Love For Books

Vogue Beauty byBronwyn Cosgrave

If you’re into beauty and make up then you will love this book. It’s a big book full of make-up, hair, body, skin, nails anything to do with beauty really. It’s packed with tips and tricks on things such as’ how to re-create make up looks, how to achieve radiant and flawless skin .There is even parts on cosmetic surgery and massage.
The beauty book is full of beautiful photographs that will inspire you and help you to re-create the perfect look.

There is a section on scent, explaining what scents work best and what ingredients do to perfumes. A section on hair, telling you how to look after your hair and make it healthy and shiny, how to style it and step by step guides to follow.

It tells you how beauty trends have changes over the years from the 1950’s to present.

I received this book as a Christmas present and was thrilled with it. I’ve loved copying the make-up looks as they are really easy to follow and really do make a difference if you’re stuck in a make-up rut. I’d recommend this book to any females who love experimenting with new looks.

Touched by evil by Michele Knight

Michele Knight was born a twin, her twin sister Lucy died when she was born but her spirit was always there to help and protect Michele, she guided her and even saved her life a few times. It wasn’t until Lucy was 13 that she found out Lucy was actually her twin sister. Michele’s mother, Bruna was a very gifted psychic who had was very much into magic and powers. She was born and raised in a small Italian village, her grandmother was said to be a witch who taught her lots of spells and magic. Bruna met Lucy’s father who was an English soldier and they fell in love instantly, they eventually moved to live in London. Bruna always longed for a child of her own and tried for 18 years, one day she wished on a scarab for a baby. She knew her wish would come true but she also knew there would be terrible consequences.

When Michele was born her father grew very ill with bone cancer, her twin sister died at birth and Michele’s was from being a baby at the mercy of sexual predators, something that was said to have happened to past generations of her mother’s family.

A fascinating book based on a true story. I would definitely recommend.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Life has never been easy for Oscar. He is a ghetto nerd who lives with his Dominican family in New Jersey; he’s lovely but seriously overweight. He is forever falling hopelessly in love and dreams of becoming the next J. R. R. Tolkien .Thanks to the Fukú – the ancient curse that has haunted his family for generations Poor Oscar may never get what he wants. The curse dooms his family to torture, prison, violent accidents and unsuccessful love.

The book is all about Oscar, his runaway sister Lola, their gorgeous mum Belicia, and family’s  journey from the Dominican Republic to the US and back again.

Written with humour and warmth, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is a powerful look at the endless human capability to persevere. They risk it all – in the name of love.  The book follows not just Oscar but three different generations right from the 1930, each of them has to cope with their own struggles. It’s a fascinating account of the history of Dominican Republic, which is full of family drama. A lovely story that I could read over and over again. Definitely a book that I would recommend.

About a boy by Nick Hornby

This is the story of a geeky boy, Marcus, who is 12 and a man called Will. Will doesn’t really want any children he enjoys his life, doesn’t have to work as he is rich enough to live comfortably without working. Will decides to join the local support group for single parents as he thinks this will help him pick up women. It’s through this group that he meets Marcus the nerdy 12 year old who’s mother is suicidal. Marcus thinks Will can help him save his mother where as will thinks Marcus can help him meet women. Marcus starts turning up at Wills apartment everyday. Will tries to make Marcus cool , he gets picked on a lot by other kids as his mother dresses him in rags, cuts his hair and makes him be a vegetarian so Marcus being the materialistic man he is buys him new trainers and things. When Will meets a woman who has a son he pretends that Marcus is his son as he believes this will make her like him more.

I loved this book; I thought it was an excellent read. I couldn’t put the book down from start to finish. I would definitely recommend it.

Hold Tight by Harlem Coben

This is the shocking story of a 16 year old boy who gets involved in the wrong crowd and the tragic consequences of it.

