Book Recommendations: Part One

If you've been here for the last couple of years you may have noticed that I rediscovered my love of books and ever since have been a bit of a bookworm. And sure I talk about all the books I've read in my What I Read's and all the ones I've brought in Hauls and a lot of you may use those posts as recommendations but today I thought I'd compile a few books both standalones and series that I recommend you add to your 2020 TBR.

The first series will come as no surprise to any of you. The Cursebreakers Series by Brigid Kemmerer fast became a favourite after I read it's first book last year and it's sequel in January. Following Harper who one night is transported to the land of Emberfall where she meets cursed Prince Rhen and his Royal Guard Commander Grey, the first book A Curse So Dark And Lonely follows them as they attempt to break Rhen's curse whilst attempting to salvage what is left of his kingdom. It's jammed packed full of dry one liners, a fierce female character and twists and turns aplenty. Yet the sequel; A Heart So Fierce And Broken, is even more explosive. It follows Grey as he takes on a journey not only to save the land of Emberfall but himself and his somewhat tense relationship with Rhen. It hosts a whole catalogue of new characters and has even more plot twists than the first book. The ending of book two has me eagerly awaiting the third book in the series but it's going to be a painful wait as it isn't scheduled to be released until November 2021. All that aside though, the main reason I love this series is Harper. She is a fierce young woman who admittedly panics when she's first transported to Emberfall but then takes a stand and doesn't take shit from anyone. It's the portrayal of Harper's disability that I love the most though. Harper has cerebal palsy but she doesn't let it stop her from being a badass, she doesn't let it stop her from standing up for what she believes in and in the first book it doesn't stop her from demanding to be taught how to look after herself in this strange and somewhat dangerous world.

This next series is another that won't come as a surprise to you either. I've spoken a lot about it recently, having just finished it in January. Arc Of Scythe is a trilogy of books from Neal Shusterman that follows a world where every disease, every possible way of dying has been eradicated. People are living longer than before and it's up to a select commitee called Scythe's to stop the world from becoming over populated. And this trilogy follows two Rown and Citra who have been picked to be Scythe's apprentices, one of who will become a fully ordained Scythe. Yet it's not just the way of the Scythe they have to learn, they have to learn how to handle the extremely delicate political system that the Scythe's live and die by. I adore this series, it has so many plot twists, shocking turns and a good cliffhanger or two that you'll be up until the early hours reading. I literally devoured book one late last year and marathoned both books two and three back to back in January. I'm a little sad this series is over but it's definitely one I can see myself rereading over and over again. The world is deliciously complex, the characters are well written and yet still have their flaws and whilst the ending isn't my favourite, it's definitely a fitting end for this trilogy. I have literally everything crossed that Neal Shusterman writes another series in this world as I just can't get enough of it.

Next is the book that I originally thought was a standalone but actually has a sequel being released in April. A Good Girl's Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson was my favourite book of 2019. It follows Pip, a young girl who's final project for school sees her reopening a five year old murder case that rocked her small town. I can not say enough good things about this book. It's a hooking read, you'll be up for hours devouring it, including it's inclusion of court transcripts, newspaper clippings and journal entries. So when I found out it was actually Jackson's debut novel, I was shocked. But also incredibly happy to find out that this was being made into a series, book two being released in April which follows Pip as she starts her own true crime podcast but gets sucked into a fresh investigation when her friend disappears. This is only starting to get the hype it deserves and I can't believe people have slept on this book for so long.

 Another YA Mystery that I can't recommend enough is The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg.This is an amazing multimedia style YA standalone that I completely devoured last year. Centered around a theme park called The Kingdom, this story follows Ana, a fantasist (think Disney Princess) who's on trial for murdering a worker at the theme park. It weaves between two times line, the present as Ana is on trial and the past which shows the build up of events until the murder itself. This is again told through a multitude of medias including court transcripts, transcripts of CCTV, interviews with Ana and even newspaper reports. It really works well to break up the events of the book, especially as some chapters can be very heavy and triggering. I do warn you that there are themes of rape, sexual harrassement and animal abuse for this book but they are handled in a very written manner that doesn't explicitly throw them at the reader but does imply that it's happening. I adored this book, it was so unlike anything else I read last year and I wish that Rothenberg had left it open enough for there to possibly be a sequel.

