The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul

A couple of days ago I finished reading The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez which I mentioned in my "Lately I've Been..." post recently. A couple of people have asked me what I thought so I decided to write a little review.

Usually I am one for reading very light and easy going books but I'd already heard good reviews of this book so when I spotted it on offer as one of Amazons Kindle Select 25 last week I took the chance to give it a read.
The book, as you can probably guess, is set around a coffee shop in Kabul. It follows the story of its American owner, Sunny, and four other women from all walks of life that come into her life. By having five large female characters the book tackles a lot of issues that are faced being a woman in Kabul due to culture, religious belief and living in an environment fraught with conflict.
Each character is beautifully written,has a clearly defined and well rounded personality and a unique story behind her which has been written with clear respect and in-depth research which makes this an incredibly interesting book to read. As someone who is interested in learning about different cultures and loves to travel I found it really interesting to read a book set in a world so different to my own here in England. There is a lot of emotion woven through the pages and several times I found my jaw dropping or tears springing up a little which is something pretty rare for me within books but the writing was flawless and I became so drawn into the story that I really felt for the 5 women as they faced their battles.
If you've read and enjoyed books along the lines of The Kite Runner then I think this is something you'll really enjoy. A book I read a couple of years back called Night of the Water Spirits by Barbara Bisco also came to mind as another book full of beautiful, emotive descriptions so that's another to look out for.

Annie xx

An Everyday Witch: Book Review

First up I want to say sorry that I haven't blogged in a few days now, there's been some pretty major things going on in my private life that have been kind of taking over everything but its time to try and get back to normality so here I am!

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited the the book launch of An Everyday Witch(*), a fiction written by Nicky Marshall.
Nicky is a holistic therapist who runs the company Holistic Insights based near Bath and Bristol. The book follows our heroine, Tabby, who at the start of the book is not in a particularly great place. She finds herself in the hands of a failed marriage, several years of illness and a lot of negative feeling. All she knows is that she needs to make a change in her life.
That change comes in the form of a magical holistic journey where she discovers herself and her power to connect with the world through psychic ability. Opening herself to this whole new world does wonders and helps Tabby move forward and inspires her to love her life. As she does she begins to change her family's life for the better, step on to the dating scene and regain her true identity.
Tabby is a wonderful, well rounded character and right from the beginning of the book she is very easy to relate to as the book lays out her life in a very frank manner, detailing all of the highs and the lows. During reading I found myself really feeling Tabby's pain and joy alike and because of the detailed writing style, really feeling in tune with how Tabby is relating to situations.
When reading, I get very into the story and am prone to getting completely sucked in and An Everyday Witch was so exception. This was a great thing for me as all of the warmth and positive energy Tabby feels as she go through this exciting journey I felt too, and found it an incredibly lifting, inspiring book to read and found that I was left relaxed whenever I put the book down.

Over all I would say this is a lovely book to snuggle down with over the long easter weekend, especially if you are feeling that you're at that point in your life where you just need to make a change and may not know what that needs to be. The writing style is nice and easy to lap up without being boring and all the twists and turns make for interesting reading. In short, give it a read and feel warmed :)

Annie xx
(*)I was sent this book free of charge for review however I have been totally honest in my review, and always will be :)

A Cheeky Shopping Trip ;)

Lately I've been staying fairly well behaved when it comes to spending, what with christmas, then not having a job for a few weeks but when I found out I'd got my new job I went out on a little trip to celebrate and buy myself a few treats. In my defense I also bought most of Daniels valentines gifts on the same trip so I didn't JUST spend money one me :)
Here's what I bought myself, by the way, I apologize for the terrible photos, they were taken on my phone as I was doing some late night tidying.

My first stop was Space NK where I picked up this pretty Rococo nail varnish. It's the first varnish of theirs that I've tried and I must say I am impressed. I have a review coming up for you when I'm back from Tenerife :)

Next up I popped in to The Body Shop to take a look at their mineral foundation £15 because I've heard that it is a good comparison to the Bare Minerals version. I picked one up in the shade Natural Vanilla (not the lightest for a change!) and so far so good, again, review to come next week! Whilst I was there I was drawn in by one of their fab offers; if you spend £18 on makeup and/or skin care at the moment you get a full sized body butter worth £13 free. Don't mind if I do! To round my spend up a bit I picked up a travel sized cleanser and toner to try out since my usual Lush goodies are pretty chunky and wouldn't really fit in my over full suitcase. The lovely sales lady recommended the aloe cleanser to cool me off after a day in the sun and the seaweed toner because it's packed full of vitamins and minerals. When I left she also popped a few face cream samples in to my bag from the aloe and seaweed ranges too for me to pack which I thought was quite sweet even if she just wanted me to come back and buy more!

