Weekly Summary #24

No tights! Dog walkin, Dictionary of Thematic Quotations,

Dickhead driver, Woody Allen being a gem, 13 hour shift: DONE,

Avoiding work, Coffee with my favey, Note at work,

Waiting for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, Mexican, Defeated by said Mexican,

Cheeky online order, Purchases, Bukowski for cheap in HMV, Pizza and films with work ladies,

Bought River Island Disco Pant dupes, Night in, Best pal snuggles.

1. This week has been equal parts crazy and awesome. I have worked myself to the bone, but it was worth it on payday, and Friday was worth it. So worth it.
2. I stayed out on Monday spontaneously, after a shift at work and a long dog walk with my pooch. Literally shoved anything I could in a bag and ran for a train. I was almost late for work on Tuesday, but it was worth the rush.
3. The rest of the week, bar Friday, was spent in Ikea. I swear I'm glued to that placed! But I have less hours in the next couple of weeks - more days off = more sleep! I am shattered!
4. Finally saw The Dark Knight Rises and had the best Mexican food ever on Friday. The Dark Knight Rises is completely epic, Tom Hardy is even fanciable as Bane (hush now, just agree) and Christian Bale is amazing as usual. Anne Hathaway is a complete babe as Catwoman. So jealous of her beauty. The lads at work are of the opinion that isn't as good as its predecessors, however I think it is just as good, although very different. It's more twisty than both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. 
5. I also may have cheekily bought the Nikes and the Bukowski books. I can't wait to read (and review) them. I haven't written a review in ages!
6. A note on the Disco Pant dupes from River Island - not as shiny (which I like) and fit like a glove, even if they are a tad long and baggy around the ankles. I expect that though, I'm 5 ft 1 and a size 6. Nothing ever fits my legs properly.
7. Friday night was spent with the ladies from work, watching the Olympic Opening Ceremony, films, and eating pizza. Well, until the boys gatecrashed. Idiots. This weekend was spent working (what else) and napping like a queen.
8. I might be going on holiday for a week in May. Maybe. We'll see.

A very busy week, as usual, but a great one nonetheless. This week I'm meeting Lydia to hear all about her holiday, and probably off to Huddersfield again at some point. My poor bank card.

I hope you've all had lovely weeks!

Thanks for reading x

Featured: Aesthetic Magazine

I just wanted to quickly write about a new project I'm involved in. I'm sure you've all heard of Aesthetic Magazine and one of its creators, Michelle, but I just wanted to say that I will be writing book reviews for the magazine. Me being me, I am so excited about it! I finished my first piece today, where I've reviewed two books, (hence no book review posts on this blog recently.)


I am so happy to be involved in this project as it is a blogger-focused magazine, where all the team are bloggers, from writers, to illustrators to photographers. I can't believe I will be featured alongside some of my favourite bloggers, including Vicky and Lily, to name only two.


I also submitted a photo of myself (argh) to one of our extremely talented illustrators, Katie, who will be drawing images of all of our contributors, which I think is such a lovely twist on the usual head shots you see in magazines.


I am excited (how many times can you say excited in one post Nicola?!) to see the finished product, which should hopefully be completed and printed sometime in July, priced between £4 and £5 (I think, check the magazine blog page to make sure!)


Will you be reading Aesthetic Magazine?


Also, let me know of any books centering around a theme I can review in the future - your favourite Classic novel for example. I want to hopefully review more than two books per feature in the future (if any of you read the book reviews in Elle UK - a bit like that) so let me know!


Thanks for reading x


p.s. sorry for the all text post!

Kindle Regrets

I'm just going to say it. Spending £80+ on a Kindle has been the biggest waste of money. Not because it's particularly bad, or that it is even expensive for what you get, I just don't like it.

I originally bought the Kindle because I thought it would be good for university - I could keep my set books all in one place, and there are features where you can highlight quotations etc, which is extremely useful for an English student, however, it didn't quite work out that way. 

It's quite simple really, I prefer books. For me, there is nothing quite like cracking the spine of a new book, making notes (in pencil of course) in the margin. I love turning the pages, which obviously you can't do with Kindles. I don't find them easier to read on, in fact I find them more difficult because the task seems much more clinical. There is nothing quite like the feel of a book in your hands.

