Category: books

books

World Book Night 2016

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Happy Birthday William Shakespeare!

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As well as 400 years since the Bard’s birth today is World Book Night – an event now in it’s sixth year, that celebrates reading and a love of books.

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I have been involved in my own small way every year – mostly as a giver of books.

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This year I am giving away copies of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Barduco. The first in the Grisha Trilogy, a fast paced, fabulous slice of fantasy, a world I fell in love with and want to share with others.

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I will be handing out copies to people I meet, strangers and friends. I have handed out poetry in Soho, left comic fantasy on the underground and with the bus driver, I have posted books to people who were working and couldn’t meet me, piled books up in staff rooms, cafes and the English department notice table at uni over the years.

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Keep your eyes open while you’re out and about as a whole army of book loving of volunteers will be handing out books all over the place. There are events going on and online parties – check out the hashtag #wbn2016 for events and readings near you.

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books, lifestyle boxes, reviews

The Bookish Box by Appraising Pages

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The Bookish Box is a monthly subscription box of goodies for book lovers. Posted from the US, it can take a while to get here.

Each box is themed around different genres or styles. January’s is Mystery Reads.

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Inside is a selection of lovingly curated literary gifts.

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A candle whose scent is inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.

Nancy Drew inspired magnetic bookmark.

Rather lovely bookprint bow, that my Mr has already decided he will use as a bowtie!

A door hanger to keep people away.

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And finally a lovely soft themed T-shirt. This one inspired by Ally Carter’s See How They Run.

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All wrapped in fetching green tissue paper, a gift to yourself.

Prices vary depending on your subscription choices and you pick your shirt size so it’ll fit.

Check out Appraising Pages for past and upcoming boxes.

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books, reviews

The Hog’s Back Mystery – Freeman Wills Croft

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The British Library has released a collection of crime novels from the Golden Age, when writers like Agatha Christie were at their peak. Freeman Wills Croft, who knew Christie, wrote more than 30 novels during this time.

Dr James Earle disappears from his house one Sunday, Inspector French is called in to locate him. Soon other people are disappearing and French is embroiled in a web of romantic entanglements and intrigue.

I really enjoyed this book, I’m a big fan of Christie and other writers of the period, like Raymond Chandler, so I was really pleased when a kind friend sent me this book.

Sometimes I can guess whodunnit, but I prefer it, when like this one, I can’t guess at all how it will unravel.

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adventures, books, challenges

NaNoWriMo

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National (or international) Novel Writing Month is here. Every November dozens of brave (crazy) people try to write a novel (50,000 words) in a month.

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It has been disparaged by some published writers, like Joanne Harris (of Chocolat fame) who tweeted rather negatively about it.

I know it seems like a lot to do in a month, and it is, but if you break it down and do your best, even if you don’t finish the novel you might just have a really good start.

Every year I plan to do it, but usually fail by mid-November, but this year I’m going to give it a fair crack. I’ve got an idea that’s been rattling around my brain for a while, and the support of some friends, a lot of whom are also giving it a go, why not. Of course I may have a change of heart further in to the month.

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If the blog goes a bit quiet, you’ll know why! 

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books, life

Go Set a a Watchman

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Now, unless you live in a cave, you will have seen that sequel to the marvellous To Kill a Mockingbird has just been published. Originally written before TKAM, Go Set a Watchman sees Scout as an adult returning to her home town and her heroic father Atticus Finch.

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Harper Lee apparently didn’t want this story published but is now elderly and frail and no one seems to be able to definitively state whether she’s agreed to it now. Her sister used to be her lawyer and handle all the press and publishers, but a new lawyer has recently been appointed and is causing quite a stir in the book world.

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Every child at some point reads Lee’s only previously published novel, and I’m sure I can’t be the only one to have caught the film, featuring Gregory Peck’s defining performance as Atticus, on a wet Saturday afternoon. It has had a huge impact, and is beloved all over the world.

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Between the spoilers, leaked pages, rumours, gossip and hype, it’s hard to know whether or not to read it. I’ve ordered a copy but am still apprehensive. If the author refused to publish for so long, should we be reading it? If the rumours about Atticus are true, will that noble man in Mockingbird be destroyed?

It’s a conundrum and one I fear will have no easy resolution. Some of my friends have already read it, and the feedback has been mixed. My friend Jack said I really should read it, even if only for academic purposes. But part of me, the part that loves TKAM and doesn’t want to spoil it, is really resistant.

Have any of you read it? What did you think?

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beauty, books, instagram, make up

Who do you get your beauty advice from?

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I don’t really buy magazines, I resent spending my money on adverts and pictures of hungry women in over-priced, ugly clothes.

I do buy Glamour, which in the UK often covers issues that affect women, like politics and women in sports, not just celebrities and clothes I would never be able to afford.

