Book Review: Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

THE DETAILS:
Pages: 296
Genre: Adult Fiction, Magical Realism
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: 21/01/2014
A Christmas Present from Mum.

THE DESCRIPTION:
The first time Eby Pim saw Lost Lake, it was on a picture postcard. Just an old photo and a few words on a small square of heavy stock, but when she saw it, she knew she was seeing her future.

That was half a life ago. Now Lost Lake is about to slip into Eby’s past. Her husband George is long passed. Most of her demanding extended family are gone. All that’s left is a once-charming collection of lakeside cabins succumbing to the Southern Georgia heat and damp, and an assortment of faithful misfits drawn back to Lost Lake year after year by their own unspoken dreams and desires.

It’s a lot, but not enough to keep Eby from relinquishing  Lost Lake to a developer with cash in hand, and calling this her final summer at the lake. Until one last chance at family knocks on her door.

Lost Lake is where Kate Pheris spent her last best summer at the age of twelve,  before she learned of loneliness, and heartbreak, and loss. Now she’s all too familiar with those things, but she knows about hope too, thanks to her resilient daughter Devin, and her own willingness to start moving forward. Perhaps at Lost Lake her little girl can cling to her own childhood for just a little longer… and maybe Kate herself can rediscover something that slipped through her fingers so long ago.

One after another, people find their way to Lost Lake, looking for something that they weren’t sure they needed in the first place:  love, closure, a second chance, peace, a mystery solved, a heart mended.  Can they find what they need before it’s too late? 

At once atmospheric and enchanting, Lost Lake shows Sarah Addison Allen at her finest, illuminating the secret longings and the everyday magic that wait to be discovered in the unlikeliest of places.

THE REVIEW:
If you have been reading my blog for a while you will know that I am a big Sarah Addison Fan. I was so excited when I got this book for Christmas. I ended up tossing another book aside and picking this one up instead. I felt like this book was the perfect summer holiday read and just like all the other Sarah Addison Allen books I have read; I wished there was more...

To me picking up a Sarah Addison Allen book is like reuniting with an old friend. The writing style is so familiar and charming that I find it really easy to get into, And really difficult to put down. While reading 'Lost Lake' I ended up staying up a lot later than usual one night because I just needed to find out what happened.

The main character was Kate, yet there are chapters dedicated to telling the story of many of the other characters. Usually this would annoy me as it stalls the main story line, however Addison Allen's characters can be likable  and I am intrigued by their pasts. If the characters have done anything wrong or have unfavorable traits, you are usually positioned to understand why and like them regardless.

Kate was the sort of character that the daydreamer in all of us could probably relate to. She has a good heart, but she's a little lost. The Lost Lake was a bit of an adventure and and escape for her. This was the "last holiday" for Kate and the other characters. I would love to go about all the other characters and my thoughts on them, but then my post would probably end up as long as the actual book.

The book had the usual Sarah Addison Allen element of Magical Realism, which is probably my favourite thing about her novels. Rather than writing about small town mythology or family secrets, the author chose to write about big events that changed peoples lives and caused these unexplained happenings. There was also a lot of talk about signs in this novel. It seemed to me that the characters had already made up their minds before the sign and the sign just served the purpose of reassuring them.

Lost lake was also about friendship and the family that you choose to be surrounded with. Eby treated her friend Lissette like a daughter and Wes like a son/grandson. The guests who stayed at Lost Lake were old friends that stayed at the lake every vacation like it was tradition. The people of Suley all valued the Lake and treated Eby like an old friend.

Overall, I think this book deserves 5 out of 5 stars and a Favourite. I really enjoyed this novel and I can't wait to pick up her next book when it comes out early this year. I highly recommend 'Lost Lake' and all the other Sarah Addison Allen novels to anyone who will listen (or read) !

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Book Review: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum #1)

THE DETAILS:
Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction, Mystery/Crime
Release Date: 25/01/2012
Original Release Date: 23/06/1994
Publisher: Penguin
The first book in the series.
This Book Belongs to my mum.

