A Book A Day for July!

The A Book a Day UK was brought to my attention on twitter today by musicandeverything.com aka @claireskane on twitter.
@DoubledayUK are inviting book lovers (of which I am one!) to tweet their #BookadayUK every day in July!
I'm gonna tag #BookadayIRL also :)
They also say there is a chance to win your favourite reads but I just love this as a book tag.

Here are the list of topics for your book a day for every day in July

Day 1 - A Book that made you laugh out loud

• Well-Remembered Days: Eoin O'Ceallaigh's Memoir of a Twentieth-century Catholic Life by Arthur Mathews.

If you want a good laugh read this! (but then get mad cos so much rings true...) Read it and weep in more ways than one!

Tell me what book make you lol?

You can check out my books a day on twitter or you can check out my weekly posts :)

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

"The Fault in Our Stars is the sixth novel by author John Green, published in January 2012. The story is narrated by a sixteen-year-old cancer patient named Hazel, who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she subsequently meets and falls in love with the seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player and amputee." via Wiki

I've had The Fault in Our Stars book since it was released. I ordered one of the signed by the author Amazon books back when John Green was even making the videos of himself signing them. But unfortunately something went wrong with the Ireland (and I think some other countries too) shipments and I got an unsigned book. Later though I was sent a little sticker thing with his signature that I could stick into the book. I wasn't super happy cos that wasn't what I ordered but didn't mind so much now especially since I can give the book away and keep the signature! I put the book aside, misplaced it and have since been meaning to read it. When I heard about the movie I decided it was time to actually give it a go.

After so much hype about this book I have to say I was really disappointed.

Don't get me wrong I didn't hate this book, there was something I liked about it but can't really put my finger on it. It might have been John Green's fast paced rant/talking (Just like in VlogBrothers) or some of the good quotes he comes out with, I also really liked the Peter van Houten character which I don't think we got enough of. But still that didn't save it for me. 

One of the things everyone says straight away about this book is how terribly sad it is and how much they cried and its heartbreaking. Cancer is a horrible thing that too many people, teenagers and kids have to deal with but yet I didn't find it very sad or heartbreaking and I certainly didn't cry. I mean it's a sad story, yes, it's sad what happens, yes but still it didn't really make me get upset and curse the author like I did with Harry Potter. What happens is also very predictable in my opinion but I guess I was expecting it? So that made it less sad? Am I completely heartless? I don't think so. I just don't really like soppy, lovey dovey books or movies. Don't get me wrong I like romance when it's done right but this was a little teenagery for me. 

Again I can't say I hate it or dislike it and I can't say I wouldn't recommend it either. There is something there that I enjoyed but overall I was very disappointed with this book and do not get the hype over it. 

I really hate giving this such a bad review as I wanted to like it but it just failed for me. I won't let it put me off reading other John Green books though. Which hopefully I will have positive reviews about!

What did you think of the book? Does anyone else out there agree with me? I feel like so many people love it and find it so heartbreaking but I really felt none of those things.

Kerries Lets Talk Blog Challenge - Recommend to a Friend

So it's week 6 and the last week of the #LetsTalkBlogChallenge and if you don't know what that is here's a quick explanation in the words of creator @sarah_hamersley Sarah's Blog. 

So this is going to be a 6 week challenge, with a different topic each week that we'll write and tweet about. The plan is to write and schedule our posts for Monday at 8pm and then tweet our posts on twitter at that time, using the hashtag #LetsTalkBlogChallenge . That way every Monday at 8pm all our posts are live and we're all online to interact and share our posts with each other. I'll be online from 8-9pm every Monday, reading and commenting on all the posts and chatting to you all, just so there is a sense of community and interaction. 

This week's topic is - Recommend To A Friend

I'll start off with my favourite post from the challenge and it's from week 3 - Polished & Primed's Birthday Box Post I loved this in particular for Steph's decision to include a trip.  It's full of photos, location details, recommendation on places to stay, eat, drink, visit and shop - everything you would want to read and now I need to go to Brussles!!

Go to http://polishedandprimed.com for more!