Next stop was WHS because I like to have a good snoop around the books and they tend to have some good offers on, as you can see from the BIG RED STICKERS on my new Mary Berry cookery book. Such a sweet little old lady. I love baking, I don't write about it often on here, but we do quite a lot of baking in this house (Would you like me to share baking posts more often?) As you can see, I got this book as part of a 2 for £10 deal and since Daniel won't see this before valentines day it won't ruin any surprises for me to say that the other book I bought was a yummy looking mexican cookery book for him to enjoy :)

Finally, being totally hooked on chocolate, I stopped off at the Thorntons outlet that we're lucky enough to have in Bath (sandwiched between Whittard and Ann Summers down near Southgate if you happen to be local) and managed to pick up this huge minty box of fabbyness for £7 down from £20ish. Being a complete old lady, after taking this I popped the mint humbugs in a little bag to keep in my handbag...old before my time I know *face palm*

So thats my little celebration haul. I also spent lots in Lush and Molton Brown on Daniels treats as well as his book and a heart shaped chocolate lollie for him to look cute eating :)
Annie x
*ps, I'm away until 17th and this post is scheduled so if you comment and don't get a reply, I promise it's not that I'm ignoring you! <3*

Reviewed: Bohemia by Veronika Carnaby

During December I was approached by the very friendly Veronika Carnaby and asked whether I would be interested in writing a review of her debut novel, Bohemia (*). Being someone who loves to have my nose in a book constantly I was more than happy to oblige :)

"In her debut novel, Veronika Carnaby picks up where the Beat Generation left off. Set in 1960, Bohemia chronicles a group of twenty-somethings who defy the “ideals” of a mid-twentieth century society to seek creative fulfillment. In the process, they spotlight the creative path that artists of all mediums tread, all the while depicting the challenges faced by youth in the decade that changed the world."  book description as found on amazon.com.

From the very start the book is fast paced and really draws you in to the constantly evolving world of the characters. Written in a style reminiscent to a memoir of the main character "V" you easily become very involved with the plot, and I found that I almost felt like part of the group.
One of my favourite parts of reading is being able to build up an image of the setting where the story is taking place. There is a lot of description given in this book, perhaps a little much for some peoples liking, however I found it great for building up that picture in the way I like to do.
The main characters have all been clearly developed and have a clear personality and identity however my one slight criticism would be that as so many sideline characters come into the plot along the way, at times it took a little while to re-grasp who they are. Maybe this is more down to my habit of reading at bedtime though when my mind is a little slow hehe :)

Over all, I really enjoyed reading Bohemia. It is very well written, and carried me away to "V"'s lifestyle of dancing, art and traveling the world. If you're someone interested in history, culture and are after a bit of nostalgia then definitely give it a read. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to friends and I'm definitely going to prod Daniel into reading it :)

Annie xx

(*)I was sent this book for review purposes but have as always been totally honest in my review.

Mothers Day Gift Ideas

Hello,
I hope everyone has had a good Monday. As we know, it's mothers day this Sunday (18th March) and it isn't always easy to decide what to treat your mummy with to show her how much she means to you so here are a few ideas to give you a bit of inspiration.

1. Benefit stock some beautiful gift sets. This "confessions of a concealaholic" is my favourite and includes some of their best selling products.

2. Hotel Chocolat offer a brilliant range of luxury chocolate gifts. This gift set comes inside a pretty jewellery box and is exclusive for mothers day.

3. Jewellery is a classic gift choice and this gold bracelet from Fabulous makes the perfect treat for your mum.

4. Since first trying the limited edition Chocomania collection from The Body Shop I haven't been able to stop raving about its brilliance. This wonderful gift set holds each full sized product from the collection and is guaranteed to make your mum feel special this mothers day.

5. A mirror may seem like a strange choice for a gift, but my mum has recently re-decorated her bedroom and pretty accessories like this are a useful gift as well as being really pretty.

6. You can't go wrong with a good chick lit, and Loves me, Loves me not is a selection of short stories from some of the best selling romantic novelists in the UK. A must have for any book loving mum.

7. I was so excited to find this new Calvin Klein fragrance, Sheer Beauty in Debenhams over the weekend. It has a beautiful citrus scent and a dainty pink bottle. The perfect fragrance gift.

So there are my top mothers day picks. What are you thinking of buying your mum this year? Are you going to do anything nice together on sunday? We're either going to go to Wagamama's with my grandmother as well or I'm going to cook my lovely mummy a nice meal :)
Annie x
ps, enter my giveaway *here* to win some pretty little prizes.

Wedding Tiers

Hello,
I'm pretty excited today, it finally feels like spring! The sun is out and from my window I can see groups of optimistic people sitting on the grass catching rays : )

I'm still hopelessly addicted to snuggling up and reading from my kindle of an evening and my latest read is Wedding Tiers by Trisha Ashley. You may have seen from my previous posts that I've read other books by her and loved them, so I was excited to get stuck in to another and I think this was my favourite yet.

