The Empties Challenge! January Edition

New year, a new month of empties! Though to be honest, I haven't got through quite as many products as I expected to...

1: Tresemme Karatin Smooth: 7 Day Smooth System Conditioner

I bought the whole set of the 7 day smooth set - the shampoo, conditioner, and the heat activated serum. I've made my way through the conditioner the quickest - no surprises there. I dont know many poeple who use shampoo faster than condtioner! I can't comment on the efectiveness of this product without mentioning the other products it was made to be used with. Using the conditioner alongside the other related products is meant to keep your hair smooth for 7 days - even if you get your hair wet in that time frame. You may be aware that I rarely straighten my hair, but when I do, I used these products. I got pretty amazing results with them, my hair looked like I had used GHD's on it - and I don't own GHDs. It was sleek, smooth, neat, and stayed that way while in humid conditions. It lasted a few days with me sleeping on it, only needing a brush and quick top-up straighten until I washed it again. I was really pleased with the results - way back when I used to straighten my hair all the time, everyday it would be a challenge to restraighten it after it curled up again or got any moisture near it! Big change from back then - I was able to do my hair in 10 minutes or less. However, there is a downside of these products - it leaves residue in your hair - like a coating of karatin. This made brushing my hair very difficult as I would have to very carfully brush through the product buildup.
I have used the shampoo and conditioner without straighteneing my hair afterwards - I was left with smooth non-frizzy hair that I left to curl naturally. I still ended up with product build up though, so my curls got a bit snaggley and tangled, especially overnight after sleeping on them. I reverted to only using one or the other, alongside a different shampoo, and this moreor less solved the issue. no product build up, and slightly smoother hair for a couple of days. Honestly, I think 7 days is pushing it, but perhaps this would work better on someone who doesn't have curly hair?

2: Sure Maximum Protection Deodorant

I bought this after it was recommended on another blog that I read (Hello TooFatToRun!). It was also on offer, and deodorant on offer is basically how I decide which one I'll be using... I haven't ever used a deodorant that you twist at the bottom to get the product out before, so this was a new experience for me. At first I found it a bit odd to smear product over my underarms, but actually I think I prefer it to roll on deodorant now. In terms of the functionality of the product, it did stop me from feeling so sweaty and smelly, even after a workout (obviously I was sweating everywhere else, but I didn't have to worry about having smelly pits!). It has a pleasant smell, and does the job it says it should do - you'll hear no complaints from me on the product itself. However, I haven't re-bought this product because the price of it is a little more than what I would usually spend on deodorant. whenever it's on offer htough, you can be sure I'll be stocking up on it! PS - let me know if you see this on offer anywhere? K, thnx.

That's it from me this month, but did you know that I'm on facebook? you can like my page for some more updates and anecdotes here

Happy February!

Boop's Bookshelf: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevski

Crime and Punishment checks off 'A book more than 100 years old' in my 2015 Reading Challenge.

The Author

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881) was a Russian writer who predominantly explored human psychology in 19th century Russia in his literary works. He wrote several novels, short stories and essays throughout his life based around the social, political and spiritual clime of troubled Russia.

Synopsis

An impoverished student theorises that an extraordinary person can commit crime with no ramifications, if the result is to benefit mankind. Raskolnikov tests this theory and explores the mental impact this has on himself. 

My Thoughts

My first impressions from reading this, is that it is not going to be an easy read. Classic Russian literature is hard! all of the characters have several names depending on who is addressing them, and the names are not easily remembered. It took me a long time to get my head around who everyone was and how they were connected. We see this story through the perspective of the main character - Raskolnikov. Unlike many novels, the main character is not particularly likable, especially from the beginning as you (the reader) realises that his convulouted thoughts are contemplating how easily he could commit a murder. Raskolnikov stays unlikeable through the novel, mistreating his family and friends throughout. However despite all of that, you still don't want him to give himself up. 

He never shows remorse for commiting murder, I thought his main issue was realising that he is not an extroadinary person exempt from the ramifications of the crime he commited. he does eventually turn himself in, after wrestling with himself through all of the preceeding chapters. The punishment part of the title comes into play more with the mental torture he is afflicted with, rather than the coporal punishment of being sent away to do manual labour. that section of the story is incredibly small and pales into almost insignificance when compared with the rest of the text.

I found this a very hard book to get through, however I do feel that it was worth the read. 

My Rating...

Not particularly enjoyable, but it is an interesting read.

