Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

1Q84/ Town of Cats

town of cats from tokkio on 8tracks Radio.


I recently finished 1Q84 the other day. I started it last year and a year later I finally finished it. I did it! I reached the next milestone of my life - it seems. Personally, 1Q84 is so far one of my favourites. I personally even liked it more than the Wind Up Bird Chronicle which was my favourite novel of Murakami's.

1Q84 was such a roller coaster ride and I'm glad I continued reading it until the very end as I loved the ending so much. I loved the way it is written from the perspective (third person) of Aomame and Tengo and how both worlds slowly collide with each other until you see the same thing from different perspectives. It's such a clever way to write the novel. The more I think about it, the more I fall in love with the whole story. It tackles so many themes and gives new insight into the world surrounding us. I love it so much. I can't wait to dive into Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage!

[Review] REVLON Colorstay Balm Stain + Cream Blush

Not sure if you've noticed but I live in Australia, where we receive everything last (or after the USA has already gone through with them) but I wanted to do this review on Revlon's balm stain and cream blush I recently purchased through Priceline!


I bought these three items and took a photo of them before I even started using them but I'm only going to be doing a review on the Balm Stain and the Cream Blush because I've only used the foundation once so I don't think I'm qualified to review it. Besides, there are loads of other reviews on the ColorStay Foundation which will do a much better job :)

Colorstay Balm Stain in Adore - 055


Backstory: I previously bought the Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti for Summer and liked it a lot but I stopped wearing it when Winter arrived. I was trying to look for a darker lip colour that matched the mood (apparently the Grunge look is in?) and it just so happened that Priceline/Revlon was having a 40% sale! So I took the chance and bought three Revlon products. It is honestly the perfect shade and I always end up grabbing this lip stain instead of my Etude House Cherry Tint now! 


Breakdown: The above photo shows you how it looks applied on and the colour. 

It smells very minty and honestly, I first liked it but now I find it off putting and I'm not really liking the smell of it. 

The product glides on your lips and stains them. I tried blotting them with tissues and I find that I like the look when it is matte and stained a lot more but it looks like my lips are dry. I assure you, when it says BALM STAIN - it literally means a balm + a stain. 

I adore the packaging. The pencil-like packaging makes it easy for me to glide on with the flat side and fill in the corners with the tip of the product. You can twist it to have more product and also its easy to carry around - just like a pen. 


Result: I would so purchase this again if it wasn't so expensive here in Australia. I think it's usually valued at $25+ and I grabbed it for $10 or something. I can't wait to try out the other colours and the other collections such as the Matte one!

Cream Blush in Charmed Enchantement - 150



Backstory: I have wanted to try cream blushes in forever! All we have here in Australia are all powder blushes and is it just me or are they all shimmery powder blushes?! What is with that! That's why when I was choosing for a lip colour (note above) I was in awe when I saw that Revlon offered cream blushes as well. It took me forever to decide which shade to choose. All of the shades were extremely nice and I wish I had more money with me to buy them all! (Maybe next time) This shade is a deeper rose colour and I don't think I specifically have this colour - in powder version. 

The stain lasts for a long time, and the blush still has a faint colour

Breakdown: So, it doesn't have a scent! That's a plus, or at least not one that's really noticeable. 

The texture is so creamy and soft and it like melts in your fingers like chocolate. It's not exactly as blendable as I would have liked (make up gurus make it look so easy!!) - or maybe that's just me not being skilled in 'blending' - but it is my first time trying out cream blushes so perhaps I'm not doing it right. 

Packaging wise, I understand why it's twist and turn, but please make it easier to open up!! I'm either really scared that the cream blush will harden or that I won't be able to open up the product itself! Though other than that I'm content with how I can just swirl my fingers in and already grab a lot of product. 


This is actually me with the Revlon foundation, blush and stain on. As you can see (well, at least I can see it), the blush is actually visible and looks au natural if I do say so myself. I love the colour it gives you and I know it can look like it's really dark by itself but when you apply it and blend it away - it gives off a nice natural blush. 



Result: Like I stated before, I can't wait to try out more of the other colours that Revlon had to offer. I had swatched on all of the colours and even the super bright neon pink one? Yeah, I'd buy that too! They're all super pigmented and lovely colours. 

