Book of the Month

I'm a regular reader of the Guardian and usually the first thing I do is turn to the beauty section to read Sali Hughes' weekly column which I love, and so I was very happy when I finally got my hands on her book- Pretty Honest. It's £22 (though cheaper on Amazon-you can get it here)

It's a good thick book packed with sensible, straight forward tips and advice on everything from salon etiquette to acne. All the sections are written in Sali's characteristic no-nonsense style, which I love, and all are genuinely useful. I particularly enjoyed the sections on daily skincare routine, foundation and Teen beauty-all very relevant and well thought out. There's some lovely photos in it, but its mainly just good solid advice. I read it cover to cover, irritating my family by continuously saying 'Sali says…' and then quoting some new fact I'd learnt. I'm now dipping in and out, picking it up before heading to Boots so I know what ingredients to avoid in skincare for oily skin, or what blush she recommends. It truly is a Beauty Bible. I love it-can you tell?

Helen x

Books Of The Month

My mum recommended this months book to me-The Little stranger by Sarah Waters. It's not something I would normally read because I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to reading and anything scarier than Paddington is likely to give me nightmares (Okay, I'm not that bad, but it's pretty close.) I really enjoyed it however and literally couldn't put it down. Its set post war and is focused on a large country hall in which there's some spooky goings on...

What I found really interesting however is the observations about social class that are scattered throughout this novel and the idea of changing classes, or belonging to more than one. The momentum builds up until the very clever ending which took me completely by surprise

Sarah Waters written quite a few books, which I'm now going to have to borrow (steal) from mum.

Helen x

Books that make you think

Occasionally what you fancy is a book that has a nice easy plot and doesn't require much concentration. Sometimes however it's good to read a book that leaves you feeling a little less secure in what you take for granted. These are my favourite books that do just that:

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

This is a classic, and rather well loved in my family as you can see from the well worn cover! This was first published in 1950, but still feels relevant. The book is centred around Winston Smith, who lives in a country governed by Big Brother-a dictator like figure who is never actually seen but drives fear into everyone. Every aspect of peoples lives is controlled, and this becomes quite scary in places as it is so shocking. More worryingly, however, is that when reading it you start to recognise elements of the book in actual countries and it does not seem so unimaginable that parts of the Big Brother regime could at some point happen in real life.

Uglies by Scott Westerfield

This book is clearly written to appeal to the 'hunger games/divergent/gone' audience, but the idea it contains is very interesting. Set in a future world, it talks about how the 'rusties' i.e. the current human race died out as they failed to adapt and create new technologies and so experienced a crisis. It also explores the idea of the obsession for perfection in society, and what happens when people reject this idea.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I have just finished reading this and whilst I wouldn't say I liked it, due to the really quite sinister plot, I know I'll be re-reading it. The American government uses extremely low birth rate and an increase in sexual assaults as an excuse to radically change the way society functions-people are ascribed a role and are effectively brain washed into believing this is their duty. Out of all these books, this one left me questioning things more, and the warning it carries really affected me.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

This book looks at racism but flips it so that to be black is to be considered right, and desirable. It's very fast paced and leaves you looking at things a little differently to how you might have previously. 

Books of the Month

I've been reading more this month as I have finished school, so have lots of time to do absolutely nothing. 

One of my books this month is by the same author as my April books of the month. I just love Kate Atkinson's books! Luckily she's written quite a few, so I still have lots to work my way through. 

This month I've been loving Human Croquet by Kate Atkinson, available from £6 on Amazon. I actually bought it for my sister, but stole it from her as soon as she finished reading it. 

Atkinson's style of writing is just so unique: the way she weaves tales around each other and goes from past to present and back again without confusing you is amazing. 

Human Croquet is partly a fairytale, partly a mystery, but also about Isobel Fairfaxe, the narrator, as she discovers who she is. The village of Lythe, where Isobel lives, was once set in the heart of a mysterious forest, home to dark secrets, Shakespeare, and runaway brides. A descendent of these forest people, Isobel often gets stuck in time warps, and spends the rest of the time with her mad family; a brother obsessed with finding their missing mother, a war hero turned shopkeeper father, a step-mother who longs for a baby and turns increasingly neurotic and a grumpy aunt hiding a secret. She seeks refuge from her family in her friend Audrey's home, but that too, is not altogether normal. This book contains less of the humour normally found in Kate Atkinson novels, and is a lot darker, and made me cry quite a lot, but I loved it nonetheless. 

I definitely recommend Kate Atkinson as an author!

Helen x

April books of the month and an apology

Firstly, I'd like to apologise for my absence from the blogging world. I'm in year 11 and we are steadily approaching the exam season. I have 19 exams to revise for, so I have been very busy and haven't had an awful lot of time to blog recently. It's really annoying as I have quite a few posts lined up but just no time to write them! I'm going to do my beauty bargain of the month and my books of the month and then a couple more posts spread out over the month. After that though, I'll be in the middle of exams so I'm afraid I'll just have to fit blogging in whenever I have a bit of same time. 

Anyway, on to my books of the month.

This month my favourite books are by the same author, whom I hadn't heard about till recently. 

My first book is Behind the scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson. This is £4.99 from Amazon. 

This book is about Ruby Lennox and her life. It's quite hard to go into a lot of detail about the plot,because essentially, it is a very well written book about Ruby and her bizzare, yet very relatable family. In some parts it is in the present tense and I parts, the footnotes, it is about her forebearers. At times it is very funny and at times very dark, but always written in a very unique, readable way. 

