Why I Use Goodreads

I've seen several differing opinions on the book lovers site Goodreads floating about the interwebs, so I thought I'd add in my own two cents.

Goodreads describe themselves as the world's largest site for readers and book recommendations. Once you set up your account you can add books that you've read, books you're currently reading and books you want to read. Furthermore, you can interact with others and find people with similar taste in books to yourself, get a discussion going and leave your own reviews. 

Some of the negative comments regarding the site have been that it's almost too organised and reading should be more organic; what you read shouldn't be so rigidly recorded and that it could result in reading just for the sake of reading to hit a target. I understand why people feel this way but personally I'm really fond of it. I've been using it for over a year now and have found it hugely helpful.

Here's (really specifically) why I love it:

• They do these beautiful original illustrations (above) to match famous quotes from books or authors. It's only a small thing but I love these. 
• It has a "scanning" option so if I'm in a book shop and am unsure about a particular title, I can scan the barcode into Goodreads and it automatically gives me reviews and ratings on it from other readers. Yes, you're not always going to have the same opinions as someone else bit if it comes back as 95% positive reviews, I'll feel a lot happier about taking a chance on it.
• You can set yourself a reading challenge for the year. I've decided to read 60 books this year and Goodreads keeps count for me and tells me how everyone else is doing with their challenges (for a bit of extra encouragement!).
• I admit I've been guilty of forgetting certain books that I've read and so this is just a really helpful way of keeping an account of that. 
• One of the main reasons why I love it so much is you can track your progress with the book you're currently reading. I tend to always have a few books on the go and never remember to use bookmarks so I just add into Goodreads where I am in each book. It's a handy record keeper plus it definitely encourages me to to keep going with any more arduous reads. 
• You get invites to online chats with your favourite authors and events; last week I was invited to download a free YA book on Amazon, which I did..Yay, free books!
• Speaking of which, there's a whole section on Goodreads for free Ebooks. At the moment I'm reading Dubliners and Mrs Dalloway on Goodreads (for free) and previously I've read everything from Sherlock Holmes to Frankenstein with a good smattering of Shakespeare in there too. There's a great selection and it's so handy for when you're stuck waiting somewhere and you don't have a real book to hand. 
• They send me emails with personalised recommendations of books I might like based on what I've already read...ah, yes please!! Not that I need help with finding books but nothing makes me happier than a book list. Nothing. 

You can find my profile HERE if you want to see how it works. Do you use Goodreads? If not why not?! Let me know in the comments!

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Casual Sexism To Sell "Novelty Items"??

You may have seen some of the controversy over this image which appeared on Twitter (photo courtesy of @jenharrisbede) today. Harris, an actor/comic/writer/rapper was disgusted to find this item on sale in River Island and took to Twitter to let the brand know how unimpressed she was. 

And then, we got to see the ugly side of the Internet. As Sali Hughes tweeted, regarding the same incident:

image source

For my part, I mostly saw people in support of getting this removed from stores. It makes light of domestic violence against women in the most crass way possible; using what has been described as a "novelty item" and playing on old fashioned, offensive concepts. The fact that they've used an actual functioning tool to physically silence the "nagging woman" and one that is better known for its use in muting victims of sexual violence etc makes it all a bit grim really. Then I saw that Irish website Her.ie put a post up about this on their facebook page. Now, generally I try and avoid the comments on either her.ie or the Journal because really, my blood pressure can't handle all that stupid but I clicked in just to see if the mood was the same as it had been on Twitter.

Here's a sample of some of the comments (and yes, these were 99% from women):

"If only there was a way to gag these nagging idiots who complained."
"The complaints just reinforce the stereotype - idiots "

" I think the people complaining should be given one for free and taught how to use it. It's a joke for god sake why do we all have to be so bloody politically correct all the time now. Just have a giggle and move on."

"Sali Hughes could do with one"

"Get a life..... Get a sense of humour... FFS..."

"Does no female have a sense if humour....?!"

