life in the eyes of a teenage bookworm

BLOGGING AND LIFE STUFF

First of all: Hi!

So I've been away for the best part of two years (give or take). University has been far more time consuming than I had originally thought it would be.. I know, I know, that probably should have occurred to me beforehand, but what did you expect from a teenage bookworm?

I've missed blogging over the course of the two years I've been away, but moreso recently. So in an attempt to revive my blogging habit, I'm going to start blogging weekly, at the least.
There's a lot that I've learnt at uni so far, not just about literature, but about myself too. It's affected my life in a big way, so expect some posts about that!

I'm considering rebranding within the next month, because I feel like the vibe of my blog doesn't quite reflect who I am anymore. Plus, I'll be turning 20 this July, so the 'Teenage Bookworm' branding is gonna have to go at some point anyway.

That's all for now, but I'll be back with another post soon!

Over & Out, T xx
(Note to self: Find a new sign off!)

GEORGE SUPER BOOST FOUNDATION - REVIEW

I bought this back in January/February when I ran out of my preferred foundation, Rimmel's Wake Me Up. I'd actually been looking for another bottle, but my local Asda doesn't stock Rimmel as so I thought I'd give this one a whirl. I didn't actually know Asda had a makeup range, so naturally, I was pretty intrigued.

I'm sure the packaging probably had something to do with why I picked it up, as it's lovely. The bottle is frosted glass, which is a pretty nice touch for a drugstore/supermarket foundation. Plus, I loved the colour of the lid and pump.

The pump itself actually caused me a lot of trouble and I ended up having to replace it with a pump from an old Wake Me Up bottle. It was very difficult to use as the pump was so hard to push down. Also, when I was finally able to get product to come out, it came out so forcefully that it sprayed everywhere, leading to little dots of foundation on my bedding and clothes. I've read several other reviews since, and this is pretty common with the packaging. This was particularly disappointing for me, as it was not only inconvenient (and messy) to replace the pump but it also ruined the look of the bottle.

On a positive note, the product gives a lovely finish and smells amazing too. It's said to contain extracts of pomegranate apple and papaya and so it smells very fruity, which I personally enjoyed a lot. The scent, and the lightness made the product feel more like a BB cream than an actual foundation. In fact, the coverage too reflected a BB cream as it was effective, but not so much as to warrant no concealer in my case, which is what I tend to look for.

I'm not sure I'd agree that it's necessarily 'Radiance boosting' as the packaging suggests, but it does leave the skin looking very natural, again more indicative of a BB cream than a foundation.

Another thing worth mentioning is the range of shades. I'd say I have fairly pale olive complexion, and so I always tend to go for the lightest or second to lightest shade when buying foundation. I find this works best generally, and if the shade is too light I can always mix it with a darker shade or use it to highlight. Anyways, the lightest shade of the Super Boost Foundation is Ivory Silk, which I thought would be ideal seeing as I'm often best matched to the Ivory shades, especially this time of year. However, upon use I realised that the product is not only too dark for my skin but also quite a pink/orange based foundation. I obviously haven't tried the darker shades, but I can only assume this rings true for them too. Basically when I use it I look like I've caught the sun a little.. Which although not entirely off-putting, isn't really the look I'm going for..

So if you are interested it trying the Super Boost Foundation, I'd advise you to:

Choose the shade carefully, I'd advise going a shade lighter.
Remember it's warm-toned (so not ideal for those with olive complexions).
Keep in mind you'll need another pump.
Look at alternatives. This is pretty pricey at £6 and you may be able to find a similarly priced alternative.

I won't personally be buying this product again, but I will enjoy using what I have left of this bottle!

Over & Out, T xx

LUSH HAUL - OXFORD STREET

Howdy partner!

The past few weeks have been particularly hectic for me, what with exams and the end of my college education. Needless to say I've been wanting a nice relaxing bath. So when I found myself in London for a university open day, of course I had to pop into the Oxford Street Lush!

The store itself was incredible, I would definitely suggest popping into the store if you're in London because it's really special. The employees were really helpful and friendly, which really made a difference for me; I was feeling a bit overwhelmed at first if I'm honest, haha.. Everything in Lush is so vibrant, and there are so many strong smells that it can definitely be a bit full-on. Not to mention that as with most of the stores on Oxford Street, Lush was pretty crowded. If you're someone who suffers in crowds then I'd suggest going when it's not quite as busy, and if you're looking for specific items or would just like to know the basic layout before going, you can view the store online: LUSH Oxford Street.

While I was there I picked up a few products, among them a couple of Oxford Street exclusives which I'm very excited to try out! Other than a couple exceptions I haven't tried these products yet so I won't be writing full reviews below, just my general first impressions. However, if it's something you guys would be interested in, I'd love to review a couple of the items at a later date.

So without further ado, let me present what I bought:

Ylang Song (Bath Bomb)

“This Tunisian neroli and Peruvian rosewood bomb erupts into a sensual world of tumbling peony and everlasting flower petals. A perfect behaved companion to take into the bath with you.”

