a feeling an acoustic cover of Pretenders 2000 Miles will be playing, maybe even the Coldplay version or at least sung by someone with a beautiful wispy voice. I predict snow, lot’s of love and a whole lot of tears!

Holly says…

OK I think we all know that the theme is going to be zoom calls, being lonely etc. I’m imagining a family eating playing games, exchanging presents etc, then it pans to the nan and grandad who are all alone, missing their grandchild’s first Christmas when there’s a knock at the door, it’s the gift of technology. A kind stranger hands them a present and when they open it, its a laptop, wham bam your family are there, everyone raises a glass and we all shed a tear. And it’s an acoustic version of Jess Glynn singing I’ll be there.

Lareese says…

I know they plan the Christmas ad a good year ahead or something but no doubt they’ll find a way to make sure it’s a poignant pandemic tear-jerker. One thing’s for sure, they’re going to eat our hearts for breakfast, aren’t they! They’ve focused on animals and cute monsters a lot over the last couple of years, so I reckon they’re going to strip it back and make it all about family togetherness for 2020. Maybe some sort of socially distanced visit to wish grandpa a Merry Christmas from the nursing home window – featuring the dog he had to give up when he moved into the care home. The theme tune? Some glorious tear-jerking acoustic version of Nat King Cole Unforgettable, sung by an undiscovered TikTok star.

Maddie says…

I think if the good people at John Lewis knew what we all needed then this years advert will be 100% uplifting, be full of joy and hope for the future ahead. Where we have all felt isolated in one way or another this year I think this advert will be the antithesis of that. I think it will touch upon ways that we can all be together and be there for one another even if we can’t cross oceans or see all of our loved ones as we’re used to doing at this time of year. I think gifting will be a really minor part of the advert and rather than focusing on products it will focus on memories and moments, however small, that are the most important thing at Christmas. I would love Adele to sing the theme song, she puts a smile on the nation’s face just by being herself and is totally unapologetic which I love. She also has the voice of an angel of course and it’s been too long since we’ve heard her sing.

What are you predicting for the John Lewis 2020 Christmas ad?

If there was EVER a time we needed a little boost of joy on a morning or a before bed treat, it was always gonna be 2020. And whilst your day is infinitely improved by a small helping of chocolate goodness, we can’t help but feel like that just might not cut it this year…

Some of our highlights include the Friends Nespresso Capsule Calendar (new parents/tired students we’re looking at you), the Love Honey Couples 24 Day Calendar (hellloooo more time at home with boo), the Master of Malt 24 Door Vodka selection (bottoms up everyone) and the Lily’s Kitchen Doggie Advent Calendar (because honestly, dogs deserve all the happiness in the world).

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Which one (or five) have made it onto your ‘I made it to the end of 2020’ wish list?

If you’ve ever seen a lemon meringue pie from Meringue Girls you know they are NOT playing around when it comes to delicious sugar and egg whites! We’re so excited to have MG takeover our IG stories today and bless us with this wonderful recipe for Christmas Tree Meringues.

Before you start, read through the whole recipe and all of their tips so that you have a good grasp of what’s ahead. You can also find the method as an Instagram highlight here – check it out for useful images and references.

Top Tips

1. Use metal or glass bowls where you can as grease can cling to plastic ones.
2. Depending on the size of your mixer, you can scale this recipe up or down… just make sure you always have a sugar to egg ratio of 2:1.   The smallest batch we recommend is 300g sugar to 150g egg whites.
3. The time it takes to whisk your egg whites can vary – it should be 5-7 minutes but keep a close eye on them and start adding sugar once you have soft peaks.  This will vary depending on your mixer and the freshness of your eggs.
4. You can use fresh eggs or egg whites from a carton.  If using fresh eggs, you probably won’t need cream of tartar, especially if your mixer is powerful.