Goodreads Challenge Check-in

As you're aware from my book reviews, I've been doing a reading challenge this year. I also started a Goodreads reading challenge to coincide with the Popsugar challenge. I set a target of 55 books to be read this year - approx a book per week. I think usually, reading at the rate wouldn't be a problem for me. However, some of the books that were suggested for my work book club were incredibly long (The Count of Monte Cristo - I'm looking at you...) so they took much longer to read than just 1 Week...pushing me behind schedule. 

Progress thus far:

With 7 weeks left of the year, I have 25 books to read to complete this...so I'd need to be reading 3.5 books a week! That would be possible, if I stuck to short, easy-to-read books. Though bookclub interferes with that plan so...we'll have to see how I get on. I'm not likely to review all of the books I've read this year, but I'll try to get a couple of good ones posted! 

Boop's Bookshelf: The Outsiders by S E Hinton

The Outsiders checks of 'A book by a female author' in my 2015 reading challenge.

The Author

S E Hinton was born in Oklahoma, and had always had a love of reading. However the reading material was not to her liking, so she wrote young adult stories that did reflect what she thought they should be. The Outsiders was her first novel, and a great writing career followed it. 

Synopsis

The outsiders tells the story of two rival gangs - the Greasers, and the Socials (Socs for short). The story is told from the perspective of Ponyboy Curtis - one of the Greasers. A gang rivalry goes too far, and Ponyboy finds himself on the run with his friend, contemplating what differences there really are between the two groups; and the importance of family. Despite the similar unhappy situations of both groups, nothing changes and the rivalry continues between the two groups throughout the book. Some huge scale events transpire, and we follow Ponyboy through these, and into his reconciliation with his brothers.

My Thoughts

I like this story. Once I became familiar with the dialect of Ponyboy and the way things were described, I found it to be a quick and enjoyable read. Things escalate very quickly at the beginning of the book, which took me by surprise, and the rest of the story is generally dealing with the fallout from the beginning of the book. I found myself drawn into the world depicted in the novel, and wanted to find out what happened next. Needless to say, because of this I flew through the book. I was a bit disappointed with the story ending. More or less everything about the characters situation stayed the same, except for some changes in the way the brothers relate to each other and look after each other. I left the novel feeling a little dissatisfied with the ending, but otherwise I enjoyed it. 

My Rating...

3 stars
Enjoyable but unsatisfactory

Boop's Bookshelf: Sex and Bacon by Sarah Katherine Lewis

Sex and Bacon checks off 'A nonfiction book' in my 2015 Reading Challenge. 

The Author

Sarah Katherine Lewis is a previous sex worker, who turned to writing about her experiences, and writes for a sex advice column. She has written two novels - Indecent: how I Make it and Fake it as a Girl for Hire and Sex and Bacon: Why I Love Things That are Very, Very Bad for Me. In both she writes about her experiences in the sex industry, feminism, and body confidence - interspersed with battles with her demons and favourite recipes.

Synopsis

Similar to a memoir or biography, this book is written by the author looking back on their life. Lewis reminisces about a time when she was working in the sex industry, and moving on from that into writing. There are interwoven themes through the book, most notably body image, depression, and sex.

My Thoughts

When I first started reading this book, I loved it. It was scandalous, candid, and funny. I enjoyed reading about the author's experiences and found her views on the beauty industry really interesting. However, The more of it I read, the more contradictions I noticed...One moment Lewis would say one thing, the next she would say the opposite. Which was irritating after it happened a few times. The writing style is short and choppy - almost like it was thrown together as she thought of things, or it was several short articles put together to form a book. Having said that, I still read it cover to cover and enjoyed it regardless!

My rating....

3 Stars

Entertaining, but a little inconsistent!

Boop's Bookshelf: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

The Luminaries check off 'A book by someone under 30' in my 2015 reading challenge.

The Author

Eleanor Catton is a Canadian-born New Zealand author. Her second novel The Luminaries won the Man Booker Prize in 2013, crowning her the youngest person to have won the award. Other than The Luminaries, Catton has also released the novel The Rehearsal, and some short stories published in various works.

The Synopsis

The Luminaries is essentially a mystery novel. Set in 1866 at the goldmines in Hokitika. We enter into the story with Walter Moody, who is new to the town and the strange affairs that have been occurring. He happens across a secret meeting of 12 men, and is pulled into piecing together events as each man recants his tale. What follows is an erratic story told from several different points of view, giving an overview of the crimes that transpired and who is actually responsible for them. The crimes in question, all revolve around the disappearance of a young, rich gold digger, a prostitutes multiple collapses, and the murder of a poor man. Everything points towards a ship's captain, or at least seems to.