I think this is the product I am the most excited about. I'd done a little research into the exclusive products that Lush were bringing out, and I was so excited to get this one. It's among the most beautiful Lush products I've ever owned, and if you think I'm not going to take a million pictures of it for Instagram, you're wrong.

Not only does it look and smell amazing, but it's full of flowers. I got to see it in action in store and had to get one; when you pop it in your bath it fills your bath tub with beautiful flowers. And I don't know about you, but I am all for a flower-filled bath.

I'd say this is a little more mature than most of the other Lush bath bombs I normally go for. The scent is definitely floral, but in my opinion, it's a pretty dark, almost heady. I really love it.

Pink Flamingo (Reusable Bubble Bar)

“Birds of a feather bathe together! Slip into something more fruity with this cocktail-inspired reusable bubble bath, filled with fragrant rosewood and ylang ylang. Let the bubbly flow.”

Can we please take a moment?
...
It's a flamingo. This bubble bar is a flamingo. I'm really sorry if you were hoping for some kind of eloquent response to that flamingo, because you've really come to the wrong place. Because as I've stated it's a flamingo. A fluorescent pink flamingo at that. I mean, honestly, what more could you ask for?

This is perhaps the epitome of fun bath time. Never did I imagine a day would come when I swirled a pink flamingo around my bath. But that day is here. And I think it should be celebrated. In fact, this day shall henceforth be referred to as Pink Flamingo Day.

Okay, all jokes aside, I am beyond excited for this. The reusable bubble bars that come on a stick are by far my favourites, they are just so user friendly. In fact, the Magic Wand reusable bubble bar is among my top five Lush products despite being a Christmas exclusive. I mean, what's not to love?Swirl in in the water and hey presto: Bubbles! I don't know about you, but to me that's preferable to having to crumble things under water. I shouldn't be trusted with anything crumbly, let alone vibrant bubble bars in a mostly white bathroom.

Unfortunately, like Ylang Song this is an Oxford Street exclusive. But if you do visit the store, I'd definitely recommend this one! The scent is like a slightly darker version of Snow Fairy. Although it's inspired by cocktails it reminds me more of gum balls..

Also, apologies for having repeated the word flamingo about 100+ times.. But it is Pink Flamingo Day after all!

Salted Coconut (Hand Scrub)

“This creamy coconut and sea salt scrub is the perfect way to keep your hands in tiptop condition.”

This is the first product I picked up. However this one isn't for me, it's for my mum. The scent is pretty strong, and in fact it's a little too strong for my liking. I mean I like coconut as much as the next person, but this scent is pretty musky too.

I believe there's also a perfume/body spray in this scent as the lovely lady who was serving us asked her colleague to find it so that my mum could try it and smell like it all day. Plus, I've heard a lot of people compare the scent to the Furze perfume by Lush.

It comes in either a large pot or a small one like the one in the picture. I'd personally recommend the smaller pots to begin with because there really is a lot of product and you really don't need much at all. And Lush actually have a great recycling policy; returning five clean pots will earn you a free "fresh mask".

May Day (Bath Bomb)

“Drop into your bathwater and watch it fizz away”

One of the things I love most about Lush is the work they do for animal rights. All of their products are suitable for vegetarians, which ins't very common.

One of their more recent projects was with the Save Me trust, in the hopes of stopping the badger cull. You can find more information about it here if you're interested, but in short many badgers are killed every year to decrease their population.

Animal rights isn't really something I've addressed on here, but it's very close to my heart and I'll often, if not always, jump at any chance to donate and help. This particular product was only sold until the end of May (although I did get mine last Wednesday, so it may still be in stock), but I'm sure Lush will be doing more projects for similar charities in the future.

The scent that they chose for May Day is really comforting to me. I believe it has fennel in it, possibly with honey, or something other sweet-scent. Plus the badger face is so adorable, I'm going to be so sad to see it dissolve. I'm sure my skin will appreciate it though!

Soft Coeur (Massage Bar)

“Smooth this sweet-smelling massage bar over the body for deliciously-scented and soft skin.”

Now this is one of my must have Lush products. They describe the scent as deliciously-scented and they are not wrong. If it was socially acceptable I would probably marry this massage bar. Pretty fitting actually, considering it's also called the Honeymooner.

The massage bars are generally are super moisturising, and they melt to the touch. But the smell of this one is just so good. It smells like chocolate and butter, and honestly every time I use it I have to stop myself from gnawing off my own arm it smells so good.

The only possible downfall is the chocolate centre, which can sometimes leaves brown streaks on your skin. This normally happens towards the end of it's use, and the more product you've used, the more the chocolate will rub off on your skin too. When it get's to that point I like to break it into pieces for baths as it'll still moisturise your skin.

Other

The final things I picked up in Lush were these Fighting Animal Testing patches, as well as one of their vintage scarves.

The patches were pretty cheap, at only £1.50 each. They do some others too, such as 'Be Happy' etc..