Growing up in the beautiful Lancashire village of Neatslake, Josie Gray and her childhood sweetheart, Ben Richards, always dreamt of living a life of rural bliss. And when Josie inherits her beloved Grandmother's cottage, it seems they might just have got what they wished for.
Josie throws herself into her wedding cake business, whilst Ben gains increasing acclaim as an artist. But the tranquil village turns into a hive of activity when Josie's childhood friend, Libby Martin - now a wealthy widow - returns to the village, planning a lavish wedding to rival any celeb bash. The day goes with a bang, and soon Libby and Josie are hard at work at their fledgling wedding business, hiring out Libby's beautiful Elizabethan home for ceremonies, with Josie creating all manner of wonderful cakes.
But amidst all this romance, Josie's fairytale relationship with Ben turns into a nightmare, and she quickly becomes Love's number one cynic - until charming wedding photographer Noah Sephton arrives in Neatslake with a very different outlook on love…

-Blurb as found on amazon.co.uk

The main character, Josie Gray was simply lovely. I loved her and I found myself really feeling for her. When her whole world falls apart near the beginning of the book I found myself struggling not to cry along with her and sympathise when all she feels like doing is getting "pea podded" on her infamous home brewed pea pod wine. Likewise, when she finally gets her happily ever after, like any heroine in a good chick lit book does, I found myself smiling with joy for her.

The book is beautifully written and the level of description is perfect as the foundation is laid for you to really build up an idea of how the village of Neatslake and all of the characters look and function.

Another little feature that I always love in a book is references to characters in other books by the same author. In Wedding Tiers, a lot of reference is made to the characters who appeared in Trisha Ashley's previous book, A Winter's Tale which I really liked as it felt almost as if I was catching up with old friends, although, if you haven't read A Winter's Tale then I suggest you do before reading this book to make sure you don't give yourself any spoilers for that book.

...And then there's Aggie the hen, it is simply impossible to not love her!

Over all, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has a passion for chick lit like I do, it won't disappoint .

You can pick up a paperback copy *here* or download to your kindle *here*

See you later,

Annie x

A Winter's Tale

Hello,
Its sooo chilly here! I've been so lazy and spent the afternoon curled up in bed reading and listening to the radio, pretty lush :)
I mentioned last week that I was reading a book called "A Winters Tale" by Trisha Ashley. Well, I finished it a couple of days ago and can happily say that it was well worth the money. I love the author's style of writing, its nice and descriptive and lets you draw up a good picture of the setting and characters.

The book revolves around a woman called Sohpy Winter who inherits the large family home, Winters End when her grandfather dies. She moves into the home where she spent her childhood and, glad to be re-united with the home she has dreamt about since she was forced to leave with her mother when she was still young, she immediately sets to work restoring the house to its original beauty. This angers her handsome cousin Jack as he was always raised to believe the house would become his inheritance. Jack simply cannot believe that Sophy will not sell him the property or cave into his romantic advances. And then there is the aloof gardener Seph to try and keep happy as he is less than enthused by Sophy's plans to divert labour from the garden into restoring the house when he is so near completion of a garden restoration all of his own.

This is a lovely book to relax with of an evening and is great for transporting you into the little world of Winter's End and I have little more to say other than to recommend it to anyone who likes a relaxing, easy, heart warming read :)

What books have you read recently? Are there any you could recommend I try next? I'm currently trying to resist buying the newest Katie Fforde... although if you can't treat yourself to a good book when you're ill in bed then when can you?

On a totally unrelated note, I stumbled across this shabby blogs frame last night and just had to use it asap so heres a quick photo set I put together. Lolly doesn't usually like having her photo taken, shes a grumpy old kitty :P

Annie x

Monday to Friday Man

Hello from very cold and kinda snowy Bath,
Today I travelled back from Canterbury across to Bath so I've seen most of the south of England looking like it's been sprinkled with icing sugar. Very pretty view from a train window!

While the weather has been so cold I've spent a lot of time snuggled up reading on my kindle. The latest book I've finished reading is "Monday to Friday Man" by Alice Peterson, another lighthearted chick lit. Now recently I've been mainly reading Marian Keyes books which have all got a pretty heavy plot line along side the usual love story, so "Monday to Friday Man" proved to be a breath of fresh air. The characters were very gentle and likable and although the heroine Gilly has a sad background, the way that the book is written doesn't make this the main focus of the plot, keeping the book light and upbeat. The authors fun style of writing also works wonders for making light of all situations.

Gilly is a single girl living alone in London after her fiance abandons her two weeks before her wedding. Deciding that she isn't ready to leave London and start afresh she advertises for a monday to friday man to share her house during the week. Jack Baker is a charming, attractive man so when he responds to Gilly's advert, she cannot resist offering him the room despite the worry from her little gang of dog walking friends. Oh yes, did I mention that she has a little dog named Ruskin? The thing that Gilly wants to know, however, is what Jack Baker does at the weekend.

If you're looking for a sweet, uplifting love story with the obligatory chick lit happy ending then you should give this book a go, its easy to read, has lots of likable characters and is the perfect read for a cold winter night  :)

What are you reading at the moment? I've moved on to "A Winter's Tale" by Trisha Ashley and so far it seems good to me.
Annie x