Thank You, Universe

Christmas Season! My favourite season of the year! And this year I even get to go home to Germany to celebrate this fantastic holiday with my family. My crazy, wonderful family.

During this most jolly time of the year I think it is always very nice to say thank you. So I go around, giving hugs and love and kisses to all my dear ones and say thank you.

Thank you to my family, who love me unconditionally.

Thank you to my ladies, who know me and still don’t leave.

Thank you London for being beautiful and a place I can call home.

Thank you to everyone at work for not kicking me out.

These are the most important peeps/things in my life right now and I am SO THANKFUL! But I want to take this chance to express my utter gratefulness for all the other amazing things in my live. Like books, I love books. Thank you to everyone who writes books, to everyone who prints them, to all the trees and the ink and the blood, sweat and tears that go into making a book. Thank you. I love books, really.

And I am thankful for my smartphone. Because without my iPhone I couldn’t talk to my loved ones in Germany that easily. Or watch cute cat videos on my way to work. Or even get to work. And I can listen to music while I’m out and take pictures of places I go. So thank you to all the smart people involved.

McFLY, I am thankful beyond words for this band, their music and just… Thank you, Harry, Danny, Tom and Dougie for being the most awesome, hilarious, genuine, wonderful band a fan could wish for.

My favourite article of clothing: sweatpants! Thank you, whoever came up with the idea to make huge, wide, snuggly sweatpants. The bigger, the better! There is nothing like coming home from work or a day/night out and getting out of your jeans, tights, skirts or leggings and put on some nice, comfy, big sweatpants, am I right?

And cats. Cats! Thank you, Mother Nature, for making cats. My cats. Your cats. Big cats. Fat cats. Just cats in general. They make me happy and they are so soft and cuddly and if they’re pissed off they don’t give a shit. I love cats.

Oh, there are so many things I am thankful for. Chocolate, and ice tea, and Starbucks and planes and fruit cocktails,… hach!  But I think I should stop here. Made my point.

I hope that you will find some time this Christmas to tell people that you are thankful, for them or something else. Just a few minutes, maybe.

One last thing: Thank you, person reading this, for reading this.

And yes, I wanted to post this on Thanksgiving. Sorry, I’m late.

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

Blurb:

Harper Curtis is a killer who stepped out of the past. Kirby Mazrachi is the girl who was never meant to have a future.

Kirby is the last shining girl, one of the bright young women, burning with potential, whose lives Harper is destined to snuff out after he stumbles on a House in Depression-era Chicago that opens on to other times. 

At the urging of the House, Harper inserts himself into the lives of the shining girls, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He's the ultimate hunter, vanishing into another time after each murder, untraceable-until one of his victims survives.

Determined to bring her would-be killer to justice, Kirby joins the Chicago Sun-Times to work with the ex-homicide reporter, Dan Velasquez, who covered her case. Soon Kirby finds herself closing in on the impossible truth . . . 

My thoughts:

I was really looking forward to reading this. A time-travelling killer? Fascinating!

Unfortunately, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed. I didn’t really like most of the characters and I was constantly waiting for the ”secret” of the house t be explained. I would have liked to know more about the reason of the killing and the house and the objects.

But I did like Kirby, one of the Shining Girls. She’s interesting intense and refreshingly different. Even tho the house and why this is happening wasn’t explained, it did like the ending of the book. But no spoilers.

Lauren Beukes has a great feeling for details and the story didn’t drag or moved too slowly. The three main characters were well developed but I unfortunately didn’t grow on me.

This is an interesting thriller with a twist and was mostly enjoyable. I would still recommend. 

The Lies You Told Me by Jessica Ruston

Blurb:

When Klara was a child her mother vanished from her life. All she has left is a handful of stories, passed down from the father who raised her. Klara believes she has long ago come to terms with her mother’s disappearance, but then she receives a note and a key from someone who call themselves ‘N.R’. These lead her to a store room, full of the remnants of her mother’s past, Klara discovers a woman who doesn’t quite match the portrait her father had painstakingly painted for her, and a story that leads her to question everything – and everyone – she thought she knew…

My thoughts:

I got his book at the GLAMOUR book club event I’ve told you about and I was over the moon when Jessica Ruston signed my copy. I couldn’t wait to start reading.

This beautiful book will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions!

