Films I Want To See.

One of my favourite parts about going to the cinema (other than the popcorn obviously, sweet and salt mix if you please) is getting overly excited after seeing all the trailers for upcoming movies. I went to see Cinderella the other day (which surprisingly I really enjoyed!)  and realised I wanted to watch nearly every single one of the films advertised, so I thought why not share them!

A Royal Night Out - Release date 8th May

It's set at the end of WW2 and is all about that one night that princesses Elizabeth and Margaret are actually allowed to leave Buckingham palace and it gets a little wild.

It looks to be filled with gorgeous dresses, disguised princesses and a lot of fun.

Starring Sarah Gadon as Elizabeth and Bel Powley as Margaret.


Far From The Madding Crowd - Release date 1st May

Based on the novel by Thomas Hardy, which no I haven't read but have a feeling I might after seeing this film, the trailer alone was enough to peak my interest.

I think I just like the idea of Carey Mulligan playing yet another unique and kinda badass character (she is Sally Sparrow in Doctor Who), this time with the added bonus of her being a sheep farmer in Victorian England. Pretty boys, mixed up love interests, I'm sold.

Inside Out - Release date 24th July

This one I have seen a few trailers dotted about the place and without fail it makes me laugh every damn time.
Pixar can do no wrong in my book so that is probably enough to make me head to the cinema as soon as it's released, but it's the plot itself that has me intrigued.
The idea that we have a group of little people living inside us that react to everything around us and control what we do. It can only lead to a film that will be hilarious, heart warming and a must see!

Spys - Release date 5th June (my birthday just fyi)

Okay so hands up I didn't actually see a trailer for this one but the poster as we walked to our screen looked so awesome . The cast is incredible and you know straight away it is going to be a truly epic comedy - Melissa McCarthy, Miranda Hart, Jason Statham, Allison Janney and Jude Law. Now that deserves a round of applause and I am VERY excited.

Think a far less sophisticated M from James Bonds having to go into the field because the targets know the identity of all the actual trained, real life spies .... with hilarious consequences.

Who else is going to live in the cinema for the next few months? I know I won't be the only one.

x

Tunes For Tuesday | Sam Smith - I've Told You Now.

First post for the new series isn't that exciting?

I thought to kick it off we'd go for someone that is fairly well known and doing somewhat okay for himself right now.... Man of the moment Sam Smith.

Okay so he has been around a while and everyone can appreciate his unbelievable talent but it's only recently that I've actually listened to the entire album.... and it is stunning.
I've had In The Lonely Hour on replay at work for a couple weeks now (and bought the cd just so I can have it in my car) so choosing just one song for Tunes For Tuesday was not an easy task because I want to recommend every single track!

However after much deliberation I have chosen and the one song that I would advise every single person to listen to is I've Told You Now.
It might not be one of his well known singles that shot into the charts on release (quite rightly too!) but the lyrics are poetic, relatable and of course Sam sings it like a freaking angel.

Have a gander below -






x

Awesome Of The Week | Wagamamas Vegetarian Food.

Before I specifically talk about the veggie dish I ate I just want to take a minute and appreciate the glorious restaurant that is Wagamamas.
It is Japanese food that is always super fresh and delicious, I would go as far as to say that right now it might be one of my favourite places to eat!

On Wednesday I went to Wagamamas for the first time since becoming a vegetarian/vegan (which I'm sure I will post about at some point!) so I had to make a more conscious decision on what meal to choose... turns out it probably wasn't vegan. I'm still learning which foods are 100% vegan, it can be a bit confusing and sadly this time I was mistaken!

I had the yasai katsu curry and although I am disappointed it wasn't vegan it did taste amazing and I genuinely prefer it to the chicken version. If you are a vegetarian looking for something a little different Wagamamas is probably a very good choice. Also the ingredients are so fresh and pretty darn healthy so you don't even have to feel guilty afterwards, added bonus!

P.s A side dish that actually IS vegan and insanely good is the Yasai Gyoza - Vegetable dumplings. Yum.

x

A Re-Jig and Whole New Blog Schedule.

Firstly the re-jig - The change you may have noticed if you've visited before is right at the top of the page. Yup I have changed the name of the blog!
Colourmyworld is a username I have always associated with and is in the URL of this page so it made sense to link it all in!