""Novelty" item jeeeezeee people see the fun in it...the empty shelf or space should be filled with signs "humerous" gifts on sale discount for people without it "

"Too funny, would love 1 me these  the world's gone mad & lost its sense of humour"

"Pity they don't sell senses of humour  they probably would get offended by that too "

Where to start. OK, firstly, the "get a life/sense of humour/grip/whatever, is a seriously weak response. If you can't tell me why this isn't sexist, isn't offensive and is in fact, hilarious without resorting to one of these then I'm not sure you've fully understood the issue. 

You don't find it offensive and you're a woman? Great! Delighted for you. There are lots of women and men that have found this disturbing including my husband and I and most of the decent people of twitter who I know. Does that mean that we're all right and those people are wrong? No, but at least I can explain why I think the way I do. 

Not one person who commented said it was funny for any particular reason, other than "it's a novelty item", "it's humerous" (poor spelling, also to be found throughout comment sections everywhere) or "it's a joke". A joke that uses embarrassingly lazy, sexist generalisations to demean and abase half our population is not a joke and it's not acceptable. The problem with things like this is that it's a domino in a long line; it seems fine and innocent now (to certain people) but added with all the other little jibes about women, the comments, the abuse in the street, the sexual harassment in the workplace, again in the streets, in pubs and nightclubs and you're laying the foundation for the following (and these are just the tip of the iceberg):

Image source

image source

Image Source

Organisations like The White Ribbon Project are trying to stamp out the sexist mentality that is still so pervasive in our society by stopping all types of violence against women, starting with "jokes" and comments made between the "lads in the pub", street harassment and all types of verbal, physical and sexual violence where men are the perpetrators. I think there's a long way to go before that is actualised but in the meantime, the fact that people of both genders think this is not only acceptable but hilarious is very worrying. If you think there's nothing wrong with this then at best, you have a terrible sense of humour. At worst, you think little of the degradation of women and are in fact, a misogynistic ass. And yes, women can (and are) misogynists too. Before you suggest it, if River Island were to bring out a similar product for women, I would be equally as offended. That's what makes me a feminist, I want equality for women AND men. One can't exist without the other. Things like this that reduce one sex to a lower level than the other through the use of jaded gender stereotypes and humiliation is NOT OK. 

The good news is that plenty of people are aware that ignoring this won't help; River Island had to take the product off the shelves and offline following complaints. 

I'd love to hear your opinions on this, especially if you can explain to me why this is funny! To the comments!

Brand Focus | Lancôme

*Warning! Picture Heavy*

I previously did a brand focus on Bourjois (HERE, which I could really do with updating!) and thought I'd make it into somewhat of a series, so today I'm looking at Lancôme.
What better way to show off everything the cosmetics giant does so well than with this amazing set I picked up on special offer before Christmas: containing skincare, perfume and make up.
Drool.

Skincare

When I was younger I was quite fond of Lancôme's cleanser and toner but being a typical beauty blogger, I've kept switching up what I use since then. Now, I'm going back to my roots!

First up, the Gentle Softening Cleansing Fluid for face and eyes. This is a real treat for your face, it effectively removes make up and leaves the skin soft and super clean. Like a lot of Lancôme products the scent is quite strong with this, so it might not be suitable for those of a sensitive disposition but personally, I love it. 

The Bi-Facil eye make-up remover is actually my favourite ever- I'm currently working my way through the larger version of it. I wrote a review of it HERE.

I also love the Softening Hydrating Toner, it's alcohol-free, which is the main thing to look for in a toner. This is a good'un.

Advance Genefique Serum- this stuff is so damn good. I'll have to do a separate review but it's described as a "youth activating concentrate" Really that means that it's a light, gel-like serum that smooths out the surface of my skin...completely! It's like magic.

Lastly, Hydrazen Neurocalm is one of my favourite moisturisers (as you can see from the photo I've already used this little pot up and I've gone through at least two full sizes in real life before. I generally go for the one for sensitive skin but this one and the gel version are lovely too. 

