My Life Next Door - Book Review

Woot, another book review coming your way. This time it's about My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. It is her debut novel and came out in 2012. There will be a sequel in 2015 (so EXCITED!).

Original Cover

Version I read (German)

Synopsis
"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them...until one summer evening Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

Story

The story is very realistic but still delicate and cute which I think is what makes this novel so interesting. That is also what makes it stand out from all the other contemporary YA romance books. Also there is a good amount of tension and excitement and you'll want to keep reading until you're through.

Characters
What I enjoyed most about the book are the characters. They are all unique, very well developed and appear so real. Even the smaller ones are perfectly thought out and likable. Then I also loved how mature Jase and Sam are. By that I mean that they aren't just guided by feelings and hormones but they also think and reconsider.

Writing Style
The story is written in first person from Samanthas POV. This suited very well because we get Samanthas thoughts and comments on certain situations. A lot of them are sarcastic remarks which she would never say out loud but for us as readers they are hilarious. 

Overall Opinion
I rated the book 5 out of 5 stars because I just really enjoyed this book. It made me feel happy and the characters felt so real. Also the story is very touching and I liked that besides the romance between the main characters there was also focus on other themes like family and friendship. 

I would recommend the novel to people who enjoy teenage love stories. It is also a nice read for the summer or the beach when you're on vacation. Generally I think girls will enjoy this more than boys would.

Covergirl LashBlast Volume - Review

I got this mascara sometime last December because a lot of people said it is very good and I just wanted to see that for myself. And oh am I happy I tried it!

Pigmentation/Color Payoff
Some mascaras have some kind of greyish undertone or they don't coat your lashes properly but not this one. It is super black and you can definitely notice a difference before and after applying the LashBlast Volume even if you don't put too much of it on. It builds up quite nicely and you can achieve natural and more dramatic looks. With too many coats it can get clumpy though.

Brush/applicator
The brush is made of plastic which probably not all of you will like but for me it's perfect because I actually prefer those. Another thing that might bother some people is how fat the applicator is. I guess though that this is just something that comes with a volume mascara as this applicator is actually not much bigger than for example the Maybelline Colossal Volum Express one. I have to say though that in the beginning the wand can be hard to use without getting black on your eyelids.

what the applicator looks like

brush comparison Covergirl LashBlast Volume (l) and Maybelline Colossal Volum Express (r) 

Longevity
I currently have the non waterproof mascara which can get very runny when your eyes tear up but else I've found that it lasts very well throughout the day. Even if you tend to get oily eyelids (like I do) it won't transfer or smudge. It also holds the curl if you use a lash curler.

curled lashes and one coat of the LashBlast after a couple hours -> still curled, no smudges

Overall Opinion
This mascara is one of the best I've ever used. It gives me so much volume without clumping or making my lashes stick together. So it definitely lives up to its name. I also like how well it holds a curl and how black it is. I will definitely repurchase this one (but waterproof) and try more of the Covergirl mascara range.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Book Review

This book is the first in a trilogy, it was written by Laini Taylor and published in 2011. It had been on my TBR shelf for quite a while before I finally picked it up and I don't know why I waited this long because I absolutely loved it! Seriously I was so pleasantly surprised with everything that happened that it became my favourite book of 2013 and it also has a spot on my Favourites of All Time list. But before I just go on and on about how great it is, let's start with the actual review.

Paperback (version I read)

Hardcover

Warning

I feel like I can't do this without revealing minor spoilers. I'm going to write them like this so you can skip these parts if you want to get through the review completely spoiler free.

Synopsis (as written on the back of the book)

"Errand requiring immediate attention. Come,

The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things. 

When Brimstone called, she always came." 

In general, Karous has managed to keep her two lives in balance. One the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunter and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole. 

Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.

Story:

I didn't really have much information about this book and so I was very surprised with how it all turned out. The world was built beautifully and the story developed so nicely. Generally Laini Taylor did a great job planning it and all the pieces fell into place by the end of the book while also leaving us with new questions and excitement for the sequel. 

I also liked how we discovered most of the mysteries just as Karou did. There are some things you could predict but most of the story came as a surprise.

Another point I particularly enjoyed about the story was that it's divided into different parts. This suited very well because Karou also went through different stages of finding out who she was and every part kind of matches with one of these stages. 

Characters:

I loved the diversity of the characters personalities and that you actually care about them. To me that is one of the most important things when reading and so I was very glad to have it in this book. 

The relationships between all the characters were developed so beautifully and delicately which lead to several very emotional scenes and I loved it. An example would be the relationship between Karou and Brimstone. You only learn about the true depth of their relationship towards the end but it's just so bittersweet considering how coolly he threw her out and that he's possibly dead now.

Writing Style:

The story was told in third person which I do not always like but in a Fantasy novel like this it was perfect because your view of the world is still focused on the main character but you also have a broader knowledge of what is going on around her. For once I even enjoyed the altering POVs because it let me learn more about Akiva and his motives. Also the changes seemed fitting.

