Rules for a Perfect Life - Niamh Greene

Having just completed my exams and immediately picked up J.K Rowling's new book 'The Casual Vacancy' which annoyingly, I started before exams but had to put down for a few weeks while I studied. Then yesterday  I went to the library and picked up a handful of random books. So here we go, a little over 24 hours after starting 'Rules for a Perfect Life' I have just completed it and now want to tell you guys all about it. 

***This review contains minor spoilers however nothing earth-shatteringly important, I promise***

Rules for a perfect life is a cheerful novel which follows Maggie, who finds herself unemployed and  homeless when the economic crisis hits Ireland, from her designer lifestyle in the city to the middle-of-nowhere. Decidedly critical of the rural lifestyle Maggie approaches 'Rose Cottage' with whatever the opposite of "rose-tinted glasses" are and blunders into the little village of Glacken where one little lie unravels beyond her very own eyes and spreads so quickly through a village who takes an intense interest into new-comers and has a very active gossip-mill. After splitting up from her high-school sweetheart over a yellow gummy bear Maggie finds herself falling for Edward, a father of two children (Polly a delightful 6 year old that you can't help but love and Matilda, a typical bitter teenage). 

As Maggie stumbles along she discovers, despite her attempt to hate everything about rural life, that  it is not all bad. But is it too late to save face? 

In this cheerful novel you find yourself laughing along with Maggie and blushing with embarrassment at times. You feel like you have known the characters that Niamh has created for a lifetime and as I was reading this down-to-earth novel I felt like I was right there alongside Maggie. Any book that does this, to me, is a book definitely worth reading. 

Score: 9/10 

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat

Okay I pride myself on finishing every book I start reading and I can honestly say that there are only two ;Tully and Fly Away Peter. Sadly I am going to have to add another book to my 'unfinished' list: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. As a psychology student I was really looking forward to reading this because I am very passionate about psych and I am a bookworm (well duh I write a book blog) but despite having these two points I was disappointed. The case stories themselves were interesting however I found myself wanting more details and furthermore I found it difficult to read. However that could just be me. I think this might be a book I keep on my bedside and read a chapter every now and then. On the plus side the stories were interesting so I do recommend you borrow the book from the library.

The joy of book stores

Once upon a time I was a luck lucky girl who had three major book stores located next door to each other (literally) at the local shops. It was a fairy tale that was taken for granted until the evil 'internet shopping craze' swept across the country and rendered real, physical book stores a black hole for money. Sadly one day two of these major book stores closed down and all across the city they left blank, empty holes.


 No I am not very good at writing fairy tales but yes this did happen :( 
Throughout my teens friends and I would gather at the shops and spend countless hours in these beloved book stores but when they closed, it was everywhere!!! 


Every shopping strip, every shopping centre and so this weekend when I spent some time in a book store it was pure indulgence. I had ordered 'Opening Skinner's Box' by Lauren Slater but obviously had to have the mandatory browse through the shelves first! And oh my did I find some good novels. The first novel I picked up was 'The Wedding Season' by Su Dharmapala and the second was 'Dinner as Roses'' by Danielle Hawkins. Retailing at $30 each I reluctantly left without them. Now please don't judge but I later that afternoon I found the same novels for $19 each at K-mart. Yes I know, I have just pledged by love for 'real' book stores but only brought the one ordered book from them. Why? Money. I am not that careful with my money but I cannot justify to myself spending $60 impulsively on two novels every time I walk into a bookshelf. If I could, I would spend hundreds of dollars on books every time I walk past a book shop. Sounds nice in theory but the I would probably also be starving and homeless. 


Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts on internet shopping vs real book stores.


Have a good weekend. 

goodreads.com

I made a discovery today on the internet that has really got excited. Drum roll please...... 

www.goodreads.com

Rate books that you have read or want to read. See lists of books read by others, books rated by your friends and if you rate 25 books that you have read across a range of genres. You can connect the website to facebook or use it independently, either way it is absolutely amazing!

I love book websites, book apps, blogs, whatever I can get my hands on. That was actually why the reason I started to write this, I wanted a 'book blog' to inform me about everything and anything about books. Anyway, back on topic, goodreads.com is brilliant if you are looking for a new book to pick-up or want to read something a little different. 

For example, having a quick look at my recent updates I can see that a friend has listed a book called "The Declaration (The Declaration #1) by Gemma Malley" as a book they want to read. I can also see the blurb, the average rating and reviews.  How awesome is that?

Book suggestions? Please!

Ok everybody, I need some book suggestions!!!
Please recommend your favourite novel for me to read :)
That is all for now,
cheers

Almost a Bride by Patricia McLinn

I was expecting this to be trashy romance with no plot and no surprises. But I was wrong. The plot, whilst unusual, is enjoyable and not trashy at all! So, are you going to tell me what the plot is? Yes, I am! 

Almost a Bride explores the relationship that exists between childhood sweethearts and the reality of adulthood and, most importantly, romance. 

Who? I recommend this novel for women needing a quick escape :)

Where? It can be downloaded for FREE off ibooks onto your iphone, ipod or ipad. 

Happy Reading!

Book of the day: Don't Look Back

Book of the day: Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum

Norweigan author Karin Fossum wrote Don't Look Back which was translated into English in 2002. It is the first book in the Inspector Sejer series and delves into the many connections that exist in a small town of Norway to solve the murder of a 15 year old.

Fossum possesses a brillant understanding of the human being and relationships.

Now a greater description of the plot (without spoilers). Inspector Sejer at home is both a lonely father and grandfather who has lost his beloved wife however "on duty" he is an alert inspector who treats people with simple decency and looks under every stone. He invesitgates the murder of a 15 year old girl, found in an isolated beach. The suspects include the boyfriend, stepfather and the sport coach with a record. However as the investigation continues Sejer uncovers more and more people who could have had reason to kill her. If Sejer can uncover why anybody would want to kill a happy 15 year old girl then maybe he can find out the who.



Genre: Mystery