THE DESCRIPTION:
Stephanie Plum is down on her luck. She's lost her job at New Jersey's most down-market lingerie store, her car's on the brink of repossession, and her apartment is fast becoming furniture-free. 

Enter Cousin Vinnie, a low-life who runs a bail-bond company. If Stephanie can bring in vice cop turned outlaw Joe Morelli, she stands to pick up $10,000. But tracking down a cop wanted for murder isn't easy. And suddenly Stephanie has another problem on her hands. 

Benito Ramirez, a prize-fighter with more menace than mentality, wants her to be his friend – and he won't take no for an answer. Soon Stephanie begins to know exactly what it feels like to be pursued – and the best person to protect her just happens to be on the run...

MY THOUGHTS:

I feel like I am the last person to read this book. I know that's not true, but as far as bookworms are concerned I am definitely pretty late with this one. I usually don't read anything from the Crime genre, because I feel like there is enough of that in the world already and so I prefer the world of fiction to be filled with butterflies and lollipops. I can't remember if Mum bought this or if I bought it for her, but I did end up getting her the DVD of the movie and we both watched it before either of us even touched the book. Mum read it first and said it was "better than the movie" and so I picked it up and here I am.

I took a real long time to read this. It wasn't bad or boring at all, it was just that I had already seen the movie and I was shopping a lot  on the Internet and thinking a lot about my nail art designs. You know how it is... I am hoping the sequel will be a quick read in comparison, because there is no movie for the second book...

I really liked the writing style and the main character. The story is told in first person from Stephanie Plum's perspective and it's not very often that a writer can completely pull this off without making the character seem a little self-possessed and whiny. Stephanie Plum is a character that I think a lot of women can relate to or would be inspired by. She's a strong woman because she challenges herself and isn't afraid to be different. She accepts her weaknesses and mistakes, but she doesn't dwell on them or cower easily. Her stubbornness, sarcasm and matter-of-fact narrating is refreshing and humorous enough to balance out the dark and creepy "Crime Fiction" vibe.

This story is as much about finding out what really happened as it is about getting the $10 000 for turning Morelli in and learning how to be a successful bounty hunter. We also get a little look at the setting Stephanie grew up in and get to know her family. I thought this book was really interesting because it was about a bounty hunter rather than a police officer or a detective (not that some of the minor characters in this book didn't have these job titles). This is an aspect of American Law/ Criminal Justice System that you don't tend to see a lot of in movies and TV shows...

Because Stephanie has history with Morelli there's a lot of debate about whether or not she's after him for just the money or if she wants to get revenge. This makes for an interesting relationship between the two characters. I think the title choice was really smart because Stephanie is the only character in the book who is confident that it's just for the money. I also like that the book number is in the title, this way there are no Goodreads look-ups to figure out what sequel comes next when I purchase more books for the series.

Overall, I give this book 4.5/5 stars. It was a great book and I am going to read the sequel straight away, but Crime is not my genre and I feel like I can't give it 5 stars because of the creepy factor (even though I understand this is probably necessary for a Crime Novel). As far as the movie vs the book goes, I agree that the book is better (though I have no problems what so ever with the casting or the acting in the movie). Ideally I would have preferred to have read the book first and then written a book vs movie post after watching the movie... I recommend this to anyone who is right into crime shows on TV.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Book Review: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead (Bloodlines Book 4)

INFO:
Pages:
Genre:
Release Date:
Publisher:
Received from Publisher for Review

THE SYNOPSIS:
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives.

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure — and re-education — looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this smoldering fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

MY THOUGHTS:
I wasn't as excited to read 'The Fiery Heart' as I usually would have been with any other installment of the great 'Bloodlines' series. My reasons for this vary between a very intimidating TBR I have had looming over me, various other tasks I have been wanting to accomplish and the weird "hype" for this novel. In ordinary circumstances I would have wanted to read this book as soon as I got it.

When I say "weird hype" I am talking about the youtube trailers. They are not the best quality book trailers I have ever seen and whenever I saw one, the words 'over dramatic teenage vampire soap opera' sprang to mind. The book trailers had me expecting that Sydney and Adrian would finally be together and it would be love-letter soppy with a hint of Adrian drama. I was going to be majorly disappointed in Richelle Mead if she did this to the series. Luckily  it turns out that the book trailer was the only thing that was over-dramatic and that the novel didn't stray too far from the rest of the series.