Secondly the schedule - I am fully aware that I'm rubbish at posting regularly, now the more I have thought about it the more I realise I need a proper structure. It seemed like such a good and easy idea to have no plan, it means I can post about whatever I fancy at any point in the week - gives me time and options right?

Wrong!

All it does is leave me with too many choices (I'm not a decisive person!) and a whole load of excuses to not get it done! So I have convinced myself that by coming up with a plan for at least a couple posts a week it might get me into a more organised and creative head space! So the future of ColourMyWorld will go as follows -

Tuesday = Tunes For Tuesday #TFT
Fairly self explanatory and anyone that knows me to any degree will be aware of my love of listening to music. From now every Tuesday I will share a song that I have played way too many times and fallen head over heels in love with. I warn you it's not likely to be anything new or honestly even in the charts but if it is new to me or I have rekindled my love for it you bet your ass you'll hear about it!

Thursday = General Post
Well .... um... it'll be general.
Ever changing probably with very little structure, I still need some spontaneity!

Sunday = Awesome Of The Week #AOTW
If you have read my blog you will already know how this one works. If you are new this is an old series I had that now will have a specific day of the week to go up which should (hopefully) ensure I actually do it. If something has sparked my interest, caught my eye or just made me smile then it will go here, in essence it is just to spread some extra awesome into the world and share it all with you!

Although these might not seem like massive changes, for me I feel like they will make an invaluable difference to my blogging abilities. I'm making a conscious effort to really get the blog running .... and keep it that way.

So here's to the future and actually having an idea of what this blog is about!

x

Feeling Appreciated.

I hope this post doesn't sound self-gratifying in any way but I want to chat about a lesson I learned recently.

I've mentioned before how the job I have isn't exactly what I had in mind when I left uni or something I saw longevity in, but every so often I realise that perhaps sticking it out isn't necessarily the same as settling.

In the appraisal I had with my boss this week we had the usual discussion of how I'm getting on, that I'm happy and apparently I can do my job somewhat well, which is always nice to know.
When I started here I was told that my position in the company would change, my boss wanted to make the most of the degree I have but I've been working there for 1.5 years and although my job role has changed slightly it hasn't necessarily progressed. I think this is what has led me to feel like I'm stuck at a point in my life that I'm not happy with.
That changed this week though as I have officially been told that I'll be getting more responsibility in a different position next month and that my future at the company could lead to a consultant job which obviously would be brilliant (BUT it is not a done deal and will take time!). This would mean there's a chance for me to have a more senior role and hopefully with that earn a little more money.

Even though it's not the type of work I was initially interested in or passionate about the people that I work with and for often keep me wanting to stay there.
There is no guarantee of where I will end up even if I stay at this job or move on but it's strange how one day can really make you contemplate your future plans, even if it's only looking a few years ahead. It's definitely going to make me have to seriously think about how I do my travelling!

I guess it goes to show that you never know what is going to happen and how much something as simple as being told you are appreciated and that someone thinks you have potential can mean.

I think everyone should aim to show their appreciation for other people a lot more frequently because the smallest gestures are normally the most important.

x

Cruelty Free Cosmetics.

I decided to go on a hunt for cruelty free vegan make up here's what happened -

After a short amount of time searching I realised the best plan of attack was to find entire ranges that are vegan as it's much easier to find a brand and stick with it and not have to read through aaaaaall the ingredients on the common cosmetic lines ..... plus let's be honest I have no idea what 83% of the ingredients actually are - seriously what is ferric ferrocyanide?

Eventually I stumbled across a range from Superdrug which is cruelty free and so thought I would give it a go - they deliver free on orders over £10 and the price of the products seemed pretty fair compared to a lot of the specialist brands.

The range is called "B. is for beautiful" and each piece has a name that plays on this which I love the idea of! To explain what I mean here are the 5 products that I bought -


- B. Nourished:

This is technically an anti-wrinkle cream and at the age of 22 I wasn't specifically looking to control my wrinkles however it was the only product that seemed to suit my need of a moisturiser.

It feels so delicate on the skin, not claggy or greasy at all and if it does help to hold back those wrinkles I won't complain!

You barely need any of it which means it will last AGES.




- B. Quick:

Now this was something I was desperate to find - Make up wipes that are vegan and still get all the grime off.
I was really pleased with these as they remove make up with as little as a single wipe. I'm hoping it's not just me that loved (and got a little excited about) the plastic lid on the packaging.....

