Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell . Review

I am a big fan of creepy stories and this cover really appealed to me as I used to have a doll with one eye.. The other used to rattle around in her head.. Moving on... The story begins when two friends Jay and Sophie start messing around with a creepy App that Jay downloads, creepy things begin to instantly happen and they just keep getting creepier and more mysterious. Throughout the story there is a real sense of foreboding but this increases when Sophie goes to stay at her Uncles house that used to be an old schoolhouse . The schoolhouse has had a lot of bad luck surrounding it and there has been some awful tragedies in it too... You would be packing a bag if you lived here or at least I would ! I never was quite sure who was crazy in the book or who was telling the truth until the heart stopping ending. Oh what an ending!! I read this in one sitting and I will be getting all the rest of the books in this new series. Truly spooktacular! If you enjoyed Point Horror Books and similar eerie reads you are going to love this as each chapter will leave you on the edge of your seat.

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is being published January 5th 2015 and will be available for purchase on Lovereading.co.uk and all other bookstores then. 

Below please find a link to this book on Lovereading.co.uk website.

http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/9781847154538/isbn/Frozen-Charlotte-by-Alex-Bell.html

In My Mailbox

Hi guys I am behind in a few reviews but I should be caught up by the end of the weekend. In the mean time here are the books I found in my mailbox today, both books are going to be released in 2015.  x x x

The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth

Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell. I have started reading this and it is freaking me out already .

Not That Kind Of Girl by Lena Dunham. Review

I did not know very much about Lena when I started this book and I had not watched any television program or movie that she starred in . All that shall now be rectified......I was half way through the book when I decided I had to immediately watch Tiny Furniture ... You should too. It is very good. Now on with the review!

I listened to the audible version of this book where Lena is the narrator and the story was made extra special because of that. Lena is a very good story teller and brought real feelings to the story through her voice. One of the main things I enjoyed was that she did not shy away from things that touch all females lives , menstruation, sex, boyfriends, families, depression, love and loss. There is very little that Lena will not talk about in her unique quirky fashion and that is kind of the reason while listening to her you feel like you are listening to an old friend talking to you about their problems and life. Very relatable, comical, touching,  and leaves you feeling less alone in the world with your own problems. Lena you are awesome ! Let's be friends! 

Lush Haul Part 2

Lush Autumn 2014 part 2

Lip scrubs by lush. Popcorn and Santa's . These are great to get cracked lips in tip top condition with minimum effort. Add a Moisturing lip balm straight after and you will have silky soft lips . 

The melting snowman bath melt smells spicy and cosy which is perfect now the weather is a lot cooler.

Soft Couer is a delicious scented massage bar that I like to use for massage and as a body lotion when skin needs an extra moisture boost.

Rub between hands or put directly on skin for bar to soften and become easy to massage in.

Holly Go Lightly is a bubble bar scented with the same great smell as Hot Toddy.

Sex Bomb bath ballistic is a sensually scented bath fuzzier that really softens skin and leaves entire house smelling divine

Honey Bee bath ballistic is sweet and delicious like honey and chocolate . This is really relaxing and not sickly at all, break it in half to get two baths of yummy scented gorgeousness

Blue Skies is a deeply relaxing bubble bar that makes two to three baths of gorgeous bubbles and pale blue water . This is perfect before bed .

Friday Night

It's a Friday night and my dream destination is my couch with either DVDs or a good book... I am going to be honest I did both . Penguin Pajamas on and I am as cosy as possible.

It has been a good book week for me... I listened to  Lena Dunham's book and now totally understand why this lady is held in such high esteem , remarkably honest , she lays herself bare and that is awe inspiring and completely refreshing ! I will be posting a review over the weekend on her book but in the mean time try and get yourself a copy.  Not in the mood to read ... Look out for her movie Tiny Furniture or the tv series Girls.

I have also been listening to the Erin Morgenstern interview with Neil Gaiman as they talk about The Ocean at the end of the lane  . I loved that book , and this interview was a lot of fun to listen to! It can be downloaded on Audible.co.uk if you want to listen to listen to some awesome writers talk about a truly good book. It really is SO good! 

I have been thinking today what my Halloween reads are going to be this coming week so you can expect a blog post on that over the weekend. 

Until next time I will leave you this in waxed leggy being I came across in my local grocery store. Charmed I am sure! xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Reading This Week

Hi guys....it's Sunday evening so I am planning my book reading for the week and it is going to be quite a week as I have a few books to finish and a few exciting ones I want to start immediatly .

First out is a new audible book 

Not That Kind Of Girl by Lena Dunham. You will likely know her from Girls and the movie Tiny Furniture. 

I can't wait to spend some time listening to this awesome lady.

 

I love a good seasonal cozy mystery so I am finishing of Halloween Hijinks by Kathi Daley. It's awesome check it out!

I am hoping to start The Collected Works of A. J Fikry by Gabrielle Levin. I have kindle edition but I saw this in hardback afterwards in the bookstore and I was drooling over the cover.

Sincerely Dead by Anne Frasier is a short story . I don't know anything about this book but I like the title so am going to give it a whirl.

Sunday Night Pampering.

Vanilla Chai and Salted Caramel Candles and a lush bubble bar called The Christmas Hedgehog is the perfect bathing combination.

Sunday is the perfect day to pamper yourself in preperation for the start of another week . So let's begin.....

A Soothing Rehydrating mask is a must for me and it leaves my skin feeling silky soft and nourished. This Hydraphase Intense Mask is wonderful in perking me up.

Trying to put face mask on when you are a glasses wearer is lots of fun  :) . I recommend a foundation brush kept solely for masks. 

To remove any last bits of mask I use This Works Clean Skin 5 in 1 Water

Followed by this hydra nourishing night cream by Elemis. I think this was a sample I received .

Next up is my hands. I use this on the nights I am reading paperbacks. Kindles and oily hands do not mix well!

I love this creamy chocolatey lip balm from The Body Shop. Lasts ages and lips feel great!

For my body and feet I have been using these two products ....Bathina and ...

The Charity Pot by Lush.

Moisturise and do good all at the same time.

No pamper evening is complete without a hot chocolate with marshmallows , candles and a good book . Starlight by Stella Gibbons. 

Night night guys x x x x x x x x x

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. Review

The Paying Guests is the story about a woman called Frances  and her mother who need to reluctantly take in lodgers after Frances's deceased father made some bad financial decisions. Their prayers are answered when Mr and Mrs Barber take the rooms for let. 

The story is set at a leisurely pace with the slow build up of the friendship between Frances and Mrs Barber (Lillian). Lillian's husband , a self confident cocky man is unlikeable and I never felt anything favourable about him. This increased throughout the story. 

As the two women got closer and closer the tension in the story began to build and become more desperate and tension filled. Frances's mother is very disapproving of their friendship and would prefer if they were not on so friendly a terms. I never was certain if it was because she was afraid of losing their rent money if their friendship suddenly ended  or because their closeness made her uncomfortable.

These characters really came alive for me and I listened to this story so quietly nothing else could be heard in the house. The house itself came alive for me too,each room hiding it's secrets , it was almost like another character.

It is very hard to say too much more about the story without giving away the most surprising and interesting things about it. I would say read this without reading spoilers, it's a book for adult readers, and from the middle to the ending it will have you completely and utterly gripped to the point that you won't be able to forget it even when you are not listening to it. This would be a fantastic book club read as you will want to talk about these characters a lot!!!!!! Truly wonderful!

Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce .Review.

This is the story of Tom. Tom is less then happy as he  has to go away and stay at his aunt and uncles house as his brother Peter has the measles and their parents don't want him to catch them too. His aunt and uncle live in a flat which Tom is certain he is going to hate but not long after being there he meets Hattie and suddenly his stay there becomes a lot more enjoyable and 100% more magical. 