When I finally got around to reading 'The Fiery Heart' I did enjoy it, but I just didn't have the time to dive into it completely and finish the book right away. I haven't read much this year or last year, so my reading pace at the moment is not really anything to judge this novel by. 

As for the actual writing... Richelle Mead has written this one differently by alternating POVs between Sydney and Adrian (well, at least I don't remember her doing this in the past...) I liked this because I thought it was nice to see things from Adrian's Point-of-View for a change. Adrian and Sydney are both making big changes and Adrian is growing up a lot. It was nice to see. Not because anyone should have to change themselves for someone, but because it was making them into better people. 

I also noticed that Richelle Mead likes to use the word "crushing" a lot.  Well maybe not a lot but once a writer uses a word in a way i wouldn't expect, more than say 2 times, I remember. sorry, I can't help it...

Like all of the other books there was the shock factor. In the 'Bloodlines' books the "enemy" can come from a very unexpected source. There was also a pretty equal measure of human and vampire drama, which (if you have read any of my other fantasy reviews you will know) I love this in YA Fantasy fiction. It just goes to show that if you are buying a book for your teenage sibling, relative, daughter or even yourself that it's not going to be completely removed from the real world. There are always lessons that can apply to real life and messages in the text to be thought about.

The un-conventional 'Bloodlines' family continues to grow and evolve during 'The Fiery Heart'. We also have a few small reunions and some introductions. As usual I don't want to spoil too much here, but I just feel like it makes the whole Bloodlines/Vampire Academy world so much more realistic. 

I also thought that Sydney's personality has changed considerably along with her beliefs during the series. And, it made me start to wonder how deep the connection between personality and beliefs go. 

And finally, that ending! Why do I continue to engage in these relationships with series that just leave me on a cliffhanger?

Overall, the usual 5/5 stars  for a Richelle Mead book. It was all feeling kind of mediocre until that cliff-hanger! And, now I guess I will just have to wait for the next sequel as patiently as I can... Please tell me I don't have to wait until next year! Also, if you have not read 'Vampire Academy' or 'Bloodlines' I definitely recommend it, unless you hate vampire books.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Non-Fiction Review: 'What Would Audrey Do?' by Pamela Keogh

THE DETAILS:

Pages: 272

Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-help/Biography

First Published: 01/01/2008

Publisher: Gotham Books

Bought it online.

THE DESCRIPTION:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Audrey Stylecomes a charming guide to Audrey Hepburn?inspired living for the modern woman

Audrey Hepburn epitomized grace and style, not only in her appearance but in her very essence. Whether in fashion, relationships, her work on the screen, or for UNICEF and her home life, there is no one more worthy of imitation.

How did she do it? What Would Audrey Do? is the answer: a complete Audrey primer, with rich anecdotes and insight from the people who knew her best, and Audrey-inspired lessons in loveliness, including:

· Dating advice from the woman who enjoyed romances with John F. Kennedy, William Holden, and Albert Finney
· What made her an icon, and how to apply her style choices to twenty-first-century clothes, makeup, and accessories
· Raising children, trying to raise husbands, and making home life balanced in every way
· How to travel, what to pack, and maintaining your cool on the road
· Using renown (long before Angelina and Bono got all the press) to help others around the world
· Insight into her rich interior life and the discipline, intelligence, and generosity that made her so compelling

In an era fraught with selfishness, flamboyance, and sensational headlines, Audrey as a role model is precisely what the world needs.

MY THOUGHTS:

I bought this book from Modcloth as part of my first purchase from that site. Being a bit of an Audrey fan, I loved the premise of this book. I was hoping to learn some cool Audrey facts and thought a few life lessons wouldn't go astray. I've been reading this on and off for a fair while now; mostly before bed.

