Book Review - Everything Everything By Nicola Yoon

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Everything Everything

"Maddy is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her. But then Olly moves in next door. And just like that, Maddy realises there's more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love. And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads."

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I had no idea I owned this book for the longest time. No seriously. It was only when the film was released earlier this year I suddenly twigged that I recognised the title. I was actually very intrigued by the storyline, so I raced to check if I still had the book (which I did) so I could read it before seeing the film. (Update; I've finished the book but haven't seen the film yet! Anyone know if it's on Netflix?)

Despite the storyline seeming quite unusual, I actually fell into Maddy's world quite quickly. I warmed to her almost immediately & truly felt her desperation to escape into the world, after being locked up for so many years. She has a condition that basically means she is allergic to the world. Everything has to be sterilised, people & objects before she can come in contact with them. It's quite an odd concept to get your head around at the beginning, but a few chapters in, it almost became normal.

I loved the relationship Maddy had with her nurse. Their bond made my heart melt. Olly however I didn't initially warm too. I don't want to give anything away, but towards the end I found I was disagreeing with his decisions & overall I wasn't 100% sold on their relationship.

I am still keen to see how they've done the film in relation to the book, but I won't be adding this one to my top 5 of the year, which I'm quite sad about as it sounded like a storyline I would have enjoyed.

Overall rating -★★

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Life Lately #149

Hello lovelies,

If you follow me on Twitter, Instagram or read my blog regularly, you'll know I've recently been on holiday to Kefalonia in Greece. I'm going to write a full post about our holiday, but for now, let me just say it was one of the most stunning places I've ever visited. The views were breath-taking & the sea was the most beautiful shade of blue. I've already written a post about how to deal with the holiday blues as I'm missing it so much! But I can't wait to show you all the photos from the places we explored. (keep an eye out for that post coming soon!)

On Saturday, we finally got to give Char her birthday day out to Brighton. We started with breakfast at The Breakfast Club, a place I've wanted to visit for years! They do the most amazing breakfasts as I'm sure you can imagine. I couldn't decide between the pancakes & a full English, so ended up having bacon, sausages, egg & pancakes on the side! It was honestly so delicious & not at all greedy of me..

We then headed to Churchill Square to do some shopping before walking to the theatre to see Legally Blonde the musical, which has been on my list to see for the longest time. It was absolutely amazing. Rita Simons was fantastic playing Paulette & she had great chemistry with her co-stars. I also didn't expect the show to have real life doggies in it as well, which was an added bonus! We got to meet Rufus (Bertie) outside the theatre when we left, he was the cutest bulldog but sadly we didn't get to see Bruiser.

Last Sunday, it was Father's Day, so I visited both my grandparents & my dad with some gifts & to have a catch up. I headed over quite early to see my family as I'm still trying to sort out the house after holiday! We currently have clothes everywhere.. all clean but just scattered through-out the house! I really need to start selling some again soon..

Oh & in case you didn't know, the World Cup has started..

James is mad on football, so he is in his element with all the matches (3 a day! Sometimes 4!) We watched England play on Monday with some friends & what can I say.. I'm just glad we had Love Island to watch after.. ; D

& speaking of Love Island, I spent my day off yesterday in my garden, catching up on the episode from the night before. Are you watching this year? I have to admit I wasn't as keen when it started as I have been in previous years, but I'm really getting into it now! Relationships are being tested & new people are coming & are hopefully going to stir everything up.. it's very exciting! Who are your favs?

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How To Beat Those Holiday Blues

I'm currently sitting on my sofa, with a cup of tea. I've just walked home from work & I'm tired. I'm cold. I have an over-whelming feeling of being 'lost' & alone & all I want to do is get on a plane & fly back to Kefalonia.

I have the holiday blues.

I have to be honest & say I don't think I've ever had the holiday blues up until now. I've come back off of holiday on a few occasions & for the first week thought "awwh man, we would have been on that boat trip this time last week" or "remember that buggy ride where I thought I was going to die!?" but I've never actually had an overwhelming feeling of sadness & felt like something is missing like this.

It's a difficult thing to get your head around tbh. At the end of the holiday, I was actually missing home & couldn't wait to get back to my own bed & see my house plants (how sad am I) but now, all I want to do is get back on that sunbed & take a dip in the pool with Sally the flamingo. I miss waking up with the sun on my face, wearing my swimwear under my day clothes as it was guaranteed we'd go somewhere to take a dip in the sea & I miss my holiday family! I couldn't have asked to have gone away with more amazing people.

Anyway. This post is actually about ways of getting over the holiday blues so I've put together a few tips & tricks to make coming home & dealing with this feeling that little bit easier.

Prepare for landing
By this I mean, prepare for your arrival back home. There is nothing worse than being on the plane & visualising your house, in complete chaos because you didn't do those household chores before you left. When I'm packing, I make such a mess. I dig out all my clothes, try them all on & therefore leave half my wardrobe spread across the floor. Try to organise yourself by either putting the clothes away again if you decide not to take them on holiday with you, or pack a few days before, so you have time to tidy up afterwards. The washing up & emptying the fridge are massive things for me too. You don't have to use up everything, or wash every plate, but don't leave items that you know will go off when your away. Throw them away or eat them before you leave.