No longer will I be plagued by the distress of what I like to call "top wipe dryness syndrome". When you have had a pack of wipes for a while the lid will lose it's stick and refuse to stay shut causing the top wipe to dry out just enough so that it becomes pretty damn useless. Excellent idea Superdrug, well done!


- B. Loud high volume mascara jet black 195:


This was one of the few bits I bought that I wasn't quite as impressed with. There's nothing fundamentally wrong here I just personally didn't get on with it.
Now when it comes to cosmetics and more specifically mascara I am a bit rubbish and at the best of times end up with at least 32% of my face covered in it. The issue with this one is that the brush is MASSIVE meaning more surface area to get over my skin instead of eye lashes. Add to this it's staying power.... normally a good thing, however once it's on my skin it's really freaking hard to get off again! I end up looking like I haven't slept in a month because of the black smears under my eyes. I am wanting to try another one from this range though and have also ordered a mascara brush which is hopefully smaller. If you are actually good at mascara then this would be a good choice as once it's on you're set for the day.


- B. Dramatic bold liquid eyeliner black 100:

There isn't too much to comment on with this one, it does the job and stays on for hours so no worrying about smudging or reapplication. The only issue with that is similar to the mascara in that if you cock it up it takes a bit of time to rectify.

The only downfall I found with the eyeliner was that the brush is very small so it takes a little colouring in if you want a thick line, also it can be a little pale and grey on occasion but if you persevere it looks no different to the non-vegan options (or at least it doesn't to me who hasn't tried many varieties) it just takes a little more time.

EDIT - After having this for a few days it became unusable, it was faded to an almost grey colour and it didn't actually leave any eyeliner on the lid. It was as though it had run out even though it had barely been used, I am disappointed and unfortunately will need to find an alternative.


- B. Radiant BB under eye concealer medium 93:

It might come as a shock but I have never actually owned concealer before!
My daily make up routine consists of eyeliner and mascara ... that's it. I do occasionally stretch to mousse foundation if I know I'm going to be drinking alcohol  to cover up the red cheeks that will without doubt make an appearance.

I bought this sort of on a whim just to try it and see if it makes me look less tired. I'm not sure if it actually does but it makes me feel better that I made a little effort so I think I will keep it.



Over all I have been pretty impressed with my experience using B. is for beautiful and would buy their stuff again considering it works just fine and you can use it guilt free knowing that no animals were used for testing or as ingredients in any of it!

As vegan newbie you can probably expect many more posts like this about things I have found that work - let me know if there's anything in particular I should try out.
x

Curing My Wanderlust.

I made a final decision to forget moving to my own place, changing my job or buying myself all manner of unnecessary things and just save. The plan being that the saving will lead to a trip to end all trips.

I have wanted to travel, and I mean properly travel, for years now but haven't been able to due to money, time and education/work commitments. But no more. I was sat on Sunday morning a little fuzzy brained from lack of sleep and asked myself "What's stopping you?". Turns out not much.

I have the chance to save now as I work full time and live at home so money spent on bills/rent/food is minimal, also the job I have now, although good isn't exactly what I imagine doing for a long amount of time  (don't get me wrong I will not complain about being in full time employment)..... In the end the one and only excuse I could think up was that I might not have anyone to go with. Most of my friends have rent to pay, work commitments and other boring adult things to deal with. Obviously I hope that I will find someone willing to come along on the journey with me because it's always better when you experience things with a friend but if not I'm doing it anyway and going solo!
It's a scary thought, being all on my own in a load of unknown countries but I realised that I can't let it hold me back from doing something I've dreamed of for years and years. I'm a strong believer that you regret the things you don't do more than the ones you actually do.

In order to organise, plan and choose my destinations for this adventure and probably a lot of future ones I am creating a new page for this blog.
Any time I think of a country, town, city or person I want to visit I shall add it to the list. Once I have been there it will be put into bold and linked to photos and a post all about what happened there. This is primarily a selfish plan to help me collate all the ideas I have and end up with somewhere all the memories are stored so I can go there and re-live them whenever I fancy it. However a secondary purpose is that it might be of interest to others, reading about the things I get up to plus I would love suggestions of places you've been that were good enough to share.