Yes, before bed, because this book did make a little tired. The pace was slow; which sounds weird because it's a biography, but when a book is jumping all over the place chronologically it sometimes feels like you are going nowhere. A lot of the subject matter was all over the place too. Even though the chapters were categorised around a subject for life lessons, there were parts that didn't really seem to fit; there was a lot of overlap and repetition. 

I have to admit that I did learn a few cool facts about Audrey. I'm glad to say that she wasn't as perfect or conventional as a lot of us thought she was and yeah, for me that's good thing. However, there were some really pointless and uninteresting facts shared with us for the sake of the life-lessons, And, some of the facts were repeated so much throughout the book that they were no longer of any interest to me. This book was definitely more self-help than biography.

One of the things that bothered me about the book was that there seemed to be a bit of a stretch with what was actually supposed to be based on Audrey. We learnt about William Holden's death (relevance? they were in what, one movie together?), we learned about all of the people that Audrey's favourite designer had designed for (was it a designer? someone along those lines) and there seemed to be a lot of name-dropping. There were also life lessons based on Holly go-lightly, which was a character played by Audrey and written by Truman Capote...

While there were some good life lessons, I felt that a lot of these were meant for socialites and aspiring actresses. Like I said earlier, some of the life lessons were not even based on Audrey (Is the book not called 'What would Audrey do?' ?) and I found a lot of these lessons to be speculative. For example, "Audrey didn't have a (insert item here), but if she had she would've (done whatever)". 

I felt like this book was really based on the idea of Audrey, rather than Audrey herself. Sure, I learned things about Audrey that I didn't know before, but all of the speculative stuff really reinforces the Holly-go-lightly actress and do-gooder aspect of Audrey Hepburn, that is so well known to most of us. And, at times I felt like this was more of a guide on how to copy this stereotyped version of Audrey than it was a guide in life lessons. Don't get me wrong, I am all for fashion tips and life lessons, but suggesting that readers celebrate Audrey's birthday by eating breakfast at Tiffany's (like hello, Truman Capote) and that they donate to UNICEF (I'd rather it just said, do something charitable) is just a bit over the top for my liking. I almost felt like I was going to find out what Audrey's political views were and be told to vote that way.  

Overall, I think this book is about 2 stars out of 5. And, that is being generous. Yeah, there were some cool things, but I felt like this should have been called 'How to be Holly' rather than 'What would Audrey do?'. I think I would have preferred that the writer made the book smaller and left out all of the speculation and name-dropping. I understand that because Audrey was such a private person it was probably a bit difficult to find out a lot of information, but I just don't think speculation was the answer to that problem. Like I said, the premise was good.

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie.

Review: 'Dash and Lily's Book Of Dares' by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

THE DETAILS:
Pages:260
Genre: Teenage Fiction, Contemporary
Release Date: October 2010
Publisher: Ember, Random House
Bought it online.

THE BLURB:
"I've left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don't, put the book back on the shelf, please."

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the "New York Times" bestselling authors of "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist." Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

THE REVIEW:

I wasn't a fan of 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist'. I thought that the set-up was cool (too individuals searching for a live gig, chapters switching between male and female perspectives and a cool title. Heck, I'm a bit of a music nerd sometimes, so I wanted to see what songs they picked.), but thought that the characters were perhaps a little too quirky for me. A girl who gets excited about a boy cursing into a microphone? A same-sex kissing lesson? The only things I really liked about 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist' were the movie adaptation and the short time in which I was able to read the book (approximately three hours), so you can see why I may not have picked up a copy of 'Dash and Lily's Book Of Dares' the first time I saw it. I had effectively been turned off reading anything with David Levithan's name written on it since (not that I had ever read anything else by him). But then, I kept seeing it all over the blogosphere and booktube (youtube). People were giving it good reviews? I was curious to try. Maybe the other book was a dud? Maybe I was wrong in judging this book by it's authors? I just had to find out...