Don't get me wrong, the Kindle is really good for certain things; I can download PDFs onto it, which is excellent and saves me printing off a 20 page critical essay, but it is hard to make notes on, I prefer to highlight and scribbled notes all over essays so I can easily go back to certain things. There are also no page numbers on Kindles, which is difficult when referencing books for essays.

I'd say the Kindle is good for the avid reader, as kindle editions of novels are generally slightly cheaper than paper copies, it can store thousands of books in one place, and is very lightweight, which makes it good for travelling.

I just like having books and reading from books. It's that simple really.

Do you have a Kindle? What are your thoughts - are e-readers over-taking books?

Thanks for reading x

My 'Books To Read Over Summer' List - Part 1

I've had to split this post into two parts as I have quite a few books on my 'to read' pile next to my bed. It's getting ridiculous actually, I have put myself on a book-buying ban as otherwise I'll never get through them all - my friends keep saying to me 'why don't you read the books you have first' - makes sense I suppose. I highly doubt I'll read all the books I want to over summer as it is!

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson

This is the book I'm reading at the minute. I haven't seen the film, and all I knew about it was that it's  semi-autobiographical and contains a lot of drugs. It's boggling my mind , very good though.

Game of Thrones

 - George R. R. Martin

There has been loads of hype surround this series, and after watching the first television series (need to catch up with the second) I definitely want to give it a go. I read a couple of chapters a few months ago but haven't picked it up again since.

The Hobbit

- J R. R. Tolkein

This i s technically a re-read. I haven't read The Hobbit since I was about ten years old, and with the film coming out in the latter part of the year I definitely want to rediscover the story. I also want to try and read the Lord of the Rings trilogy as I haven't yet (shocking I know). I adore the films so I can only imagine that the books will be amazing. 

Love in the Time of Cholera

- Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This is one of those books that I picked up, read most of it, and then put it back down without finishing it. It is a love story set, where a man tries to reconnect with his first love, about 50 years after they first met, after her husband dies. From what I remember it is beautifully written. I'm excited to read it, and hopefully finish it.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

 - Oscar Wilde

I feel almost ashamed to admit that I have never read any Oscar Wilde. I have attempted to read Dorian Gray many times when I was younger but never managed more than about ten pages. I think it is definitely time to try again, now I have time to kill.

The Virgin Suicides

- Jeffrey Eugenides

Yet another 'I've seen the film so I want to read the book' scenario. I got this in HMV alongside Fear and Loathing (2 for £10). I bought it partially for the cover, but  after reading  The Marriage Plot (review) I definitely want to read more Eugenides.

Blindness
- Jose Saramago
This is a novel I bought after Meg showed it in a haul video on Youtube. It is about a town where blindness isn't a disease per se, but spreads as an epidemic. After doing a module on disability and representation last year in Uni, I think it will be an interesting read and offer a different perspective.


1984
- George Orwell
This is another first time read. This particular edition has the creepiest cover, it freaks me out slightly. I want to read it to review for Aesthetic Magazine. I'm pretty excited to read it, all I really know about it is that it brought about the idea of a 'Big Brother' society. Definitely interesting and intriguing.


Daddy Long Legs
 - Jean Webster
I know very little about this book. I think I saw it in a Youtube book review/haul video of some sort. It sounds to me like an Annie-type situation - a girl is given a benefactor who pays for her schooling upon the condition that she writes to him. Sounds like a sweet, quick and easy read, but who knows!


Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
- Jonathan Safran Foer
I think you'll have had to have been living under a rock to not have heard about this book recently. I think it has been made/is being made into a film, so before I see that I want to read the book. Saying that, I don't know too much about the plot other than it is written post 9/11 from the view point of a young boy who has lost his father. I'm almost putting off reading this one as I know it's going to cut me up into bits and I'll be a crying mess for weeks.


Moby Dick
 - Herman Melville
I have a love/hate relationship with this novel. I chose to write an essay on it (and got pretty good marks!) but I never actually got more than halfway through. Writing on books makes me fall out of love with them slightly, so I'm going to attempt to read it at my own pace this time, instead of cramming it into my brain. It's very long and quite dense so this one may take a long time. 


That turned out to be slightly longer than intended! I am going to write reviews on each of these once I have finished them.
Have you read any of these? Which would you recommend?


Part Two will be coming soon!


Thanks for reading x


(p.s. I noticed yesterday that I reached 40 followers on GFC, thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoy my little space of the internet! Much love xxx)

Booklust Review: The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

I put off buying this book for quite a while, mainly due to the cover art, the title and the synopsis on the back. Three pretty major parts when it comes to buying a book I guess. However, my preconceptions about this novel were completely wrong.


