The Best Books I Ever Read

I keep it quite quiet that I'm a major bookworm. If I'm honest, books mean a lot to me, my mum read to me when I was little, I learnt a lot of important life lessons through books and I have turned to books and escaping to fictional worlds when times get tough to live my life though someone else's eyes and sometimes even see that other peoples' lives are not as bad as mine. There a few a few of my favourites, although it's very hard to choose!

1. To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

This is and I believe always will be my favourite book. I read it during my GCSEs and started to hate it when I had to read into every little detail in depth, but after rereading it a little while later, I fell back in love with it. The story is told through the eyes of a young girl called Scout and is based on her adventures with her older brother Jem and their net door neighbour Dill. Her dad, Atticus Finch, is a well respected lawyer and is working on a very important case where a black man had reportedly raped a young, white girl in the Deep South during the early 1930s when racism was at its height.

The story sees Scout looking up to her father and following his court case without really knowing what's going on whilst finding out more about the secrets of their town Maycomb and the people within it including a family in severe poverty and a man who got locked up for apparently killing people in the town. With a lot of twists and turns, I'd definitely recommend this read for anyone who wants a good plot that they can sink their teeth into.

2. Paper Towns - John Green

There are no words to describe my emotional attachment to this book. John Green quickly became my favourite author after I started reading A Fault In Out Stars (before the hype- may I add) and I think he is the best person ever (I mean have you ever seen Mental Floss?!). This book is about a guy and a girl who quickly form a very tight bond, and after she goes missing, he wants to find her, badly. It explores the themes of emotional attachment and obsession beautifully and being a person who gets attached to objects and people quite quickly, I believe John portrays this amazingly.

The characters are 100% loveable and are really easy to identify with. The movie is set to come out next year, I don;t fully agree with the casting and I believe there are many other people who could play the female lead better than Cara Delevigne (most people would actually) and I know a lot of Paper Towns fans agree with me. If you enjoyed TFIOS, you will love this even more, to me, it's John Green's most underrated book, which quite frankly shouldn't be the case.

3. The Gruffalo- Julia Donaldson

Okay, so it's a kids' book. I literally don't care. The Gruffalo is a cute little story about a mouse who avoids his predators by telling them about a giant grizzly monster called the Gruffalo. Little does he know that the Gruffalo is real and scares his predators into not eating him. It's charming, it's adorable and it has a sequel- The Gruffalo's Child. I don't care how old you are; if you haven't read this before go and do it. Right now. It won't take you long.

4. Hush Hush- Becca Fitzpatrick

This one is a little bit cheese and there's a whole saga but this is the only really good book in it. Now that that's out of the way, I read this book about 5 times back to back when I was in high school, just after the Twilight craze kicked off (a saga I never actually finished). It's about a guy who is a fallen angel and a girl who falls in love with him and then finds out he is hiding a huge secret.

I suppose this book is a bit of a guilty pleasure. I'm supposed to have outgrown it but I still do have a soft spot for Patch and Nora. It's a typical teen romance story with the supernatural edge. Like Twilight but better written, with a better plot and more relateable characters. Okay, so it's not much like Twilight.

5. Unknown

This is really bad of me but there is a book that I adore and I lent it to my nan and I can't for the life of me remember what it is called (so if anyone knows, can you let me know please!). It's about a young girl who has grown up in a cult in America and one day gets forced to marry her 70 year old uncle at the age of around 15. She seeks refuge in books (a lot like me but I;m not in a cult or being forced to get married) and gets illegal books from a mobile library to see what life is like outside of her cult. It is a gorgeous book and a quick read but with so much detail, I hoped for a sequel but it never happened.

If you, like me, love books and want to share, I'd love you to! Comment on this post and who knows, we might even have a new blogger book club, that would be awesome! Let me know if there are any good reads that I should delve into because I've just left a very predictable, boring one behind.

Support Small Business Day

I am a major supporter of smaller businesses as I believe they need our money more than the larger corporations do. Living in a small town, I am constantly seeing small businesses lose out to the bigger companies and this really isn't fair, which is why yesterday (29/11/2014) was so important. It was national support small business day in the UK which meant after the consumerist's dream that was Black Friday, it was time to show some appreciation to those people who are trying so hard to please people with their products. For me, this has spread over the whole weekend (naturally).

