L.A. CANDY | LAUREN CONRAD

This book was almost like a re-living of Lauren Conrad's reality-star lifestyle on the show 'The Hills'. It centres around the lives of two girls, Jane and Scarlett, who move to Los angeles to start fresh and jump start their careers. Jane gets herself an internship for renowned event planner, Fiona Chen, whilst Scarlett muddles through her classes at USC deciding what to do with the rest of her life. 

Whilst out at a club one night, Hollywood producer Trevor Lord approaches the pair and convinces them to come for an audition for his new show named 'L.A. Candy'. The girls impress at their auditions and interviews and the show begins with their every moves being filmed and re-staged. You really do get an insight into all the things reality TV shows try to hide, from the non-existent spontaneity aspect to the staged conversations. 

This book very much reminded me of The Hills which is not always a good thing! The first thing I noticed was the over use f description, Lauren Conrad really went to town with describing every detail and at the very beginning of the book, this really did not make for a great read; it did seem like she got more into the swing of it though as the story progressed. 

Another thing I noticed was that there is some serious name-dropping going on throughout. Whilst all the celebrities mentioned are fictional, the brands and businesses were dropped throughout the pages like fullstops. This book rally does have the typical 'Chick Lit' feel to it and is a really lighthearted easy read. I'm still undecided whether to read the rest in the series; yes/no?

Read More

THE DESCENDANTS - KAUI HART HEMMINGS

It's been too long since I last finished a book from my list and the main reason for that is because I just didn't enjoy the book. I chose to read The Descendants because I had been desperate to watch the film - that never happened - and so I instead compensated for this by reading the book. 

Much to my disappointment, the book was so so slow and I never really got a sense of who the characters were. The story is told through the voice of Matt King, a man whose wife is left in a coma after a boating accident. Matt is left in charge of their two daughters, and pretty much the while first half of the book is just various hospital scenes with Matt and his daughters. I know that these scenes are necessary for the story but they never really explored each character as an individual so I never got a strong image of who they are. 

Matt discovers that his wife has been having an affair and then decide to uproot himself and his daughters to the road to find the man so he can say his last goodbyes. It is a very compelling story with some serious emotional twists but the author has tried to put a real comedy slant on it in the forms of the conversation between father and daughters. I think that the dramatic comedy mix didn't really work all that well and the tone of the book was completely altered. 

I wish I had watched the movie before I had read the book - this will anger some people I know! Honestly, I wouldn't recommend this book as it was a very slow starter and it took me twice as long to read because of that.

Read More

Poor Little Bitch Girl - Jackie Collins

Poor Little Bitch Girl is the first Jackie Collins book I have read and although I'd heard lots of great things about her books, I still wasn't quite sure what to expect. I bought this book on a whim after finding it in ASDA for only £2...£2 for a book nowadays is something you don't see often! 

The title of the book refers to Annabelle Maestro, the daughter of two famous Hollywood movie stars who goes off on her own to New York to run a 'high-end' call girl service with her drug addict boyfriend Frankie. Annabelle is the character the title refers to but in the book she is only a piece of the puzzle, the main character is Denver Jones, an up-and-coming lawyer to the stars. These characters and the other high-flying individuals are all thrown together when Annabelle's mother is brutally murdered in her LA home.

The story is told through the eyes of Denver and she is supposed to be the character the readers can relate to most' being a working, confident and smart woman. I found it hard sometimes to really relate to her though, I feel her character was a little confused, in parts unsure of herself but in others very confident and opinionated. Whether this was Jackie Collins aim or not, I was left wanting more of a sense of who Denver actually is as a character.

Poor Little Bitch Girl is written in chapters each titled as a character; Annabelle, Denver, Caroline, Bobby and Frankie, showing their connections to each other and to that of Annabelle's mother and her murder. I do really like how this book is written, I really got a sense of who Jackie Collins is as a writer which, having not read any of her books before, was really great for me. The book came across as very 'current' and almost as though it had been taken straight from a newspaper or magazine. There was clearly research done to give a sense of Hollywood and frequently I saw moments where names were dropped which made the book come across as more real and less fictional.

This book was certainly a page turner and from the first sentence 'Belle Svetlana surveyed her nude image in a full-length mirror, readying herself for a thirty-thousand-dollar-an-hour sexual encounter with the fifteen-year-old son of an Arab oil tycoon'; I knew I was in for an interesting and somewhat scandalous read. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love for all things Hollywood or anyone who likes a real page turner...or if you simply want a little more of a 'shocking' read about sex, money, power, murder, betrayal and love. 

