Acorss the Universe by Beth Revis - Book Review

A seriously good YA science fiction that grips from the first page to the last twist!

Across the Universe by Beth Revis. 

Summary courtesy of Amazon :

Trapped in space and frozen in time, Amy is bound for a new planet. But fifty years before she's due to arrive, she is violently woken, the victim of an attempted murder. Now Amy's lost on board and nothing makes sense - she's never felt so alone.

Yet someone is waiting for her. He wants to protect her; and more if she'll let him.

I fell in love with this book the moment I read a review on Grazing Pages. I think we can all agree this is a truly beautiful cover, and partnered with a glowing review from Katie I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. Kindly best buddy Mr Crossley purchased this for me to cheer me up one day and I was thrilled.

So now about the book! The majority of the narrative is set onboard Godspeed, a spaceship destined for a new planet now that Earth (which they call Sol Earth) has spiralled into decline. The ship, big enough to house 3,000 occupants and a secret level full of frozen passengers to populate the new planet, is part way through its 300 year journey.


Now as a sci-fi lover this is enough to get my pulse racing about a book. But this is so much more. The frozen passengers are being unplugged. Amy is violently awoken and brought into a miniature world where she is very different. Everyone is mono-ethnic: caramel skin, brown eyes,brown hair and Amy with her pale complexion and fiery hair couldn't look more different. But if this wasn't enough more Frozens are getting unplugged and left to die trapped in the glass coffins they were frozen in. This is more than a YA sci-fi, this is a mystery / thriller / crime / sci-fi that is a cracking good read.


There are some really interesting topics brought up in this book that got me thinking, in a way that I really enjoy. To say any more or give examples would give to much away, but it is well worth reading just to chew them over in your mind every time you put the book down. 


This is a YA so the construction of sentences, word choice and the narrative as a whole, although shocking at times, is deliciously easy to devour and not a difficult read. I did find some of my short term predictions of the plot coming true in a way that is flattering rather than predictable, yet the narrative as a whole isn't short of its twists. Some revlations at the end of the book left me reeling - and I think it is safe to say the second book in this series, A Million Suns, will be making its way to me in the post very soon!


Overall I think you can tell that I think a lot of this book, and really couldn't give it anything less than:


10/10


In the comments below let me know if you have read this book and what you though of it. As always I love receiving book recommendations, so if you know something similar to this I might like to read please let me know here, on Facebook or Twitter.


Thanks for reading,


Love Rie x

Bookish Wonders #1

Bookish Wonders is a new series of posts I am going to be writing about books funny enough. As a little break from reviews I want to talk to you guys about the different things we love about books, for their cover art, how they make us think, feel or even change how we see the world. 

My first Bookish Wonder is all about where you read a book, and if a perfect sunny afternoon reading makes a better book than a wet weekend.

One glorious morning, my best friend and I sat on The Hoe in Plymouth, which is a beautiful grassy field which over looks the sea with the rest of town behind you, and set to reading our Kindles laid out on a blanket. At the time I was reading 'Hunt for the Phoenix' by the Byfords, and gave it a glowing review. I loved the books twists and turns and fantastic story telling, and although it had its faults I gave it full marks. But how was where I read this book and the memories I had attached to it affected my perception?

Keri Arthur, on the other hand, and the first book in her Dark Angel series: Darkness Unbound is the hardest review I have ever given a book. I read it in late January, as a relief from a pile of uni work and a truly stressed student budget after Christmas. I read it in my dull university bedroom, on my own at night, after night, until I finished it. Nothing remarkable. Nothing new. And very little done well. Yet if I had read this book on The Hoe, in Plymouth on a beautiful day would I have felt differently?


I think what is most important is where the book takes you. The best books you will read will transport you from where you lay, sit or stand and into their world. Books that when the house falls down around you, you fail to notice. This book for me has to be a book by Kelley Armstrong, that I haven't actually reviewed - Broken. I didn't stop until I finished this familiar yet surprisingly new book around my (still) favourite fictional couple, Clay & Elena. I have found it so difficult to review these books as so much in a series can be spoilers for the earlier books. However I think even without the other books in the series this stands out to be one of those reads that made me feel scared when they were scared, happy when they were happy, and 'fun' when they where having fun ;)! Sat here now, I cannot remember where I read it - in my opinion a sign of a truly fantastic book.

I want to know where did you read your favourite book? Do you remember? Do you think where you read a book matters?

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie x

Happy World Book Day

Being over 18 now World Book Day doesn't really have the same appeal to me any more. I remember from a young age receiving my £1 book token at school, and the excitement of being able to pick out of the specially released titles that year. But I can't help feeling a little left out now...

