Books | Read in July

Read in June

Books to Read in June

I'm pretty sure I've read more books this year than in the last four years, books for essays do not count. I've fallen back in love with reading and I'm always excited to see what new releases there are. Since I've stopped studying I have yearned for the odd book about an artist, movement or museum. I've come to realise I just love to learn and research, however I won't miss the assignments. Once again I overestimated last month so there's a repeated book which I will for sure get to this month.

Read in May

Another month, another set of books to write about. I don't know why, I just tend to do book reviews in groups. I feel like a post is too small and empty when I'm just writing about one book. It also pushes me to read more so I have something to write about which is good considering the daunting pile of books I still need to read.

Books to Read in May

While this is only the second time I've done them I'm really enjoying these book posts, I am kind of setting myself a goal for the month. I overestimated last month, I probably am this month as well but you've got to have goals.

Read in April

I seem to be picking up pace with this reading thing. For a while I was stuck on a book which was really slow and kind of put me off reading. I eventually finished it and moved on books which really made me not want to put them down. I often feel like reading is my full time job, if I could find a actual job doing it that would be great thanks.

Books to Read in April

A better title for this post would be books I will attempt to read in April because let's face it I'm becoming a terrible reader. There were times where I was compelled to read and spend hours just me and a book. I'm determined to get back to that, I'm trying guys. These are the books I will hopefully get through this month.

Feb/March Reads

While the title says Feb/March Reads I read the majority of the books in February and spilled a little into March according to Goodreads. I love Goodreads so much. I can keep account of all the books I've read as well as the dates I started and finished them. Anyway I realised it's been a over a month since I've done a book post, I need to start reading faster, so I'm doing another double up.

Devoted in Death - J.D. Robb

Devoted in Death* is the 41st book in the 'In Death' series which is amazing, it's the longest series I've ever heard of. J.D. Robb is the pseudonym name which Nora Roberts writes under. It turns out I have two other books by her in my pile to read which I'm looking forward to.

Everybody Rise - Stephanie Clifford

It's been quite a while since I've done a book review. Lately I just haven't felt compelled to pick up a book, maybe it's the mood I'm in or it's the book I'm currently reading. It took me a while to get through this book as well as to actually write a review of it. I'm all over the place these days, I blame the weather. It's been too hot for me to properly function, I can't deal with this heat.

 

Book Summary

Everybody Rise* is set in Manhattan of 2006 and focuses on Evelyn Beegan who feels like an outsider to her privileged peers.

 

When she gets a job to recruit new members for a new social media website she targets Camilla Rutherford, an heiress/socialite, top of the New York social scene. Through their friendship Evelyn starts to move up but starts lying to fit in.

 

Review

As I was reading I was getting a strong Gossip Girl vibe. One, it was set in New York as well as the story being centred around the upper social scene. Evelyn kind of reminded me of Dan Humphrey and him trying to figure out the upper social scene. The difference is that he had Serena who is kind of more levelled and a lot less self-centred than Camilla.

 

The story follows Evelyn's rise and fall with her social status and the consequences of it including the fall out with her relationships; boyfriend, friends and parents.  At times it was hard to sympathise with Evelyn, she did some really stupid things and I felt like she deserved what her consequences were. She was a desperate girl trying to get in anyway she could and did not care about anyone else including herself.

 

I did enjoy the story, like I said it gave me Gossip Girl vibes and it's one of my favourite shows.

 

*This book was sent to me by Hachette NZ, the review is all my own opinion

 

Ashley xx

Long Term Reads

It's been a long while since I've done a book review. The last half of my degree got a bit hectic and stressful which left me no time to read anything other than Titian and Rembrandt. I decided to kill two birds with one stone with this post and write about two books which I was sent from Hachette NZ.

 

Kitchens of the Great Midwest - J. Ryan Stradal*

 

Who is Eva Thorvald? The book follows Eva's life through the eyes of the people she meets. To her father, a chef, she's a pint-sized recipe tester and the love of this life. She's an enigma, a secret ingredient that no one can figure out.

 

I really loved how the reader learns about Eva, the main character, through the perspective of other people. Each chapter follows a different person who somewhere comes into contact with Eva; her father, cousin, boyfriend, work colleagues etc. This approach made the story more interesting, you never knew who was next and what their perception of Eva was.

 

Eva's life isn't perfect. There are a lot of sad and challenging moments for her but she follows her dream. Overall I enjoyed the story and how it was told.

 

 

Close Your Eyes - Michael Robotham*

 

A mother and her teenage daughter are found murdered, clinical psychologist Joe O'Loughlin is drawn into the investigation when a former student jeopardises the inquiry. There are no shortage of suspects and while the case becomes more complex his personal life also becomes disrupted.

 

As I was reading the story it felt like a crime thriller movie or a TV show. I could imagine watching it as I was reading it.  Most of the book is told through O'Laughlin's point of view but there are also snippets of perpetrator's point of view giving us a sense of him and looking at the investigation through his eyes. There are a number of suspects and throughout the book I was constantly like "it was him" "no, it's him". But of course, as good stories go it ended up being the person I didn't suspect at all. As well as the investigation we see O'Laughlin also dealing with issues in his personal life which unfortunately has an unhappy ending.

 

Overall I enjoyed the story and was constantly guessing till the end.