What was truly amazing was Laini Taylor’s descriptive and vivid style of writing because it really helped letting Karous world come to life in my head. You might feel a little weirded out at the beginning because Mrs. Taylor has her way of weaving in information which won't always make sense to you but as you read on it's just like: Ahh now I see! 

Overall Opinion:

As you certainly figured by now I really enjoyed the book and I'd definitely recommend it. There is a bit of everything: romance, mystery, badassery... and once you get used to that world and how Laini Taylor builds it you will fall in love with the story and the characters. This is why I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I was very excited for the sequel and started reading it right away. Now I can't wait for the final book which is coming out in April. 

About My Shoes - Thoughts On Judgement

I'd like to start today's post with a quote which some of you probably know from your school days.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” - Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Okay maybe you can already guess that this won't be a post on beauty or fashion related things and except for the quote it also won't involve books. As it says in the title I will share my thoughts on judgment and also share some of my experiences with it. I learned a lot about this subject during high school and most of it the hard way. On one hand I felt what it's like to be judged and I also experienced what happens if you do it to other people. In fact I used to be a massive judger and it wasn't until last year that I realized how many options I closed the door on by assuming things.

Well to begin with I should probably explain why I mentioned my shoes in the title. This is also an example of how I've personally experienced judgment.

Long story short: I twisted my ankle quite badly last February but didn't really realize how badly until the summer when my ankle still stung occasionally. I figured that the main reason for the slow healing process might be my choice of shoes and so I went out to buy myself some "proper shoes" -> no heels, no fancy looks just normal trainers (aka bright blue Nikes) which could support my foot a bit. It actually helped and I've been mostly wearing them, even as we got to winter. 

Now of course the bright color and the general appearance of the shoes often interferes with my outfit and they also don't look winter approved. This caused some people to believe that they are now allowed to judge, gossip about my outfit and point out my shoes.  

But NO! That's not okay! People should NEVER judge others! This is because we do NOT know what the other person’s motive for a certain action or decision is, just as these people couldn't tell that my main reason for wearing the Nikes is not fashion sense or anything like that but doing something nice for my feet. And there is no way for us to know what is going on inside another person except if we climb into their skin just as Harper Lee describes it. So how can we judge someone based on what WE ASSUME might be going on in their brain? Yeah right we can't. Still we all do it but you now know why we shouldn't.

So for the year 2014 and all years that will follow I will try to withhold my judgment on people and instead try to get to know and understand them and I hope that some of you who read this might be inspired to do the same.  

My shoes as I've been talking about them a lot in this post :P

Holiday Essentials

Since Christmas is just around the corner and winter has arrived quite a while ago I decided to share my holiday/winter essentials.

Okay, let's start with Fashion

Winter is probably my favourite season for cloths as you can wear layers and pair everything up with cozy sweaters. Then there are the Christmas themed items! I'm a very big fan of those and so the pieces I'm about to share with you will feature Christmassy prints.

The first item is a woolen jacket. I love it because it's very soft and warm. This is the perfect piece for a cozy day inside when you don't feel like doing anything.

Then I also like a pair of leggings with a similar print. I've had them for quite some time and I still wear them as soon as we get to December and sometimes already in November.

Of course I can't go without my Christmas and winter themed socks. They are just super cute and boost ones holiday spirit. 

Nail Polish

If you know me you probably already guessed that this category will be in an essentials post, because I rarely go without anything on my nails. For the winter I like darker colors and my favourites are purples or deep burgundy reds. Around Christmas I throw in some gold glitter for an extra festive feeling. 

The polishes I'll wear for the holidays are p2 Can't Get Enough, Flormar in the shade 021 and Essence Make It Golden. I also use the Art Deco Gold Glitter with an ultra thin brush to create more delicate designs.

Lip Products

I generally really like red lipstick but during the festive season they are a MUST! My favourite ones are the Manhattan Perfect Creamy And Care in the shade 45N and Rimmel Kate Moss in the shade 107. The first one is a very creamy, shimmery red and the second one is a mat, deep burgundy red. 

The third product is a lip lacquer from Rimmels Apocalips collection. The shade is Big Bang and it’s a bright red which you can wear with everything. 

45N, Big Bang, 107

Music

Another essential are Christmas radio stations. I'll usually start listening to this kind of music around the middle of November because it puts me in a festive mood. Also I like bringing back my favourite holiday themed songs on my phone.

