Showing posts with label Submarine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Submarine. Show all posts
1/06/2016
Favourite Reads of 2015: Part Two
2015 may be done and dusted but judging by the state of my subscription boxes, the favourite declarations are nowhere near over. Today I'm finishing up my favourite reads for 2015. There's a fair few YA novels in the mix and also some of the best, diverse memoirs I have read in a long time. Enjoy!
Am I Normal Yet by Holly Bourne, not pictured-This was a library book, hence the lack of photographic evidence that it was read but trust me, it was! Am I Normal Yet is another book that explores the topic of mental illness, this time anxiety along with obsessive compulsive disorder and to an extent, depression. I remember really enjoying this and found myself identifying with aspects of this story as well as my own high school experience. There's something very special about Holly's writing, I have read two of her books now and I highly recommend you give them a read.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed-I really wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did but I loved it. Given I know next to nothing about tramping and the American outdoors I've found it extremely interesting. Cheryl Strayed sets out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in an attempt to rediscover herself and reflect on the last few years of her life, since her mother's passing. It's a true story which makes it all the more amazing and inspiring. The movie is just as good as the book too.
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell-From memory this was one of the first books I read last year but I remember soaring through it because it was such an addicting, captivating read. Set in the eighties, minus all those pop culture stereotypes we know and love, it tells the story of two teenaged outcasts whose paths cross on the school bus. They bond over a love of mixtapes and comic books and the rest as they say is history.
Reckoning by Magda Szubanski*-There were quite a few memoirs read by me last year which isn't that surprising given it's one of my favourite genres. Magda's book explores two key threads of her life; her Dad's polish upbringing and involvement in WW2 and her sexuality. In among that there is snippets about how she became one of Australia's most-loved comediennes. It's one of the most interesting, insightful memoirs I've read in a long time and it was one of those books I couldn't put down from the beginning. Forget what you know about Magda already, there is so much more to her.
Submarine by Joe Dunthorne, not pictured-Thanks to Emma for going on about this book+movie because it got me intrigued and this ended up being one of my favourite books of the year. Dunthorne's writing reminds me a lot of Nick Hornby which is a good thing, obviously. Submarine tells the story of Oliver Tate, a British high school student in the midst of his GCSE's and on the path to understanding the complexities of the teenage girl brain, or in his case, Jordana's mind. Each chapter is constructed as a diary-like entry so it's a quick read. This book is so hilarious though and at times a bit sad but the dialogue and Oliver's thought process were so entertaining to discover. I highly recommend you give this one a read if you haven't already done so.
You Deserve A Drink by Mamrie Hart-I really have Joan Rivers and Grace Helbig to thank for the discovery of Mamrie Hart. She's one entertaining lady and she makes a rather extraordinary cocktail, if her videos are anything to go by. You Deserve A Drink is presented as a book of boozy misadventures and tales of debauchery. To accompany each story there's a cocktail so if you wanted you could become the Julie and Julia equivalent of cocktail creation. Drink responsibly kids. I'm really looking forward to starting this and am expecting hilarity.
-Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?
*Review Copy
9/23/2015
September Favourites
Another month, another rather early dose of September Favourites goodness. For once I was very decisive when it came to compiling this list for the blog. There's a couple of repeat offenders in the mix as well as some new loves, both beauty and non-beauty. Here's what took my fancy in September..
bareMinerals Pop of Passion Lip Oil Balm in Punch Pop-I'm cheating a bit here as this was only purchased last week but I love it so much and felt it deserved an inclusion. These new lip balms from bareMinerals are super pigmented but you can easily sheer them out with your finger. These contain passionfruit seed oil and Vitamin E and they're so moisturising. Seriously, they're putting most of my other lip balms to shame. I highly recommend these if you want something hydrating with a punch of vibrant colour for your pout.
Daisy Dream x Marc Jacobs-This fragrance has been on high rotation this month, probably because it's been living in my satchel for the majority of September. I've just noticed this was in my September Favourites last year as well, deja vu much? There's something about fruity, slightly floral fragrances that just screams Spring and Summer to me. It's such a vibrant, uplifting fragrance. I love it. PS-The newer version of this, Daisy Dream Forever is worth a spritz too.
