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April Wrap-Up

tháng 4 30, 2017 all i see is sky for forever, bookish, dear evan hansen, does anybody have a map, monthly wrap-up, non-bookish, ramblings, will i ever make a sound, wrap-up No comments

Books I Read This Month

Dream Magic by Joshua Khan

Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh

Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate*

Waiting for Callback by Perdita and Honor Cargill

Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts*

The Battlemage by Taran Matharu*

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

All links lead to Goodreads. Reviews to come for starred books! I had a better reading month in April, I managed to read eight books, with a mix of genres! Noteworthy was my favourite book of the month, I absolutely loved it. My review will be coming soon - honestly, if you like contemps and have any kind of interest in music or musical theatre, I would highly recommend this one. And Waiting for Callback was a freebie from Amazon (it's back to full price now sadly).

Blog Posts

Blog Tour: Review of Dream Magic by Joshua Khan

Review: The Best Kind of Magic by Crystal Cestari

Waiting on Wednesday #80

TV Shows I Watched/Started:

Supergirl season 2 (currently airing on Sky1)

The Flash season 3 (currently airing Sky1)

Legends of Tomorrow season 2 (Sky1)

Scorpion season 3 (currently airing on ITV2)

Emerald City (5STAR)

The Magicians season 2 (currently airing on 5STAR)

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD season 4 (currently airing E4)

Riverdale (weekly on Netflix)

The Middle (currently airing on Comedy Central)

12 Monkeys season 2 (Netflix)

Designated Survivor (weekly on Netflix)

The 100 season 4 (currently airing on E4)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer top 20 episodes (Syfy Buffy anniversary weekend)

Attach on Titan season 2 (weekly on Crunchyroll)

Anonymous Noise (weekly on Crunchyroll)

The 100 is finally here in the UK! Liking it so far buut I have some reservations about where they're going with this storyline. I'll have to wait and see. It was also super fun to rewatch my favourite Buffy episodes! It was something Syfy did for the 20 year anniversary, and all my favourites were on there (Once More, with Feeling was obviously number 1).

12 Monkeys season 2 was also added to Netflix, and I really enjoyed it. Very excited to start on season 3, which I believe is starting in May!

Films I Watched

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

The Addams Family

Addams Family Values

So...I wasn't a fan of Beauty and the Beast. I was really unimpressed by the new songs, the singing in general was blah and I just thought everything was a bit lacklustre. Also, when the Beast transformed into a Prince and there was that dancing scene at the end, I swear to you the only thing I could concentrate on was his shoes. Did you see his shoes?! Those blue monstrosities! I mean I KNOW it was the era and everyone wore shoes like that but I couldn't look away...

Music I Listened to

Once More, with Feeling soundtrack

Dear Evan Hansen

I'm sure there was more, but I've forgotten because Dear Evan Hansen took over this month. THIS MUSICAL. I can't explain it, but please look it up because it's fantastic. My favourite song so far is Waving Through a Window.

Notable Events

I may or may not have gone on a shopping spree...I really needed some smarter clothes but I think I bought more than I needed. And now I'm broke hahaha...ha. Apart from that, I haven't done too much this month! The only other thing really is that my dad and I have been clearing out the smallest bedroom in our house (which is currently full of crap like old clothes, boxes, broken appliances etc.) because we're planning to build loads of shelves so I FINALLY have a place for all my books. It's a tiny tiny little box room with just enough space for a bed and a wardrobe (and it was my bedroom for 21 years...I don't miss it), so I'm not having delusions of grandeur or anything, but I am excited to have a sort of mini library for all my books.

And that is my month in a nutshell! I'm hoping to keep up the reading in May, and there are reviews to come, so hopefully you'll be seeing a few more blog posts next month as well.

What are your bookish (and non-bookish) goals for next month?

March Wrap-Up

tháng 3 31, 2017 bookish, hire me, i promise i have transferrable skills, monthly wrap-up, non-bookish, ramblings, we could be roped up tied up dead in a year, wrap-up No comments

Books I Read This Month:

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan

Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell*

All links lead to Goodreads. Reviews to come for starred books! I didn't have a great reading month in March, I only read six books (and literally all of them were fantasy, so you can tell what kind of mood I was in). The Song Rising was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it was definitely worth the (loooong) wait! I also really liked Daughter of the Pirate King, and I'm glad we're getting a sequel.