I was never certain through the story if one if them were a ghost and one of them was real so you keep reading trying to pick up some clue as to what is going on. The setting was brilliant, it  had all the elements for a great adventure. This was a very enjoyable story that left me with a lump in my throat and the need to grab a tissue. I recommend this for fans of A Secret Garden . Very enjoyable!

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. Review

The Miniturist is the story of a young woman called Nella Oortman. The story begins with this eighteen year old woman arriving at her marital home in Amsterdam for the first time with very little ceremony. In this house she is to live with her new husband Johannes , his horrible sister Marin and the house staff. Coming from a very modest background she brings little of her old life into this richer one where she takes a while to settle in as the new mistress. 

Marriages , secrets, mystic elements are all weaved together in this beautifully written book which shows that not everything is always as it seems and what goes on behind closed doors is often the most alarming of all. 

A gripping story with sentences so beautiful you have to stop and read them again, savouring them. 

Go read this immediately !

Friday Night Date Night

Yes that is a dog swimming!

Ooohhh boy what a night! The wind is building up to a good old roar outside and I have about as much desire to put my foot outside the door as I have of taking an ice cold dip in the Atlantic about now. Thankfully my hobby/ obsession is perfectly met indoors where it is reasonably warm and I have a little pet cuddled up in a ball on my lap who loves when I am still and she can get comfortable. Her snores now mean my turning pages has put her to sleep. It is small moments like this I cherish and they make me very happy.

I have been completely engrossed and obsessed with the audible version of The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. I am as quiet as a mouse as I listened to this book this week... eagerly waiting to see what was going to happen. I read no review about this book before reading it and I am glad of it now as I had no expectations. The narrator Juliet Stephenson is remarkable,  a truly gifted storyteller.i have a couple of hours left and the tension is building and I am fearful for these characters.This is a book for adult readers.

The kindle books I am still reading are Tom's Midnight Garden about a young boy who at night goes on adventures. I am a bad sleeper so I really appreciate how this young main character tries to find a way to get through the long night hours .The Darcy's of Pemberley , I don't want this story to end! Lovely book .. More Darcy :0)

If you are a fan of Jane Austen then I highly recommend Shannon Winslow's books.

Lush Haul Part 1 Autumn 2014

It's the time of year when I crave Lush Products , and their Halloween and Christmas stock have now arrived and are that extra special something that cheers even the gloomiest of hearts.  This parcel is an early Birthday gift from my mum as my birthday falls over Christmas so I always get it early because of Christmas postage . 

Okay let's get started :0)

 

Rose Jam Shower Gel. Think powdery rose scents.... Dreamy!!!

Hot Toddy is Christmas in a shower gel . This reminds me a little of cola sweets .

Flying Fox shower gel really helps to chill you out and help you relax

Whip Stick lip balm... Delicious smell and taste for all the chocolate lovers out there.

This pumpkin bubble bar smells lovely. A sharp scented  bar that is not easy to discribe. Looks stunning and very stimulating

Shoot For The Stars smells like honey bee bath ballistic . Delicious!

Reindeer soap has a rich berry scent

Pre- Loved Book Haul

Here are some used books I picked up recently . 

The Mist Beautiful Walk In The World by John Baxter

The Case Of The Missing Books by Ian Sansom

South By South East by Anthony Harowitz

Winter Breaks by Joseph Connolly

Marking Time by Elizabeth Jane Howard

Creation In Death by Nora Roberts

Well Hello There!

Hi buddies... Sorry I have not been around too much this past week. I have been trying to finish up books for to review , prepare blog posts and get some ideas for YouTube videos for my channel on there. 

I may go back to posting videos on there soon...........

Are you enjoying the change in the seasons?? I have to say I am, the colours, and the chillier evenings make it all the cosier at night when I am tucked in bed with my books.I have been reading a lot of Classics lately...mostly Austen...also planning to read Wilkie Collins around Halloween...maybe Dracula too... It would not be Halloween without my yearly reading of that book. Do you have a favourite horror book?

The colours outside were beautiful this evening....... After a walk it was time for some ghostly looking coffee..

Until next time guys, have a great night , sleep tight... don't let the bed bugs bite xxxxx