I'm sure there are a lot of other cream blushes out there waiting for me to try though so perhaps I'll give them a go first though before deciding whether I actually LOVE the Revlon cream blush or if it's just me being infatuated with cream blushes in general. 


Thanks so much for reading! :)

[REVIEW] FAULT IN OUR STARS MOVIE REVIEW

Blogged about the novel here. Review is down below - click here

I had the utmost pleasure of seeing an advanced screening of 'The Fault in Our Stars' yesterday as my friend won two tickets through a student competition. She had already watched it once and I was so excited and extremely overwhelmed that my friend chose me out of all of her 900 Facebook friends to go watch it with!

We got to the Belmont Reading Cinema by bus after uni at 5pm and decided to get popcorn. Then we decided to buy drinks as well but then there was a line already forming so I waited in line while my friend bought the drinks and by the time she got the drinks a line had formed from all the way to the outside of the building!!! We also had to give our phones to the crew as we weren't allowed to have any cameras/phones in the building but the two men with the metal detectors couldn't even detect the huge ass laptop and my small iPod we were carrying in our bags haha (Fake metal detectors)

The screen was huge and there were so many people. Luckily we got in early and grabbed great setas! These are the only two photos I have of yesterday as we weren't allowed photos inside the cinema.



This was the before and after photos of watching the film. Need I say more? 

Now onto my short review (may include spoilers):

Updated Skincare/Makeup

I haven't done a skincare/makeup routine post a while and it's changed quite a lot compared to last skincare post and my last makeup post. So I wanted to do an updated one as my skin has changed a lot since high school (thank God I survived puberty!)

Before that, I just wanted to put a disclaimer that these products may work well for me (well most of them do) but it does not necessarily mean that they will absolutely work for you as well. I've realised that you just have to try and test what works/what doesn't work for you. That has been my philosophy for cosmetic/skincare products since high school. Which is why some products which worked well for me in high school don't have the same effect for my skin now.

My skin is considered to be combination but more on the oily side (especially on my T-zone!) I really hate having oily skin because I always look so shiny. So many of my products are oil-free and mattifying.

Skincare

Cleanser: L'Oreal Hydra Fresh Foam Cleanser
I use this with my pore brush I bought from eBay. The cleanser by itself is really good at balancing out my skin as it's a good oily control cleanser but when I pair it with my pore brush it just makes it even more effective.

Toner: Biore Triple Action Toner
Surprise, surprise - it's still here. It truly is my holy grail item. I've tried other toners other than this one but this one is ultimately the one I always end up getting. As you can see I might need to restock as I'm nearly through with this bottle.

Moisturiser: Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturiser in Combination
In my last skincare post, I used to use the SPF one where it had SPF 15. I used to use another moisturiser before this one that my cousin bought for me in Hong Kong but it ran out and I couldn't purchase it either online or over in Australia so I had to get a new moisturiser. I already had my sunscreen which was SPF 50 so I decided to get the combination moisturiser instead. I don't know why I didn't get this sooner - it works so much better on my skin than the SPF one because it works so well with my skin.

Sunscreen: BeautyMate Total Whitening Sunscreen SPF 50
This sunscreen is not that good - to be completely honest - it's really watery and the smell isn't that nice and the packaging is putting me off from purchasing it again. It only whitens my skin temporarily but it does a good job at the whole SPF 50 and preventing my skin from burning from the Australian heat.

Mattifying cream: Nivea Shine Control Mattifying Gel Cream
Another product reappears! Yes, this product does such a good job at making my skin look matte and keeping my oil under control and it also moisturises at the same time. So on those super lazy days (which are most days) where I just stay at home all day - I just wash my face with water only and then just apply this gel cream and I'm set for the day.

[Review] Maybelline FitMe, Super Stay Concealers & Matte Powder & Eyestudio Gel Eyeliner

Hello! Today I will be doing a review on Maybelline products I have purchased! I forgot my Maybelline Baby Lips however but I'm sure you can read lots of reviews on that product because it's awesome!