The second book is Life after Life, by Kate Atkinson, available from £4 on amazon. I have always been fascinated by what happens after we die. I'm not religious, and don't believe in the idea of there being a place called Heaven, as such, but I'd like to think that something happen after we die. I'm not sure what that something is, but I'm always interested to read about it.  A Buddhist once came into my primary school and spoke of what she believed and how she had a friend who died and came back as another friends son: I remember being fascinated by the idea we can be reincarnated and live again and again. But Buddhist ideas aside, what if we could live multiple times, till we got it right, or at least until we made it as good as we possibly could? Would you even want to? This idea is what Atkinson explores in this very moving, very clever book. Ursula Todd is born on a dark, snowy night and dies repeatedly in the book, so that she can be born again and try to rectify the mistakes that were made in her last go. It seems like a confusing concept but actually it works very well as each 'life' is clearly defined. 

I loved this book, and I'm sure it will be one I re-read again and again. 

Helen x 

Book of the month

The book I've been loving this month is a bit different to what I'd normally read, but my mum bought it and thought I'd enjoy it. 

The book I'm talking about is The Fishing Fleet: Husband Hunting in the Raj by Anne De Courcy. It's £5.59 from Amazon. 

It's tells the story of thousands of women, who from the late 17th century flocked to India in the hope of finding a husband. Many of them were very brave, surviving awful conditions with poor equipment and little scientific understanding, making diseases kill thousands of innocent victims. Amongst all the sadness however, there are stories of love that kept couples together against the odds.

I had no idea that this remarkable event even happened, and found it amazing that it kept going for so long.

The book is factual but contains the stories of lots of women and has photographs of many of them, which I found really interesting. 

I would definitely recommend this to those of you who have an interest in History, or otherwise!

Helen x   

Book Review: Bright Young Things

I've recently re-read Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen and thought I'd do a very quick review

Bright Young Things is the first in a trilogy. Set in 1929, it begins with two best friends, Cordelia and Letty, escaping the small town they grew up in to go to New York. The friends have different dreams and whilst Letty longs to be on the stage, Cordelia is determined to find the father she knows very little about.

They both make new friends and realise they have a lot of things to learn and a lot of growing up to do! 

It's a pretty easy read but it's touching and well written, with likeable characters. 

I have this on my iPad, and it cost around £2 at the time.

Helen x

Book of the month

The book I've been enjoying this month is 'A half forgotten song' by Katherine Webb. I have it on my iPad and it's available from the Kindle store for £3.66. You can get it in book form from Amazon for £3.85.

The book is about a man called Zach, an artist who's marriage has ended and who goes to Dorset to find out about Charles Aubrey, an elusive artist. Little is known about  Aubrey, but Zach meets Dimity, whom Aubrey drew and through the stories she tells him, finds out more about Charles. Whilst in Dorset, Zach becomes friends with Hannah, but he becomes worried about what she is becoming involved in. Zach also senses that Dimity is haunted by something, and is curious to understand what.

I absolutely love this book. It gripped me and the ending was completely unexpected. The description was amazing and you could really imagine sitting in Dimity's cottage or exploring the beach with Zach. Unlike in some books, all the characters are very believable and likeable (though Dimity is hard to understand, and like at times) which I think makes it a really enjoyable, and quite easy read.

I would definitely recommend this, and it's a really good price. 

Books of the month

I love reading, and read a lot of books. I always have one in my school bag, to read in form time, or in case a lesson is boring!

Each month, I'm going to write a short review of the book(s) I've been loving that month.

                                   

The Vacillations of Poppy Carew by Mary Wesley

First is an older book which my mum lent me. It's a nice easy read, for when you don't fancy something that requires too much concentration.

It's about a girl called Poppy who's father dies, and all starts with her organising his funeral. It's very funny at times, but some parts are also quite sad, as she tries to come terms with her fathers death and as she feels guilty for not knowing him properly. The book is about her finding about more about her father, and herself, and all the people she meets as a consequence of her father's death. It has a very neat ending, which was kind of predictable but which I enjoyed anyway, as I'd become quite attached to all the characters and so wanted them all to be happy at the end. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it as a nice light read. 

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies is the first book in this amazing trilogy by Scott westerfeld. It's been out for a while but I've recently re-read it. You can tell I love this book as it's quite battered! Uglies imagines a future universe where the desire to look 'perfect' controls society. It's actually quite worrying thinking that a less extreme version of this might exist in the future. I found this book really interesting as it talks a lot about the ideal human, and how anyone who comes outside that category is seen as different, and discriminated against. 

Tally and Shay live in Uglyville, the place they will live in until they turn 16 and get the operation to turn 'Pretty' which all Uglies look forward to. I won't give too much away, but basically Shay decides to rebel and so Tally is forced to make an awful decision which she comes to regret. I would definitely recommend this, and I think if you like The Hunger Games and the Divergent series, you'll like this. 

The Archers by William Smethurst

Next is a slightly unusual book. All my friends tease me because of it, but I love 'The Archers' (for those who don't know it's a radio drama on Radio 4) I listen every night and like to discuss the plot with my family. So for Christmas my sister bought me this book which documents the history of The Archers. It was definitely my favourite present! The author was the producer of The archers for many years, so it's very detailed. If you're an Archers fan like me, I'd suggest getting this as although it doesn't go up to the present day, it's interesting to find out more about characters when they were younger. 

Let me know what books you're loving at the moment :)

Helen