As some of you may have noticed there has been a lack of blog posts on Makeup Savvy over the past two weeks.
Luck hasn't been on my side recently... first getting Norovirus (which felt like the worst thing ever!) then as I was just getting over that I took a small fall down the stairs and so I'm now back to feeling a little worse for wear.
Of course online retail therapy is easing my achy limbs... I have ASOS, The Body Shop and Amazon tabs open as I type this so expect quite a few haul posts this month! The first haul I thought I would share with you is a lovely Amazon book order as I'm so in to reading at the moment and I'm looking forward to getting through a few of these whilst I get back to full speed.
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
£5.61 Amazon here
This was a book that I started reading a few pages of when my order arrived and within 2 hours I had finished it! I didn't expect to read it so quickly but due to it being quite a thin book and a story that will literally grab you by the shoulders and not let you go, I finished it within one sitting. That sounds quite dramatic but this is such harrowing and bleak story that makes you root for the main character, 15 year old 'Alice', up until the very last page. The subject of the book definitely isn't for everyone (Alice is taken when she is just 10 years old and the book tells the tale of her mere existence at the hands of Ray, her abductor without any hope) and also for that reason I'm quite surprised that this is categorized as teen fiction. But if you love stripped backed, close to the bone books then this is for you (on a similar level to 'Into The Darkest Corner' and 'Room') . A story that will stay with me for quite a long time and one I know I will come back to eventually to re-read as I felt it gripped me so hard I almost read it too quickly.
Wonder by R.J Palacio
£3.50 Amazon here
After seeing some amazing review of this book I knew I had to read it ASAP. Wonder tells the story of 10 year old, Auggie, who was born with a servere face abnormality and up until now has been home schooled. But it's time for Auggie to be brave and face the world and school for the first time! I'm only a few chapters in but can already tell this is an honest but uplifting book with a brilliant and strong main character.
The Shock of the Fall by Nathen Filer
£3.85 Amazon here
A book I decided to pick up after reading Ruth from A Model Recommends rave review of it here. Another fairly serious book which focuses on one man's decent into mental illness but from Ruth's review it seems it is balanced by witty humour, making it an enjoyable read. This seems like it could be another possible stay-with-you-long-after-reading kind of book that I'm looking forward to delving into after reading 'Wonder.
Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
£5.03 Amazon here
Ketchup Clouds first stood out to me due to the quirky title and cover. Then the equally quirky description of the book made me snap it up. This is another teen fiction but I have long let that put me off especially after reading John Green's The Fault In Our Stars and having discovered teen fiction books can have some of the stongest characters due to the emotions that are packed into a single story. Another first person narrative, told by fifteen-year-old Zoe in the form of letters to death row inmate Stuart, who she has decided to write to confiding a terrible secret. I have purposely ignored reading reviews of this on Amazon as I don't want to know more than the book description as this seems like such a unique story. Another book I'm really looking forward to reading!
Ketchup Clouds first stood out to me due to the quirky title and cover. Then the equally quirky description of the book made me snap it up. This is another teen fiction but I have long let that put me off especially after reading John Green's The Fault In Our Stars and having discovered teen fiction books can have some of the stongest characters due to the emotions that are packed into a single story. Another first person narrative, told by fifteen-year-old Zoe in the form of letters to death row inmate Stuart, who she has decided to write to confiding a terrible secret. I have purposely ignored reading reviews of this on Amazon as I don't want to know more than the book description as this seems like such a unique story. Another book I'm really looking forward to reading!
The Examined Life: How We Lose and Find Ourselves by Stephen Grosz
£4.80 Amazon here
A totally different book here that I came across by chance when looking up books to do with Mindfullness. The Examined Life is a series of short and simple stories telling real life encounters between a psychoanalyst (the author of the book) and his patients. I'm not one for self help books but I love the look of this book as clearly a lot can be taken from the various stories. Already sure I will love this book.
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
£5.59 Amazon here
Probably the most light hearted read of my book haul! Eleanor & Park almost reads like a book equivalent of 500 Day of Summer. Set over the course of a single school year in 1986 Eleanor & Park tells the story of two teenagers who meet on a bus and ultimately fall in love. I'm sure a lot more happens in between but I can just sense this will be a quirky tale with lots of nice nostalgic references which will bring something extra to the book. A perfect spring/summer read once I have read all the other titles above.
Future books on my to-read list include - Forbidden here, The Rosie Project here, Stolen here and Quiet - The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking here. I won't ramble on about these but 'Stolen' and 'Forbidden' look especially interesting and will be coming with me on my beach holiday in May.
This is far from my normal kind of post but hopefully this is an interesting alternative to my usual makeup ramblings.
Let me know what you are currently reading!
Fee xo.