It all starts with the letter and key Klara receives in the mail. She doesn’t know who N.R. is and she’s certainly didn’t know that there is a store room full of her mother’s belongings. The content of the store room and all the unanswered questions - new and old - send Klara on a journey she will never forget as she discovers who Sadie really was.

I’ve loved this book from the start! The characters are fascinating and so is each of their stories. Even when I wasn’t reading I was trying to figure out what would happen next, and most importantly, what happened to Klara’s mother? Why is her father lying? What kind of life did Sadie lead? And why had she disappeared?

The Lies You Told Me is a must-read!  It’s a trip down memory lane you won’t forget that easily.

Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Blurb:

Sophie May has a secret.

One that she’s successfully kept for years. It’s meant that she’s had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.

But then she meets the gorgeous Billy – an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy’s glamorous – but ruthless – world.

Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?

My thoughts:

I’ve loved this book – totally and absolutely!

Sophie May and Billy Busking meet at the location of the heartthrob’s new movie and it’s not long before the first picture of them hit the newsstands.

When Sophie decides to leave the familiar and quite streets of Rosefont Hill behind and joins Billy in his nifty apartment in central London she has to realise that being the girlfriend of a man in the spotlight is not just glamorous. Sophie discovers that there is a lot more going on behind the scenes than she’d have thought.

Billy and Sophie try to build a relationship between award shows, designer clothes, coffee, ex-girlfriends and the busy streets of London. And there is something in Sophie’s past that Billy has not heard about yet.

I've been looking forward to reading Billy and Me ever since Giovanna Fletcher announced that she’d be publishing her debut novel in 2013. It was well worth the wait.

This is the perfect book to read in the sun, giving the characters and plot your full attention while you soak up your Vitamin D. You won’t be able to resist Molly, Sophie, Billy and Sophie’s mum while they're all trying to find their way – in and out. It’s a beautiful story about friendship, dreams and love.

One more thing – have your tissues ready!

Books and the Summer

It is HOT in London. The papers call it heat wave, I call it summer.

I have spent my last few days grilling in the sun and reading. Go British summer!

And I had two truly brilliant books to read. I went to the GLAMOUR book club live event on July 3^rd at the The Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design. It was absolutely GLAMOURous! Jessica Ruston, author of The Lies You Told Me, and Adele Parks, who’s latest release The State We’re In just hit the shelves, came to talk about their books, writing and the business.

We were greeted with a glass of bubbly and snacks to nibble at, which we enjoyed during the discussing. I even had the chance to have a small chat with Adele Parks before we all sat down.

Afterwards we got the chance to buy the new books and get them signed. How every exciting! My first signed copies! And GLAMOUR wouldn’t let us leave empty-handed either. We all got a GLAMOUR goodie bag filled with nice lotions, creams and sprays to treat ourselves with – and some delicious chocolate.

It was an amazing event which gave me the chance to ask questions, meeting new and exciting people, and spent an entire evening listening and talked about something I am passionate about – books. I really hope GLAMOUR will host another book club event soon!

The reviews for The State We’re In and The Lies You Told Me will be up on the blog soon. But I tell you this – they’re both page-turners!

So here's to new adventures

And the award for the blog with the biggest lack of update goes to....

I apologise, my friends/readers/strangers; I live in the most exciting city of the year and just don't keep you posted. Naughty, Danny, naughty!

So, it's been quite a while but I have a pretty good excuse for my absence. I have been INSANELY busy. Turns out, I actually have a life after all.

My summer in beautiful London was like a fairytale! I was just about to type "minus the romance", but I actually fell in love... Gorgeous, expensive, always busy, demanding, never boring, mood depending on the weather, full of surprises... that's how I'd describe my lover - also know as LONDON. The city was buzzing with excitement for the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. And both have been a huge success. Yes, see, we're really happy together.

After all the awesome events of the summer I had to get back to the more serious side of life. Big sigh. Don't we all, tho?

So I started to sort out my life, once again, and get ready to tackle the next big adventure my lover had in store for me: a new job and a new flat. Starting a new job in a new company is not so much of a first, whereas living on my own is. From apartment hunting and paying rent to buying all the stuff the Mumsy used to get for me, it's aaaall new. It's very exciting, very scary, very interesting. 