Songs

Last Christmas - Wham 

Driving Home For Christmas - Chris Rea

White Christmas - Ella Fitzgerald

Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms

Radios

North Pole Radio

Rautemusik Christmas Channel (They have the cutest app ever!  ->)

Movies

There are two films I usually watch around the 25th of December tough I don’t necessarily watch them every year. One is the German version of Cinderella (German title: Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenputtel). The cool thing is that it’s not a cartoon. Also instead of a fairy Cinderella has three magic hazelnuts which grant her a wish each when thrown over the shoulder. The other movie is The Holiday. Basically I like it because it’s a romantic comedy and this is my favourite film genre. Then the soundtrack was composed by Hans Zimmer and he’s just a genius.

Okay that’s it. I hope you liked reading this and have a great Holiday :) 

The Maze Runner - Book Review

German Cover (I read this one)

Original (English) Cover

Woot! My first book review is finally here. I’m going to give you some base information first and then follow up with the actual review.

Alright let’s jump straight in then… The title of the novel is the Maze Runner and it was written by James Dashner. It is the first in a YA dystopian series and it tells us the story of Thomas and his friends. In 2014 it will be out on the big screen with Dylan O’Brien playing the lead role.

If you haven’t read it yet, here is a brief SYNOPSIS: Thomas wakes up in an elevator remembering nothing but his name. When he gets out of it he arrives in a strange place called the Glade which is surrounded by gigantic walls. He tries to find out where exactly he is but the boys (Gladers) living in the Glade won’t answer him properly. Despite that he then finds out that they are in the middle of a giant maze filled with deathly creatures and that their purpose is to solve it and escape. The Gladers have been trying to escape for about two years and soon after Thomas arrival things go crazy and their time starts to run out.

Ok, now that we have the basics let’s start reviewing. I’ll split this part up in several categories. It is spoiler free and you should be okay reading it even if you haven’t read the book yet.

First I’d like to talk about the STORY. I think that the basic idea and the world setting are great and exciting. I also enjoyed that James Dashner let us discover what was going on at the same time as Thomas did. That way new events weren’t always predictable and it was interesting to start a story knowing absolutely nothing about the society or the world outside the maze. I sometimes felt though that the planning of the story wasn’t executed properly. I got that feeling because there were contradicting actions happening within one page and generally some development didn’t take place very steadily but just happened from one second to the other.

My next topic is the Characters. To me all the boys seemed two have almost the same personality. All of them were somewhat unfriendly and harsh. Also their ability to have a conversation without mildly offending their counterpart seemed to have been lost in the maze. The only ones that I kind of grew to like were Chuck and Minho. They are also the ones who were a bit more lively and likeable.

The third point I’d like to discuss is the Writing Style. For me it was kind of hard to get used to because the style was somehow distant and unfriendly despite the fact that we see everything from Thomas POV. Due to that I couldn’t totally connect to the characters and the story and it really bothered me because I didn’t genuinely cared about the people in the book and I like to do that. Then Mr. Dashner also invented some kind of slang for the Gladers which was really annoying because it wasn’t used consistently and seemed very unnecessary. That brings me to what bothered me the most about the writing style of the book. The author wrote so repetitive which is the most UNNERVING thing in a novel EVER!!! At the beginning Thomas just went on and on and on about how sick he felt, then he was constantly complaining about how frustrated he was when no one gave him answers and it just never really stoped with the repetitions. Generally I felt like James Dashner or the person who translated the book did not have the biggest vocabulary.  

Ok, so now we have my Overall Opinion. Despite the fact that I had issues with the writing style and the character development I really enjoyed the story and finding out more about the world Thomas lives in. That is also what encouraged me to finish the book and kept me excited. I rated the book a 2.5 out of 5 stars. At the moment I’m not sure if I’m going to continue the series or not. If I do I might pick up one of the sequels in English, so I can see if that solves the issues with the writing style.

I would recommend you to read this book if you like a different tone in the story telling and don’t really care about the writing style. Also if you’re into Dystopian series totally give this one a go it might not be the Hunger Games or Divergent but it is still pretty interesting. And otherwise you can still go and watch the movie next year :P

Sunset Cruise

I wanted to do this post for a while but I just kept pushing it back (yep we have a procrastinator right here) but now here it is: My first "proper" post on my photography.

As the title suggests this will be about a sunset cruise and the pictures I took on that day. First I'm going to give you a little bit of information about the location and things and then I'll show you some of the pictures.

The cruise took place on Lake Thun which is basically the "portal" to the Alps. I love going there, because it's such a lovely and peaceful place and obviously the view is amazing. Also the little city has a nice atmosphere with its old buildings and the history behind them.

The tour lasted for almost three hours and the sun started setting about half way through. It was breathtaking to see all the colors in the sky and as reflections on the water.Then it got dark and the castles (there are like three of them right by the water) were all light up. Sadly I couldn't get a proper picture of one of them because I had no tripod and the boat was moving too fast but there are plenty of other photographs I can show you now. :)

It was a lot darker than what it looks like in the picture -> ISO 400 so I could keep the shutter speed low

Here I kept the shutter speed high to brighten up the colors in the sky and darken the strips of land