These are iron-on, thank god, so there isn't the hassle of trying to sow them onto clothes. I'm actually not entirely sure what I'm going to put mine on, so if you do have any ideas, let me know in the comments !

As always, have a great day ♥
Over & Out, T xx
PS: WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE LUSH PRODUCTS?

SAINT ANYTHING BY SARAH DESSEN

BOOK TITLE: Saint Anything
AUTHOR: Sarah Dessen
PUBLISHER: Penguin
RELEASE DATE: May 5th 2015
NUMBER OF PAGES: 448
MAIN GENRES: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

This review includes minor spoilers, proceed at your own risk .

I think that my thoughts about Saint Anything could easily be described in one sentence: I stayed up until 4AM finishing this book.

Yep, that's right. I, being the teenage bookworm that I am, sacrificed a solid 4 hours of sleep last night in order to finish this young adult romance. And I had to get up at six this morning, on the weekend before my exams begin..

*Yawn* I'm so tired.. But at least I have my priorities in check..

With that in mind, I think it's safe to assume I loved this book. I did. I don't know how Dessen does it, but all her books grab my attention from the first page, if not the first sentence. She's one of those authors who's so great at normalcy that every scene is just so realistic and she's written some of my favourite books of all time, such as The Truth About Forever and Just Listen.

Sydney Stanford has always been second best to her brother Peyton. This is clear right away, I mean there is literally a portrait of her brother hung "directly across" from the front door. It's the "first thing you see" when you walk into the Stanford's house. Now if that isn't favouritism, I don't know what is.

In fact, for the majority of the novel, Sydney's parents basically ignore her in favour of her brother. The brother who doesn't even live with them. Because he's in prison for drink driving and putting a boy named David Ibarra in a wheelchair.

Drive safe, kids.

But her brother wasn't always a delinquent. Once upon a time he was just her big brother who would walk across sinkholes on a tree trunks, watched cartoons with her on the weekends and was a pro at Hide and Seek.

Now you see me.. Now you-- POOF!

However, soon the siblings' roles were reversed. Peyton who was once able to "find the invisible place" became the centre of attention, whilst Sydney became all but invisible.

I find that Dessen always touches on important subject matters, and for Saint Anything it was the feeling of invisibility. This is something that I'm sure a lot of readers are going to be able to relate to. I think it's safe to say that we've all felt invisible at some point in our lives, although perhaps not to the same extent as Sydney.

Why can't you see me? I'm right here.

As always, I loved the romance aspect of the novel. The relationships, like the novel itself, come across as effortless, which I totally love. Not to mention the love interest Mac was a Micheal Moscovitz, by which I mean he was my exact type. In a band, best friend's brother and a nice guy. Plus, he delivers pizza. My favourite food. It was basically love at first read.

I think what I especially liked about the relationship between the two of them was that it was a helthy one. So often in YA the protagonist falls head over heels for a guy and ends up depending on him for everything. I hate that; it sends such a bad message to the reader. What Dessen portrayed instead was relationship in which each person supports the other when needed, without suffocating them.

"He left me enough space to stand alone, but stood at the ready for the moment that I didn't want to."

Plus, being the sucker for cheesiness that I am, his admission of "You weren't invisible, not to me." abso-bloody-lutely slayed me.

Killed with ~~kindness~~ cuteness.

You guys know by now that I'm a helpless romantic, and so I obviously took a liking to Layla, a fellow romantic. Not only that, but damn was that girl a great character. I really loved the relationship between both her and Eric too.

The only thing I didn't like about the novel was Ames. Every singly appearance he made put me on edge. I understand of course that that was most likely the intended reaction; however, I was so entirely creeped out by him.

I think that where I'm so used to reading New Adult romances I was kind of thinking that something seriously bad was going to happen between him and Sydney.

Me, every time Ames appeared.

So to conclude, Saint Anything is a novel about letting others see you, and having the patience to do so.

It's a novel about family, and how that doesn't necessarily mean biology.

It a novel about sight, forgiveness and most importantly, love.

And I loved it.

Over & Out, T xx
PS: HAVE YOU READ ANY OF SARAH DESSEN'S BOOKS? IF SO, WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE?

NEW YEARS MUST HAVES

Hello people of the internet!
Firstly, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas a nice 25th of December if you don't celebrate it!

Unlike most people, I don't set myself new years resolutions. I get anxious enough as it is without having to worry about whether or not I'm achieving the goals I've set myself.

However, I do like to start the year off equipped with what I consider 'must haves'. Of course, I'm only human and chances are I've forgotten something so if you think my list is missing something let me know in the comments below!

Also, I'll be including links to all of my must haves, so if you're interested in any of them then all you have to do is click on the corresponding image!

The Notebook.

No not the heart wrenching film, but the small blank book in which you can make notes. For me personally, notebooks are probably the most essential items to own. I am forever in need of somewhere to jolt down an idea, doodle or write out a to-do list.

I especially love ones with pretty covers. I think that when it comes to notebooks then you are fully allowed to judge them based on their covers!