But I am slowly getting used to my new tiny room, the funny flatmates and my public transport journey to work. I am actually starting to live like a proper adult, huh? Dear....

There's been a lot of changes. [Insert philosophical quote from Sex and the City about how life always changes and the world never stops spinning, ect] 

I have also added a new feature to my blog (that I will command myself to update regularly again) so you can now find a link to my book reviews on the right side bar. And since I still, and always will, spend the majority of my free time having my eyes glued to pages please feel free to leave me a comment about your favourite book, any book or even the most crappiest nonsense you've ever read and I will make sure to check it out. You can also leave me a message on tumblr or tweetelede me on the twitterverse. And of course, leave me the link to your online diary and I will snoop around.

So that's done. I'll continue to be all grown up now and...wait, what do adults do on a Sunday night?

No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

Blurb:
On the morning she will never forget, suburban teenager Cynthia Archer awakes with a nasty hangover and a feeling she is going to have an even nastier confrontation with her mom and dad. But when she leaves her bedroom, she discovers the house is empty, with no sign of her parents or younger brother Todd. In the blink of an eye, without any explanation, her family has simply disappeared.

Twenty-five years later Cynthia is still haunted by unanswered questions. Were her family murdered? If so, why was she spared? And if they're alive, why did they abandon her in such a cruel way?

Now married with a daughter of her own, Cynthia fears that her new family will be taken from her just as her first one was. And so she agrees to take part in a TV documentary revisiting the case, in the hope that somebody somewhere will remember something - or even that her father, mother or brother might finally reach out to her...

Then a letter arrives which makes no sense and yet chills Cynthia to the core. And soon she begins to realise that stirring up the past could be the worst mistake she has ever made...

My thoughts:

Actually, I can't remember if I have read this book before but when I found it in my bedroom here in London I just had to start it. I have definitely heard of it before and wanted to buy it anyway. 

One day young Cynthia wakes up and has to discover that her parents and her brother have disappeared. No one has seen them, no one knows where they are. And no one can tell her what had happened.

Twenty-five years after her family has varnished Cynthia receives a letter that raises more questions instead of bringing any answers. 

Cynthia tires, once again, to disclose what happened to her family and if they might even be still alive. Because didn't that young man in the food court of the mall just look like her brother would now? The hat that had mysteriously appeared on their kitchen table one night, it is definitely her father's. And there's still her aunt, who has kept a secret for so many years...

A desperate hunt for the truth and whereabouts of her family begins and threatens to tear her and her husband apart.

I don't want to say too much, you simply must read this book! I picked it up whenever I had time and finished it within three days. A thrilling, captivating story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. I will read it more than once, for sure.

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson

The Blurb:
Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?

My Thoughts:
I was looking forward to reading this a while now. But my 'books-to-read' list got longer and longer, and this epic piece had to wait.
But on my last stop at the bookstore I simply had to pick it up and start reading. The bestie had read it already and praised it to the skies.

Christine wakes up not knowing who the man in the bed next to her is. Actually, she doesn't even know who's bed she has slept in.
Everyday, Christine discovers that she is not the twenty-something year old woman she thought she was when she had opened her eyes, and has to be told what happened to her all over again. But whenever she closes her eyes and goes to sleep at night, the memories and everything she has learned that day disappear.
Her new doctor, Dr. Nash, suggests that Christine should start a journal. So she starts to write down everything she experiences and the seldom memories that come back to her. But as Christine starts to remember and uncover the lies she's been told by her husband, she must also begin to face the crule reality about what and who had caused her condition.

I have loved this book and couldn't put it down all the more, as the secrets got revealed. Twisting and turning, it will keep you on the edge of your seat. I have found myself trying so hard to figure out what had happened to Christine, but were taken by surpise when she uncovered the truth. A fabulous book!

Room by Emma Donoghue

Blurb:
To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It’s where he was born, where he and his Ma eat and play and learn. At night, Ma puts him safely to sleep in the wardrobe, in case Old Nick comes.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it’s the prison where she’s been held for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for her son. But Jack’s curiosity is building alongside Ma’s desperation — and she knows Room cannot contain either indefinitely. …

Told in the inventive, funny, and poignant voice of Jack, Room is a powerful story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible.

My thoughts:
This book was really something else.
I've picked it up several times on one of my, by now, almost weekly strolls through the book store. But I had put it down every time, until I coudln't resist it any longer. Very good decision!

