March reading round up...

Here's the books I've been reading in the month of March...

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith
A dark psychological crime thriller mostly set in rural Sweden. Aside from the disappointing ending I really enjoyed this book- you can find my full review here.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova
An emotional story about Alice who at 50 gets diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's, and how it turns her whole life upside down. I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to watching the film adaptation. I'll be posting a full review next Monday. 

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
I was expecting a heart warming and funny family drama but was really disappointed and struggled to get through it. It read like a pitch for a film, and most of the book consisted of main character Judd either moaning about how unfair it was that his wife had cheated on him because she was so hot, or describing the hot factor of literally every female character and deciding whether he'd want to sleep with them/ how great their asses were etc... The fact most of those women had no other purpose in the book made it even more infuriating. On top of that all the characters were completely unlikeable! 

Doctor Who: I am a Dalek by Gareth Roberts
This was a short and sweet Doctor Who story about a dalek discovered in an archaeological dig in the south coast of England. It was enjoyable enough and a very quick read. 

Sex Criminals Volume 1 by Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky
Sex Criminals follows Suzie who discovers she can stop time when she has sex. Then she meets Jon who has the same power and they decide to rob a bank! I thought this was a really fun and unique concept, but I must admit I found it quite slow to start and it got bogged down in origin stories of the characters. Although I won't rush to get the next volume I will pick it up at some point as the art work is stunning and the dialogue is often funny and heavy on sarcasm, and I feel like it could get a lot more interesting.  

Rat Queens: Sass & Sorcery Volume 1 by Kutis J. Wiebe & Roc Upchurch
For some reason I wasn't expecting to like Rat Queens and the art work didn't immediately grab me. I'm pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised. Described as "Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world" it follows a gang of four badass battle maidens for hire. I absolutely loved it- diverse and interesting female characters, lots of humour, great dialogue and a good story. Very much recommend! 

The Fade Out Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips*
This is a noir comic set towards the end of Hollywood's golden era. It follows a war damaged writer who prefers drinking to actually writing, a film that finds itself in trouble after it's lead actress is found dead and her replacement. The story started off quite dark and mysterious as we find that nothing and no one are as they seems but I found this quite slow. Not a whole lot happened and I don't feel like I'll be rushing to continue with it.

Saga Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
This series keeps getting better and better! Following a couple from opposing sides of a galactic war, told through the eyes of their daughter, this volume introduced even more amazing characters and as usual the artwork is stunning. It ended making me desperate to read more but now I'll have to wait ages for volume 5 boo :( Definitely my favourite comic book series at the moment. 


*provided by NetGalley for honest review

Lately...

For today's post I thought I'd be lazy and do a picture post of life'n'stuff from the past couple of weeks! I tried to take a picture every day but obviously forgot on about 80% of the days, but here's the pictures I did take!

"Clarrrrrriiiiiice" ♥

 Lush bath time

Got surprised with some goodies from Primark :)

 Mr Lola being a stealth cat in my little sisters room!

Celebrating 10 years of new Doctor Who by rewatching it!

I've been ill in bed most of this week, which of course led to book buying online.

Recently watched...

Before I Go To Sleep (2013)

I wasn't a huge fan of the book it's based on (review here) but was interested to see how the story worked as a film. There were a few changes here and there which seemed unnecessary, but overall I thought the film was predictable and a little silly. I think changing the diary to a video diary was strange (although understandable) and the film lacked the suspense of the book. 2/5

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

This was a strange and hugely likeable film about Lars, a socially awkward loner who announces that he has a girlfriend that he's met online, but she happens to be a life size doll who he believes is real. It was a funny, and very touching story that portrays how lonliness, and family trauma can affect people. A very sweet film! 4/5

May (2002)

I stumbled on this film on Netflix and decided to give it a watch. It's a strange psychological horror about a young woman named May, who is a little eccentric and desperate to make friends. When all of her attempts go badly she decides to make her own friend. This was weirdly good, and I liked the Frankenstein like story. 3/5 

What have you been watching recently?

Book review: The Farm by Tom Rob Smith...

(Minor spoilers)
Yet again I was sucked in by a book with a mysterious blurb! This is an intriguing thriller about a young man named Daniel who gets a phone call out of the blue from his father telling him his Mum is ill and is in a mental hospital, and that he should believe nothing she says. Soon after he gets a call from his Mum telling him that his father is lying, she's not mad and has uncovered a crime.