Unfortunately, my featured notebook is no longer for sale, but if you'd still like to browse the web for it then it's made by a company called Èccolo.

Furthermore, here's a few links to other journals that I love:
1. The Serious Notebook (so people think you know what you're doing) by Happy Jackson.
2. The Tabby Cat Journal by A Little Lark.
3. The Write Something Today Even If It Sucks Notebook by Amanda Wright.
4. The Cat Pattern Notebook by Mary Kilver.

The Calendar and The Diary.

For me, both of these are essentials. I know that theoretically, they both have the same purpose but I couldn't live with just one of them.

For the most part I use the diary to note down assingments and generally most things college related. I do sometimes use it for social events too, but rarely. This particular one is really handy to carry around because it basically has a section for everything; including detachable shopping lists.

I think that the large wall-hanging calendars are so useful too. I obviously always get something cat related because in case you hadn't already noticed from any of my book reviews, I love felines. I tend to use these types of calendars for reminders such as birthdays, deadlines, et cetera. That way, I see the reminders everyday when I mark off the day. Plus I think they add to a room; I like to keep mine on the wall above the small bookcase where I keep all my stationary, and I think it just add a little Je ne sais quoi to that area. Would you guys like me to post a picture.. Maybe a room tour? Let me know in the comments.

Also, if you're looking for a similar calendar for 2015, I love Cat's Life Calendar by Gemma Correll.

The Wreck This Journal.

A definite must have. I was given a Wreck This Journal for my birthday last July, and I still enjoy using it.

If you're not already familiar with what it is: it's basically a book with random tasks on each page. Each task in intended to nudge you out of your comfort zone, forcing you to gradually 'wreck' the book. For instance, some pages instruct you to 'Bring this book in the shower with you' or to 'Climb up high [and] drop the book' and my personal favourite: 'Doodle over the cover'.

Obviously this isn't for everyone, but I really love mine. I'd especially recommend it to anyone who enjoys listening to audiobooks. If I'm listening to one and have to time to sit down then you can pretty much bet that I'm working on my 'Sew this page'.. I'm sewing the Hufflepuff crest.

Also, I'm pretty sure that there is a compact version of the book (pocket sized) as well as an app for your phone if you'd rather try one of those :)

I actually think I'll do some kind of blog post about this soon, maybe showing my favourite pages?

The Face Masks.

After a stressful day a nice face mask can do wonders not only for your skin but for you mood too.

I know that most people like to have baths when they're stressed out, and whilst I do love a good soak in the tub, sometimes I just don't have the time or energy for one. Those are the times when face masks come in for me. I'll just plop one on lay down and relax to an ASMR video or watch an episode of Gossip Girl.

Obviously any face mask will do, but I just love the packaging for the Anatomicals' face masks. I'm a total sucker for packaging and honestly the Grease one gets me every time!

I often use face masks, so I like to try a range of brands. I do have a couple of favourite brands who both do great face masks. Also, both brands are against animal testing, which is always a plus in my books.
1. The Montagne Jeuness range; they do a variety of different masks targeted at different results or different skin types. These come in sachets like the Anatomicals' so they can be a little fiddly when you've already got product on your hands.
2. The Lush facemasks; handmade and completely organic. They come in pots which I find so much easier, plus if you return a certain amount of pots then you get something free I beleive.

The Purrfume.

Please excuse the pun but it had to be done! (Let's pretend that didn't rhyme shall we?)

I have a range of perfumes that I like to alternate between ranging from the cheap perfumes from Zara to the pricier alternatives of Ralf Lauren and Estée Lauder. I tend to receive perfume as a gift as so my collection has grown a fair amount and Purr by Katy Perry is the newest addition!

I tend to not feel ready in the morning until I have perfume on, so having a few different perfumes is so much better for me personally as alternating scents means I don't get too used to any of them and so I notice them more.

Plus as we've gathered I'm a sucker for both good packaging and cats so this bottle is basically my own version of perfume heaven!

The Spearmint Gum.

Now I know that for some of you it may seem a little odd that I included gum as one of my must haves. However, hear me out.

Gum reduces stress and anxiety. Whether this has to do with the taste itself or the process of chewing, studies have shown that stress levels decrease when chewing gum. And for me this does work to calm my nerves and tame my anxiety in situations I find stressful.

However, normal mint gum actually gives me stomach ache so I use spearmint instead. Plus, it's always handy to have around after meals!

I'd definitely recommend the pots instead of the packets or boxes because they're not only so much easier to find in a bag, but they don't get lost at the bottom of your bag and covered in lint.

The Tissues.

There is never a day in which I don't need a tissue.
Yep, it may sound extreme, but it's true.

If you're going to buy tissues like the ones I've featured here, I'd recommend filling the packet up with half of these and half plain white tissues. Maybe it's just me being selfish, but I am forever asked if I have tissues and I don't really want to give out my Cath Kidston tissues that were a gift..