My Thoughts

I really liked how the reader is brought into the story with another character. It's a good technique used to pull the reader in, and it worked with this novel - without this it would have been extremely difficult to get involved with the story. As each man in the meeting tells his tale, we see several different events that transpire around the same period of time. however, this was not in chronological order. there was a lot of back-and-forward and filling in gaps other character's stories had left. I found it difficult to keep track of this at first, but after spending a lot of time reading - I recommend dedicating an hour or more to it when you first start! - I finally got an overview of how each character's story fits into this mystery up to the moment we entered the story. And there was still a huge amount of the story left to go...

The zodiac signs and other heavenly bodies play a large part in this tale. Each main character represents a zodiac sign, and other essential characters represent the heavenly bodies. each section in the book (there are 12) start off with an image showing what stage all of the zodiacs are in. This probably had relevance to what happened to the characters in the story, but I didn't read too much into that and read the story instead. This novel had in interesting little quirk - each section was half as long as the preceding one. The beginning felt like a mammoth to read, then the further along I got the quicker I flew through the story - some of the chapters were only a few lines at the end!

I found this novel hard to read at the beginning, then the more I read, the more I enjoyed it, and the mystery of the story. My only main niggle with it is the unaddressed question of how two of the characters were inexplicably linked in the way that they were. I wont go into more detail - as it would give away some of the story - but it felt unresolved because there wasn't a satisfactory explanation.

My Rating...

3.5 stars

Not something I am likely to reread, but enjoyable and interesting regardless.

Boop's Bookshelf: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie checks off 'A book set in high school' in my 2015 reading challenge

The Author

Muriel Spark was a award winning Scottish novelist. She wrote several short stories, plays, poems, novels and biographies. She had several titles and honors awarded to her through her lifetime. She has written pieces for the BBC, and lived in several countries through her life. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is the best known of Spark's works.

Synopsis

This short story centers around a Miss Jean Brodie and her exclusively selected group of students at the school she teaches at. The relationship between her and her students is a special one - though that may not be a good thing. Miss Brodie is in the prime of her life and she shares her experiences with her students, while subtly shaping them into miniature versions of herself. Brodie's teaching methods are looked down on by the school's headmistress, who invariably tries to intervene with Brodies' 'set' and gain a reason to dismiss Miss Brodie. Through a love triangle and increasingly manipulative behaviour, one of the girls eventually betrays Brodie to the headmistress, handing her the tools to bring her down. However, Miss Brodie never finds out who that was.

My Thoughts

While reading this, it was difficult to keep track of which girl was which. This was exacerbated by the chapters jumping around in time through the time that the girls knew Miss Brodie. At the beginning I felt that Miss Brodie was a forward-thinking, liberal teacher who is being stifled by the traditionalist headmistress. However, as the story progressed and the power Brodie holds over the girls is abused, I felt that she was much more ominous and her views more dangerous. I mean...I hate to lay down a spoiler, but at one point she says that she was in Germany and she thinks Hitler's regime is a good thing...

She was more than a little obsessed with fascism and she pushed that onto her 'set'. She more or less turns these girls into her very own fascist group, and they hung from her every word. She specifically chose the girls in her set because their parents were disinterested or too naive to intervene in her relationship with them. All a bit ominous and it made me feel a little uncomfortable.

On the positive side of that, my reaction to the manipulative Miss Brodie is the result of good writing. I felt genuine emotion towards Miss Brodie, even if the feelings weren't all positive. It is a well written novel, however I didn't particularly enjoy the story. Then again that could just be because there was a lot about fascism that I didn't understand...

My Rating:

3 stars

Good writing, didn't like the story quite so much...

Boop's Bookshelf: The Heart Specialist by Claire Holden Rothman

The Heart Specialist checks off the 'A book a friend recommended' category in my 2015 reading challenge

The Author
Claire Holden Rothman is a Canadian Author, who writes novels, short stories and also works as a translator. The Heart Specialist was her first full novel, published in 2009. Her other works include: Salad Days (short stories, 1990); Black Tulips (short stories, 1999); My October (novel, 2014).

Synopsis

The book follows the life of one main character - Agnes White - from when she is a young girl through to being a fully grown adult about to turn 50. The book is set through the turn of the 20th century in Quebec, Canada. Agnes' early years are full of struggle to become a doctor, contesting society's accepted norms as she goes. Along the way she learns much about the human heart biologically, but she knows very little of the hearts desires while it is still live and pumping. This is a book about one woman's unorthodox journey into womanhood, fighting societies perceptions of 'proper' womanly pursuits before, during, and after the Great War.

