Book Review: FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

Book Review: FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

This book made me fall back in love with reading. I hadn't read for years, not too sure why to be honest. I think it was probably a mixture of education, work and socializing that made me forget just how relaxing reading a book could be and also how cheerful it makes me.

Blurb: "Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life.

Without Wren Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible . . ."

When I picked this book up at Waterstones, straight away I knew that it was the perfect book for me to purchase. I prefer books where either the characters are in my age range, so that I can relate more to the story or I just get a book because the blurb of the story completely pulls me in. Cath and Wren are twins that are all set to start university. They have been so close their whole lifes, forever doing everything together. From going to the same parties to staying up until early hours of the morning writing fan fiction of Simon Snow together. However, when they start university it all starts to change. With living in separate accommodation, studying different courses, making different friends.. and maybe boyfriends.. they become more independent without each other and begin to like different things.

All of the characters that Rainbow Rowell has created are very interesting characters. She writes about all of them in just enough depth that you can really understand what they are like. The story mainly focuses on Cath rather than Wren, but of course she is very highly included. It is lovely to read how throughout the book, Cath comes out of herself gradually. When it comes to writing her fan fiction though, that is where you really do see her blossom. Rainbow Rowell has portrayed Caths passion for writing her Simon Snow fan fiction wonderfully. Between chapters, there are special pages of either the original Simon Snow books or what Cath has wrote in her fan fiction "Magicath". She also portrays both Cath, Wren and the friends they meet on the way journeys through their first year in university brilliantly too. As of yet I have not started university, but I do hope to. The book has let me have a little look into what joining university might be like. 

I never wanted to put this book down. I think that Rainbow Rowell is a lovely author and I will be sure to read her other books. I have fallen in love with sweet Cath and her story. Hopefully Rainbow might consider writing a second addition of Fangirl.. or I may have to search the internet for some fan-fiction of the book to read for myself..

Buy your own copy here: click here to buy! 

- Kat Melladay x

OOTD 23.06.14 & 2nd visit to Twycross Zoo.

OOTD 23.06.14 & 2nd visit to Twycross Zoo.

Top - Topshop Sale, Jeans - Joni Topshop, Jellies - Primark, Bag - Urban Outfitters, Choker - Amazon.

Family photo!

Singing?

I mentioned in my previous blog post about visiting Twycross Zoo that I wanted to go again real soon as one of the Asian elephants had given birth to a baby girl called Esha. I was feeling a bit down recently about different things, so my parents decided to surprise me by taking me out for the day to meet her! As a huge elephant lover, it automatically cheered me up!

When we got to the zoo, I just ran towards the elephants. Baby Esha is everything that I imagined and more, she was gorgeous and everything about her was utterly adorable. She is fluffy and so tiny compared to the adult elephants. She already, obviously, has a large fan club! Everyone there was gathered around taking photographs and videos of her, "awwwing" at her cuteness. I myself came away with about 100 photographs of her on my phone, but just selected a special view for you to see. Throughout our day, I think we must have gone back to see her about three times. One of the times was to see the keepers feeding the elephants (cabbages and carrots!) and a talker about the elephants and their lives so far which was really interesting.

Again, as well as my favourites there were many other lovely animals to see. When I previously visited the zoo, it was winter time so the Flamingos weren't out but they were this time and my mum loved them! We also saw the penguins being fed this time walking around so that you could be literally, cms away from them! They were swimming and just chilling, looked so relaxed. There was a new arrival at Twycross, introducing the Zebras! There was four sassy zebras in their new big home that they seemed to be enjoying.

I love going to Twycross Zoo, it is always a wonderful day out. Already looking forward to the next time I can go, I will obviously have to see baby Esha again...

OOTD: Top - Topshop sale (cannot find a link unfortunately as I don't know if every store will have it), Jeans - my favourite "Joni" jeans from Topshop (click here to buy!), Jellies shoes - Primark, Bag - Urban Outfitters (they don't stock the red anymore, however they do have it in black: click here to buy in black!), Choker - Amazon (click here to buy!). 

Twycross Zoo info: http://twycrosszoo.org/ 

- Kat Melladay x

Beauty review: L'Oreal Paris - Glam Shine Balmy Gloss.

Beauty review: L'Oreal Paris - Glam Shine Balmy Gloss.

Shade - 910 Bite The Maracuja.

