22 December 2015

A Year in Concerts

Hiya!

If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know how obsessed I am with concerts - live music in general actually! So, with the year coming to an end, I thought I'd round up my 2015 using concerts because that's just the best way to do it, isn't it?

MCBUSTED - 5th April (The O2 Arena)




THE VAMPS - 1st May (The O2 Arena)




THE VAMPS - 2nd May (The O2 Arena)




SHAWN MENDES - 15th September (O2 Shepherds Bush Empire)



ONE DIRECTION - 24th September (The O2 Arena)




THE VAMPS FANFEST PART 1 - 29th October (Indigo at the O2)




THE VAMPS FANFEST PART 2 - 29th October (Indigo at the O2)

 



COUNTERFEIT - 18th December (O2 Academy Islington)




That was my 2015 which I'm pleased to say was filled with excitement, fun and laughter - I hope your year was just as enjoyable! Feel free to tweet me a photo or memory from 2015 that you love and I'll reply.

I hope you all have a great Christmas and a fun-filled new year and I'll see you in 2016!

See you soon,
Charlotte x

11 October 2015

BOOK REVIEW: My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend by Eleanor Wood

Hiya!

*Note: this is a post I have just discovered that was hidden away in my drafts section, so I thought I'd upload it as a thank you for sticking with me while I've been inactive - thank you!*

All I seem to be doing at the moment is reading and blogging... it's not a bad combination though so I don't mind! I picked by a copy of 'My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend' at YALC last weekend as I'd seen it advertised so much lately that I thought 'hey why not give it a go?'. It also could have been to do with the large 'ALL PAPERBACKS £5' sign that kept catching my eye every time I walked past!

I was eager to start reading as it was yet another musical, romance novel that I'd managed to get my hands on. The celebrity world is a great mystery to the average person so when reading this type of book, your imagination can run wild!

Tuesday Cooper is just an average, 'kooky' girl who loves to blog about her quirky music taste. She has four loyal readers: her mum, her boyfriend, her best friend and her best friend's girlfriend. It's not what you'd call huge but Tuesday's happy. However, it all changes when the mysterious user jackson_e_griffith starts commenting on her posts. Could it really be the real Jackson Griffith, world famous rockstar?

I felt that the progress of the story was very slow at the start and I didn't understand who characters were as there wasn't much of an explanation. However, I quickly got to grips with the plot and I fell in love with the story!  Instead of defined chapters, each section of the story was separated by a blog post written by Tuesday. I thought that this was a really nice touch and fitted right in with the quirkiness of the whole book. 

I loved how passionate Tuesday was and the fact that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She was a great main character because she wasn't the typical 'it' girl that you often find in young adult romance novels. The relationship between Tuesday and her mum was adorable and I thought it was really unique for a character to not dwell on the fact that they have a broken family.

The ending wasn't one that I particularly liked but it was much more realistic in comparison to other celebrity-normal person relationships portrayed in similar books. Overall, it was a fascinating read that had me completely hooked and finished it about a day and a half! I would recommend it but maybe not if you're someone who enjoys a super happy, romance-filled ending (I hope I haven't given too much away!).

See you soon,
Charlotte x



14 August 2015

Blog Update

Hiya!

Sorry for the lack of posts this month - I feel so bad! There are so many posts that I'm desperate to write but I just haven't had time lately as I've been trying to get on top of all my school work as I missed a substantial amount of school last year due to medical reasons. So for the moment, just bare with me as I'll be back posting regularly soon, I promise!

On a more positive note, I want to say a massive thank you to anyone who's ever had a look at this blog as Charlotte + the World has now received over 1.000 views, which is so crazy! Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

I promise I'll be back soon but in the meantime you'll be able to find me doing assessment after assessment and essay after essay!

See you soon,
Charlotte x 

23 July 2015

BOOK REVIEW: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Hiya!