Blog Posts:

Confession: I Like Spoilers

Review: The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

Review: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

I had a bit of a crappy blogging month too - March generally hasn't been good for me. I've not been well, and I've also just been feeling a bit unmotivated - I've been job-hunting for a while now with no luck, which isn't fun, and coupled with being ill, it's made for a bit of a rubbish month!

TV Shows I Watched/Started:

Supergirl season 2 (currently airing on Sky1)

The Flash season 3 (currently airing Sky1)

Legends of Tomorrow season 2 (currently airing on Sky1)

Scorpion season 3 (currently airing on ITV2)

Timeless (E4)

Emerald City (currently airing on 5STAR)

The Magicians season 2 (currently airing on 5STAR)

Shadowhunters season 2 (mid-season break, Netflix)

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD season 4 (currently airing E4)

Legion (FOX)

Riverdale (weekly on Netflix)

The Middle (currently airing on Comedy Central)

12 Monkeys season 1 (Netflix)

Killjoys season 1 (Netflix)

The Replacement (BBC1)

BoJack Horseman seasons 1-3 (Netflix)

Designated Survivor (weekly on Netflix)

So all my usual things with a few new shows. I really enjoyed 12 Monkeys and hope Netflix gets season 2 soon! Killjoys was decent, though way overacted at points. The Replacement had a really disappointing finale and words can't really describe BoJack Horseman... The musical episode of The Flash was pretty cool, but had a weak plot, and I have gotten really into Designated Survivor.

I did attempt to watch Iron Fist but it was so awful, and after reading all the reviews, I thought it wasn't worth even trying to finish it. I also started Big Little Lies but couldn't get into it. In good news, however, we are FINALLY getting season 4 of The 100 in the UK! It starts next week, yay!

Films I Watched:

Back to the Future parts I & II (I have lost count how many times I've seen these)

Cinderella (2014)

Doctor Strange

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them

Music I Listened to:

So. Much. Disney

The Maine, old and new (in particular, Diet Soda Society and Black Butterflies & Déjà Vu)

All the songs from the musical episode of Buffy, "Once More, with Feeling"

Hamilton

Ruelle
One Day More - Les Mis

Anime openings (the Yuri on Ice song though?!)

Songs from all the A Very Potter Musicals

At Least it Was Here - The 88 (the Community opening theme song)

Notable Events:

For my birthday last month, my brother and his fiancée got me tickets to a double feature marathon of Back to the Future parts I & II (Back to the Future being my favourite film of all time) at the Prince Charles Cinema, which was so awesome! The Prince Charles Cinema is a really relaxed cinema where you can bring your own food, sit in comfy seats and bring blankets and whatnot. The screen has a curtain like at an actual theatre and it was generally a really cool place to watch the films - especially since everyone else there obviously also also loved Back to the Future.

And that is my month in a nutshell! I really want to read more in April because I have so many books to get through. I'm also taking part in a blog tour for the second book in the Shadow Magic series by Joshua Khan if you're interested - my post will be up Saturday 8th April! More info on the blog tour banner at the bottom of the sidebar.

Also if anyone wants to hire me...I mean, I have a Law degree. And a year's experience in a really busy office. I analysed data and everything...

What are your bookish (and non-bookish) goals for next month?

Confession: I Like Spoilers

tháng 3 02, 2017 bookish, discussion, ramblings, spoilers No comments

I've been blogging for almost seven years now, and I think it's about time I shared one of my deepest, darkest secrets: I like spoilers. I know. I am a terrible person. I scroll through Tumblr and Twitter and Goodreads, actively trying to find spoilers for books.

It's now gotten to the point where, for some (not all) books, I go through spoilers first, and then decide whether to read the book or not. It's kind of ridiculous, but I think it's because I have found so many books disappointing (especially last books in series - I have so many unfinished series right now) that at this stage, I'd rather not waste my time on a book if I know I really really won't like what happens/how it ends.

