My favourite books ♥

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These two novels I think will always be part of my favourite books. The Color Purple by Alice Walker pretty much changed my life. I looked at everything in a different way after reading this book. I can definitely say that Celie still lives with me today and when she grew with confidence, I grew with her. As so The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, this books will always be the book that brought to my attention an illness that others can't see, it made me a more tolerant and thoughtful person.  

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I've only just recently read The Black Dahlia but it was book I just couldn't put down which isn't something I do a lot with my university books. I think it was so riveting because of the history behind the The Black Dahlia and how this murder did actually happen, but to make this book even more shocking is that the same type of brutal murder happened the the author's mother. You can't help but be engrossed. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is by far to FUNNIEST book I have ever ever read, I still quote this book and I can't wait to be able to re-read it. I'll forever love this book.

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Holes by Louis Sachar is a book I read back in year 8 and I can't still read it now and feel exactly the same way. It's the perfect children's book and so feel good that I don't care if it's a children's book, I'll still read it now! Even the film adaptation was brilliant! Now onto The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald which I read when I was around 16, nearly 17. I remember falling in love with the time and the characters and how they all gave the story something completely different but worked perfectly together. I urge you to read this before you see the film adaptation in December because I don't know if I see Leo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby!

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Fight Club, oh how I love Fight Club. This is known as a brilliant men's book but BOO to that, I'm a real girly girl but I adore this book and how different and brutal it is. Plus, I hadn't watched the film before reading this so I didn't know the HUGE twist at the end which is a great shocker, I loved it! Of Mice and Men is a book that if the ending doesn't make you sob like a baby I don't think I'll ever understand you. I read this when I was about 15 and I don't think I've ever cried as much at an ending to a book than this. I'm welling up thinking about it now! I learnt so much, this book made me a much more patient person.

These books all changed me in one way or another, but they were all amazing reads at the same time.

Have you read any of these books? What are your favourite books?

BOOK REVIEW: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

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Okay, I am approaching this book review as a book lover, not an English Literature student which means I’m going to be openly honest in terms of how difficult and wordy this book is, and it really is!

As a Literature student, I understand why this was on the reading list. With is beautiful references to the darkness in people, and the darkness of the country around them, it’s a perfect book to analyse for an essay. In real life, it can take a while to get into the language; I’m definitely going to have to re-read the sucker before we study it in class!

In Heart of Darkness, we follow Charles Marlow for the majority of the novella who takes an assignment in Africa with a trading company. We see the dark side of the European colonisation which to some readers can be quite distressing. The clear racism in this book is just what was done during the time of publication but Conrad uses Heart of Darkness to highlight the darkness of the treatment of the African natives, as well as the darkness of the wilderness around them.

I fully enjoyed this book, the writing is beautiful and this book proves you can learn a lot about a part of history in a short amount of pages.

Characters come and go throughout the novel but there are two main ones, Marlow and Kurtz. Kurtz, an ivory collector is a character I could never set my finger upon. I never knew if I should like or dislike the man but thinking upon him now, I think that was the point. He was only ever trying to do his job, but went the wrong way about it. This doesn’t stop people from instantly adoring his character. Marlow however, is definitely a character that can be trusted in my eyes and his narration is utterly fantastic.

Out of 10, I’d give Heart of Darkness a 7/10 as it is a classic and I’m glad I’ve had to read it, but if you don’t concentrate on every word, you’ll definitely have to go back and it’s slightly difficult to read. 

Did you enjoy this review? Have you ever read Heart of Darkness?

Lots of love,

Sia xxx

Mini haul ♥

Today me and my fiancé, David met a friend we hadn't seen in a looooooong time in town seeing as we're both free from university now and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to see if I can find black work trousers and shoes for my job trail/interview on Monday. I was lucky and found both of these items and also got a couple of things as well, oopsie!

These beauties are from New Look but I unfortunately cannot find them on their website. They were £12.99 and with the current 20% off for students I thought £10.39 was a very decent price for them but beware, they size rather big! I need at least 2 pairs of insoles for them but luckily I have a pair lying around already so bought a pair of foam inserts for £3.50 from Clarks. I think they'll be perfect for work, and everyday outings. 

Now, I am a sucker for anything with peace signs on and this cute ring was only £4 from Dorothy Perkins. They also had a student discount offer on at 15% so £3.40 was a decent price I think, especially as I'll get a lot of wear out of it.

