Books I Read in 2013 (Part Two)

Morning lovelies,

I can't believe it's Friday again already. Where did the week go? 

Where has January gone, more to the point? This year is already passing so fast! It's madness.

It's already been a week since my last book review post and I'm back today reviewing some more of the books that I read in 2013. Today I'm looking back on three novels I enjoyed reading last year: Instructions For A Heatwave by Maggie O' Farrell, Joyland by Stephen King, and Sole Survivor by Dean Koontz.

Instructions For a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell

Basic Plot: It's July 1976 and London is gripped in a stifling heat wave. One morning, Robert Riordan tells his wife, Gretta, that he is going to the shop for a newspaper, but he doesn't return. His disappearance brings their three estranged, grown-up children- Monica, Michael Francis, and Aoife- home to try to work out where he might have gone. It doesn't occur to the siblings that the answer may lie with their mother.

The book goes back and forth between the voices of Gretta, Monica, Michael Francis and Aoife. Their stories slip from their present day and in to their pasts, as they try to make sense of Robert's disappearance. We learn about the feuds that have distanced the siblings from each other and their over-bearing mother, and the problems each of them are facing in their everyday lives. Monica has relationship problems, Michael Francis' marriage is falling apart, and Aoife is struggling with her secret dyslexia. As the story progresses, the characters journey to face their differences and to find out where and why Robert has gone.

Thoughts: Maggie O' Farrell has a real talent for story telling, and although Instructions For A Heatwave isn't her best, it's one of those books that has to be devoured in a single sitting. She is so wonderfully descriptive that she really pulled me in to the story, and urged me to keep reading. The siblings, although so different, were each very likable, while their mother, Gretta, was perfectly irritating, as intended. At the same time, it was hard not to pity her as the story unfolded, and the search continued. It was an enjoyable summer read.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit. Rating: 3.5 / 5

Joyland by Stephen King

Basic Plot: College student, Devin Jones, takes a summer job at an amusement park called Joyland, trying to forget the girl who broke his heart. He's given the role of Howie the Happy Hound, dressing up in a dog character costume to entertain kids who visit the park. He soon learns about a mysterious murder that happened at the amusement park in the past, and makes it his quest to discover what really happened.

Thoughts: Stephen King is my favourite author, so naturally when his new novel came out last summer, I had to buy it. While I enjoyed Joyland, I kept waiting for the excitement to happen, but I felt it was a bit of an anti climax. The story remained on the same gear throughout, and I wasn't particularly overwhelmed with the story or the ending, which is very unusual as I'm a big Stephen King fan. It promised horror, but didn't deliver. It wasn't a bad novel, but in no way was it his best. If you want to read a great Stephen King, go with The Stand!

Genres: Fiction, horror, thriller.  Rating: 3 / 5

Sole Survivor by Dean Koontz

Basic Plot: Joe Carpenter's wife and daughters died in a tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of all three hundred aboard, and devastated by grief, Joe has given up on life. On the anniversary of the crash, Joe heads to the beach with a few beers, hoping the waves and alcohol will pacify him before a visit to the cemetery. Instead, Joe learns that he is being watched. From that moment on, Joe is thrust in to a world of physical danger as he learns that the official story of Flight 363 is a treacherous lie. They said it was an accident. It was not. They said there were no survivors, but then Joe learns of a woman who walked away unscathed. A sole survivor. She has a secret that will change the world, and with reason to believe his daughter may still be alive, Joe journeys  to find out the truth.

Thoughts: This book was fast paced and full of action, I couldn't put it down! Perhaps I'm biased as I am a fan of Koontz's books, but I thought it was well written. The main character's grief was well portrayed, and it was difficult not to pity him. As the story goes on and he clings to the possibility of his daughter still being alive, it was impossible not to hope along with him. The twists and turns were unexpected and set this book apart from other stories written around a plane crash. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I'd recommend checking this one out if you like Stephen King novels, thrillers, and disaster.

Genres: Fiction, thriller, disaster, action. Rating: 5/5

I'll be back with the some more book reviews next week!