Perfume

I probably never paid too much attention to the brands perfumes before but if you do nothing else the next time you're near a Lancôme counter, you need to spray La Vie est Belle all over yourself. Liberally. It's just a beautiful, floral scent, perfect for Summer. Check out that bottle too- it has it's own little neck tie!!

Hypnose and miracle are other popular ones but for me, it's all about this beauty.

Eye Palette

I love the Hypnose Dolls eyes palettes that came out last year. The one I have is Fraicheur Rosee, a selection of dusty pinks and taupes to give the perfect flattering smokey eye. It gives Naked 3 a run for it's money but has no mattes so is perfect for you if shimmers are your thing.

I also have a kohl eyeliner in black there- I don't really use black kohl that much these days but it does the job when the look requires it.

Mascara

Everyone went a bit mad last week when Hypnose mascaras were on offer for €10 only for it's anniversary. I've tried the regular Hypnose and Hypnose drama and I'm more of a fan of the drama (just when it comes to the old lashes..and maybe Eastenders). 

There's the brushes below side by side. Drama is on the left, regular Hypnose is on the right with a close up of Hypnose drama in the second picture. Neither of these give me the same look as my beloved YSL effet faux cils but they are excellent mascaras and I see why people love them so much.

Lipstick & Gloss

Back in the day I, like most youths was big into Juicy Tubes but have found many more non-sticky versions since then. A recent release has been Gloss in Love, which I'm really liking. This is a really gorgeous peachy/pink, with a little shimmer that feels super cushiony on the lips with no stickyness! Hurrah! Also, bonus; this smells like cherries. YES.

In the last few years Lancôme has also bought out some seriously glamorous lipsticks; every new release has had me lusting after them big time. Rouge in Love is marketed at a younger age group (Emma Watson is their spokesperson/model...or something) and that's reflected in the packaging and the lipstick itself.

This one is a bright pink/red and is really beautiful on. That's the wand from the gloss on the bottom right, see how it's designed to fit the curve of your lip? Clever eh?!

Blush Subtil Palette

This is a contour, blush and highlight in one. Just look at it there, gorgeous. These are super flattering on pale Irish skin; there's no red/orange in that bronzer so it's very natural, the blush is a peach shot through with gold that every brand worth it's salt seems to have a version of and the highlighter is a golden champagne that gives the skin a warm glow. 

Lovely.

I also really love the 24 hour Teint Idole foundation (thanks again to Sharon for the recommendation), I've gone through a couple of bottles of it now and when I can afford it I'll definitely be getting it again!

Are you a Lancôme fan? What's your favourite product of theirs?

xx

Recently Read: February & March!

Yeah, I know this is super late but I got too caught up in the actual reading of the books to do any reviews so I'm putting February and March together and will pop April up next month!

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Told from the perspective of three women, it takes a while to work out the connection between them. This is slowly revealed as they each get their own chapters for their story. The husband in question is Cecelia's husband. She finds a letter addressed to her and only to be opened in the event of his death. Curiosity gets the better of her eventually and what she reads changes their lives forever. Sounds intriguing, right? Yeah, I thought so too. Look, it was grand, a passable read but definitely not the best thriller I've read so far this year. Some are describing this as "chick lit" but the subject matter is definitely in the thriller category as far as I'm concerned. While it wasn't a bad read at the time, it was pretty much instantly forgettable-I had to go back and read the synopsis of this to remember what happened. That rarely happens with books I've read only a month ago.

Overall, meh. 

