The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling Book Review #BEDM

When I read a brief synopsis of this, I knew I had to read it. YA lit, female protagonist, a circus, jewel theft and Victorian London?! Sounds like my kind of book! Given that there is also a steampunk vibe to this too just added to it.

Remy Brunel is a 16-year old trapeze artist in the circus, known as ‘Little Bird’ for how she seems to fly around the circus top. But Remy’s secret is that she is top class jewel thief.  Thaddeus Rec is a young, ambitious detective, who enjoys tinkering with gadgets alongside his friend, who he only knows by the name ‘The Professor’. When Remy is ordered by her master to steal one of the world’s most expensive diamonds, she finds she’s been beaten to it and sets out to track it down herself. She befriends J, a young street boy and eventually crosses Thaddeus’s path, who is also trying to find the diamond to clear his name as the theft as been pinned on him. They search Victorian London, uncovering plenty of mysterious, shocking secrets that have the potential to destroy London.

Overall I loved the book. It’s fast paced, full of action and Remy is a likeable character and I love that she’s feisty and brave. I didn’t warm too much to Thaddeus, not that I didn’t like him but I guess he didn’t shine like some other male literary counterparts (particularly Will Herondale, from the Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series, which is also set in Victorian London and has a steampunk vibe). Their love story didn’t pull me in too much but I don’t think it ruins the book either. I thought J was adorable, I could just picture what a cheeky chappy he was. And The Professor definitely conjured up images of Doc from Back to the Future. I don’t want to say too much about the baddie, as I don’t want to give a lot away from that part of the plot, but he definitely did come across as the egocentric, heartless, power hungry character that he’s supposed to be.

Overall, the plot was enjoyable, if not a bit predictable in places but then again, that doesn’t make the book any less enjoyable in my opinion. I love how the author set about describing Victorian London, the grime and the fog and the underground passages, which reminded me of Dodger by Terry Pratchett. I have a fondness for books in this setting (as well as those listed above, I also really like The Ruby in the Smoke series by Philip Pullman). I would say this book is probably suitable for 9/10 years old and up, depending on reading ability. I do think older readers can enjoy it, I’m in my mid 20s and certainly did! Especially if you like historical fiction, espionage and action.

Overall, while the books didn’t blow me away, I do think it’s well worth the read if you like YA and some of the other elements above. It’s a fast paced, fun and a good adventure story and if there happens to be a sequel, I would definitely be interested in checking it out!

I got a copy of this from NetGalley to review. Readers who are approved for titles from NetGalley are under no obligation to post reviews. I chose this book as it sounded just like my sort of thing and would have had the exact same opinions had I spotted this in the library. Which I actually did a few weeks after downloading this copy and would have definitely picked it up then in the library. All opinions are my own, I think it’s important to be honest about items you review.

Favourite Beauty Vloggers #BEDM

So further down the topics for Blog Every Day in May is a blogger shoutout, which I’m looking forward to, but for now I decided to shout out some of my current favourite beauty vloggers, mainly because I’ve really enjoyed watching some of their videos in the last few months. Most of these will probably be Irish vloggers too. I’ve tried to keep to people who mainly talk about beauty things rather than people who mainly do make up looks.

First up is Emma from Fluff and Fripperies. I love Emma’s voice! (which probably sounds weird and creepy but it’s not, honest). She has lots of great videos and this one is one of my recent favourites, as who doesn’t like saving some money when it comes to foundations!

Next up is Lovely Girlie Bits. Karen and Joanne have me in stiches when they film together, I especially loved the Jelly Bean Challenge they did, couldn’t stop laughing at it. In this video Karen shows off the new Essie summer range and manages to make me want all of them.

I only started watching the Dolly Rouge videos this year but I love seeing these videos pop up in my feed. Kat is so knowledgeable when it comes to ingredients in products and the scientific side of things. This video is on pick me ups for when you’re looking sick or hungover.

Adoreabubbles is next. Sarah is just so bubbly, smiley and lovely, watching her videos will put you in a good mood. This is a review of the NYC Beautifying Blushable Creme Stick, which just looks gorgeous!

I only just discovered MissHollyBerries last week but I’m already hooked. She’s the only nail vlogger I’m subscribed to, but I think I might go look for more! This is her most recent video with her April Favourites but I’m really loving her colours of the rainbow series (focusing on each colour and her favourite polishes in that shade) and looking forward to more.

