Book Blogger Secret Santa

Right you lovely lot. It's almost christmas. 

In exactly 4 weeks, we'll all be up stupidly early opening presents with our loved ones. But how about bringing a little christmas cheer to a fellow book worm?? Sounds good? Last year one of my favourite bloggers set up the first #BookBloggerSS - it's secret santa for bloggers! How exciting. It was super brillant last year and I recieved the most amazing gifts ever!! 

Well Shannon is doing it again this year. You have until 9th December to register. It's opened to UK & Ireland mainly.. but check it out. Sign up. You won't regret it.

All details can be found here.. go on its christmas.

 

Cover Reveal: Secrets & Fries at the Starlight Diner

Following the sucessful release of Milkshakes & Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner, comes the follow up book 'Secrets & Fries at the Starlight Diner'. 

Released 16th December by Avon Books

What brings Bonnie Brooks to The Starlight Diner? And why is she on the run?

As the front-woman in a band, Bonnie is used to being in the spotlight, but now she must hide in the shadows.

Bonnie only has one person who she can turn to: her friend Esther Knight, who waitresses at the Fifties-themed diner. There, retro songs play on the jukebox as fries and sundaes are served to satisfied customers. But where has Esther gone?

Alone in New York City, Bonnie breaks down in front of arrogant news reporter, and diner regular, Jimmy Boyle. Jimmy offers to help her. Can she trust him?

When the kindly owner of the Starlight Diner offers Bonnie work, and she meets charming security officer Nick Moloney, she dares to hope that her luck has changed. Is there a blossoming romance on the cards? And can Bonnie rebuild her life with the help of her Starlight Diner friends?

Pre-Order NOW: Amazon UK 

Follow @Helenography 

 

Cover Reveal: Domina

I'm very excited to reveal the brilliant new book by LS Hilton.

DOMINA

Due for release on 23rd March 2017 by Zaffre

Everything you thought you knew about Maestra... You dont.

How amazing is that reveal?

Pre-Order NOW - Amazon UK

Follow @lshiltonauthor

A Room With A View

Title: A Room With A View
Author: E.M. Forster
Type: Paperback
Read: 30th October - 16th November 2016
Rating: 2/4
Published: 27th September 2012 by Penguin Books

Lucy has her rigid, middle-class life mapped out for her until she visits Florence with her uptight cousin Charlotte, and finds her neatly ordered existence thrown off balance. Her eyes are opened by the unconventional characters she meets at the Pension Bertolini: flamboyant romantic novelist Eleanor Lavish, the Cockney Signora, curious Mr Emerson and, most of all, his passionate son George.Lucy finds herself torn between the intensity of life in Italy and the repressed morals of Edwardian England, personified in her terminally dull fiancé Cecil Vyse. Will she ever learn to follow her own heart?

I'm terrible with classics. I know my limits and these books test them.
I brought this because i liked the 'penguin english library' editions and they looked very sleek and stunning. I've quite a few. However i always struggle reading classics. They never seem to capture my attention or i gradually fall asleep reading them.

I've marked this as two stars because I've read it and I've not the foggiest idea of what I actually read. BUT... i will re-read this one day. Perhaps i need to read it in the summer time when the nights are lighter and not winter when its so cold.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten All Time Favourite Movies

I need to be more active on this blog and a way of doing that is through Top Ten Tuesday. I discovered this on a blog i recently found {Broke and Bookish}. So I'm going to attempt it when I can. Starting Now.

November 15: Top Ten All Time Favourite Movies

1. The Wedding Planner

I just love Jennifer Lopez in this film. It's just a happy romcom.

 

2. Ladder 49

This film makes me cry everytime because its so sad. I also love one of the songs from the sound track. Its called 'Let It Shine'

3. Two Weeks Notice

Sandra Bullock & Hugh Grant are my two favourite actors ever. A movie with them both in was just my own little piece of heaven.

4. Notting Hill

A bookshop seller falls for a famous movie star. I've watched this film so many times. I just love it.

5. When Harry Met Sally

That ending. Can i have someone declair they love me on new years eve?

6. Sleepless in Seattle

It was either this or You've Got Mail. Both starring Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan. I'm a sucker for romance.