 

I thought this book was really cute. Again, I liked the set-up, it was similar to 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist', only I felt these characters were cooler; more relatable. Dash is the ultimate word-nerd. He's snarly, he's knowledgeable and he's critical, but he'll be there if you need him. Lily is a loving, somewhat child-like and a bit of a loner. I felt that I was like Lily in regards to her weird social interactions, outrageous outfits and love of stuffed animals. But that Dashiell's knowledge of words, his need to analyse and his judgy-ness was also relatable. I think everyone may have a bit of Lily and Dash in them. And, that their love for certain things - words, a particular book (no, not the same thing as words), certain foods, And, particular places (where books reside) - drew them together. The overall bookishness of this book really drew me in.

I also really liked the minor characters. The minor characters and the big, tall, not-disappointing New-York really gave the book a happy-dreamy vibe. I think this was one of the big differences between the story of Dash & Lily versus the story of Nick & Norah. There was a lot less negativity in this story. That and all the humour. It was a seriously funny book.

Christmas spirit is also a big player in this story. Dash doesn't like Christmas all that much, but Lily does, and I think maybe that the roles are reversed towards the end. I think this book would be a great Christmas gift, whether the person is a lover or hater of the season.

Another big theme in the novel would have to be fantasy vs reality. Because, the characters only know each other via the notebook and hadn't met personally (to begin with) they start to form an idea of what that person might be like in their head before they actually know what the person is like. So, there are a few expectations of what that person should be. I think this happens in real life even when people do meet in person, because they don't really get to know people before they have made their mind up about them.

Overall, I gave this book 5/5 stars and a favourite. I know, I know, two favourites in one week! But, it really was that good. I think this book was a nice cosy read and a good laugh. If you've had a bad day (or week, or month or year), Or you just feel like some comedy, you'll really enjoy this. My faith in David Levithan and Rachel Cohn is restored!

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Review: 'Carnival of Souls' by Melissa Marr

THE DETAILS:
Pages: 306
Genre: Teen Fiction, Fantasy
Release Date: September 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins
RRP: $19.99

THE DESCRIPTION:
The carnival pulsed in the centre of The City – a swirl of masked pleasure and violence. Music played constantly as the dancers demonstrated their flexibility. At times it was a glorious cacophony. Jugglers and fire-twirlers showed their skills in time to the music. All around the carnival, transactions of varying degrees of legality and ethical questionability were happening. The City wasn't a world that seemed beautiful to everyone. It was their world, though…

MY THOUGHTS:
My expectations of this book were a little high... The word "Carnival" is in the title, there's a mask on the front (I love masks) and I liked everything else I've read by the author. I've been itching to read this ever since I received it and had to restrain my self from opening it until closer to release date (I received it quite early). It's now late October... And, I know I've got you wondering... did it meet my expectations?

'Carnival of Souls' had a very complicated story-line. It was the kind of story you couldn't really follow unless you were invested in the characters emotionally. Thankfully the characters were pretty easy to become emotionally invest yourself in -From the end of the prologue I was enthralled- And, I wanted to know what was going to happen to these characters. I wanted to know who these fictional beings were.

There was so much going on in the story. There was an age old feud between races of beings (or rather types),  there was a battle going on to see who was the most powerful and there are people pretending to be what they aren't (And, people not knowing who/what they really are). All of that, And, relationships. I think that's one of the things I appreciated about the novel though; nothing was dumbed down.

I felt the characters were well written. While I can't really picture what any of them look like in my head, I thought that I understood the characters motives well and knew their personalities. This is one aspect of the story that I felt trumped all the others. This is what I liked most.

The one thing that I didn't like about this book was the lack of detail. There was no real atmosphere or setting going on and I have no idea what the characters look like. There may have been descriptions, but I fear I may have skimmed over them too quickly (fuelled by my curiosities). I thought that 'Carnival of Souls' seemed a strange name for the book, because even though one of the characters constantly mentions going to the 'Carnival', none of the text indicates that that's what it is. Maybe it's some educated metaphorical meaning that links to a mythology of some kind? I don't know.

