BOOK CLUB: The Book Swap!

So if you’re a regular here at Lipsticks and Lashes you will know I adore sending lovely things in the post and I am also a complete book worm! I can’t think of anything better than getting lost in a book, I adore it. This has also lead to piles of books filling my house!

Around this time last year here on ‘Lipsticks and Lashes’ I ran a book swap and had so much fun doing doing so that I thought I would do it again this year! This concept stemmed from the fact that I am always keen to find new books and authors that I will fall in love with and putting all of this together I had a bit of an idea! A rather glorious light bulb moment!

LET’S DO A BOOK SWAP!!

So here’s the plan... I will collect everyone’s info and I will then email you a person who you need to send two books too. I will try and match you to someone who has similar tastes, this may not work completely but I will try!

So TWO books – the first has to be one of YOUR favourite ever books, one you want to rave about and share! The second is to be one you think that person may enjoy and suits their tastes.

With me so far?

The two books should be ones you have at home and are just passing forward. If you spot a cool book in a charity shop you think your person may enjoy then that’s great too. I don’t want this swap to cost much money – ideally the only pennies spent should be on postage!

So want to join in?

Send an email to whatsinyourmakeupbag@gmail.com with the following info...

Name:

Address:

Favourite Book:

What genres do you like to read?

What authors do you love?

Are you happy to post internationally?

You have till the 29^th May to sign up, ill then email you who you’re going to be sending to... you won’t be receiving from the same person you’re saving to! 

Book Club: The Book Swap!

So if you’re a regular here at Lipsticks and Lashes you will know I adore sending lovely things in the post and I am also a complete book worm! I can’t think of anything better than getting lost in a book, I adore it. This has also lead to piles of books filling my house!

I’m always keen to find new books and authors that I will fall in love with and putting all of this together I’ve had a bit of an idea! A rather glorious light bulb moment!

LET’S DO A BOOK SWAP!!

So here’s the plan... I will collect everyone’s info and I will then email you a person who you need to send two books too. I will try and match you to someone who has similar tastes, this may not work completely but I will try!

So TWO books – the first has to be one of YOUR favourite ever books, one you want to rave about and share! The second is to be one you think that person may enjoy and suits their tastes.

With me so far?

The two books should be ones you have at home and are just passing forward. If you spot a cool book in a charity shop you think your person may enjoy then that’s great too. I don’t want this swap to cost much money – ideally the only pennies spent should be on postage!

So want to join in?

Send an email to whatsinyourmakeupbag@gmail.com with the following info...

Name:

Address:

Favourite Book:

What genres do you like to read?

What authors do you love?

Are you happy to post internationally?

You have till the 29^th March to sign up, ill then email you who you’re going to be sending to... you won’t be receiving from the same person you’re saving to! 

January Comforts & a House of Fraser Giveaway!

So for me January is the month where you hibernate, I am ridiculously poor at this time of year so can’t afford to do much and the weather is either freezing cold or pouring with rain! January is all about indulging in home comforts so for me I have been going to circuits 3 times a week first thing in the morning so on my nights off I can come home from work and just relax.

My favourite place on earth is my bed, this love has increased since my friend bought me an electric blanket for my birthday. I know this makes me sound super old but it is the best invention ever! So for the past couple of weeks I have been arriving home and just snuggling on my bed. I have recently signed up to Netflix again and am hooked on watching ‘Pretty Little Liars’. I know I’m late to the party but I am currently on season 3 and its soo good! I’m thinking ‘Sons of Anarchy’ next but if anyone has any other Netflix suggestions let me know?!

I’ve also been reading ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg – I’m about half way through and it’s fascinating. It looks at how we form habits and how we can change those habits into new ones. I can really relate to it at the moment as a lot of my new years resolutions this year were about changing my habits into healthier ones.

The other thing that keeps me entertained during an evening at home is ‘The Tattoo Colouring Book’, it’s an adult colouring book!! I’ve had it for a while and find it so therapeutic to pick up every so often and just colour in the pictures. Did you know you can get tons of different colouring books for adults?! I didn’t till recently and am already deliberating over which one ill get next when I’ve completed this one!