So, yes. I go looking for spoilers, and I get really annoyed when I can't find any. I want to know if my ship is endgame, damn it! I want to know if a stupid love triangle is going to be introduced! I want to know if the main characters die! Because if I don't know, I'm not prepared, and I'll end up being hugely disappointed if the book takes a route I reeeally don't want it to take. I rarely ever pick up a book without doing thorough research on it first. I will very occasionally, or if I really like the author, but in general, I look into every book beforehand. And I am very reliant on reviews. I will read dozens before I decide on which book to pick up. If it's a series, and I'm waiting for a new book to be released, I'll generally buy the book on release day unless there are already reviews out that convince me otherwise (yes, I will even abandon a series I am highly invested in if I don't like what the spoilers tell me. Doesn't happen often, and doesn't mean I won't ever pick it back up again, but I am not truly loyal to anything. Does this make me a terrible human being? Probably).

Basically, I have trust issues, and I hate being unexpectedly disappointed. If I KNOW I'll be disappointed, then I won't be as disappointed as if I hadn't known...you know?

Obviously, I do still pick up books I'm not certain I'll like, and sometimes I'll think they're rubbish, and sometimes I'll be pleasantly surprised. It's only when I'm very sure that I will really dislike a book that I let the spoilers prevent me from picking it up at all. Usually, I just read the spoilers, and then prepare myself for what will happen (and it's mainly for already established series - I'm much less likely to search for spoilers for standalones or first books in series, and even if I do, I won't want as much depth as I would for series I've already started).

(I feel like I am really not explaining myself well.)

Also, I am just really impatient. I want to know what happens and I can't actually wait until I read the book. And it's not just books! It's TV shows and films as well. For example, we don't get season 4 of The 100 in the UK for another few months. But I can't NOT know what's happening...so I just read all the recaps media outlets post after the episodes air in the US. Keeps me going until I can actually watch the episodes myself.

I completely understand that a lot of people don't like spoilers and I of course wouldn't ever want to spoil anything for people who don't want to know (this is why you always need to tag your spoilers!). But I can't deny that I am a person who likes knowing things. I don't generally like surprises. I don't like being unprepared. And I am too curious to avoid searching for answers...

What are your thoughts on spoilers? Are you like me? Do you hate them? Did this post mortally offend you (I'm sorry!). I really hope I'm not alone in this...

February Wrap Up

tháng 2 28, 2017 adventure time, bookish, february, monthly wrap up, non-bookish, ramblings, the book of dust, wrap up No comments

Books I Read This Month:

Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt

The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman

A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare

The Next Together by Lauren James

The Best Kind of Magic by Crystal Cestari*

By Your Side by Kasie West

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab

This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

Broken Sky by L. A. Weatherly

Frostblood by Elly Blake*

All links lead to Goodreads. Reviews to come for starred books! I read eleven books in February, so I'm actually a bit ahead of my Goodreads challenge, which is nice! I read a lot of cute contemps this month; I think By Your Side was probably my favourite (it's Kasie West, and it's a book about two people locked in a library, what's not to like?). The Next Together was really disappointing because it started off fairly good and then just went downhill [spoiler, highlight to read]I remember basically cracking up laughing because a character randomly finds out she's pregnant, expresses no feelings on the matter and then gives birth like, five pages later because the plot just skips ahead. It was hilariously bad[end of spoiler] so I think that was probably my worst read of the month.

Blog Posts:

Waiting on Wednesday #79

Review: The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles

Review: King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

The Book of Dust

Review: A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab

Three Mini Reviews

TV Shows I Watched/Started:

Supergirl season 2 (currently airing on Sky1)

The Flash season 3 (currently airing Sky1)

Legends of Tomorrow season 2 (currently airing on Sky1)

Scorpion season 3 (currently airing on ITV2)

Brookyln Nine-Nine season 4 (E4)

Timeless (currently airing on E4)

Emerald City (currently airing on 5STAR)

The Magicians season 2 (currently airing on 5STAR)

Shadowhunters season 2 (weekly on Netflix)

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD season 4 (currently airing E4)

Legion (currently airing on FOX)

Riverdale (weekly on Netflix)

Legend Quest (Netflix)

I'm still watching Riverdale. Mostly for Jughead, who is by far the best character (I am already so tired of Archie and his drama). Brookyln Nine-Nine is now on a mid-season break and isn't back until April (nooo) and I've started Emerald City and it's very...weird? Like, really weird. I don't know whether I like it or not. Legion is probably my favourite show at the moment, it's so good and I never have any idea what's going to happen!