 I will be reviewing 4 products today and they are the


  • Maybelline FitMe Concealer in Medium
  • Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Concealer in Fair/Light
  • Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Light
  • Maybelline Eyestudio Ever Lasting Gel Eyeliner in Black

I bought these all with my own money and they range from around $10~$25 depending on whether I bought them during a sale or just their normal price.

 I think they're OK prices for concealers/powders/eyeliners! The Baby Lips was under $5 here and that's similar to the price of LipSmackers so I thought that was pretty affordable since there is a lot of product. 

Dream Matte Powder

 5/5

As you can see I've hit pan on this product already as I use it so much because it keeps the oil under control. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. There is a lot of product and even though I chose the lighter powder, it suits a whole range of skin tones from extremely fair to medium skin tones. So I love the versatility.

It comes with a puff as well but I rarely use it as it makes my face look cakey.

The powder feels so soft and light like SILK! I feel like touching my face sometimes because it's so smooth and soft as if I didn't just put on BB cream and powder on top of it. I read a lot of reviews before buying it because I wanted the best powder for my year 12 ball and I'm proud to say that this powder did the job! I will definitely repurchase it. 

As you can see it - with concealer, BB cream and powder my skin looks so much better! It covers up my horribly large pores and gets rid of the redness and uneven skintone. 


2/5


I bought this also after reading many reviews! The ones I read said that it was a really nice product for combination/oily/acne-prone skin as it covers up blemishes well. I went to my local Priceline pharmacy and bought it because it was on sale but I picked up the fairest one and so it was waayyy too light for my skin. 

Although it is too light, I still use it on my skin but when I first applied it - I noticed that it dries up quickly and so it's really hard to blend it out. It also doesn't really have a smooth texture when it dries up but the texture of the concealer in the bottle is really thick and nice. 

The application is EASY though and grabs a lot of product! The coverage is also really good as well and covers up any dark circles or blemishes really well. 


4/5

I hadn't read any reviews on this concealer but because I bought the Super Stay 24 Hr one first and that was in the wrong colour, I originally wanted to get another Super Stay in a colour that would match my skin tone but it wasn't on sale anymore! So I bought the FitMe Concealer in Medium and I have to say that I'm really impressed!

I read a lot of reviews on the FitMe foundation and they said that it was more suited to dry skin so I thought the concealer would be the same but even though I have oily skin ~ it suits my skin really well!

The texture is creamy and smooth but oilier than Super Stay. It glides and blends with your skin really well and there is a larger variety of colours to choose from! 

I also love the application/bottle as it is easy to use but I have to keep getting more product because the applicator is so small and doesn't grab as much product as I need.

The bottle is so classy ~ I feel like I'm using a Chanel concealer because of it. Maybe it is just me...


3/5

This gel liner is really good and doesn't smudge, stays for a very long time and lots of product is in the bottle. However, it isn't as precise as my liquid eyeliner! Perhaps it is the brush but I find the brush to be so useless that I have to use my own angled brush to apply the gel liner.

The texture is also really smooth but dries quickly! You also have to grab more product to have a dark and perfect line for your eyeliner. It is also extremely hard to do a perfect wing/cat eye with the
brush!

However, the product is really good and there is a lot! The price was also on sale for $15+


Tried to apply it perfectly with the brush provided





Thank you for reading!! Leave questions/comments down below :) I hope this was somewhat helpful! 

[Review] Apple's iPod Nano 7th Generation (Image Heavy)

So, the other day (December 2012) while shopping with my lovely friend, Sarah, I bought the iPod Nano 7th Gen on a whim. It all happened so fast, I didn't even have time to process the fact that I now owned my very first iPod. Yes, that's right. FIRST!

 As it is my first iPod, I won't really have anything to compare it to so just bear with me on this one and assume it's a reviewer's first impression on new technology.

The price wasn't that overpriced on terms for an Apple product (I think) I bought it myself for $150 AUD. It was originally $160 but my friend had a discount card which she let me use. The current iPod Nano I am reviewing is in red/pink and is 16GB which is a lot!

Note: Image Heavy!