Have you read any good books lately? What are you reading at the moment?

Books I Read in 2013 (Part One)

Last year, definitely wasn't my best in terms of reading. Well, that's not entirely true; what I mean to say is last year wasn't my best in terms of reading books. Fiction, or non-fiction. I certainly did my fair share of reading blogs and articles online! I guess that was the issue; I spent so much time blogging, I didn't dedicate enough time to my hobbies off screen in 2013, which is why I only read 13 books in full over the entire year. Pitiful, oh, so pitiful!

Especially considering I'm already half way through my fourth book of the year!

From January until around September or October, I just couldn't find the patience to read. I was too restless to concentrate on what I was reading, so reading was slow. It was only when I began to reread The Hunger Games books on my Kindle in the Autumn that my hunger to read returned, and I whizzed through more than half of the thirteen in a couple of months.

I never did get around to reviewing most of them, so I thought I'd review each book I read in 2013 over a few posts, and then start afresh with this year's reads. I'm splitting the reviews in to three of four posts; with a separate post (perhaps two) for books I read on my Kindle to follow soon.

I read just six 'real' books last year, most of which I picked up cheaply in supermarkets. Today I'm briefly reviewing three of them.

An English Man in Auschwitz by Leon Greenman

Basic Story: An Englishman in Auschwitz is a Holocaust testimony written by English born, Dutch raised Greenman, a Jewish man who remarkably defied the odds and survived life in no less than five Nazi concentration camps. This book is his story, beginning with his childhood and life before the war, before going on to focus on the occupation of Holland, and life in the concentration camps. He talks about life in these camps, the suffering which he and others endured at the hands of the Nazis, and how he survived in the face of real adversity. You can read my full review of the book here. 

Thoughts: I went through so many emotions as I read Leon's accounts of life under the Nazi reign, and tears were shed. It was horrifying to read at times, but morbid curiousity kept me turning the pages, willing him to survive. His story is one of the most fascinating Holocaust accounts I've read, and it would be unbelievable if it wasn't true.

Genres: Autobiography, Holocaust Testimony. Rating: 5/5.

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan

Basic Plot: The year is 1914 and a magnificent ocean liner suffers an explosion en route to New York City. The passengers who are fortunate enough to secure a seat in a lifeboat have abandoned the sinking ship, and the story begins with the passengers of lifeboat 14 distancing themselves from the ill fated vessel. The story follows newly married Grace Hunter and the occupants of lifeboat 14 as they sit side by side in the life boat over the course of three weeks, fighting to stay alive and praying for rescue. It is apparent from the start that the boat is over capacity, and the occupants soon learn what they will do in order to stay alive.

Thoughts: I purchased this book because the blurb shared a few distant similarities to the Titanic tragedy, which is also my favourite film. If the occupants of the Titanic's lifeboats hadn't been rescued hours later, I imagine they could've faced a similar fate to those in lifeboat 14, and at times I did imagine the story to be leading on from the famous sinking. It was hard not to considering the similarities. but it also made it easier for me to imagine the scene. It's hard to believe that a book about a group of people sat in a lifeboat for three weeks could be interesting, but I became extremely engrossed in the story, and devoured it in a couple of sittings. The book is full of twists and turns, strong main characters, (both likeable and unlikeable) and it's well worth a read!

Genre: Adventure.  Rating: 5/5.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

I'm personally not the biggest fan of chick lit... and even less of a fan of Nicholas Sparks' work, as much as I love the movie adaptions of his novels. I read The Notebook years ago, and I don't think I've ever hated a book more in my life. I powered through it, but it was extremely dull. However, I fell so much in love with the movie of Safe Haven last year (well, hello Josh Duhamel!), that I decided to chance the book.

Basic Plot: Erin is trapped in an abusive relationship, and after some careful planning, she finally makes her escape when her husband, Kevin, is away on business. She boards a bus and eventually ends up in a small Southern town (in America), where she starts afresh with a new identity, adopts the name 'Katie', and does her best to lie low. She finds a place to live, gets a job, and saves her wages in case she needs to flee. She is befriended by her elusive neighbour, Jo, and slowly gets closer to a local widower, Alex, and his two children, Josh and Caitlin. All the while, Katie is terrified of being found by her husband- and she knows it's just a matter of time. Her policeman husband will stop at nothing to find her.