Plus, sometimes I need to dispose of gum in a tissue and I don't really want to use a nice tissue so carrying plain white tissue too is super handy!

The LED Book Light.

Now, I couldn't call myself a true bookworm without mentioning something book related now could I?

Admittedly, I mostly read books via my phone. That's because I'm lazy and reading a physical book means having to get out of bed at 2:30AM when you've finally finished your book. And I'm really not up for that.

However, using a book light eliminates that problem altogether. I don't have to get out of bed in order to turn the light off because the light is right here! Win!

Thank you if you've read this far! This post basically took me an entire afternoon to photograph, edit and then write up so any feedback in the comments would be really lovely!

Over & Out, T xx

PS: WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEAR MUST HAVES?

PROCRASTINATION PRINCESS

Hey guys.
As you've undoubtedly gathered from the title, this post is going to be centred around one topic: Procrastination. Specifically, my procrastination.

I'm almost entirely positive that all of you are aware of what procrastination is.
For those of you who don't, procrastination is the ~~abstract noun~~ word used to describe the action of delaying/putting off something. While this may not seem like a very important issue to some, it's become a real problem in my life. And based on the amount of material I've found on the internet whilst procrastinating, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that other people struggle with it too.

No really, I once found a website called Procatinator whilst procrastinating. It's a website where they play a random cat gif to music. Go check it out. Right now. I'll wait.

...

Are you done? Good. It's basically my version of heaven, but the point is that whilst procrastinating does sometimes result in the discovery of something great, for the most part it just creates more problems. At this point, procrastination has become complete habit to me. I actually don't think that I'm capable of finishing a piece of work without at least three hours of random activities, before during and after doing the work.

For instance, in October I was given an essay title. It had to be completed within two weeks and needed to be approximately 2000 words. I completely put off doing it every day of those two weeks, meaning that I had to essentially write it all in one night. Long story short, I got it done and it was an ok essay. But I felt terrible about it. I felt angry because I'd stressed myself out about it by leaving it so late. But more importantly I felt guilty about it because I knew that if I'd started earlier and done it piece by piece then I might have done better..

Honestly the only reason I'm bringing it up is because I feel especially guilty about the fact that I've posted next to nothing on here recently. I mean I doubt anyone really cares, but the guilt is there nonetheless. I though I was completely organised: I had multiple reviews planned out, I just had to write them out fully. But instead of keeping to the schedule I had planned however, I decided to put off the first one thus creating a complete domino effect.

(It kind of gets to me that this gif cuts off half way through)

I ended up writing none of the reviews and now I'm not even sure if I remember the books well enough to write good reviews about any of them.

Also, I've recently come to the conclusion that in a few years time I'm no longer going to be a teenager and therefore my blog's entire concept is going to be completely wrong. So at some point Ill have to rethink the name. And I'll have to make a new header.. *Sigh*

So, I'd just like to say that I'm sorry for not posting lately. I'm going to attempt to train myself into being less lazy and stop procrastinating. Furthermore, I'm sorry if I haven't been replying to emails recently, I've been having a bit of a procrastination/anxious moment when it comes to writing and sending emails.
Do you guys ever put off something for so long that you get completely terrified of actually doing it?
Let me know in the comments below!

Over & Out, T x

PS: DO YOU PROCRASTINATE? IF SO, DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS ON HOW TO STOP?

THE LIEBSTER AWARD

First of all, a huge thanks to The Caramel Cat and Kelly Melone for nominating me to take part in the Liebster Award! Be sure to go check out their blogs if you haven't already-- they're great!

If you didn't already know, the Liebster Award is basically a tag dedicated to finding great blogs. It consists of eleven random facts about yourself, eleven set questions to be answered and requires you to nominate eleven other new blogs.

So without further ado, here are my eleven random facts about myself:

I lived in France for 8 years, so I can also speak French fluently (Let me know if you would be interested in a French blogpost one day)
If it wasn't already obvious by the sheer amount of cat gifs that I use, I love cats. Seriously. Cats are the bomb dot com.
I love writing lists so this blog post is basically my own personal form of heroine.
I once decided to cut my own hair and proceeded to give myself what can only be described as the worst layers in the history of hair.
I believe that bunnies are going to take over the world one day. What do they need such good eyesight for anyway!?
Again, this is probable obvious, but I'm a bookworm. No, scratch that. I'm a book snake. (Should I rename the blog 'Life In The Eyes Of A Teenage Booksnake'?)
I can't have the URL 'lifeintheeyesofateenagebookworm.blogspot.com' because I previously used it and then forgot my login. Feel my pain.
I'm proud to say that I'm a Hufflepuff, we have the cutest 'mascot'. I mean, that's not why I'm proud to be a Hufflepuff, they're a range of reasons (Interested in a full blogpost on that..?)
My favourite female protagonists are Mia Thermopolis, Kate Daniels and Hermione Granger, all for different reasons.
I own Cath Kidston bedding and I'd protect it with my life because it's beautiful and also it cost me way more than bedding should.
Finally, I like to incorporate book, movie, tv and song quotes into everyday life. (See 3rd and 5th random facts)

(Side note, if you want to read more random facts about me you can check out the 'About' section of my blog.)