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Via @GlamourUK on Twitter

And I do read Sali Hughes’ beauty column in The Guardian’s Weekend magazine on Saturdays. I like Sali, she’s no-nonsense, writes about products that she’s tried and that work from a variety of brands and prices.

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Via @salihughes on twitter

Last year she published a book Pretty Honest, which expanded on her columns and explored issues around the cosmetics industry and skincare.

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Via google

Her website features fun interviews with women like Caitlin Moran and Marian Keyes, who I admire as writers and women. I follow Sali on Twitter and Instagram too, where she talks about more than just make up.

In fact it’s one of the two books hanging out in my wardrobe/lady space/hoard. The other is The Goddess Guide, which is purely aspirational.

I also quite like the weekly free magazine The Stylist, and in terms of their beauty advice – the column Trend on Trial is probably the most interesting. Three of their beauty staffers test out the new catwalk make up trends to see how wearable they are in real life. Often to hilarious effect. Worth reading online if you don’t live in the UK (or if you do but don’t see the vendors on your travels).

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I also stalk nail trends on instagram, as well as people I admire and want to copy their style. There’s also twitter, pinterest, tumblr and facebook, and I do spend a bit of time ogling pretty things when I should be doing more active or important stuff.

So where do you get your inspiration from? Is there a blogger, instagram account or beauty writer you refer to?

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books, reviews

You’re Never Weird on the Internet…Almost – book review

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Actress, writer, gamer, producer, singer, cosplayer, violinist, comedienne, queen of geek culture – all of these things apply to Felicia Day, whose memoir of growing up online is funny, awkward and full of references for lovers of the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel she set up a few years ago.

She’s guested in Supernatural, Dollhouse, A Town Called Eureka, starred in Doctor Horrible’s Singalong Blog, The Guild and now hosts her own online shows on the channel she built (The Flog and Co-optitude with her brother Ryon deserve a mention).

Her geek points are boosted by a foreword by Joss Whedon and a quote from George R.R. Martin on the back cover.

From her home schooled childhood to her music scholarship to college at 16, her early Hollywood career in adverts, to playing video games, writing her own scripts and beyond, You’re Never Weird… is a wonderful celebration of forging your own path and marching to the beat of your very own, totally unique, rhythm.

I first saw Felicia in an episode of Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse, years ago, but if I’m honest I didn’t really pay her much mind. It was only when I stumbled across the utterly hilarious web series The Guild on YouTube a few years ago that I saw what a talented person she is.

If you’re not sure who she is or what you’ve seen her in, Google is your friend. There is so much content on Geek & Sundry that you’re bound to find something you like (Tabletop is a particular favourite of mine, or watch The Guild).

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books, life

Boarding School Stories

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I went to state school, church school at that, but remain as obsessed with boarding school stories now as I was at 13 when I desperately wanted to be sent away to school as I was so unhappy where I was.

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Malory Towers, the Chalet School, St Clare’s, these schools were what I dreamed of. Now I know that life is not all midnight feasts and hockey matches (or hiding from Nazis in the Alps).

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But the magic of boarding school stories continues, and I am loving Robin Stevens’ Wells & Wong Mystery series, there are three books so far, inspired by Agatha Christie’s fantastic stories (I adore Monsieur Poirot).

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These are aimed at the Young Adult market but since I dont believe there should be a cut off point for reading great books, I don’t care. The brightly coloured spines are smiling at me from the bookcase.

Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are thirteen year old boarding school girls. Daisy from a posh English family and Hazel the daughter of a successful Hong Kong businessman. They are the founding members of the Detective Society, the Holmes and Watson of the bun break and prep set.

The books are funny, clever, well written,  I haven’t yet guessed the identities of who dunnit? which is always a plus in a murder mystery.

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Perhaps the best boarding school ever - St Trinian's created by Ronald Searle

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books, reviews

Book Review: Navel Gazing by Anne H. Putnam

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This is subtitled ‘One Woman’s Quest for Size Normal’. That alone annoyed me before I’d even begun reading this book.

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What is size normal?

Anne Putnam had a gastric bypass at 17, in a quest to reduce her body weight of almost 300 pounds.

This book is full of so much self loathing, whinging and misery, it’s a miracle I made it through
As someone who’s struggled with her weight since my teens, I know what a nightmare it can be, but I’ve never thought of resorting to something so drastic.

In today’s world, of body positivism, plus size bloggers, #effyourbeautystandards and more clothes available, the focus is less on weight than on health. You can be healthy at any size, BMI is no indication of that, it wasn’t designed to do so.

In the end, like the majority of rom coms, it is the love of a good man that stops the self hatred and allows her to see her body in a new light. What a cliché.

I don’t recommend you read this book unless you enjoy a good eye roll and some tutting. I really wanted to track the author down, grab her by the shoulders and give her a good talking to. 

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