Timeless has sort of grown on me over the past few weeks; it's still full of plot holes and time paradoxes, but I don't know, I kind of like it anyway. And while I'm glad we're getting the second season of The Magicians in the UK, I am so annoyed that season 4 of The 100 probably won't air until April/May time. WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT SO LONG? I read all the episode recaps because I have no willpower and need the spoilers. My biggest fear is that The 100 will be cancelled before Bellarke ever happens...

Films I Watched:

Tangled (for the billionth time)

Music I Listened to:

The Wicked soundtrack (For Good is still my favourite)

Bands from the early 2000s

Belle from Beauty and the Beast (preparing for the movie release - I am simultaneously excited and terrified)

StarKid musicals (especially Status Quo from Starship, and The Coolest Girl from A Very Potter Sequel - they have been stuck in my head!)

Kyle XY soundtrack (don't judge me okay, I am STILL upset that show was cancelled and ended on a cliffhanger)

Marceline singing the Mr Belvedere theme in Adventure Time (yep, that carried over from January, what can I say)

All those variations of All Star by Smashmouth, because I find them hilarious. My favourite is the one with Windows notifications...

Notable Events:

It's been quite a month. I mean, first of all, Philip Pullman just dropped on us that he's writing an ENTIRE NEW TRILOGY about Lyra. The first book is out in OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR. Were any of us expecting this?! I have been waiting for The Book of Dust for years, I thought at best it would be an encyclopaedia, but no, a WHOLE NEW TRILOGY. My blog post goes into more detail.

Next I found out there's going to be another book in the Alex Rider series and bigfhjdwv. I loved that series when I was younger. I was such a huge fan, I had NO IDEA there was going to be another book?! I only found at this month, and I am beyond excited. It's called Never Say Die and is out in June in the UK.

It was also my birthday this month, so among my presents were a few books (see below), and an Amazon gift card! I picked all the books myself; I was originally going to choose some different ones...but with the news about The Book of Dust, I decided it was high time I reread the His Dark Materials trilogy, so I chose a really beautiful gift bind up of all three books. I also couldn't resist Hamilton: The Revolution, especially since I'm actually going to see it soon!

Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter | His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen | Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan | Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

I have yet to spend the gift card, but I have my eye on a few books...

And that is my month in a nutshell! I have no idea what March will bring, but I'm hoping to keep up the reading, and blog consistently! What are your bookish (and non-bookish) goals for next month?

The Book of Dust

tháng 2 15, 2017 after all this time? always, book news, bookish, his dark materials, is this the real life, philip pullman, ramblings, the book of dust No comments

I have been trying to write this post all day. I don't know how to express my feelings. THE BOOK OF DUST. AFTER ALL THIS TIME. I had given up hope. I honestly thought we were never getting it, and even if we were, I thought it would be an encyclopaedia or something, with a few short stories. NOT A WHOLE NEW COMPANION TRILOGY.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, yesterday (or technically, midnight today, but I saw it before I went to sleep), it was announced that Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials trilogy, would be releasing a new companion trilogy about Lyra. In October. Of THIS YEAR. I direct you to this article for more information.

WAS ANYONE EXPECTING THIS?! The few people who knew must have had so much trouble keeping their mouths shut - I know I would have been singing from the rooftops. 13/14 year old Liz ADORED the His Dark Materials trilogy. There are some books that just change you as a person, and this series did that for me. I think I cried for like, a whole day after finishing The Amber Spyglass. I vividly remember my young teen self writing in my diary about it (those were the days).

I was so shocked when I heard this news that originally, I didn't believe it. Then when all the newspapers started releasing their articles, it finally hit me that after all these years of waiting, The Book of Dust was actually a thing. A thing that we could read. About LYRA. And some new characters - but LYRA.

