The Lo Down - The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F***

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I recently bought the book, The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*** and I thought I'd share my thoughts with you guys. Sorry if you your a bit offended by the name but clearly it is what it is. I myself am always stressed out and care too much at times I suffer with anxiety so I thought I'd give this book a read. I think we always can overly care about things alot which isn't a bad thing but I thought I'd read this book to see if I could care about things maybe a bit less and focus on myself that little bit more.

I bought this book in Easons on special offer and the minute I saw it I knew I had to buy it. It's such a easy and interesting read so I'm glad I did. It's layed out well and there's so many great tips in there. Major kudos to   who wrote this, no wonder this book is doing so well it's really good and insightful.

I know another one of her books has just launched and it's pretty much the same idea so I'm definitely going to pick it up next week in Easons and let you know what I think.

I was super impressed with this book and it definitely has helped me care a little bit less about stressful things that are going on in my life right now which is a good things.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Black Dawn by Mallory McCartney

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I've finished two books in the past week, I know I'm seriously on a roll at the moment when it comes to reading. The second book I've finished is called Black Dawn by Mallory McCartney. Again this is another writer I came across on Instagram which I love for things like that. I was so excited when Mallory sent me over her book to review, I haven't actually come across it yet in Ireland and it is so good.

 I literally started this book yesterday and finished it today, I really like how it's quick and easy to read. If I'm being honest I actually couldn't put this book down the story is amazing and is different to books I usually read. The story focuses on the magical and war ridden world of Keiro and three main characters Memphis, Brokk and Emory. To help Emory survive the war and evil king Adair, the boys wiped her memory and transported her to our world where she would indeed be safer.

With no knowledge of her previous, of course Emory is scared when both Memphis and Brokk turn up in her apartment and take her back to Keiro. She doesn't remember who she is and after giving her back her memories she is still pretty confused about the whole situation. She is kinda dropped in the deep end as she is the one they need to defeat King Adair in the Black Dawn rebellion and her powers aren't even fully back yet.

I'm not going to go into too much more detail as I don't want to ruin the story for you all. If you like what you've heard so far I'd definitely recommend picking up this book. It's a light read and if you haven't been reading for a while like me it's certainly a book to get you back into reading. You get transported into their world instantly and there's so many twists and turns. I also have to appreciate the cover of this book it's so eyecatching, I'm a big fan. I really like to book and I hear it's going to be a series so I can't wait to get my hands on the second one when it's released.

Laura<3

The Lo Down - Probably the prettiest books I own!

Hey Guys and Dolls,

As you all know I love a good book. If I'm in town with my parents I always pay a trip to Hodges & Figgis, my favourite book shop in Dublin. It's amazing if you have never been definitely go it's huge. I'll always pick up a book or two when I'm there sure it would be rude not to I think!

A while back I bought these three beautiful books and to say I'm in love with them is a understatement. The books are fairytales written by Camilla Morton and illustrated by celebrated fashion designers which I think is such an amazing idea and it was well thought about.

The result is three gorgeous books that would look gorgeous on your makeup shelf, just look how pretty the covers are! These were expensive €18 but I'm glad I purchased them and I'll definitely cherish them for years to come.

Laura<3

What I've been Reading: Clockwork Angel By Cassandra Clare

Lately I've gotten back into reading. When I was younger I was such a bookworm, I always had my head in a book. I wouldn't say I leaned towards any specific genre as I do read just about anything. I used to love Jacqueline Wilson growing up and I was lucky enough to meet her when she visited my Primary School. I'm sure I have a signed copy of her book, Vicky Angel floating around my room somewhere. I was such a huge fan, I loved everything from fun writing style to the gorgeous illustrations by Nick Sharratt. Now a couple of years down the line I have a Kindle (wouldn't of thought something like this would ever exist back in the 90's) and I have to say I still prefer physical books. For me, nothing beats cracking the spine of a real book and looking at much loved titles on my bookshelf. I do like my Kindle but I have to admit I still pop into my favourite book shop (Hodges & Figgis) often to pick up the latest releases. Over the Summer I haven't had a lot of time to kick back, relax and read a good book. That said I have managed to read a couple on the go, my favourite of the bunch has to be Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare.

I hadn't heard too much about this series before I was given this book by a friend over the Summer. Clockwork Angel is the prequel to the Mortal Instruments series and Book One of The Infernal Devices series. The City of Bones, the first book in the Mortal Instruments has been made into a movie featuring Lily Collins and Robert Sheehan. I went to see it recently with Paddy and we both really enjoyed it. It  did think it was pretty scary though. Reading the blurb on the back of Clockwork Angel, I immediately thought this was another Twilight, I thought wrong. The main character in the book is Tessa Gray, an American who arrives in England to live with her brother. From the outset her world is turned upside down when she discovers that everything she's known about her life thus far isn't what it seems. She's introduced to London's Downworld were lots of supernatural dwellers exist. After seeking shelter with Shadowhunters, a clan that keeps humanes (humans) safe from demons, Tessa delves further into their world and what she discovers she may not be ready for. I'm terrible for ruining the ending of movies so I don't want to give too much of this book away.

Clockwork Angel is written really well and you actually get sucked into Tessa's World. There are tonnes of supernatural creatures in the book which may seem like overkill after Twilight but that's certainly not an issue here. There's so many twists and turns in Clockwork Angel, I seriously couldn't put it down. I brought it in my bag everywhere and being nearly 500 pages long, it wasn't the most practical book to carry around. My favourite character from the book is Will. He's mysterious and from the get go I was always wondering what his story was. I'm guessing I'll have to pick up the other books in the series to find out more. I'm glad I hadn't heard of these books when they first came out as I probably would of had to wait an age for the next installment. I don't have to worry now as there are tonnes to keep me going. I would recommend Clockwork Angel to anyone who is looking for a new read. This one is page turner so you get into it pretty quick. I'm really looking forward to picking up the other books in the series soon, I'm already trying to guess what happens next.

As always I'd love to hear what you guys thought of this post. I'd love to take a new direction with All-Made-Up-21 and add something different, maybe book reviews could be the way to go. I'm actually going to be ordering some books from Amazon today for my holidays so I'd love to hear some of your favourite reads! I'm heading to Spain for a week so I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to chill out in the Sun and read lots over there.

Laura<3