6 Books You Will Want to Read in a Day.

As mentioned in a previous post, I am transferring my blog posts from the last year (they were on a different site) so here is number 7 of 9! Enjoy!

This was originally posted on 03/08/2017.

It's no secret that I am a bookworm. My love of books goes way back and I've had a book in my hand for as long as I can remember. So in all honesty, I'm not entirely sure why it's taken me so long to incorporate books into my blog. I have done the occasional review or book-related post, but I definitely want to start making it a more regular thing. As you have probably figured out from the title, here are 6 books that you will want to read in a day... at least I did! These are all books that I have read and couldn't put down. You may notice that they are all in the teen/young adult romance kind of genre. This genre is honestly one of my favourites. I love a lot of different genres but I often find that these are the 'I can't put it down' kind of books which I adore. So, I have waffled on enough... I give you 6 books you will want to read in a day!

1. Everything Everything

Everything, Everything

At this point, 'Everything, Everything' is a pretty well-known book and has even been made into a film. So it's apparent that I am not the only fan. I read this book last summer when I was on holiday in Egypt and let me tell you, it is the perfect sit by the pool and read a book. I was thoroughly gripped by this book and the characters and I can't wait to see the film adaption too. 

"Madeline Whittier is allergic to the outside world.

So allergic, in fact, that she has never left the house in all of her seventeen years.

But when Olly moves in next door, and wants to talk to Maddy,

tiny holes start to appear in the protective bubble her mother has built around her.

Olly writes his IM address on a piece of paper, shows it at her window,

and suddenly, a door opens.

Maddy is certainly going to fall in love with Olly.

It's almost certainly going to be a disaster."

2. If I Stay

If I Stay


This is also a pretty well-known book which got made into a film. I actually watched the film before discovering the book and honestly, I love them both. There is also a second book to this story (which hasn't been made into a film... yet *please*) and I loved seeing how the characters developed. This is such a gripping story and was just another put I simply could not put down.

"For seventeen-year-old Mia, surrounded by a wonderful family,

friends and a gorgeous boyfriend decisions might seem tough,

but they're all about a future full of music and love,

a future that's brimming with hope.

But life can change in an instant.

A cold February morning ...a snowy road ...

and suddenly all of Mia's choices are gone.

Except one.

As alone as she'll ever be, Mia must make the most difficult choice of all.

Haunting, heartrending and ultimately life-affirming,

If I Stay will make you appreciate all that you have,

all that you've lost - and all that might be."

3. Matched

 
Matched  

'Matched' is actually part of the series I am currently reading! I am on book 2/3 and loving it. If you love dystopian society books then you will love this. I know some people find dystopian society books almost repetitive but I honestly love them and I love a series even more. I often find with series you almost grow with the characters and you end up feeling attached to them, which of course makes the end of a book that much more painful... but its worth it.

"On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her Match.

Society dictates he is her perfect partner for life.

Except he's not.

In Cassia's society, Officials decide who people love.

How many children they have.

Where they work. When they die.

But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy,

she is determined to make some choices of her own."

4. Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park

'Eleanor & Park' is actually a book I read a little while ago but I decided to include it because I remember really really liking it. Rainbow Rowell has another book that was quite popular called 'Fangirl' that I believe was in Zoella's book club. So if you ever read that then there is a good chance you'll enjoy this. I think Rainbow Rowell does a good job of writing relatable books that also delve into some more serious issues and I love her style of writing. 

"Eleanor is the new girl in town, and she's never felt more alone.

All mismatched clothes, mad red hair and chaotic home life,

 she couldn't stick out more if she tried.

Then she takes the seat on the bus next to Park.

Quiet, careful and - in Eleanor's eyes - impossibly cool,

Park's worked out that flying under the radar is the best way to get by.

Slowly, steadily, through late-night conversations and an ever-growing stack of mix tapes,

Eleanor and Park fall in love.

They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you're 16,

and you have nothing and everything to lose."