The first book in the trilogy (the one releasing in October) is set ten years before Northern Lights. I have to admit, I am not super enthused about this (I want to read about adult Lyra so much, but we don't get to see her 'til book two), but I am putting my trust in Philip Pullman. More info on the books here.

So essentially, this rambling wreck of a post is just me saying I'm really, really excited for this new trilogy. But also terrified, because what if these new books ruin everything? What if my childhood is destroyed? I'm scared. I do not want this to be Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. In any case, I sense a reread of the original trilogy coming on (though I really don't want to cry for ten hours again after The Amber Spyglass...)

Will and Lyra forever.

(I wonder what the real cover will look like?)

January Wrap Up

tháng 1 31, 2017 bookish, january, monthly wrap up, non-bookish, ramblings, wrap up, you should seriously watch mr student body president No comments

Books I Read This Month:

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco*

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles*

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse*

The Bad Boy Bargain by Kendra C. Highley

The Lie Tree by Francis Hardinge

The Last Best Kiss by Claire LaZebnik

All links lead to Goodreads. Reviews coming soon for starred books! I managed to read ten books this month (not including rereads), which I think is pretty decent. I think my favourite was Gemina, shortly followed by The Hating Game! The Edge of Everything was truly awful, but I seem to be the minority in thinking that - my review will be up in Feb.

Blog Posts:

2017

Review: Gilded Cage by Vic James

Review: Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Liz's Lists #4: Books on My Birthday Wishlist

Waiting on Wednesday #78

Two Mini Reviews

Review: Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter

TV Shows I Watched/Started:

Sherlock season 4 (BBC)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 4 (currently airing on E4)

Shadowhunters season 2 (weekly on Netflix)

Teen Wolf season 5 (Netflix)

A Series of Unfortunate Events (Netflix)

Trollhunters (Netflix)

Voltron season 2 (Netflix)

Travelers (Netflix)

Frequency (Netflix)

Mr Student Body President (All4)

Yowamushi Pedal season 3 (first episode, Crunchyroll)

Riverdale (first episode, Netflix)

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD season 4 (first episode, E4)

So what we can take from this is that I watch way too much Netflix. Oh my God. I watched so many episodes of stuff.

Personally, I thought this season of Sherlock was utter crap. Not impressed, and I hope there isn't a season 5. I was behind on Teen Wolf, so when I saw season 5 had been added to Netflix, I decided to watch it, and I actually enjoyed it! Here's to hoping we don't have to wait ten years for season 6 to become available (I'm still waiting for you to acquire Smallville, Netflix. Still waiting). I liked A Series of Unfortunate Events as well, but it did get annoying that all the adults were SO STUPID. Especially Mr Poe, ugh. I've only read the first book in the series, so I can't give too much input on how faithful an adaptation the show is, but I know a lot of readers have been happy with it. I would definitely like to see a second season!

I don't know why I'm still watching SHIELD as it's rubbish now, and I'm iffy about Riverdale but I'm gonna give it a chance. By far the best thing I watched was Mr Student Body President. It's this weird short form TV show (each episode is only about 15 mins long), but it was absolutely hilarious. Every single episode had me laughing, I highly recommend it. The main character is Jeremy Shada (who voices Finn in Adventure Time!) and there are a few YouTubers in it as well. It's really funny and well worth the watch!

Films I Watched:

Moana

Music I Listened to:

Basically everything Marceline has ever sung on Adventure Time, on repeat

Soundtrack to A Cinderella Story

Gotta Go My Own Way from HSM2 (don't ask)

Pulled from The Addams Family musical

Various TV show openings from my youth because I went on a massive nostalgia trip because it's my birthday soon and I feel so old (these include Kim Possible, Lizzie McGuire, W.I.T.C.H. and Braceface - is my age showing, yes I think it is, call me beep me if you wanna reach me)

Notable Events:

I got Hamilton tickets!!! (restricted view because I had such trouble with the website, but I don't even care because it's Hamilton! Only ten more months until December 2017!)

