Book review: A Heart Bent Out of Shape by Emylia Hall

My edition: Paperback, published on 13 March 2014 by Headline, 400 pages.

Description: For Hadley Dunn, life so far has been uneventful - no great loves, no searing losses. But that's before she decides to spend a year studying in the glittering Swiss city of Lausanne, a place that feels alive with promise. Here Hadley meets Kristina, a beautiful but elusive Danish girl, and the two quickly form the strongest of bonds. Yet one November night, as the first snows of winter arrive, tragedy strikes.

Hadley, left reeling and guilt-stricken, beings to lean on the only other person to whom she feels close, her American Literature professor Joel Wilson. But as the pair try to uncover the truth of what happened that night, their tentative friendship heads into forbidden territory. And before long a line is irrevocably crossed, everything changes, and two already complicated lives take an even more dangerous course...

Rating:

Sunday post #24

Sunday is when I sit back with a lovely cup of tea and write about all the wonderful new books I've received and purchased in the past week. This post participates in fab memes Showcase Sunday and Stacking the Shelves.


• A Heart Bent Out of Shape by Emylia Hall (review copy)
• Beautiful Day by Kate Anthony (review copy)
• Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman (review copy)
• Me and My Sisters by Sinéad Moriarty (won)
• The Vacationers by Emma Straub (review copy)
• Truly, Madly, Deeply by various authors (review copy)



Three of the review novels listed above arrived completely unexpectedly. I've had the occasional unsolicited book in the past but this is becoming more frequent nowadays because I have also started to receive them for one of the sites I work on for my day job, Woman's World. On the one hand I love surprises in the post, on the other... with the amount of books that have arrived lately it's becoming harder and harder to review them all, something I always used to do, and not everything I get for review is to my taste either. So while I appreciate the books I feel really guilty for maybe not having the chance to read and review them swiftly (if at all).

What do you guys do when you receive unexpected books you don't have time for and/or you think you don't like? Is there a way to still give them some exposure? I feel a sense of responsibility when kindly given an advance copy of a novel, and would look to help spread the word - even if I don't have time to read and review the book.

I've read some absolutely AMAZING books in the last two weeks by the way (reviews will be up soon). I particularly loved A Heart Bent Out of Shape by Emylia Hall and A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke, both authors who had debuts out just a few years ago that were already excellent and have now surpassed themselves with their second novels. The authors balance beautifully lush travel writing with intriguing and poignant stories - making for very satisfying reads.

What are some of the best books you've read recently? I'm looking for recs of novels that either combine travel writing with a fiction story, such as the titles mentioned above, or literary fiction along the lines of Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick or Last Bus to Coffeeville by J. Paul Henderson. Thanks, guys!

Book review: Skeletons by Jane Fallon

My edition: Paperback, to be published on 27th March 2014 by Penguin, 448 pages.

Description: Jen has discovered a secret. It's not hers to share, but is it hers to keep?

If she tells her husband Jason, he might get over the shock but will he forgive her for telling the truth? She might drive a wedge through their marriage.

If she tells someone else in Jason's family - the family she's come to love more than her own - she'd not only tear them apart but could also find herself on the outside: she's never really been one of them, after all.

But if she keeps this dirty little secret to herself, how long can she pretend nothing is wrong? How long can she live a lie?

Jen knows the truth - but is she ready for the consequences?

Rating:

Fushi's Virgin Organic Coconut Oil

Coconuts evoke the feeling of far away and sizzling destinations; tropical islands with pure white sandy beaches, a crystal clear cerulean ocean and palm trees dotted around the lush and colourful landscape. Besides the holiday feeling and occasional coconut cocktail it isn't something I use on a daily basis, though I have eaten the flesh before and sometimes use the milk in my cooking and baking. What I didn't realise however, is that is it incredibly versatile and the oil is perfect for daily use both internally and externally.

Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, which is extracted from the kernel of the drupe, is one of the products from British health and wellbeing company Fushi and I got to put it to the test. According to the company, the cold pressed and unrefined oil is not only nature's own anti-ageing moisturiser, but it is also a skin conditioner to combat dryness and flakiness; hair treatment to boost shine and encourage growth; and a dietary oil to help you shed those last winter pounds.