I tend to complement my cosy nights in with a ton of herbal tea! I gave up coffee around 10 months ago now and try not to have much monkey tea. I feel so much better for it! I’m also a huge fan of candles and am still burning my Yankee Candle Christmas candles, so there are usually a few of them on the go too!

I love summer and can’t wait for the lighter evenings to arrive however I’m going to enjoy the guilt free cosy nights in while I can! Do you like to hibernate too? What do you like to do to treat yourself during this long cold month?

Fancy winning a gorgeous candle set of your own? The lovely folk over at House of Fraser would like to offer one lucky ‘Lipsticks and Lashes’ reader the opportunity to win a Linea Elderflower & Lime Luxury Gift Set worth £40. The scent is an energising lime fragrance with sweet elderflower and linden blossom, complimented by woods and musk. The set contains a reed diffuser, a jar candle, a mini pillar candle and a mini room spray. How awesome does that sound?!

This giveaway is only open to UK residents and you can enter by using the raffle copter below. The winner will be picked next Sunday 25^th January at midnight! I will be checking the winner is genuine and not some made up account!

Good Luck lovelies!

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Book Club: What a Girl Wants by Lindsey Kelk

 

The Blurb

Being arrested in your own bedroom is never a good start to the day. Tess Brookes really needs to sort out her back-stabbing flatmate – and her life

Should she gamble all on the new photography job she’s landed, or snap up the offer from long-time crush and best friend Charlie to start up on their own – in more ways than one? There’s just one small thing she hasn’t mentioned. Or rather, one tall thing. He’s handsome, infuriating and called Nick…

For the first time, Tess has to choose between the life she always dreamed of and a future she never imagined possible. From London to Milan, with high fashion and low behaviour thrown in, she’s going to have to make up her mind what a girl really wants…

The Review

I feel so unbelievable torn!! There's nothing worse than a book coma, when you finish a book and you don't know what to do with yourself as you were immersed in a story with amazing characters and then it's all over and you’re not sure you'll ever find a book to compare. Hence, I love a series, it's crap those few months (or in some cases a year or more!) that you are waiting for the next instalment but you feel so relieved that it's not over just yet!! I want to feel that way about this book, it's number 2 in this series and I am in a severe book trauma state, wanting to know what happens next, happy there is a follow up but gutted I've got to wait till next year!! Boo! Are you following my rambles so far?!

Anyway, enough of my emotional state, let's get back to an actual review of this book. I have such a girl crush on Lindsey Kelk, her books are all fab, if you've not read her I heart series I can only assume you've been living under a rock. As I mentioned above this is the second book in this series, the first titled ‘About a Girl’ saw Tess high jack her evil flatmates identity after losing her job in advertising and sleeping with her best boy mate, Charlie. She hightails it under her new identity to Hawaii and pretends to be a fashion photographer for a week, whilst falling for the charms of the gorgeous journalist nick. Check out my full review of about a girl here.

So 'what a girl wants' picks up Tess arriving back in London and follows here taking photographs in Milan for the lovely Al who she met in Hawaii. Our Tess is in a quandary with so many decisions to make from choosing  to continue a career in advertising to pursuing a new avenue in photography. She also needs to decide on her leading man, team nick or team Charlie?! For me this is the biggie!!

Dear Lindsey, of by any chance you see this review pretty please let her end up with nick, he may have emotional issues but he is so perfect for Tess! Charlie is a wet blanket who doesn't appear to give her fanny gallops!! Lots of hugs gem x

There are also plenty of laugh out loud moments mainly brought on by out leading ladies eccentrics pals, Amy and kekipi. Both eccentric and fun in their own way, I really enjoyed that we got to see a whole lot more of them in this book and got to know more of their back ground.

How much do I want to visit Milan right now? Lindsey does an amazing job at making the reader feel like she's experiencing the location of wherever here book may be set from New York, Hawaii, London to Paris. She didn't fail here either, she really made me swoon for Milan from the fashion shopping to the food!

By the end of the book you feel like Tess is sorta getting her shit together. She's starting to put herself first and figure out what she wants rather than putting everyone else first. However I do have that awful end of a tv series, cliff hanger, ridiculous need to know what happens next! I might have to start a petition for the next book to be brought forward!

PS if you haven't started reading these books yet, go get involved! It's a fab, funny read that will have you giggling and crying along with the emotional ups and downs of our heroine!

Book Club: Strings by Kat Green

 

The Blurb

The rise of the Black Eagles was meteoric, from band practice in the garage to global stars almost overnight.

And Melissa Webb, the beautiful girlfriend of the front man, appeared to have it all.

But when Luke Black disappears without a trace and Melissa wakes up in a hospital bed after a savage attack, her perfect world is shattered and their lives are plunged into a potentially deadly crisis.

Where is Luke, and can he be found before it is too late?

The Review

When Melissa meets Luke the lead singer from the band black eagles, not only had she got to deal with the usual relationship ups and downs, but as the black eagles rise to fame she is thrown into the spotlight. Throw in a crazy stalker and this book hooks you in right from the beginning!

The author, Kat Green, mixes it up by jumping from current day where Melissa is in hospital to flashbacks to how they all got into the situation they are now in. The book starts three quarters of the way into the story so you begin by seconding guessing the plot! Towards the beginning I thought it was a great read but that it may be a little predictable but there were so many curveballs and plot twists that thought was quickly thrown out the window!

Melissa is the main character and you can't help but warm to her. She's so down to earth and you find yourself really rooting for her. There is a wealth of supporting characters that all add to the story and are so relatable! Not only is it a great love story it also looks at friendships and how important they are.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away, as I think it's one of those books that if you knew too much about the plot before you started, I do t think you'd enjoy it as much. It's a bit of a guessing game which I really enjoyed!!

If you always dreamt of having a passionate relationship with a rock star or love a good thriller or passionate romance then this is the book for you!!

I can't wait to read Kats next book and see what she comes up with next!

Book Club: Review & Giveaway of 'L'amour Actually' by Melanie Jones

The Blurb

"The woman was one of those irritating expat types who felt she owed it to the world to impart on her all her superior knowledge of life in France. I realised that if I didn’t stop her now, she’d be bending my ear all the way to Bergerac.

‘Actually,’ I said, leaning in toward the woman, ‘I’m planning to integrate my way into the boxers of the first good-looking Frenchman I see. Can’t think of any better way to learn the language myself. You wouldn’t happen to know the French for "fancy a shag?" would you? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi just seems a bit nineteen-seventies these days.’"

After one particularly bad day at work, advertising executive and confirmed city girl Melanie Jones decides to give up her old life in search of something new and simpler in South West France. With little knowledge of the country, even less of the language and just the memory of a disastrous school French exchange and a few day trips to Calais, she embarks on her adventure with a suitcase full of optimism and not a little bit of naivety. After all, how different can life in France be?

After a series of adventures with skirt-ripping tractors, handsome twin farmers, celebrity not-quite-beens, unusual toilets and a bonkers ex-pat community, all topped up, of course, with lashings of rosé, Melanie begins to discover that her new life in France isn’t quite what she’d thought it would be.

The Review

I started this book by planning to read it over a few evenings, however I started it and couldn’t put it down, so ended up reading it all in one go and being very tired at work the next!

The story follows Melanie Jones, as she gives up being a PR queen in London for a quiet life in rural France. Instead of glamorising her adventure we see the reality of living the "French dream" through the eyes of the main character. As someone who’s lived abroad I could really relate to Melanie and her struggles with fitting into a new community and their culture, all with hilarious consequences!

I found there was so many laugh out loud moments from line dancing, dead cats and concussion! Mel is a character you can really relate to and like, she manages to get herself into all sorts on embarrassing situations, that as reader left me definitely feeling for her!

Also the French farmer Mel ends up falling for, is likened to Channing Tatum in looks, so once that was in my mind, I was hooked into the book even more! I was also intrigues to note that the author herself had lived in France herself and I kept wondering if any of it had actually happened in real life! If so Mel, I want you as my friend!

