These are a few of my favourite things #17

 

Books:

Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Forgive my fins is the first in the series and we follow Lily who is half-human, half-mermaid and her experiences living mostly on land, attending a regular high school. She gets herself into a complication when she kisses the wrong guy, in mermaid terms they are bonded for life and we follow the story from there.

The author incorporated mermaid related descriptions into her writing style, and this made the experience for me. Most of the book takes place at Lily’s school, and those scenes represented teenagers in an authentic way. It was a fun read that I would recommend.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

This was one of my favourite books of the year so far. I went in with a bit of courage, as the themes and page length were very much outside my comfort zone. The writing style is captivating, and we as readers are swept into the magical world that is The Starless Sea. It’s the kind of book I would recommend to those who like experimental writing, I would describe the genre as contemporary fantasy but it’s best going into it without any prior knowledge of what it’s about.

Mrs Bibi’s Elephant by Reza Dalvand

This is a heart-warming tale of friendship between an eccentric lady and her beloved pet elephant. A beautifully presented picture book, the illustrations are a delight and I particularly loved the way the people were drawn, each one so unique. 

The Whale Who Wanted More by Rachel Bright

Humans have been consuming way too much and it’s threatening our earth’s resources. In this children’s book I loved how the author flipped the role of the whale and made him want nice shiny new things. There was a clear lesson that friendship not things is what really make us happy and felt it was a clever way to present the global environmental problem to young children.

The Usborne Book of the Moon by Laura Cowan

This is a non-fiction book, in a graphic novel format illustrating how people through history viewed the moon. It has fascinating stories, such as the landing on the moon, the development of technology and much more. One of my favourites on the topic of space science.

Films:

Fashionably Yours (2020)

‘After years of organizing fashion in the city, Lauren decides to move home. In exchange for her organizing services, mover Rob makes it his mission to help her see the beauty of Seattle.’

This was one of those films where you can just switch off and not think too much. The lead couple had a lot of chemistry and the fashion aspect was fun to watch as well. If you are after a fluffy romance, I would certainly recommend it.

A Brush with Love (2019)

‘Jamie is considering giving up on art until she paints a vision board which brings her success. But the mysterious man who appears in it is a real-life Prince Charming and Jamie embarks on a whirlwind romance with him.’

This film was a pleasant surprise and ended up being one of my favourites from the year so far. There were some lovely poignant moments, particularly when the artist finds herself again through her love for art; it encouraged me to rediscover my creative side.

Designed with Love (2021)

‘Clothes designer Skye goes mobile with a “fashion truck” – but she can’t drive the truck and run the business alone. Help comes in the unlikely form of handsome entrepreneur Kevin. As they work together, Skye and Kevin find they have more in common than they thought… could it be love?’

I loved the premise of this film; the overriding theme of fashion interested me and watching Skye’s fashion truck business develop was really fun. It was refreshing to see the main character talk about style as a way to express yourself, instead of following trends or fast fashion.

Podcast:

Online: Offline with Bianca & Brogan

My Spotify page recommended me this podcast so I thought I would give it a go. Created by online content creators, Bianca and Brogan, they have some refreshing conversations to share on many topics such as self-care, embracing our quirks and much more.

Music:

KEYS by Alicia Keys

I got back into Alicia Key’s music after coming across her recent YouTube content. The new Keys album has a soulful, classy, contemporary sound which I could imagine appealing to a wide audience.

Lifestyle:

Snow Drops & Daffodils

Spring is here and I’ve been loving seeing things pop up. I took photos of some snow drops and daffodils as they brightened my day.

Out of these reviews which was your favourite?

What kind of genres in books do you normally gravitate towards? :-) Xx

These are a few of my favourite things #11

 

Books:

Halloween by Joanne O’Sullivan

Described as a grown-up’s guide to creative costumes, devilish décor and fabulous festivities. This is a really great book and I appreciate that (unconventionally) it’s aimed at adults. I particularly liked the costumes and history of Halloween. The whole book made me smile; I would recommend it!

The Liszts by Kyo Maclear

Jen Campbell recommended this picture book on her YouTube channel. It’s a beautiful, whimsical and at times dark tale about a family who always write lists but they discover the joy of spontaneity. The book is gorgeous with striking illustrations and I loved the contemporary design very much.

The Science of Gravity by John Stinger

Absolutely loved this book. A perfect way to learn more about this topic in bite-size chunks. Educational and fascinating as well as making the mind boggle.

Slapstick Poems by Roger McGough

Fun, and varied poems. I liked how one moment could be quite solemn and the next playful. I thought the writing stood out on many occasions. This is the kind of the book that’s just my cup of tea.

Eat Happy by Melissa Hemsley

Firstly, the cover was what drew me in and I liked the idea of eating happy. The book is very stylised and beautifully presented. I enjoyed the introduction and how the author mentioned she likes zero-waste when cooking. The recipes seem to be the kind you find in trendy restaurants and things I would love to try. My only nag is the ingredients might be hard to get hold of. I would recommend this for inspiration or as a foodie gift. 

Earth and Space by Usborne

Really enjoyed this as it’s crammed with interesting information about earth and space science. It made me feel humbled to live on planet earth. The space section was my favourite bit as I learnt a lot.

A Victorian Portrait by Asa Briggs

This book is described as Victorian life and values as seen through the work of studio photographers. A fascinating insight into this time period and what people were like. The collection of photographs were remarkable. Some of the accounts were a little haunting. It’s not something I would normally pick up but my library lady recommended it and I can see why.

Audio Books:

This month I started getting into audio books, and I’m loving it so far. I’ve been using an app called borrow box which links to my local library. With borrow box, you can listen to audio books or read books and it’s completely free.

Beauty:

The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey Hand Cream

I’ve tried a couple of products from The Body Shop almond and honey range now. This hand cream does a really good job of protecting and softening your hands. It’s designed for sensitive, dry hands and sinks into the skin beautifully. It features the cruelty free bunny logo.

Do any of my favourites interest you?

What things have you been loving this month? :-) Xx