On the day itself, I took a trip to Afflecks in Manchester and spend almost £150 on some amazing things. For everyone who doesn't know, Afflecks is the alternative dream in the heart on Manchester city centre. A huge market place with 3 levels and so many independent retailers. I bought everything from handmade earrings to a vintage military jacket to patches for my denim vest. There are a range of shops that sell good food, band merch and even roller derby kit (I was in heaven). Kickflip Boards have their own little corner of Afflecks, and yes I was slightly shocked when the guy behind the counter told me who has was! He was Matt, the actual owner of Kicklip Boards. This may not mean much to most of you, but he's awesome!

After my shopping spree in Afflecks, I did put some money back into bigger businesses because I was in the city and I needed some things that I couldn't buy in Afflecks such as Nandos' chicken and Iron Fist shoes. But yes, most of the money I spent yesterday went to independent retailers and it felt good.

Both last night after I came home and this afternoon were spent going around the Christmas markets in my home town. Lots of unknown makers and bakers come together every month to sell their wares and get their name out as high quality retailers. I personally adore these markets. The streets get closed (usually just for the Sunday, but this one lasted the whole weekend) and people come together and form relationships with sellers and buy some incredible, unique products. This month, I mainly bought food. Good homemade cheeses, macaroons and breads were far too tempting and the people who sell them are much more friendly than walking into a large supermarket, after all, this is what they love to do and have made a business out of it!

This month I saw some very interesting stalls and sampled some amazing goodies. The highlight of this afternoon's shopping has to be my tub of Prossecco sorbet from the artisan ice cream parlour that is situated in Knutsford, Cheshire. It makes incredible ice creams such as pistachio (another one of my favourites) and rum & raisin.

Supporting local businesses doesn't just have to mean once a year, or even once a month. I am a frequent shopper at The Candy Warehouse, again based in Knutsford. The staff are amazing and the concept behind the shop is great. There is a great mix of old favourites and fascinating new discoveries from all over the world (they have a major love for Japanese sweets). The best thing is, not only do they have the best shop front ever, they also ship deliveries all across the UK!

If you don't do anything else to support local businesses, go and support my friends at The Candy Warehouse and Kickflip Boards.

Getting Lippy

So lets be honest here, it's the week before payday and I'm broke, as are a lot of other people I know. I know what will cheer everyone up! Buying new lipsticks. "But you just said you have no money," I hear you cry. Yes, you are right, but I got 3 new lipsticks for £2 the other day. 2 whole British pounds. No I didn't buy them from a friend or get special family discount, that is the actual price of MUA lipsticks. You don't have to scrimp of quality, the strength of colour or the packaging either.

I already had the matte Wild Berry lipstick and quickly fell in love with it. Even though it is a matte colour, it doesn't dry your lips, in fact, it hydrates them better than most lip balms, making it a must for the A/W season. It looks like a deep purple colour here, but goes on a bit redder, but still keeping its plummy richness. It also seems to act like a lip stain as its staying power is incredible!

Scarlet siren is another matte shade and looks as if the colour is going to be amazing, I will keep you updated with how I find the colour when I wear it, but it should be positives, I love bright and bold reds.

Shade 1 is my typical lipstick. It has a nice gloss, is amazingly moisturising and is very bold, however with a sophisticated darker twist. This is the first time I had used the MUA gloss lipstick instead of the matte colours and I loved it! My lips felt amazing which is odd for a less expensive lipstick and it stayed on for hours! I was definitely not disappointed.

Now I am always one to take a risk, but Raven is starting to make me nervous. I have wanted to try a black lipstick for a while (I wear a lot of dark clothes and I attend a lot of rock concerts, it's only right) but now I have one in my possession, I keep putting it off. It will be worn one day and I realise that yes, it will probably become my favourite lip colour ever, but for now, let's just leave it be until I grow the balls.

What I love about MUA lipsticks in general is that thy come with little pots of the lip colour that you can unscrew from the bottom of the container. I love this because using a lip brush is my favourite way to apply lip colours but I hate destroying the shape of the lipstick because it makes it harder to apply without a brush in the future. These handy little pots give me the best of both worlds and let me get my own way (and who doesn't love that?!).

Let me just add that the colours are usually £1 each, I got three because of a special 3 for 2 offer that I found about when I went to pay, which was the best feeling ever that I could get more things for free.