Yet I still love what World Book Day stands for:

"World Book Day is a celebration! It’s a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) it’s a celebration of reading."

But with the wonders of the internet you can no download or get a copy of all the specially released World Book Day Titles on Amazon. This selection of children's books are still available to all of us over 18 for their promotional price of £1 and with some fantastic authors contributing they have to be worth a look.

You can view the full list of the books available here, but my top picks are:

Roald Dahl's Fantabulous Facts (paperback)
Despite his death in 1990 (the same year I was born) I am a huge fan of Roald Dahl, with James and the Giant Peach being one of my favourite childhood reads. This fun book aimed at children 8+ is illustrated by Quentin Blake.

How to Train Your Dragon: the Day of the Dreader (paperback)
This series of books was used as inspiration for the movie "How to Train Your Dragon", but as we all know 9 times out of 10 the books are always better!

Big Day Out (Kindle ebook)
Jacqueline Wilson was easily my favourite author as a child. I borrows or begged my mum to purchase all of her releases and still appreciate how this very talented author deals with difficult subjects so well. This has to be worth a read even if you are will above 8.

Skulduggery Pleasant: The End of the World (Kindle ebook)
I haven't heard of this book, or its author Derek Landy, before but its promise of humour, magic and adventure sounds like a good read.

So, if like me, you feel a little left out of the World Book Day celebrations there is no need to feel glum. Lets find our youth again and get involved in celebrating the love of reading!!

Spotted: Free Kindle Books!!

I originally wanted to do this post as a video, but after filming and starting the editing process I realised that my editing software (Windows Movie Maker) is just not up to scratch. The audio and video keep going out of sync, and it was getting really frustrating. It was very important to me that I got this information out as soon as possible, as Kindle books do not stay free for long. So my apologies for the rather false start on providing some video posts via YouTube, but I will invest in some better equipment and software soon and come back with new vigour!

How you will often find me of an evening.
I love the colour of my Kindle cover, which was
a birthday present from my brother. 

As you can see in the title, this post is all about my top picks of free Kindle books on Amazon. I would like to add here that you do not need to feel left out if you do not have a Kindle. Amazon offers free applications for your computer, iPhone and other smart phones that you can download all Kindle books onto and enjoy the free literature.

I have divided this post in two; my first four picks are classics of the book world whose copyright has now expired and thus are now available for free. The second half however are the time sensitive ones. These are books that have been placed on Amazon for free for a limited time only, so if you like the sound of any of these titles do not delay and download them straight away. I have been introduced to some of my favourite new authors this way, and is well worth it for those that want to discover something new.

Classics

• Dracula by Bram Stoker
  Before your Twilight, Vampire Diaries and True Blood, Dracula was the original vampire. If you like vampire books and have not read Dracula you need to get your head seen to. This is a classic and a must read to all.
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 
  The first zombie book, before zombies were cool (if they ever were!). Even if you claim to have seen the movie, and all its tedious sequels and remakes it is well worth going back and reading the original.
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 
  This is one of those books that I love to dip in and out of. If I am feeling stressed or restless this fantastically crafted fantasy world is true escapism. We did a play of this in primary school (and I didn't even get to be Alice... but we wont go into that...) and it really cemented my love of all its little quirks.
• The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  I have searched high and low for the original Sherlock Holmes but cannot seem to find it anywhere for free. However this book does come highly recommend (although I must confess I have not read it myself). If you do want to read his full collection, you can purchase it for just 77p here.

New Publications - Free for a limited time only!!
Firstly I must say that I have not read any of these books, so cannot comment on their quality. The very nature of free Kindle books means that I have sourced these books very recently and not yet had chance to read them.

•  Ghost Box: Six Supernatural Thrillers by Scott Nicholson [no longer free :(]
  This collection of ghost stories promises to have you scared witless!
• Soul Mate by Richard Cawford
  The cover of this is very cliche with the moody haunted house and bats. But you should never judge a book by its cover, and the description sounds intriguing. And who can say no when it is free?
• Her Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf 
  I really like the sound of this books description. With the main protagonists being a vampire and a werewolf and both of them being married sounds like a blood bath. But I am looking forward to seeing how this will read.
• The Seventh Sister by Z. L. Arkaidie
  This paranormal romance book is the second in the Parched series, which makes it an odd one to be free. All I can assume is it will force people like me to purchase the first one as well, as they find it impossible not to read them in order! But I will have a look at this closer, and see if it is worth the investment.
• Bewitching the Werewolf by Caroline Hanson
  Short stories with witches and vampires - has got to be worth a quick read! (comes with an adult warning).
• Black Moon by C. L. Bevill
  Another short story, which is the first part of the Moon Trilogy. Containes Werejaguars, WereWolves and a Librarian was a warning it is not for minors.... I am going to have to read it now just to find out why!! You can also get the next two parts of the series, Amber Moon and Silver Moon for free too!
• The Vampire's Warden by S. J. Wright
  A paranormal romance from the Undead in Brown series, which claims to be a different approach to your average Vampire story.
• Thirst by Claire Farrell
  This is the first part of the Ava Delaney series, a protagonist who is a Human-Vampire hybrid that I want to read a lot more about!

