Friends and Rivals by Tilly Bagshawe

 

Do you ever have any of those days where you want pure, escapist, indulgent reading matter? Books filled with people with too much money and low morals and even less sense..Oh yes!! These books are delicious. I had read previous books by this author before, and I love her writing style , when I got this copy to review I was like an eager puppy jumping up and down waving it about.
It was soooo good, the literary equivalent of Belgium chocolates!!!.
We start of with Ivan Charles and Jack Messenger who share a music management company together called Jester. Jack runs the American side and Ivan runs things in the UK. They are friends from way back in their collage years and Jack is mutually friends with Ivan's long suffering wife Catriona.Ivan is not the most reliable partner or husband as Jack and Catriona have found out many times unfortunately.
Awww Catriona, bless her, she sticks with Ivan, the cheating louse, no matter how many times he cheats on her. They have two children so you can't blame her for wanting to keep her marriage intact but things really come to a head when the philandering pig is splashed all over the newspaper with a new up and coming singer Kendall, and they are not exactly sitting down doing a nice crossword together, no they are naked and up to no good!!!
This blows things up big time !! Jack had only sent Kendall to the UK to get better well known over there etc, little did he know that she would end up with Ivan and cancelling her contract in favour of another,letting Jack down big time!! Ivan's and Jack's partnership now comes to a explosive end and both are eager to out do the other with successful clients.
The story is pretty much full on the entire way  through , I read it in on sitting as I was hoping my favourite characters Jack and Catriona would have a happy ending. I am not telling you if they do or not but it was really great. A fun book that is perfect indulgence!!!!


If you want to read an excerpt of this try  it for free on
http://www.lovereading.co.uk

The LA Commandments by Gillian Duffy

 

 

The LA Commandments is a book by an Irish writer Gillian Duffy.

Jo and Suzie are leaving recession weary Ireland in the hope of brighter futures in sunny LA.
With no jobs, and worrying family members it's no wonder these best friends want to get away and have a fresh start!!
It does not take long to realise they made the right decision when they get themselves sorted with jobs, and a place to stay soon after they arrive there. There is plenty to do in this sunny climate that is far from what they are used to at home . The nightlife and people are so much different from at home that homesickness does not really even enter their minds. Set with their own commandments they vow to not fall in love as they try to start diff lives for themselves here.
This plan is going great of course until some handsome, charming guys enter the picture leaving them forgetting all they had vowed to do, esp "Not Fall In Love"... ahhh we have all been there!!!

Friendships and relationships are tested in this moving story that started off as I originally thought as a light summer read about girls moving to LA from Ireland for perhaps a summer vacation/ short term job situation.. It was far from that. By the end I was a sniffling mess and should have been wearing my waterproof mascara before attempting the last few chapters. The story really touched me and even now days later I can still remember it so clearly and how much I really did not see the ending coming. I was so shocked. I rarely cry when reading a book, but for some reason this book stuck with me . Jo, and Marc's story was what got to me the most although the relationship with Jo and her Father was so touching and sweet, and the strength they gave each other through the tough times was so lovely and tender. There is so much to be gained by reading this , but have someone handy after finishing it that can give you a hug  and pass you more tissues. Beautiful story told by a wonderful writer.

Now, I only hope that Gillian will have another book out soon again.!!!!

Bath Ballistics by Lush .. Some Of My Favourites

                                          Bath Ballistic's...The Best Ones I Found So Far

When this smell is wafting around the house it is better then any candle that has been burning for hours.. The smell lingered for two days and smelled of Jasmine and other lovely things.This one is called Sex Bomb.

This one is called Think Pink.. Smells like candyfloss. Perfect for those with a sweet tooth!!

Geo-Phyzz.. After putting this in the bath it smells like a fresh smelling forest after the rain.. very fresh scent.

Big Blue!!! Turns all your bath water a similar colour while seaweed floats around your bath.. Feels very Spa like!!!

