April Glossybox 2013 Pearl Lowe Special Edition Box UK

 This is such a beautiful box designed by Pearl Lowe. Peachy pink with a floral pattern. Beautiful!

 Inside the box the first thing I see is the Glossymag carrying on the same print on the cover as the box.

 Pretty magazine ,inside it tells me everything that is in my beauty box and any offers there may be.

 A white ribbon and floral sticker, diff from the usual dusky pink.

                                                             OOOhhh the goodies

                                      This is a mask suitable for all skin types

                      A delicious scented Mango body butter... I now want to lick my own arm.

 This is a lovely sized sample to try out. The scent is not overpowering and it gives medium hold .

 This 24 hour comfort cream by Yves Rocher is another good sized sample. I am not going to open this until I finish my current moisture cream but it sounds like it is going to be very soothing.

I am saving this for when we get some sun here. SPF 50 is great for the face to protect from UV rays and help prevent sun damage on the face.

This was a lovely box. I love their boxes anyway but especially look forward to the special editions. I can't wait to try out all the products.

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell

This story really pulled me in from the beginning. Rose , the narrator of the story begins as a very like able character but cracks slowly begin to appear as the story goes on and it does lead you to wonder just how reliable she is as the narrator. The story set in New York in the 1920's when home brew booze was being illegally sold in clubs and the police were busy trying to arrest those selling it. I really got a feel for that time in history in the city  during the reading of this story, it was described very well, crime and glamour were combined here along with gangsters  and the police who would try and take them down.. When the mysterious Odelie begins work in the same place as Rose, here begins a flawed friendship that is much too close to obsession, and crime with a little madness . A gripping story !

This book is due for release in June 2013 from lovereading.co.uk and other booksellers.
I was sent this ARC to review by the kind folks from lovereading.co.uk but if you would like to know more about it then check it out on the link below where you can also read a free extract.
http://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/8671/The-Other-Typist-by-Suzanne-Rindell.html

A Cottage by the Sea by Carole Matthews Review

This is the story about three long time friends  Grace, Ella and Flick. These three friends arrange to all meet at Ella's cottage for a wonderful holiday together bringing their other half's along too where they intend to chill out , relax and catch up with each other in this wonderful scenic place by the sea. Each couple are going through their own private struggles but it does not take long before everyone starts to notice.
Carole has a way of pulling you into a story and not letting you go, the characters are so well written that you really feel for them especially when they have their ups and downs. There is a lot in this story to love... the relationships, the characters, especially Noah and Grace and Ella . One character was a really dislikeable so and so and his name was Harry, I could not stand him.... I like having a horrible character in a book, it shakes a story up and  really makes you cheer on the good guys and there is plenty of them in here too.
Overall this was the perfect escapist read that I could not put down, it is the same high standard as all of Carole's previous books so  fans of her other books will not be disappointed. It's a five star read! Now if only I could get my own cottage by the sea to holiday in :0)

Band Aid Books= Literary Hugs

The Band Aid Book

Today was a bit of a blahhhhh day... You know the type... Not enough sleep, appointments I was dreading ,migraine and then well it just got charming...(insert sarcastic grunt here)

Some people may turn to a slab of chocolate, perhaps a glass of wine ,my drug of choice was literature today.

There is something calming about books.... I like to think the calmness they induce is because they(trees) were once quietly growing in forests ,nothing but nature and birdsong  surrounding them so when they were eventually were made into these nurturing things we call books that some of that peacefulness is carried on to what I hold in my hands now that bring me so much comfort and certainty at times when there has been none to hand .

 

 Some people I am sure can gain some benefit from reading about those less better off then they are. Kind of like ....Well this character sure is having a rough time...well at last my life is not as bad as that........It makes your own situation less isolating.. Instant comfort gained.

 Books can take us away from our problems even for a short time ..we can block out the outside world and travel far away to somewhere better where the people are infinitely better behaved, be it for a few minutes or a few hours...just what we may need when things hit the skids.

 Laughter through reading is another form of therapy... costs little and can last as long as the glue holding the pages together holds up. . A book that can make you chuckle is an absolute keeper. I recommend high doses of this type of book twice a day until the situation improves.

 Another comfort read are the books from childhood.. These are often staples on a booklovers shelves and are hard to beat.. They really set a standard and begin us on our journey to adult reading. These are books that as adult book lovers we may go back to again and again. Remembering all the previous times down though the years that we have read and enjoyed them and  in itself brings comfort and joy. Snuggling under a duvet with a torch when I should have been asleep as I read an extra page felt elicit and soooo good... while daydreaming about lands on top of The Faraway Tree always made me smile.

 There are books that are so far away from what are own life is like that these can be a true gift to read on the "down in the dumps" days. Reading about great adventurers and foreign lands, mystical places and legends from years past can all be mood lifters.

 What about reading about someone else's life is like and where they come from... many a time I have read the above book day dreaming about New York City and all the wondrous things I would do and places I would visit if I ever got there.

  Almost Magical.... A dream day read.... Miss Pettigrew lives for a day....... a little gem of a book... shoo go read it.... A sweet and happy read.

My very favourite.... This one is almost always a mood lifter... I often read this in my granny's house ..it brings joy to me now on many levels... great writing, fun, informative, touching... what is not to love about that.

One of my Childhood favourites.....high adventure....need I say more..... My Niece will be getting this as soon as she is old enough to read it.

 The Gilmore Girls TV series was something I was a huge fan of. In fact if I am ever blessed with a daughter of my own I am seriously tempted to name her Loralei ..Gilmore Girls fans will understand... This TV series and books contain Strong females who are kind, funny, sarcastic, witty, ambitious, nerdy...Perfect girly books for the younger girls and the young at heart....

I would love to know if you have any books that you turn to again and again when you need a literary hug xxxxxxxx

Pamper Night

                                    Sunday Night Pampering.....and it goes a little something like this.....

                                                              Karma Solid Shampoo

                                                                Delish facemask