Next up I have some beauty Recommendations,  I would have no hesitation in suggesting a friend try all of these products, my current favourites - Blistex forever! The real techniques sponge I have been using all of the time to apply my healthy mix foundation and the HD brow pallette is awesome, stellar berry by Maybelline somehow manages to leave my lips stained a lovely pink when the gloss wears off so loving that one. :)

Recommended Beauty by kerrie0 featuring cream skin care

Cream skin care, €2,82 / Beauty product, €9,83 / Cream makeup, €7,37 / Bourjois Radiance Reveal Healthy Mix Foundation / Colour Sensational Lipgloss by Maybelline Stellar Berry 360:..., €7,56

Books!  I enjoy recommending books and these are my picks for you my friends.

That They May Face The Rising Sun by John McGahern

This is the book I read most recently and I loved it.  It's possible my favourite book of all time.  I have seen a lot of reviews from people who really don't like it, complaining that nothing happens.  You need to look a little deeper, everything happens, it is life simply encapusulted in a year.  How he is able to convey the fields, the language, the people... I do not know but he does it and I feel I know those people. I DO know them! And if you have lived in rural Ireland, particually the midlands, you will know them too.

Things The Grandchildren Should Know by Mark Oliver Everett

I'm not going to spoil this book by tell you what happens and even if I did you wouldn't believe me.  You need to read it for yourself.  It is an autobiography/memoir, you might know Mark better as E from The Eels.  Even if you have no clue who he is I would recommend you read this book it is both harrowing and inspiring without being preachy. I love his wry humor it is sad, funny and unbelievable.

Tearing Down The Wall of Sound The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector by Mick Brown

If you love music you will enjoy this biography of Phil Spector a controversial figure in later years but there is no denying his ability to product fabulous sound.  This book takes you through from his early years to the late 2000's.  Be warned it is a long read but that is required the man and a lot of shiz going on!  I really enjoyed it and learned a lot more about the era, the music and the key people involved in the dirty world of the music biz.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Another simple, direct story I think that is something important in my liking a book.  I want to read it again but it is tragic and hard hitting.  Beautifully written it reminds me of how life can unravel for some people.  I find it very hard to describe this book but I would just say read it.


So those are my recommendations, tell me what you think and let me know what would you recommend to a friend.
Until next time,

April Reads

I'm in a decent reading groove at the moment, the last book I finished was Hilary Mantels Wolf Hall, which I loved, surprisingly for me. I had passed it by on the library shelf several times and one indecisive day decided enough was enough read that damn thing!  Turns out it's really good, living up to the hype and great reviews over the last few years.  I was left wanting more which is the true sign of a good read. Luckily there is a follow up which I hope to pick up soon but it's probably in high demand so may be a while before it turns up on the shelf in my local library.  This suits me however as it gives me a chance to change genre and next up and my current read is Mike Scott - Adventures of a Waterboy.  My boyfriend actually chose it as he was personally familiar with some of the characters but I was intrigued by the first page and commandeered it for myself. It is excellent and I'd recommend it to anyone even if you don't know Scott or the music his writing is excellent, covering much more than music and all that jazz.  However if you are familiar the music scene, characters and musicians I think you will love it. I had no idea what he was like and feel now that I've gotten a great insight into the psyche of a unique individual.  I'm looking forward now to delving into the music of the Waterboys and the sounds of the time.

Yesterday I picked up 3 more reads; The Scarlet Letter - another historical piece of literature I shall probably read next.  Then Precious based on the Novel Push by Sapphire - now I'm pretty sure this is a re-print of the original to tie in which the movie, I hope so and not a book based on the movie, if you know what I mean!  I haven't seen the film but I am aware it's a heavy and harrowing tale but I'm hoping to be able for that.  Finally I have Zadie Smith's On Beauty. I've heard lots about Zadie but never read a book by her before so this is my first meeting with her writing, hopefully it will be good.

Let me know if you've read any of these and what you thought? What are you reading right now?

I'll leave you with The Waterboys :)

J.K. Rowling's New Book!

To start off I should say I've never read a Harry Potter book, but today it has caught my attention that J.K Rowling is releasing a new book.  This will be her first novel for adults and it's called 'The Casual Vacancy'.  I'm not sure why but I'm excited about this (maybe it's me picking up the vibes from millions of Potter fans around the world squealing in anticipation of some new fodder?!) 

Okay, so the synopsis courtesy of Rowling's website is as follows;

When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.

Seemingly an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

You know what that reminds me of? Hot Fuzz!  Sounds interesting so I shall endeavour to read it and return with a review in the near future.

Bye for now,
Kerrie.