Honey Bee. The toffee and honey scented one.. Such a relaxing sweet scent that is not overpowering.


All these can be found in your local Lush store or here : http://lush.co.uk

Lush Bubble Bars.. Some Of My Faves

                                                           Bubble Bar's By Lush








This is the yummy coconutty smelling Yuzu and Cocoa.. These bubblerooons smell so good !!! You can divide them in half and use one half for your bath and save the rest for later.

Rose Jam Bubbleroon smells like powdery roses.... these are my favourite!!!

This pink and white one is The Comforter.. It is like getting a big hug!!!!I put this lip balm tin beside it to show you how big this pretty pink bubble bar is.You crumble of as much as you want ( depends on how many bubbles you enjoy) under running water.. Then A-hoy there head for the water !!!!

This Golden beauty of a bubble bar is full of citrus scents . Perfect for morning time or any time you need  a pick-me-up.It leaves the water lemony golden with glitter.

This next one is called Pop In The Bath
The scent is divine...heaven!!!!It is so pretty it is almost a shame to use it.

Blue skies and fluffy white clouds is what this bubble bar is called. This particular one is  off colour but it smells lovely.. It has a chill out scent to this one. Patchouli and frankincense. Perfect at the end of the day before bedtime.

My Top Ten Beauty favourites right now.

                                                            My Ten Beauty Products

Caudalie Beauty Elixir:
This refreshing scent is wonderful for any old time but esp the summer time. Can be used on bare skin or over make-up to refresh it , and also wonderful for anyone going through the menopause during hot sweats to revive and feel better( or so my pal says). The scent is strong peppermint and Rosemary I believe and does take a little while to get use to but I love it now.

Another gem is Whip Stick by Lush. This lip balm is fantastic at giving a good dose of moisture to the lips while making them taste nice. It also stays on quite well . Don't be too concerned by the colour as it comes out almost colourless on the lips.

The next favourite of mine is this decadent scented body scrub by Soap and Glory . It can be bought at boots. The scent is Maple Syrup and you will really have to control yourself from not digging a spoon into this yummy scented scrub.It is excellent at smoothing skin but go easy as it is abrasive.Apply some body lotion after getting out of the bath/shower and you will have skin like a baby's behind.

The next wonder product is Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. This does exactly what it says on the tin. It cleans the skin very well and the muslin cloth that comes with it exfoliates and leaves skin on face sooo smooth. The smell is very herbally/minty which I adore..it feels like I am doing my skin some good when I use this.

Here is one of my all time favourite Christmas limited editions from Lush. Glogg, supposed to be scented like mulled wine but I get a scent of cola bottle sweeties from it . It is refreshing and cosy at the same time. Getting low now and can't wait until the Christmas stock comes back into lush this year. Check this out in store if you can !!!!

Have you ever tried a solid shampoo before?? No?? well try this one. It's called Karma Komba and it is by Lush too. You use them like a bar of soap but on your head. One bar will give you approx 80 shampoos. The smell is fresh and citrus and stays in hair all day. Really portable too!!!

my next favourite is for sore muscles, esp after exercise. I go walking a lot and at night time before bed I put this on sore muscles or feet, pop some socks on and it really helps soothe.It is minty and warming at the same time.

This is what it looks like unwrapped

Little beans inside give an interesting massage sensation!!

Liz Earle Moisturiser is a little wonder pot. Smells great ,gives great moisture, great base for make-up and a little goes a long way.

This nails inc is in the shade Bruton Street. A great neutral colour and perfect for day time. It was in my She Said Beauty box.



Lastly is Micha Barton's Lemon Zest Body butter.I used it over the summer as an after sun but it is great for any old time. The scent is my favourite bit, zesty and refreshing,changes slightly when on skin which makes it even better.. I got this in a beauty box but it may be available to buy on line.

