June through the eyes of a bookworm

Alexandria by John Kaden

Centuries after the collapse of civilization, in a quiet village at the heart of the redwood forest, a tyrannical cult is plotting a massacre. The adults are murdered and the children are stolen away in cages while their homes burn around them. They are taken to the Nezran Temple and taught to be like their captors. The rewards, they are told, will be endless. Two childhood sweethearts, Jack and Lia, must make a vital decision...Should they struggle to fit in...or fight to escape? A chance encounter with a mysterious stranger sets them on an unexpected course. What follows is a wild adventure down the ruins of the old California coast, through wasteland and woodland, as they go searching for the legendary Alexandria. Join them in this dark, apocalyptic saga that sets the rusted gears of history turning again.

My Verdict - such a shame as this book looked like it had much promise to it but for me it just failed to deliver. The story although not badly written was patchy in its plot. Just as I thought it was gearing up to really wow the reader, it just kind of glossed over what I would call major aspects of the story. Sorry to say I was pretty disappointed 4/10

In Loco Parentis by Nigel Bird

Joe Campion is the kind of teacher that any child would want for their class. He's also the kind of teacher that lots of mothers want to have. And some of them do. When he becomes aware of the neglect and abuse suffered by a pupil in his care and witnesses an explosion of rage from the music teacher in the school, he decides the systems in place to deal with such instances aren't fit for purpose. His impulsive nature, dedication to his pupils and his love of women lead him into a chain of events that would cause even the most consummate professional to unravel.

My Verdict - well I thought this was really gonna show a teacher who would go the extra mile to protect a child in his care, instead reading it, I was faced with a psychologically disturbed, drug taking, murdering individual who couldn't keep it in his pants, a little more than unravelling went on here. I wouldn't say Joe Campion is the kind of teacher that I would want teaching my children! At times I felt this book really drifted from reality and I did find myself at times saying out loud "OH COME ON!!!" The second book this month I was disappointed with 4/10

So all in all I was let down with my choices for the month of June, so cheer me up and tell me what has been on your bookshelf this month?    

NOTD - Essie Lapiz of Luxury

Blue is a hot colour for nails, or so it seems at the moment and I have been on the look out for the perfect (for me) shade of blue and I think I've found it!

Those who read my blog, will know how much I lurrrvvve Essie polishes and I was pretty darn happy to discover this gem from their range.

As much as I like the colour blue, being a gal of advancing years (!) and being on the pale side it can be a tad tricky to pick the right hue of blue which doesn't end up making my digits look like dead mans fingers. It can't be too icy but needs some warmth to it. This polish definitely leans towards the warmer shades of blue. Just perfect for this gloriously hot (read that as blinking sweltering) weather we are having.

So if like me you are looking for the perfect blue I couldn't recommend this shade highly enough.

So what do you reckon? Are you loving the blue nail look or are you more of a conservative nail colour wearer? I'd love to know. Let me know if you have found the perfect shade of blue for you too!

I've been a little bit naughty......

......and been SHOPPING!!!!!!

OK, ok, so in my defence, everything, (minus the new purse) was a much needed purchase, to replace things I had either used up or gone without. So I'm not foregoing all that I learnt from my 100 day spending ban  So there!

Lets start with the one purchase which was a 'splurge' rather than a necessity, my new purse.

For an age now I have carted around a little Radley number, but it was all buckled out of shape from years of abuse cramming it to the brim with receipts, This Golunski number (have to admit a brand I had never heard of) I picked up in TKMaxx for £12.99. It has room for all the essentials (otherwise known as credit cards ;) ) and I love the fact it has a zip on the coin section, because we've all done it haven't we, 'fess up, there you are standing at a packed till and you go to get a note or card out and all the coinage slips out showering those around you, sound familiar? Yep thought so. I also love the two tone orange front and the snazzy turquoise lining.

I thought it about time I did something about my abnormally pale pins and good job what with this heatwave we have been having! Normally I like to use the Garnier summer body gradual tanner, actually back up a bit; I LIKE to use St Tropez products but for a day to day use it's kinda pricey so I stick to something a little more affordable. Boots didn't have the Garnier product I use so in desperation I picked up the L'Oreal Sublime Bronze summer glow lotion gradual tan in medium tan. I have used the Sublime Bronze self-tanner in the past and found it too be pretty good, so I guessed their gradual tanner would be equally as good. Have to say it didn't disappoint. Very similar to the Garnier product in price and consistency and result. If I had to choose again between the two I think I would go for the Garnier one purely because I think the 'after smell' is nicer. Can't remember the exact cost of this but I know I got change from a fiver for 200ml of product.