It seems like I've uploaded so many book reviews lately - I hope you've been enjoying them! Today I'm going to be reviewing the novel 'Everything, Everything' by Nicola Yoon.

Madeleine Whittier is allergic to the world. She can't leave her 'world-proof' house and the only people that she regularly interacts with are her mother and her nurse. However, when a new family move into the house next door, mysterious Olly attempts to reach out to Madeleine. Cracks in her protective bubble start to form and Madeleine becomes more and more desperate to experience the world; but what would happen to her if she broke free?

I'd seen a lot of 'Everything, Everything' on Twitter and there just seemed to be such a huge hype surrounding it, so when it appeared on NetGalley, I thought 'let's give it a go!'. It's not the type of book that I would usually read but I started it with an open mind and I was pleasantly surprised! It wasn't as medical based as I thought it would be and I found that I shared a strong interest with Madeleine - a love of books! 

The way Madeleine's life was described was super intriguing because it didn't provoke automatic sympathy. Instead, I was filled with questions that I desperately wanted to know the answers to; does she go to school? Does she have any plans for the future? What would happen to her if she went outside? SO MANY QUESTIONS. I became so immersed in the story that I barely stopped reading it until I'd finished it! 

Olly was such a caring character and this was unique in itself as you don't come across many genuine caring people in real life! He preserved with Madeleine and was patient with her illness which was super sweet and showed that he really liked her... AW. 

The ending was huge! I couldn't believe what I was reading, if I'm honest. It was such a major plot twist but it then made the book different from the stereotypical 'dying girl' story. I would most definitely recommend it and I suggest you pre-order it now because it will be flying off the shelves faster than The Fault in Our Stars, trust me!

See you soon,
Charlotte x


22 July 2015

My YALC Experience: Part 1

Hiya!

I'm super excited to write this post so I think I'm just going to get straight to it!

For those of you who don't know what YALC is, it stands for 'Young Adult Literature Convention' and it's a super exciting extension of Comic Con UK. It's a place for all the authors, publishers, booksellers, and of course, the readers to come together and talk about all things books. I think it's such a great idea as it brings the book community so much closer together and is a cool way of sharing new book content and finding new friends over a shared love of books!

On the Friday, I went with my cousin, Kelly, who is just as book obsessed as me and is actually the person who persuaded me to read Harry Potter - without her, I may never have discovered the magical world that I love so much! We had a late start that was purely down to the 'family lateness gene'... none of us, and I mean NONE of us, ever run to time, oops! Anyway, it's good to be fashionably late, right? We got to Olympia (the venue) at around 4pm and eagerly raced through the check in area, desperate to see as much as possible. We headed straight to the YALC floor and we were mostly definitely not disappointed! After wandering around in a bit of a shocked daze, we stumbled across the information desk where we picked up our complimentary YALC totes, which were filled with bookish goodies - so cool! 

Once we'd acclimatized to our surroundings, we stared to really take in all the different things that were happening. There were so many author signings taking place, so we decided to have a look at who was there. The author's name that caught Kelly's eye the most was Darren Shan, renowned young adult horror writer. Her brother/my cousin is absolutely obsessed with his work so we thought a signed book would be a well appreciated gift! We quickly brought the first 'Zom-B' book and jumped in the queue. After around an hour of queuing, we were finally at the front of line and I was actually very excited considering I'd never read a single one of his books before! He quickly guessed that the book wasn't for us and began asking us about my cousin so he could write him a personalised message which I thought was super cool.

After many 'thank-yous', we walked off and decided to have a quick look around the lower level, the Comic Con level, before heading back upstairs for the Harry Potter party. I wouldn't call myself a comic fan but I still really enjoyed looking around Comic Con - the effort that people put into their cosplays is crazy... props to you guys! The theme this year was 'Back to the Future' as 2015 marks the 30th anniversary of the first film in the trilogy. I'm a huge BTTF fan so to know that I've been in the same building as the likes of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd is SO COOL - total fangirl moment! 