7. The Polar Express

This is the best christmas movie ever right?? Just believe.

8. Beauty & The Beast

Tale as old as time.... who doesn't love belle? I just kinda want the library the most.

9. Hocus Pocus

Bette Middler in the best role ever. I was lucky enough to see Bette perform a song from this film when she was over in 2015.

10. The Goonies

I can never decide if this is a halloween film or christmas. But its one i've watched forever since i was a kid and i can never get tired of it.

Check out Broke and Bookish for their weekly top 10's!

The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince

Title: The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince
Author: Serena Valentino
Type: Paperback
Read: 28th October - 29th October 2016
Rating: 4/5
Published: 2016 by Parragon Books

A cursed prince sits alone in a secluded castle. Few have seen him, but those who claim they have say his hair is wild and nails are sharp--like a beast's! But how did this prince, once jovial and beloved by the people, come to be a reclusive and bitter monster? And is it possible that he can ever find true love and break the curse that has been placed upon him?

I love love love beauty and the beast. It's one of my all time favourite disney films ever. So when i discovered this book, i had to get it. Firstly i have to say that the cover is utterly stunning. It's captivating and you want to read it. It's the beast. But on the other side, you have the prince.

This is just a re-telling of the film. So whilst it has bits that are somewhat reconisable from the film, its centered around why the beast became cursed. How that effected everything and everyone around him. How slowly even he couldnt' remember a time before being the beast. How the servants were slowly disappearing before him, only to be turned into thei objects we know and love (Mrs.Potts, Cogsworth..).

The prince is pretty shallow, he wants someone to love him, they don't need to be bright, they don't even need to do anything. Just be a dumb gal. But after breaking the heart of a girl all because she worked on a farm, he is cursed by three witches. Find true love, which is both recieved and given, by his 21st birthday and the curse will be lifted. If not, he will remain an evil beast forever.

The interesting part of this story for me, was that once the curse was put into place, the effects of it, didn't instantly happen. I think maybe thats what we believed happened in the film. But in this take, the curse takes a while to take hold. Gradually the prince turns older and more tired, lashes out more. He's servants disappear. He tries to fall in love but its not real.

I also liked that we got to see or have appearances by other disney villans. Ursula being one. It was a very good mix on the story. At just over 200 pages this isnt' a long book. The writing is pretty large too. I can see why some people dislike this telling but i think imagination is a wonderful thing.  

 

Pretty Is

Title: Pretty Is
Author: Maggie Mitchell
Type: Paperback
Read: 22nd October - 27th October 2016
Rating: 3/5
Published: 21st April 2016 by Orion

Everyone thought we were dead. What else could they think?

One summer, nearly twenty years ago, two twelve year olds
were abducted and kept captive in the forest.
There they formed a bond that could never be broken.
What really happened in the woods that summer?

I liked the basis of this book and for some reason the title. Pretty Is. It's so simple.

I enjoyed the mystery part around the kidnapping of the two girls, who were only 12 and very pretty. The book is split over three sections, with the stories going from one girl to the other. The second part is a take on the book wrote by one of the characters, Lois. Which worked and didn't.

The girls, whilst fair enough were only 12, seemed at times not to worry about being taken. They never asked questions, they never wanted to run, they just accepted. They were both eager to please the kidnapper, who in return, didn't really want alot from them. Just company and for them to stop with the things that they knew best, pagents and spelling bees. But there was nothing else beyond that. I think that was the hard part of the story. The not understanding their desire to stay. Anyone who was taken, weather they got into a car willingly at first, would / should still question why they are not going home.

The story went on to how it changed the two girls, how their lives turned out because of this. After being released, neither girl seen the other. They went off on two different paths in life. One becoming an actress, and changing her name. The other a lecturer and a writer - both still caught up with the kidnapper they named Zed.

Part of me wanted the girls to just grow up (and they were adults!). But even meeting up due to Lois book being turned into a film and that the other girl was going to be acting in the film, they both seemd to want to be the better. They both kinda vived for attention about who was Zed's favourite. I think they were still crazy and no-one around them could ever understand the other. It was just them two against the world.