Upon opening the jar of coconut oil I was hit by the intense sweet and tropical fragrance of the product. It was simply delightful and I was instantly transported to that tropical island I mentioned earlier. Despite the white substance within being noticeably solid, as soon as it came in contact with my fingers it melted like soft butter - leaving an oily filter on my hand which I could then easily apply as a very nourishing moisturiser to my skin. It was predictably a little slippery and shiny, but it was absorbed quickly, leaving no visible traces other than the pleasant tropical scent.

Consuming a tablespoon of the oil would help digestion and the release of sugars but I have to say it was strange sensation to eat it on its own. As expected it initially had a greasy and buttery texture, though as it melted into a more oily consistency it was pleasant enough to consume. I rather recommend trying it as a cooking oil, as I loved using it for this purpose myself. A tiny bit of the solid product when heated went a very long way and it added a gentle hint of coconut flavour to the food. It would also make a wonderful addition to sweet bakes, especially if there's chocolate involved as that is always a winning combination.

In all I'm surprised by how versatile the coconut oil is and I haven't even tried all of its purposes yet. It can be used on hair to encourage growth and battle dandruff, and is supposedly also able to ease skin conditions such as eczema. So far I loved it the most as an organic and uniquely flavoured cooking oil to add a dash of the tropics to my meal, and I look forward to exploring more of its internal and external uses in the future.

Book review: Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

My edition: Paperback, to be published on 13th March 2014 by Sphere, 464 pages.

Description: Polly Waterford is recovering from a toxic relationship. Unable to afford their townhouse, she has to move miles away from everyone, to the sleepy little seaside resort of Polbearne, where she lives alone above an abandoned shop.

And so Polly takes out her frustrations on her favourite hobby: making bread. But what was previously a weekend diversion suddenly becomes far more important as she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, and each loaf becomes better and better. With nuts and seeds, olives and chorizo, with local honey (courtesy of local bee keeper, Huckle), and with reserves of determination and creativity Polly never knew she had, she bakes and bakes and bakes... And people start to hear about it.

Sometimes, bread really is life... And Polly is about to reclaim hers.

Rating:

Book review: Split Second by Kasie West

My edition: Hardcover, to be published on 13th March 2014 by HarperCollins 360, 368 pages.

Description: Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can't believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She's always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie's dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He's a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie's memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don't want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

Rating:

Therapi Honey Skincare

I love honey; I put it in my tea and on my toast and use the bee elixir extensively in my cooking and baking. Yet despite my adoration for the sticky treat I don't use many beauty products that contain honey as an essential ingredient - especially none that have created their entire brand around it, which is what Therapi Honey Skincare has done. The British organic skincare company was founded by beekeeper of 25 years Tanya Hawkes and she brings a real passion and commitment for the trade to the range of honey-infused beauty products.

The three skincare lines available are purifying Lemon Myrtle for oily and combination skin, nourishing Rose Otto for dry and mature skin, and balancing Orange Blossom for normal skin. Each line also features a honey gel cleanser, facial toner and a moisturiser. Furthermore, Ultra Radiance Cream, which is the company's 'hero' product, uses propolis which aims to rejuvenate the skin through the natural promotion of collagen and elastin synthesis.

I was delighted to try a selection of the products to discover if honey in beauty products is just as enticing as it is in edible treats and the verdict in this case is that it most certainly is. While the gold liquid is not the sole ingredient in the products and as such its flowery sweet fragrance wasn't the first thing I noticed when trying the moisturisers, I did find the Orange Blossom Honey Gel Cleanser suitably floral; I could almost hear the buzzing of the honeybees around me when trying the product. This was a wonderful and effective cleanser to use, both in the evening to take off make-up and in the morning for a refreshing start to the day. It was quick and easy to apply and made my skin feel pleasantly clean and fresh afterwards.

From the moisturisers I instantly fell head over heels in love with the gorgeous Lemon Myrtle variant which had such an amazingly inviting scent; upon receiving the product I found myself opening it again and again just to get a whiff of the fragrance. While intended for oily and combination skin I actually found it worked wonders on my normally dry skin as well, which shows that you should always give a product a try, even if the label makes you doubt if it would work for you. Cold to the touch and light of texture, I found the cream very easy to apply and it absorbed instantly, leaving my face smooth and free of any dry areas for many hours after use.