So here's to adventure, I know it's out there and I plan to find it.

x

Geeking Out In London

https://www.facebook.com/THESHADOWDINOSAUR?fref=photo

It's a glooomy and grey Saturday in February.... what better way to spend it than running around London with a group of weirdos dressed up in cosplay?

That is exactly what I did, it was a Big Geek Meet - which for anyone that is unsure is a coming together of a bunch of people that are never happier than when getting their nerd on. Whether you're a fan of graphic novels, games, Manga, Anime  - or anything really, you will appreciate the joy of spending time with people that have mutual interests.

Anyone in this "scene" will know that regardless of your choice of geek-ery, everyone is welcome. The meet I went to was mostly focused on gaming and I really don't play.... at all. My friend mentioned the meet to me and said that it wouldn't matter, that the group would be friendly and we would find other common ground, which we definitely did. We found that even though both me and my friend are pretty shy in new social situations and don't talk much that didn't stop the majority of these guys making a real effort to chat to and include us!

I have only ever been to one official convention before - MCM last year - and it was incredible. There were so many fantastic outfits and stalls to get lost in, but I noticed that the sheer number of bodies made the socialising aspect somewhat difficult. This is where the Big Geek Meets come in! They were started by a few lovely people that decided that it would be a good idea to have events that were purely for meeting other individuals with similar passions!

The day -

We started off meeting at Waterloo station, getting some strange looks and also free pasties because of this...

Cosplay is optional but hey it's fun and they even have a prize for best outfit!

The mob headed off to Namco (some went to Forbidden Planet and Tokyo Toys) which was a first for me and is effectively a massive arcade with bumper cars in the middle. Yup it's awesome.
Once that was done everyone moved on to Heart Of Gaming which is another arcade. The difference being that this venue requires one single entry fee and then you can play as many games as your heart desires!!
The place itself is kind of dark, fairly crowded and has a very distinct aroma BUT it is fun and the people that visit there are pretty freaking nice!

If you are in anyway interested in getting involved in the social side of geekdom then here is where you can see what's happening near you or if you have a meet you want people to know about head on over and mention it.
Let's get this community growing!

x

Crafting... Sort Of.

I've never written about something I've made before as I'm not artistically gifted in any shape or form and even though I would love to I rarely have the time to do any big, serious projects.

For Christmas my sister bought me a super cute poster which I adore. The poster is carboard and I didn't want to attach it anywhere without protection so a frame was necessary. I found one that seemed to fit the bill for my A4 sized print and so I ordered it online. When I opened it though the front was completely smashed....

As the frame was inexpensive it probably would have cost me just as much or even more to return it, so I threw it out and decided I would search again.
When my sister moved back in to the family home with me and our parents she brought with her a spare frame that was not being used and suggested I could use it for my print. Perfect.

The issues arose when  I tried to put the picture into the frame, it was HUGE. There was a large amount of blank space around the outside leaving the brown wooden back showing ... not a good look.It seemed a waste to not use this perfectly good frame so I starting thinking of what background colours could work.

Trying to match the purple of the prints background would be near impossible, black to go with the frame would be way too dark and using the white of the lettering just wouldn't look right. Bugger.

Suddenly I remembered that I had some black and white tissue paper left over from my trip to the Disney store that had protected my mug..... Which in case you're interested is freaking awesome!
Me and my sister both love Disney, plus the black and white coordinated with the frame and the lettering without being over powering.

Okay so admittedly it wasn't complicated or much effort and all in all is completely unimpressive but I am pleased with how it turned out!

So here it is before -

                 

And then the final product -

Support Your Local.

This weekend I witnessed my local rugby team play on their new pitch for the first time and I then had the urge to write about it.

I am a fan of rugby..... to the extent of watching the 6 nations, the world cup and having a very basic understanding of the rules, but had only ever seen my local team play possibly twice ever. Now considering I have lived here all my 22 years of life and that my sisters boyfriend plays a fairly prominent part in the team I wondered how I had not seen more matches.
Truth be told it was the travelling, the team had up until two days ago had to play on a pitch that belonged to others and is about 15 minutes away from the town. This meant journeying a fair distance, having to know in advance timings of matches and basically just a whole lot more organisation than would be required now that the pitches are just a 2 minute walk into town.

There has been a team for over 20 years now but due to the small size of our town there was never the funding nor the support needed to give them grounds of their own. But after many years the training tirelessly, pushing for spectators and loving the sport has finally paid off and in a fantastic way.
Over 100 people showed up to support and many stayed after for probably one too many drinks .... but there was a perfectly acceptable reason for the large quantities of alcohol and noise. WE WON.