At around 6:30pm, the real fun began! We headed back to the YALC section and took our seats in the main stage area and eagerly waited for the party to start. We were given a short introduction to what the night would consist of and were introduced to our head of houses for the night. We then got started on a horcrux hunt - just like Harry, Ron and Hermione! We had to race around the YALC section and try and find all 7 horcruxes to earn points for our house - this was definitely my favourite part of the night! After about half an hour of searching, we all gave in our sheets so that the point could be added up throughout the party. We then began the second activity of the night, GNOMEs; Gruellingly Nauseating and Onerous Mugglenet Exercises. Take it from me, those questions were hard! Our team (made up of just me and Kelly!) managed a measly 11.5 out of 20, while the winners got an enormous 19 out of 20 - congrats! Finally, there was a cosplay competition, where everyone who wanted to, had a chance to show of their fantastic costumes on the YALC main stage. My personal favourite and also the winner, was Hermione with a twist; she was Hermione after she'd taken the polyjuice potion in the Chamber of Secrets... so in other words, a cat! 

We then headed home, absolutely exhausted but completely buzzing. I met my dad at the station and chewed his ear of the whole journey home, telling him about how cool my day had been! If you went, leave a comment of what your favourite part was (of Comic Con or YALC, I don't mind!).

See you soon,
Charlotte x



21 July 2015

BOOK REVIEW: A Summer Like No Other by Elodie Nowodazkij

Hiya!

Am I the only blogger who finds motivation to write at silly hours of the night? Maybe 23:40 is the new 9 to 5! Haha, enough of my late night waffling - it's review time!

When I first came across 'A Summer Like No Other', I was instantly drawn to it; it was a total cliché, brother's best friend, summer romance scenario - my favourite! It progressed in a fairly predictable way although in no way was it boring or repetitive. It had a good balance of humour and heartbreak and gave the occasional tug on the heartstrings which I think make a the perfect recipe for a young adult romance novel.

I was absolutely loving the story right up until the last couple of chapters when I felt suddenly disconnected. The story seemed rushed and I just felt like there was so much more that needed to be explained. I think there is definitely an opening for another book but I'm not sure if it was intentional.

My favourite character was definitely Nonna, Emilia's cooking mad grandmother. She wasn't featured in the book often, but when she was, she always had a wise word or two up her sleeve. It reminded me of the stereotypical grandmother image that I've got in my head; always there to offer you sound advice along with a biscuit or three!

Overall, the book wasn't one of my favourites but I would recommend it if you're looking for a quick, simple, summer read.

See you soon,
Charlotte x

9 July 2015

Top 5 Things to Do in London

Hiya!

I live in the suburbs of London so the capital is only a 30 minute train ride away and I take full advantage of this! Spending time in London is great because nothing ever stays the same. For example, Trafalgar Square is always, always changing because of all the different shows and performances that are put on in front of the huge lions. In this post, I'm going to give you an idea of what I do when I go to London (they're all cheap as well!).

1. Sight-See
Be a tourist for the day! You would do it in a different country so why not have a look around your own? You'd be surprised at the amount of things you didn't know were in London or how much history some of the buildings have. If you want a guided tour then I'd recommend the bus tours or the river boat tours which are my personal favourite. If not, then plan your route before you go, making sure you've got the London Eye and Buckingham Palace on your list!

2. Picnic in Hyde Park
This is such a simple thing to do but it's so much fun, especially if you go in a big group. Everyone can bring some food or you could pop into an express supermarket when you get there, although they tend to be way more expensive than normal supermarkets! Take a couple of picnic blankets so that you can lounge around and just enjoy each others' company. This is weather dependent though so I'd advise you only plan it for summer outings!