I hope everyone has enjoyed my first beauty blog. I hope to see you here for more beauty news etc real soon xxxxxxxxxx



http://lush.co.uk

http://www.lizearle.com

http://shesaidbeauty.com

The Land Of Stories( The Wishing Spell) by Chris Colfer

The Land Of Stories( The Wishing Spell ) by Chris Colfer.

 

I had seen this book doing the rounds on various youtube vids and in the book community generally and it's cover was what intrigued me about the book before I knew what it was about. Whoever picked this cover WELL DONE!!!
For those who are fans of Glee ( American TV show) you may be familiar with Chris Colfer but I don't really watch the show, but I have seen Chris in it, and I thought his character was charming, and sweet. I was really surprised when I learned that he was the author , but also very excited.
So after stalking the postman until my lovely book arrived I was even more impressed by it when I had it in my hands. It is so pretty, and magical looking .. Even by just looking at the cover you get the impression that great adventures are to be had by opening it's pages.

So, open them I did. The story begins , and we are introduced to our two main characters twin siblings Alex and Conner, and we learn early on that their father has died recently, and that their family (themselves and their mum) are struggling with money since their father died.
Both children were close to their father and they are still mourning their loss. Their mother is trying to hold it all together and they are trying to keep up at school.

On the twins birthday they get a surprise of their grandmother coming for a visit. This is their father's mother. They love their grandmother and hate when it comes  time for her to leave. She leaves them with her favourite old story book in the hope that when they miss her or their dad that they can take this down and read it and hopefullly get some comfort from it.

I am not going to give anymore away from the plot as things really begin to liven up after that.
This is a diff kind of fairy tale re-telling, and one that was great fun to read. We are introduced to all the characters from fairy tales that most of us would have grown up reading about ,but this time we get to see some of their personality and Chris's backstory for them.. Chris did a wonderful job of making me now as an adult care still for the characters,some of which I had forgotten about from when I was a child.
 In the magical kingdom that Chris has made there are diff areas that our main characters Alex and Conner are going to be travelling through. There is Red Riding Hood's Kingdom,The charming Kingdom,The Northern Kingdom,The Dwarf forests,The Corner Kingdom,The Elf Empire,A Hidden Place,The Sleeping Kingdom,The Troll and Goblin territory,The Fairy Kingdom , and Mermaids Bay..Even the names of the various areas in this magical worls are intriguing..

There was a few surprises towards the end that I was not expecting and I really enjoyed that. All in all a great book for children and the young at heart or for anyone who likes adventures . I love books with smart kids who are up for some adventure while being very brave, I got all that in this story.

Well done Chris Colfer on a wonderful first book , looking forward to future books !!!

Book Haul Part 2 August 2012

This is the second part of my haul.. Again a good mix of different types of books. Life is much to short to stick with one genre of books.

This is the fourth book of the Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants series.I have collected the first three too. I really enjoyed the movies of the first two books , the actresses chosen were perfect. Now I am keen to read the books to see how they measure up.

 

The final book in this series.. Hope it ends well!!!!!

 

Centerburg Tales   / Homer Price. These two books were recommended to me recently by someone who has similar book taste to me.... I have Homer Price read...they were right. I did enjoy that!!!!
I think smart kids who get up to adventures are great fun to read about.

The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer... I have been stalking the postman waiting for this to arrive , and arrive it did this week at long last!!!! I have read chapter one and love that so as soon as I finish up a few books that I am currently reading I will get started on this. I am keen to see the writing style of this wonderful Glee actor.

The Vile Village...Lemony Snicket.. I have been slowly collecting these books. I only have about 5 or 6 of these from the series . These are all wonderful and I have just finished this one .. another gem of a book about Sunny, Klaus and Violet ,and their constant battle of survival against Count Olaf.

I was a fan of the TV program as a kid.. Hopefully the books are as good..
So that's my second part of my August Haul..
Have you done any recent book buying ?
Until next time my friends , now I am off to read a good book.