Hopefully this is enough to keep you going, but if you would like to find more free Kindle books, make sure to follow me on Twitter and add me as a friend on Facebook, where I post links of free books on Amazon that I have spotted.

Let me know if you like these sort of posts, and would like to see more. 

Thank you as always for reading,

Love Rie

Fire Kills!

Whilst doing some work for university this evening I have come across a really powerful ad for Fire Safety.

Being petrified of fire myself, this is a message close to my heart.

It is such a shame this really important campaign is reaching so few people.

So please take the time to share this video with friends and family, and go and show them some support on Facebook & Twitter.

Love Rie xx

Why I Will Always Love Books.

With all things literary moving digital it seems the future will move away from books. But I can't help but love the printed page and the little messages left behind by previous readers. It seems to tell a history that will never be gained by a eBook.

Library books in particular are some of my favourite reads with post-stick notes, pencil scribbles and full on highlighting of pages really enhancing my reading experience.

Here is a book I got out of my university library this week that I really loved.

Black book on bottom right - Mythologies by Roland Barthes (2000)

Little pencil notes of a library book reference, a meeting & a website URL.

Post stick notes found inside the front cover including a shopping list!

There are some book that I will always purchase where I can namely the Charlaine Harris 'True Blood' series and Kelley Armstrong's 'Women of the Otherworld' series - and undoubtedly new. I still hold dear to my heart the printed book.

And I will always be a library dweller reading the notes left by others before anything else.

Despite the above I will not miss carting heavy text books, or running out of reading material whilst on holiday. I may be slow in embracing the digital trend, and will never fully abandon my books I still look forward to the future of reading!

Rie xx

Top Hat at The Mayflower Southampton - Review

image source

This Tuesday I was lucky enough to go to the opening night of the musical Top Hat at The Mayflower Southampton.

The stage version of the 1930’s moving picture is brought to life by a cast of 45 actors, dancers and musicians. A comedic and whimsical tale of love between Jerry Travers (Tom Chambers - 'Holby City' and winner of 'Strictly Come Dancing') and Dale Tremont (Summer Strallen - 'Hollyoaks') is performed in full Hollywood glamour.

Beautiful costumes and cleverly constructed sets ensured that this light-hearted play enthralled audiences as the couple dance from song to song. The quips and wit of the original is captured perfectly by the show and had me laughing un-ashamedly more than once. The dancing provided by the whole cast was stunning and provided the ballroom charm even if the pieces sometimes felt a little long.

I felt that the first dance by Tom Chambers (and a very strained fake American accent) was a little shaky but the performance soon mellowed into an easy to watch and entertaining musical.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the show and recommend to all lovers of ballroom dancing and musicals alike.

4/5

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie xx

[Top Hat is at The Mayflower until September 24^th before touring around the UK.

For more information and to book tickets: http://bit.ly/nP19VZ

Thanks to Carswell Gould for the opportunity to watch the show]

Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver - Book Review

Deaver launches the James Bond character into the 21^st century with his own unique style. A must have read for any Bond lovers, and thriller readers alike, but don’t be put off if you don’t like cars and guns, there is a lot more besides.

Aesthetically this book is very pleasing to read, the flocked, rubberised cover grips your hands. The cover image resembles a wisp of smoke and the design is repeated at the beginning of every chapter. I have both a standard copy (white/red) and a limited edition signed copied (black/white) which are both equally eye catching on my shelf.

All hard backs are going to be a little weighty and as this was a holiday read this summer, I did feels a paperback would have perhaps been better for travelling with, but the story gripped me from beginning to end and was worth the extra weight!  

The title is also really clever. So much better than the titles such as Octopussy and The Man with the Golden Gun, it has wit and style that really fits in with the narrative.