1. Where were you born?

I was born in Hampshire, England.

2. Describe yourself in three words:
Caring. Procrastinating. Bookworm.

3. What is your guilty pleasure?

My blog actually, it's kind of my happy place.

4. What quality do you appreciate the most in others?

Kindness.

5. What do you hope to accomplish some day?

I'd really love to one day be a successful writer.

6. Three things you cannot live without?

Books. Internet. Friendship.

7. Who are your favourite bloggers?

Sprinkle of Glitter and all the girlies at The Midnight Garden.

8. Why did you start blogging?

I love writing and as I've mentioned my blog is somewhere I feel safe in expressing my opinions without being too harshly judged. Plus, I needed an excuse as to why I have so many cat gifs bookmarked on my computer..

9. If you could live anywhere on Earth, where would it be?

I'm torn. Half of me wants to live in Paris or New York and the other half just wants to live in a cottage in the middle of nowhere.

10. What would be the first thing you'd do if you won the lottery?

The first thing? Well I'd probably have a celebratory dance. I'd probably create my own publishing company so I could help out aspiring writers. I'd also probably donate any revenue from that to charities.

11. What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was really little I wanted to be a nurse, but I think that was only because I had a cute nurse's outfit for dressing up.

And last but definitely not least: my nominations!

Go check them out if you haven't already because I love their blogs ♥

Over & Out, T xx

GIRL ONLINE BY ZOE SUGG

BOOK TITLE: Girl Online
AUTHOR: Zoe Sugg
PUBLISHER: Penguin
RELEASE DATE: November 25th 2014
NUMBER OF PAGES: 352
MAIN GENRES: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

This review includes minor spoilers, proceed at your own risk .

I know what people are going to say. They're going to say that Zoe Sugg only got a book deal because she's deemed famous now, and that she doesn't deserve to be published as much as some other people do. They'll say it's unfair. I disagree.

Now before anyone starts furiously typing that I'm wrong, I'd like you to consider this: Everyone deserves to succeed. Yes, I agree that it is unfair that many people are unpublished. And yes, Zoe was fortunate enough to be approached concerning a publication deal. However, these two things are not mutually exclusive. Penguin didn't decide to only publish books by Zoe Sugg. It they had I'm sure they'd of changed their name by now to Penguinella or something equally as amusing. She didn't steal someone's spot on the shelves of book stores.
She earned it, as did all the other writers who's books sit beside hers.

Right, now that we've established this, let's move on to what's really important: the actual content of the book.

I won't say that Girl Online is the best book I've ever read because that would be a lie. I read around 100 books a year, and while that may not seem like a lot to some of my fellow book reviewers out there, I feel that based on that number I can safely say that I know a good book when I see one. Well.. when I read one.

For me, Girl Online was a great book. It had everything I look for in a Young Adult novel. An interesting plot, a protagonist I could relate to and character development. Admittedly it wasn't flawless. I personally found it to be predictable at times and a little cheesy, but then that's really not uncommon for Young Adult reads. I found it heart warming and enjoyed the book as a whole, and honestly? I'd read it again in a heartbeat.

This read was a little different for me. Like most people, I like to immerse myself into a different world when I read, and so the majority of the books that I choose to read aren't based in the UK because I find it hard to fully immerse myself in a book when things seem too familiar.. (Is this just me? Let me know in the comments!)

I think it probably goes without saying that Girl Online hit a little close to home for me. I mean the protagonist is a teenage Brit who suffers from anxiety, has next to no self esteem, is incapable of talking to members of the opposite sex and blogs. I mean honestly, if my name was in the dictionary that would be it's definition.

Note to self: Stop being so honest.

And whilst Girl Online does maintain a Young Adult vibe through the romance aspect of the novel and the writing as a whole, Zoe addresses some topics that are very important to me, such as anxiety and cyberbullying and the effects that they can have on an individual.

I know that anxiety is currently considered a 'hot topic' or sorts, which I believe is due to the fact that Zoe has talked about it on her blog and YouTube channel. And as with everything, people have seemed to become bored of the topic and sometimes forget that it's something that really does affect many members of society. So I'm happy that it's being addressed more and more in literature too because I think it's important for people to understand that yes there are different forms of anxiety, and they should all be understood.

I'm glad that Zoe managed to show multiple ways that anxiety can affect someone life and didn't just focus on the panic attack aspect of anxiety (although that too was well covered). For instance, when Penny experienced her Glass Slipper Moment (read the book to understand), all she wants to do is crawl into a hole and live there for the rest of her days.

There's no place like hole. *Snorts*

I think that by writing a protagonist who suffers first hand from anxiety, Zoe was able to comfort those with anxiety whilst allowing those who are fortunate to not suffer from it to understand how it feels to experience anxiety on that kind of scale.

Furthermore, a round applause for some of the secondary characters.