And the last book I want to recommend to you isn't YA. It's actually an a crime/mystery/thriller that kicked off my 2019 reading year. The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton had me hooked from the blurb alone. Evelyn Hardcastle is destined to die at 11pm unless you can work who the killer is. Yet you aren't in your own body, you're currently inhabiting the eight different hosts that are in attendance at the time of Evelyn's death. Each has their own secrets, their own reasons but with only 24 hours in each host, time to digest it all isn't something you have. And if you want to escape the grounds of Blackheath, you have to play the game until you've rumbled the killer. This book is definitely a thinker, you have to concentrate because so much happens in each chapter and as you delve deeper into the mystery, it all starts to intersect and it can hard to keep up. But I know that won't happen as you'll be hooked from the first page and it only gets better the further in you get. Stuart Turton has a new book coming out in October and you can bet that I'm preordering that right away.

Declutter: Make Up

Back in June I started redoing my bedroom, moving furniture, purchasing new pieces and purging through god knows how many things I didn't need or want anymore. And the one I've been holding on to for longer than others is my make up and skincare. But alas it can not stay and I thought that I'd give you look at what I'm going to be getting rid of either because I don't want it anymore or because it's run out or gone out of date.

I thought I'd be throwing away more primers than this as I've been on a bit of a primer journey but there are only three. The first I'm getting rid of is the Miss Sporty Insta Glow Primer. This is horrendous. A pale peach shade this doesn't prime skin, allow foundation to apply nicely over top and contains glitter particles that cling and highlight the wrong areas of the face. The next is the PUR Correcting Primer. This was actually an okay primer but it's too silicone based for my skin type and didn't allow any base product to sit nicely over top. And the last primer I'm throwing away is the Maxfactor Facefinity Primer. It's a nice primer but it's been in my collection way to long and needs to be thrown away.

For foundation/base products I have a lot to dispose of. A lot of them are BB Creams because they are the one base product I buy with high hopes and always end up bitterly disappointed. All the BB Creams you see are going because they don't match me. Either they come out of the tube darker than expected or they come out the same shade as my skin but oxidise horribly on my skin after a while. The B BB Cream is one of the better ones but it still doesn't look good after a few hours. The Loreal Nude Eau De Teint is a stunning lightweight foundation but is now too dark for me as I've stopped sunbathing a few years ago and am embracing the pale. The Maybelline Better Skin used to match my skin beautifully but it's been in my collection for a few years now and is now too pink toned for my yellow undertone skin. The Maxfactor Facefinity Foundation is just really old now and is too gross to put anywhere near my face. It's a lovely foundation and perfect for those who enjoy a light to medium coverage. And the same stands for the Bourjois CC Cream. I love this stuff and how it leaves my skin looking but it's been open way too long and I don't think it's sanitary to put anywhere near my face.

I don't do colour correcting so having these four MUA Pro Base Colour Correcting Creams sat gathering dust in my collection is a waste. I have literally only swatched these on the back of my hand and then put them in a draw and forgotten about them. Don't worry though, these aren't going in the bin, I'm going to offer them to my friends and family first to see if anyone wants them. And then I'm ridding myself of the Barry M Light Reflecting Concealer. I've had this for too long and it doesn't look very good in the tube. It's lightweight, light reflecting and doesn't contain a ton of glitter so I'm sad to see this go but for hygiene reasons I think it' best.

Powder time and there are just a few I'm getting rid of. Ones such as the MUA Pro Base Powder, Collection Sheer Loose Powder and the Boujois Healthy Balance are going because they've been sitting in my collection for far too long. The MUA Pressed Powder and the Maybelline Matte Maker are not horrendous powders but on my fairer skin it can oxidise on my skin. The Healthy Balance is a good powder but does have a tendency to shatter if dropped and when it gets to the end of it's life it can break easily which is why I'm throwing it away now before it ends up all over my carpet.

I did a cull of my setting sprays a little while ago but missed this one from MUA. It's nice but it doesn't wow me, unlike the Maybelline SuperStay Setting Spray or the Collection Fixing Mist. It has a lightweight spray that doesn't mess up make up or leave those horrid white dots everywhere like some setting sprays can. It's budget friendly as well but that said there are still better ones on the market that don't cost much more.

Before I started getting my eyebrows tinted I used to fill them in and one of my favourite products was the Sleek Eyebrow Pencil. Now though I don't need it and had actually forgotten that this was sitting in the bottom of my collection. The spoolie on the end is gross to look at and whilst there is still some pencil left I think it's been too long for me to finish it off without it being gross and highly unsanitary.