SERVES 6

PREP: 30 MINS COOK: 50 MINS

MEDIUM

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 500g caster sugar
• 250g egg whites
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean extract or essence
• Green food colouring
• Colourful 100s and 1000s
• Gold star sprinkles

Equipment needed:

• 1 stand mixer or powerful electric whisk
• Small cake tin or baking dish
• Large spoon/spatula
• 1 fine star nozzle, we use JEM nozzle #2ES
• 2 piping bags
• 1 paintbrush
• Scissors
• 3 baking trays
• Baking parchment

1. Preheat the oven to 200’c.
2. Tip your caster sugar into a small cake tin or roasting tray lined with baking parchment. Shake to level out the sugar and then heat in the oven for a few minutes – until hot to the touch but not melting.
3. Place your egg whites in the bowl of your mixer and add a teaspoon of cream of tartar. Whisk slowly at first, gradually increasing the speed until the egg whites are at the stiff peaks stage – approximately five minutes.
4. Turn the oven down to 100’c, leaving the door ajar to help it cool down quickly – your meringues need to be baking at a lower temperature than used to heat the sugar.
5. Turn your mixer up to full speed at start adding the sugar one tablespoonful at a time, bashing out any big lumps. You want the egg whites to maintain their volume as you keep adding sugar – if you see it starting to collapse, stop adding sugar and allow the mixture to stiffen and rise before adding the rest of the sugar, again a spoonful at a time.
6. Once all of the sugar has been added, keep whisking until you have a stiff and glossy mixture. It’s ready to use when it holds its shape, usually about 2-5 minutes after you add the last of the sugar. You should also be able to see lovely peaks in the mixture if you remove and upturn the whisk.
7. Add the vanilla bean extract to the meringue and gently fold it through the mixture. Do this by hand rather than in the mixer – we find that whisking in flavouring loosens the meringue more than mixing by hand.  You’re now ready to colour and pipe your Christmas tree meringues.

COLOURING & PIPING YOUR MERINGUE

1. Turn your piping bags inside out, leaving a little tip on each one for you to hold on to later.
2. Paint green colouring all over the inside of your piping bags, making sure to go right down to the tip so that all of your trees pick up the colour as you pipe them.
3. Place the star nozzle in the tip of one piping bag and pull the bag the right way around again.
4. Fill the bag with half of your flavoured meringue mixture. You’ll need to repeat the last two steps with the second piping bag once you’ve piped your first bag, washing and drying the star nozzle in between.
5. Cut parchment to the size of your baking trays.
6. Use sharp scissors to cut off the tip of the piping bag, making sure the serrated teeth of the star nozzle are clear of the piping bag. Squeeze small dollops of meringue into the corner of each baking tray and stick the parchment down.
7. Hold the piping bags with both hands, placing your dominant hand at the top of the bag and your other hand halfway down the bag. Hold the bag steady, about 2cm above the tray and squeeze the bag from the top to start forming the base of your Christmas tree.  Keep the bag completely still while squeezing, using your lower hand to keep the bag steady.  Stop squeezing once the meringue hits the tray and then lift the piping bag a tiny amount, without creating a break between the meringue on the tray and the meringue left in the piping bag.  Drop the bag back down again slightly and squeeze gently to form the middle section of the tree.  Repeat the tiny lift and drop a second time and then lift the piping bag straight up to leave a cute peak on the top of your Christmas tree.  This will take a bit of practice so don’t worry if you don’t get it first time, just keep going and get a feel for it!
8. Repeat until you have piped all of your mixture – you want to work quickly as your mixture will loosen over time.
9. Sprinkle brightly coloured 100s and 1000s over your Christmas trees and top with an edible golden star.
10. Transfer to the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes to be crisp on the outside and mallowy in the middle. Take them out of the oven when they lift easily off the baking trays with their bases intact.  Leave to cool on their baking trays but make sure to try one while they’re still warm!
11. Once cool, pack up in cute gift bags to give as presents or store in a biscuit tin for up to two weeks.