Brava! Brava!

My personal favourite was Noah for obvious reasons. You guys know I'm a sucker for musicians, I mean really is there anything more attractive that being able to play an instrument? No. No there isn't. Truthfully though, I liked that Noah was an actual developed character. With Young Adult novels I frequently find that the love interest is a little one dimensional and I was glad that Noah was given a backstory and some character development.

But really, the award for best secondary character has to go to Elliot. If nothing else that for his fashion sense because the boy knows how to work his vintage, which is always a plus in my books.

I'll wear your Grandad's clothes, I'll look incredible.

I think I'm going to round off the review here because I think I'm starting to ramble a little bit. If you have any questions concerning the book feel free to comment below or send me a message (you can find my contact details above in the 'Contact Me' tab)

So to conclude, I'd recommend Girl Online to anyone who's looking for an easy romantic read. If you like Sarah Dessen or Cathy Cassidy then I'd say this is definitely one for you!

Have a lovely day wherever you are!

Over & Out, T xx

PS: HAVE YOU READ GIRL ONLINE? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT? LET ME KNOW BELOW!

DEEPER BY ROBIN YORK

BOOK TITLE: Deeper
AUTHOR: Robin York
PUBLISHER: Piatkus
RELEASE DATE: January 28th 2014
NUMBER OF PAGES: 391
MAIN GENRES: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

This book includes adult themes, and therefore so does this review.

This was a very hard read in many ways.
Don't get me wrong, the writing style was really sublime. But the subject matter, the very serious issue of revenge porn, is something that is so very emotional that it's almost difficult to read. I definitely would not recommend this if you react badly to this kind of topic. That said, I'm happy that I read something as serious as this because I think that it really allows you to see, and more importantly feel, the way that revenge porn affects a victim.

For me, the subject matter and it's effects was executed so well that the other aspects of the novel fell flat. It definitely took me a while to get into the book and to like some of the characters, such as West, the male protagonist.

I won't lie, I didn't like him at all for quite a few chapters. I don't know if this was intentional, that he was portrayed in a way that made the reader progressively accept him in the same way that Caroline did, or if I am simply too judgmental in my voice of male protagonist. Most likely the latter, I'm pretty picky.

My least favourite aspect of the novel was actually the relationship between Caroline and West. There were times when I found myself rolling my eyes or just staring blankly at the page, hoping for some kind of punchline. For instance, this little gem surprised the hell out of me:
"That’s how it looks to me. Like the stars are in Caroline, and the whole world is just me and her.
Because I’m stoned.
And because I’m in love with her."

Also I'm not a hundred percent sure how I feel about the ending, because I'm not sure I can really consider it an ending.. Truthfully, I was expecting another chapter.

I feel as if Deeper focused mainly on Caroline and her gradual fight to overcome the revenge crime of which she was a victim. I'm hoping that the sequel will focus more on West's own issues because lord knows the boy had plenty..

I would also love to see more of the relationship between Krishna and Brige!

Over & Out, T xx

PRE-READ REVIEW : FALL WITH ME BY J.LYNN

A normal pre-read review just wasn't cutting today, so we're tying something a little different.. Interview style!

Q: Tabatha, will you be reading Fall with Me?

Yep. Yes. Indeed. Absolutely. Absofreakinglutely. Of course. Affirmative. YES GIVE IT TO ME NOW.

Q: So I take it you're excited for the fourth book in the series then?

Let me put it this way, if Ms J. Lynn were to approach me at this exact moment in time with the ultimatum of Fall with Me right now or a lifetime supply of pancakes I'd choose the book.

And let me tell you, I take pancakes seriously.

Very

Very

VERY

Seriously.

Um.. Next Question?

Q: Right. Is there anything in particular that you're excited about?

Actually yes! If you've read any of my reviews you'll probably have guessed that I'm obsessed with romance. Literally, you can hand me any book (or film for that matter) with even the slightest hint at romance in it and I'll give it a shot.

When I read Stay with Me I knew straight away that there was going to be a book about Roxy and Reece (loving the name choice by the way, I'm a sucker for alliteration).
There was obviously something between the two and I really cannot wait to see their relationship develops!

Q: Anything else you want to add?

Yes, I thought I'd mention how much I enjoy and appreciate the fact that J. Lynn addresses a serious topic/issue in each book of the series!

Over & Out, T xx

PS: If there are any questions that you want me to answer it my typical cat gif fashion ask me below ! ♥

COVER REVIEW - DARK DEBT BY CHLOE NIELL

Hey guys, so Cover Reviews with Cute Cat Gifs are something I've been doing for quite a while on Goodreads, but have never actually ended up uploading any to my blog, but I feel as if they're slightly more informal, maybe..?

I'm going to give it a go though, because they're actually pretty popular (as far as my reviews go, haha), and I'd really love it if you'd leave some feedback in the comment section below!

So without further ado, I present to you my first Cover Review with Cute Cat Gifs on Blogger:

Hey! Hey you!