Sali Hughes is a beauty journalist and I LOVE her In the Bathroom series, where she goes to bathrooms of famous women to have a root through their makeup and beauty products. Caitlin Moran was the first one and the video I’ve chosen but she’s also gone to Gizzi Erskine, Brix Smith-Start, Mary Greenwell and Charlotte Tilsbury. She also has some other great videos too.

Ok, I know I said I was doing more vloggers than make up artists but I couldn’t resist not adding Lisa Eldridge. She does fantastic make up looks but she also does more vloggy videos, discussing skincare and other things. This one is all about face masks and which ones are suitable for different skin types.

Since I was adding in Lisa Eldridge, I thought I’d also add in Letzmakeup. Siobhan does get make up looks but often does vlog videos too talking about products. This one is a recent favourites from Essence.
And that’s it! If you have any vloggers I’ve missed out, especially Irish ones, let me know in the comments below!

Darkness Into Light 2014 #BEDM

I’ve spoken briefly about Darkness Into Light in my World Suicide Prevention Day post. It’s a 5km walk and run, organized by Pieta House, a suicide and self-harm awareness organization. The idea of the walk is that you start at 4am while it’s dark and by the time you’ve finished the sun has come up and it’s light. It’s a fantastic walk, this was my 3rd time doing it and my 1st time abroad. London’s walk was in Cricklewood and the turn out was pretty good, especially considering it’s the first year and it was pouring rain! Darkness Into Light started in 2009 in Dublin, with 200 people walking that year. This year, it’s 6th year running, there were 37 locations across Ireland, 2 abroad (London and Sydney) and an estimated 80,000 people turned out, which is just phenomenal. And apparently Irish communities in New York and Boston have expressed an interest in hosting an event next year, which would be amazing.

Start and end location of the walk, The Crown in Cricklewood

Suicide awareness is so important. In Ireland, more people die by suicide than in car accidents and yet there is still such a stigma attached to mental health and suicide. Most likely you have been affected some way by suicide or at least know someone who has. This May is Green Ribbon Month in Ireland, with the aim to get people talking more openly about mental health. I think it’s a fantastic idea and hopefully it will pick up as much popularity as Pink Ribbon Month has over the years.

You can donate to Pieta House here, it’s a very worthy organization.

     

Just before leaving; Delighted to be almost finished

 

At the finish line; well deserved breakfast!

20th Century Book Tag #BEDM

I’ve seen this tag on YouTube, it’s about going through the books published in each decade of the 20th Century and picking out your favourite from each. I decided to give it a try, though some of them are default picks as I hadn’t read anything else from that decade!

1900s

 The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

This was a default one but in all liklihood I would have picked it anyway as I love Beatrix Potter books. I have loads of them in storage at home. Beautifully illustrated and I think these stories still hold up really well today. This is the story about Peter Rabbit, who is a bit bold!

 

1910s

 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Another default choice. Honestly I don’t remember much of this book, it has been years since I read it. I should really pick it up again.

 

 

1920s

 The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

Yes, this is bit of a cliché for the 1920s but it was either this or Winnie the Pooh! And I wanted to get away from children’s books as I’m thinking of doing another post about them. I read it last year and spoke a small bit about it in this post. Also, I absolutely LOVE this book cover, so cool!

 

1930s

 Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Another book I read last year, here’s the post from that. It follows the story of the new Mrs de Winter, who forever feels in the shade of the perfect Rebecca, her husband’s first wife. This novel is dark and brilliant. And the Hitchcock film is great too!

 

 

1940s

1984 by George Orwell

Classic futuristic novel about Big Brother and how he’s always watching you. It’s a great book and the scenes from Room 101 still make me shudder today! It definitely gets you thinking and the scary thing about all this is that it’s not impossible to see a world like this in the future.

 

 

1950s

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

I read this book after watching the film and I really enjoyed it. It shows a darker side to the story shown in the film and a darker side to Holly too. It has been a while since I’ve read it though, it’s definitely due a reread.

 

 

 

1960s

 The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath’s only novel, which is a semi autobiographical account of her own life and struggles with mental health. I spoke about it here for my Banned Books post last year. And I’ve also quoted it in this post about taking a bath, which I just adore. It’s definitely dark but it really resonated with me.