The first two thirds of the book mainly consist of Daniels mother explaining and laying down the evidence of a series of dark crimes she believes she has uncovered. Daniel agrees to hear her out and then objectively decide if he believes her. Tilde his mother sets the scene and tells a mysterious and suspense filled story of the events she has witnessed since moving to remote rural Sweden and the small town tight nit community there. I found this part hugely enjoyable, the writer really captured the feel of an isolated Winter countryside amongst strangers you couldn't trust. The story had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what clue Tilde would reveal next. All along you had to question was she a reliable narrator- was she going through a paranoid filled psychotic episode or was everything thing she said true? I found myself changing between the two often, I wanted to believe her but could never be sure.

The last third of the book follows Daniel as he travels to Sweden and attempts to find out the truth for himself. Again I found this part really enjoyable and at times particularly sad at certain revelations. 

Then there was the ending. Sometimes the ending of a book can change your whole opinion of it, and I felt so let down by the conclusion of The Farm after it had been such an enjoyable read to that point. I feel like the ending left too much in question, there were too many threads left hanging. It came so abruptly it was as if the writer had just decided that was that. I finished the last page and just felt disappointed. I understand he didn't want to give a definitive ending, letting the reader make up their mind but I don't feel he gave enough of the story to be able to reach a conclusion myself. 

Despite that I still gave it 4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads. I very much enjoyed most of the book and found it an interesting and multi layered take on the idea of someone loosing their mind or being made to think they had. It also looked at the idea of psychological traumas and guilt and how we deal with them. What made it more interesting was learning something like this had in fact happened to Tom Rob Smith and his Mum. The ending aside I would still recommend giving this a read, especially if you like dark Scandinavian set thrillers.

Find me on Goodreads here!
If you'd like to read my other book reviews you can find them all here.

The Sweet Club subscription box...

Today's post is all about a brilliant new subscription box called The Sweet Club. The Sweet Club offer a fortnightly or monthly subscription service where you can pick 8 different sweets from their huge selection (including lots of pick'n'mix classics, and US candy) and get them posted to your door with free p&p. Yum! 

As soon as I found out about them I couldn't resist ordering a box to try, and spent ages trying to decide which sweets to choose- there's so much yumminess! As you can see I settled on Rosey Apples, Milk Chocolate Cashews (these are seriously GOOD), Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs, a Jelly Belly selection, and some of my favourites from childhood- Cable Apples, Sour Peaches, Milk Shakes, and Yellow Bellies. 

My box arrived the next day and the portions are incredibly generous making me one very happy customer! I think this is a great subscription idea, and would make a great nostalgic gift too. The box arrived gift wrapped, and would also make a great Easter gift as an alternative to eggs. They are well worth checking out, and they also have an introductory price too.

Right now I'm going to overload on sugar... 

Follow them on Twitter here!

NOTD: Revlon Colorstay in Sequin...

For some reason I haven't worn nail polish in ages, so thought I'd give this beauty from Revlon a go. It's the first time I've used it, and I love it! It's a lovely tarnished silver, that gives the effect of brushed metal. As with all Revlon polishes this applied nice and even, and is lasting really well. Even better I picked this one up from Poundland! :)

Book review: Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson...

Before I Go To Sleep is a book I'd heard about so much I knew I had to read it. I must admit I had really high hopes for it, after so much hype. It's about a forty seven year old woman who has amnesia. Everyday she wakes up and she doesn't know who, or where she is and each night when she goes to sleep she forgets all over again. The she begins to keep a journal to try and aid her memory, and starts to suspect she can't trust her husband. 

Firstly, I thought the premise of it was a good idea, and can never resist a thriller that has a mysterious blurb. Once I began reading though, I found it painfully slow. For at least the first half I felt like nothing really happened. It was written in the form of Christine's journal, so obviously we were getting repetition of her working everything out again each day. If you are into slow burning books then I'd say this could be a good one for you, but I get too impatient and prefer something on the pacier side!

In terms of the story it started well, but the more you learnt of Christine and her life the more it became unbelievable. Without spoiling anything, the explanation of her amnesia and the types she had were a far stretch of actual amnesia, and it seemed actual science was ignored to aid the story. 

I couldn't help but get frustrated with the glaring plot holes, and obvious clues to the final 'twist' that I don't know how the protagonist hadn't noticed since she'd wrote the journal and re read it every day. I found pretty much most of the characters unlikeable and their actions just didn't ring true to real life- again it seemed like it had just been engineered to work with the twist at the end.

Overall, I found this book slow and predictable. The twist took so long to happen and by the time it did it just kind of fizzled out into a nothing-y ending. If you are into slow burners and you don't mind a bit of conjecture then give it a try, if like me you do then I'd say avoid!

Find me on Goodreads here!
If you would like to read more of my book reviews find them here.

March Pop in a Box...

