Reading in Progress

I recently wrote about my 52 books in a year challenge.  Well, I'm pleased to announce that so far I'm on track.  Currently on my fifth novel of 2014, I thought I would post a review of the fiction that I have read so far, as I'm sure that later in the year it could be a little harder to recall all of the details (especially if I get close to the fifty mark). 

1) Chasing The Dead - Tim Weaver

This thriller was definitely a good way to start the year.  Easy to read, it had a fast plot and several important twists.  The ending was a little disappointing, but realistic I suppose.  While I enjoyed the book, I can't honestly say that I will be pursuing others in the David Raker series, but enjoyed it nonetheless.  



2) The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson

Last year, one of the novels that surprised me most was The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.  Rachel Joyce's work of fiction was quirky and so easy to like.  As The Hundred Year Old Man seemed to be of a similar nature, I had high expectations and was rather let down.  The chapters largely alternated between Allan's present exploits and his past adventures, and therein lay the problem.  I found that the imagined past of the protagonist was overly laden with historical facts and proved rather dull.  Rather disappointing. 






3) Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister - Gregory Maguire

Years ago I was thoroughly impressed with Gregory Maguire's debut adult novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, so I was impressed that the writer managed to revive another classic fairy tale with equal success.  Maguire's writing is unusual, whimsical and highly entertaining, making a nice change from my usual reading choices.  

4) You're Mine Now - Hans Koppel
 

One of the best books I have ever been bought was Hans Koppel's twisted thriller She's Never Coming Back, so I was excited to see another of his works on the Kobo store.  You're Mine Now made me eager for Koppel's next literary release.  Although it was not as gruesome as his previous novel, it was equally as tense and kept me gripped into the small hours of the morning before sleep eventually won. 


I am now currently reading Dorothy Koomson's The Flavours of Love (another crime novel, I know) and will write again soon with regards to the remaining 47 books!

"New Year - New Sale" ... A Brat & Suzie blog post.

Now we all know that January can be pretty tough on the purse. We’ve overspent at Christmas, New Year celebrations were pretty pricey, and the latest instalment of pay has disappeared on bills, overdrafts, and other delights all too soon. Team that with this dull, drizzly weather and it can easily feel like you’re living in a month of Mondays. However, if you’re looking for a guilt free indulgence to cheer you up without creating a terrifying dent your bank balance, then why not take a look online at our selection of sale items.













Not only does every item on our website have huge reductions, but they are also all garments that can easily see you into the next season. After all, summer is unfortunately a long time away. As our ethos here at Brat and Suzie is based upon creating animal illustrated clothing that you will love to wear time and time again, there’s no need for you to stop wearing pieces such as the Wolf Dream Catcher Tee once the sun finally shines. In fact, we think it looks fantastic when worn with distressed denim shorts and bohemian inspired sandals (despite the fact that just the thought makes us feel chilly right now).

Be sure to take a look under the ‘Sale’ tab too for some outrageous bargains. A handful of tops are just five or six pounds each, including the popular Dip Dye Love Bird Tee and Teacup Mouse Tie-Front.

 My personal favourite item currently on offer is the Elephant Print Parka Jacket. Reduced from £50 to just £20, this coat is an absolute must have. Ideal for throwing on wherever you are off to, the dark khaki goes with any nearly anything, whilst the grey Aztec elephant print sleeves and hood are a great way to incorporate a print into your outfit. The lovely long sleeves make the parka feel extra cosy, yet it’s not too bulky if you have to carry your coat on the tube/ in a bar/ whist out shopping. Generous pockets and a large, handy hood make me love this parka even more, so I would definitely advise that you add one to your basket.

Have a happy new year, and happy sale shopping too!

Written by Sophie Seymour.

When I Sold Out: A Kobo Review

When e-readers first started popping up I was a little appalled.  I have been an avid reader my entire life and just couldn't imagine discarding my beloved books for another device.  What about the smell of a new book, the feel of a lovely hardback cover?  Surely I would miss those.  Not to mention that books don't have issues regarding battery life and screen glare.  Sure I noticed a few people with their travel size e-books, who could easily slip their read into a jacket pocket or bag, but I was happy with my bulky book thank you very much.

And then it happened.