Take photos
Sometimes looking back at photos can make you feel more down as it brings back memories, but I actually find this helps me. When I look at a photo, I imagine myself back in the moment & try to remember how I felt. A lot of the photos from our holiday to Kefalonia were of the beach & it instantly makes me feel happy & warm inside when I remember us watching the sun slowly fading on the horizon.

Make memories
Like photos, making memories & thinking about what I've done on holiday makes me extremely happy. If I think of all the new places I saw & explored, it instantly brings a smile to my face. Travelling for me is a huge deal in itself, so when I think about how I'm able to go on a plane & be in another country without panicking, I feel so incredibly proud.

Keep up those healthy habits
While on holiday, I try to have a break from social media. Yes it's hard, but it does me the world of good. I feel less attached to my phone & I found myself wanting to leave it behind when we went out for the day & to evening meals. I usually do carry my phone with me everywhere, as I walk a lot of places on my own, but I'm definitely trying to keep it out of reach at home & during the day. I did indulge in quite a lot of food on holiday as well, but that did include alot of salads & fruit. I'm usually quite good at snacking on healthy food at home, but I'm really going to try to keep it up & eat less naughty treats!

Book another trip!
This one has to be my top tip! It honestly is the one thing that gets my mind off the holiday blues. Make sure you've got something to look forward to in your diary. Whether that is a day trip, another holiday or just a few days away, book it in before you leave, so you know when you come back, you have something to get excited for! James & I currently have a week in France coming up at the end of July & Elisa & I are heading to Devon for a couple of days in August too, so I have quite a few things to look forward to.

I hope this helps some of you beat those holiday blues. I really am going to try to take my own advise & snap out of it.. but don't judge me if you see me walking around in a bikini with a cocktail pretending I'm not in rainy England.. : ' )

Oh & keep an eye out for my holiday post which will be coming up soon! I'm currently sorting through over 600 photos & videos, but I can't seriously wait to share all our adventures with you guys!

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Book Review - A Walk In The Park By Jill Mansell

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A Walk In The Park

"It's been a while, but Lara Carson's back in Bath and lives are set to change as a result. Because Lara left her family and boyfriend Flynn eighteen years ago without a word to anyone. Why has no one heard from her since? Her childhood best friend Evie is thrilled Lara's back and able to share her happiness. Evie's about to walk down the aisle with her dream man, Joel. Or so she thinks... Then there's Flynn Erskine, even more attractive now and stunned to see Lara again. The spark between them is as strong as ever, but how's Flynn going to react when he discovers the secret she's been keeping from him? Oh yes, there's a lot of catching up to be done..."

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I'm going to start with my absolute favourite thing about this book.. it's set in Bath. James & I visited bath at the end of 2016 & it became one of my all time favourite cities we'd explored to date. We are hoping to go back next month for the day on the way back from Bristol & I can't wait.

Jill has an amazing gift when she writes of transporting you to where ever she wants to take you. I could almost see myself in the city, walking around the gardens, taking in all it's beauty. As soon as I picked up this book, I was transported to the most lovely places & it therefore became a pleasure rather than a chore to read it.

Onto the characters. I loved Lara & Evie & following their friendship as they reminisced over the years. I also really liked Flynn's personality & found myself warming to him instantly.

I genuinly found myself laughing out loud in places & equally emotional in others. I've only ever cried once reading a book & I have to say, it almost became a second time!

I would highly reccomend giving this a read.

Overall rating -★★★★

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Life Lately #148

Hello lovelies,

As you're reading this, I'm hopefully sunning myself on the Greek island of Kefalonia! I am so ready for a holiday it's unreal. 

Anyway, flash back to last weekend, when I met up with my best girl Ricka for brunch. We hadn't seen each other for so long, it was so nice to have a catch up. We tried a new place for breakfast in town (I say new, they moved location, so it felt like a new place!) & we had the most delicious meal, overlooking the old part of town, from the top floor, with the window wide open. The weather last weekend was absolutely glorious down south & despite the recent week of rain, it still has been really warm. 

In the afternoon, I watched James play cricket. The season has recently started up again & it was lovely to bask in the sunshine while he was playing!

I went to visit mum that evening & saw the doggies. We went on a walk around the field by my parent's house & the sun was still glorious. It was so hot - unlike most bank holidays in the UK!

On Sunday, James & I went back to Shere. We visited the village a few months ago (it was a lot colder then!) & we decided to go again for another roast as it was so delicious last time. I wrote a full post on our day out which you can read here if you like. We went for another walk around the village before heading to the pub & found this adorable little library in the middle of the woods. How cute is that! We're going to take a book to trade next time we go!

It was Boop's birthday at the beginning of March so we organised a girl's day last Thursday to Brighton. It was a surprise for Boop, she had no idea where we were going or what we were doing. We started with lunch at Giggling Squid, one of our absolutely favourite place to eat, before heading to an escape room at 3pm. I'd never done one before but it was so much fun! We actually managed to solve the puzzles & escape in 47 minutes, which we were chuffed with. We're looking to go back again in the Summer, as they've just opened up another room there that looks good fun!

& finally I spent the end of the week packing! I can't tell you how excited I am for this holiday! I'm going to completely sign off social media, so will see you all when I get back next week! : )

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