Thoughts: It wasn't the best written book I've ever read in my life, but I did enjoy it. It was a pleasant, easy summer read that required little effort and I think at times this is exactly the type of book a girl needs. Unapologetic, simple romance that can be read in a day, while sunbathing on the beach of lounging in the garden on a summer's day.

Genre: Chick lit, Romance. Rating: 3/5.

If you read just one book from this post, I would recommend and urge you to try The Lifeboat.

I hope you've enjoyed these brief book reviews- do you enjoy reading posts like these? Would you like to see more book reviews on the blog in the future? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

I'll be back with some more book reviews next Friday.

Cath Kidston Haul

When I went to the outlet village, Bicester Village, a few days ago, I couldn't resist popping in to Cath Kidston for a quick browse. I didn't go in with the intention of buying anything, but there were a couple of things that I couldn't leave without...

These little brooches were on my Autumn wish list, but I couldn't really justify the delivery charge for such small, frivolous things, so I never made a purchase.

When I saw them in the outlet shop in those impulse-buy containers around the till, I grabbed a set at lightning speed. They were originally £8 for the set, but on sale for £4. Very purse friendly and not bad for three brooches.

I've coveted this set since Autumn mostly down to the gorgeous little fox pin; I've loved foxes since I was a little girl. The set also comes with a cute red squirrel and an acorn brooch. There's something so English about all three of these designs... but I guess that's the point as Cath Kidston is so quintessentially English.

Another bargain which leaped in to my hands in the blink of an eye were these crest buttons. These buttons are very similar to the buttons on my cropped military jacket, except they're silver instead of gold and a little bit smaller. My jacket is missing a button or two, and when I saw these online in their A/W collection I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought they'd be perfect for giving my favourite jacket a new lease of life when I can bear to part with the gold ones.

Again, these were on sale online, but I couldn't justify the purchase against the delivery charge. They were originally £6.00 for a set of six, and on sale for £1.50. I bought two packs. You can find them online here.

The armour buttons have traditional crests on them and bare the words 'The West Riding'.

Another purchase I couldn't stop myself from making, was this floral cover for my iPod. I've had my iPod touch for a year and a half and had never bought a case for it. I just never seemed to find any for the iPod touch.

Last week I was in another outlet village and saw a Cath Kidston case for the iPod, but was disappointed when I saw it was designed for a different model. So when I saw this one, I had to get it. It was originally £25.00 and on sale for £15.00. The price was still quite steep, but a good reduction, and from experience, I know CK cases last. I've had one on my Blackberry for two years with just minimal scratching to it. I love the floral design- it even matches my blog design... just in a different colour! Now that's what I call coordinating!

Not a Cath Kidston purchase, not even anything to do with fashion, style, or beauty, but I thought I'd share them anyway for the book lovers amongst you. I bought these two Dean Koontz novels in Sainsbury's. They were £1.99 each or £3.00 for two, so naturally I bought two. Supermarkets are definitely the place to find bargain priced books!

Oh, and I picked up Pearl Harbor for £3 while I was there, too. Bargain! I've always loved that film.

For anyone who doesn't already know, Bicester Village is famed for being one of the best outlet villages in the UK, and can be found several miles north of Oxford, and about an hour away from London. They have a brilliant selection of designer shops; Jimmy Choo, Prada, Lulu Guinness, Ralph Lauren for instance, and a few more affordable brands like Cath Kidston, Guess, and L'Occitane. I rarely have the money to shop in most of the shops, but it has a great atmosphere for window shopping in the sunshine and I recommend it for anybody who loves their labels!

I hope you've enjoyed my little haul post.

Have you shopped at Bicester Village lately?

Have you shopped there at all?

Where do you head to for a bit of bargain outlet shopping?