I always wear lip balms rather than lipsticks so when I was browsing in Boots the other day and I saw this new "balmy gloss" by L'Oreal I thought I'd give it a try. For this spring and summer, I have noticed that orange is the popular colour for wearing on the lips and wanted to try it out for myself. However seeming as I don't wear lipsticks a lot, apart from when I am going out at night, I thought this would probably be a great alternative for me. 

I think I am a bit undecided about this product. I really like the application of it. I love the lipstick crayons rather than the traditional shape, I find it makes it so much simpler to apply. And I do like the colour however it isn't what I thought from looking at the packaging and the stick itself. I don't know if you would agree but when it is on the lips, it comes out more reddy than the orange that it looks? I knew it wasn't going to be a very vibrant orange because the balmy kind of sticks like these usually aren't as bright or bold in colour as lipsticks, but I'm still a bit disappointed that it isn't more orange. The stick also has more of a shimmer to it than I first thought from looking at the stick, although I think this will be nice for summer on more special occasion. Personally, I don't like wearing shimmery lip products for just casual wear. 

So, overall I would say that I do like the balmy stick and may be tempted to purchase another one in a light shade, however it's not the orangey colour I had hoped for.

Could you recommend any orange coloured lipsticks for me?

- Kat Melladay x 

Look Over: TUMBLR 1.

Look Over: TUMBLR 1.

I first discovered Tumblr years ago when I was in school (basically procrastinating then). However it was just one of those things that I was only hooked on for a couple of weeks and then I just lost interest. Recently, I have rediscovered it and now I absolutely adore it! I love searching through all the pretty photographs of everything I feel passionate about and are interested in. You could say I could just search through Google Images, but this is much better than that. Some people really take some amazing photos on here. I love being able to create my own little photo diary showing what I like and designing it to look pretty. This is a look over of what it looks like currently. However in the next few weeks, it'll probably look different again as I'll have re-blogged lots more content by then! 

Please feel free to see it properly: http://katmaystinypictures.tumblr.com/ 

Do you have Tumblr? If so share it with me, I'd love to have a look.

- Kat Melladay x

Throw-back: 19th birthday - Twycross Zoo

Throw-back: 19th birthday - Twycross Zoo.

posing for me!

had to get a photo of this Guinea pigs booty hehe!

I wanted to do a throw-back post of my 19th birthday last year, as it was the best birthday I've ever had!

Elephants are my absolute favourite animal in the world, I think they are so beautiful and intelligent. Therefore going to Twycross Zoo for my birthday where I could see four of them was amazing! I cannot remember ever being so excited for my birthday to come. The first animals we heard when we got there was of course, all the monkeys! Twycross Zoo has a wide range of different monkeys and gorillas, many of them are close to extinction. However, the first animal we saw were the cute, little meerkats. We couldn't believe just how small they were at first. They were incredibly sweet digging their holes and running around in groups together.

I HAD to see the elephants next! Literally running to where the signs were directing us to go, then we saw the massive home where the four elephants live. Even seeing one of the Asian elephants was my dream come true. I couldn't have been happier, until I saw the other three. I loved watching every movement they made. Just by watching them you could recognize that they each had their own, quirky personalities! Which made me so so happy. One of them was completely obsessed with cleaning around their home at the zoo. The other one would not stop hoovering up all the water (they really do drink like their  trunk is a hoover, sounds like it too tehe). The third elephant loved to be outside by the looks of things, she didn't come in their inside area once. I must have stood and watched them all for ages, but I didn't care it was so amazing! It looked as though they were being well looked after too, which is the most important part. Recently, one of the elephants has given birth to a beautiful, bouncing baby girl called Esha. Twycross are forever posting the adorable pictures of her! I am hoping to go again, very, very soon to see her too.

Other than the Asian elephants that I had fallen for, Twycross was full of other lovely creatures. We also saw a leopard, monkeys, amps, gorillas, alpacas, owls and penguins! You were able to get so close to the penguins that you could almost touch them. My dad tried to but the penguin was sassy and was having non of it! Twycross even had a pet theme inside their zoo which included pets such as bunnies and guinea pigs.

After all the fun and excitement of the zoo, I went out for a meal in a local Italian restaurant in the evening with my friends. My 19th was a wonderful birthday, I can only hope that this year my birthday will be just as great (although if it doesn't include four elephants I highly doubt it will be!)

For details all about Twycross Zoo and all their lovely animals here is their website: http://twycrosszoo.org/

- Kat Melladay x