Read More

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is one more book I can tick off my list meaning I'm one step closer to my 25 book challenge! The Hunger Games is basically about a live television show - set in an unspecified time in the future - that is held each year where a boy and a girl from each of the twelve districts is randomly chosen to compete in a gladiator-style contest which is held in the central city called the Capitol. The winner of the games is the last child left alive. The book follows the point of view of Katniss Everdeen, the tribute representing district 12 after volunteering herself instead of her sister. She is skilled at hunting and her strongest weapon is her use of a bow and arrow. As much as she doesn't want to kill; she also doesn't want to be killed.

I became aware of this book after seeing the trailer for the upcoming movie which really made me want to get the book read before the movie release in March. A friend of mine also read the book and she had nothing but great things to say about it so I thought, taking these both into account, I'd give it a go. 

I will start by saying that I really did enjoy the book as a whole but I found it very very slow. Part one of the book was slow moving and I found that I just couldn't get into it - it took me forever to finish part one. I understand that the background and build-up to the games is needed but I think more drama or life could have been injected into the first part to make it a more gripping read. However, parts two and three of the book were really great and I found myself engrossed in the action and survival of the characters.

Part two went into much more detail and really showed how the characters were developing as the games went on and part three was the ending of the games and the final ceremony which rounded off the first book nicely and left a good follow-on into the next books. I found myself completely and utterly engaged in the story; especially nearing the penultimate end which left me thinking up possible outcomes leading to the surprise end to the games. 

One thing that did surprise me was that this book is aimed at young adults even though some of the scenes in the book are quite violently detailed like the scene where one of the tributes is violently attacked by human/wolf mutations - although the main characters are young adults themselves which is relatable. This type of action however, would be something I'd expect from a more mature and adult targeted book rather than one for young adults. I personally found this book an exciting read and the description was beyond what I'd expected. 

I would definitely recommend The Hunger Games to anyone who doesn't mind a slow starter or a bit of violence. Honestly, just give it a go, I was a bit dubious after reading the first few chapters and finding myself bored but after getting part part one I'm so glad I read this book and it might even be one of my all time favourite books - which doesn't really say much seeing as I've read maybe five books all together haha. 

One more thing, this book is part of a trilogy but I am really unsure as to if I am going to read the other two books. Although I found myself enjoying The Hunger Games towards the end, I don't know I can endure two more possibly slow starting books and also, I honestly cannot see where the author will take the story from here.

I'd love to hear your thoughts if you have read all three books, or even just your thoughts on the first book and if you agree or disagree with what I've said.

Read More

Many Lives - Stephanie Beacham Autobiography

I finished another book; I'm on a roll with this whole reading thing, I think it's because I'm off at the moment and so have nothing else to do haha. Hopefully when I'm back at university I can still keep up with the reading! Anyway, I finished reading 'Many Lives' which is Stephanie Beacham's Autobiography. 

For those of you who don't know who Stephanie is; she's a British actress who has done TV shows, movies and theatre. She's probably most well known for being on the ITV series Connie and the ABC series The Colbys. However, my favourite of her roles is when she played Phyllida Oswyn in the series Bad Girls. 

Now onto the book; Stephanie really gives you an insight into her whole life from her childhood to her current life by the beach in Santa Monica. I actually really enjoyed getting an insight into Stephanie's life and seeing just how much she has done. I didn't quite realise how much theatre work she has done and how much actually goes into each performance. I also found out that she is a very spiritual person - not religious - just spiritual and she really does believe in such things like higher powers, god and fate. 

Some of the book did go on a lot about spiritual references and so on which at first I didn't mind reading about but after a while it got a little repetitive and I did find myself skimming it just a little. This aside, the book did thoroughly entertain me and had me gripped from the start; when it ended I was quite disappointed and wanted to read more! I really like how the book is not only split into named chapters, but also sections which has some pretty good titles like; 'Being Humbly Arrogant', 'Think Ahead and Eat That Chocolate' and 'Hollywood'. Some of the titles are quite obvious like 'Hollywood' being about her introduction into Hollywood and others are a bit more intriguing like 'The Harsh Reality' which could imply almost anything!

Overall I really enjoyed this book, it took me a little while to get into but after a chapter or so I was hooked and as I said previously, I didn't want it to end. I would recommend this book to anyone really; even if you don't know who Stephanie Beacham is, you will after reading this! I didn't know half of the things she's done in her life but I still enjoyed reading about it. Stephanie seems like a really humble and down-to-earth person which is hard to find in the celebrity world; she talks about her movie and theatre career like it's just any other job. I don't think there's much more I can say about this book; al' I'd say is give it a go! 