I was killing some time and decided to wander into my local WHSmith's.  As usual, I headed straight for the literature section, but something caught my eye on route to the paperbacks.  It was small and affordable, and most importantly came in my favourite powder blue colour.  I had spied a Kobo Touch.

Initially I just carried on walking but later caught myself looking online at this lightweight, appealing e-reader I had seen.  The awful glare similar to that on my i-Pad was nonexistent and most importantly, it was on sale for just £29.99.

Now, me being me, I wasn't happy with the colours that were in stock because I absolutely needed that pale blue soft touch diamond backed model.  After all, if I was going to go against all my previous assumptions and give in to the digital book, it was going to have to look good.

I ordered the now sold out blue Kobo touch online:  http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/kobo-touch-blue-ereader/product/35487777 and waited for it's delivery.  My expectations were to possibly use the e-reader occasionally, for when I wanted to save space taking a book into work or so that I could avoid filling my suitcase with novels to avoid the fear of running out of reading material whilst abroad. 

I'm shocked to report that I absolutely love it.  I don't have to take two books out with me when I'm close to the end of one because they are all stored in the Kobo's memory, ready and waiting.  I have had the device for just over two weeks and it's still on full battery.  True, I will never stop loving going into a book store and browsing, nor will I stop collecting the books of my favourite authors.  However, I read a fairly substantial amount of literature and many of these I don't require a hard copy of because I will rarely return to them at a later date.  The Kobo Touch e-book is easy to use, great to read, has a great selection of literature available to buy, and I also love the 'reading stats' so that I can see my progress.

I am still looking forward to reading the new hardback that I received as a Christmas gift, but there is also room in my life for a little blue electronic book.  Sorry to admit it, but I'm converted.  I even bought a neoprene pouch for it to be stored in whilst I'm not reading: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161113958840?var=460212626651&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l264

 

An Incredible Illustrator

Ever since I interviewed illustrators Ria Edmenson and Andrea Burrows for the Brat and Suzie blog, my interest in people who draw amazing animal based artwork has officially peaked.  With Sandra Dieckmann as one of my absolute favourites, I was so pleased to come across a new talent that I can admire, re-pin and re-blog.  Enter Indi Maverick...

A creative from Mexico City, Indi Maverick is the same age as I am and seems to know exactly the type of images that I long to cover my home with.  Each of her illustrations contains some sort of fashion element, whether that happens to be cats wearing knitwear or birds donning peter pan collars, it makes me admire them even more.


Click to visit her Pinterest, Tumblr and Facebook pages below:

http://www.pinterest.com/indimaverick/

http://indimaverick.tumblr.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/ohdeer.byindimaverick?fref=ts

If you feel the need, like I do, after browsing Indi's illustrations, to own a piece of her artwork, then take a look at her Society6 shop page, where you can purchase prints, cushions, clothing, accessories and homewares that feature her work.  Currently at the top of my wish list the pair of mint green bird cushions shown below:

Enjoy!

Perfect Pinning

Just quickly wanted to share a quick selection of the images that I have been re-pinning on Pinterest this week:

   

Click here to visit my page.

Fashion Business Feature for Semple Magazine

Here is the longer of the two articles that I wrote for the most recent issue of Semple magazine.

Many thanks to Brat and Suzie, Miss Crofton and Olivia Burton for their invaluable insights and opinions. 

Please click to enlarge the images for easier reading.

So close, yet so far...

Happy New Year!

Now I know that the typical resolutions to make tend to resolve around losing a couple of pounds or being a better person, but last Winter I had a conversation with an acquaintance who was planning to read 52 books in one year (something I found drastically more interesting that trying to give up eating chocolate.)  A little late into 2013 I began jotting down every book that I completed.  

My favourite part about the challenge was that it brought me back into the habit of reading regularly, which is something that I had always loved but lost the knack of finding time for.  I will openly admit that I sadly didn't make it to 52.  At 43, I was 9 novels away from my target, but I would like to think that mine was a respectable attempt.  Along the way, I discovered some utterly unforgetable works of fiction and often enjoyed sharing recommendations and opinions with other readers.  Hopefully 2014 will see me reach the big five-two, but for now, here is the compilation of literature that absorbed me last year...