Please take a second or two to prepare yourself for the unsolicited cheesiness that is this cover review/reaction..

Picture this:
It's just an average afternoon on Goodreads. I'm just minding my own business, scrolling through my to-read shelf when-

Oh!

I notice that Dark Debt's cover has been released. At this point I don't even pause to scrutinise the thumb-sized image. I just click; pounce, if you will.

Gimmegimmegimme

Unfortunately, everything from here just kind of goes downhill..

(I think the picture says it all..)

The cover does nothing for me. And before anyone feels that they have to give me the 'Don't judge a book by it's cover' speech, ~~don't.~~ please don't.

There isn't a specific part of the cover that I don't like (although I'm not too sure of the colour scheme for this one), it's just all of the different aspects of the cover added together that displeases me. For instance, for me personally, the title doesn't look quite right where it's been placed in relation to the image and the model looks nothing like out previous Merit's, which for some reason always irks me..

*Sigh*

I really love this series (I meant with Ethan-freakin'-Sullivan, who wouldn't?), so it's a real disappointment for me because the way books look in my bookshelf plays a huge role in whether or not I actually get a physical copy or just the ebook..

Over & Out, T xx

SILVER SHADOWS BY RICHELLE MEAD

BOOK TITLE: Silver Shadows
AUTHOR: Richelle Mead
PUBLISHER: Razorbill
RELEASE DATE: July 29th 2014
NUMBER OF PAGES: 380
MAIN GENRES: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

This review includes spoilers, proceed at your own risk .

Beginning: CHAPTERS 1 - 11

This section basically covers all of the 'before communication' chapters.

At the end of Fiery Heart, Sydney was taken by the Alchemists after her sister, Zoe, betrayed her by telling them that Sydney was involved with Adrian. Silver Shadows begins a few months later.
At the beginning of the novel, Sydney is in a part of the Alchemists' re-education called Reflection, where she is basically locked in a dark room by herself, filled with only the barest of necessities. Oh, and the persistent voice of the Alchemists, pumped through speakers into her cell.
Her only options being to either stay there or admit her 'sins' and move on to the next part of re-education, it isn't long until Sydney is admitting that she 'fell in love with a vampire'.

I love you! ♥

This admission gets her upgraded Level 2, where we get a whole bunch of new characters; such as Grace Sheridan, the 'current director' of the re-education facility, as well as Sydney's 'fellow prisoners', the most notable of which being Emma and Ducan.
Whilst it's hard to imagine anything worse than Reflection at this point, Sydney soon learns that the Alchemists can do much, much worse when she ends up in Purging (and later even Purging.2) after being especially vocal about her beliefs.
It's okay though, because Sydney just knows that Adrian is out there being a hero and doing everything he can to find her.

Oh Adrian, save me!

But of course, no. You see, Adrian starts off Silver Shadows concerned for Sydney and and wants to find her. However, once get gets to court and discovers how popular he is there now that he's doing secret work for her royal highness Lissa Dragomir, Adrian becomes quite busy partying with fellow sprit-user Nina.

Sydney who?

Adrian actually irritated me quite a bit in section. I realise that most of his annoying behaviour stemmed from spirit, and that it was probably Mrs. Mead's intention to make the reader somewhat aggravated by his actions (such as by using Nina as a replacement..).
But DAMN, he annoyed me.

Middle: CHAPTERS 12 - 17

This sections refers to the rest of Sydney's time in re-education.

For me, this section was by far the most interesting. I loved seeing how Sydney began to get closer to the others in re-education, and I found all her snooping really gripping.
Plus, Adrian finally got his shit together. Which, trust me, was the biggest relief. If I'd had to read another scene where Adrian was being old-Adrian or a scene with Nina being all.. Nina I probably would have had to put the book down and go take an anger management class. Or two.

Touch him. I dare you.

Adrian finally goes back to Palm Springs (have I mentioned how much I missed the gang in this book?) and then himself and Marcus go out in search of Sydney.. Finally!
In order to find Sydney however, they need certain information. This leads the duo to her older sister, Carly, with whom Marcus becomes totally infatuated.
Side note: I totally love the idea of those two together! Do you? Let me know in the comments!

In the meantime, Sydney manages to get herself in deep, deep trouble. She's caught doing something she shouldn't and is introduced to yet another form of torture, this one called Persuasion.

Did someone say puuuuurrrrrsuasion?

End: CHAPTERS 18 - 22

I mean, I think this section is pretty straightforward.. But just incase, it refers to everything that happens once Sydney is finally out of re-education.

The escape from re-education itself was one of my favourite parts of Silver Shadows, for many reasons. Not only was it really interesting in terms of how they planned it out, and as always with Richelle Mead, it was superbly written, but it was actually really emotional to see Sydrian reunite.

Never leave me ♥

And quite a few other things happen once Sydney is no longer in re-education..

Over & Out, T xx

MY QUESTION FOR YOU:
I totally ship Marcus and Carly! Who's your Bloodlines/Vampire Academy ship?

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