At the base of the story is a love triangle: Madeline: a bright and pretty English Literature student, Leonard: a ridiculously intelligent 'charismatic loner' and scientist, and Mitchell, a theology student, although not initially religious.


The novel is so much more than a love triangle though. I haven't read anything else by Eugenides (I know he wrote The Virgin Suicides, I've seen the film and bought the book recently - it's on my list) but I realised that there must be more to the novel than the synopsis lets on.


It begins at graduation at Brown University, 1981, and then travels through the stories of each of the protagonists. Each section is narrated by a third person, omniscient narrator, but also from the point of view of the character.
There's love, marriage, a divorce, reconciliation and a whole lot of other experience. Mitchell goes travelling to India whilst Madeline tries to decide what to do with her life. Ultimately, she is the only character who does make a decision, a conclusion. Each go on a 'journey', metaphorical, and in Mitchell's case physical.
It ends with a slightly open ended-conclusion, but I think that if there was a true reconciliation it would make the book cheesy, which is definitely not needed here.


The novel is ultimately a 'coming of age' tale, however, the way it is written makes it much more thought invoking, much more mature in a sense.
I just really, really enjoyed it, probably because I can definitely relate to Madeline in some ways, I even bought one of the books she is obsessed with after reading this novel.


Have you read anything by Jefferey Eugenides? What did you think?


Thanks for reading x

Wishlist #1

Top Row: Moby Dick Journal, The Pleasures of the Damned, Asos Top, Journals of Sylvia Plath

Bottom Row: Selected Diaries of Virginia Woolf, River Island T Shirt Dress, Love is a Dog From Hell

I love looking at people's wishlists, but tend to shy away from doing them myself as I usually end up with way more than I'll ever be able to afford. I have a bookmark folder full of things I want, so I thought I'd sort through it and decide what I really actually do want.

Me being me, there's always about a million books I want to buy. I've been interested in reading some Bukowski for a long time after seeing quotations of his floating about the internet, and was recommended Love is a Dog From Hell. The Moby Dick journal is something that's been in the folder for ages, and I'd love to keep a proper journal/scrapbook. I may purchase this in time for summer adventures. I think writing in this and sticking disposable photos in it will be a great way to remember summer.

I'm writing on Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf in my dissertation next year (argh!) and am just generally fascinated by the women in general, especially as Plath cites Woolf as one of her inspirations. I'd love to read their diaries (that sounds nosey doesn't it!) so these two may have to be bought and read some time soon.

I saw this top on Asos ages ago, priced at £32, which I wasn't willing to pay for a t-shirt. However, it has been reduced to £14 so come payday I may have to treat myself. I saw the dress on Michelle's blog recently and kind of fell in love. It's like the grey marl Topshop dress, but nicer. I've tried that one on and looked like a sack of spuds in it. I doubt I'll buy it though.

Have you bought/read any of this? What's currently top of your wishlist at the moment? 

Also, recommend me some books to read, I'm always on the lookout for something new :)

Thanks for reading x

Booklust Review: Fifty Shades Of Grey Trilogy by E L James

Fifty Shades of Grey is the first book in the trilogy. I'll just say that I wasn't expecting any greater literary art in these novels; they are not really the type of novels I go for.
The first novel introduces us to Anastasia Steele who has just finished her degree. She is sent to interview Christian Grey, a huge billionaire business mogul, on behalf of her friend Kate who is ill.
Anastasia has an effect on Christian, who is a secret Dominant (yes, the sexual kind) and wants Anastasia, a virgin, as his next Submissive.


Throughout this novel, basically, Christian seduces Ana and they try to figure out the Dominant/Submissive relationship. Christian is 'fifty shades of fucked up' and hasn't had a girlfriend. He hates being touched and likes being in control. Ana tries to break through the barriers and wants more. A normal relationship. She falls for him. I won't spoil the ending.


It's a good book, nothing groundbreaking, and when my sister told me that it originally began life as a Twilight fan-fic (not sure how 100% that information is) I can't say I was surprised, there are obvious parallels. It's completely absurd and ridiculous, but a fun read. Oh, it's also full of sex. Seriously. I'm not a person that is overly affected by sex in novels, but this is pure filth.