Starter For Ten by David Nichols

I was a big fan of One Day (the novel that came after this) so I was eager to give this a go. The story follows Brian on his first year in college, away from home and the friends he grew up with. "Starter For Ten" refers to his lifelong ambition to get onto University Challenge. Brian isn't the most appealing character; he never says the right thing, has delusions regarding his own intelligence, social standing and abilities with women which can at times make for fairly cringe-worthy reading. That said, it was also laugh out loud funny in parts and just extremely witty. I wouldn't read this if you're hoping for another One Day but I really like Nicholls style of writing so I enjoyed it. On a side note, I also appreciated the Smiths references ;)

The Innocents by Francesca Segal

This is a modern reworking of the Edith Wharton novel, The Age of Innocence, which I thought was an interesting concept. That was before I read it. 

The story is that of a couple in their late twenties, about to get married after almost a decade together. This is a big deal as they're part of a close-knit Jewish community in London where marriage is a natural progression and something the entire extended family becomes apart of. Unfortunately, Adam, the groom-to-be falls for the bride's free-spirited, sexy cousin (the opposite of his fiancee Rachel) and then...well, nothing really happens after that. For me, it took too long to establish its storyline and even then not a huge amount happened. Things moved slowly, as they often do in real life and while that's realistic and perfectly fine, it doesn't make for the most exciting plot for a book containing 288 pages. I'd give this one a miss.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

This is a children's fantasy novel about a young boy Conor, who while struggling to cope with his mother's failing health due to terminal cancer, experiences visitations each night from a monster outside his bedroom window. The monster tells Conor he's there to help him but must tell him three stories- each one seems to have the theme of "humans are complicated and the most obvious explanation is not always the right one". Each story has greater impact on Conor's life during the daytime until eventually it culminates in a major showdown between him and the monster which, if I'm honest, had me in absolute floods of tears and once again in public (this is a regular occurrence for me when I read a book anywhere outside of my house). Although this technically is a childrens book, it's also very accessible for adults and deals with themes and emotions that we're all familiar with in a more grown-up way than I was expecting. I read this on my kindle cause I got it in the amazon kindle sale after Christmas but the hardback version has some rather beautiful illustrations in it too that are well worth having a look at if you can get your hands on it.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer "No Future For You"

This is number two in the graphic novel series which carries on from where season 7 of the TV show left off. I'm really enjoying these so far; the style is very much in-keeping with the programme and the drawings are brilliant. This one focuses a bit more on Faith, the "bad" slayer, who everyone loves..some more so than Buffy herself *controversial*.

Harry Potter and The Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K Rowling

No 3 in the series and I'm well on my way to getting all of them finished this year as part of my reading goals. Loving the series and I really enjoyed this one, which a lot of people have told me is their favourite! I can't judge yet, obviously!

The Book Lovers Companion: What To Read Next

Himself and I actually got this for my mammy-in-law for Christmas but I picked it up when I stayed in the in-laws house recently and had it finished in a couple of hours. Featuring a foreword by Lionel Shriver and reviews throughout from English literature experts, critics and avid readers, this is a very handy guide for anyone who finds themselves stuck on what book to pick up next. It covers old school to modern classics with recent releases in there too and highlights interesting discussion points about each book which would be useful for you if you're part of a book club. I was pleased to find that I'd read a lot of the books that are mentioned but I did also get lots of tips for books to read in the future too.

Have you read any of this lot? 

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Kate Moss for Topshop

You may or may be aware that Kate Moss has collaborated with Topshop again, with a brand new collection launching tomorrow. I was a big fan of her previous collections from a few years ago so I've been looking forward to this one too. 

Most likely I'll only buy one dress that I have my eye on but otherwise it's just a bit too spendy for me. Don't get me wrong, the Kate Moss for Topshop stuff is always on the higher end price-wise, so that wasn't a surprise, it's more that I don't have quite as much of a disposable income these days as I used to in my early twenties!

Anyway, here are my picks:

There's actually a pretty good selection of typically Moss-style items; fringed festival-appropriate jackets/shorts, super glamorous sequined jackets, an androgynous slinky "tux", cute playsuits and dresses, silky camisoles and Oscars-worthy gowns. Interestingly, there's pyjamas in there too, which are very cute! 

You can see the range in full HERE. 

Anything catching your eye?

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