Adam was a normal teenage boy who enjoyed spending time with his family and playing hockey, all of the normal things that young boys do. Until him and his friends find a different way to spend their time. They start hanging around at a club in the Bronx which has been set up for under age kids, its meant to be a place where they can hang around and enjoy what would normally happen in clubs, dancing and meeting girls, but without the alcohol and under supervision. Club jaguar is actual a cover up for some shocking dealings. They have ‘pharm’ parties, which is when they all take prescribed drugs. Adams best friend gets caught up in it all and it gets too much for him so he kills himself, leaving his friends and family devastated. Things get much worse after he’s gone. Adams parents decide to spy on him as they are so worried about him, they make some shocking discoveries. Adam disappears and his dad sets out to find him.

An excellent read, took me a while to get into but once I did I couldn’t stop reading. Full of secrets, lies and murders.

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

This book is set in The Soviet Union in 1953.

Stalin’s firm grip is as tight as it can get, enforced by the Ministry of State Security –who are a secret police force whose brutality is not a secret. Under it the Ministry’s regime, people are order to believe that crime does not exist.
 
 
One day the body of a young boy is discovered on train tracks in Moscow, the boys family are convinced it was murder but Officer Leo Demidov , is totally dedicated to the ministry, he is very surprised to hear that the young boy’s family think that he was murdered. Leo’s superiors command him to ignore these accusations and he being a dedicated follower he is forced to obey. But for some reason he himself knows that there is more to that death of that young boy.

The Ministry sense his doubts and threaten Leo; he has no choice but to turn his back on the Party which he followed for so long. His wife Raisa is disgraced and exiled to a town deep in the Ural Mountains. Soon after Leo also realises that the crime he had helped cover up in the capital has happened here as well.

Dance with wings by Ameilia Carr

When a telegram arrives for Nancy on a warm summers day in 1942 she is nervous, she dreads to think what kind of bad news it will bring as it’s the middle of world war two. Nancy needn’t have worried as the telegram is not bad news, but good news. It’s from Jackie Cochran and her requesting that Nancy flies for Great Britain.

Nancy had always loved flying, it was in her blood and this opportunity from Jackie is one that she can’t turn down. The decision she made that day was to set off a series of events, the consequences of these events will have repercussions for several generations to come.

It’s now summer 2006 and Sarah is at a crossroads in her life. Her Grandmother, Nancy asks Sarah to help her lay some past ghosts to rest. When Sarah agrees, she doesn’t realise what kind of shocking secrets, ones that have been hidden for many years will be dragged back up. Started in World War Two and going right up to the present, this story will move you and be one that you will never forget. A very intriguing read, full of brilliant characters and lots of romance.

A good woman by Danielle Steel

Annabelle Worthington was born into a very wealthy family, at 19 she had everything going for. She had a lovely family whom she adored; they all got along so well, her, her older brother Robert, her father Arthur and her mother Consuelo. Annabelle had just had her ‘coming out’ party which is something all of the wealthy families do when they daughters reach a certain age.  After which she became quite poorly so she couldn’t join her family when they went on their annual holiday to Europe. The night they boarded the ship was to be the last she saw of her brother and father. They returned on the Titanic and didn’t make it home. Her mother was one of the lucky ones who managed to survive.Anabelle and Consuelo was distraught and had to spend a year in morning.

An employee of her father’s became very close to them and was always there to cheer them up, over time Josiah fell in love with Annabelle, although he was 19 years older than her, he asked her mother for permission to marry her, she agreed. They planned the wedding for after the year of mourning was over. They were the happiest couple around, for a while anyway….

Not without my sisters by Kristina, Juliana and Celeste

This is the true story of three sisters who were born into the worldwide cult; the children of god. Kristina, Juliana and Celeste all went through terrible ordeals throughout their childhoods. The children of god are a Christian cult which follows the writings of Mo, whom had a very twisted idea of what love meant. Regularly abused by their elders and forced to have sex with other children, the three sisters whom were all separated at various stages of their childhood tell their story.

They were treated as objects for which the adults could use to satisfy their sexual needs. They moved from country to country always in hiding from the authorities. They often had to beg for money on the streets and were beaten for innocent acts like reading a book which. They were taught to share their bodies as an act of love. The leader of the cult would write the rules and they would be passed down to the thousands of members worldwide.

A truly shocking book, it’s hard to believe that people actually live like this and get away with treating children in such a horrific way. I would definitely recommend this book, although shocking and quite disturbing in parts.