Fifty Shades Darker is the second novel. I previously said that these novels are ridiculous, and I still stand by that, but there is something captivating about them. I finished the first novel at about 2am and immediately bought the Kindle version of the second installment so I could start it straight away. This sees Christian and Ana try to work through the aftermath of the ending of the first book. Ana starts her new job, where her boss is a sleaze. A real, solid relationship commences, not a Dom/Sub pairing. Christian continues to struggle, slowly opening up to Ana. This novel is basically Ana and Christian working through their issues together. Not as exciting as the first installment

Fifty Shades Freed is the final, and weakest (for me) installment. It's more of Ana and Christian working through their issues. It is tedious. The writing is repetitive, it's almost as if the author has run out of steam. The sex scenes are thrown in wherever possible. There is a scene in here which basically mirrors a scene in Breaking Dawn, making it boring. I enjoyed this volume the least, but I can't leave a series unfinished. Ana has successfully changed Christian, who is still controlling, but also more accommodating and less selfish. The growth in characters is quite entertaining to read I guess, but it just felt forced to me. I didn't really know where it was going. A few scenes seem to be included for the sake of it. Definitely the weakest book. The ending is cute, if completely predictable.

Overall, the books were ok. I'd recommend them if you could get them cheap like I did (two for £7 in Tesco), but I wouldn't say rush out and buy them. The writing is infinitely better than Twilight, but the relationship of Christian and Ana mirrors that of Bella and Edward, but with a lot more kinky sex, to put it bluntly. I read all the books in about 4 days, which says something. They were a good, brainless read, which makes a change from the usual novels I go for. Although, they did irk me slightly, if I read through a feminist lense, as the sexual themes, even after Christian relinquishes being a Dominant, are unequal. And I'm all for equality, but I could go on about that forever, so I won't.

Let me know what you thought of the books if you read them.

Thanks for reading x 

Booklust Review: Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

Trainspotting

We've all seen the film, we all know it is fantastic, if not to everybody's taste. This novel by Irvine Welsh inspired the 1996 film starring Ewan McGregor. I will say that if you have seen the film, then you know the general plot line of the novel. There are obviously things that differ, but I won't put in any 'spoilers' in case you haven't read the book but want to

This is the first novel I have read by Irvine Welsh, shocking I know. I do own Glue but never got around to reading it (let me know your thoughts on that one). For those of you who don't know, Trainspotting is set in Edinburgh and centres around the life of Mark Renton and his friends, mainly Sick Boy, Begbie and Spud. Renton and many of his friends are heroin addicts. 

Trainspotting is narrated by many different characters, each with their own distinct voice and accent. That is one thing that took me a while to get used to. Welsh has written the novel in a Scottish accent, and being from Yorkshire and having never visited Scotland (it's on my to-do list), I found myself speaking out loud to understand the dialect. Once you get the hang of it it's easy.

I read this book remarkably quickly, for me anyway, which is the testament of a good book: if I can't wait to pick it up again. I enjoyed the way that the different events were seen through the eyes of a number of characters, unlike the film, which focuses only on Mark Renton's experiences.

One thing I wasn't keen on however, was the number of narrators, it seemed that a few random characters popped up and narrated a chapter, and were then scarcely mentioned again. I found it difficult to keep a track on each different character, especially as they all have nicknames too.

Overall, Trainspotting is a brillantly entertaining read. I would definitely read it again. It definitely questions drug abuse and addiction, and makes you question certain characters' actions. If you have seen the film, I urge you to read the novel, there is such much more to unfold and discover, which makes you understand the characters in the film a bit more.

I loved this so much I am now reading Porno, the sequel to Trainspotting. So look out for a review on that some time soon! 

Leave me a comment with your favourite book below :) I'd love to have a read.

Thanks for reading x

Book Quiz

I saw this on Blair's blog and had to do it.


Favourite book cover: There isn't a book that I instantly am drawn to because of its cover, so I have chosen this copy of Moby Dick which I bought the other day, even though I have yet to finish it. I chose to write on it for Uni, so obviously my interest in it waned about halfway through, which I plan on amending soon as I have officially finished uni for the year! 

What are you reading right now? I'm reading Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. I haven't read anything by Welsh before, and I rewatched the film a few weeks ago which made me buy Trainspotting and Porno. I want to finish them before I buy Skag Boys. I'm really enjoying it so far! It's a bit difficult to read at first, simply because it is written in a Scottish accent, but once you get used to that. 