And that is my month in a nutshell! Not sure I'll be able to read as many books in Feb (and I definitely won't be able to watch as many programmes because I've basically watched the entirety of Netflix at this point) - but we'll see how it goes! What are your bookish (and non-bookish) goals for next month?

Books I Got for Christmas

tháng 12 27, 2016 2016 has honestly been the worst year, bookish, books i got for christmas, ramblings No comments

So I had a great Christmas, but 2016 continues to be a shit year of terrible events, so I'm not feeling as festive as I was. My plan is to keep stuffing my face with chocolate and to start reading something, so I thought I'd show you all the books I got for Christmas this year.

A strange mix this year, but I'm happy with it! I picked most of them, but my mum got me the physics book, the gluten free recipe book (I'm trying to switch to a mostly gluten free diet for health reasons after a recent diagnosis) and, because she has a weird sense of humour, "Five Go Gluten Free". (You can also randomly see some of my other presents because I laid them all out on my bed like a child, but whatever.)

Links to Goodreads:

I also bought myself a few Kindle books from the Amazon sale. I was particularly excited to see the original Mistborn trilogy books at 99p, I've been meaning to read those for ages! (All images lead to Goodreads.)

And those are my books this year. Will probably read Gemina or Gilded Cage first. What books did you get for Christmas? Or if you don't celebrate Christmas, which books have you picked up recently?

Random Purchases

tháng 12 23, 2016 bookish, last minute gifts, non-bookish, ramblings, too many flannels No comments

After the stresses of Christmas shopping, I decided I deserved a few treats for myself. Then I decided against that because I was broke. Then I redecided that I could at least buy a few cheap things and not feel too bad about it. And thus, I bargain hunted my way around to find the below items. One of them is actually part of a Christmas present for a friend. The rest is for me...

The first thing I bought myself is probably the most me thing I have ever found:

It's the Perpetual Disappointments Diary. I ordered it from The Book Depository, which is why I received an awesome free bookmark as well (so pretty!). It is unfortunately now out of stock at TBD, but I have linked to Waterstones instead. I think it's genius. The front pages are unhappy faces:

And each page of the diary section has a demotivational phrase:

I love it so much.

The next thing I bought is a necklace for my friend. It's from Etsy (link to seller's shop here) - it originally came in silver (which I personally preferred), but I know my friend loves gold, so I requested a gold version and the seller very kindly agreed to make it for me (thank you very much!). I think the end result is very pretty (ignore the terrible tree imaging, believe it or not, it was the only place I could get decent lighting).

So this next thing I bought because it was so cheap. £3 from Tesco (I think it was on offer). £3! And yes, okay, it may be intended for a child, but I like Star Wars and I like tidy bathrooms, so I couldn't resist. Leave me alone.

I mean, look at it! There's a C-3PO flannel, for God's sake! And the shower gel may look and smell like glue, but still! £3! Is this not a bargain if you ever saw one?! It's not online anymore, but you may still be able to find it in store.

Moving on to the purchase I was least impressed with (though I don't know why I expected high quality from some Tesco lip balms - they are cruelty free though!). These lip balms are just a bit crap really. Barely smell of anything, glue stuck to the packaging, and generally kind of rubbish. They're again not available online anymore but I wouldn't recommend them anyway:

And last, and most hilarious...another flannel (link here). This is a Frozen one. I promise you I am an adult. Even though the words "colour change flannel" appeal to me way more than they should do, I am an adult. Anyway, the magic words that are supposedly invisible and meant to appear once the flannel gets wet aren't really invisible at all, but whatever. How much can I judge a Frozen flannel? It does the job.

And those are my very random purchases! Still can't get over the fact that the bathroom tidy was £3. I do love a good bargain. Have you spotted any recently? Let me know!

My 2016 Favourites

tháng 12 18, 2016 beauty, bookish, favourites, favourites of 2016, film, musicals, non-bookish, tv No comments

2016 has been a pretty crappy year for a lot of people, and to tell the truth, I'm kind of looking forward to it ending (while simultaneously being terrified of what 2017 will bring). As it's the end of the year, I have decided to focus on the little things that have made 2016 somewhat bearable. Below are all my favourites of 2016; there's some bookish stuff, some beauty/skin stuff and some film/TV/music and food things that I couldn't include in a photo which I have just shoved on at the end. Enjoy!

