Book Review: My Sister, the serial killer.

Hello everyone, thanks for stopping by my blog today 🙂

I’ve never really been bothered by the idea of a book club but I really like the idea of sharing my reviews. Reading and reviewing a book is a way to possibly connect with people and share thoughts that maybe someone else didn’t think of. It’s also quite a personal thing, expressing your opinions about what you read and how it resonated with you. It is interesting how 1 book can create a variety of feelings, both positive and negative. It’s funny how a book can be so interesting/useful to one person but then someone else will take it in a completely different way.

This is a great book for these dark and gloomy nights as we spend more time at home. It’s not too scary however the main story line is based Ayoola being a serial killer.

The story is set in Nigeria and includes many of the dialect spoken there and you get a real sense of what certain situations described would be like in the story. It is a mixture of crime, murder, romance, work and family relationships. We are introduced to a sibling relationship right from the beginning between Korede who is the older sister and often left to clean up Ayoola’s mess. Ayoola is the younger sister and manages to get her own way because of her beauty and charms. It’s a nice storyline but I can’t say much more without spoiling the story, so give it a read!

Check out my Instagram for food inspiration!

Buy me a Hot Chocolate?!

Find the book here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3otph8r

Book Review: The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl

Hello Everyone, I hope your day has been well. Today I’m sharing another review to end September as we arrive in October, the start of Black History Month!!

Book: The Misadventures of AWKWARD Black Girl by Issa Rae.

This book is great, very funny and entertaining, it’s kind of like an autobiography mixed with a bit of fiction at the same time. Very easy to read and nicely written. I found some sections more interesting than others but overall a really great book. I think my favourite chapter’s are the ABG Guides, although quite stereotypical, it’s all very true and I imagine every black girl out there can relate to something written on the pages.

It’s also a book that I feel like many people would relate to specifically if you’ve got loads of siblings, didn’t have money for expensive things or had divorced parent’s, you might find that you’ve had similar experiences growing up. It’s also so nice to read a book written by a black woman who really draws from her life experiences about growing up and family values in a black house hold. I won’t spoil it too much because there’s so many great stories to read.

You should definitely check out the YouTube series: The Misadventures of AWKWARD Black Girl as it’s hilarious and so well written. It’s about 7 years old but and definitely low budget but at the same time really entertaining which shows you don’t need loads of money to make a great series. Also, there’s a new season finale of Insecure coming out which I imagine will be just as good, based on the trailer!

Check out my Instagram for food inspiration!

Link for book is here: https://amzn.to/3FhMU9h

_{*Amazon link is commissioned}

Book Review: Mindfulness Plain and Simple

Hello Everyone, I hope your day has been well!

I’ll make this a short review because there’s not much for me to write without ruining the main points of the book. This is a great book if you enjoy reading and learning about mindfulness. You’ll learn so much about the mind and hopefully take away tips and techniques that you can use throughout the day.

I recently finished reading Mindfulness, Plain & Simple, another book I had previously read. I definitely enjoyed it more the second time around and I felt like I was understanding it better because I was aware of myself more. Its a practical book where you can get involved in the mindfulness exercises at the end of each chapter, this is great because it allows you to put what you’ve just read into practice and have a greater understanding of it. Many of these exercises can be done anywhere, for example, at work, travelling or even whilst walking in the park.

It’s a fairly short book with 134 pages but it contains so much information and really breaks down mindfulness but in such a simple way. A couple of my favourite points were ‘Mindfulness simply means experiencing the moment as it is’ and ‘When living mindfully, we are naturally free from the problems, which only exist in the mind.’

This book teaches you to be present in every moment rather than getting lost in the minds thoughts. Often we dwell on the past or fear the future which can cause anxiety, frustration and worry, when this happens notice what emotions arise and then let them be, so you can come back to the moment right now!

Mindfulness can seem like a very basic thing, just sitting and being present doesn’t really seem like much but, regular practice can free your mind.

Link for book is here: https://amzn.to/3npHBih

Follow my Instagram for food inspo!