I did pick up two lip balms (I am the lip balm Queen). The Figs and Rouge number was on special offer for £2.50 for 17ml. I find I have a real dilemma with lip balms - I prefer the consistency and overall result from the ones in a pot but for hygiene reasons when out and about I like the stick varieties.But I always find the sticks a little 'draggy' on the lips. So Burt's Bees has gone in my handbag and Figs and Rouge is for my bedside table. I've used both products before. The Figs and Rouge is in pomegranate, it has a very gentle scent which you don't 'taste' once applied and the Burt's Bees is in Vitamin E & Peppermint and smells deliciously of after dinner mints!

After exhausting the end of my last concealer I was in desperate need of a new one, but yet again my expensive tastes do not match my wallet at present! I love and swear by the results of YSL Touche Eclat and was looking for a drugstore dupe. Can't say I found it, but L'Oreal's True Match anti-fatigue illuminating concealer is a good substitue if you are watching the pennies. I got the shade ivory beige. I didn't notice much illuminating going on, but I have to say there was no clogging or creasing around my eye area. You have to blend this in fairly fast though as it does have a tendency to 'set' quickly. Sorry can't remember the price but I think it was around the £4.50-6.00 mark.

Someone please tell me when did 'drugstore' mascaras get to be so expensive?! I really like to wear brown or a brownish black and I really prefer what I would term a traditional brush, sick to death of stabbing myself in the eye with one of those rubber wands. (Not that stabbing myself in the eye with anything is top of my list). But trying to get a traditional brush in brown was hard going. Normally I wear Maybelline's Great Lash in brownish black but not many places appear to stock it in my shade so I picked up this NO 7 intense volume. I think it was £9.99 but the very lovely cashier gave me a voucher for half price which she redeemed against it. The wand is a nice size and shape. Have to say I wasn't blown away by the results the first couple of times I used it but then again I think mascaras can be a little like this one first use - slightly wet if that makes sense. I prefer them when they have dried out a tad. So now that has happened it is giving pretty good results. No fall out experienced but I wouldn't say it was the longest lasting mascara I have used.

I'm currently in the process of growing my hair out from short to a shaggy bob. Normally I use a mousse so I picked up this small can of Mark Hill volumising bow dry mousse. I'd heard of Mark Hill but hadn't really used many of his products. Got to say this is a total fail for me. No matter how small an amount I use, my hair feels really sticky afterwards. So glad I only picked up a mini can!

Last up are two of my favourite products from Estee Lauder. I have used these two products for years. Sometimes I wear them separately and sometimes together depending on what look I am going for. Have to say in this weather I have been reaching for the DayWear tinted moisturiser alot more than the Double Wear Light!

For those who don't use these products, I can't recommend them highly enough. The DayWear comes in one shade fits all, it looks grey when you first squeeze it from the tube and smells of cucumber; which I love although some people are put off by the scent, and has tiny colour beads in it which 'pop' once you apply to your skin. It's not cheap, romping in at £37 but I find a tube lasts me for ages. The Double Wear Light foundation comes in a limited number of shades, six I think and I wear the lightest which is intensity 1.0 and this retails for £28.50 but again lasts for a long time.

So that's it for my little 'haul'. Have you tried any of these products or are there any you would recommend?

May through the eyes of a bookworm

 

Only two tomes for your delectation this month (is that a phew I hear you sigh!)

Angel Falling Softly by Eugene Woodbury

Rachel Forsythe's daughter is dying of cancer, and neither God nor science can offer her a cure. Milada Daranyi, chief investment officer at Daranyi Enterprises International, has come to Utah to finalize the takeover of a medical technology company. When a chance encounter brings the two women together, Rachel makes an unexpected and dangerous discovery: Milada is a vampire. Fallen. And possibly the only person in the world who can save her daughter's life.