Today I bring you another (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Pop in a Box post! 
I always get excited waiting to see which pop is going to arrive, and the great thing with Pop in a Box is that you know you are always going to get one that you want, as you fill in your wishlist and thumbs up all the ones you want to receive. You will never get a pop you have thumbed down. Their website is also a great way of keeping track of your collection.

So, who did I get this month.....

It's The Joker from the DC Universe collection! I must admit I'm not too sure about him- on the plus side I have a Joker to go with my Harley pop but those eyes... I think he would look so much better with the usual black eyes...what do you think?

To see the rest of my Pop in a Box posts go here.

My music picks for International Woman's Day...

I originally planned to put a list together of new(ish) female singers/ bands that I love to celebrate International Woman's Day but then I didn't finish it in time...d'oh. Anyway I thought I would still post it as I love sharing my musical finds and recommending new artists and haven't really written any music posts here before.

Ex Hex

Ex Hex are a punk rock trio from Washington DC. They make fast, short and sweet songs, bursting with energy, snarling lyrics and catchy choruses. I love the track Don't Wanna Loose, which you can find here. 

Marina & the Diamonds

I must admit I'm an occasional pop fan, but I prefer pop with a bit more attitude and edge which is why I love Marina. She is a Welsh singer songwriter who merges pop with indie, new wave and electropop and often wearing her influences of the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Brody Dalle, Garbage and Gwen Stefani on her sleeves. It's hard to pick just one track but Bubblegum Bitch is a great one.

Tei Shi

Tei Shi is an Argentinian singer songwriter based in Brooklyn who mixes indie and pop with R&B to create the most gorgeous multi layered songs. Her track Bassically floors me every time I listen to it, it's bloody beautiful! Listen to it here.

FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs is a British singer songwriter who mixes old school tip hop and 90s R&B with electronica. Her debut album LP1 is a perfect night time listen filled with beautiful slow jams perfect if you love Tricky. Listen to Two Weeks here. 

Honeyblood

Honeyblood are a scuzzy indie duo from Glasgow who mix lo-fi guitars with snarly girl group style vocals and relateable lyrics. If you are a fan of The Breeders, or early Hole then you should check them out. Listen to Choker here.  

Ibeyi

Ibeyi are a Parisian duo of twin sisters who merge their Afro Cuban roots with electro and soul to create beautiful and sometimes dark songs. Listen to their track Mama Says which is exquisitely haunting here. 

Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice are a Alt rock four piece from London fronted by the shrieking, snarling Ellie. Their music fuses rock with punk, grunge, and pop elements which I think fans of The Duke Spirit, Bikini Kill, Veruca Salt and Haim should definitely check out. Listen to She here. 

So there's my list! If you have any music recommendations l'd love to hear them :)

Tony Moly Kiss Kiss Lovely Lip Patch review...

I got given the Tony Moly Lovely Lip Patch as a present a while back, and I must admit I'd never seen anything like it before. It's a lip shaped gel patch that you put over your mouth and leave for around 10- 15 minutes and it is supposed to make your lips smooth much like a face mask.

The texture of it is like a soft jelly- it reminds me of the Transformers jelly sweets I used to get as a kid (anyone remember those?!) which kind of made me want to bite into it, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have tasted good! It is very delicate, and you peel it out and put it on your mouth. This means having to keep quite for ten minutes, and it's best to lay down over wise it just slides off...

The smell of it is really nice, a soft and sweet vanilla type smell with a hint of fruit. Some of the ingredients include witch hazel, strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry. It felt weird but nice with the lip patch on- it had a pleasant cooling effect. Once I'd takes it off I can't say I noticed a huge amount of difference, my lips probably felt the same as if i'd put some lip balm on.

Overall I think this is more about the novelty and cute factor, and think it would make a fun a quirky gift for someone, but I'm not so sure this is a product I'd buy to use in the same way I would a face mask.   

You can buy one here for £2.64

Book review: iZombie series by Chris Roberson & Michael Allred...

IZombie is about Gwen a fully functioning zombie who has to eat a brain a month to survive. Every time she eats a brain she gets flashbacks of the previous owners life and decides to help them with their unfinished business. Helping her along the way is her ghost friend from the 60's, and a geeky guy who once a month turns into a were- terrier. 

The story is fun, although there are a few plot holes here and there. I felt that sometimes they were trying to squash too many subplots in and some parts got a bit confusing. This series was clearly inspired by classic horror as there were stories and characters borrowed from the likes of Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy as well as vampires, were-creatures, and every other monster you can think of! There was even a little nod to Shaun of the Dead. I would be very surprised if the writers were not fans of Buffy as it shared the same quick witted dialogue and characterisations. I found the artwork on the whole striking and enjoyable although there were parts a little inconsistent in quality which is a shame.

