Kindle Haul- Readings for the Cold and Stressed

As I mentioned in previous posts I am back at university- something that is both exciting and stressful. I also have a cold at the moment that has rendered me totally pathetic. As you may have noticed if you follow me on pinterest that I rather like reading and joke about it in gif form (along with cats, firefly and Sherlock...not that I'm a stereotypical youth on the internet or anything...). It's pretty clear that books are almost as good as comfort food for me, so I've been a little downloading fiend this morning and thought I should share it with you. 

1. Not that Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham: 
I am so excited to read this! It's a collection of essays, which I have never read outside of studying, so I'm curious to see how it works as reading for pleasure. It has also been popping up on my instagram feed non-stop recently, so I'm hoping it's worth all the hype. I don't really know what to expect from it, but I'm hoping for another perspective of How to be a Woman by Catlin Moran...but then at the same time if its completely different, I think I'll still love it. I'm not even a 'Girls' fan, but I still love Lena Dunham and am curious to see what she's like as an author. 

2. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby:
I watched the film adaptation of A Long Way Down over the summer and wasn't sure how I felt about it. However, it made me curious to read some of Hornby's work because I have loved previous film adaptations like About a Boy, but feel awful when I watch films that are based on books and never pick up the paper version. High Fidelity was adapted into a film in 2000 that I haven't seen either, so if I enjoy the book I may give the film a watch too and review them side-by-side for you. 







3. The Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond: 
This was a totally random pick, which can sometimes result in finding a new favourite author. It was on the Kindle Bestseller list and is all about sibling rivalries and finding your place in the world- something I think most people can relate to. Moreover, it's predominantly set in Cornwall (see my St Ives post to understand my love for that county), which isn't far from where I go to uni. It looks like an easy read that I can curl up with a cup of tea with. 









4. Everyone's reading Bastard by Nick Hornby:
Another Horby book, simply because I couldn't decide which one to choose! Both are about breakups, but this is about a divorce that ends up being dragged out online and in a newspaper column. Not only did the title make me giggle, but it sounds like Hornby is exploring the complicated world of modern relationships. I love these kinds of books that try to negotiate how the internet affects relationships (just see my Fangirl review)- especially in a comedic setting. Another easy read to enjoy!








This should result in reviews coming out each week when I have finished these delights, so keep an eye on and don't forget to follow on bloglovin' to keep track of when I post- I'm going to try for every sunday and we'll see how that goes. 

'The Silkworm' by Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling

http://www.theedgesusu.co.uk/culture/2014/06/25/review-the-silkworm-by-robert-galbraith/

Hello all- another blog post that has been left lingering in the drafts section far too long...

So my commute to work was saved by the sequel to The Cuckoo's Calling also by Robert Galbraith.

We all know how J.K. Rowling's pseudonym was revealed with the first book, so let's move on from that excitement already and just look at the book for what it is- simply brilliant.

This book follows Comoran Strike and Robin once more as they investigate the disappearance of an author Owen Quine. As they go further they realise that his disappearance is based around the unfinished novel Bombyx Mori (latin for Silkworm, hence the title) and the characters that were involved in its creation.

I don't want to give too much away, because the twists and turns of the plot line were great fun to read. Galbraith is amazing at revealing just enough information to keep you reading without it being entirely predictable. Also, as with most sequels, both Strike and Robin get their own characters developed far more. Strike no longer appears like the stereotypical isolated he-man, but a full character with friends and thoughts beyond his case. His apparent 'use' of the new character Nina suggest that he's got a bit more going on- it certainly stops this novel being repeating the prequel.

Similarly, Robin gets far more stage time- her relationship with Matthew, her fiancee is explored- especially in the triangle between them and Strike- but not to the extent that it slows down the story. You get to visit her home town and follow her as she looks into what she really wants in terms of working with Strike and the impacts that it has on her impending marriage. All in all, these characters are a bit more people-like than vehicles for a story.

The book certainly has a pace to it- but at times I did get lost in all the characters. As with most Crime novels that don't involve serial killers, new characters were always part of the new case. This one in particular involves a wealth of characters that are each well established, but still I was able to confuse them from time to time. I blame the early starts to my fuzzy head.

However, living in London this summer made this book great fun- Galbraith is great at dropping in landmarks and locations that aren't the usual tourist fare of London literature- a highlight for me was passing through one of the tube stops that was referenced as I was reading it. It certainly made the descriptions come alive. Also, the presence of diverse female characters was amazing. To be honest, the diversity of the characters was great, considering the numbers was impressive- I think the setting of the literary world certainly helped in giving a platform for it.

An amazing read, especially if you are a born londoner or part-timer like me.

Sunny St Ives

Hi there...remember me? No? I kind of understand.

So interning actually just took over my life, completely and utterly. I thought I would have time in my 10 days before uni started to post this, but alas, no joy. I'm currently tucked in bed in my new house and have finally had 5 minutes to breathe during the madness of final year! So, I can fill you in on some of my summer as we move into autumn. If your pining for summer to stay for ever, maybe this post can trick you into thinking so!

The main holiday I had was three days down in Cornwall- we used to go every year to stay with our really close family friends, but sadly haven't been able to for years. So, even 72 hours in lovely St Ives was more than I have had in a long time and I jumped at the chance!

Unusually for an English summer, we were totally spoilt with the weather and had endless sunshine for the entire time I was there. It meant a mandatory beach day, sunbathing for my sister and friends and curled up with a book and the shade for me (I always wear sunscreen as well...joys of pale skin). After being bullied into the freezing sea with no wetsuit, the heat was really rather welcome.

A serious highlight of the trip was the food- head down to Moomaid on the harbour for the best ice-cream ever. My recommendation is the Soya dark chocolate sorbet- it's basically creamier than a normal sorbet, but not as heavy as ice-cream, with a really intense chocolate flavour. Amazing. In terms of actual food, there's the Porthminster Beach Cafe, a firm favourite of ours, and the Porthgwidden Beach Cafe for breakfast, another tradition that we keep. Fish and chips must be consumed at some point.

However, we had the most fun on our final night we a classic beach barbecue- the weather was threatening to rain and we were watched by beady eyed seagulls, but with the combination of food, wine and slightly drunk friends, it was entertainment all round.

More practical stuff for you to know: we stayed in the Tregenna Castle Lodges, just below the hotel and above Porthminster Beach- our friends have a time share there and it's actually a great location, though prepare yourself for an uphill climb home from town and beach- the main advantage there is that the views from the hotel itself are amazing.

I also flew to Newquay from London Gatwick South Terminal- it was only 45 mins with FlyBe in contrast to the 5 hours it took my family earlier on in the week- silver lining to working all summer right there! Prices vary depending on how far in advance you book.


I hope to go back next summer and promise to blog about it when it's actually summer again!