My Thoughts
I had no idea what to expect from this book. It starts out with Agnes as a young girl exploring natural science and collecting and examining her own specimens from the woods around her home. It took me a little longer than usual to get into this book, I was also reading one or two other books at the same time, so I had long breaks in reading this so at first I wasn't very involved with the story. That very quickly changed as Agnes got older over the next couple of chapters, and I could empathise more with her when she reached my age.

I liked the jumps between age in the chapters, it kept my interest by cutting out all of the inconsequential in between years. In contrast, the moments from Agnes' life that are described become more important and pivotal to her personal history, and to the history of womens educational rights.

I really enjoyed reading this novel and the more I read it, the more pulled into the story I was. The misunderstandings between some of the characters were both frustrating and amusing. I didn't like the way the main focus of Agnes' life turned out to be a complete dud. *Spoiler alert* - The whole time she is looking for her father, and when she finally finds him there's no recognition or acknowledgment from him. Highly disappointing really...then again maybe I only feel that way because it was written to make me feel that way. To feel the same as Agnes does about it.

My Rating:

4 Stars

An enjoyable read, with interesting themes and subjects. The story pulled me in and kept my interest.

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 2

Today's prompt:

 Dream job when you were little/what is it now? 

I have no idea how many Dream jobs I had when I was younger. At all. I was always changing my mind and one day I might decide one thing, and another it will have changed again. they range from huge things to seemingly mundane things, maybe not dream jobs as such, but jobs I remember wanting. 

I've listed those that I can remember!

1. Writer
2. Journalist
3. CEO of a company (I don't know what company...just A company)
4. Musician
5. Dancer (Ballerina, obvs)
6. Teacher
7. Hairdresser
8. Beautician
9. a Personal Assistant
10. Secretary
11. Receptionist
12. A leading actress in a big musical theatre production
13. Burlesque Performer
14. Costume designer & maker
15. Theatre Manager
16. Makeup Artist - Stage make up in particular
17. Expert in special effects make up and prosthetics
18. Stage Manager
19. Deputy Stage Manager
20. Lighting Designer
21. Singer
22. Professional Book Reader (that's a thing, right?)

That's about all that I can remember! 

Now for the more difficult part - What is my dream job now?

I don't know is the honest answer. I have no idea what I want to do anymore! 

I was always really set on theatre and being involved in that in some way (which you may be able to tell from the list above!). A huge part of me still wants that, and want to go touring with a company and get involved in behind the scenes at festivals. However, I have also started to explore writing, and I feel like that should be given a good chance. I don't expect to get anywhere from it, but it's fun. 

I suppose writing is more of a hobby I'm beginning to take up at the moment, which does include blogging. 

Therefore, a theatre-based role - preferably backstage - seems like it might be the one. Then again the hours are all insane. Perhaps this is something I should think about doing now while I'm still young, then move into a different area as I get older and want more routine. 

Maybe I can somehow combine the two - writing and theatre - reviews perhaps? Or a little of both and lots of the other?

I've no idea, this is just how I feel about it today, who knows what I will think about it tomorrow!

Check back tomorrow for day 3 of Blogtober14 : One Thing You Cant Live Without

Link up are over on HeleneinBetween

Join in!

Review - Musical: Avenue Q

Performance:

8:00pm Saturday 19th July 2014

Venue:

Theatre Royal Winchester

For years upon years, I have heard nothing but good things about Avenue Q. Subsequently, I have always wanted to go and see it-you can imagine how devastated I was when it came out of the West End. 

You can probably also imagine how excited I was when I got an email from Theater Royal Winchester saying the UK tour was going to town. I immediately messaged Pip and arranged for Andrew and I to visit her and Maxx, and to go and see it with them.

Synopsis:

Winner of the TONY “Triple Crown” for Best Musical, Best Score andBest Book, Avenue Q is part flesh, part felt and packed with heart.

Avenue Q is a laugh-out-loud musical that tells the story of a recent college graduate named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. There, he meets Kate (the girl next door), Rod (the Republican), Trekkie (the internet sexpert), Lucy The Slut and other colorful types who help Princeton finally discover his true purpose in life!

