The Bedside Table Stack #11

Things have been a little bit quiet around these parts this last month because, ironically I have been taking some time out to read rather than spending time online. But now that I've had a mini break I'm really looking forward to getting back into the habit of regular postings. I also have a little something exciting coming up in the next few weeks which may or may not be in video form....

Now, here's my current bedside table stack that I've been loving lately:

Paper Towns by John Green. I've finally read my first John Green book, motivated by the fact that I didn't want to see the movie without having read the book first. Regardless of not seeing the movie I couldn't get Cara Delevingne's face out of my head as the main character Margo.

Killing Monica by Candace Bushnell. Perhaps it was because I had a bad cold last month or the warmer weather coming in but I really wanted to read easy, funny books this month. Killing Monica follows the story of PJ Wallis, whose book character has become more famous than it's author. PJ sets out to destroy Monica once and for all.

The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes. It's been so long since I've read anything from this author who used to be a firm favourite of mine. After a rare disease leaves Stella Sweeney hospitalised for a year her published memoirs give her a shot at true stardom. With an ex-husband going off the rails, a teenage son more interested in yoga than rebellion the path to success will be anything but easy for Stella.

What have you been reading this month?

Book Review: Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Things have been a little quiet around these parts, more so than usual, because to be honest I've been spending quite a bit of time reading and just enjoying time away from the laptop. But, all this time out has left me with a few reviews to write and I thought I'd start with my most recently enjoyed book. A while ago I made a resolve to reach for more Young Adult fiction and the next time I wandered through my library I picked up Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella. Kinsella being a predominantly adult and chick-lit writer, had me intrigued to read a book of hers aimed at a younger audience.

Finding Audrey centres around the life of Audrey and her eccentric family. A recent incident at Audrey's high school has left her with severe social anxiety, an inability to leave the house and a penchant for wearing sunglasses during the daytime. Throw in a mother who spends too much time turning to the Daily Mail for answers on how to raise her family, a brother obsessed with video games and a father who doesn't quite know what is going on and you've got yourself a scenario for a whole bunch of crazy family dynamics. Audrey has been making steady but slow progress with her shrink Dr Sarah but it's an introduction to her brothers friend Linus that sparks something alive in Audrey.

This book was filled with lovable and relateable characters despite their charms and quirks. Kinsella's characters slowly revealed themselves to be quite a caring and close-knit bunch in the end and I really enjoyed that she allowed those deeper characteristics to be revealed. Although the book addresses mental health issues it's light tone and Kinsella's charming writing style make it a very easily digested read without treating Audrey's illness as something trivial or easily fixed. I did wonder if the Linus-Audrey first-love story would turn out to be a 'love cures all' scenario but it was their friendship which gave Audrey something to focus on while her family were all trying to deal with her illness in their own way.

I thought the character development in this book was pretty spot on actually. As not only were the family trying to deal with Audrey's illness but I enjoyed that Kinsella explored how Audrey's illness was really taken on by the whole family. It's a serious top but this charming and funny book shows sometimes a light hand can go a long way to giving a story serious impact.

An Updated Beauty Wishlist

Spring is here which means as well as lighter mornings, blue skies and barbecues being on the horizon so too is the need to shake off my winter routines and embrace lighter, dewier makeup and delicious smelling skincare products. I've updated my current beauty wishlist for the things I'm lusting over most for the coming Spring/Summer months!

Origins Original Skin Re-texturising Mask and Re-newing Serum: I'm often on the lookout for skincare aimed at mid-twenties skin and this clay mask and serum are screaming out to me for their smoothing and calming properties are right up my street.

Glasshouse Candle No4 Les Baies: Oooh la la, everything about this candle makes me a little bit giddy. From the lux geometric packaging to the promise of wild berry scent I think this will be my favourite scent for warming summer days.

St Tropez Everyday Gradual Tan: Spring is on the horizon which means bare legs are also making a comeback. Gradual tanners are much more appealing to me these days than the orange-sheet staining options of years gone past, and are such an easy lazy girls way of topping up an existing tan.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara: It's not often that a high end mascara makes me take notice but the skinny wand plus often raved about formula of this Too Faced offering have certainly caught my eye.

Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions Foundation: Lately I've been finding that my sheer foundations just aren't cutting it whenever my skin has a breakout session so rather I'm looking to add a preventative measure into my base.

REN Clarifying Toner: Toners are still a rather mysterious skincare step for me but REN have such a good reputation for skincare that works that I can't wait to add this clarifying lotion to my nightly routine.

NARS Lipstick in Niagara: Despite my attempts at swatching every peachy pink lipstick I can find in the pharmacy, it's a hard colour to nail at a cheap price. I love the corally-peach tones of this NARS number and so far I've never met a NARS product I didn't like.