'Witchcraft Couture' by Katarina West | Book Review

The debut novel from Katarina West, Witchcraft Couture is a literary fiction novel about fashion, and gripped me from the start. Never before have I read a story quite like this one, the unique take on the world of fashion a really interesting and well written one. I'm a sucker for any book that incorporates magical realism anyway, the dreamer inside of me wants to believe that our own world is full of magical realism that we just don't know about yet. 

I could not put this book down, to be perfectly honest. Like usual, it took me a little while to get into the flow of the book, get past the first couple chapters but when I was there I was hooked. The novel follows the story of Oscar Pellegrini, a man who has all the characteristics of your typical 'creative genius', but is so much more complex than that. The more the novel progresses, the more you are sucked into his life and how he thinks, following his breakdown throughout the course of the story, with enough plot twists to make you want to keep reading even at 3am, or when your bus stop is approaching!

The most magical aspect of this story is the Sampo, a mythical 'fridge' that promises to turn any clothing into something beautiful, and is the basis of Oscar's success. I found this concept fascinating, the idea that maybe talent is something that can be found, or doesn't actually exist. So many questions are raised, but I finished the book feeling thoroughly satisfied. A very, very good read indeed.

The book can be purchased on Amazon here, and you can find out more about Katarina West, the author, here and here

Bethany 

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*This book was sent to me for review

Book Review #1 || 'Love, Rosie'

 Sometimes fate just can't stop meddling...Best friends since forever, Rosie and Alex have shared their hopes, dreams, awkward moments - and firsts. But their bond is threatened when Alex's family move to America. They stay in touch, but misunderstandings, circumstances and sheer bad luck seem to be conspiring to keep them apart. Can they gamble everything - even their friendship - on true love? - 'Love, Rosie (Where Rainbows End)' by Cecelia Ahern, £7.99 - Waterstones

Cecelia Ahern has long been one of my favourite writers, with what is possibly her best known book, 'PS I Love You' never failing to make me weep whenever I read it, or watch the film. This book is equally as good. Originally published as 'Where Rainbows End', a title which I actually prefer, it was retitled as 'Love, Rosie' when the film was released, which I haven't actually gotten around to watching yet.

I won't lie to you, it was actually the trailer for the film that brought this book to my attention, and I knew I had to read it, and in fact went out and bought it the very same day, and read it within a week. I honestly couldn't put it down, this book is incredible.

I laughed, I cried, I screamed at the Rosie and Alex out of frustration ( I always think it's a sign of a good book when I get so invested in the characters that I love them and hate them and want to bang their heads together), this was the best kind of emotional rollercoaster. Filled with plenty of twists and turns in the plot, it kept me captivated from the moment I started reading till the very last word, the ending what I wanted but also satisfactory. I just bloody loved this book, and highly recommend it. I think it would be a good book to take away on holiday and read by the pool/beach/swamp as it's easy to read, but with a good plot.

I can't wait to read more Cecelia Ahern books! Any recommendations?

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'Love, Tanya' Review

I am sure the entire world knows that youtuber/blogger/all round fab person Tanya Burr launched her book back on the 29th of January, and I was very excited to get my hands on a copy. I picked up this one in WHSmith for £6.49, which I was happy about (I do love me a good bargain.) It's usually £12.99, which I think is a rather lovely price for a hefty hardback book.

I've been reading this on and off for the past week, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every page. Tanya talks frankly throughout the book about her life and experiences, and although I'm pretty sure she has had help writing this, her own voice really shines through and it is almost as though she's talking to you as she would on any YouTube video. 

The pictures are bloody lovely, the recipes look amazing, tasty, and pretty foolproof to make (great for klutz's like myself), and each chapter brings it's own special message to the book. I particularly like the Top 10 lists that feature throughout the book, and the spaces where you can write your own lists after being inspired by the chapter you have just read. I also like the structure of the book (look out, here comes the literary student in me), as the chapters are not too long and each has it's own focus, making it easy to dip in and out of, and you don't need to read the chapters in order, which makes it more like a little handy guidebook for tough times, down times, ice cream times, any times. 

I just really, really enjoyed Tanya Burr's first contribution to the shelves of my beloved bookstores. I feel like you get to know Tanya as a person much more, as well as picking up loads of little tips and tricks from someone who knows herself. From skincare to beauty, hair care to YouTube and much about her early life, this is a really lovely offering. Very much recommend picking up this book, especially if you are a viewer of her videos or a reader of her blog.

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To read is to live a thousand lives

Ever since I learnt to read when I was very tiny, I've always had my head stuck in a book and at least five on the go at once. It's probably my favourite pastime A) because I can do it in bed, minimal effort required and B) because I can live out so many different lives just by turning some pages and reading some words. I don't just love reading either, writing is one of my biggest passions and so often reading become research for me. 

That being said, I thought that I could make a biweekly feature of a sort of favourite books post, which isn't necessarily my favourite books of the moment, although I'm sure they will creep in there, but books that I have enjoyed throughout the years and have either read once and loved, or come back to time and time again. And trust me, this will be going for a while. I have a lot of favourite books. 

This time I have chosen to feature:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: a classic, a much loved favourite, and a timeless book. I'm a sucker for any kind of romance, and I absolutely adore books by the Bronte sisters. Definitely worth a read if you don't mind making a bit of an effort to understand the older style English!

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks: I was given this for my birthday a couple years back, had never heard of the book or the author, but thought I'd give it a go anyway, and I could not put it down. I found the first part hard to get into and read, but once I got into it I fell immediately in love. I'm a big fan of a weepy book, and a big fan of historical fiction whether that be set in the sixteenth century or the twentieth century, and this book definitely provides. Highly, highly recommend giving it a go. (Plus the two-part TV series features Eddie Redmayne, so that's worth a watch even if you don't read the book!)

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: being a bit of a fangirl myself, I knew I had to read this book when I saw the title. I loved it a lot, I thought it was a really excellent book and an easy read. I fell in love with the characters and the plot, and I cannot wait to pick this one up and read it again in the near future.

Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern: formerly known as Where Rainbows End, I have to admit I did pick this one up after I saw the trailer for the film and fell in love, though I haven't watched it yet. I'm a big fan of Cecelia Ahern anyway, so I knew this would be good, but I love it. I really do. It made me laugh, it made me weep a little, it frustrated me, it made me feel so many things and I got so involved in the characters lives. Excellently written, superb book, well worth a read. Probably a good holiday book, this one.

That's my four for this time, more to come in a couple weeks! If you want me to make a post reviewing any of these books in proper detail with a synopsis and everything, just leave a comment and I will indeed do so! In fact, if you want a review on any book just bung a comment down below and I will review it if I've read the book, and if I haven't I'll get it, read it, and purchase it!

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