_{*Amazon link is commissioned}

Book Review: Look Great Naturally… Without Ditching The Lipstick

Hello Everyone, welcome to my 3rd book review.

Another book down, one that I read quite a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed reading again. This is a fantastic book for anyone who is keen to change there lifestyle to a more holistic way of living. There are so many chapters that contain a wealth of information for how you can achieve a more sustainable and eco-friendly life, not only that but also saving money in the process. It’s all about clothing, make up, hair products, skincare, therapies and so much more. There is a lot to learn from this and it is written so well with many further resources if you want to find out more about a particular topic.

I read this book many years ago and I found it so interesting at the time, I literally threw away all of my make up and beauty products that I owned and purchased things that were either natural or organic, looking back, I was quite dramatic but also really passionate about what I was putting on my body. It was a little difficult buying makeup at the time because there wasn’t as many options particularly for darker skin tones but I imagine there are so many more options now! In recent days I have gone back to purchasing normal products but its always in the back of my mind to be aware of what I’m putting onto my skin. I also used to sell a lot of my unwanted clothes on Vinted which was great but after I while I couldn’t be bothered to send things away at the post office, so I’d put them in the charity bags instead, hoping they go to good use.

Looking back I feel like I appreciate this book so much more now and it’s great to see how far sustainability has come and the positive popularity it has gained from many bigger, well known brands. It is always a goal of mine to live a more sustainable life and lead a lifestyle that doesn’t just add to the fast fashion climate we are all living in.
I think my favourite chapters are the first 2 about skincare and hair, because they both include so many tips for homemade alternatives to try and make from home, many other them include ingredients we’ll all have in the cupboards and it’s super easy to follow.

So I think I’ll keep this review short as you really have to read the book to see what changes you might want to make in your life, but just know that there is something for everyone no matter how small it may be.

Follow me on Vinted here to see what clothes I’m selling.

Link for book is here: https://amzn.to/3owv1wP

Follow my Instagram for food inspo!

_{*Amazon link is commissioned}

Book Review: 1783 Freedom

Hello Everyone, I hope your day has been well.

Welcome to my second book review.

At this point in starting the review, I’m roughly 3/4 through the book and it’s been such a good read. I’m wondering how the story will end and what will happen to the main character.

Bringing it back to the beginning, the book is set in Jamaica 1783. The story is a mixture of real life and imaginary stories. The main character Nathaniel is a young 14 year old boy who’s mother and baby sister have been sold and sent away to work in a parish far away. Nathaniel is left with what seems like his only friend, Old Thomas who is a much older man who once knew freedom but now works out in the field.

From the very beginning Nathaniel is determined to rescue is family and find freedom. He is sent to England along with his owners (the Barratts) as one of them is trying to find a marriage partner. Interestingly there is a rumour about England being paved with gold and a place of no slavery but when Nathaniel arrives he realises that England isn’t really a safe place for him because he is still a slave. Its fascinating that decades ago England was thought of as a wonderful country where one could live a lavish life, seek freedom and earn wealth, even to this day England comes across as a country that is superior to others and people really want to be apart of it.

Once Nathaniel realises he is still a slave and is to be presented to another owner he tries to escape, and for a while it seems like he will. He meets another black man who is free and works as a dancer, this man is even a part of a secret society trying to end slavery. But as Nathaniel is on a mission for his freedom and to find his family he ends up getting caught and brought back to the Barretts but, he doesn’t stop there.

I’m not completely sure what age this book is aimed at but it was very informative and not uncomfortable to read even though the story is about slavery. The writer takes you on a journey and you feel like you are with Nathaniel along side his journey to freedom. It’s descriptive and very easy to picture the locations and surroundings giving the reader somewhat of an insight of life at the time.

Thanks if you read this far ☺ I won’t spoil the ending but I’m sure you’ll like it because I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it!

Link for book is here: https://amzn.to/3wW9yRS

Check out my Instagram for food inspiration.

Read my review of The Four Agreements Here

_{*Amazon link is commissioned}