The narrative is well, Bond like. The formulae of the books were followed well, Bond had a fast car (although not an Aston Martin) and he even got the girl. He’s cheeky, witty and is one step ahead of the enemy no matter how much in trouble he seems. Yet it was Deaver’s personal writing style that made this book, for me, so enjoyable to read.  Red herrings and the rollercoaster ride of revolutions make this a fast paced read, and it will keep you guessing until the end.

The villain is possibly one of the best yet. Routed in modern issues with a flaw that makes your skin crawl, he is the perfect persona of 21^st issues of recycling and corporate responsibility and their darker side.

It was the technical information on the cars and guns that was lost on me. I was laying in bed reading out the names of cars to my boyfriend to describe, as I had no idea what they were, if they were good or not or what they looked like. I understand that they are necessary for the book, but just not for me.

Overall I loved Jeffery Deaver’s take on the James Bond novel, with a fancy cover, good name and great characters. Yet the very Bond-ness of it means I prefer his own creations.

4/5

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie Reviews xx

Holiday Reading

Hi all,

I am off for a well deserved holiday tomorrow, and time-off for me equals reading! So I thought I would let you know what books I am taking away with me.

1. Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver
   I have been reading this one for a few weeks now, and thanks to a busy schedule I haven't managed to progress more than half way. But I am looking forward to getting stuck in and finishing this one.
   
2. Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay
   I have no idea what this one is going to be like. It was recommended to me by my Mum, so it will keep me busy for a day :P
   
3. The Blue Nowhere by Jeffery Deaver
   One of the last books we have in the house that I haven't read. Again came highly recommended by my Mum as a good read.
   

It is going to be a crime thriller holiday! It is only a week away so all I can hope is this will be enough. But I always seem to find a book store selling English books no matter where I am and will undoubtedly be picking up some more!

Hope you are all having a great summer.

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie xx

Spellbound by Kelley Armstrong - Book Review

I was really looking forward to the release of this book, as regular readers will know. To say I was disappointed would be a lie, I love Kelley Armstrong’s writing style, but I wanted more.

This book follows seamlessly from Waking the Witch. I wouldn’t be surprised if the two books were written very shortly after each other, or split in to two by an editor. Unlike the previous books which can jump between character sets (such as: Clay & Elena / Paige, Lucas & Savannah / Hope & Carl / Jamie Vegas) this one includes all of them in fantastic style. I have always liked how Armstrong crafts well rounded characters. With so many protagonists in one series of books it must be challenging to make each one individual, but they are all so well portrayed.

Savannah on cover of Waking the Witch

 The main protagonist of Spellbound, Savannah, is now pretty much the same age as me. I am sure this attributes to why I love reading about her so much. She is an awkward in between stage of her life, no longer a teenager but not quite an adult which I can emphasise with. Yet at times I just wanted to shake her and tell her to ‘woman up!’

The underlying sexual tension that is present in all the books was as frustrating as Waking the Witch and Personal Demon. There is a reason Women of the Otherworld is an adult fantasy fiction series and that is really getting down to the crux of the issue and running with it. The werewolf books are particularly satisfying on this level (with Frost Bitten being almost soft core erotic literature!) Yet I am confident that Savannah’s narrative will progress and we will soon see her healthy and happy.

I can’t help but think that the narrative is getting very same-y. The threat of exposure of a secret community of supernaturals has been tackled in Harry Potter! But I cannot deny it is conquered very differently in Spellbound, and avoids the trap of True Blood of creating a utopian world where everyone is learning to co-exist in harmony. I am really interested to see how this progresses and read how Armstrong can keep her series fresh.

It is quite clear (much to my pleasure) that the end is nowhere in sight for my favourite supernatural series. I like the way the series is going despite the lack of passion in the latter books.

My next hunt is for the limited edition copies of  the fan stories/novellas: Becoming, Counterfeit Magic and Angelic at my price range. If all else fails I will download them to get my fix! I have also just learnt that there is to be a new novella, Hidden, to be released 31/10/11 which gives insight into the lives of Clay and Elena’s twins age 4. I can’t wait to get hold of this!

In summary although this is not my favourite book in the series, I am loving how the narrative is progressing!

4/5

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie xx

My Time at Carswel Gould - Week Three

Now that I have just completed my third and final week at marketing communications agency Carswell Gould, I am here to report how it has all gone!

As I mentioned in my last post, my main task last week was to complete a digital marketing plan to launch the RIBs to the Limit challenge film. I put a lot of effort in creating an easy to read document and it appeared my efforts really paid off. Ed seemed genuinely impressed with how I kept the objectives in mind whilst creating a table of action points to carry the plan through.