5. Holding up the universe 

Holding Up the Universe

This book is actually written by Jennifer Niven, the author of 'All the brightplaces'. Now don't kill me but I haven't actually read that yet (I know, I know I'm getting to it) but I know that it has been a massive hit, so if you loved that then you will love this for sure. I love Jennifer Nivens writing style and I adored these characters. I seriously loved this one.

"Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed 'America's Fattest Teen'.

But no one's taken the time to look past her weight to get to see who she really is.

Since her mum's death, she's been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home,

dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief.

Now, Libby's ready: for high school, for new friends, for love,

and for EVERY POSSIBILITY LIFE HAS TO OFFER.

I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything.

Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin too.

Yes, he's got swagger, but he's also mastered the art of fitting in.

What no one knows is that Jack has a secret: he can't recognize faces.

Even his own brothers are strangers to him.

He's the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything,

but he can't understand what's going on with the inner workings of his own brain.

So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don't get too close to anyone.

Until he meets Libby.

When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game which lands them in group counseling,

Libby and Jack are both angry, and then surprised.

Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world - theirs and yours. "

6. Saint Anything
 

Saint Anything

Now I love Sarah Dessen books with a passion. Every single one of her books I could (and have) read in a day. I am pretty sure they are aimed for an audience a bit younger than I am, but honestly I don't care. Sarah Dessen writes in a way that literally leaves you unable to put the book down.

"Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family,

receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and - lately - concern.

When Peyton's increasingly reckless behaviour culminates in an accident,

a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift,

searching for her place in the family and the world.

When everyone else is so worried about Peyton,

is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?

Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlour,

play bluegrass on weekends and pitch in to care for their mother,

who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance.

And here she meets Mac: gentle, watchful, and protective,

who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time."

So, there we have 6 books you will want to read in a day. As a fellow book lover, I love hearing other peoples book recommendations so feel free to leave yours in the comments.

Thanks for reading and I will speak to you soon,

Holly X

DISCLAIMER: AFFILIATE LINKS INCLUDED

Nip + Fab Serum Shot Review.

As mentioned in a previous post, I am transferring my blog posts from the last year (they were on a different site) so here is number 4 of 9! Enjoy!

This was originally posted on 22/06/2017.

Over the last year or so my skin has been the worst it has ever been. I think its down to a couple of factors. First, there is my age. I am only 19 so having bad skin isn't all too uncommon. I've never had particularly great skin but this last year or two has been an all time worst for me. Secondly, there is skincare products. I've always taken my skincare routine pretty seriously but sometimes these products can actually make your skin worse as appose to better. Unfortunately everybody's skin is different so what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for the next. New products can irritate your skin and sometimes even those old go-to products just don't work for you anymore. You skin changes throughout your life so sometimes it's time to try something else. Finally, and I think the main culprit for my skin issues, is detoxing. I got sick 2 years ago and starting last September, I was on a 7 month natural protocol to treat my disease. ALOT of this protocol is based on detoxing so it only makes sense for my skin to reflect that. My skin was at it's very worst last October and has left me with some rather unwanted acne scars. A final note to make would be that stress can be shown through the skin as well. For me, this troubled skin period happened when I got sick. I.e- the most stressful time of my life. 

So it goes without saying that problem skin can be down to a huge number of factors including genetics too. It's because of this that I found it particularly difficult to get my skin under control. When there are so many different factors that play into it, how do you know what to change? My skin is still pretty troubled but its getting a lot better finally (anybody interested in a skincare favourites?), and having recently purchased these two products, I noticed an almost immediate difference in the overall look and feel of my skin. So of course I had to dedicate a blog post to them!

So here we have two of the 'Nip + Fab Serum Shot's'. I was shopping online for some new skincare as I was running rather low and wanted to try out some new products in hopes of improving my skin, then I came across the Nip + Fab range. I had seen this brand before but never really thought to try it. However, there was an amazing offer on and the more I looked into it the more I liked the sound of these products. So I figured why not, and I got them. There are quite a few different products in their range and even a good selection of these 'shot's'. I decided to go for the shot's as I liked the idea of adding them to my moisturiser and making them last longer. Serums are also a go-to for me at the moment as I have found them so much nicer on my skin. I also thought they looked really cute! What wasn't to love? 