3. Watch a Film Premiere
If you've read some of my previous posts, you'll know how much I love film premieres (if not check them out here and here) and I just had to mention them! They're completely free, they're so exciting and they make you feel like you're a part of the glitzy Hollywood lifestyle. To see what premieres are happening in 2015, click here.

4. Go to Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a really cool mix of modern shops and market stalls which means you can find some really unique things. There are also loads of street performers wandering around which are always super fun and entertaining. It's also a short walk away from embankment, so on a nice day you can go and sit by the river in one of the many bars and cafés.

5. Shopping
Nothing can compare to shopping in London because of the sheer size of all of the shops! Most of them are the flagship stores which means they stock pretty much everything the shop sells so you get the best range of clothes which is always nice. Also, the number of shops dotted around London is crazy - you can find almost anything! The places I visit most are Regent Street and Oxford Street but I do like Carnaby Street as well.

If you decide to do any of my ideas, show me a picture on either Twitter (@charlyblogs) or Instagram (@charlyblogs)!

See you soon,
Charlotte x

8 July 2015

BOOK REVIEW: Anna and the Shy Guy by Suze Winegardner

Hiya!

I've got another book review for you all today! I'm really enjoying reading at the moment and there just seems to be so many books that I want to read! I really enjoyed reading 'Anna and the Shy Guy' and I'm really interested in reading more by Suze Winegardner.

'Anna and the Shy Guy' is based around fictional band 'Seconds to Juliet' who are a group of teen pop sensations. However, one of them isn't who they say they are; Will Fray is actually Matt Fray, Will's twin brother, who is reluctantly filling in for Will while he's in rehab. Trouble is, hardly anyone knows this and it has to stay top secret... a hard feat when there's a sweet reporter called Anna hanging around who's desperate for a big scoop to get her off of the streets. What will Anna pick? A pay check that will make her eyes water or a boy who's slowly winning her over?

'Anna and the Shy Guy' covers the reality of homelessness and gives everyone a reminder that not everyone is blessed with a roof over their heads. It's such an empowering message because it shows that regardless of your situation, you can still get your big break and still make your dreams come true, as long as you work hard enough.

Of course, it's not all doom and gloom and there are some really cute, heart clenching moments that just make you want to squeal with happiness! Not only is Matt and Anna's relationship really sweet but also the friendship between Natasha and Anna is so strong right from the beginning. It shows that it really doesn't matter how long you've been friends or how long you've known each other, it's just nice to know that someone's got your back.

The only thing I thought it lacked was stories of the other boys in the band but I guess that what the other books in the series are for! I loved this book and thought it was a great teen romance novel and I would definitely recommend it to the boy band obsessed, romance lovers out there!

See you soon,
Charlotte x




5 July 2015

PRODUCT REVIEW: Scentsy Wax Bars

Hiya!

I've teamed up with Scentsy UK to promote their products because I think they're fab! So in this post I thought I'd explain how the products work and why they're so so scrummy (heads up - it's not food!).

I think Scentsy Wax Bars are great because they look just like candles but without the fire and the smoke which is great for anyone who lives with young children! The idea is, that you buy a wax warmer (they have loads of cute designs!) and you can then put the wax into the warmer and as it melts, the room is filled with sweet smells. Essentially, they're like scented candles, just without the burning!

I was sent five samples to try: Pink Haze, Clean Breeze, Sugar Cookie, Forever Yours and Perk Me Up. My favourite was definitely Pink Haze because it had such a sweet smell and it completely filled the room - not to mention it's a lovely colour. I have to admit, it was hard to pick a favourite because they were all so so nice!

If you're interested in the Scentsy Wax Bars, check out the website here or contact Crystal on her twitter which is @UkScentsy. They're also recruiting at the moment, so if you fancy being a part of the team,  send a message to Crystal's Twitter or get in contact via the website.

See you soon,
Charlotte x







3 July 2015

BOOK REVIEW: The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak

Hiya!