Recipe: Raspberry & White Chocolate Cupcakes

As it is international cake day on Wednesday 26th November, I decided to share with you a new recipe I have fallen in love with. My adoration for this classic flavour combination came from my addiction to raspberry and white chocolate cookies as a child. Now baking with and eating the two together takes me back to shopping with my Nan and the innocence of childhood memories. I found a recipe online and tweaked it, as well as adding my own raspberry jam butter cream with a homemade raspberry sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 250g soft butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 250g self raising flour
• 4 eggs
• 4-5 tbsp milk
• 100g white chocolate (chips or broken into small pieces)
• raspberries (no quantity, I used about 2/3 small punnet)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4
2. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (see picture towards the end of the post)
3. Add and beat in the eggs one at a time, continue beating until some volume has been added
4. Gradually sift in the flour and fold in, then add the milk to loosen up the mixture slightly
5. Add the raspberries and white chocolate chips or pieces delicately so you don't knock the air out of the batter or destroy the raspberries. I suggest coating them in flour before adding to the mixture as this stops them sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking
6. Spoon into cake cases and bake for around 15 minutes or until golden (see pictures)
7. Decorate how you want, I used raspberry jam butter cream which is a small pack of butter with around 5-6 tablespoons of icing sugar and 2 teaspoons or raspberry jam, more if you want a stronger colour or flavour. The sauce was made with the leftover raspberries, 2 teaspoons of caster or granulated sugar and a splash of water, then strain to take the seeds out.

THIS is soft and fluffy

This is the colour my cakes went when they were done

  

The Best Rainy Day Films

Now that the nights are getting darker and drizzle is the likely forecast, I like to spend a lot of time snuggled up watching films. Homemade bakes and cocoa with my giant duvet and a good film is my perfect way to spend a dreary evening. There are a so many films that can warm up the coldest days and nights; these are my favourites.

1. (500) Days Of Summer

Anyone who says they have seen this film and didn't like it is lying. It's the perfect rom-com, it'll make you laugh hysterically while mopping up your tears. If you've never seen it, it's about the 500 days after the main character meets the new girl at work and how their relationship evolves over time. This film has made me want to go on dates to IKEA and record shops and other crazy places most first dates shouldn't be. The soundtrack. Oh wow, that soundtrack. It has a heavy indie focus and TWO songs by The Smiths (who are one of my all time favourite bands). It gives you a new perspective on love and relationships, even with friends. This film changed everything for me.

2. Donnie Darko

This one is perfect for anyone who enjoys the darker side of life and is best watched on a cold night when the moon comes out, it matches the mood of the film perfectly. Just a quick warning, this isn't one to watch with kids or anyone who gets freaked out by masks etc. It's also a real thinker, if you want to just switch off and take a film in, this probably isn't for you. Other than that, this film is perfect. Without ruining too much, this is about a guy who experiences an accident and sees a giant bunny and goes a bit insane really. Then there's a twist. This is literally all I can say without ruining the plot. Also, another killer soundtrack (Mad World by Gary Jules).

3. Forrest Gump

Another film that warms my heart and definitely a classic. Following the life of quite a simple man, this film shows how people see things in different ways, kind of like (500) Days Of Summer. He tells his story to people waiting for a bus and the they are enough to make anyone cry. He goes through college, falls in love, fights in the Vietnam war, loses people he loves and plays in an international ping pong tournament. The characters are lovable and even after the first watch, they will stay with you forever and you will learn life lessons from each and every one of them. This film makes you look at yourself and how you treat those around you and even has the possibility to strengthen your relationships because life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.

4. About A Boy

When I studied the book this film is based on in high school, I hated it. Probably because we had to do all of that analysing that nobody does in real life, but a few years on I am realising how awesome this film is. It allows you to see events that could happen to anyone through the eyes of a mature young boy and an immature grown man. Throughout the film, the young boy makes the man grow up and the man makes the young boy a child again, giving him time off from looking after his depressed mother. For all you Americans, it may be hard to get your hands on, it's difficult enough over here in the UK, where it was made and based. But if you can find it on Netflix or another streaming service, give it a go. It also features a very young, incredibly cute Nicholas Hoult (who was in Skins and has been in a few big films recently).

5.  Princess And The Frog

This list would not be complete without a musical or a Disney film, and this one covers both. Don't get me wrong, this is not my favourite Disney film (there's a long list, this will probably come soon) but this music and themes are enough to warm even the coldest of winter nights. I have to admit, Dr. Facilier is the scariest Disney villain there is, but that just makes me love the film more. I see a bit of myself in Tiana, it took a lot of hard work and effort to get to where I am but I'm here now and I love it. Also, everyone has a friend who reminds them of Charlotte from the film, if you can't think of any, then you are her. And you are awesome. And we should be friends.

I'm a major film junkie and I love watching new things, let me know if there are any other films that belong on this list. I feel like I'm going to need a whole lot more to get me through this dreary season.