Okay so I have waffled on enough. Let's get on with the review!

'DRAGON'S BLOOD FIX HYALURONIC SHOT'

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First up we have the 'Dragon's blood'. This shot contains...

- Dragons blood (a sap found in the Croton Lechleri tree in the Amazon) : 

Prevents environmental damage to the skin

Motivates skin cell regeneration

Inhibits inflammation 

Reduces redness

-Hyaluronic acid: 

Maintains skin plumpness

Super-hydrating

Helps to reduce fine lines/wrinkles

Soften/smooth skin for a radiant complexion

Sounds pretty amazing right? I have been doing some more skin research lately and came to the conclusion that my skin care must haves had to be something good for cell regeneration, reducing redness as I have rather red skin and plumping the skin. All of these would just help my skin to look and feel healthier. I couldn't believe when I read this and discovered that this product had my must have qualities as well as more! But did it live up to these expectations?

I am glad to say that it has! I add two drops of this to my daily moisturiser every morning and noticed a difference almost immediately. After using this my skin looks brighter, plumper and smoother, giving my skin a much healthier glow. With regards to the acne, I have only been using these products for about a week so it's still too early to say. Although I have noticed that any blemishes have reduced in size and redness, and my skin is starting to clear up. However, this could also be down to the next product which is...

'GLYCOLIC FIX RADIANCE SHOT' 

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The second shot I have been using is the 'Glycolic fix'. This shot contains...

- Glycolic acid: 

Retextures/resurfaces the skin

Smoother, softer and radiant skin.

-Fruit acids: 

Stimulates skin cell renewal

Skin appears younger and fresher

- Amino acid derivatives: 

Reduces the appearance of pigmentation

The main thing that drew me to this product was the Glycolic acid. During my research I discovered that Glycolic acid is really good for acne scars and giving you smoother skin. With my skin, I feel like acne scars and the texture of my skin are half (if not more) of the problem. So when I read this I was super excited to give it a go. I use two drops of this product every evening in my night cream. 

I feel like with this type of product, you have to give it a few weeks to really see if it's working. Acne scars are not going to disappear over night after all. However, despite saying that, I feel like I am already seeing improvements. My skin looks a lot smoother and any blemishes are quickly dissolved as I mentioned before. It will be interesting to see if/how my skin continues to improve. Maybe I could do a little skin care update in a few weeks to see if it has improved? 

This product also helps with cell renewal and giving more radiant skin, two of my skincare must-have features. All in all, I am super impressed with these products so far and I can't wait to see if they continue to amaze me (I hope they do!).

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Having tried these products for no more that a week, I am thoroughly impressed so far. My skin already appears to look brighter, smoother and all around healthier. They are very easy to use and you only need a small amount of product each time. Price wise they were definitely a little more expensive than my usual price, especially for a serum. That being said, having received the product I think it is a very reasonable price. The products themselves were bigger than I was expecting and you only need the smallest amount per use. The results have been very encouraging and I would definitely repurchase again, even without the 'up to 50% off' sale I found them in. 

All in all, I am really impressed with these products. Hopefully they continue to impress me over the next few weeks.

What are you skin-care must have features? 

Thanks for reading!

Holly Xx

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My 4 Favourite Read's from Last Year.

Being the bookworm I am, I am always on the hunt for new books to read. Therefore, I thought that today I would share with you all my top 4 books that I read last year. Although I will read practically any book, the 'young adult' genre is my favourite, so unsurprisingly my top 4 are YA. 

Cowden Support Programme || Week 3

3 weeks down and 1 to go until I have completed month 1 of the programme! The first couple weeks were pretty rough but I have really noticed a difference this week. Unfortunately, being the germ magnet I am, I went and nabbed myself a cold. Yet despite this, I felt better than I have in weeks! 