Overall, I gave this novel 4.5 stars out of 5. I didn't want to give too much away about the story (I fear I already may have) which is why I didn't involve any of the in depth discussions I really wanted to about the characters and events in 'Carnival of Souls'. I really enjoyed the story and can't wait for the sequel (Please be there a sequel. Surely there is no way that this would be a lone novel). The only thing I didn't like was the vagueness on the detail aspect... I think people who enjoyed other books by this author will enjoy this one.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Non-fiction Book Review: 'A Life in Frocks: A Memoir' by Kelly Doust

THE DETAILS:
Pages: 246
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir/Fashion
Release Date: November 2010
Publisher: Pier 9, Murdoch Books

I purchased this book online.

THE PREMISE:
A Life in Frocks is about the ‘divine obsession’, a woman’s love for clothes. In particular, it is a personal, entertaining, joyous – and seductive – exploration of the significance of clothes, filtered through one woman’s lifelong sartorial infatuation.

MY THOUGHTS:
I've been in a bit of a fashion-y mood lately. I've been on ebay purchasing cheap clothes I probably don't need and on a few book sites drooling over DIY sewing guides and Volumes about vintage couture. I've been regretting not reading as much as I should be (I haven't looked at my Goodreads challenge in ages) and looking at my gigantic TBR pile, knowing that more books will be headed my way I decided that I have to read something. Already part way through more than three books I decided to start this one...

This book was exactly what I needed. 'A Life in Frocks' is a very cosy book with a writing style much like that of Brigid Lowry's 'Tommorrow Everything Will Be Beautiful'. The airy-fairy thought processes and unusual life story of Kelly Doust also reminded me of some of the articles I like to read in 'Frankie Magazine' (warm and cozy, inspiring, addictive). This was the most fun I think a memoir could offer and what a cool way to tell the story of your life, through clothes!

'A Life in Frocks' was a quick read (for someone who hasn't been reading much more than a chapter in her lunch break, reading 246 pages in three days [with breaks for 'Charmed' episodes] is an achievement) that had me captivated from the first page. Okay, maybe the cover... The illustrations on the cover and throughout the book (by Zoe Sadorierski) are very cute. Along with the writing, the illustrations ensure that this is a book to learn from and to treasure.

Doust tells us about how she discovered that fashion (or rather crafting fashion) was her calling. We learn of her mishaps, her inspiration and that sometimes an outfit can make a huge difference to your day. We learn about those dream outfits, the ones she missed out on, the ones that she wore during tragedies, the clothes that were worn until they were worn-out and the clothes she considers to be staples. The most important things Doust taught me during this book was that advertisements can be misleading, some outfits aren't practical for certain situations, don't hang on to something you don't wear and that with a bit of effort a $5 dress can look like a $50 dress. What I didn't quite agree with though was the ruling that every woman should wear heels (even if they are tall). I don't agree. I like to feel a bit shorter standing next to people (a nice change) and I can't walk in heels. Unless high heels are chunky heels, I won't wear them.

The Book features a glossary at the end of a few designers and clothing items that were mentioned during the book incase readers aren't schooled up on who/what they are already. The only thing I really wish this book had, is a glossary of french terms used throughout the duration (at least I think it was french). While it is super classy and chic to be able to speak french (whether talking about fashion or not) it's not fair to the people (like me) who were schooled in a time where french was not the preferred language to be taught in schools.

This book was so cute I thought I'd share some pictures:

 

 ^Underneath the dust jacket (which has pictures of clothes on it) there are pictures of pretty underwear. So when you take the jacket off you are literally "undressing" the book!

 

^One of the lovely illustrations.

Overall, I gave this book 5/5 Stars and a favourite, aside from a few (minor) differences I really enjoyed 'A Life in Frocks'. The luxurious descriptions and little connections the author made between her life and the clothes she wore was very original; very inviting. This is a book I'd recommend to anyone with a polyvore account (that they use frequently), anyone who spends just a little too much time staring at the pictures of glamorous models in magazines, Or, anyone who likes op-shopping not only because it's cheap, but because they like the idea of finding "treasure" (or something they can create "treasure" out of). After you've read it this book will make you want to: buy a sewing machine, travel, go op-shopping, read every issue of vogue you have (twice) and go through your current wardrobe organising and ditching things that no-longer have any appeal to you.

Kelly Doust has written a few other books (which I can't wait to purchase) and also has her own blog 'The Crafty Minx'

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie