August Reads

August was a good reading month for me, so instead of labouring out a bunch of giant reviews, I figured I'd do a quick round up of the most notable reads instead, just enough for you to decide whether or not to read it yourself!

The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell

Now technically, I read this in July whilst I was on holiday, but I had to reread it in August because I felt like I missed something. This was a wildly ambitious book, split into six sections each narrating a different part of Holly Sykes' life, as told by the characters who cross into it, and each written in a startlingly different style.

I'm not going to go into too much detail but in essence, this book shouldn't work but it does. It's a strange hybrid genre of half real-life fiction, and half fantasy. It's bizarre and strange, you go through the book wondering when Mitchell will really reveal what's going on, and yet, it never really feels like you get the full view.

In essence, this book is weird, long, and kind of confusing. But I loved every minute of reading it, because Mitchell is a genius story teller.

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo

I picked up this book because everyone in the world seemed to be obsessed with it, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Whilst Kondo makes some valid points throughout the book, I was put off by the fact I think she might be a bit nuts. There was only so much of her talking about thinking of how socks feel, and thanking my shoes for their hard work that I could take.

Eleanor and Park - Rainbow Rowell

Not one to shy away from a good YA Fiction, this received rave reviews all around so I added it to my reading list.

It might not be the most unique plot, but there was something about this book that really tugged at my heartstrings. Maybe it was the personable writing style, but I really felt like I connected with both Eleanor and Park as characters, and this book really captured something beautiful about young love. The way Rowell encapsulates emotion and translates that to words is just beautiful.

"Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something."

Landline - Rainbow Rowell

After reading Eleanor and Park I was itching for a bit more of Rowell's writing style, so I picked up Landline. This isn't a YA novel, and it definitely feels a lot more grown up. I didn't identify with it as much as I connected to Eleanor and Park, but I loved the storyline and still enjoyed Rowell's writing style. She writes a good book. 

Every Day - David Levithan

One more YA before we turn in, this is an interesting concept for a plot. Written from the point of view of 'A', who wakes up every morning in a different body, not only does it make for an intriguing storyline, it also opens up an interesting discussion about gender, as 'A' identifies as genderless. It's a different and intriguing read, and another one that gave me all the feels. Most importantly, it makes you realise the value of one single day, and how you shouldn't waste a second of it.

What have you read recently?

Chick Lit For Girls Who Don't Like Chick Lit

Now I'll be honest, when it comes to summer reading, I do love a good trashy chick lit. There's something so satisfying about laying out in the sun with an easy read! I did exactly that last week with Always the Bridesmaid, the latest book from Lindsey Kelk.

I know chick lit isn't for everyone, but if you're after an easy summer read then look no further. Kelk's writing is so witty, and relatable, even if you're not a chick lit fan you'll enjoy this! 

Any beach read recommendations would be much appreciated, I need a mammoth book downloading session before my holiday!

Thoughts On: Why I Don't Think I'm A #GirlBoss

I'll admit, I put off buying #Girlboss for a while, mostly because of my seething hate for any use of hashtags that's not strictly useful. I can manage #journorequest, and I can manage #bbloggers and #lbloggers for twitter chats, but that's my limit. I instantly unfollow anyone who uploads a selfie followed by #girl #selfie #london #pretty #like4like #no filter #hair #lipstick #follow4follow #iphoneonly #blueeyes ... you get the jist (that's a rant for another day). So when everyone's talking about a best selling book entitled #GirlBoss? Well you can understand my hesitation.

Also, I'm not sure how I feel about being dubbed a Girl Boss? Why not a Woman Boss? Or a Female Boss? Or why not just Boss? I'm not really sure why my gender should effect how good I am at kicking ass at what I do? I may be going off on a tangent again...

BACK TO THE ACTUAL BOOK. Now, there's no denying that Amoruso has done well for herself, she turned essentially selling unwanted old clothes from her flat into an incredibly successful business. But does she have to be so aware of it? My problem with this book is that it basically feels like Sophia's love letter to herself, and, to quote a very good review by The Guardian, it's about as shallow as a teaspoon. 

This book isn't going to give you secrets to breaking through the glass ceiling, it's not going to tell you how to better your business or how to start your own company. The closest it gets is telling you to 'be a nice person at work'. Groundbreaking. 

This book just kind of feels like an ode to her own success, I mean, the woman quotes herself on a title page at the beginning of a chapter. Throughout the whole book I just kinda felt like she was saying 'look at me, I'm such a badass and now I have millions of dollars, be a badass and you can have it too'. The book is littered with selfies that don't really make sense in the context of the text around it, it kinda feels like she just picked a load of pictures of herself she liked and put them in wherever they would fit. There's a fine line between telling your story and boasting, and this definitely felt like the latter. 

I didn't really get the hype around this book, maybe because Amoruso and I couldn't be further apart if we tried, she rode the miscreant road, dropping out of school, shoplifting and taking jobs for the money, whereas I love to learn, and I love working and what I do, I always have. Maybe my whole view of the book was biased by the bloody hashtag in the title (in thirty years time I feel like she'll regret that choice), but I struggled to get any real message from this book.

Or maybe it's just because I'm too busy right now creating my own story to be inspired by someone constantly trying to hashtag me.

Have you read GirlBoss? What did you think?

The Reading List

I shudder to think what the accumulative time I spend reading on my phone is throughout the week. Every spare minute I have I'm flicking through my phone, so I thought I'd share some of my favourite reads of the week.

The story of this new app developed by a devoted boyfriend to keep his girlfriend safe, not only is the story adorable, but what an amazing app!

I've been re-jigging my wardrobe this week and these tips on how to build the perfect wardrobe couldn't have been happier!

As always, this blog has been feeding my wanderlust, and her Instagram too!

Caroline Hirons puts her foot down on the f-word.

The ingredients for this salad have gone on my shopping list for next week!

This article on refusing to be busy put a few things in perspective.

Loved this article on a fight against gender stereotypes.

And lastly, not a read, but give this video a watch if you're a Disney fan.

What have you loved reading this week?