My Verdict - I'm not a massive fan of reading vampire and/or zombie based books, although I have been getting through a few freebies on Kindle and yep I've seen a couple of the Twilight films although never read the books, so this is a bit of a new genre for me. Quite an interesting theory behind this story and the book was fairly well written, although not strongly so. Don't know if I would be quite so calm when Rachel finds out Milada is one of the great undead, but maybe that's more of a common occurance in Utah you tell me! Without spoiling it too much, if Milada 'can' cure Rachel's cancer, then how come other illness and disease are still rife? An easy read if you like your vampire/zombie type literature 5/10

Fractured by Dani Atkins

Rachel's life is perfect. A handsome boyfriend, great friends and the prospect of starting at university in a few weeks means she's never been happier. But in a single heartbeat her world falls apart forever. Five years later, Rachel is still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy that changed everything. Returning to her hometown for the first time in years, she finds herself consumed by the thoughts of the life that could have been. But when a sudden fall lands her in hospital, Rachel awakes to discover that the life she had dreamed about just might be real after all. Unable to trust her own memories, Rachel begins to be drawn further into this new world where the man she lost is alive and well but where she is engaged to be married to someone else...

My Verdict - An interesting story with a real twist at the end that I really didn't see coming. Makes you question many things whilst reading this, but one of the questions I thought of when Rachel is trying to compare which is her true life, was 'why don't you look in the mirror at the scar you had in one life and see if it's still there in the other?' The scar is a MAJOR issue in one part of the story but it is never addressed in the other side of the story, which I feel lets this book down a little, also slightly rushed towards the end but all in all a pretty good read for a Kindle freebie. 6/10  

So what's books have been gracing your bedside table during May?

End of the 100 day spending ban!

My 100 day spending ban finished on 10th April, and what did that little exercise teach me? Simple really, I spend far too much money on far too many (mostly) unnecessary 'things'.

I had seen the 100 day spending ban challenge all over twitter and blogs at the end of 2012 and although I didn't 'officially' join any spending ban lists going, I had already decided that we (read that as I) can be a bit too frivolous with the cash and had decided come 1st January 2013 I would really cut back.

My 'rules' were simple:

• Don't buy any new clothing/shoes, make-up, beauty and hair products, have takeaways, meals out, nights out, buy books/DVDs/CDs/magazines. Basically don't buy anything!

My exceptions were:

• I could get my hair cut and coloured, I could keep my Glossybox subscription (although I did use my Glossydots for two of the boxes - result!), I could accept gifts and I could buy gifts for others (as I had a number of birthdays which fell during the 100 day period). I could also replace like for like. So if I ran out of say a face powder and didn't have a spare to fall back on, I could replace with one to the same (or lesser) value.

So how did I get on? Not too bad I think, this is what I spent:

• Essie polish £3 (a discontinued colour from The Original Factory Shop)
• Candle £1.50
• Dress £46.05 (I got this for an interview - I rejected the job, but kept the dress!)
• Necklace from Primark £2.50 (my excuse was it was half price in the sale AND it was a necklace I had been after but it had been out of stock in my local Primark so I just had to buy it!)
• Candles £21.99 (Went a bit downhill at this point and splurged on a medium jar and 4 tarts from Yankee)
• Hot Choc £1.50 (got this when we were walking around a National Trust property, but I did share it with Mr B.P.!)
• Takeout £18.95
• Another takeout £18.20 (got both takeaways in the same week - lets just say it was a bad week hey!)
• Marie Claire £3.80 (my excuse was it came with a full sized free Bee Lovely hand cream from Neal's Yard Remedies worth £10, so in my book was money well spent. In fact I saved myself money as I had run out of hand cream and I would have spent more than £3.80 buying some more)
• Essie polishes £15.98 (but they were on 3 for 2 in Boots!)

Grand total - £133.47

I am pretty impressed with myself, and to be honest £75.12 of that was spent in the last 3 weeks of the ban. So I give myself a pat on the back!

Aside from learning that I spend too much, the other important points that I gleaned from this little exercise is, that although it is great to get that buzz from picking up a new polish, or eyeliner or those must have boots; I really don't need that buzz to make me happy and complete. I have also loved using up my stash of samples rather than rushing out and buying a new product. I've been teaming different pieces from my wardrobe together to make new outfits, rather than buying something new to stuff in my already bulging wardrobe. I've started wearing jewellery languishing at the bottom of my jewellery box which I had forgotten I had. I downloaded loads of free books onto my Kindle and I found some great new blogs to read.

