What's Occurring?

The Pages

• Currently reading Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner. So far, so good. 
• I've just finished Tiny Pretty Things by Sonia Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton. It was a little disappointing. I love ballet books and I was looking forward to a diverse cast (which it was) but the story was a bit too melodramatic for my liking. Things just kept happening to this poor girl but there was no build-up or suspense or tension. Perhaps there were too many points of view (there were three I think) and too little space to truly build the plot. I don't think I'll get the sequel (given the ending, I presume there's a sequel). 

The Soundtrack

• I feel like I'm at uni again. Foals and The Maccabees both released new albums and they're both brilliant works. I recommend you take a listen right away. 
• I've been listening to Carrie Underwood a lot too. I love her voice so much - she really tells the story when she sings.
• I also like Justin Bieber's latest singles as well - yeah I said it. 

The Words

• I've started working on my 2012 NaNoWriMo piece again just to kill some time. I might try NaNo again this year but I really just don't think I can keep up with that kind of schedule right now. We shall see...

On Screen

• I missed most of the summer blockbusters (again) but I saw Pitch Perfect 2 (funny) and Fantastic 4 (terrible). Still, there's a lot to see this autumn/winter. Next up is The Martian and then Sicario and later in October, Spectre. 
• Summer TV is what you make it really. I watched a lot of WWE including Total Divas and Tough Enough. Jane the Virgin and The Mindy Project have been running all summer over here. I've also watched/started watching UnREAL, which is brilliant for someone like me who loves gossip blogs and reality shows. I also finished Arrow season 2 (finally). Rookie Blue has become a summer staple for us - this season hasn't been that great but I'm in for the long run I guess. 
• The new television season is upon us. What will you be watching? Of the new stuff, I'm looking forward to: Quantico, The Catch and Heroes Reborn (I might write a longer piece on Heroes actually). As for oldies but goodies: The Amazing Race, Downton Abbey, Empire and loads more. 

Summer Reading Round-up

Well hello again! How have you been - good summer? What have you been reading? I was lucky enough to read some good books this summer - a couple were even great!

Standouts

China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
The sequel to Crazy Rich Asians was even crazier! Absolutely hilarious. There were some genius lines in there and the new characters were off the wall. I'd definitely recommend both of them if you're looking for a laugh and a replacement for Gossip Girl.

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I seemed to have read a few of these 'shoulda/woulda/coulda/what if' books this year but this was definitely one of the best. Taylor Jenkins Reid has a knack for writing really relatable, normal twenty-somethings and as a twenty-something that kind of writing appeals to me.

Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs
Soooo special. These types of YA books only come around once or twice a year. I didn't get to read it when it was published last year but I finally got around to it this summer. It's thought provoking and magical.

Techbitch by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza
I loved this! Definitely one for fans of The Devil Wears Prada. It showed the joys and the problems of modern life and work and highlighted that you don't have to ignore or forget the past to move forward.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Yeah I've only just gotten around to this one, don't judge! Khaled Hosseni is a master storyteller. Lots of writers can write but not all of them can tell a story. I look forward to reading his other books.

What were your standout reads this summer?