Today I'm going to be reviewing a book I recently applied for called 'The Heartbreakers' by Ali Novak. I was so happy that I had come across it on a reviewing website because I first discovered Ali on Wattpad when she was writing under the name Fallzswimmer  (go check out her profile!). Before I'd even read the book, I knew I would be a fan because of how much I liked her previous novel 'My Life with the Walter Boys'. 

Here's an outline of the story for those of you who haven't heard of it before: Stella, Cara and Drew are triplets who are completely inseparable but couldn't be more different. Drew is sports obsessed, Cara is the ultimate boy band fangirl and Stella prefers more underground, alternative music. So, when Stella and Drew travel to Minneapolis to  get Cara some signed merchandise from her favourite band 'The Heartbreakers', Stella could not be more indifferent. But when she realises that the boy she bumped into in Starbucks is Oliver Perry, the lead singer of the band, she starts to freak out. How could he not tell her who he really is? After an awkward confrontation, Drew, Stella and the band become unlikely friends and the story follows the group's adventures while Drew and Stella are trying to cope with Cara's devastating illness.

I really, really enjoyed this book because it had elements of so many things that I love; music, bands, romance and celebrities! All of the characters are so unique and their personalities are all very clear which I absolutely love. It's so easy to pick up on the family vibe that surrounds all of the characters which makes it such a nice read as you can picture every scene in your head perfectly. 

Having read the first 'draft' of this story on Wattpad, I can see how far Ali's writing style has come along because although I enjoyed reading it the first time, it was a million times better this time round. The plot was much easier to follow and it was just generally better written which was really good!

It's such a happy-go-lucky story, all about taking risks and believing in yourself - what a great message! This is a story that I'll definitely read again because it will never, ever get boring... there's too much going on! I would definitely recommend you add it to your reading lists and grab a copy when it comes out (1st August!!). 

See you soon,
Charlotte x

2 July 2015

Harry Potter Obsession

Hiya!

Most people have read at least one Harry Potter book or seen at least one Harry Potter film, right? Well, I've seen and read all of them about 10 times! I love the world that J. K. Rowling has created because it's just so magical (excuse the pun!). The plots are so intricate and the relationships between the characters are so unique and I think the whole idea is really special. It really captures the importance of friendship and trust which helps Harry and his friends in countless situations.

So if you throw that all together, it makes my all time favourite series! Over the years, I've collected quite a lot of Harry Potter related things, whether it's merchandise, clothing or even food, I've got it. So I thought I'd put together a look-book type post of some of the things I have - I hope you enjoy!






 








If you want to know where any of the items pictured above are from, tweet me (@charlyblogs) and I'll send you the link!

See you soon,
Charlotte x

25 June 2015

Entourage European Premiere Experience

Hiya!
Summer is finally here and I'm loving it - sun, ice cream, sun, adventures, sun, warm nights, sun and er... more sun! I always think the sun makes everyone ten times happier than usual so if you're usually a cheery person then you're probably uber happy at the moment!

A couple of weeks ago I got some news that me so happy I thought that I was going to burst - and it wasn't even a sunny day! My mum and I had won tickets to the European premiere of Entourage the movie and we honestly couldn't believe it. I had started watching the TV show a couple of months beforehand so to go to the premiere was just crazy as I had become a pretty big fan. We won the tickets from HBO the makers of the tv series and I would like to say a big thank you to their team as they were so great at helping us (the complete red carpet newbies!).

When we got to Leicester Square, we were both shocked at the scale of the production - it was huge! There was a giant screen that was showing all the stars arriving and there were loads of photographers snapping away on their snazzy cameras. Throughout the night, we brushed shoulders with so many celebrities and we even talked to a few! My personal favourite was meeting 3 stars from 'The Only Way is Essex'; Lewis Bloor, Lydia Bright and ex-cast member Charlie Sims. We walked down the carpet (which was actually blue and not red) pretty quickly because its quite a daunting position to be in. I don't really know how much of it I actually took in because it was such a surreal experience - I might of even forgotten to breathe a couple of times!