No, my photos have not gotten any better, and yes, I am still blaming my terrible phone camera, even though I know that's only half the problem...

Bookish:

1) Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase #2) by Rick Riordan - I loved this book! I mean, I love anything Rick Riordan, so this should come as no surprise, but this book in particular, wow. It was hilarious (I loved Magnus's sense of humour), it was insightful, it was a great follow up to the first book and the ending. The ENDING. Rick is king of cliffhangers. And Otis is my favourite character. Just saying.

2) The Creeping Shadow (Lockwood & Co #4) by Jonathan Stroud - are these books getting creepier? I think they are. Plus, this book was very interesting because it started off with Lucy on her own, doing freelance work. And...dare I say it? Progress? Between Lucy and Lockwood? It's been four books and we're at the stage where they held hands ONCE. And this is progress. The Skull is pretty much the only one who has a clue right now.

3) Trouble Makes a Comeback (Trouble #2) by Stephanie Tromly - not pictured because I also have this on Kindle and couldn't show two things at once...plus I already did a whole review on it (see here). It was so good though that it has to be mentioned in my favourites. You've got to love Zoe and Digby.

4) Sword of Gryffindor Necklace - so my friend bought this for me for Christmas last year, but I have worn it so much this year that I have to include it. She got it from a Christmas market in Cambridge but I'm pretty sure the one I've linked to on Etsy is exactly the same, if you're interested. It's so pretty! You can see it clearer in the image below. I just wear it with everything (and I'm not even a Gryffindor).

5) Harry Potter Card Wallet - so my lovely work colleagues bought this (and a bunch of other Harry Potter goodies) for me as a leaving gift on my last day. I love it! My old Oyster card holder was dying, so it's nice to have a nice new one with a Harry Potter theme.

Beauty/Skincare:

6) Bioré Charcoal Cleanser - so I have really problem skin in the sense that most of my face is very dry, but my forehead is oily, and is where I get the most spots (literally, constantly, all the time, it drives me mad). This cleanser really helps control my oil levels, as well as prevent those horrible painful spots from appearing on my forehead all the time. Unfortunately I don't think a product exists that will prevent any spots from appearing ever, but this cleanser does the best I could expect a product to do (you can see from how empty it is in the pic below that I use it all the time).

7) Superdrug Tea Tree Spot Stick - if you want another skincare product that actually works, and is cheap, this is for you. This stick has worked wonders for my forehead spots. It honestly gets rid of them in about two days (three if it's the horrible ones). And while it doesn't really prevent them from reappearing, I'm really impressed with just how quickly it does help control blemishes. Highly recommended!

8) Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Wash, Scrub, Mask - I really like this because you can use it three ways. I mostly use it as a scrub, but when I have a lot of blemishes, I use it as a mask, and find that it has a really nice cooling and soothing effect. It smells terrible, but it's worth putting up with for the actual effect of the product.

9) Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream - I know I'm late to the party with these, but honestly, these are some of the best lip products I've ever owned, and they're such great value. They're matte but not drying, soft and creamy in texture, really pigmented, long-lasting and they smell amazing! The two colours I have pictures below, from left to right, are Amsterdam and Cannes.

10) Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm - another lip product and the saviour of my terrible dry, broken, cracked lips. I have the driest lips ever. They are so dry. I have tried every lip treatment I can think of. I have spent ridiculous amounts of money trying to treat them. The only thing that has ever done anything is this lip balm. It has a really weird thick, waxy consistency, but I put it on before bed, and when I wake up, my lips are actually soft. They aren't cracked. Or if they have been cracked, they're on the mend. It's the only thing I've ever found that remotely works for me, and while it's on the pricey side, I'm happy to keep repurchasing.

11) Benefit Boi-ing Concealer - I have the darkest circles under my eyes. Nothing covers them. This concealer is supposedly an "industrial" strength concealer, and while it doesn't cover my circles completely (nothing short of Dulux will), I have to admit, it's probably the best concealer I've used so far. Definitely reduces the darkness. I also have this in the lightest shade, and it's a pretty good match for my skin, and I usually struggle to find a match because I'm so pale. It's not perfect, and I struggle to justify the price...but of all the concealers out there, I think this is doing the best job for me.

12) L'Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Feline Mascara - I have round eyes, and sparse eyelashes, so I am always looking for a mascara that is both volumising and able to push my eyelashes out an angle on the side so that my eyes don't look so round. This mascara does both of those things, and to top it off, has a shiny finish and smells really great (I have a habit of sniffing it...don't judge me).

13) The Library of Fragrance, Cherry Blossom - I love The Library of Fragrance! I love the packaging, the unique smells, the price point - everything. The cherry blossom scent is one of my favourites. It's very wearable, and can easily be your every day fragrance, and it's also not so floral that it'll make your head spin. The only downfall of this range is that the scent doesn't last very long - but at £15, who can complain, really?

Fashion:

14) ASOS Magical Loafers - so I'm not just saying this because I used to work at ASOS, but I love these shoes SO MUCH. Mostly because they actually fit me. I have the oddest shaped feet - wide at the front, very narrow at the back. Most flat shoes slip off at the back because my heels are so narrow, but I can't buy narrow shoes because then they won't fit the front of my feet. What is a girl to do? Well, these shoes are perfect because they somehow adapt to the shape of my feet. I think it's because the fabric is so flexible - but I can wear them without my feet slipping out! They truly are magical. I love them so much I bought them in the oxblood colour too. They're faux suede with metal detailing - and loafers never really go out of style.

TV/Film/Music:

15) Stranger Things - if you haven't watched Stranger Things, you're either living under a rock, or avoiding it on purpose, in which case, you should watch it anyway, even if you think it's overhyped, because how else will you ever, truly know? (It's so good, I promise you.) It has a sort of Goonies vibe, but then is also really creepy and jumpy, and is excellent. The cast is excellent, the story is excellent, the ending is excellent, it's just excellent. And there's going to be a season 2! What are your theories? [spoilers, highlight to view]What will happen to Will? Where is Eleven (she's totally alive, I know it)? Will there be justice for Barb? Will Nancy get with Jonathan?[end of spoilers]. Also, if you've seen Stranger Things, and you're a fan of Parks & Recreation, please watch this!

16) Hamilton soundtrack - not going to say anything. You've heard enough from me about how much I love Hamilton.

17) Spiderman Homecoming trailer - asdfghjk. I'm so excited for this. You don't understand. You don't understand! I know it's not out for so long, but the trailer is so good! Peter Parker in school! Tom Holland seems like he'll be a fantastic Peter Parker, and after so many bad Spiderman movies, I have hope that we're finally, finally going to get one that does it justice.

18) Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer - BABY GROOT!

Food:

19) Pulsin' Almond and Raisin Raw Chocolate Brownies - I couldn't include these in a photo...because I ate them all. Just imagine a squishy bar of chocolatey almondy raisiny goodness, but made from raw ingredients so it's actually not bad for you. Are you hungry yet? I am.

And those are my favourites of the year! What are your favourites of 2016? Do we share any of the same?

Bookish Gift Guide

tháng 12 07, 2015 bookish, gift guide, ramblings No comments

Reviews are coming, I promise! I've just been busy with job applications recently, and visiting a friend in Cambridge and family stuff - but there will be reviews. Hopefully one will be up soon, but in the mean time, I thought I would do a bookish gift guide since Christmas is coming up and lot of people will be looking for present ideas. I'm not sponsored by any of the companies/websites I'm mentioning (haha, I wish), these are just things I think would make really great gifts for book lovers! I've already talked about The Beautiful Book Company for bookish gifts in a previous blog post here so I won't mention them again, but I do recommend checking them out! And on we go (all images link to a page where you can purchase the item, and all prices are correct at the time of posting, though may change at a later date, and exclude shipping costs. Also, I know the layout of this post is horrendous, but I am not tech savvy enough to fix it).

£5 or under (click on the image to be taken to the seller's page):