(From Website)

My Thoughts

The stage was open as the audience enter the auditorium. The set is proudly on display, with two televisions suspended to the the left and right sides of the stage. I love the look of the set, and the effect of having the smaller buildings behind the main facade - this created the illusion of depth to the small stage. I was surprised at how far forwards the set was, having worked in this theater before I know that the stage goes further back than what I could see. N.B. I worked on shows here intermittently throughout university. 

The show opens with a video shown on the TV's alongside the Avenue Q Theme. Immediately after we were thrown into the world of Avenue Q, and meeting the residents - through the medium of song, of course. The Plethora of characters were widely different, but all had their current situations in common - a lack of money, unhappy with their lot in life, and wanting more. The story centers around Princeton - a recent graduate. His story resonated with the four of us because we are all in a similar situation - trying to work out what the heck to do with our lives. 

The story progresses with some very shocking songs. 'Everyone's A Little Bit Racist' and 'The Internet is for Porn' were particular favorites of ours. There were so many moments when Pip and I would turn to look at each other with expressions of scandalised delight. Through the first act we see the protagonists (Princeton and Kate Monster) start a relationship - including a rampant puppet sex scene - and later ending the relationship just before the interval. There are also other stories interwoven through this act - the roommates Nicky and Rod keep butting heads due to living in a small place together, and due to Rod being a closet homosexual - Nicky suspects this is the case and tries to help Rod come out. Cue 'If You Were Gay'. Rod eventually snaps and throws Nicky out of their apartment. Christmas Eve and Brian finally get married - with much pushing from Christmas Eve, who most certainly wears the trousers in their relationship! Incidentally, it is at the wedding that Princeton develops cold feet and we see an amazing display of what is running through his mind - culminating in a giant Bridezilla Kate. It is also the scene in which Rod throws Nicky out. We also see Gary Coleman - who is the superintendent of Avenue Q, and Trekkie Monster who is often referred to as a pervert. Lucy the Slut performs at Avenue Q's Around the Clock Cafe - where she shows a particular interest in Princeton, much to Kate's dismay. Though Kate was the one who took Princeton home for the aforementioned puppet sex. Popping up at intervals we also met the Bad Idea Bears. The name says it all really...

At act 2, Kate is jobless, Princeton is miserable and also jobless, Nicky is homeless, Rod is struggling to repress his feelings, Brian and Christmas Eve are married, Gary Coleman is Gary Coleman, and the Bad Idea Bears are up to their usual mischief. I couldn't wait to be thrown back in to their world.

We see many of the characters at their lowest points in this act. Things start to slowly get better - or rather, the residents of Avenue Q start to deal with their circumstances a little better. We see them become more comfortable with who they are, and start to think about others instead of themselves and their own problems. I think we are all a little guilty of wallowing in our own problems and ignoring everyone else's. I wont go into detail on the second act - wouldn't want to spoil it ;)

The puppetry was extremely well done. You see the puppeteers at all times, and their faces matched exactly what you imagine the puppets face would look like if they had more facical expressions. Or matched the puppet's face exactly. It was uncanny at times...

The physicality of the puppets was brilliant, each puppet moved in a different way. In particular I noticed the way Lucy The Slut entered and exited - always with an exaggerated strut which set her hair bouncing around. It was done in such a way that you couldn't take your eyes off her at times - and yes, this is a puppet I'm talking about. I could also see the puppeteers physical movements alter, the puppeteer also animated Kate Monster - who is a very different character to Lucy. Everything about her changed - her facial expressions, her walk; her voice became a sultry, deep 'come hither' drawl instead of the high, sweet sounding Kate. It was an amazing example of adaptability and acting skill. 

There were other puppeteers who also swapped around based on who was on stage, half the time you wouldn't realise a puppet's voice was actually coming from the other side of the stage until you really looked out for it. It was done so well, almost seamlessly. The other half of the time is at the beginning of the show when you're trying to workout who to look at - puppet or puppeteer. FYI: The puppet wins.

I was also impressed with the skill of the non-puppeteer actors. Working with puppets rather than humans is difficult, though of course the puppeteers were also there. It would have been incredibly distracting if Brian, Christmas Eve and Gary Coleman had been splitting their focus between the puppet and puppeteer. Their focus was admirable and kept the audience focus where it needed to be.

Avenue Q is an absolute pleasure to watch-albeit a guilty pleasure! I would definitely go and see this again, and recommend going to see it - especially if you, like me, have no idea what to do now uni is finished! 

A Risk Worth Taking & Silent Revenge by Laura Landon

Two books by the same author. Figured it would be worth writing about these together! Also, SPOILERS ALERT! Only some, and only things that I found obvious.