Packaging

 I thought the packaging was really cute as it came in a small plastic case and you flipped it to open it up. It came with the earphones and charger and which were neatly tucked inside. There was also an information sheet and the usual Apple stickers and also extra information about the product. I thought it was simple and easy to use. However, I did have some trouble getting the actual nano out of the plastic which protected it but that must have been me being stupid.

Nano and iPod nano package

Design


L to R (clockwise): Side, Top, Button, Bottom of iPod Nano
Back of the Nano
Overall, the packaging is so sleek and modernistic. It really screams APPLEFuturistic21st Century! I bought the one in product red (however, it looks more of a rosy pink to me).

I actually really love this design compared to the previous ones. The 6th generation didn't really appeal to me that much as it was way too small for my liking and didn't look like a music player to me at all. When I first saw this, I fell in love with it. I don't even really mind the white space on the back (for Bluetooth) because I mostly see the screen anyway. 

Everything is so miniature like the charger and the start button that I really find it suitable for me to bring along anywhere where I need my daily dose of music. 

Dislikes

The only thing that I will mention that I dislike is that it is so inconvenient for me to press pause/play or turn the volume up when its down the side of the nano. They actually blend in with the nano and so when I want to pause/play or change the volume - I have to take the nano out because it takes me way too long to shuffle it around my bag/pocket to find which side is the pause/play. 

Another thing is the way I have to take out the entire nano to change the song! I actually do set it as a playlist but I'm one of those people that like changing songs but I just wish there was an easier way to change the song without taking out the entire nano or something. Other than that I'm pretty much content with it.

Music Quality

L to R: The NEW iPod Nano earphones and the Lightning Charger

Listening to Regina Spektor!

I kind of really love the new earphones. They fit perfectly in my ear and direct the music straight into my ears. The negative part of the new earphones is that the earphones MUST only be in the right or left ear - it can't be any other way. So the left earbud must only be in the left ear or otherwise it will be rather uncomfortable! So if I wanted my friend to listen as well, it will be quite difficult. Other than that ~ it's a gem! The quality is so good and makes the music I listen to so much better!

The music app is also quite easy to use and is seperated into so many different sections like podcasts, song, album, artist, genre, Audiobooks etc. You can also shake it to shuffle all the songs which is quite convenient. I also recently discovered that a woman will tell you what song you're listening to when you press near the volume button but I have yet to confirm what button I pressed but it was quite weird!

[Review] Skin79 Absolute Total BB Cream Diamond


The BB cream has triple functions of whitening, anti-wrinkle and more intensively protects exposed skin by blocking UV ray A and B by keeping skin beautiful and healthy through offering brilliance of a diamond and vitality of just blossomed floral. 
This a review on Skin79's Diamon BB Cream which I got along with my Skin79 Super + Beblesh Balm in Pink! I hope you will find this helpful along with the many other reviews on this product. 

I have a combination of oily/normal skin. I especially get really oily in my T-zone and I primarily have teenage skin so keep that in mind as these are my own thoughts and opinions on this product :)


Shiny compact packaging FTW *0*

Pump for more ACTIOn

The actual product

Spreading it out on my skin

Blending out

Blended! Can you tell the difference?

Packaging

3.5/5

The packaging comes in a hot pink cardboard box which I thought was quite nice as opposed to the rather larger packages BB creams come in.

The actual product comes in a pump protected by a hard oxblood coloured, gradient plastic box. The actual product is protected by a metallic tube thing. I really don't know how to explain this but it's 15g . I like how it comes in a pump as it is more hygienic that way but will be rather hard to pump out the excess product once its nearly empty!

Coverage

2/5

The coverage isn't really good compared to my Missha BB Cream or my Skin79 Pink one. It's really light and doesn't even cover up my pores, freckles or my blemishes properly. Usually with my other BB creams you can't see them at all ;_; Guess I'll need to clear up my skin more if I'm going to use this. 

Oil Control

3/5

Not the best but not the worst either! I thought it would be much oilier than that but it's been 3 hours since I applied it and I haven't got an over-oily nose or T-zone...yet! However, I find that it works well with powder and it instantly covers up the oil anyways so that is okay!

Texture

4/5

The texture is really smooth and creamy but light at the same time. It spreads on my skin so smoothly and I really love it a lot as it doesn't feel like anything is on my face at all. It also blends in with my skin really well and I don't have that grey undertone at all that BB creams usually have. 