Do you have any idea what you’ll read when you’re done with that? I have a ridiculously long list of books I have bought but haven't read yet. I think the first one I'll tackle may be Moby Dick by Herman Melville, or The Bell Jar, which I have read before but want to re-read, especially as I have chosen to write on it for my dissertation. I'll also read Porno soon too. 

What 5 books have you always wanted to read but haven’t got round to? There are a ridiculous amount! I want to read a lot more Classics than I have done. If I had to list five I would say:

• Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
• 1984 - George Orwell
• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - J.R.R Tolkein. Another summer project
• All of The Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
• The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

What magazines do you have in your bathroom/lounge right now? I generally don't bother reading many magazines anymore. I have a copy of Grazia, and do enjoy reading Elle once in a while.

What’s the worst book you've ever read? If I don't enjoy a book, I don't finish it, so I can't really single one out.

What book seems really popular but you actually hated? Lovely Bones. I just do not understand it. I read it once and half enjoyed it, but didn't understand the hype surrounding it. I reread it after seeing the film and hated it. Also The Catcher in the Rye. I won't go as far as to say I hated it, but I just didn't connect with Holden Caulfield at all. 

What’s the one book you always recommend to just about everyone? The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky. I read it for the first time a few years ago and just really, really loved it. It's written in an epistolary form and is really easy to read. I think most teenagers/young adults will be able to relate to it. It's just lovely to read.

What are your 3 favourite poems? I don't know anything about poetry. I didn't particularly enjoy studying it at school, and haven't enjoyed anything we study at university. I do love W.H Auden, particularly Funeral Blues, and I did love Tennyson at A-Level, as well as Anne Hathaway by Carol Ann Duffy. 

Where do you usually get your books? Amazon. I pretty much buy all of my books, I enjoy owning them, unless it's secondary sources for essays, which I get from the library.

Where do you usually read your books? Anywhere I can. I love reading whilst travelling either on the train or in the car. I read in bed, on the sofa. Anywhere really.

When you were little, did you have any particular reading habits? Not any I can remember. I always read before bed. When I was younger I loved reading Beatrix Potter, and loved being read to. My mum read The Hobbit to me when I was 10. It's just so relaxing. 

What’s the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn’t put it down? When I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. It's only the second books of his that I have read (the other being Looking for Alaska) but I adored it. I read it in one sitting. I just could not put it down. 

Have you ever “faked” reading a book? No. I have skim-read books, such as ones I needed to for uni, but more often than not, if I didn't enjoy it, I didn't read it, which made life hard for myself. I haven't ever faked reading one though. Do people actually do that?

Have you ever bought a book just because you liked the cover? Not really. The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson caught my eye because of the cover but if I read the synopsis and don't like it, I won't buy it.

What was your favourite book when you were a child? Anything and everything by Jacqueline Wilson. I also really loved a series of books that were about dogs, I can't remember what they were called, but there were a huge amount of them and had red covers.

What book changed your life? I wouldn't say so. I've read fantastic books that affect me, such as The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, but I can't say anything has changed my life. Yet.

What is your favourite passage from a book? I'm sad to say that nothing immediately springs to mind. There are small quotations that I highlight on my Kindle, such as this from Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption in Different Seasons by Stephen King which really stand out to me:

'Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.'

What are your top five favourite authors? I'm quite varied in my tastes so I'm not sure if I have five different authors. I loved to read Jodi Picoult when I was a teenager, although her books can get a little samey. I enjoy how she acknowledges different issues in her books, but they all have pretty much the same format. My favourites of hers are The Pact, My Sister's Keeper, Tenth Circle and Keeping Faith.

I also love J. K. Rowling because she shaped my childhood. I haven't read widely enough in other authors to establish them as favourites yet.

What book has no one heard about but should read? I'm not entirely sure if there is anything that I've read that many others haven't. I know Perks is well known online, but I'm not sure how many people outside of the online world know anything about it. 

What is your favourite book by a first-time author? The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I believe it's Chobsky's first novel? I just love it. 

What is your favourite classic book? Jane Eyre. It's just beautiful.

5 other notable mentions? Wicked by Gregory Maguire, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory,  Atonement by Ian McEwan, Looking for Alaska by John Green and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.

Note: I really want to read some Charles Bukowski. Have any of you read any of his works? What would you recommend?

Also, what is your favourite book and why? Leave me some recommendations! I plan on reading my summer away! 

Thanks for reading x

I've Been Naughty...

