5 Books That Changed My Life

 For as long as I remember I have always loved reading, and one of my favourite childhood activities was going to the library over summer and picking out a huge pile of books to read during the holidays. I can't remember a time where I didn't have a book on the go, and I always try to read before bed every night as I find it incredibly relaxing. With that in mind, I thought I would share the five books that I consider to have made an impact on my life in some way or another. 

 

To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

I read this book when I was 15 years old as it was part of my English GCSE and I must admit I wasn't very enthusiastic before I read it. However, it has since become one of my favourite books of all time, as it managed to make me feel every emotion whilst reading it. The way the characters are presented and how they interact with each other in the novel, as well as the issues presented, completely drew me in, making it easily one of the best books I have ever read. 

Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte

Again, this is also one of the books that I studied at school, this time as part of my English Literature A-level. I had many pre-conceptions before I read this book, which turned out to be false once I actually began reading and analysing this book. As with Mockingbird, the characters are one of the main reasons I love this book, as you can love one character one minute and then hate them the next. For me, it is one of the classic books that everyone should read as it is one of the greatest novels.

James and the Giant Peach- Roald Dahl

After wracking my brain for the book that first made me love reading, I finally narrowed it down to one of the books that my Year 2 teacher used to read to the whole class at the end of every school day, in which James and the Giant Peach was one of them. As a child, I was a massive fan of Roald Dahl, and they are probably the books that I started reading to myself around the age of 6-7. Because of this, I regard this book(my favourite of Roald Dahl's) as changing my life as it is probably the book that made me such a massive bookworm.

 

 

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves- Karen Joy Fowler

It is quite difficult to talk about this book without giving away the huge twist revealed around page 80, but I will try, as it is the main foundation that the book is built on and the message presented throughout. It is a great psychological book which explores the ideas of family and relationships, and really makes you think when you read it.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- J.K.Rowling

I don't really know where to start when talking about Harry Potter, as I can honestly say it is the book series that changed my life the most. I must reread the whole seven books at least every couple of years, as there is a sense of home and safeness associated with Hogwarts and the Wizarding World, thanks to the high level of detail given by J.K Rowling about the fictional world. Since the age of 9 it has been my favourite book of all time and no doubt it will continue to be for the foreseeable future. 

What books have changed your life?

Megan

October Favourites

 As we are now a week into November- where has the year gone?- I thought it was about time I did a little round up of some of the things I was loving throughout October. It is quite a random selection, featuring everything from my current music love to my staple beauty products. Let's get started shall we...

'Us'- David Nicholls
After having read a couple of heavy thriller novels recently I wanted something slightly more heartwarming to stick my nose into, which is exactly what this book is. It follows the journey of a family of three- scientist Douglas, artist Connie and 17 year old Albie- taking their final holiday together on a grand tour of Europe after Connie tells Douglas that she thinks their marriage is over. It is an extremely poignant tale, interweaving funny, sad and thought provoking moments, making it, for me, a real page turner. 

Shawn Mendes
I discovered Shawn Mendes when one of his songs was suggested on Spotify, and after listening to the whole album "Handwritten" I immediately fell in love. It isn't often that I love every single song on one album, yet in this case I do. However, if I had to pick, my favourites would be 'Imagination', 'Crazy' and 'This is what it takes'. 

Sleek Face Form Palette 
After discovering that I owned the perfect brush for contouring recently, it has become a staple part of my makeup routine to add a subtle shadow to my face. For a high street product, this is a pretty good palette, with a browny bronze shade to define the cheekbones, a rosy blush for the apples of the cheeks and a shimmery highlighter to add a slight glow to the tops of cheekbones. It is extremely pigmented, allowing you to achieve that coveted Kardashian contour really easily. 

Wispa Hot Chocolate
As we are now in the middle of Autumn, it is quite likely that you will find me snuggled up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate pretty much every evening. Whilst I enjoy most varieties available, my favourite is definitely Cadbury's Wispa hot chocolate, as it is extremely bubbly, as well as being smooth and velvety. In my opinion, it is a staple for cosy winter evenings.

Castor Oil 
I recently made the decision to grow my eyebrows out as they were slightly sparse and completely different shapes to each other. As it can be quite a slow process, I purchased some Castor oil to help speed up the rate of growth, which it has definitely done. I simply apply some of the oil to an old mascara wand and comb it through my eyebrows before bed, and after only 4 weeks it has made a significant difference to my brows, as they are now fuller and more arched. 

The Big Bang Theory
After eagerly awaiting the return of my favourite TV show all summer, it finally premiered with season 9 in October, so I couldn't not include it in my monthly favourites round-up. I must admit, whilst I am not particularly happy that my favourite TV couple (Sheldon and Amy) are currently broken up, I am still finding it extremely funny, and it instantly brightens up my week when a new episode airs. 

Autumn
As Autumn is my favourite season of the year,  I thought it was only right to include it as one of my favourite things this past month. I enjoy everything about this season, from the fashion and beauty, to long walks in the park with my new puppy. It is also the lead up to my Birthday and Christmas, and so it is always an extremely festive time of year during which I can barely contain my excitement :)

What have you been loving lately?

Megan