We join Jack and his Ma on his fifth birthday. The boy has grown up believing that Room is everything there is. Outside Room is... nothing. And everything in TV is not real. Just he and Ma are, and Old Nick.
When Ma tells him a story, a new story, and explains that there is a entire world outside Room, Jack has a really hard time believing her, of course.
From that day on Jack's head is full of questions and he is not sure if the whole world can really fit in there. Soon the little guy will find himself on an adventure he didn't dare to dearm was possible.

Told in the voice of the five-year old, brave and absolutely adorable Jack, it gives the story a whole new twist. Room will let you explore the - declaredly strange - world throught the eyes of an extraordinary, pure child.

I really enjoyed reading this book. True viciousness told in such an innocent voice will send a chill down your spine and get you the giggles at the same time.

Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell

Since I am an enormous Sex and the City fan this was a must read for me!

Blurb:
Summer is a magical time in New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it—the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties, and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream.

My thoughts:
Finally, New York City! Carrie has arrived in the big smoke and the adventure begins right away. Glamurous parties, meeting various artists, manager and wanna-bes and trying to succed in her writing class - that is how Carrie spends her days in the city that never sleeps.
With Samantha and Miranda on her side, the three girls try to leave their marks on New York's streets and men. There is so much to see, feel and do, and while exploring the city, the fashion and all kind of heartbreaks, this amazing friendship develops.

I have read The Carrie Diaries last summer and was really looking forward to this one ever since. I couldn't put this book down and finished it within a week.
It was great to see what had happened at the beginning; how the girls met and over what they've bonded.
Everyone who enjoys the series and movies about those four amazing ladies and their New York life should give this a read.

Crossed by Ally Condie

Blurb:
In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.
Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

My thoughts:
After I've finished Matched I couldn't wait to see what happens next.
It seems the story picks up a couple of months after what had happened at the end of Matched.
Told by Cassia as well as Ky, we accompany the two of them throughout the adventure that has just begun, and get different views of the story. Also, we get introduced to new characters and dive deeper into the tortuous actions of the Society.
While Cassia is fighting her way through Society, the Outer Provinces and all kinds of emotions, Ky is starting to tell his story. And even Xander has a few secrets to share. Along the way we meet Vick, Indie and Eli - each bringing in they're own story. And you can not help but to love or at least be fascinated by them.
As more secrets get revealed and we get more and more pieces of everyone's story, I've found myself being surprised and admiring each character for what they did, gone through or come to.

Animated by the desire of freedom and the strengh of love, Condie is taking you onto another beautiful and heartbreaking adventure. The precision with which she describes the setting takes you right into the Outer Province and the Canyon. And the use of classic poems to fuel and support the characters makes you fall for them even harder.

I have really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the release of the next one. Codie has done a great job in setting up the endgame and I can't wait to get my hands on it. If you have liked Matched, you will love Crossed.

Matched by Ally Condie

I have just finished this one.
First, I've got to say I was hoocked just by looking at it. I found the German version of this lying around at my bestie's and got curious. After I've read the blurb I could not resist but to read the first few pages just right then.

Blurb:
In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one… until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow — between perfection and passion.

My thoughts:
I was really excited to start reading Matched. I instantly fell in love with the idea of the story.
The book starts right at the Matching ceremony - one part I was really excited about - and we get intoduced to the Society and their rules right away. Along the first few pages we meet Cassia's family, her best friend Xander as well as the rest of her social enviroment. As we follow Cassia, and quickly grow fond of her and everyone else, the huge influence that the Society has gets revealed.
Part of me had a hard time getting my head around the thought of other people contolling lives so strictly and... successful. But this just increased my sympathy for Cassia and the road she chooses to take.
As her view of the Society and everything she's ever known is starting to crack up, we get sucked into the hurricane of events, decisions and emotions Cassia has to come across.
Some parts are so easily to relate to, as we have faced them as well or know we will have to at some point. Losing a loved one, falling in love, letting go...
Other parts appeal to our imagination, letting us be a part of this whole new idea of living a life led by predictions and calculations.

I can only recommend this book, it had me crying and shivering of excitement and empathy. Although I had huge expectations towards Matched, it did not disappoint me and I have already started Crossed (the second book of this triology), because I can not wait to see what happens next.