If you are new to my blog, feel free to check out this post I made last year about getting diagnosed with Lyme and check out my posts for week 1 and week 2 of the programme. Today I wanted to share and reflect upon my experience with week 3 of the programme. Like everything, there were good and bad days, but overall, I would say that this week has really been a pretty good one! I am so so SOOO excited to be getting on through the programme and to be feeling the results already. It is very encouraging and gives me great hope that this will give me my health back!

The Beauty Of Instant Photographs.

It's no secret that I love photographs. I am always snapping up pretty pictures of everything and in the whirlwind, that is technology, the beauty of a physical copy of a photograph often is forgotten. In the last year, I have been making much more of an effort to print off physical photographs of my favourite images. I typically use an app to get my photographs sent to me, meaning it is a super easy process and I get the beauty of having a physical copy of my photo's. I absolutely love it! 

Taking a photograph digitally is great, don't me wrong. You can take a million and one photo's just to make sure you get the right one, can't do that with instant photos. You can edit an image digitally, can't do that with instant photos either. However, there is just something about capturing a specific moment in a single unchangeable image that I just love and that is something you just can't get from digital photography. 

So, after many years of wishing and wanting, I finally decided to get my hand on one of these wonderful instant cameras. (When I say that I mean my lovely mother got me one for Christmas) I decided to get the Instax mini 90 as I really like the more 'old fashioned' design it has over the more modern models. 

The only trouble with these is that the film is pretty pricey but in some ways that make the moments you do use it, even more special. The fact that you only have a certain number of images you can take, kind of forces you to really think about what you are taking and makes the actual image even better. 

Along with all of that, they just look so cute! I decided to hang mine up on my bookshelf  and I am obsessed with how it looks. It makes my room feel so pretty and cosy and I love having little memories lying around my room. 

I understand that things like this are not for everybody but personally, I love it and just HAD to share it! I totally recommend it for any photography lovers because I have become obsessed.

Thanks for reading! Does anybody else have an instant camera?

Holly X

Christmas/Winter candle.

I am a mahoosive fan of candles all year around. However, when the temperature begins to drop and the scarves come out I get very excited because I know that means the Christmas candles can be released! In my opinion, Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year and one of my favourite things to do in the build up is to burn a good candle. So you can image my delight when my friend got me an entire box of Christmas candles for my birthday!

The box includes 5 Yankee candles that all smell absolutely heavenly. But, this one just has to be my absolute favourite. I hadn't really come across this one before and in all honesty, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did... but it's amazing. It smells like the definition of winter and Christmas and all things great in life! Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit but I seriously love it so much and definitely recommend it to anybody who loves Christmas and candles. 

That's all for today but I am just so excited about this candle that I couldn't help but write about it... seriously, give it a whiff!

Holly Xx

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Face cream.

Hello and happy Friday! I hope that you have had a lovely week and are looking forward to the weekend. For today's post, I wanted to talk about a product that I have been loving recently, the Superdrug Naturally Radiant 2 in 1 Moisturiser and Serum. 

I purchased this product a couple of weeks ago, kind of on a whim to be honest. I was just browsing around Superdrug, wishing I could buy all of the makeup, when I stumbled upon the Superdrug Naturally Radiant products. I had never heard about any of these products before, in fact, I don't think I had ever really seen these products before. However, when I did and realised they were on sale, I decided to take a look. 

 The packaging didn't stand out all too much to me and honestly, I tend to avoid own branded items. I'm not a 'brandy' type of person, in fact, the cheaper the better in my opinion. However, from past experience, I have found that own branded face items haven't worked for me, so I choose to save up a little and buy from other brands (still high street brands for the most part, though). Typically, I wouldn't have thought twice about buying this product. However, on this day there was a sale. Typically this would have been about £6. Now although £6 is still a very reasonable price,  for an own brand product I personally wouldn't have bothered. Yet with the sale, it came to about £3 I believe. 