I began this book thinking it was going to be a run of the mill romantic comedy but in the end it was so much more, it was a fun filled story about finding and falling in love with yourself. About how people can change and adapt and I found it really empowering. I just hope a sequel is on the way! I really recommend this book, it’s full of laugh out loud moments and is a nice easy read, perfect for sitting out in your garden with a glass of wine while the weather is gorgeous

The Giveaway!

'L'amour Actually’ has now been published for a year and is also one of Amazons Deals of the Day today! To celebrate Author Melanie Jones is giving one lucky reader of ‘Lipsticks and Lashes’ a signed copy of the book! To be in with a chance of winning you just need to enter via the Rafflecopter below! As with all my Giveaways it is open internationally and I will be checking the winner is genuine and not some made up account!

You only have a short time to enter this Giveaway as it closes tomorrow at 9am, so what are you waiting for?! Get entering!!

 

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The Book Worm Tag!

 

I recently spotted this ‘Book Worm Tag’ on a few of my favourite blogs and thought I would have a go at it, as I rarely do a rag post! I have really got back into reading lately; I am aiming to read at least 2 books a month this year and am currently on par to do this! If you are a follower of this blog you will know that I love reading and every so often will post a book review when I come across a good gem I want to share! I just find there is nothing nicer than snuggling up on an evening with a good book and a glass of wine on the sofa!

Do you remember how you developed a love for reading

I have no idea how my love of reading began! For as long as I can remember I have loved a good book. I remember reading all ‘The Babysitters Club’ books and the all the ‘True Romance’ series. Anyone else love these?!?

Where do you usually read?

I love to read in the bath! I think there is nothing more relaxing than a bubble bath and a good book.  I also like reading in bed, it’s a good way to wind down before sleep. However if I become engrossed in a story I am quite happy to read anywhere and everywhere, I have trouble putting it down!

Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?

How do people read more than one book at a time?!!! I think that’s too much for my little brain to handle! I would get confused and lose the thread of the story and characters!

What is your favourite genre?

That’s easy, I’m a complete romance addict and love a good chick lit! My friends think it’s because I’m single, but I just adore a good love story and if it has a bit of comedy in it as well I am hooked! My favourite authors include Lindsey Kelk, Paige Toon, Sophie Kinsella among many others! I am also the world’s biggest Harry Potter fan! I much prefer the books to the film and that’s saying something as the films are pretty awesome!

Is there a genre you will not read?

Autobiographies! I just can’t get my head into them! I find them hard work and sometimes tedious. I’ve read a couple that are amazing but it’s a rarity so I tend to avoid completely. I’m also not a fan of books like Lord of the Rings, it’s all just a bit too much for my little brain. I like to read as a form of escapism and to relax not to get a headache because I’m too confused!

Do you have a favourite book?

‘You before Me’ by Jojo Moyes, it’s the only book that’s ever made me cry! You can check out my review of it here. I am also a huge fan of Harry Potter, they are classics.

What is your least favourite book?

I’ve never made it to the end of a book I don’t enjoy! So not sure I can answer this question! If I’m not enjoying it, finding it awful or boring I tend just stop reading it.

What is the longest book you have ever read?

I have genuinely just sat in front of my book shelf trying to figure this out, now I have a kindle I’m not 100% sure of the answer. So looking at my shelf it looks like the answer is Harry Potter, The Order of the Phoenix!

What was the last book you bought?

I have just downloaded The Fault in our Stars by John Green. I wanted to read it before the movie comes out as I’ve heard so many good reviews on it!

Do you prefer library books or buying books?

I used to give going to the library when I was a child and early teen! I have to admit I now can’t remember the last time I stepped foot in my local library, which I now feel terrible guilty about as I think they are excellent provisions! I now tend to just download any books I want to read onto my kindle, but every so often I also buy a proper book. You just can’t beat an actual book! I love the smell of them and I’m also terrified I may drop my kindle in the bath!!

What are you currently reading?

I am just about to start ‘The Fault in our Stars’ by John Green. 

Where do you buy your books?

Amazon tends to be my first port of call, but I also buy books at our local market, there is usually this amazing stall with piles of chick lit books all for a £1 each!! I also browse my local charity shops and sometimes supermarkets have good offers on books. I also love the smell of Waterstones, I love the smell of books and book shops, and yes I’m an odd one! However it tends to be a little expensive in there so only tend to make a purchase if they have an offer on.

Do you ever pre-order books?

I never used to but now I have a kindle I am terrible for this! A lot of my favourite authors seem to have books coming out this May so I’ve already pre-ordered a few. I love waking up to new books on my kindle!

How many books do you buy a month?

I tend to go through phases and buy a bunch of books in bulk and work my way through the pile and when I run out I do the same again!

How do you feel about second hand charity shop books?

I love them! I am a huge believer in reading a book and passing it on to someone else! I love sharing a book I’ve really enjoyed. I also love it when a books a bit battered and worn, I have a romantic view that they were loved and well read.

Do you keep your read and to-be-read books together?

Nope, all my read books are on my book shelf. All the to-be-read books are on the floor by my bed! If I had them all together id forget which ones I have read as I have loads!

Do you plan to read all the books you own?

Absolutely!

What do you do with books you own that you know won't be re-read?

I sometimes keep books if I have really enjoyed them or I usually pass them onto someone else if I think they would enjoy it. I also donate to my local charity shop.

Have you ever donated books?

Yep all the time as if I kept all the books I’ve read I wouldn’t have space to store them!  They either go to charity shops or friends.

Have you ever been on a book buying ban?

No unless I’m skint and am reducing my spending in general!

Do you think you own too many books?

Haha probably! I can get away with it a bit more now I have a kindle!

What a nice way to remind myself how much I enjoy reading! I now tag you all to do this post too. If you do, please let me know in the comments below!

BOOK CLUB TAKEOVER: Angie from 'Beauty She Wrote'

My name is Angie, I'm a nail varnish hoarder and borderline crazy cat lady (who am I kidding, I'm well over borderline!) and I blog over at www.BeautySheWrote.co.uk, which is a blog full of hauls of my impulse purchases, posts about my girl crushes, outfits that I deem acceptable for public consumption and whatever else drops into my brain that I think my lovely followers would enjoy :) So come on over and visit, we're a friendly bunch over there!

 

My favourite book is a highly contested title as I've been reading avidly since I was four years old! And I've read so many amazing books that got me hooked and made it so I couldn't put them down, but one book that soared above all of the rest of them as soon as I started reading it was Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

I love this book because it's both happy and sad, funny and heartbreaking and completely inspirational. The characters were so original because, as much as I loved them, they also frustrated me at times and I would find myself thinking ''No! Why would you do this?'', because I was thinking of them as real people! As much as I've read so many amazing books, it's very rare that I get sucked into the characters like that, which is testament to Jojo Moyes' excellent writing.

As for the ending, well I won't spoil it, naturally, but safe to say it was the first time that I was literally sobbing at a book, I've had the odd tears in my eyes when it came to books before but these were full on, chest-heaving sobs! 

Don't let that put you off though, the tears were both happy and sad tears and I promise, if you read this book you WILL love it!

My review

This story centres around Lou Clark, a girl whose day-to-day life is mundane, but enjoyable for her.

But her life changes when she loses her job at The Buttered Bun tea shop and has to go and work for Will Traynor, who was in a motorcycle accident which took away his desire to live.

He pushes everyone away and lives a joyless life....until Lou comes along!

She bursts into his world and as well as her changing his life, he also helps change hers for all time.

There's not much else I can, or want to, tell you after that, I wouldn't want to spoil any of the plot at all because I think it's such a beautiful book with such faultless writing that it needs to be experienced first hand to do it any justice whatsoever.

 

BOOK CLUB TAKEOVER: Loretta from 'The University Project'

Here are my thoughts… I LOVE hearing other people’s views and reviews on pretty much anything especially books! Some of my favourite reads are ones that have been suggested by other people. So thinking along those lines,’ The Book Club Takeover’ was born! Hopefully each week I will bring to you a post from one of my lovely and amazing fellow bloggers who will in turn share with you what their favourite book is, why they love it and a review. I hope you enjoy this feature as much as I do!

 

Hi I am Loretta, I’m a second year Zoology student at Bangor University and I blog over at The University Project about my day to day university life, stationery, books and everything in between! I’ve recently been planning some beauty and fashion posts and I would really love suggestions on the kind of posts you would like to see! I only started my blog this summer but it is quickly becoming my pride and joy, I love having my own little space on the internet!

I’m one of those girls who attempts to follow fashion but I never manage to pull it off quite the way I intended to and therefore I think my favourite book is The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, in fact I completely love the whole series! As much as I enjoy a good meaty book, sometimes a girl just needs a bit of light hearted reading! The long awaited instalment came out this summer I immediately marked it for my holiday reading!

 

I’m sure most of you have either read the book or seen the very popular movie adaptation but just in case you have been living under a rock for the best of this century I will sum up the book for you. A young recent graduate from Brown is struggling to make her way in the New York writing scene and so takes the job of an assistant at a fashion magazine but it turns out she has the boss from hell but everyone in the industry knows that if you survive a year, you can get any writing job you want. Andrea does her best to stick it out and understand the world of high fashion that she has found herself thrown into whilst attempting in vain to convince her loved ones that she hasn’t changed or lost her values.

Lauren Weisberger is such a talented writer and every time I open one of the books I completely believe the situation she is writing about. I loved her books as a teenager and I still love them now in my early twenties and I think that says a lot about how relatable her writing is. I’ve always enjoyed the escapism aspect of reading a good book and I have yet to find a Weisberger book that doesn’t achieve this.

Lastly I want to thank Gemma for allowing me to take part in her book club, I have been keeping my eye out for a bloggers book club for a while so  I was thrilled when she asked me to take part!

BOOK CLUB TAKEOVER: Terri from 'The London Book Blog'

Here are my thoughts… I LOVE hearing other people’s views and reviews on pretty much anything especially books! Some of my favourite reads are ones that have been suggested by other people. So thinking along those lines,’ The Book Club Takeover’ was born! Hopefully each week I will bring to you a post from one of my lovely and amazing fellow bloggers who will in turn share with you what their favourite book is, why they love it and a review. I hope you enjoy this feature as much as I do!

 

Still Alice, reviewed by Terri from the brand new blog The London Book Blog. You can find just about anything to do with books on my blog; reviews, photos, quotes, new releases, the good, the bad and the ugly. I just want to read books, write books and sniff books. I love books. I'm also from London - books + London are a good combination, right?

 

'I can't stand the thought of looking at you someday, this face I love, and not knowing who you are.'

 

When Alice finds herself in the rapidly downward spiral of Alzheimer's disease she is just fifty years old. A university professor, wife, and mother of three, she still has books to write, places to see, grandchildren to meet. But when she can't remember how to make her famous Christmas pudding, when she gets lost in her own back yard, when she fails to recognise her actress daughter after a superb performance, she comes up with a plan. But can she see it through? Should she see it through?

 

Losing her yesterdays, living for each day, her short-term memory is hanging on by a couple of frayed threads.

 

But she is still Alice.

 

I was initially attracted to this book because my lovely Nan is suffering from Dementia and the two diseases, Alzheimer's and Dementia, fascinate me. Actually, I'm not sure if they fascinate me or sadden me but I know that they both have an affect on me. That's really the main reason I picked up this book. I found it really easy to get into, as well, which I really like about a book.

 

The main character is a fifty year old university teacher who has a really hectic lifestyle. She's always travelling, teaching and trying to spend quality time with her husband. She first begins to realise something isn't right when she goes for a run on her usual route and finds that she can't figure out where she's ended up, even though this is the route she always runs. A more eye-opening part of the book sees her enter a house she believes is her own only to find it isn't when she begins rearranging her kitchen cupboards to 'how they used to be', and the person who owns the house finds her and takes her home.

 

Without telling you the whole story, she knows she has to do something because she knows that one day she's not going to remember the faces of the people who love her. She decides to visit her doctor who diagnoses her with Early Onset Dementia. Her Doctor suggests a medical trial which could see a revolution for Dementia patients which Ali isn't keen on at first but decides to go with it. She also writes herself a note explaining that if she cannot answer all of the questions, with no hesitation, on that note then she is not of sound mind.

 

Throughout the book, we witness a downward spiral of Dementia and how it affects not only the person suffering from it, but their family, friends and loved ones too.

 

Still Alice is quite a sad read but I think it's good to read if you have a loved one suffering from this terrible disease as it allows you glimpses into their mind and you realise that their behaviour and words are not their fault. It is an extremely relate-able book that will never leave my bookshelf.

BOOK CLUB TAKEOVER: Chloe from 'Lost Arrows'

Here are my thoughts… I LOVE hearing other people’s views and reviews on pretty much anything especially books! Some of my favourite reads are ones that have been suggested by other people. So thinking along those lines,’ The Book Club Takeover’ was born! Hopefully each week I will bring to you a post from one of my lovely and amazing fellow bloggers who will in turn share with you what their favourite book is, why they love it and a review. I hope you enjoy this feature as much as I do!

 

Hello everyone! Welcome to my takeover! I've loved reading Gemma's recent book club takeovers and I was so excited when I got to be a part of it! I haven't blogged for very long, but I'm over at lost-arrows.blogspot.co.uk if you fancy checking out my little blog!

Now I have read many  books and the one I decided to review is probably one you've either read yourselves in English class or at least of heard about it.

To Kill A Mockingbird is written by Harper Lee, set in a southern state of America during the great depression and times of great prejudice. The story is told through the eyes of Scout Finch both as a child and a woman reflecting on her past. The novel revolves around different themes of innocence, both with Scout and her brother growing up to her secretive neighbor; Boo Radley and the trail of Tom Robinson that her father (a lawyer) is working on.

I'll try not to give too much away, but the book really does make you think and question yourself and about how much we actually know people and how much we judge them. Its amazingly written, I often find that some books generally have a great story but the writing style let's them down, but this isn't the case here! Even if you have read it before and had to fill in countless practice exam questions about it, its really worth reading again. I felt as though I understood and learned much more from reading it a second time and a third and a fourth...

If you're feeling lazy then watch the film, it isn't half as magical as the pages but oh well, its in black and white and its perfect for cuddling up on a rainy afternoon. Although the book isn't in any way a happy story, it is heart warming in some places, despite the issues raised like racism, loneliness, prejudice, courage and innocence. Its a deep book!

I admit I didn't read this book by choice at first, it was chosen by my year 11 English teacher for out last exam, but I am so glad she chose it. Sometimes I think teacher will just pick the easiest thing so everyone can get easy marks, but our teacher not only made us read a brilliant book, she made us actually learn something from the book, really get in between the lines and live among the characters, something very rare to achieve in a novel  these days. Its still my go to book whenever I am lost for something to read or having a down day, its quite inspirational.

 And with this little review coming to an end I'll leave you with a couple of my favorite quotes from the story!

 "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

"Before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”

I hope you enjoyed my ramblings, I must say a big thank you to Gemma for letting me be a part of her lovely blog!

Chloe x

BOOK CLUB TAKEOVER: Jen from 'English Rose from Manchester'

Here are my thoughts… I LOVE hearing other people’s views and reviews on pretty much anything especially books! Some of my favourite reads are ones that have been suggested by other people. So thinking along those lines,’ The Book Club Takeover’ was born! Hopefully each week I will bring to you a post from one of my lovely and amazing fellow bloggers who will in turn share with you what their favourite book is, why they love it and a review. I hope you enjoy this feature as much as I pdo!

Hi, I’m Jen and I’m a creative sort of person currently living in Manchester. I do all sorts of things in my spare time and my lifestyle blog English Rose from Manchester started out as an outlet to talk about all the things that matter to me. I like to keep it varied and my posts range from crafts and baking inspiration to fashion and beauty, as well as sharing the joys of living in Manchester!

My favourite book is Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, and one of the main reasons I love it so much is that it’s the book that got me into reading again. It also encouraged me to try different sorts of books – which is great as I definitely went through a “chick lit” rut at one point.

 

Gone with the Wind sat on my bookshelf for years before I felt the urge to read it, because I wasn’t particularly overwhelmed by the film (very long, pretty dull, annoying characters) – plus the book is very long and the type is tiny, but when I finally I devoured this epic historical romance I totally fell in love with it! It’s the story of the Deep South during the American Civil War, and it really transported me there, genuinely conveying what life was like; the attitudes and feelings of the people; and how a way of life was drastically changed by the war.

I didn’t find the feisty, selfish heroine Scarlett O’Hara annoying like I did when watching the film. She really came alive on paper, and I admired her strength of will and passion. She’s exactly the sort of heroine I love to read about. I found her love story itself to be incredibly romantic in a way that I’ve not really found in more contemporary books, and the dashing Rhett Butler really is an exciting, multi-dimensional hero, and one who kept my interest as a love interest (I can’t stand Mr Perfect characters in books).  

But really the true story of the book is about a time and place in history, and I was so moved by it that I was still thinking about this book weeks after finishing it. It was a real experience and I enjoyed every minute! It’s not often I’m genuinely sad that a book is over!

BOOK CLUB TAKEOVER: Meg from 'Wait Im Confused'

Here are my thoughts… I LOVE hearing other people’s views and reviews on pretty much anything especially books! Some of my favourite reads are ones that have been suggested by other people. So thinking along those lines,’ The Book Club Takeover’ was born! Hopefully each week I will bring to you a post from one of my lovely and amazing fellow bloggers who will in turn share with you what their favourite book is, why they love it and a review. I hope you enjoy this feature as much as I do!

Hey everyone:D this is my face!

I'm meg all the way from over at waitimconfused.blogspot.com! And im happy to be writing this post on Gemma's blog as I love lipstick and lashes! Thanks Gem!

My blog is just a bundle of different things. I've only published 3 posts at the minute but I have a good feeling about it all! Id really love if you'd all read my blog but most of all that you enjoy it and can relate to me and I hope I can help you if you ever need advice! If you ever need to talk, feel free to get in touch at megatron260396@gmail.com and I'll reply instantly!

 

I'm just a 17 year old student,studying sociology, english and health and social at nantgarw college, trying to find her way through problems and more problems! And between my humour and pointless coversation and ideas I hope to provide advice and to be a friend to you all!

 

Now for my review!

 

The Cellar

The synopsis:

 

When sixteen-year-old Summer Robinson goes missing one night, her family, friends and boyfriend are devastated. Nothing ever happens in Long Thorpe, so the disappearance of a school girl shocks the whole community. The police waste no time in launching a search and investigation, but with nothing to go on and no trace of Summer, hopes of finding her quickly fade.

 

Colin Brown, is a thirty-two-year-old accountant, living alone after the death of his mother. He suffered a traumatic and abusive childhood, and is left with no sense of right or wrong. Desperate for the perfect family, Colin, referring to himself as Clover, uses drastic and sinister measures to get what he wants.

 

I hope that pulled you in because the synopsis caught me! My boyfriend told me about this book and I was intrigued and what made me even more intrigued is the fact its free on an app called wattpad which is also a free app!

 

I couldnt put it down and finished it within two days between my boyfriend nagging at me! I've recommended this book to a few friends and they've all loved it and my boyfriend loved it to which is why he made sure I read it too! 

 

The thing is with this book its not published, it is going to be published but due to this it's not perfect in editing terms but she always adds a nice hello at the end of the chapter as each chapter was submitted over months but it's all finished and theres even a sequel available called You'll always be mine

 

I loved this book because I felt I was there with Summer, I felt she was part of me and I was suffering with her! The fact you could see the story from different point of view made it even more thrilling and really made it stand out. Although the story is twisted and sick thats what makes it amazing. The fact Lewis (her boyfriend) never gives up makes it even sadder! I really hope all of you read this book because you will all love it. Promise.

 

Thanks again to Gemma! And I hope you all take time to visit me at waitimconfused.blogspot.com or email me! I'd love to hear from you! 

X