Revitalash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner*-It's been around two months now since I started using Revitalash and while I was skeptical as to its effectiveness at first, I really think it's working its magic. For those not in the know, Revitalash is a rather popular lash serum on the NZ market. It's hard for me to tell if it's made my lashes thicker, because I already have quite thick lashes, but it's definitely lengthened them. They feel a lot softer too, although maybe that's my imagination. I'm going to do a review of this sometime around the three or four month mark so keep an eye out for it.
Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme and Cucumber Gel Masks-One of my friends (shoutout to M if you're reading) got me the mini mask set from Sephora for my birthday and I've become obsessed with these two masks. The Pumpkin Enzyme mask is quite exfoliating, so it's great when your skin needs a good ol' clean and refresh. It seems almost brightening in a way as well so it's great for dull skin. The Cucumber Gel mask on the other hand will be your BFF in times of need, i.e. when a planet sized blemish decides to move in on your face. It's really cooling too which I love.
Australis Metallix Shadows in Gold Gaga and Pearl Jammin'-Now these have definitely made an appearance on my favourites before. Possibly more than once. These incredibly pigmented, buttery cream eyeshadows set down to leave your lids looking shimmery, sparkly and fabulous. Seriously, they're gorgeous and they're so long-wearing. I'm obsessed with these eyeshadows and I always get asked what's on my eyes when I'm wearing one. If you're in New Zealand or Australia, go give these a swatch and/or buy a couple. You won't regret it.
Submarine by Joe Dunthorne-This was easily my favourite book and also film of the month. I've already talked about it a bit on the blog this month so I won't ramble on too much. This novel is brilliant, raw, and utterly hilarious. If you're a fan of Nick Hornby or Stephen Chbosky then I think you'll enjoy this book.
III x JoJo-Everyone's favourite '04/05 teen queen JoJo is back with a new EP, which I believe is a snippet of the songs we can expect from her upcoming album. It's so freakin' good guys. It's hard to pick a standout track because they're all awesome. In terms of music-I've also been liking Miley Cyrus' new album that she dropped online and Vampire Weekend. The latter seems to always make a reappearance on my playlists at this time of year.
-What have you been loving during September?
*PR Sample
9/09/2015
September Reading List
September's rolled around extremely fast which means it's time to share another reading list on the ol' blog. I'm on a bit of a book buying blitz for the time being, largely because my TBR was getting out of control so aside from the odd essential purchase, expect to see a fair few library books around these parts instead. This month it's all about novels with a sprinkling of non fiction in there for good measure. Sometimes I go through a phase where I only want to read memoirs and then I go the other extreme and only want to read novels. The latter is certainly happening at the moment. Anyway without further ado, here's the contents of my September reading list..
You Deserve A Drink by Mamrie Hart-I really have Joan Rivers and Grace Helbig to thank for the discovery of Mamrie Hart. She's one entertaining lady and she makes a rather extraordinary cocktail, if her videos are anything to go by. You Deserve A Drink is presented as a book of boozy misadventures and tales of debauchery. To accompany each story there's a cocktail so if you wanted you could become the Julie and Julia equivalent of cocktail creation. Drink responsibly kids. I'm really looking forward to starting this and am expecting hilarity.
Submarine by Joe Dunthorne-This book was recommended by Emma of ohflowerchild and I am so glad she mentioned it because this is easily one of my favourite reads of the year. Joe Dunthorne's narrative style reminds me a bit of Nick Hornby so maybe that's why I was so taken by this book. Anyway, Submarine tells the story of Oliver Tate, a British high school student in the midst of his GCSE's and on the path to understanding the complexities of the teenage girl brain, or in his case Jordana's mind. Each chapter is constructed as a diary-like entry so it's a quick read. This book is so hilarious though and at times a bit sad but the dialogue and Oliver's thought process were so entertaining to discover. I highly recommend you give this one a read if you haven't already done so.
You're Never Weird On The Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day*-This book came to my attention thanks to the wondrous corner of the internet that is Buzzfeed. Felicia is a self-described digital misfit who is at home in the lands of Buzzfeed and Goodreads book clubs. Can you see why this one sounds right up my street? I think I'll read this one after I Was Here, because the tone of that book makes me think I'll need something uplifting to follow on from it.
I Was Here by Gayle Forman-I've read none of Gayle Forman's books despite owning two of them and having this one out from the library so I am amending that this month. The plot of this book sounds similar (ish) to All The Bright Places so if you enjoyed that then this may appeal. It also has positive reviews from Stephen Chbosky and Sarah Dessen which I'm taking as a good sign.
-What do you plan on reading during September?
*Review copy
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