Now, of course, being £3, I kind of figured you couldn't go wrong, yet I still wouldn't have typically purchased this. I would rather of spend that £3 on some nail polish. However, when I read the description of the product I was sold. This product claims that your skin instantly feels moisturised and looks radiant. After one week your skin will feel softer, smoother, more refreshed and energised. After four weeks your skin texture will appear refined and tone appears evened out and enhance. Now I have only been using this for about two weeks, however, I can confirm that the first two claims appear to be true on my skin. 

When I first used this product I was very impressed with just how soft my skin felt. It gave my skin a super velvety texture and I LOVED it. I was very impressed with how quickly it gave me this smooth feeling and found that the feeling lasted the entire day. I also noticed that my skin did, in fact, look a little brighter than before. Having been ill I was looking a little drab I felt, but this product has definitely helped me to look a little more alive.  

Besides the obvious physical effects that this product has had on my skin, I really enjoy the texture of the actual cream. I think that this may be due to it being partially a serum. In the past, the word 'serum' has kind of driven me away. I immediately think of an oily and sticky substance, definitely something that I wouldn't want on my skin. However, this product, a cross between moisturiser and serum, has a super soft and velvety texture that isn't sticky at all. 

In terms of the ingredients in this product, there are four main plant extracts that provide these facial benefits. Firstly, there is Kiwi fruit extract. This claims to help brighten and even out skin tone due to the levels of vitamin C. Next, we have the Mulberry fruit extract. This claims to hold strong brightening properties also, as well as reducing discolouration. Fruit acids are next claiming to naturally exfoliate and refine skin surface. Finally, we have the Sugar Beet extract claiming to be a natural moisturiser. I love that this product holds so many natural plant benefits. Of course, there are also many other ingredients in this product, but I love how nature provides all of these amazing benefits for our skin. In the future, I would love to try some extremely natural products so any recommendations are welcomed. 

All in all, I am very pleased with this purchase for the times being. The fact that this product is anti-animal cruelty too makes me very happy. Maybe I will write an update post in a couple of weeks, letting you know if I am still loving this product and if the claims prove truthful. Another product I have been recommended by a friend is the Simple vitamin cream. Being a HUGE simple fan, I hope to be giving this product a try too! 

Okay, I will stop rambling now and let you enjoy your Friday. 

Thanks for reading, 
Holly X

The Girl With All The Gifts - M.R.Carey.

Hello and happy Friday! I hope that you have had a good week. If you haven't then well done for making it through. For today's post, I wanted to do an almost book review. I don't really like using the word review but I guess it is more about me sharing my thoughts and opinions as oppose to a formal review. So with that said... let's get on with it.

I started reading this book quite a few weeks or even months ago. However, I actually purchased this book a little while ago on one of my book shopping sprees I believe and only got around to reading it recently. There are some books that I can read within days because they are such an easy read. However, there are others that take me a little longer, like this one, due to being busy as well as the book needing a little more of my focus. I don't want to go and give away the storyline but here is the blurb...

"Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh."

This novel was surprisingly thrilling, thought-provoking and just pure genius. 

It takes a concept that has been attempted by many and took an entirely new approach to it, in my opinion. The characters, storyline, and setting were thought out really well as well as being very well written. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, even though it took me longer to read that usual. I may even go as far as to say that the storyline is one of the best I have ever read.

I don't want to say too much more, as I don't want to ruin it for anybody. However, I will recommend that you go and purchase this book as I absolutely loved it. 

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend! 

Holly X

p.s- Sorry that this post is a bit mysterious and secretive but I just don't want to give anything away.

Eleanor & Park

As a fellow book lover, you can often find me snuggled up in some corner with a book. So, today I decided to dedicate to the last book I finished, 'Eleanor & Park' by Rainbow Rowell. Firstly, let me start by saying that I simply couldn't put the book down. It was all I could think about for ages and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. 

Now I don't want to go and give away the story but I will say that this is a very sweet little romance book, yet it has a little more to it. It explored areas that aren't often visited in your everyday romance novel and touches upon difficult situations and emotions that come along the way

Now some say that I am simply pleased, however, I enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend it to those who (like myself) love a good love story (but with a little more to it).

Thanks for reading,

Holly X