There’s just seven Fridays left until Christmas, guys. Seven. And given that this year has been absolutely feral to say the least, we are all for bringing those festivities forward in whatever way we can.

1 Start your Christmas shopping. Heads up fam: hand sanitiser will be heavily gifted

2 Write a goodbye 2020 letter. There’s not enough writing paper in the world.

3 Cook your favourite Winter meal complete with hunks of crusty bread

4 Experience uncontrollable crying when you watch the John Lewis ad for the first time

5 Say ‘oo ah’ at the fireworks & the burning coronavirus effigies, even if it is at a drive-thru this year

6 Do a random act of kindness, the world needs it!

7 Defrost your Christmas playlist. It’s never too early.

8 Clean out your wardrobe (again) & donate your garms to a new loving home

9 Make a pot of mulled wine to glug whilst you complete Netflix

10 Consider buying a range of festive pet outfits even if you don’t own a dog

11 Buy a poppy and observe Remembrance Day

12 Pick a new podcast to listen to on your chilly Winter walks. All. The. Zen.

13 Binge watch an entire series. The Crown, Emily In Paris, The Fall. The devil works hard but you work harder.

14 Prioritise your self-care, Winter can be a sucky time so don’t forget to look after YOU

15 Buy your chocolate advert now just to torment yourself until Dec 1st

16 Romanticise the ordinary. You don’t have to do something revolutionary every day, sometimes you just need a quiet, unproductive guilt-free weekend.

17 Book a festive mani – only candy cane stripes ‘n’ glitter will do

18 Grab a Christmas sarnie for your lunch – we want to smell like herb stuffing and port & cranberry sauce from now until the end of December

19 Look forward to playing living room Jenga as you try and make room for the Christmas tree…

20 Snap up a Black Friday deal or 10

What will you be getting up to this November?

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la! Halloween is done and dusted so you guessed it, we’re in full Christmas mode and are absolutely THRILLED about it. 2020 has thrown some absolutely rotten scenarios our way, but we’re of the opinion that there’s not much that can’t be solved by mulled wine, a tinsel decked house and a mince pie (or 3).

This year has also taught us that our homes really are our sanctuaries, hammering home the importance of a cosy, comforting and zen space to unwind in at the end of a long day.

So whilst it looks like we’ll be celebrating Christmas parties over Zoom, unwrapping presents on FaceTime and sending hugs to loved ones via text, making the home one that still gives you all the festive feels is essential to keep a smile on your face and a warmth in your heart. Whether you’re a chic Scandi/neutral lover or want to go all out with kitsch and colourful decorations, making your home a place of joy this Christmas is something we can all do with a little more of.

Zoe

This was so much fun to put together! I’ve gone for a real mixture of a few of my favourite bits and pieces I’ve seen this year. I loved this table centrepiece from John Lewis which can either sit through the centre of your Christmas table or on your mantlepiece! I love bright, fun, quirky decorations and have a tree filled with the most random ones I have collected over the years. The best places I have found that sell these are Selfridges and Paperchase!

*John Lewis, John Lewis & Partners Bloomsbury Mini Tree Table Centre, £45 

*John Lewis, John Lewis & Partners Bloomsbury Multi Bauble Table Tree, £25

*Selfridges, THE CONRAN SHOP, £11 

Paperchase, Fish and Chips Christmas Decoration, £5 

Paperchase, Glass festive sandwich Christmas decoration, £10 

Etsy, Christmas Ornaments, £11.61 

Meri Meri, Mini Gold Star Garland, £10 

Maddie

The older I get the more and more neutral I seem to become when it comes to decor and I’m feeling all of the rustic / scandi vibes this year. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE a good garish multicoloured display but when it comes to my own home it’s going to be all whites, silvers, golds and creams this year and maybe a pop of red if I’m feeling extra festive.

