This year has really rekindled my enthusiasm for poetry. When we think about it, poetry is just music without an audible melody so it's surprising in a way that it has taken me this long to re-immerse myself in it. It also seems to have really ignited my passion and enthusiasm for reading a wide range of literature as well. It's not a secret that I have always been a reader but this year it seems to have gone to a whole new level, when I'm not distracted by Parks and Rec and re-watching old series on Netflix of course. So for book club this month, I set aside two books to read. Both were highly anticipated, by me and both were ones I'd been hanging out to read for a long time. They did not disappoint...

Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson-Like many a child of the nineties I was a fan of Mara Wilson. Matilda still is one of my favourite films and probably always will be and of course I have a lot of love for Mrs Doubtfire. In more recent times I found her blog on Tumblr and then discovered she had quite the amazing Twitter account. Where Am I Now? Is a series of essays from Mara on topics such as her accidental stardom, show choir, anxiety and depression and more. It also includes this poignant essay she wrote about Robin Williams which did the rounds in the weeks following his passing. Think of this book as less of a tell-all, scandalous read and more of a reflective, engaging collection of stories and experiences from Mara's life thus far. In amongst her stories of growing up on film sets, there are also snippets of her life that are really relatable and it is that connectedness which makes this book truly special. I loved this so much that I have read it twice already and will no doubt return to it again and again. It is fantastic.

milk and honey by Rupi Kaur-This is another book that is extremely special. As Laura put it in her post, "if there's only one book you read this year, make it this one. It will rip you to shreds." Kaur's collection of poetry is split into four sections; the hurting, the loving, the breaking and the healing. It deals with love, loss, abuse and the beauty in learning to heal and reemerge from moments of darkness. You will want to return to this regularly, dog-ear passages and underline lines that speak to you. Reading this is quite an overwhelming experience, in the best kind of way. milk and honey is a book I will be gifting and recommending for years to come.

-Have you read either of these books? What did you think of them?

There's been a change in literature and film recently, one I am really welcoming. We are seeing women in much more complex roles. Gender disparities are being challenged and the story lines on offer go beyond that of your standard rom-com. I despise that term by the way, I'm just applying it for the sake of this post. Gillian Flynn is one of the game-changers writing about multifaceted women but she has a challenger in the form of Paula Hawkins, author of last year's bestseller and beach/pass copies to all your friends read, The Girl on the Train. 

I only got around to reading this book last month but I intentionally waited so it was fresh before I saw the film. I devoured this book, not quite as quickly as I did Gone Girl thanks to assignments and things but still fast nonetheless. It tells the story of Rachel, an alcoholic separated from her husband yet still fixated on him and her former married life. Each day she catches the train and observes her old life and that of the people she doesn't know. After the disappearance of a local woman and Rachel's lack of recollection from the night of her last sighting, she begins to wonder if she was involved. I will leave that summary there, lest I ruin it for anybody. I absolutely raced through this book. It had such a varied list of suspects, given the book shifted through three different voices and while I did come close to the final outcome, I had many other theories that were competing. One thing that did bother me a little bit was the changing perspectives. I think Rachel's point of view works best in the book but otherwise I really enjoyed this one. 

Now on to the movie, I was lucky enough to attend a preview screening for this before it was released and I was excited. Not only for the film but also because Emily Blunt, one of my all-time favourite actresses was in it. The key difference between the book and the film was that the book was set in New York. Honestly I don't feel like it makes a huge difference really. Otherwise this adaptation was extremely faithful to the book and any changes made only served to enhance the plot. Unlike the book, I feel like the three intertwining stories of Megan, Anna and Rachel all play out much better on screen. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I was still tense watching it and felt edgy in places. I really, really loved the movie though. Emily Blunt is amazing as Rachel. She's such a versatile actress anyway but she really shines in this movie. Fingers crossed she gets the recognition for it come awards season. 

Now for the fun part, NZ readers, I have one double pass to give away to see The Girl on the Train* and one which I am giving away on my Instagram. To enter, you just need to tell me your favourite book to film adaptation in the comments below. This giveaway will close next Thursday the 20th of October and I will contact the winners later that day to arrange posting the passes to you. For additional entries, fill in the Rafflecopter box below and comment over on Instagram too. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

*Double passes supplied by Trigger World. This giveaway is in no way sponsored and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's becoming quite a busy time of year for beauty launches, especially with the approaching holiday season. Perhaps it is the changing of the seasons that inspires a bevvy of new beauty releases. Either way, I am not complaining. Today I have a few new products that I've bought and liked myself to share, as well as some new releases that I've received myself. There's some scents to love, the body range that smells good enough to drink, a complexion fixer and more. Read on if you're intrigued...

Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Obscura**-These eyeshadow palettes have been out for a little while now but I haven't read or seen very much about them online. When I had the opportunity to grab this one I could not resist. When free Hourglass is on offer, how could you? The idea behind these palettes is they're designed to offer new twists on the smokey eye, although honestly you could use these colours for a range of looks. You don't have to take things to dramatic lengths if that's not what you are after. My favourite colour is that rose gold hue, smack bang in the middle. It's a gem. These eyeshadows are all beautifully pigmented too. They do have a fair bit of product that comes up when you place your brush into them but it's nothing a tap off of the brush can't fix. Go give these a swatch when you're next near somewhere selling Hourglass. They're stunning.

Bobbi Brown Retouching Wand in Light*-Touching up makeup on the go has never really been a priority for me. I might powder and touch up my lipstick but anything beyond that I usually cannot be bothered with. That being said, when a product like this, designed for touch-ups comes along and makes everything very easy I am swayed. This is one of those twist-up pens and the brush is designed to quickly swipe on the product. I wouldn't say it's the best brush for blending necessarily so I have a concealer brush in my bag to apply it, or you could just use fingers. I love that there's a range of colours for all skintones too. That's something Bobbi Brown really do well with their base products. 

Aesop Rejuvenate Intensive Body Balm-New Zealand, well Auckland specifically is getting with the times and has finally opened its first Aesop store. While it is in no way the biggest retail space, it is well stocked and beautifully designed so when I paid it a visit there was no way I was going to leave empty handed. I was intrigued by this product after seeing it on Chloe's blog and while it was a bit of a luxe buy, it's going to last forever. That tube is huge. Obviously if you have drier skin than me you will appreciate this more than I do but even for me I find it so nourishing and hydrating. My hands are prone to getting dry as are my elbows so I've been slathering it on there to keep them looking top-notch. It sinks in so quickly and doesn't feel tacky or heavy on the skin, which I love. It is scented with vanilla, cedarwood and tangerine so it smells divine. I'm so glad I picked this up.

Stella McCartney POP**-Two perfumes in one post? What can I say, I am a fragrance fiend. This is my first Stella McCartney perfume, as her scents seem to always be a bit difficult to track down here in NZ and I am loving it. It contains notes of; Tomato leaves, Violet leaves, Green mandarin, Violet, Tuberose, Plumeria, Sandalwood, Cedarwood and Musks. It definitely has a youthful, fresher edge compared to the original Stella fragrance and something more floral like L.I.LY. Its lightness is refreshing, especially after a Winter spent wearing typically more heavier, muskier scents. 

YSL Mon Paris*, available October 17th-Like Stella, this is my first foray into YSL fragrances. I remember their Baby Doll fragrances being particularly popular back in high school but they never seemed to have won me over. Anyway, YSL's newest fragrance, Mon Paris is inspired by the city of love and the dizzying heights and feelings we experience in love. It combines fruity notes with florals and has a white musk and cedarwood base. Now I am rubbish at writing about scents so I am not going to attempt anything prolific here but it definitely does have a sense of comfort to it. What I mean by that is it reminds me of fragrances I have been drawn to previously, yet it still remains unique. It is a beautiful scent and is really long-wearing too. Definitely go give this a spritz and prepare to be entranced when it lands on counters.

Real Techniques Mini Eraser Sponge-Sam and Nic have been bringing it with their new launches this year, as well as revamping their original brushes so they are much more vibrant. These new sponges are a miniature version of their popular complexion sponge and are much cheaper than the higher-end alternatives. I love this for patting in under-eye concealer and concealer in general actually. I prefer the finish from using a sponge to blending with a brush these days, although I do still use both. The flattened side is great for getting into the contours of the face as well. 

Pinita Colada* x The Body Shop-TBS are back again with another tempting, luxurious range for the Southern Hemisphere Summer. When I saw this popping up on Anna's Instagram it immediately caught my eye. I love tropical scents, especially at this time of year. The standout product for me has to be the body sorbet, pictured. Pro tip: Stick it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect. I have to give mention to their scrub as well because you all know how much I love their scrubs. 

Mecca Cosmetica Sunbrella Invisible Superspray-If this were an episode of Friends it would be the one where Sophie sees something on Instagram, reads the praise and then seeks it out in Mecca. That's more or less what happened in a nutshell. Now this is a product I'm still rather unsure about. In theory it sounds fantastic. Sunbrella is a spray that you spritz onto the hands and then pat onto your face and body, offering four hour sun protection. What I am not liking so much is how chemical it smells. Honestly it's quite potent and products like that can wreak havoc on my skin if I am not careful. I will keep you posted as to whether or not this product exceeds expectations or is just a bit of a gimmick. 

The Body Shop are blessing us with a whole plethora of new launches at the moment, one of the latest and greatest being their new Expert Face Masks. You may have seen this post over on my Instagram, expressing my excitement at the personalised robe that accompanied these rather gorgeous face masks. It was an exciting time, naturally. It may surprise some of you but I have one face and there was no way I needed to keep all these face masks to myself, so I recruited Emma and Albertine to review some for me. I've also kept one aside for one of you lovely folk to win as well. Sharing the mask love and all that. So what did we think of these masks? Read on...

Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask*-Out of the two masks I reviewed this one is definitely my favourite. It's 100 per cent vegan, contains charcoal, green tea leaves and tea tree oil. If your skin's being a bit troublesome, mine's been acting out something chronic lately, you will love this. It dries down to an almost scrub-like texture and when you wipe it away, your skin gets a bit of an exfoliation as well. As it is more on the abrasive side, if your skin is a bit drier or maturer, this mask might not be the one for you. Combination and oily-skinned peeps though, you're going to like this one. 

British Rose Fresh Plumping Mask*-Hi guys, my name is Albertine and I run a blog+shop called Pigment Studio. Side note: Go buy one of Albertine's chokers. They're beautiful. Sophie very generously gave me this mask to try out and review for you, so without further ado, here are my thoughts on this mask. I've used this mask about four or five times now and I can safely say it is one of the best wash off masks I've ever used! Not only does it make my face feeling really nice and clean but it really helps to hydrate and plump up my skin, leaving it looking amazingly glowy and fresh. Don't get me wrong, I do love a good mud mask but on days where I feel like treating my skin, without the hassle of wiping dried mud off my face, I reach for this mask. It's really refreshing and perfect for a quick 10 minute skin treatment before applying makeup and heading out for the evening. It's equally as perfect for when you're having a bath and want to quickly slap on a face mask and relax. Lastly, but certainly not least of all, the smell of this mask is AMAZING! Honestly, if I haven't convinced you to buy this mask and try it out for yourself, please go to your nearest Body Shop and have a sniff of this product at the least. Trust me. The smell alone may convince you. 

Ethopian Honey Deep Nourishing Mask*-One common misconception with combination-oily skin like mine, #blessed *ahem*, is that your skin needs less moisture. Sometimes combination skin is actually dehydrated and as a result it produces more oil. Not ideal. Anyway, where I am going with that tangent is that this mask is perfect if your skin's feeling a little bit moisture deprived or in need of something a bit gentler than the charcoal mask I reviewed. It contains community trade honey, marula oil from Namibia and olive oil from Italy. The combination of oils and honey results in your skin feeling a lot smoother and softer after you've removed this mask. Again, it's the perfect one if your skin's a little bit angrier because it is so gentle and soothing. I love how nourishing it is too without feeling heavy or thick when applied.  

Chinese Ginseng and Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask*-Hi everyone, I'm Emma from emmaetc where I mainly write about beauty and books, two of my greatest loves. Using the Chinese Ginseng and Rice Clarifying Polish Mask means you're on your way to achieving a smooth, fresh and brightened complexion. My skin often veers on the dull, clogged side, being very blemish prone, so this face mask seemed a great fit. When applied, it feels relaxing and quite cooling on the skin and should be left for around 5-10 minutes although I like leaving it for a little longer. This mask doesn't set or go hard at all really, and it's designed for you to be able to gently rub into the skin afterwards for exfoliating. I found it certainly polished my skin and made it appear brighter because the small exfoliating bits polished away any bumps or dead skin. I love these types of masks because my face feels super smooth afterwards as you get both the cleanse and exfoliation in there. Generally, I think this really makes a difference to the skin and makes makeup application easier in the morning. Paired with a glow-inducing cleanser, I definitely notice my skin looks brighter and it makes for the ultimate pamper session.  

Now for the exciting part, if you want to win a mask of your own, I am giving away one Amazonian Acai Energising Radiance Mask*. This giveaway will run until the 17th of October and I will announce the winner on my Facebook then. This giveaway is for my NZ readers only as the mask is in a glass container. I just don't want to risk sending it overseas and having it get smashed or wrecked in transit. To be in to win, enter through the Rafflecopter box below. Oh and if you're under 18, please check before you enter as I will need your address to send out the prize. Good luck!