So student loan arrived in my bank account last Monday. I was feeling stressed with essay deadlines (excuses, excuses), so I did what I always do. I went shopping. 

It all started when I saw the below jacket on Jade in this post. I've been looking for a smarter jacket that I could wear on a day to day basis, as I live in my leather jacket. I have a couple of blazers, but nice as they are, they make me feel way too overdressed. This is also lovely and light and a complete bargain.

Jacket, £30 River Island, Cardigan, £5 Primark

I saw this cardigan ages ago in Primark, but didn't like the £12 price tag. I saw it last week knocked down to a fiver and bought it straight away. It's an 8, but it's massive so I can put a black hoody underneath it and it keeps me warm and dry if it's raining outside.

Jeans, £35 Topshop (with Student Discount), Dress, £18 Asos

As a general rule, I don't do jeans. Ever. Or trousers even. I'm very much a skirt/dress wearer. I own 3 pairs of jeans - a dark pair from H&M, some skinny purple cords (much nicer than they sound) and a pair from Topshop which bag off too much, so I've given them to my sister. I spotted these, tried them on an love them. I've worn them a couple of times and they don't bag off around the waist too much. The only thing is, they're supposed to be ankle grazers, but because I'm 5 ft 1, they most definitely are not. 

This dress is my favourite thing ever. It's actually a vest (like I said, I'm short) and I got it in the Asos sale. It looks a bit like a sack on the hanger, but one it's lovely. It is a fraction short at the side, but with thick tights and a longer jacket it's fine. It's beautiful. 

I'm really impressed with the delivery from Asos too. I ordered this on Wednesday evening, chose the free delivery, and received it on Saturday morning. TWO DAYS. Safe to say I won't ever pay for postage from Asos if the free deliver is that good!

Vest, £6 H&M, Skirt, £12.99 H&M

These two are just basics from H&M. I love H&M at the moment, it's really cheap and good quality stuff. The vest is really long, but tucked in to things it looks lovely. The skirt is cute too, I wore it to a magazine meeting last week. It reminds me of a Topshop playsuit I have, but don't wear often because the fit is off. I love the little hearts.

Billy Elliot DVD, £5 Amazon

Shutter Island DVD, £5 Asda

Full Metal Jacket DVD, £5 Asda

Revlon nail varnishes (Mischevious and Charming) 2 for £8 in Boots

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap £15(ish), Boots

Necklace, £8 Asos

Trainspotting, Porno and Daddy Long Legs, Amazon

As usual I went mad on Amazon. After watching Trainspotting for an essay I wanted to read the book. I'm reading it at the moment and really enjoying it. I've never read any Irvine Welsh before. I also bought Porno to read after I've finished. I generally buy all my books new/used on Amazon, unless it's cheaper to buy the brand new copy, so Porno has seen better days, but I kind of like it like that.

I bought Billy Elliot for an essay too, it's just a brilliant film and I own it on video, so it's about time I bought a copy on DVD. I saw Full Metal Jacket and Shutter Island for £5 each in Asda and I haven't seen either. Looking forward to watching FMJ with my dad.

I needed to buy a new Clinique cleanser as mine has nearly run out. It's not cheap, but works wonder for my skin and lasts a good 3/4 months. I bought my first one in January and still have a few uses left. The nail varnishes were cheap, Revlon varnishes are usually about £6.50 (I think) so for the extra £1.50 I bought another. The necklace is a choker style necklace that I bought to go with the dress.

Photo taken from Schuh website (forgot to photograph them)

Converse, £36 (with Student Discount) Schuh

Last but not least! My favourite purchase. I'm most definitely a Vans girl (4 pairs and counting) but I decided it was time for a change. I saw these, and seeing as I got them for the same price as a pair of Vans with student discount I went for it. I've worn them non-stop and they're ridiculously comfy. I've found that Vans are comfortable, but you need to wear them in, I didn't find that with these.

That's it! That's everything! I am definitely on a spending ban now (even though I have another order of books coming. They are for my dissertation though). I'm not buying anything unless I need it, seeing as I'm trying to get a decent amount of savings together before I begin my third (and final eek!) year of uni in September.

I'm hoping to do a couple of 'what I wore' or OOTD type posts soon, but I've misplaced my camera and it is consistently raining everyday at the minute.

I'm thinking of compiling a list of books I want to read over the summer and posting about it, what do you think?