Overall

3/5

I wouldn't say it's the best but it's definitely not the worst either. It doesn't have enough coverage that's for sure but I love how lightweight it feels on my skin. This is good for me because I find that my Missha BB cream is so heavy and makes me feel like a cake face but this is so lightweight that I can't even feel it and it blends in well with my skin as well! It's almost as if I'm not wearing anything.

However I can't find a specific day I would want to wear this since during Summer it will be too oily and I can't wear it for formals as it doesn't have enough coverage. I would choose my Skin79 for days I need more coverage. So I can't see myself using this product that often.

Would I recommend buying it?

 If you have drier skin, yes. If you want something that's lightweight, yes. If you're a BB cream junkie, hell yeah.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Movie Review by cyndork

So I had the pleasure of seeing 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky this afternoon with my friend, Anaya. I know - I know - the film has been out for more than a month over in America; but it only premiered here in Australia yesterday!

I was sort of disappointed that there weren't as many people in the cinemas as I thought there would be. There were only perhaps 10 people in the room. They all sat in pairs and it was really quiet except for the laugh-able bits in the film.

Anyhoo, the film was great! It definitely represents the novel well and I loved it so much. It covered so many issues and was quite overwhelming towards the end but I loved the use of music/soundtrack to support the scene. As it is a coming-of-age film, I'll compare it to other coming of age films and in that aspect, it does quite well in spreading out topics like drugs, sex, love, friendships, growing up etc.

Logan Lerman really surprised me, as did Ezra Miller. When they were first announced as Charlie and Patrick respectively, I had my doubts but after watching the film - I definitely changed my mind. They WERE Charlie and Patrick. I loved Ezra's version of Patrick, I can definitely picture Patrick like that but maybe a little bit more quirkier. Emma Watson as Sam was also great! I really loved her acting, I couldn't see the Hermione in her at all. I pictured Sam and it was nice. Nina Dobrev also did awesome, after watching the Vampire Diaries the day before and watching POBAW, I have to say that Nina did a great job! Of course, TVD fans already knew that as she plays two different characters Katherine and Elena (spoiler alert?) realistically.

However, I wish some parts of the novel were included. Of course I am aware that a film is a film and a novel is a novel so a whole novel cannot be meshed into one film. Such parts include showing Bill (Mr. Anderson) and Charlie's relationship more, the poem felt like an importance but I'm sure it didn't need to be included, Candace's abortion, Aunt Helen's background about being molested so that the ending would make more sense to people who haven't read the novel! However, many parts of the novel were included in there which I would have too and which I thought were important. One last thing - I wish Charlie cried more because he cried so much in the novel and that they would've shown that Charlie was smart and not only at the beginning of the film.

The quote 'We accept the love we think we deserve' played a huge part in the film.

[Review] Lip Tints ~ Etude House & PeriPera

I did a Lip Tint post here and two years later my love for lip tints are still going strong. Day by day I am discovering more lip tints and falling even more in love with them. However, living in Perth - the only lip tints I could find are ones from Maybelline, Benefit and Revlon and to be honest - the colours didn't look too appealing and the major letdown was how EXPENSIVE they are. They are like $25+ so I couldn't stock up on lip tints after Sportsgirl stopped selling their lip tints. (That lip tint started to smell after a week YUCK!)

So I was really happy when  I stopped by my friend's SINI store/korean store. I found Etude House's Fresh Cherry Tint - not only is the packaging really cute but it smells really nice! However, it is pretty pricey at $18 but definitely a lot cheaper than the other drugstore lip tints. Then, yesterday night my mum and my sister came back from Hong Kong and my sister bought me these PeriPera lip tints! The packaging is just adorable (art by Mari Kim) and I so now I have THREE LIP TINTS!

I am going to do a review on three lip tints with photos of them. I hope you will find this helpful!