 

 

1970s

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

It’s a true story of Helene Hanff, a New Yorker, and her relationship with the staff of Marks and Co., the second hand book shop at 84 Charing Cross Road, where she first writes to order some books during the Second World War. The book consists of letters sent back and forth and the relationships that build up overseas. It’s a very sweet book, I wrote more about it here.

 

 

1980s

 Maus by Art Spiegelman

There were a few books I could have picked here but I went for this as I read it last year (post here) and it’s such a good novel. Based on his father’s stories from Second World War, it can be sad at parts but it’s a page turner and definitely worth the read.

 

 

1990s

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

I had another book picked for this and even started writing about it but decided I just could not pick Harry Potter. I love this book and series, they are great for children and adults. And do I really need to tell you what it’s about?! Surely the whole world and its mother knows!

 

 

And that’s it! Some of them were hard to decide upon, there were tons of books by Roald Dahl for example that I could have picked but decided to go with more adult selections (not that adults can enjoy Dahl!). What do you think? Is there anything you’d swap out? What have a glaringly missed? Let me know below!

White and Glitter Nails #BEDM

I got excited the other day when I saw swatches of the new Model’s Own Microdots over at Fundamentally Flawless. I just loved the look of them over white and matte. So much so that I decided to do something similar to tide me over until I can get Microdots!

White- Rimmel Rita Ora Collection in White Hot Love

Glitter- Model’s Own in Ibiza Mix

Matte coat- Essence

I really love this look, I think it would look nice too ultra glossy. I’m looking forward to the Model’s Own Microdots though as all the glitter pieces are the same size and it doesn’t look too glittery. I do love ‘polka dot’ top coats and I wish they came in more colours, the Microdots looks like a close enough thing to that. I’m also really loving this Rita Ora shade. I admit, I didn’t think I would but the fact it has a very subtle shimmer to it takes the edge of it looking like Tippex!

Tiramisu Bundt Cake #BEDM

I have a confession. I made this way back when I hosted a tea party for Pink Ribbon Month. I just never got around to posting it. But it was way too good not to share so I thought I’d take this opportunity to do so now!

Tiramisu Bundt Cake

Adapt from Baking Bites

Ingredients

3 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup espresso or very strong coffee
1/4 cup Kahlua

Kahlua Mascarpone Frosting
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
4-oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup Kahlua
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F. Grease and flour bundt pan.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

3. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.

4. Mix in the flour and milk alternatively into the bowl, ending on the last of the flour. Remove one cup of batter and place into bowl. Remove another cup of batter and place into another bowl.

5. Into one of the small bowls of batter, add the espresso/coffee and mix until combined. Add the Kahlua into the other small bowl and mix until combined.

6. Spread half the plain batter into the bundt tin, smoothing the top so the layer is even. Then add the Kuhlua batter evenly around the tin, adding the espresso layer evenly on top of that, before finishing off with the plain batter on top.

7. Bake for 55-60, until a toothpick/knife comes out clean when placed in the centre.

8. To make the icing, combine all the ingredients together into a bowl and mix on medium speed until even and smooth. Ice the bundt cake.

This cake is so yummy, perfect if you want to shake things up when making a coffee cake. The Kahula and espresso layers give a nice marbled layer going through the cake when cut, I wish I thought to get a picture!

Amazon’s 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime #BEDM

A few months ago, Amazon.com released a must read books list. However a few days ago Amazon.co.uk released theirs and I thought it would be interesting to see how many books I have read on the list. All titles in bold are the ones I’ve read.

1. The Tale of Peter Rabbit- Beatrix Potter

2. The Gruffalo- Julia Donaldson

3. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt- Michael Rosen

4. The Tiger Who Came to Tea- Judith Kerr

5. Winnie-the-Pooh- AA Milne

6. The Enchanted Wood- Enid Blyton

7. The Worst Witch- Jill Murphy

8. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- Roald Dahl

9. The Story of Tracy Beaker- Jacqueline Wilson

10. Goodnight Mister Tom- Michelle Magorian

11. Watership Down- Richard Adams

12. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone- J.K. Rowling

13. Artemis Fowl- Eoin Colfer

14. Stormbreaker- Anthony Horowitz

15. Noughts & Crosses- Malorie Blackman

16. I Capture The Castle- Dodie Smith

17. Lord of the Flies- William Golding

18. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas- John Boyne

19. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Ages 13 3/4- Sue Townsend