Overall I enjoyed the four volume series, but I feel like the characters were a lot stronger than the story which started out really good but waned a little towards the end. If you are a fan of shows like Buffy and Being Human then I'd say this is definitely worth a try. 

I've also read they are making a TV series based on this comic which I'll definitely check out.

Also is it me or does Gwen bare a very striking resemblance to Brody Dalle?!

Find me on Goodreads here!

Japanese snacks: Kabaya Pudding Chocolates (Puchi Purin Choco)...

 

Firstly how kawaii is the tub that these chocolates come in?! Secondly, when you peel back the lid you get a beautiful sweet vanilla scent just like a vanilla cupcake Yankee Candle. That's definitely a good start!

These cute little chocolates are shaped just like a chocolate topped pudding, and are delicious. The taste that first hits you is the milk chocolate- which isn't too sweet but nice and smooth, but then you get the beautiful rich vanilla caramel flavour. 

Inside the pot you get a very generous amount, which is just as well as they are very moreish. I'd definitely recommend giving these a try for yourself- I got mine here from Japan Centre for £1.19. 

Holika Holika Waterdrop Tint Stick review...

I have such a back log of make up products to review I have no idea where to even start... today I thought I would go for the Waterdrop Tint Stick from one of my favourite Korean cosmetic brands Holika Holika.

The tint came in a cute card water drop package. I don't know about anyone else but for some reason I always like lip products that are housed in packaging that matches the shade of the lipstick... I don't know why! The shade I picked is 01 Waterdrop Cherry, which is actually swatches as more of a tomato red.

The tint has a strangely wet texture to the touch, although strangely when applied is quite dry and matte. In terms of pigmentation it is ok, but leans more to the sheer side giving a decent wash of colour.

It's also worth mentioning that after having this for a couple of months I've found it has dark lumps all over it, I'm not sure if I have a one from a bad batch but it now looks diseased and I'm sad to say it will be heading in the bin as it doesn't look useable :( which is a shame as it is a lovely everyday lip colour.

You can buy one here for £5.23 in a choice of 5 colours.

Feb reading round up...

This month has been pretty productive in terms of reading so thought I would do a quick round up of the books I've read...

The Stone Rose by Jaqueline Rayner
This is one of the many novels that accompany the TV show, and the first I've read. I thought I'd start with a book from tens era as he's probably my favourite, and Rose is my favourite companion. This was an enjoyable easy read that was mainly set in Ancient Greece, and captured the characters really well. I felt like this could have easily fitted into series two as an episode. The Stone Rose was packed full of ten and Rose moments, so makes a particularly good read for fans of the pair. 

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson
This was a thriller about a middle aged woman who has amnesia and forgets everything every time she goes to sleep. She begins to write a journal and starts to realise she may not be able to trust the people in her life. This sounds like a brilliant premise for a story, but I found it really slow and predictable. It also pushed the boundaries of neuroscience to a ridiculous level.

The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre
What can I say? I was disappointed with this thriller, and found the story too predictable. You can read my full review here.

Happy Slapped by a Jellyfish by Karl Pilkington
I think this is the only Karl Pilkington book I hadn't read, and was also one of his first books. Each chapter is about a place he has (or in some cases hasn't) been and his account of his visit. The book is packed full of his usual wit and "karl-isms" and is a very entertaining read. 

Saga Volumes 1,2, and 3- Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
This is a sci-fi/ fantasy comic book series focused on a couple who are soldiers from opposing sides of a raging galactic war, trying to find safety for themselves and their newborn child. In short this series is AMAZING! It has everything, but at the heart is a story of love and family. Their are so many fantastic characters and the story just gets better and better.100% recommend! 

iZombie Volume 1-4 by Chris Roberson & Michael Allred
This was a fun horror comic book series focused on Gwen a fully functioning zombie who had to eat a brain a month to survive. Every time she ate a brain she got flashbacks from the previous owners life and helped them with their unfinished business. Helping her along the way was her ghost friend from the 60's, and a geeky guy who once a month turned into a were- terrier. The story was fun, and there were a lot of references classic horror fans would enjoy. I'll be reviewing this series in full next Monday.

You can find me on Goodreads here!

February Pop in a Box...

Another month, another Pop In A Box opening... 

This month I was eagerly (= impatiently) awaiting my parcel. I was very pleased to find Crazy 88 inside from the Kill Bill collection, now I have them all apart from Bill himself! 

You can find my other PIAB posts here (which explain the subscription service too):

January

December

And now for a Pop update, here are the other new additions to my collection this month:

I bought all these from Star Action Figures, who I highly recommend. They have the best prices around and also have great service. Now I definitely need to get a Frankenstein monster to go with the bride ♥.