Once everyone was seated in the various screens (we were front row!), the cast came in and introduced the film which was so so cool because they were so close. I think that's the point when I started to think 'THEY'RE REAL, THEY'RE REAL!'. The film itself was such a credit to the TV show; it was just as outrageous, just as crazy and most importantly, just as laugh out loud funny. For any 'Entourage' fans reading, all I can say is VICTORY!


I just want to say another massive thank you to HBO for giving us the opportunity to go to a film premiere as it's definitely an experience I'll always remember. I've put some photos of the night down below, check them out!

See you soon,
Charlotte x

Red Carpet at the Entourage European Premiere - Leicester Square (9th June 2015)

Red Carpet at the Entourage European Premiere - Leicester Square (9th June 2015)

The cast of Entourage at the European Premiere - Leicester Square (9th June 201)

Lewis Bloor and I at the Entourage European Premiere - Leicester Square (9th June 2015)

31 May 2015

Celebrity Stalker... Oops!

Hiya!
 
I've been pretty busy recently and it feels like I haven't written a post in ages - sorry about that! So for this post I thought I'd take inspiration from what I've been up to these past few months and I realised that most of my recent experiences seemed to involve celebrities. When, I was younger I was always so amazed by people that met celebrities; I was always wondering 'WOW, how is it possible?' but in the past 9 months I've accomplished quite a lot! Over 2014 and 2015 I've met: Nicole Scherzinger, Zoe Sugg (Zoella), James Bourne, Harry Judd, Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter, Tom Fletcher (Twice!), Alfie Deyes (PointlessBlog), Emily Canham (imhereforever), Jake Boys, George Sear, Richard Wisker, Shannon Flynn and Bobby Lockwood. I think that's quite an achievement!
 
So for today's post I thought I'd give you my top tips for meeting celebrities:
 
  • Make sure you follow the people you want to meet on twitter AND have their notifications turned on. This means you get notified as soon as they tweet meaning you get first access to anything they tweet about.
  • If it's an actor you're after, look out for upcoming film premieres as they're such a great way to interact with celebrities and they're free! I stay up to date by following @UKfilmredcarpet on twitter (or if you don't have Twitter their instagram is 'whatsontheredcarpet' ).
  • Book signings are also a cheap, fun way to meet your idol - usually you only have to pay the price of the book so you're effectively meeting the author for free, how cool is that? That's how I met Zoella and PointlessBlog so it definitely works!
  • Radio stations are good places to meet artists as unless the artist has drawn attention to the event, no one knows that they're going! The best way to find out about these appearances is to keep a close eye on the radio station's social media or just listening to the radio can help too!The only downside to this method is that some interviews are pre-recorded, so try not to get your hopes up too much.
  • Finally, just keep your eyes peeled! London is a great place to go celeb-spotting because its such a tourist attraction that even celebrities want to look around. Also, most record label/management companies are based in London and many celebrities are asked to visit for meetings etc. Or, if you're really lucky, the person you want to meet might live in London! For example, my friends were getting on the tube in Wembley and bumped into Caspar Lee - you never know who you're going to see!
 
That's all the tips I can think of at the moment but if I think of any more I'll tweet them so follow my twitter (@charlyblogs) to keep updated. Also if you have any good tips, leave them in the comments below or tweet me!
 
See you soon,
Charlotte x
 
Here's a few of the pictures from my adventures:
PointlessBlog Book Signing - April 2015
Jake Boys at the O2 Arena - April 2015
Emily Canham (imhereforever) at the O2 Arena - April 2015


Richard Wisker at the 'Up All Night' Premiere in Leicester Square - May 2015


The Vamps at the ‘Up All Night’ Premiere in Leciester Square – May 2015

8 April 2015

'Get to Know Me' Q and A

Hiya!
 