So in all honestly this spending ban came at just the right time.

And now a little over 2 months since my spending ban ended, and how am I fairing? Pretty darn good actually. OK I'm not as good as during the ban, but I have really really thought about whether I really need something before I purchase it or whether I just want it and I am amazed at how many times I have left a shop empty handed. Plus I am also still using up all the dregs from the ends of my beauty/makeup products where normally I would have ditched them as soon as they appeared empty. But by cutting off the end of the tubes you would be amazed how much product is actually still left in the tube. (Popping a snipped tube in a freezer/sandwich bag, keeps that opened product lovely and fresh so you can use every last drop!).

Would I recommend doing the spending ban? Absolutely. If you think you would struggle with 100 days, why don't you start small and gradually build up. Promise yourself a week to begin with, then a fortnight or a month and move on up from there. Also if you find you fall down on spending say during your lunch break, instead of a wander round the shops, how about reading a book, a few blogs, or going on pinterest and setting yourself up a board with all the things you'd like to buy when the ban ends. Also if you grab lunch from a shop or your favourite latte on the way to work. How about making a packed lunch the night before and at the same time putting the pennies you would have spent in a jar. Not only will you feel virtuous but at the end of your spending ban you will have some money saved to buy yourself something you really want AND need.

GO ON GIVE IT A GO!!!

April through the eyes of a bookworm

 

I know, I know, I know, this is really late. But better late than never huh?! If you read this post An Apology you will understand why I haven't been posting lately.

So for April, I read five books.

It Rains in February: A wife's memoir of love and loss by Leila Summers

On the 24th February 2007 my husband, Stuart, drowned himself at sea, leaving me widowed with two young daughters aged six and four. I knew it wasn't an accident, even though the medics and police never suspected suicide. Stuart had been talking about ending his life for a year. His most recent suicide attempt had been only three weeks earlier. Afterwards he explained that day as the most peaceful day of his life. Sitting next to the dam, he smoked his last cigarette. He drank a hundred sleeping pills and did a final check to make sure everything would look like an accident. The last thing he remembered was swimming out into the crystal clear water. He said that he was no longer scared of dying, that there was nothing scary about it. Living was the scary thing. It Rains in February is the true story of a husband's depression and obsession, not only with another woman, but also with ending his life. Leila Summers weaves a compelling tale of the year that led up to Stuart's suicide and the grief, profound loss and self discovery that followed.

My Verdict - This book is not for the faint-hearted, it obviously deals with some very raw issues and emotions. Leila Summers is not the true name of the author, but I don't want to say why it is written under a pseudonym as that all becomes clear towards the end of the book. This is a beautifully written memoir and the emotion of 'Leila' is clear to see on every page. How she got through life trying to raise two small children and, sometimes during financial hardship, whilst dealing with an unfaithful mentally ill partner is incredible but as the old saying goes "women are like teabags you never know how strong they are until you put them in hot water"and I guess 'Leila' had to do what she had to do for herself, her children and her husband. Highly recommend this if you can deal with the subject material. 8/10

The Lost Ark by J.R. Rain

In a lonely bar in eastern Turkey, ex-National Geographic photojournalist Sam Ward is hired to find an eccentric professor who disappeared high atop Mount Ararat, fabled resting spot of Noah's Ark. Accompanied by the professor's beautiful daughter, archaeologist Faye Roberts, Sam soon stumbles upon a secret stronghold - a base of operation for unleashing hell on earth. Now running for their lives, Sam and company are about to come face-to-face with the greatest archaeological discovery of all time......

My Verdict - I'm not sure if I read too much into the description of this book or whether it just failed to deliver for me. When I read 'a base of operation for unleashing hell on earth', I wrongly assumed this was going to be some 'other worldly' hell, not a man made one, so this book didn't stack up for me and left me slightly disappointed. 4/10

A Dark Kiss of Rapture by Sylvia Day

Of all the Fallen, Raze's hungers are some of the darkest and most insatiable. His brazen seductions cost him his wings, leaving him soulless and immortal, the most dangerous of seducers. He has roamed the earth for eons, hunting the rogues of his kind and protecting the humans who provide him with blood and sex. He is content with his life and the transient pleasures that flow through it...until one night and one woman change everything. Kimberly McAdams is smart, beautiful and wealthy. She can have any man she wants, but the moment she sets eyes on the lethally stunning Raze she knows he's the man she needs. As one searingly erotic night burns into something deeper and far more vital than either of them expected, an adversary from Raze's past sees a chance for revenge. Twisted by hatred, she will take from Raze what was taken from her - the precious gift of love.