Mascara is something I have a tendency to hoard. For example I have about five on the go right now and will probably end up buying another one when I'm shopping this weekend. However there are six I will be saying goodbye because their either disappointing or they've dried up and need replacing. The Loreal Miss Manga Punky, Revlon Volume+Length and the Rimmel Scandaleyes Xtreme are going because they are just awful. The brushes leave a lot to be desired and the formula's aren't much better. The Barry M Showgirl Volume, Loreal Volume Million Lashes Feline and Rimmel Wonder'Full are brilliant and definitely on my repurchase list. They all have excellent brushes and their formula's whilst aren't the best of the best, they are some of the better ones on the market. They've all unfortunately dried up but I managed to get a really good amount of use out of each of them, something which is surprising considering how many mascaras I can have on the go at once.

Out of everything in this declutter there are only a few products I'd happily repurchase or even think about repurchasing. Out of the bases I'd happily repurchase the Bourjois CC Cream and the Maxfactor Facefinity, both have good coverage and give a skin like finish whilst still covering where it needs to. If they still sold the Loreal Eau De Teint I'd probably repurchase it but in a lighter shade as it's coverage and feel were amazing on the skin. Apart from that I'd probably only repurchase the three mascaras that I used to the point of drying out. All three do amazing things to my lashes and when they were usuable I found myself reaching for them constantly. Apart from those particular products I don't think I'd buy any of the others again. They didn't work for me but that doesn't mean that they won't work for you though, make up is always about personal preference.

Christmas Gift Ideas: Under £10

HO! HO! HO! Merry Christmas Everyone! Yes I know I'm early with the well wishes but we have not officially gotten to that time of the year where the shops are filled with tons upon tons of Christmas gifts so I thought I'd put together a few Christmas Gift Ideas posts for you all. Today's I'm starting at the budget friendly end and working my way up as the week goes on. So here's part one of my Christmas Gift Ideas Guide: Under £10

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter Drum £5.00
I thought I'd start with a cute little stocking filler and as alway Soap and Glory have the perfect stocking fillers. This is a 200ml Righteous Butter that you can hang on your tree. This is perfect if somebody wants to try the Righteous Butter for the first time or if they are a massive Soap and Glory fan. This gift is also perfect for teenagers who are working on a budget or if you're doing a Secret Santa.

Soap And Glory Winter Wonderhand £8.00
My next gift is another adorable gift from Soap And Glory. The Winter Wonderhand Hand Cream Collection is a set of three travel sized Hand Food hand creams. In the set you get the Original Pink Scent, the Smoothie Star scent and the newly released Sugar Crush scent. A great gift for someone who's just getting into skincare or even Soap and Glory as a brand but also brilliant for someone who travels a lot and likes to look after themselves. This is one I'll definitely be putting on my Christmas list.

Royal Jelly Jar Stacker £8.50
This next gift idea is perfect for all the mums out there This is the Royal Jelly Jar Stacker set. It consist of three 150ml jars, one containing their body scrub, one containing their hand and nail cream and another containing a light body cream. Now if you're mum is anything like mine she'll go mad for this. This is the original Royal Jelly, not that new stuff they sell in Boots with Honey but the real original deal. It smells like heaven and from experience leaves skin feeling amazing. Any teens reading this who are on a budget yet still want to treat their mum, I suggest checking this out in your local Marks And Spencers.

Nuxe Holiday Cracker £10.00
We're moving onto more luxury products with this next gift idea yet remaining budget friendly. This is the Nuxe Holiday Cracker which contains four travel size products in a festive designed cracker. Inside the cracker you get the Rose Micellar Cleansing Water, Anti-fatigue Moisturising Cream, Hand And Nail Cream and Multi Purpose Dry Oil. I for one would love this cracker as a gift as it's a brilliant way to try out the Nuxe range without spending a lot. Definitely will be putting this on my Christmas list.

Emma Hardie Moringa Balm with Mini Cloth £10.00
And finally this has to be my favourite pick of the guide. This is the Emma Hardie Moringa Balm Bauble. Inside you get a 15g tub of her famous Moringa Cleansing Balm and a mini cloth. Now if you're a fan of Caroline Hirons and have heard her rave about this cleansing balm then you'll also know how expensive this can be. So this tiny trial sized balm is perfect if you want to try the range but don't want to pay the earth. Perfect for anyone who's into their higher end skincare or for people like me that have the expensive taste but not always the funds. I'll be picking myself one of these up before Christmas.

So that's my first Christmas Gift Idea Guide. I hope you all enjoyed it and that this helped inspire you when you're shopping. My Under £20 Gift Idea Guide is going to be live on Tuesday (my birthday) and the Under £50 Gift Idea Guide will be up on Thursday so get yor pens and papers ready to make note.

All pictures come from the respective websites. marksandspencers.com and boots.com