We had two senior matches that day, one for our second team and one for the firsts and amazingly we won both. The victories mean the boys have come away truly owning those pitches and with even more encouragement to continue playing wholeheartedly - as they always do. Recently there has been an increased feeling of importance among not only the players but those watching the games, more passion, more enjoyment and these games will only serve to increase it.

Making the effort to watch your local team whether it be rugby, football or whatever sport they happen to be playing, it is so worth your time. Even if you aren't fascinated by the actual sport being played!
If they are a small team like ours the games are more than likely free so you don't even have to spend money, the atmosphere will get you excited even if the idea of watching people run around after a ball doesn't.

I challenge anyone to go to a local game and not feel pride at some point during it.

It might seem like a strange thing to promote but after you watch a game like this and feel that passion of being a part of something, you don't forget it quickly and just want to do it all over again. The players love what they do, work so hard and having people cheering them on is sometimes all they need to feel like winners. Why not be that support?.... and hey if you're welcomed back to the club for some drinks after you're guaranteed a good time. Trust me.

Alresford Rugby Club

P.s shout out to our guys that got pretty badly injured, you put your all into it and the whole team will be grateful, you were amazing but please remember to take it easy ..... even if it's fairly clear they definitely won't!

x

Awesome Of The Week: Blueberry Cupcakes.

I decided to make some cupcakes the other day, we happened to have some blueberries in the fridge so I threw them in the mix to see what happened.

Turns out insanely tasty things happen.

Just a simple and easy recipe for cupcakes - which you can find anywhere - will do. I tend to always go with the rule of 6,6,6 and 3 (same if I am making a victoria sponge.)

6 Oz butter
6 Oz Sugar
6 Oz Self-raising
3 eggs

I actually only used 2 eggs and some milk for this batch because that was all we had and on my day off work I was not okay with the idea of walking into town to buy more eggs.

I splashed in 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence and the small punnet of blueberries, then cooked for roughly 20 minutes at 180oC.

I am yet to decide if I want to ice them or not but I might give it a go, it's so easy and quick so if you like cake - I mean who doesn't? - give it a go.

x

I am Thankful.

I am by no stretch of the imagination American, however I think a holiday dedicated to sharing all the things we are grateful for is a beautiful idea. Here is a little list of all the things I want to say thank you for partly to inspire others to really stop and think about how lucky they truly are but mainly because it's a cute thing to do once in a while that gives you a real sense of perspective.

- My family who are always there to support me and never fail to make me smile. I am so blessed to be able to refer to the members of my family as my closest friends. Because that's honestly what they are, when you strip away the fact that they have to put up with me because they live with me.

- Gorgeous friends that will always reply to a text or call no matter how far spread we may now be. Also that we can not see each other for months on end and yet when reunited we don't aknowledge any separation what so ever.

- The ability to own pets. I have a bit of a managerie and love them all unconditionally, I couldn't now imagine my home without animals.

- My job. Yes I complain and moan about it but seriously my job is pretty awesome. The people I work with and for are genuine and kind people and for me that is vital, regardless of the actual work itself.... Also earning money is kinda nice.

- The fact I can access so much. I have a laptop, phone, television and iPad for Internet - meaning entertainment and communication all of which are a luxury often expected and assumed but not appreciated.

- All my fleecie blankets and jumpers. At this time of year my blankets, marvel jumper and unicorn onsie are loved and worn beyond belief. 

- Also with the temperature dropping I am thankful for a nice cup of tea, nothing makes you feel more at home and cosy than a good cuppa.

- Books. As seen by my attempt at booktober I am trying my best to get into a regular reading habit... I'm getting there slowly.

- Music - there is no mood that can be experienced that you can't find a song to accompany and that's pretty special. Music really is how feelings sound.

- Cake. Or baked goods of any kind. It's again at this time of year that I remind myself how much I enjoy baking. In fact as we speak I am waiting for some blueberry cupcakes to cool down so I can tuck in.

So those a few things that are right with my life right now, all in all I reckon I'm doing fairly good!

Take time to think about all the good things you have, let them sink in and you might just find that life can be freaking amazing.

X

Awesome of The Week: Gary C Charity Shirt

I came across this shirt approximately 7 minutes ago and am in love.

A very brilliant YouTuber called Gary or Gary C designed this t-shirt and all proceeds are going to a charity that he volunteers for called Mind which supports those that perhaps need a helping hand due to varying mental health issues.

They do great work so giving anything to them is going to make an incredible difference... plus the t-shirt is adorable and crazy festive so what's not to love?

Here is the video where Gary talks a little bit about it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0noL99P_xSY&list=UU_4syT17DvSSc8wGpxc2b1w

Give it a watch and then why not head on over to here to purchase your own. They are only available for a limited time so don't leave it too long!

x

Booktober # 4: Pawn of Prophecy By David Eddings.

"Long ago, the Storyteller claimed, in this first book of THE BELGARIAD, the evil god Torak drove men and Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe.

But Garion did not believe in such stories. Brought up on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, how could he know that the Apostate planned to wake dread Torak, or that he would be led on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger by those he loved--but did not know...?"

I am miffed at myself that my last Booktober installment has occurred almost half way through November, but I have won the battle with illness and general life business to complete the first in the epic David Eddings fantasy series.

After there being so much hype surrounding these books I went into it hoping beyond reason that I would enjoy it - I think my Dad would disown me if I didn't. Luckily I did! 
I will admit that it's slow to begin with and unless you are a fan of high fantasy you might struggle to get through this one at any great speed. Having said that once I was a fair way into it I did find myself being sucked into the adventure, you truly bond with and care for the characters you meet and feel like you are travelling along beside them.

 Even though this is apparently the slowest of the four I still found it a delight to read - it's only left me with extremely high hopes for the rest of them! With that in mind I have already put in my request for the others in the series to be dragged out of the loft and dusted off for me to start, especially with the promise that they only improve with time.

The world is described in stunning detail so if you have an active imagination like me you won't have any difficulty in immersing yourself. It is however done without being too over-bearing, I find quite often in high fantasy that so much emphasis is placed on building the world up that character development occasionally loses it way - I didn't find this to be the case at any stage of Pawn of Prophecy.

I think this would be an ideal choice for anyone that is just starting in fantasy as I am not overly experienced with it but didn't lose my way!

x

Booktober #3: Throne of Glass By Sarah J Maas.

"In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake. She got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament - fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin's heart be melted?"

This is very late and at this point I'm just hoping to finish Booktober by the end of November! 

This book was yet again a recommendation from my wonderful Sophie when on one of our countless book shop explorations. I'm so so grateful to have her as an influence on not just what I read but on my general reading habits. This was no exception.

If being ill is good for nothing else it did allow me to catch up. Quickly. This weekend I was not feeling my best and so spent the entire day wrapped up in a blanket, feeling a bit sorry for myself, surrounded by tissues and Lemsip. Basically the perfect situation in which to digest this book and that is exactly what I did. I effectively read the entire novel without a break until I finished it at about 4 in the afternoon. It was Marvelous.

I wasn't really sure what to expect here as thankfully the blurb doesn't give much away - it throws you right in to the action without much scene setting at all, but in this case it was very a clever choice. It's written in a way that leaves you wanting to know more and more and you don't at any point in the entire story find yourself waiting for something exciting to happen. Every moment draws you in with inexplicable force.

One thing I enjoyed about Throne of Glass is that although there was a definite love interest it really didn't feel like it was the sole focus which was refreshing. I mean don't get me wrong I appreciate a nice bit of mushy romance as much as the next person, but sometimes it's just great to read foremost about a girl who is a full on bad ass, super talented and all round awesome. Basically I want to be Celaena.....

There is of course one major story line of Celaena fighting her way through a competition to win her freedom which is nail biting as it is but there are also a number of side adventures and curiosities to keep you going - there is literally no opportunity to get bored.

The one small niggle I would have is the ending seemed ever so slightly abrupt for me. It was probably only due to the fact that I wasn't ready to leave this world behind and definitely wasn't ready to say good bye to all the stunning characters I'd met, so really it's just testament to Sarah J Mass's beautiful story.

If you are looking for a book that you can binge out on this is it..... BUT WAIT there's more. Yes this is the first in a series (I seem to be making this a habit!) so that is at least 1 more to add to my TBR list along with the extras that tell you the tales of Celaenas time as an assassin which I can't wait to sink my teeth into.

x