The genre this story firmly sits in is historical romance. I quite like this genre, it's all old world-y and very different from today's society. Reading in this genre transports me into a whole world of different society values and expectations.

A Risk Worth Taking

I was unsure about what to expect from this novel. I liked the sound of the synopsis and the reveiws were mostly OK, so I thought it was worth a go.

The story focuses on our hero and heroine, and is told from both of their perspectives. First we meet our hero, an ex-intelligence officer who is guilt ridden, has a hero complex, and a drinking problem. (developed while trying to forget his guilt). This self hated comes up a lot through the book, and if it weren't for the antidote of our heroine's monologue, it would be very tedious. Griff has been avoiding his family (Griffs brother and his wife & children) for fear of old enemies from his intelligence days. His only friend is killed suddenly, leaving him quite distraught and torn over his friends last words "look after Annie". (This also adds to Griffs pile of guilt and tips him into drinking oblivion).

Our heroine-Anne-is left destitute after her brothers sudden death. She has a younger sister to support and no means of income. She does not wish to marry, as her parents had an unhappy marriage due to her father being a drunkard. She does not wish to end up like her mother-trying to make her husband love her, failing, then dying (we assume of heart break/losing the will to live). However, her situation is dire and she can't see any other solution. The distant cousin who claimed her brothers lands and title offers her the only solution possible. This character is the villain. The reader knows this from the offset due to the way Anne interacts with him. His solution is marriage to him, as the only way to survive. That is, until dear drunken Griff arrives with a different offer. An offer to come and stay with his brother and his brother's family for a season so she can select a suitable husband.

Griff becomes more and more involved with Anne's selections, being rude and overbearing towards all of her suitors. As the reader, we can decipher that it is because he cares about her. However he will not admit it. I won't explain the story further, as I wouldn't want to give it away!

I enjoyed reading this and finding out if the predictions I had made were correct (usually they were) and I liked the way the characters interacted. 

I wrote this review while on the train.
Then lost it when I accidentally hit the back button when jolted. So annoyed, had to re write everything!!!

Silent Revenge

I got this novel for a discounted price when I bought another romance on my Kindle. I recognised the artwork on the cover and checked to see if the author was the same as the above book. It was, so I decided to get it as I liked the first one I read.

First and foremost, not very impressed. It's the same basic storyline as the other one. Strong male with hidden past, some sort of illness making heroine look after him breifly without him knowing, a villain who wants something from the heroine&hero, who is involved in the same thing as the villain in the previous book...You see my point.

Having said this, there are some interesting twists to the story. The heroine's two secrets, for example. That part was well done, even if Jessica did go on about it in her internal dialogue...There were some well planned out parts of this, but it was like the two books were an entity with the same DNA, arranged differently. I do feel as though the author has a basic template for these storys and threw in different situations and characters.

Despite all of this, I still enjoyed reading it. Perhaps when I come to read my next Laura Landon's novel I'll make sure I havent recently read any others!

Sorry for the waffling on!
Happy Thursday!

Book review

Hello world!

Click the link below to hop over to my other blog for a review of Energise You by Oliver Gray. 

http://wp.me/p1VIS4-bQ

:)

Review: DISenchanted by Robert Kroese

Did I ever mention I love a good read? I  bought this book from the recommendations that come up on the first page of my Kindle Paperwhite (best invention ever) as it was on sale. It's not the sort of cover that would usually catch my eye, but I read the synopsis and decided that for such a small price, it was worth a shot. I was completely right. SO worth it.

This novel started out as episodes in Kindle Serials, where you (the reader) receives the episodes as the author finishes them. I'm glad I didn't have to wait for it to be finished. That drives me a little crazy because I'm impatient. I always have several unfinished series on the go!

The story is set in a fairytale-esque land called the kingdom of Dis. The story focuses on one character throughout, and has several flashbacks which explain his personality and how he got to where we meet him- at his death. Boris' death does not mean that the remainder of the book is retrospective, we follow Boris in his afterlife as a wraith. I found the storyline to be humorous and suprising. I liked that there were several moments when I couldn't decide if I actually liked Boris, It's refreshing to have a main character whom you are not always fond of.

The book includes helpful footnotes which assist in explaining obscure facts about Dis. Usually I find footnotes a little irritating, however these are worth reading as they are often quite funny. These added to the humour in the book.

Overall I found this to be a lighthearted and engaging story. One which I will most definitely be reading again.