Etude House

Source: Etude House




Etude House Fresh Cherry Tint in 02 Fresh Cherry Pink
Application 
4/5

When you first apply it, it feels and looks sticky but once it dries it's matte. I usually apply the tint with the applicator it comes with and then I blend it out with my fingers and even when I do that, my fingers don't go sticky and I don't need to wash my hands after. However, you do need to get more tint as you apply onto your lips as the applicator doesn't pick up a lot of the tint. 
Pigmentation
5/5

The pigmentation is bizarre! It is so pigmented compared to the other PeriPera lip tints. I love the colour so much it is like a sweet cotton candy pink. The colour really pops on your lips but it is natural enough to pass off as your natural lip colour. 

Moisture
3/5
I don't know whether it is my lips that are dry or it is the lip tint that is causing it but it definitely isn't as moisturising as I would like it to be. It doesn't dry out your lips a whole lot but you might need to apply some moisturising lip balm over it to keep your lips from drying out. 

Long Lasting
5/5
It is very long lasting but it does depend on what you do. Such as if you have lunch/dinner obviously the lip tint is going to rub off but I applied it before I picked up my sister/mum and didn't rub the tint off before I slept and the tint was still there in the morning! Which I found was amazing.

Overall
4/5
I find this lip tint so amazing, definitely better than my Sportsgirl one. It also smells really nice like cherries! The packaging is also really pretty. Definitely recommended. Tint looks very natural.



PeriPera

Source: PeriPera
PeriPera Tint Jelly in #01 Cherry Stick
Application 
5/5
It is like a lipstick and glides onto your lips so smoothly and it is so easy to apply with one swipe. It also feels very jelly like and so it doesn't feel like you're applying anything on. The best application out of the three lip tints. THE BEST.

Pigmentation
4/5

I don't really like the colour that much to be honest but it is rather pigmented though not as much as Etude House's one. It's sort of a darker cherry red but looks really natural. Becomes pigmented as the colour gradually settles in on your lips. 

Moisture
5/5
Very moisturising but isn't that sticky and isn't overly glossy/shiny or anything. It looks matte which I love but at the same time very moisturising. 

Long Lasting
5/5
Like most lip tints it is very long lasting. 

Overall
5/5
I really love this product; at first I thought I wouldn't like it but I ended up really loving this one. It is so easy to apply and everything else is just so nice. It kind of smells nice but at the same time it doesn't really. (Idk?! lol) It looks super natural and I love it so much! DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED

When I applied the #1 Cherry Pink it was a bit darker than the colour shown above

PeriPera Tint Balm in #5 Cherry Pink


Application 
2/5
Because of the lip shaped balm in the middle, it is very hard to apply just the jelly balm onto your lips as the moisturising balm as gets onto your fingers as well. So I don't like the lip thing in the middle :(

Pigmentation
3/5

I love the colour so much! It has a really sweet colour but not very pigmented compared to the other ones but it is very buildable. 

Moisture
5/5
Extremely moisturising! Out of the three, it is the most moisturising (it is a balm afterall) but it is a little bit sticky however. Hasn't dried out my lips at all. 

Long Lasting
5/5
Like most lip tints it is very long lasting. I tried rubbing it out with fingers and most of the colour is still there which is really good!

Overall
3/5
This balm has the best packaging ever but the product sort of annoyed me/let me down even though I absolutely adore the colour of the tint. The way to apply it is very annoying and I dropped it twice in the process of opening it as you need to twist it open. The product is also quite sticky and so it doesn't look that natural but some people may like it because of this as it is extremely moisturising.



If you have any other questions please leave a comment below~! I know I haven't covered much and I didn't do swatches or anything but my mum/sister took my camera for their Hong Kong trip and they accidentally left the camera's charger in Hong Kong so now I can't charge my camera :( 

The Great Gatsby

“There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.”
—Nick Caraway, The Great Gatsby
Remember when I posted that I had bought 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald? Well, I finished it last time (actually I finished it at 2 in the morning).


The 2012 The Great Gatsby is coming out in Summer 2013 and Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby with Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan. I actually, whilst reading it, didn't picture Leonardo or Carey as Jay and Daisy. Especially with Nick Carraway - did not picture Tobey Maguire at all! But when I saw the AMAZING trailer, I thought that they suited the characters well. I'm sure they can pull it off and everything - I absolutely adore the setting, the props and the clothes they have. Just beautiful!