This week I have been carrying out the action points I could, whilst talking to the rest of the team about the bits I couldn’t, such as improvements to the website. Firstly I updating the profiles of the RIBS to the Limit accounts on YouTube, Flickr and Facebook to ensure that Carswell Gould’s involvement in the challenge was more widely recognised. Next I added some copy and links on each of the videos currently hosted on YouTube so that people knew a feature length video is being released, Carswell Gould’s involvement and where to go for more information.  As Twitter can only have a 160 character profile, I have written and scheduled a list of tweets for inform current followers about the upcoming release of the challenge film, their presence at the PSP Southampton Boat Show and related topics. Lastly I have left the task of designing and coding an extra case study page to the CG site to Graham and Tom (design) and Rob (web development).

My first tweet apearing on the website's twitter widgit.

To break this task up I have also been given some smaller tasks including: proof reading, looking at a brief for a new client, writing and scheduling different online content for Twitter and Facebook, milk runs and made numerous rounds of tea and coffee!

The most memorable moment of this week has unfortunately been the London riots. The buzz in the office was replaced with people sharing news of the riots and their spread across England this Tuesday. When rumors started circulating online about problems in Southampton there were some meerkat moments of us all looking out the window as riot vans parked on the high street and sirens went past. Luckily nothing happened, but it was good to see how in touch the local police force was with social media. They channeled reliable news via Twitter that the office and the rest of Hampshire could follow and not the many rumors. And if all else failed we always had guard dog Scamp to look after us!

These last three weeks have gone so quickly, and I am sad to leave the office. However the time has not been wasted, and I have learnt so much about how social media can be used by individuals and businesses. I am taking away a bank of knowledge to help me improve my appearance online, and looking forward to using the skills I have learnt. Areas that I need to improve has also been highlighted, namely by spelling and grammar. When getting my work proof read it was evident that although no one is perfect, my work was needing a lot more corrections than others, and I will be concentrating on improving this in the future.

Thank you so much to the team at Carswell Gould for having me, and thanks to all the people that have come along and read how I have been doing. And most of all, thanks for the chocolates!

Love Rie / Marie Malyon xx

SPELLBOUND!!

You know a book is good when you wake up early in the morning to read more before you go to work.

I am loving Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong. It was on the mat when I got home from Carswell Gould on Friday and I have read it at every opportunity since.

Looking forward to any chance to read the next chapter (fashioning my new skills of reading whilst walking!)

Watch this space for review very shortly.

Thanks for reading,
Rie xx

My time at Carswell Gould – Week One

When people ask me what degree I am doing I always reply “Media Communications - it’s like a cross between advertising and journalism” and they often reply “oh right” with no idea what I am talking about. So when presented with the task of finding work experience I sat down and researched, asked friends, family but I was stumped. I was really interested in media communications but no one outside the industry seem to know what this really was. But with the recommendation from my tutor, the perfect place was right under my nose the whole time – Carswell Gould. 

Located in the centre of Southampton it is just minutes away from my university (Southampton Solent). It was the placement I was looking for! As a marketing communications agency, Carswell Gould encapsulates what I am trying to describe what my course is about, and so much more.

So now I have completed my first week in the office, I am excited to report back my first impressions!

Week One:

The beautifully decorated office houses a very friendly team. Warm smiles and handshakes greeted me on my first day and I was thrilled to hear everyone already knew my name (even if it has taken me a lot longer to remember all of theirs!) I couldn’t have been made to feel more welcome.

Top row : Graham, Laura, Gill, Ed and Scamp.
Bottom row: Tom, Lisa and Rob.

The Monday meeting left me with pages of notes about my tasks for the week and a real enthusiasm to get started. I have been given some really exciting tasks both to support the team’s work for clients, and generally help out around the office. Making tea and coffee is a very important job but much to my surprise is the smallest part of my temporary role in the office.  

One of my first tasks was to draft a comparative analysis of the social media used by competitors, and suggest ways Carswell Gould can enhance its social media presence. I jumped into the research and the task was soon upgraded from a report to a presentation for the following week’s Monday meeting. After a quick chat with Ed about my progress, he really helped me focus my research and gave me some good tips for increasing the value of the research I was doing.

But listening in on Gill, Lisa and Laura’s PR meeting on Wednesday morning has been my favorite time so far in the office. I learnt a lot about press releases, selling in stories (which means persuading a publication to run a story and nothing about money exchanged), press parties, mailing lists (and cleansing them) and loads more. I wish now I had made more notes, but really looking forward to the opportunity of learning more about PR.

I am really looking forward to next week now, and am so pleased that I have got this opportunity to pick the brains of experts in the marketing comms industry.

Look out for next week’s update to see how I am getting on!

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie / Marie Malyon xx

Oh Genre!

Hey all :)

I hope you have enjoyed the last few reviews. I have really enjoyed working with Sam and Flo and hope I can get a few more people involved in reviews when I am busy. Sam already has a book waiting for him when he gets home that he has promised me he will review!

So much for my summer off! I have managed to get my self into 3 jobs and reading has been segregated to only train journeys and at bedtime.Thus the slow progress on my very exciting 'to read' pile.

I am currently reading a very different genre than I normally go for... Historical Drama. Science fiction, fantasy, crime drama, a lot of teen vampire flicks are normally what I spend the most of my time reading, but I have really fallen in love with "Queen of Silks" by Vanora Bennett.

I inherited this book from my Dad's late godmother (RIP London Mary) with a selection of other books that she had in her home. She was a passionate reader and we had shared books with her for a number of years. This one however doesn't look like it has ever been read before, but I hope in her final weeks she had lots of other great books to read.

The book was originally published as "Figures of Silk" back in 2008 but I am reading the paper back version printed in 2009. As I have already mentioned I haven't read any historical style novels before so I wasn't expecting the rich content (I wouldn't know if it was accurate!) mixed in with more recognisable themes of ambition, feminism, romance and adultery.

If it doesn't really sound your thing, I wouldn't blame you! I only picked this book up to read first as it was the smallest (mainly because it is a paperback) and would be lightest to read on the train. However I have been drawn into it, and found myself sat at Portsmouth Harbour station, sat on the train, reading speedily to reach the end of the chapter before I have to get off so the train can go back in the other direction!

Look out for the review when I have finished it! I would love for you guys to give a new genre a try as you never know - you might find a real gem!

What genre is your favourite normally? Have you been surprised by a new genre?

Please comment and let me know, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading,

Rie xx

Marina and the Diamonds - 'The Family Jewels' Album Review by Florence Parrack

I present to you a bit of a different blog review today from school friend Florence Parrack (who normally prefers Flo).

I invited her to write a review for the blog after she said she liked reading mine, and would love to be able to write more reviews herself.

The album has been out since 2010 but is still a cracker and well worth a listen. I have included the links for you to go and have a listen on YouTube as well.

So please make Flo feel welcome and don't forget to comment and recommend any more artists / albums you think we both might like.

Marina and the Diamonds - 'The Family Jewels' Album Review

Lately I have been a musical bored slob, for want of a better phrase – all the stuff I already have is overplayed, and I’m too lazy to branch out and find new music to add to my collection.

Well, imagine my surprise when I discovered Marina and the Diamonds, and didn’t have to listen for long before I fell in love!

Marina Diamandis, her real name, comes from Wales and found her unique musical style after dropping out of four different universities. She claims such influences as Gwen Stefani and Britney Spears, but has been compared to a much more diverse selection of artists including Regina Spektor and Elvis Costello.

I stumbled across the music video for ‘Hollywood’, and watched it twice straight away. Marina, dressed as a variety of American stereotypes, sings a biting commentary on Hollywood culture and the way it dictates how we should live our lives. Her voice is beautiful and unusual, and her songs actually have depth and meaning so often neglected in pop music.

‘Obsessions’ deals with conditions such as OCD and eating disorders, ‘Girls’ is a feminist anthem that criticises the stereotypes we are constrained by, ‘Hermit the Frog’ tells the story of a damaging relationship. Her songs are catchy and often upbeat, but they also contain a social commentary.

I like to think that it’s singers like Marina who will go on to influence future generations, rather than the many female singers in the charts who promote dangerous messages about the importance of receiving male attention and looking beautiful at any cost.

So, she’s got a gorgeous voice, she’s witty and clever, and she’s insanely cute *swoon* - her 2010 album ‘The Family Jewels’ is available on iTunes and several of her videos can be found on Youtube. Go and listen to her – you won’t be disappointed (well let’s hope not!)

You can also buy her album off the website by clicking here.

Love Rie and Flo xx

Pre-ordered :D

I have officially pre-ordered Kelley Armstrong's new book: Spellbound!!

I cannot tell you how excited I am to read this new book, Waking the Witch was good but this one promises to be soooo much better.

It will be with me early August so look out for the review!

Thanks for reading,
Love Rie xx

The Sims Medieval - Review

Hi All :)

I present to you a review from my inner computer nerd. 