My Verdict - Firstly just to say, this is obviously book 1 of a series, which I didn't realise when I downloaded it as a freebie from Kindle, stupid of me really as it's only 72 pages long, what was I thinking?! But if you like anything to do with vampires mixed with erotica then this is a read for you. The story was fairly gripping and the ending had you wanting more which makes sense as it continues in book 2! Although did it grip me enough to want to go and purchase book 2?, ummmm currently I'm not sure. Maybe I will have to leave that up to you to decide! 7/10

Homesong by Misha Crews

In a small town, everyone knows everything about everybody. Or do they? For twenty years, Kate Doyle has been haunted by the night when she was forced to flee from her tiny Virginia home town and abandon her childhood sweetheart, Reed Fitzgerald. So when Kate, now in her mid-30s, escapes her unhappy life in Washington, DC and takes a much-needed vacation, the last thing she expects is to be reunited with Reed. Now, under the warm clear Caribbean sun, amid ancient churches and pink flamingos, Kate and Reed seek to revive the love that they thought was gone forever. But will small-town secrets ruin their last chance for happiness? Woven into the modern tale of Kate and Reed are the tales of those who came before them. Their mothers: teenagers in the chaotic 1960s, best friends who are in love with the same man, although only one of them knows it. Reed's grandmother; already a bitter old woman by the 1930s, she would do anything to carry on the family name...and would drive away anyone who came between her and her grandson. And even the founder of the town: in 1865, what guilty secret drove one man to bring his own daughters across the ocean from Ireland and settle in the dark Virginia hills? At its heart, Homesong is the story of a small town: its lies and truths, its beginnings and endings. It's about proud secrets, unrestrained joy, and the old adage that you may leave your home, but it never really leaves you.

My Verdict - I was initially drawn to this book as I usually really enjoy novels which span the ages and have entwining stories running through them. I totally loved the parts of the book which focused on Kate and Reed's mothers and Reed's grandmother, but for me these parts where just not large enough and too much focus was on Kate and Reed in the present day. Plus, in my opinion, the parts written on the mothers and grandmothers was written more eloquently than those parts on Kate and Reed which was a great shame. Left me disappointed as I felt author let the book down. 4/10

Playing the Genetic Lottery by Terri Morgan

At fifteen, Ava ran away from home and changed her name to Caitlin to escape the chaotic childhood of having two schizophrenic parents. However, she lives with the constant fear of what lies in her DNA. Will she succumb to the disease that robbed her of a normal childhood? Will her children be the next victims of the family curse?

 My Verdict - Oh this book looked soooooo good, but just totally failed to deliver. It started good and the ending wasn't bad, albeit a little rushed but at 388 pages long it was bulked out with writing which just shouldn't be there and I feel the story which could have been there just failed to materialise. Also the style of writing had a very monotone quality to it which became mind numbing after a while. Total fail for me this one 2/10

So that's it for my April round-up and it's not hard to see that Leila Summers memoir was my read of the month.

So what have you been reading this month?

(May's reads are coming up shortly!)

An apology

I just don't know where the time has gone. It was never my intention to not post for so long, but after these lovely ladies Mel, Sandra and Jenny contacted me to see if all was OK with me (thank you lovelies!), I realised just how long I had been away for!

Unfortunately life has just got in the way, you all know how it is at times. In between working on our business, having family visiting from overseas, starting a new part-time job and babysitting my in-laws dog (who is more than a little crazy bless her!), there has been no time for not only blogging myself but catching up with all my favourite blogs!

Now the visiting family and dog have returned to their respective homes, and I've settled into my new job I am just about to hop back on the blogging bandwagon!

Although I have been so busy in other areas, I have really missed reading all your blogs and cannot wait to catch up on all your news - you motley crew!

I really hope too that you haven't abandoned my little blog, there will be lots of posts coming up soon, I promise!

Take care one and all, look out for posts from me and comments on your posts coming soon!

(I hope I'm forgiven!) x