Today I thought I would do a Q and A style post so you can get to know me a little better.
 
I've seen this on so many other blogs so I thought I would give it a try as it always seems to go down well. Hopefully, after reading this you'll know as much as you possibly can about me.... who knows!
 
Ok let's go :)
 
1. Are you named after anyone?
I'm pretty certain that my first name isn't but I do know that my middle name 'Yvonne' was chosen after my Grandma.
 
2. When was the last time you cried?
Truthfully, I can't remember. I'm not a sensitive person at all - my friends and family say I'm soulless! 
 
3. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
Yeah! My sense of humour is majorly based on sarcasm and I tease people a lot through sarcasm. Although they know I'm joking... I hope!
 
4. Would you ever bungee-jump?
Absolutely not! Me and heights don't really mix well, I'd rather go to a concert to get my adrenaline going.
 
5. What's your favourite cereal?
Cheerios all the way.
 
6. What's the first thing you notice about people?
Definitely their eyebrows. I guess it's because I'm very conscious of mine as they get so out of control pretty regularly and are such high maintenance.
 
7. Favourite smells?
Freshly squeezed lemons, nail varnish and the smell of summer (although summer doesn't like me, hay fever is horrible!)
 
8. Where were you born?
England
 
9. Do you have any pets?
No, I'm not really an animal lover although when I was about three we had a gorgeous little chiwawa called Peaches and she was like my best friend - she followed me everywhere!
 
10. What do you want to be when you're older?
I've got quite a few choices but my favourites are a primary school teacher, a lawyer or a nutritionist - varied I know!
 
11. Do you have any siblings?
Yes, one younger sister called Winnie... maybe we could do a Q and A together some time.
 
12. What was your first concert?
When I was 10 I went to see Miley Cyrus at the O2 in London. However, she definitely wasn't as raunchy as she is now!
 
13. And the last concert you went to?
Jake Bugg - all the way back in October! It's been way too long since I've been to a concert :(
 
14. What's your favourite film?
It changes quite regularly but at the moment I'm absolutely loving '10 Things I Hate About You'.
 
15. What languages can you speak?
English fluently and I'm attempting to learn French and German.
 
The questions were very random but I tried to cover a wide variety of things. If you have any other questions leave a comment below or tweet me and maybe I'll do a part two some time soon!

 
See you soon,
Charlotte x


26 March 2015

My First Ever Published Book Review!

Hiya!
 
A few weeks ago I uploaded a post called 'A Little Project' - go check it out if you haven't already because it's the first part to this little adventure.
 
But, if you have already read it - carry on :)
 
I finished reading the book about a week ago and I definitely had mixed reviews. On one hand, I really enjoyed the 'other-worldly' feel that the book gave but at the same time, I felt like the book had a really specific target audience which sadly, I don't think I fitted into.
 
But, read my full review here to see if 'Rebecca Newton and the Last Oracle' appeals to you!
 
(You can also see my review on the Maximum Pop website - link down below)
 
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Describe the plot of ‘Rebecca Newton and the Last Oracle’ in a tweet – less than 140 characters please!
Princess Leylah and her friends are fighting the Titans who are attempting to steal the Sacred Flame and take over the Land of the White Sun.
 
Have you read the first book in the ‘Rebecca Newton’ series?
No, I haven’t so I was really surprised at how easily I picked up the plot – it’s very accessible!
 
Without giving anything away, does the ending make you want to read the next in the series?
Definitely! I love romantic cliff-hangers and I just can’t wait to see what happens next – don’t make us wait too long please Mario!
 
What genre would you class the book as?
Mythic Fantasy.
 
What was the best bit?
My favourite part was when Leylah first went to the Eylsian Fields to see Lord Life, Lady Felicia’s father. I loved the detail of the chapter and the way Leylah’s awe was portrayed – it made me feel like I was visiting the Eylsian Fields for the first time too!
 