 

 

*These books were sent to me but the review was all my own opinions

The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning - Chris Colfer

Hello hello how's it going. I am now on mid semester break which is great as I don't have to get up at 6:20 every morning but I still have a lot of work to do. It's terrifying to think that the uni year finishes next month.

Anyway today's post is another little book review; The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning* from Hachette NZ.

Book Summary

A Grimm Warning is the third book in The Land of Stories series.  The book follows twins Connor and Alex Bailey, Connor lives in our world while Alex lives in the Land of Stories training to become the next Fairy Godmother. 

 

While on a school trip to Germany Connor hears a 200 year old warning and along with Alex has to fight and protect the Land of Stories.

 

Review

This book may possibly be more for kids but I enjoyed it, my love for fairy tales didn't diminished once I grew up.  The book is part of a series and there were instances where they referenced events in the previous books but you can still follow the story without having read them.  The book mixes history and fiction which is something I enjoyed with the Grimm Brothers getting their stories from fairies.  The villains' are Napoleon's soldiers intent on conquering The Land of Stories.

 

I just love fairy tales so there was a very high chance of me enjoying this post. I also loved when Connor was travelling around Europe which is something I really want to do.  The book can get very 'fairy tale' such as in a chapter Sleeping Beauty mentions that she can't have children and a few sentences later discovers an orphan child and adopts it.  A part from that bit which felt forced the rest of the story flowed nicely. 

 

*This book was sent to me but the review was all my own opinions

 

Hope you all enjoyed this post xx

July Review

It's been a while since I've done one of these. The last few months have been so hectic that I haven't done much blogging let along reviewing it.  Anyway hopefully I'll be back on track.



 

Makeup.co.nz #002

There was a free shipping offer on, need I say more.

 

Life Update

Things were a little bit quiet on the blog so decided to do a little update.

 

Beauty Sale 2015

My Aunt brought me along to a massive sale again, bought the exact same things.

 

Killing Monica

Another book review courtesy of Hachette NZ.

 

Hope you all enjoyed this post xx

Killing Monica - Candace Bushnell

The lovely people at Hachette NZ sent me another book to delve into, Killing Monica* by Candace Bushnell.  The book is by the same author as Sex and the City as well as the Carrie Diaries so I was excited to see what the book had to offer.

 

Book Summary

The story is kinda similar to Sex and the City in that is focus's on Pandy, a successful author who is living in New York City.  The story delves into her life and her love/hate relationship with Monica, the character she created which has taken over her life.

 

All is not well in Pandy's world however with her ex-husband sinking his teeth into her earnings, her loyal agent Hentry is losing patience and her soul sister, sidekick and saviour - actress SondraBeth Schnowzer who plays Monica - has betrayed her.  It begins to look like the only way out for Pandy is killing Monica - even if it kills her too (Blurb at the back of the book).

 

Review

I read this book over a long period of time so it kind of felt like the story dragged on for a while and only got interesting and also strange at the end.  There are flashback chapters which shows Pandy meeting SondraBeth, their relationship, how it fell apart as well as with her husband.

 

Like I mentioned the last part of the book was strange and it almost felt like a different book. However I did like it as the story picked up and becoming more interesting.  With any story a good one surprises you and I definitely got a surprise at the end in relation to Pandy's mysterious sister. For a while afterwards I was like what? Did that really happen? It also made me want to read the book again with that knowledge.

 

Overall I really enjoyed the book, Pandy was an interesting character. She's a forty something year old writer but at times while reading you could mistake her for a twenty something year old by the way she acts and talks.

 

 

                                                                  *This book was sent to me but the review was all my own opinions

 

Hope you all enjoyed this post xx

Amy Snow - Tracy Rees

 

I may or may not expressed it enough on the blog but I love books.  When I get a new book I usually run through it and find it very hard to stop.  More often than not I have to read it a couple more times to pick up things I've missed.

 

When the opportunity to work with Hachette NZ came up I jumped at the chance and I'm so glad I did. 

 

The first book they sent me was Amy Snow* by Tracy Rees and it is actually her debut novel.

 

Book Summary

The book follows Amy Snow who was abandoned as a baby and found in the snow by Aurelia Vennaway.  Amy grew up at Hatville Court but was seen as an inconvenience to everyone but Aurelia who is Amy's only friend.

 

When Aurelia tragically dies young she leaves Amy a treasure hunt in the form of letters and she embarks on a journey to discover Aurelia's secret.

 

Review

What really interested me about the book was the whole treasure hunt theme. I loved them when I was younger, in fact I still love them today.  It was this that really made the book exciting for me, the reader like Amy had no idea what Aurelia had planned for them.

 

A good book for me keeps you guessing and even better if you get surprised.  This book definitely did that.  Aurelia's secret completely surprised me; I was like what, really, no way. 

 

At the start of the book the chapters switch between Amy's journey and flashbacks which gives us a sense of how Amy grew up.  There are some heart-breaking moments especially with the relationship between Amy and Lady Vennaway as well as Aurelia's death.  There are some sweet and funny moments with the friendship between the two girls and Amy navigating her way through the hunt on her own.

 

That fact it was set in the mid 19th Century in England made it more intriguing for me. I kind of love stories that aren't set in normal 21st century life.

 

Overall I completely enjoyed this book and would gladly read again a number of times.  The book came out yesterday, June 9, and you all should definitely get a copy if it sounded like something you'd read.

 

* This book was sent to me but the review was all my own opinions.

 

Hope you all enjoyed this post! xoxo