*Etsy, KingAndEyeCrochet Christmas Wreath 

*Etsy, BearandRoseCompany, Christmas Scandi House Set £45 – £49 

Etsy, BeMerryandBright, Let it Snow Hessian Christmas Bunting £6.95 

Nordic House, Lena Porcelain Snowflake Set, £18 

Nordic House, Zinc Hanging Mistletoe, £12.50 

Cox & Cox, Four Dried Flower Baubles, £12.50 

Lareese

I love this time of year and because 2020 has been, well, 2020, I think we deserve to start putting up the decs even earlier this year. I like to keep the tree pretty rustic & natural with white lights, paper baubles, cinnamon sticks and dried oranges. Then I’ll have a big wreath hanging on the living room door, loads of foliage and cosy candles dotted on the mantelpiece.

Cox & Cox, Snowflake Window Stickers, £5.50 

*H&M, 2-pack Christmas decorations, £4.99 

*H&M, 2-pack Christmas decorations, £3.99 

Rose & Grey, Green Eucalyptus Wreath, £59 

Zara, CHRISTMAS TREE CANDLE, £19.99

*John Lewis, John Lewis & Partners Impressionism Car Bauble, White, £12 

*The White Company, Winter Signature Candle, £20 

Cox & Cox, Lit Tree Wall Hanging, £40 – £75 

Darcey

I firstly don’t have my own house to decorate or my own tree to execute my own festive style, BUT I do vicariously live through online shopping and browsing through allll the decs. I absolutely adore a gold and white theme at Christmas and I envisage that when I do have my own place it will be decked out with this theme. I fell in love with these tiny little acorn decs from Anthropologie, the gold snowflake ornaments from Zara are divine too. I go mad for a wreath and although I want to start making my own for some crafty fun this champagne colour themed one from John Lewis is beautiful! Christmas also isn’t complete without a festive scent filling your home and recently I have been loving all of Cedar’s winter range.

*John Lewis, John Lewis & Partners Renaissance Wreath, Champagne, £40 

Cox & Cox, Golden String Star Tree Topper, £7.50 

Zara, SNOWFLAKE CHRISTMAS DECORATION, £4.99 

*Anthropologie, Set of 18 Acorn Decorations, £12 

*Anthropologie, Gold Spotted Bauble Decoration, £10 

Cedar, Orange, Clove + Cinnamon, £16 

Danielle

Another year in my basement flat, another year without a tree! SOB! When I picture my future life when I can finally have a tree I’ll be investing in some classics from The White Company, they’re always gorgeous, they last such a long time and I think part of me wants to emulate my Mum’s “white tree” – she has a tree only she decorates with BEAUT white ornaments she’s collected over a decade! I also think H&M smash it when it comes to Christmas but you have to snap things up when you see them, you have been warned ha!

*H&M, Linen-blend cushion cover, £6.99 

*H&M, Coconut fibre doormat, £12.99 

*The White Company, Pre-Lit Frosted Pinecone Garland – 1.8m, £65 

*The White Company, Feather Mini Wreath, £10 

*The White Company, Glitter Star Christmas Decoration, £4

*The White Company, Glitter Small Bauble, £4 

Charlotte

Give me Christmas and give me it NOW! It’s ordinarily my fave time of year and my god do we need something to smile about in 2020- I’m trying to persuade my flatmate to let us put the tree up mid-November…

I love a bit of novelty/kitsch/tacky/fun when it comes to Chrimbo, and my tree decoration picks certainly show it. The wackier the better in my book! Combined with some silver and gold sparkle and I’m happy as can be.

Fun, Flying Pig Glass Christmas Ornament, £13.99 

Crocus, Wool mix pink ballerina pig decoration, £6.49 

Meri Meri, Sausage Dog Felt Tree Decoration, £10 

Ginger Ray, IRIDESCENT FOIL CURTAIN BACKDROP HANGING STAR DECORATION, £7.99 

House of Fraser, Fir Tumbler x 2, £16 

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