Anything you didn’t like?
Sometimes, I got confused as to where the events were taking place as the location changed at the start of each chapter. However in general, I really enjoyed the book and would definitely re-read it!
 
Would you recommend ‘Rebecca Newton and the Last Oracle’ series to your friends?
I think ‘Rebecca Newton and the Last Oracle’ has quite a specific target audience so because of that, I would only recommend it to people who I know that the story would appeal to as I don’t think it is for everyone.
 
Do you think it would appeal to girls or boys more? Or both?
I think that it would appeal to both girls and boys – there is a perfect balance of action and romance.
 
Anything else you’d like to tell us about the book?
It was quite different to any book I’ve read in a while as I just don’t think there are many other books quite like this one. I’d definitely agree with the quote on the back cover of the book ‘This is *The Hunger Games* but set against a backdrop of Greek myth and legend’.
 
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I really can't believe how simple it was to 'get a foot in the door' of reviewing and I'm so so happy with how it's all turned out! It's given me a lot more confidence and I'm now much more positive about possible opportunities.
 
Whatever it is that you want to do... go for it! What's the worst that can happen? You get turned down? Well at least you tried! It will help you grow a thicker skin and will make you tougher and a more powerful character. Think of Adele... she got turned down so many times that she wrote a song about it! However, her perseverance paid off and now she's a world famous pop star.
 
So, moral of my ramblings: YOU CAN DO IT.
 
Ok, I think I'll leave it there because it's getting a bit deep and philosophical!
 
See you soon,
Charlotte x
 
 

19 March 2015

An Outfit for Under £25

Hiya!

Today I was brainstorming post ideas and this one really stuck out for me. I'm always always looking for bargains when shopping and I'm often shopping around a budget so I thought it would be useful to show you just how possible it is to create a whole look for just £25. For this outfit, all of the items will be from my absolute favourite shop Forever 21 - I'll make sure to link each of the items at the end. Enjoy!

For the main part of the outfit, I chose a plain black bodycon dress as I think they require so little effort but can look so so effective if the right accessories are added. Here's the one I picked out:

Stretch-Knit Bodycon Dress - £9

Next, I searched for a statement necklace because I just can't get enough of them! I wanted to find one that wasn't to bulky but still demanded attention. For this, I chose the 'Glam Flower Necklace' for Forever 21 - I love love love the sparkly bits threaded into the flower design because I think it adds a bit of glamour to such a simple piece.

Glam Flower Necklace - £5.95

Following the gold theme, I picked a gorgeous, great value bangle set. I really couldn't believe that you got 11 bangles for just £3.90 - that's about 35p per bangle! You get so many in the set but I would wear up to 6 bangles on one hand; or you could spread them out between your wrists.

Etched Metal Bangle Set - £3.90 

To finish the look off, I thought that a hat would really bring it all together. To keep the look casual, I chose a black beanie as you can get them from pretty much any shop at the moment and they're so so comfy! Here's one I liked (although there's so many to chose from on the Forever 21 website):


Ramones Beanie - £6

If I wore this outfit, I would probably style my hair in either loose waves or have it natural, pairing it with neutral makeup and my (somewhat beaten up!) pair of white converse.

So in total, this outfit would cost £24.85 which I thought was super impressive as I don't know about you guys but sometimes I really struggle to put together an outfit under such a strict budget.

Also, I have a little but life-saving tip for you guys when you're shopping with nothing particular in mind. I'm the absolute worst when it comes to decisions and often wear clothes once or twice and then go off them (very bad, I know!) so now whenever I go shopping I try and think of 3 things in my wardrobe that the item would go with and if I can't think of 3 things then that piece isn't coming home with me!

Ok, I hope you enjoyed the post and that it's given you some inspiration to go a hunt out those bargains! If you have any specific post requests feel free to comment down below, tweet me or fill out the contact form on the right.

See you soon,
Charlotte x
 
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