The Rose Otto Propolis+ Ultra Radiance Cream intended for dry and mature skin had noticeable nourishing qualities too. The delicate rose fragrance was heavenly, but I found the cream quite oily and thick in use - making it more difficult to apply evenly and leaving a faint shiny filter for a few minutes after application. It was perfect for more tough areas, such as elbows and knees, and I assume will be an equally pleasant moisturiser for more mature skin.

I thoroughly enjoyed using these ambrosial products; the soft natural fragrances and organic ingredients are incredibly appealing from a consumer's point of view and personally I've found a new favourite brand I'll certainly be exploring more from in the future. Also commendable is the fact that five per cent of the company's profits are donated to bee conservation projects, which I believe is an incredibly important and worthwhile cause and one that cannot get enough column inches.

Blog tour: Tiny Acts of Love by Lucy Lawrie (review + giveaway)

My edition: ebook, to be published on 6th March 2014 by Black and White Publishing.

Description: Arriving home with her new baby daughter Sophie, employment lawyer Cassie opens her email to find she has 104 new messages in her inbox, all with the subject '48 Stitches Later'. To Cassie's horror, her overly-excited husband Jonathan has sent a grisly blow-by-blow account of Cassie's labour - plus attached photo - to everyone in her contacts list, including her clients!

Amid mood swings, post-natal hypochondria and the side effects of the fated email, who saunters into her world again but her sexy, swaggering ex-boyfriend Malkie - the one who got away? Unlike Jonathan, Malkie seems to get her - and he'd like to get her into bed again too!

She also finds herself advising a funeral director on ghost protocol, discovers in the taskforce of Babycraft mums and dads just how competitive parenting can be, and becomes (possibly) involved in an act of hotel spa fraud - never mind trying to tackle her own emotional rollercoaster through her first year of motherhood! Is she strong enough to face everything her new life has to throw at her? And will tiny acts of love be enough to help her cope with it all?

Rating:

Book review: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

My edition: Paperback, published on 16th January 2014 by Headline Publishing Group, 273 pages.

Description: Leonard Peacock is turning 18. And he wants to say goodbye.

Not to his former best friend, whose torments have driven him to consider committing something tragic and horrific.

Nor his mum who's moved out and left him to fend for himself. But to his four friends.

A Humphrey Bogart-obsessed neighbour
A teenage violin virtuoso
A pastor's daughter
A teacher

Most of the time Leonard believes he's weird and sad but these friends have made him think that maybe he's not.

He wants to thank them, and bid them farewell.

Rating:

Sunday post #23

Sunday is when I sit back with a lovely cup of tea and write about all the wonderful new books I've received and purchased in the past week. This post participates in fab memes Showcase Sunday and Stacking the Shelves.


• Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick (review copy)
• Landline by Rainbow Rowell (review copy)
• Season to Taste or How to Eat Your Husband by Natalie Young (free)


  This was a very bookish week with on Tuesday the Tinder Press first birthday party (where I got a copy of the gruesome yet strangely alluring Season to Taste) followed by the launch party for A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon the day after. I love literary events as it's a great opportunity to mingle with authors and those working for publishers to talk about all things books, so to have two in one week was a real treat.

I am also very pleased with my review books this week, which are both titles I've been very excited to read for a while now. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is the first book I've requested through new site bookbridgr (it was super easy and quick to do) and what a novel to kick start it with. I finished it in a day (my commute back and forth and my lunch break) because I couldn't put it down. It's a beautiful and brilliant novel and I cannot stop thinking about it. I'll publish my full review tomorrow but for now I can say that I HIGHLY recommend it. It's the first novel by Matthew Quick I've read and I'll be definitely checking out his others too - have you guys read any of his books yet?

While I didn't enjoy Eleanor & Park as much as many other people (It was good but not mind-blowing, my expectations may have been too high after all the hype though) I am very keen to check out Rainbow Rowell's new novel. I think she has a wonderfully honest and relatable way of describing people's lives and I hope that this book can turn me into a fangirl (pun intended) of her work.

What have you guys been reading this week? I've picked up Bad Brides by Rebecca Chance for the weekend as I needed a fun escapism read after the emotionally intense (but utterly amazing) Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock.