whistle, whistle...

Just popping in to let you know it's my birthday and I'm sitting in a cafe in one of the coolest places I've been in in my life.

Blog world - meet Whistler, Canada.

Life is good.

Happy birthday me.

one day...

If you read my reviews, you may have picked up on my penchant for reading books that are also movies...  I like to read them and use my imagination, and then compare with the movie when I watch it.

One Day.

My rating: 4.3/5.

(Clearly I'm having serious scoring issues - for review - stat.) 

I've not seen the movie yet, and I've almost finished the book.  It's good.  Pre-tty jolly good.  It's a really interesting concept, in that One Day spans twenty years in the two main characters (Dexter and Emma) lives.    Furthermore, each chapter is based on just one day in their lives, and over the years we see them grow and develop as people and in their relationship together.

Here is the official description:

" 'I can imagine you at forty,' she said, a hint of malice in her voice. 'I can picture it right now.'

He smiled without opening his eyes. 'Go on then.'

15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. 

So where will they be on this one day next year? 

And the year after that? And every year that follows?

Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY. From the author of the massive bestseller STARTER FOR TEN. "

The characters are so well developed - a feat which you may consider would be difficult to achieve given we are only let into one day of their lives at a time!  I liked to think about what the story of my life would look like if a chapter were written about a day each year.  Would it be interesting to read?  Would it change, ebb and flow?  Would it leave a legacy?

I've just reached a climax in the story, and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.  I find the characters have become like old friends to me.  They are comfortable and warm to me, and I care for them.  I feel sad with them, and shocked when they are shocked.  The story is interesting and real - the plot not too over the top - it just draws from the fascination of noticing the way they've changed over the year.

Definitely worth a read - a solid 4.3/5 (is that even a score?!)

Check out the trailer below.

What would your 'One Day' story look like?

It may be silly of me to offer this up, but here is a link to the amazon reviews for this book - all amazing!

hunger games...

Here's another review - I'm on a reading roll!

The Hunger Games

My score: 4 / 5 stars.

After reading the hilarious and talented Abby Gabs review for this series, I knew I had to give it a go.  I'm not usually a Sci-Fi kind of gal, but Abby got me interested, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

It's pretty heavy reading, but so well written - I really felt drawn into the world of Panem.  Set in the future, where Panem is made up of 12 districts ruled by the Capitol, we are introduced to a world of social hierachy, where death is viewed as entertainment.  Katniss Everdeen and her mother and sister live in District 12, the poorest of the districts whose main trade is in coal.  Her father was killed in a mine explosion four years ago, and Katniss is left to fend for her family - risking her life daily to hunt in the woods outside the Seam (the poorest part of the district) and trading her catches to keep her family alive.

The reaping is a game designed by the Capitol to remind the people of Panem that they still have absolute power.  Each year two children - a boy and a girl - are chosen from each district to compete in a hyped up and televised game - the Hunger Games.  In this game, these 24 children (aged 12-18) are forced to fight to the death.  Actual death.

This book is moving and unfair.  We fall in love with Katniss and even her district and we loathe the Capitol and what they stand for.  The children are thrust into awful and unimaginable situations, and the one who is left standing at the end becomes a celebrity.

It is in some ways sickening, and I wondered why I was reading this, but I couldn't stop.  I read the book quickly and thoroughly and couldn't wait for more.  It is a trilogy, but like I said, it's heavy reading and quite emotional so I decided to read something else in between to break it up a bit.  Even if you aren't into Sci Fi - give Hunger Games a read...  You won't regret it!


*Originally from www.kendylsplace.com

potato peel...

My latest read, I read so fast I feel like the events 'happened' in one day of my life.  I feel like I went there for a day trip, and it all happened.  Yeah, so the book was pretty good.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

4.5 / 5

The scoring biz is a bit tricky - I think I score too high for some books which pushes the other books' scores up so that they score better but I don't want them to be a 5 so I have to start adding halves and quarters.  Ya get me?  Might have to think of a new system.

'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.'  What a mouthful.  And probably a mouthful that would have interested me, but not necessarily had me chomping at the proverbial bit to read the book.  I simply didn't understand what it meant, or what the book could possibly be about.

Now that I've read the book, the title warms my heart.  To be fair, I wish I'd slowed down and taken in the book a little more - read and re-read pages.  I should mention here something that is perhaps the crux of this book, (and probably why it was so easy to read fast) and what really makes the book great - in my opinion : the book is written entirely in letters.

I love the feeling of that - old fashioned snail mail, making its way across the ocean to reach the person the letter was lovingly crafted for.  There are many characters in our story, which is why I wish I'd slowed down and  savoured each letter.  I didn't realise early on that some individuals would become mainstays of the show, and I had missed small inklings of their personality and life.