 

I honestly thought, before I finished the novella, that 'The Great Gatsby' would be about this guy named Gatsby who was this wonderful business man who did some sort of illegal business to get to this high position. Mind you, but I actually saw the trailer first, and I'm not American - so the Curriculum council didn't tell us to read this as it doesn't apply to our country, which is really a shame as I would have loved to read 'The Great Gatsby' instead of 'Of Mice and Men' as we did last year. They're both great books by the way, I just love The Great Gatsby more because it has romance in it!



Anyways, I thought the novel would just be about Nick Carraway meeting Jay Gatsby and it's set in the Roaring Twenties and it tells us all about how life was back then. I thought that it would be about this mysterious businessman named Gatsby and how the government and police uncover his illegal drug/alcohol business underground and he gets arrested and stuff for it and he's damn rich and holds parties while selling his drugs to people at the party. It would also be about a Jay Gatsby affair with Daisy Buchanan and how they would end up together (sort of like the Titanic). I thought Jay Gatsby would be this rich fellow who was wise, charismatic and just everything a rich person would be like.  That's what I thought it was all about.


Oh - how I was completely wrong and totally off the page (mind the pun)!! This novel made me cry at 2 in the morning! It made me so frustrated, sad, disgusted all at the same time. I couldn't even sleep after finishing it because I was so annoyed. I was so mad at all the characters and empathised for Jay Gatsby and everything was horrible. The novel was brilliant though - it just made you feel so many emotions after. I think I'll read it again tonight or tomorrow or whenever I have the time because I believe the first time you read a book - you receive some sort of magical special-ness and then the more you read it - the more you understand it.

I think I understand what the novel is trying to portray and I think I understand why it didn't get so famous internationally until after the Great Depression and after F. Scott Fitzgerald's death. During the 1920's - the American dream was the main thing. It was the thing to achieve; it was the dream of the Americans and everyone was trying to achieve it - even during the Great Depression. The dream took over their lives, it literally consumed the Americans and Fitzgerald understood the corruption of the dream but others didn't at the time until much later on. I honestly believe this is such a wonderful book and everyone should read it too! I find it fascinating after I read 'Of Mice and Men' and then 'The Great Gatsby' as it completely shows how quickly Americans went from having luxury to absolutely nothing. Completely two different centuries - the 1920's and the 1930's.



I found this link to a Great Gatsby game by the way haha:
The Great Gatsby Game

The Perks of Being a Wallflower


One of those rare blogger moments where you post two posts in one day for your favourite book. (One of my favourite books)

So after half a year of waiting for the movie to come out - the trailer is finally getting released tomorrow at the MTV pre show!!!!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about a wallflower named Charlie and his friends, family and school experiences as a teenager. I won't spoil too much in case you want to read it but I will leave you with few of my favourite quotes from the book. Which is lying right beside me on my bed! I am re-reading it before I watch the trailer and plan to re-read it before I watch the movie!

Charlie, Patrick and Sam
 It's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am the people in the book We accept the love we think we deserve.I feel infinite.'He's a wallflower.'...And in that moment, I swear we were infinite. I am very interested and fascinated by how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other. I really think that everyone should have watercolors, magnetic poetry, and a harmonica. Sam and Patrick looked at me. And I looked at them. And I think they knew. Not anything specific really. They just knew. And I think that's all you can ever ask from a friend. Everyone else is either asleep or having sex. I've been watching cable television and eating jello.


I wasn't sure of the cast at first but then I saw the trailer and was all excited about it and though they suited the characters perfectly. Stephen Chbosky, who is the author of the book, is directing and wrote the screenplay for it so if he interpreted his book this way then I'll accept it! 

I love the book because I can relate to Charlie. I am a wallflower. I also love the characters, the mystery behind it, the humour that I laugh out loud to and just the plot in general. I also love how it makes me feel like I'm actually receiving letters and being brought along with the ride. I just love it and I can't wait to watch the movie. Hopefully it comes to Australia and even if it doesn't, I hope to watch it one way or another. 

The novel is definitely not for everyone, it's a little dark and shows a lot of teenager's lives. People will either love it or hate it - I'm just one of those who love it. 

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."
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