'It's been a long journey' and I very much enjoyed reading about it.

Read More

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

I finished my first book of 2012 last night, 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky, which means I'm one step closer to achieving my goal of reading 25+ books this year - and I can cross one off my list which makes me feel so good! 

I have mixed feelings about this book. I can't decide whether I loved it or I hated it but one thing I do know is that it's not what I expected! I initially wanted to read this book because the movie is due out sometime this year (it has Kate Walsh in it so I must watch it!) and then sooooo many people said how much they'd enjoyed reading it and how I should definitely give it a go so that's exactly what I did. 

The book is about a high-school freshman named Charlie who describes various situations and aspects of his life through written letters to an anonymous person who he has never met or spoken to personally. Charlie is an intelligent but unpopular teenager who is considered the 'wallflower' in the book and he discusses various things such as drug use, abortion, suicide, literature, mix tapes and relationships. This book definitely doesn't leave you feeling happy, in fact it's rather a depressing book to be honest hinting at some pretty intense things. 

The book is written entirely through letters starting with 'Dear friend' and ending with 'Love always, Charlie'; which is what left me with mixed opinions. I find it hard to get my head around the fact that he is writing to a complete stranger about every aspect of his life and the way each letter is written with incorrect grammar doesn't really make sense considering he is supposed to be a talented young writer. Maybe it's just me who's picked up on this but it actually really annoyed me throughout. 

On the plus side though I did enjoy reading the book as a whole and found myself not wanting to put it down. I thought the characters were explored in depth well and the references to classic books, music and The Rocky Horror Picture Show really did leave me intrigued about Charlie as a character and his 'infinite' wallflower existence. I also like the cover - stupid reason for liking a book I know but a cover can say a lot about a book...I know I know, never judge a book by its cover but sometimes, in fact most times, I do...

One question that I still haven't been able to answer yet though is; what is the perk of being a wallflower? Charlie is obviously the wallflower of the story but he doesn't seem to enjoy being the way he is and I can't see any perks to his life to be truthful. He sits back and observes life and others around him and although he questions things, he later just goes with what he is told...am I missing the whole point? 

I would recommend this to anyone who likes a slow paced, easy read type of book which is relatable, but if you want an uplifting read then this may not be for you. It took me a while to get into it so if you do decide to read it, give it a chance before you judge it...

Let me know what your thoughts are of this book. Did you enjoy it? 

Read More

I enjoyed reading a book!

Let me first begin by saying that I am not a big reader. I think I have only ever finished maybe three books and even then, that took me forever! BUT, I was determined to find a book/series of books that I actually enjoyed reading and that I wanted to finish.

Onto the book! I think it was last year, a new TV show came out on TNT called Rizzoli and Isles and immediately I loved it. The story lines are just so well written and the two main characters - Jane and Maura - are so unbelievably likeable! So, when I found out that the show originally came from a series of books I was instantly intrigued. I then got the opportunity to go and meet the author of the books- Tess Gerritsen - at a signing and thought I'd take that as an opportunity to buy some of the books and see how they compared to the show.

Rizzoli & Isles on TNT

Me with Tess Gerritsen at her book signing. Note my signed copy
lying on the table there...

I bought 'Silent Girl' which was the book Tess was promoting, but it was also the book at the very end of the series so instead of reading that first and confusing myself I decided to buy the first few books and see how I got on, which to my surprise Tess was kind enough to sign also!

My signed copy of 'The Surgeon'

The first book entitled 'The Surgeon' is basically the story of a man with surgeon like 'skills' who targets and kills lonely women. It's then the job of the Boston homicide detectives to investigate and solves the crimes - so it pretty much follows your typical crime story. Now at first I thought this book would not be my cup of tea at all because as much as I like watching crime dramas, reading about them just seems like it would be a different experience entirely and one that I maybe wouldn't enjoy, but I thought I'd at least give it a try and thats exactly what I did.

On the train home, I began reading and before I knew it I had read six chapters! (For some avid readers that may not seem like a lot but for me that is a lot...) Then, when I got home I immediately went up to my room and continued to read the book (I read twice in one day!) and I managed to read up to chapter 14 or 15. Could it be possible? Could I have actually found I book I enjoyed reading? Indeed I had, I finished the book within a week or so and then moved onto number two, 'The Apprentice' which I am currently enjoying reading...

This is the book (obviously!) and I'd totally recommend it to everyone,
even if you don't think it'd be your type of book.

Tell me, which book do you enjoy reading most?

xoxo

Read More