The story centres around a famous wartime writer in England - Juliet Ashton, who (writing under a 'nom de plume' - Izzy Bickerstaff) manages to lightheartedly yet respectfully produce something worth reading in wartime (a difficult task, as you can imagine).  She becomes aware of the German occupation of the island of Guernsey, and gets in touch with the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  They begin to exchange letters and through their many different voices and experience we learn about life on Guernsey under the occupation.  I wanted to live there, with them.  The characters are completely loveable and unique, and the way the book is written through letters brings an endearing and intimate quality.  I find myself recommending it to people, even patients I'm caring for (I'm a nurse), as a lovely story.

You must read it.  Prepare to be swept away by the thought of book clubs on islands, and potato peel pie.  Well, maybe not potato peel pie.

Joining up with Remaliah over at Lily & Georgie (be sure to check her and her adorable twins out!)

For Mrs. Readalot's BookClub (click button below for more info, and to have a look-see at the fabulous Simone's blog).

on the horizon...

I like a lot of different types of books, and those of you who are readers will empathise with the fact that you really have to be in the 'mood' for a book.  I like 'deep, moving' books, for example, but I can't read too many in a row or I feel really drained.  That's where 'funny, silly, mindless' books come in.  Although if you read too many of them, you become like them.  You are what you read, you know.

I'm linking up with Renee at 'The Memoirs of a Mother' (linky post here) this month for Mrs. Readalot's bookclub - which I have just joined up to!

(Make sure you're following Renee, and also Mrs. Readalot's alter ego, Simone - here.  They both have great, readable and real blogs full of anecdotes and tips for life!)

*Not sure why my page won't centre above here, but just pretend it is...*

Click here for Mrs. Readalot's bookclub.

Here is my list of top five 'Books on my Christmas gift list' (the topic of the month for the book club!)
These books are all taken from my amazon wish-list, and have all been recommended to me by someone or other over the past year or so since I got my kindle.

Enjoy!

For:  Me, Sister, Mother, Father, In-laws of any description.

By the same author as 'The Kite Runner', which was fabulous, I'd expect great things from this book too.  Written in a similar time and topic - I'd expect it to be both moving and funny.

For:  Me, children, nephews, nieces.

Am I the geeky Aunt who always buys educational books for nieces and nephews?  Hope so!  Haha.  I don't have my own kidlets, but I like the look of this atlas, and how it describes what countries are, and different cultures.  Yep, so geeky.  (I think I might benefit from it too!)

For:  Me, husband, father, brother.

Who doesn't love a good Jack Reacher novel?  I know women who are secretly in love with him, and men that want to be him.  This is Lee Child's latest novel, and bound to be a goodie.

For:  Me, husband, father, brother, brother-in-law

I usually like to read books before watching movies, but I've seen the first two movies, and thoroughly enjoyed them.  It's my kind of mystery, and the third movie is about to be released - seems like a good time to start this trilogy!

For:  Me, mother, sister, sister-in-law

I read a Sophie Kinsella book recently, and enjoyed it as an easy to read, interesting chick lit.  This one is where the movie 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' originated, so seems like it's set to be a good'un!

It's not summer where I am (in England) so this is not a list of light, summer, beachey type reads - but I'm cool with that.  I think snuggled up under a blanket with the fire roaring is just as nice a time to hit a book - is there a bad time for books?  Now where can I find a roaring fire around here...?

*  Check out my tab at the top of my home page for more book reviews and recommendations!

**  Originally from www.kendylsplace.com

paris bucket list...

This bucket list bizzo is super fun!

See my bucket list here - it's actually twenty-nine goals I want to achieve before I turn thirty - which is sneaking up on me really fast actually!

So I'd better get cracking, and here is my latest conquest.

#13:  Have a photo taken at the top and bottom of the Eiffel tower.

The weather was quite foggy and it was dusk-ish when we went up so the pics are a little dark, but here's the proof!

Top

Bottom

Truth be known, in the time we had (we were on a coach tour so only had a limited amount of time before we had to meet back at the meeting point), it was impossible to go right to the top.  But I went as far up as I could, and if I go up again, I'll re-blog it.  Deal?




*  Originally posted in www.kendylsplace.com

pregnancy shoot...

You may or may not remember my list of things I want to do before I turn thirty (not far away now!)

Well, I've completed another one, and what a one to complete!

# 19.  Photograph a pregnant woman...

Here are a few pictures from our 'shoot' (hehe try hard professional!)

What a super fun time I had, and I was so fortunate to be able to shoot a woman (and her lovely husband), who is looking so fabulous through her pregnancy, and is so photogenic - such a good first preggie shoot!

Isn't pregnancy such a beautiful thing?  It's so magical to think that a baby grows and is nurtured by a body, and becomes a little person!  I think it's so amazing that soon this baby will be outside in the big world!

And what a blessed little girl she will be.  She will be born to such special parents who are so in love with eachother, and already show such love for her.  They can't wait to meet her!

I was so fortunate to be invited to take some pictures of their special time!

(Not everyone wants to be on a blog for all the world to see, so out of respect I've chosen pictures which don't reveal their identities.)