Thanks for reading x

Also, sorry about the crappy photographs, I've lost my camera so these were taken on my phone.

Booklust Review: Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

This is the first of many (I hope) book reviews. Wicked is the novel which inspired the musical of the same name. I went to see the musical a few years ago, not realising it was based on a novel. When I found out it was based on a novel, my sister bought me the books (it is part of a quadrilogy) alongside a copy of The Wizard of Oz for Christmas. I've tackled Wicked a few times without ever actually completing it, so when I broke up for Easter I was determined to finish it. And I did woohoo!

Anyway, the review - I'll try not to include spoilers. Wicked centres around Elphaba, who becomes to be known as the Wicked Witch of the West. It tells the story of how she becomes 'wicked', beginning at her birth. You follow her through her life, we discover her relationship to G[a]linda (who becomes known as the Good Witch) and how they met at school. 

The following description is taken from Goodreads:

'Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.'

I was blown away by this book. It differs from the musical, so if you've seen that, I highly recommend this to you. Unlike The Wizard of Oz the book isn't aimed at children, and contains quite a lot of sexual content, which shocked me at first. It is a political and social commentary on the nature of good and evil, using the world created in The Wizard of Oz. There are issues about different races, religions and the way that the land of Oz is ruled by the Wizard.
Elphaba is an intriguing character to say the least. She begins life as almost feral in the way she acts, but she grows to be eloquent and inquisitive, but also very opinionated and always independent, due the fact that she has always been different.

I don't want to say too much else as I wouldn't do the book justice. It is multi-faceted and I'm sure that the next time I'll read it I'll notice things I hadn't before. I wholly recommend this book to anyone. If you haven't seen the musical, you definitely should too. Because it is AMAZING.

What do you think of the book reviews?

Thanks for reading x

Shopping as a Pick-Me-Up

With my student loan arriving in my back account yesterday, and me feeling a bit glum I've done a bit of shopping. Well, a few things I bought during the week with a few spare pennies I had in my purse. There really isn't any excuse other than I felt a bit crap and wanted new things. I am definitely an emotional shopper.

Mary Angelou - I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Jon Ronson - The Psychopath Test

Nostradamus - Mario Reading

I bought the Mary Angelou book in Tesco (seriously one of the best places to pick up books on the cheap, RRP on this is £8.99 and I got it for just under £4). I haven't heard much about her, apart from the fact that she's mentioned in 'La Vie Boheme', a song from the musical, Rent. After I bought this I did a quick Wiki search and she seems like a pretty interesting character to say the least!

This is the first part in her autobiography (I believe there's six in total) and if I enjoy it I'll be buying the next installment.

This Jon Ronson novel was an impulse buy. I wandered into WH Smiths on my lunch break on Tuesday and ended up buying it. I hate WH Smiths, it's so overpriced and doesn't always have a wide selection of novels, so I don't know why I ended up in there. I usually buy books online for the cheapest price I can find so paying £9 for this nearly gave me a minor heart attack. Especially when I saw it in Tesco a few days later for £4. Nevertheless, the synopsis made it sound really interesting so I'm excited to read it.

The last book I bought was Nostradamus. This was a true bargain. I found it in a little book shop in Whitby and paid £4.99 for it (RRP £16.99). The book is hardback and comes with its own sleeve. It's a book of the 'Top 100 Prophecies', now when I first looked read that I was dubious, because to me, quite frankly, that sounds a bit daft, but when I opened it and saw the illustrations and the list of contents I was sold. Looking at the contents, I wouldn't call the tales inside 'prophecies', myths seems more appropriate. It is a truly beautiful book, and I'm a sucker for a beautiful book.

I may review these once I've read them. Let me know what you think.

Real Techniques Core Collection £21.99

I've watched Pixiwoo videos for quite a while now, and you'd have to be blind to not notice her brushes popping up all over different blogs, so I wanted to get my hands on some. I wandered into Boots this morning with the intention of buying the Stippling Brush from Samantha Chapman's collection of brushes. However, the stippling brush retails at £11.99, and the Core Collection retails at £21.99, so to me, it was a no-brainer to buy the core collection, where you get 3 extra brushes for a tenner extra. Bargain. I haven't used these yet, but I may pop up a review post, or do an 'Everyday Make-Up' post featuring these. 


I've also placed and order for this jacket after seeing it on Jade's blog (and may debut it in my first OOTD?!). I'm justifying it to myself with the fact it seems nice and light for the warmer months, and I only own my leather jacket and hoodies, so this is also a bit smarter. Other than these purchases I'm seriously restricting my spending - not putting myself on a spending ban, because that wouldn't work. But most of my loan (other than rent and bills) is going into my new savings account. I'm trying to be responsible. I even downloaded a money management app to help me keep track of my spending. Go me.


Have you tried the RT brushes or read any of the books? What did you think? 


I hope you're having a lovely weekend, I have an essay to start, but instead I'm going to read the last 75 pages of Wicked and have some dinner before going to work.


Thanks for reading x

Work Experience - Maturing My Wardrobe

Hi Everyone!

I said in my last post that I have secured myself a work experience placement over Easter at a local newspaper back home, and have also got myself a job at a magazine in Manchester. Obviously, I got mega excited about it all, as my career seems to be forming in front of me, but I had nothing to wear.
I know loads of girls say that, but I literally have no smart/formal clothing. I spend my life in jeans or body-con skirts with loose tops and vans with my leather jacket. Not exactly office appropriate. So obviously, I went shopping:

shoes: £10, top: £8, denim dress: £10 (all Primark)

belt: £3.99, trousers: £24.99, necklace: £7.99,  umbrella: £5.99 (all H&M), 

lipstick £8, blusher: £6 (both Topshop), books: Amazon

I wanted some smart black trousers that I could wear with numerous tops, these ones from H&M are beautiful and fit really well. I had to turn them up a bit (I don't like full length trousers, so these are rolled to my ankles, and I'm really short). They're not quite high waisted, but don't sit low on my hips either. Perfect.

I don't own any smart shoes (surprise, surprise). I live in vans (4 pairs and counting, eep) so I didn't want to spend a bomb on a pair of shoes I will literally only wear for work experience and a few times over summer. These ones are really cute, and at £10 were a bargain.

I won't lie, I probably won't wear the denim dress at the office, I bought it because it is cute and I wanted it. This does come up small though, I'm usually a size 6/8, this is an 8 and slightly tight over my chest, and I don't have particularly big boobs.

I've been wanting a collar type necklace for quite a while, and could never find one I like; they were either too big or the wrong colour. This one is perfect. I think £7.99 is a bit steep, but it won't leave my neck, so I will get my wear out of it.

Leather jackets aren't office appropriate, but I always thought that blazers made me look boxy, and masculine in all the wrong ways, as I have short hair; after crying out on Tumblr for help, a few lovely ladies gave me some fab suggestions, including wearing a slouchier blazer. I couldn't find one I liked at a reasonable price (£65 Topshop? no thanks!) so I scoured eBay and found this one for £26 (inc. P&P):

image taken from eBay listing

It hasn't arrived yet, but it looks perfect. I didn't want a blazer that was too tailored, nor did I want a black one, so this light grey colour is beautiful and will still go with everything. I can't wait for it to arrive!

I've been reading Jen's blog as inspiration, as I love the way she puts outfits together as she always looks professional, but still fashionable. I was wary that a blazer would make me look like a geography teacher/middle-aged, which I obviously don't want!

I also treated myself to a new lipstick and cream blusher from Topshop; I haven't tried them before but my sister has a blusher and it is lovely. 

 

I originally wanted the Brighton Rock lipstick after seeing it on Gem here but the Topshop I went to didn't have it, I'm not sure if it's discontinued as I know that Topshop rotate their makeup stock quite a lot. I bought Ooh La La, which is quite similar, the photo above makes it look reddy/orange but it is definitely more of a light corally pink. I'm not a lipstick wearer as I think my red hair makes enough of an impact, but I'm going to try and wear this. The blusher is in Head Over Heels and is gorgeous! I love it so so much. Powder blusher never lasts on my skin, so I'm going to see if cream fares any better.

The last things I got (literally came in the post this morning!) are two books. I've been after a new book that wasn't Moby-Dick or written in the 19th century (DO NOT get me started), and after watching Meg's recent haul video (if you don't watch her, you should, she has impeccable taste) I decided to buy these two:

I'm excited to read them both; Blindness will be useful for a module I'm currently doing called 'Disability and Representation', so I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in! I'll let you know what I think of them once I've read them.

I can't seem to do short, snappy blog posts. Sorry guys. I'm on a serious spending ban now, but I think that (most) of these purchases were justified.

How do you smarten up your wardrobes? Any tips would be fantastic!

Thanks for reading x