I have been relying on The Sims 2 for my escapism since its release back in 2004, due to a computer that wasn’t up to anything more. It was only thanks to the boyfriend that it could run it at all with many hand-me-down parts from his old computers. But as a little present for finishing my second year of uni (and the fact he was upgrading) I was gifted the boyfriends old PC. After my little Shuttle this computer is AMAZING! And best of all I could indulge in a more recent release of Sims!

Many people may upgrade simply to Sims 3. I’m sure if you search elsewhere you will find many positive reviews on the upgraded platform – but it was just that. An upgrade. I wanted something more….

The Sims Medieval!

I am a seasoned computer nerd. Hours playing God on my created families suits me down to the ground! But now I have been upgraded to The Watcher. However my many years of experience did not help me when it came to the historical version. I decided to get the Collectors edition of the game, which came with a lot of tat such as a poster and plastic badges, as well as some exclusive content you can download that I haven't yet had chance to look at. 

At first I was amazed at the drama of it all. The simple introduction video (that many players I am sure fail to watch it even once in haste to play the game) enthralled me. But the game play experience is more challenging than I could ever have imagined.

The game is centred on a series of Hero Sims, and rather than controlling them into your own destiny, you are directed through quests to actualize kingdom goals. Don’t confuse it with SimCity (my only purchase being the 4^th edition), it is more like the consol versions of the franchise, in the sense you don’t have the same autonomy on game play. But its soooooo much better!!

The way you can change the Sims appearance is intimidating rather than inspiring. I found myself just choosing a pre-created Hero Sims after my first, as the customization takes so long. I wanted to launch into the quests, where you control 1 or more of the Hero Sims through a series of goals to complete the quest. It is a lot more challenging than you may expect. I found myself using Google a lot more than I wanted to, and I would like to think most people who have a normal length of patience will find themselves doing the same.

The system of ‘buffs’ which are achievements feeling or emotions that effect focus are a lot more satisfying than the aspirations for Sims 2, and the quest points achieved that pay for the expansion of the Kingdom are challenging but a real achievement. Hours fly by like never before, with the reading effect of wanting to finishing the chapter before you put the book down.

My favourite Sims so far by a mile, but possibly not for the under 15’s. More challenging then if first looks it provides hours of entertainment for those willing to stick at it. The achievements are worth the wait, and even after 2 days of solid playing I haven’t go past the first level (a kingdom goal).

4.5/5 (the 0.5 lost for the stress of not being able to find items in the Bric-a-Brac scavenger hunt quest!!)

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie xx

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Review

I was very nervous about watching this forth movie in the series without my two favourite characters, Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightly) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom). They were key parts in the first three movies, and as a rule series normally get worse rather than better. However, I was pleasantly surprised on how they kept the plot fresh and there were still plenty of recognisable faces.

The inclusion of Penélope Cruz as Angelica Malon, daughter of the ruthless pirate Black Beard was great. She was sexy and confident and provided some serious chemistry with Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). She also has a striking resemblance to Keria Knightly which keet the male members of my viewing party happy. And for those that like a hunky lad in a movie, I would highly recommend Philip the Missionary (Sam Clafin) with some very nice topless shots and providing a strong moral compass throughout the movie…. Sigh…. Perfect!

The action was familiarly spectacular with ridding carriage roofs and fantastical lands passed through with the quest for eternal life. I loved the inclusion of the mythical mermaid and yet more chemistry between her and the missionary. With a thimble-full of religious symbolism and the exploration of the quest for more years it give something to chew over if you cared too (and I would assume many wouldn't).

Yet I cannot help but be frustrated that there is still room for more movies. No explanation was given for the absence of Swan and Turner (leaving it open for them to return if the actors can be convinced) and no sign of an ending in sight.

I chose not to see the movie in 3D which I somewhat regret. I went with 5 friends and family and we decided that the traditional viewing is better. My boyfriend in particular claims it makes him feel ill, and with a movie stretching for nearly two and half hours you want to be comfortable. However the special effects would really benefit from the 3D technology.

Overall I enjoyed the movie more than I expected! As a Disney buff and lover of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, I will undoubtedly be going to see the following movies and collecting them on DVD.

I would really recommend going to see it if you like fantasy movies… which I always love. Also a good example of an action movie with lots of stunts that leave you questioning on the way home how they did them all!

4/5

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie xx

Dead Reckoning - Review

As promised here is my review for Dead Reckoning – the latest’s book in the Sookie Stackhouse series (more formerly known as True Blood) by Charlaine Harris. Those of you that have been reading this blog over the last couple of weeks know that I was greatly anticipating the release of this book after reading the rest of the books in quick succession late last year.

**I have tried to include no spoilers, however I may have given hints to events happening in the book when talking about characters emotions and my predictions of their future.**

Sookie’s life is getting increasingly difficult in this instalment, leaving her to reflect on life before she discovered the supernatural world. Despite danger from all around she has time to indulge in human activities such as baby showers and repetitive cleaning of her house. I jumped into mundane areas of other books (such as my childhood favourite Harry Potter, with chapters such as being in Ron house and creating Dumbledore’s Army being some of my most read), but here they seemed like spacers for the limited new revelations in this book.

Sookie and Eric
(I believe in the televised version of Dead to the World)

Long gone are the assumptions that Sookie is a naive young woman in the bedroom. A blend of romance, attraction and sex is present as always, with suitors jumping into her bed or queuing at the doors when they learn of Sookie and Eric’s problems. The love I built for Eric in Dead to the World seems to be slowly crumbling with revelations in the political aspects of their relationship, as well as a development in their blood bond causing fissures. 

I believe that in the next book we may even see Sookie looking elsewhere from comfort, in the form of another supernatural lover.

I wonder if becoming a vampire has changed the
way he performs?

We also learn a little more about Sookie’s powers; however I was disappointed as they felt mere reinforcements of information we knew already. Other than the dramatic climax of Bubba’s concert to the vamps, there is very little action or new information given to us about how the series is going to be concluded. Don’t get me wrong, I am a great lover of the 10 book series so far, but soon enough Harris will run out of things to say and this needs to come to a conclusion.

After greatly anticipating this book as a development I was disappointed with the presentation of muted revaluations of information we already knew. I feel a lot more could have been done with this book to make it more interesting and exciting (I’m still up for Sookie being sucked into the Fairy world for a book!).


3/5

Please let me know if you have read this book, and what you think. Do you watch True Blood of television? Let me know what you think. Comment up people and get involved.

Thank you for reading,

Love Rie xx

My Favourite Post Secrets - from this week!

Hi all :)
A little bit earlier than last week I thought I would do a Post Secret blog.

I realised that in my earlier blogs about Post Secret I didn’t say what it was all about, so before I talk about it anymore I will present to you a little bit about the site, who owns it and why it was started.

Post Secret was started by Frank Warren as a Community art project back in 2005. He asked strangers across America to write a secret on a postcard and send it to him. No restrictions were placed on the content of the card, other than it must be your secret, and that it had never been told before. Warren has now been posting between 10 and 20 anonymous secrets on his blog http://www.postsecret.com/ every Sunday for the last 6 years without fail (with only a hand full of missed days over that time).

I discovered this blog in my first year of college, recommended to myself by a class mate called Flo. It soon became a tradition on Monday mornings in college to go into the IT suite and check that week’s secrets with different people over the 2 years I spent there. Comments were made on the quality of their design, on the artistic-ness of the message and we always loved (I still do) an encrypted message to work out. But I like to think we never judged the content. These were people’s secrets, and it was not for me to judge what ever event or thought they needed to share.

I have been visiting the site every Sunday evening and saving secrets for the last 2 years now, and have compiled quite a collection. I only save my favourite secrets, as I am not creating a record of what has been posted but a scrapbook folder of the ones that drew me in.

The content of the blog has inspired many other projects, that I only learned the extent of its reach when researching for this post today. There are 5 directly affiliated blog sites that post secrets, some in English with translations, and some are sent in native languages. Currently there has been 5 books published including secrets never seen before. Enlarged copies of the secrets were used in the Washington Art Gallery for an exhibit, and Warren had done a number of Post Secret Events in American Colleges. The All American Rejects even used the project as the background for their song – Dirty Little Secret. (see the end for links and videos)


So with the introduction over, I will place my favourite secrets from the original Post Secret blog this week. Keep in mind that it was Mother's day in America last Sunday, hence the topics.

Am I the only one who wants to know what?

I found Wally (or Waldo as he is called in America) in this picture quite quickly.
But I can't help but wonder if there is a cartoon of this persons Mum that is more important.

The construction of this secret is unusual and that's why I was so attracted to it.

The links:

http://postsecret-uk.blogspot.com/ - UK version of the blog.

http://postsecretfrance.blogspot.com/ - French language version.

http://postsecretdeutsch.blogspot.com/ - German language version. [translations available]

http://postsecretpt.blogs.sapo.pt/ - Portuguese language version.

http://elmundopostsecret.blogspot.com/ - English secrets translated into Spanish.


All American Rejects song:

http://tinyurl.com/postsecretbooks - Link to books.

Thank you all for reading, 

Love Rie xx