20. The Diary of a Young Girl- Anne Frank

21. Little Women- Lousia May Alcott

22. To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

23. Catch-22- Joseph Heller

24. The Grapes of Wrath- John Steinbeck

25. The Great Gatsby- F Scott Fitzgerald

26. The Hound of the Baskervilles- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

27. Tess of the d’Ubervilles- Thomas Hardy

28. Frankenstein- Mary Shelley

29. Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen

30. The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde

31. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for His Hat- Oliver Sacks

32. The Hare with the Amber Eyes- Edmund de Waal

33. Norwegian Wood- Haruki Murakami

34. Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy- John le Carre

35. The Wasp Factory- Iain Banks

36. Midnight’s Children- Salman Rushdie

37. Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit- Jeanette Winterson

38. The Commitments- Roddy Doyle

39. Schindler’s Ark- Thomas Keneally

40. Knots and Crosses- Ian Rankin

41. Gulliver’s Travels- Jonathon Swift

42. Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte

43. Great Expectations- Charlie Dickens

44. The Mill on the Floss- George Elliot

45. Crime and Punishment- Dyodor Dostoyevsky

46. The Fellowship of the Ring- J.R.R. Tolkein

47. American Gods- Neil Gaiman

48. The Handmaid’s Tale- Margaret Atwood

49. The Stand- Stephen King

50. The Time Machine- H.G. Wells

51. The Colour of Magic- Terry Pratchett

52. Watchmen- Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

53. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams

54. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?- Philip K Dick

55. A Game of Thrones- George RR Martin

56. The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini

57. Trainspotting- Irvine Welsh

58. High Fidelity- Nick Hornby

50. Bridget Jones’s Diary- Helen Fielding

60. The Book Thief- Markus Zusak

61. White Teeth- Zadie Smith

62. The Road- Cormac McCarthy

63. American Psycho- Bret Easton Ellis

64. The English Patient- Michael Ondaatje

65. Atonement- Ian McEwan

66. A Fine Balance- Rohinton Mistry

67. The Poisonwood Bible- Barbara Kingsolver

68. The Secret History- Donna Tartt

69. Never Let Me Go- Kazuo Ishiguro

70. Birdsong- Sebastian Faulks

71. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- Stieg Larsson

72. Last Order- Graham Swift

73. The Sense of an Ending- Julian Barnes

74. Dissolution- CJ Sandom

75. London Fields- Martin Amis

76. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas- Hunter S Thompson

77. Nineteen Eighty-Four- George Orwell

78. One Hundred Years of Solitude- Gabriel Garcia Marquez

79. In Cold Blood- Truman Capote

80. Cider with Rosie- Laurie Lee

81. Lolita- Vladimir Nabokov

82. Casino Royale- Ian Fleming

83. The Old Man and the Sea- Ernest Hemingway

84. Brideshead Revisited- Evelyn Waugh

85. Brighton Rock- Graham Greene

86. Rebecca- Daphne de Maurier

87. Murder on the Orient Express- Agatha Christie

88. All Quiet on the Western Front- Erich Maria Remarque

89. To the Lighthouse- Virginia Woolf

90. My Man Jeeves- P.G Wodehouse

91. Freakonomics- Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

92. A Brief History of Time- Stephen Hawkins

93. Long Walk to Freedom- Nelson Mandela

94. Wild Swans- Jung Chang

95. London: The Biography- Peter Ackroyd

96. Venice- Jan Morris

97. Notes From a Small Island- Bill Bryson

98. The Selfish Gene- Richard Dawkins

99. A History of the World in 100 Objects- Neil Macgregor

100. Bad Science- Ben Goldacre

So overall I got 26/100. Which is quite bad for me I think. There are 5 that I have started but never finished. Not because I didn’t like them, just that I got distracted by them and never got around to finishing them (To Kill a Mockingbird, I’m mainly looking at you!). Then there are others at the top, the children’s books, that I don’t know if I read or not. There’s possibility that I read them myself or to my younger siblings. But I didn’t want to add them as I wasn’t sure. If you’re wondering what’s with the order of the list, Amazon have the books listed in different groups going down the page. Starting with children, then teens, easy classics etc.

I do have a lot of these unread books on my to be read. I know it’s not a perfect list, I’ve already read one or two articles about what’s missing (Here’s The Guardian’s article). I went through the list with my boyfriend and he only got 6, so that did make me feel better for a bit! Except for the fact he’s not a big reader.

Have you read any of these? What ones did you like and enjoy? And are there any books you’d add to the list? Let me know in the comments!