Technic - Mermaid: this brand I have only found in Bodycare but at 99p, I couldn't say no. I already have an 'Ibiza Mix' like glitter polish from this make and I find it very pretty on anything I use it on, and easy to apply so I was very tempted by 'Mermaid' today and gave into the temptation. I will do a review of this once I'm able to apply varnish to my nails again!

Now we are hitting very late Christmas presents from my friend Sarah. I literally cannot wait for a spare moment to be able to read this. I have stopped myself watching the film so I can read this first which means I won't be able to watch the film for a good while. Oh well, uni comes first, right?

I adore Soap & Glory products, they are literally all I use so when I unwrapped this bad boy I was a rather happy bunny! The 'youcube' contains a 50ml 'Righteous Butter' body moisturiser, a 50ml 'Flake Away' body polish, a 75ml 'Clean on Me' shower gel/creme and a 50ml 'Hand Food' hand cream. I haven't tried the moisturiser or the body polish and I can't wait to get the chance!

For items I didn't actually need today I only spend £4.39 so I'm actually rather happy with what I brought home. 

What do you think? Do you use Soap & Glory? Have you read 'The Help'?

Lots of love,

Sia xxx

Currently reading...

1 down, too many to think about to go (sigh)

Anyway, as you may have noticed, I have added my fantastic reading list for this summer onto a page at the top of my blog so we can all see how far I have to go!

So, I finished Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (give us a cheer!) and now it's onto one book that as a Literature student, I feel like a failure for not already have read it...

Currently reading: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

I can't actually wait to devour this one. I'm 19 pages in now and I'm not going to lie, it's a bit of a difficult read but I think it's going to be totally worth all the flicking to the back to look at the added notes. Wuthering Heights is for two things for my third year, my 'Victorian Literature' module and I'm also doing this for my dissertation on 'Female Gothic' which I am excited about. So I am going to be absorbed by this one!

Now, I bet you're wondering, 'where is the book review for Heart of Darkness?' Well, it shall be up tomorrow my dears, and I hope I do the book justice, it is a classic after all! I'll also be putting up a few pictures from my trip to Chester Zoo yesterday later on today!

What are you currently reading? Do you like to read?

Lots of love, 

Sia xxx

Currently reading...

Let's do this shall we! 

Currently reading: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

This novel is for my 3rd year module 'Victorian Gothic' which I am SO excited to do but it's not starting until January :( Actually, I'm excited for all my modules next year. Along with 'Vic Goth' I'm going 'Victorian Literature', 'Modernism' and 'Science Fiction', HOW AWESOME DO THEY SOUND? I'm also doing my dissertation (eeeep!) but I've got a good topic in mind so all is good!

I'm only 30 pages off finishing this one so expect a book review soon. I am enjoying it as well so hopefully I'll give it a good review so some of you will pick it up and give it a go. 

Once I move back home from University I will definitely give you guys a picture of the amount of books I will have to read this summer but for now, here is my current reading list:

Reading order for Summer 2012

1.    North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (Vic Lit)

2.    Ulysses by James Joyce (Modernism)

3.    The Time Machine by H. G. Wells (Sci Fi)

4.    The Old English Baron by Clara Reeve (Dissertation)

5.    Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (Vic Lit)

6.    Hangover Square by James Hamilton (Modernism)

7.    The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by R. L. Stevenson (Goth)

8.    The Mysteries of Udolpho by Anne Radcliffe (Dissertation)

9.    Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (Vic Lit)

10. Hugh Selwyn Mauberley by Ezra Pound (Modernism)

11. The Day of the Triffids by J. Wyndham (Sci Fi)

12. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (Vic Lit)

13. The Life and Death of Harriet Frean by May Sinclair (Modernism)

14. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Goth)

15. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (Vic Lit)

16. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (Modernism)

17. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by P. K. Dick (Sci Fi)

18. Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (Vic Lit)

19. The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot (Modernism)

20. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (Goth)

21. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford (Modernism)

22. She by H. Rider Haggard (Goth)

23. The Beetle by Richard Marsh (Goth)

24. Dracula by Bram Stoker (Goth) 

This doesn't include reference material (wah!) and others that I might add for my dissertation. READING CAN HURT! 

Anyway, expect a book review in the next couple of days :)

Lots of love,

Sia xx