From books to beauty….

So today I decided to be bold and to try something new. Don’t fret I will never get rid of my books. I know I have been slack of late but all will be resumed – there will be more actual book reviews back here but today I turn to beauty.

Now I won’t ever call myself a beauty blogger. I’m far too lazy for that title and I don’t have many routines. What I will say is that if this post works there could be more of these…so watch this space. 

Anyone who knows me knows I love Lush I’m addicted to their gorgeousness, which means anyone who knows me knows I truly love Snow Fairy – a Lush product that always comes in time for Christmas. 

Because of that I try and stock up as much as I can and this year I will be attending the Boxing Day sale – as the past few years the online sale has been rather disappointing.

Last Sunday I met up with a very good friend who also shares the love of all things Lush. We met on Oxford Street where they have their concept store – to our delight when we entered there was wall to wall Christmas. It’s not even October….and SNOW FAIRY is back in so many new forms I was like 😳. I knew that I would definitely leave with SNOW FAIRY but what??? Seeing as there was so much choice.

I left with two Snow Fairy bath bombs as I knew my niece would want one and a Snow Fairy naked shower gel which is one of the other new forms. I was distracted by all the Snow Fairy goodness so it took me a while to decide and I have only tried the bath bomb which was just as good as I expected. The gel inside it made the bath slippery and smooth it’s made my skin feel clear and silky smooth. As the days get colder I really could do with having loads of this to keep my skin hydrated and smooth like in the months when the sun is shining. 

You can find the Christmas goodies Here there’s a number of Pumpkin based products that I’m itching to try. 

Today was my well needed day off I have had a beautifully chilled day, which has been productive as my ankle feels loads better. I have managed to catch up on some TV and have a Lush bath….whilst listening to a book….I finally sampled my Snow Fairy bath bomb – my niece used hers the other night and she truly loved the smell the look it created in the bath and how it made her skin feel and I have to agree with her on those points. 

As you can see I was trying to get differing pictures of Snow Fairy in action so during this bath I didn’t totally get the fizzing feeling as I wasn’t in the bath but I cannot wait to get more of these for those cold winter nights….

Now I would love to know what you think of my Lush based post and whether you would like to see product reviews like this from me again….

Box Subscriptions

So today I want to talk about box subscriptions. 

A good friend of mine sent me a link to http://www.bookandabrew.com/ and it’s got me intrigued although I feel like my reading has hit a slump. Although I think Rosie Blake is getting me out of my slump so I hope to have a few actual reviews in the coming days/ weeks.

I love the fact it’s a bit of a lucky dip and I adore the idea of trying various gorgeous teas – obviously I would be reviewing both if I get one. 

At present the only form of subscription I have is Netflix LOL and Audible. At present I don’t feel like I’m getting the most out of my Audible when I was walking to work I was smashing my reading. 

So the purpose of this post is have you tried a Book and a Brew if so I want a review. Or is there another bookish box you have and please can I have a detailed description.

Friend Friday welcome Erica….

So today sees the second #FriendFriday here at Hayley Reviews and today I welcome Erica….

1.How do you know me?

We met through Twitter. 

2.Have we met in real life?
Negative 😦 

3.What is your bookish inspiration?
I have a number of bookish inspirational accounts. Just a few include:

For book blogging: Alicia of A Kernel of Nonsense- https://akernelofnonsense.wordpress.com

For bookstagram: readingwithkat- https://www.instagram.com/readingwithkat/

For booktube: Kelsey Lee Reads- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCF6Hs1Hgg0Xacj0xvu9v0g

4.What is your favourite book and why? (I know this won’t be an easy ask so you can list more than one)
My automatic answer here is The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. This book had such an impact on me the first time I read it, and now it is the book I have re-read the most. 

5. What book got you into reading?
For as long as I can remember, I have always been a reader. The very first book I have any memory of reading is Corduroy by Don Freeman. 

6. What is your fave series and why?
I have to go with Harry Potter. This series is just so timeless and it is so easy to get totally lost in the story.

7. Favourite authors and why?
Michael Crichton. I haven’t read a single book by him that I didn’t love!

8. Tell us a bit about you and your blog?
I started my book blog in December of 2016 and have been going strong ever since! I’m so excited to reach my one year mark. On my blog, I post book reviews, comic and graphic novel reviews, book tags, favorites lists, bookish discussions, and other bookish related things. 

9. What’s your favourite colour?
Currently it is mint green, but it changes all the time.

10. Here’s your chance to tell us all a bit about the last book you read and your thoughts?
The last book that I read and loved was Here and Gone by Haylen Beck. It’s a suspense novel that is sure to get your heart pounding! I thought that the premise was incredibly spooky because it was so realistic. I highly recommend giving it a read if you like thrillers! 

Thank you Erica for joining me on this Autumnal looking Friday ooooh that Thriller sounds fab 😉 

Also if you want to answer my questions and share your blog and bookish inspiration then feel free to get in touch.

Wandering Wednesday…short and sweet..

So sorry that I have been quiet my reading has hit a slump but I’m doing what I can to try and change that. 

So I wanted to talk to you briefly about something that will feature over the next coming Wednesday’s.

I found this treat when I was looking after the Blackheath store and I just had to buy it. It’s a series of classics that were written in and about New Orleans. A place that I still long to visit so come next Wednesday I hope to have read a few of these stories and I can share my thoughts then….

Until next time…

Thursday Thoughts….

Good evening beautiful people. I hope you have had a good day. I promise to get more reviews on here as well as my thoughts and memes. You may well be lucky enough to get two posts from me tomorrow a review and my second Friend Friday. If anyone else wants to jump on that do give me a shout. 

I haven’t been a happy bunny lately and I’m pretty sure I have already mentioned this. Although the physio gave me hope last week and I’m feeling optimistic re regaining a fully working ankle. Anyway the moral of my ramblings are….

Just a few beautiful quotes I found yup I did just find them. I was covering a different store today and I found a beauty of a book that may well feature in Wandering Wednesday. I have been trying to resist in buying books but as this wasn’t my usual haunt and it’s featuring a place I long to visit it had to be done.

Take it easy this Thursday…until next time…

It’s Wandering Wednesday….where am I taking you.

Happy Hump Day. Here at Hayley Reviews it’s Wandering Wednesday, yes it’s back so sorry for the lack of Wanderlust Wednesday’s. 

So sorry for the delay I actually started typing this on my bus to work but it’s been a super hectic day, once again. 

At the moment I’m not the happiest bunny and that makes me wander….it’s starting to get cold in London Town the only plus side to that is Pumpkin Spice lattes and good old Irish Coffees….

From Irish Coffee it brings me onto what I will talk about now. I have been a lover of Ireland since I was small, always longing to visit and devouring holiday brochures. Often using the Emerald Isle as my subject for school projects. From a young age I had lusted over visiting the Blarney Stone.

In November of 2015 that dream became a reality. I went over to Cork to see a Derek Ryan gig – which was out of this world I love a good old acoustic set it blew my mind. What also made me smile was how lovely people were. I went out alone but I didn’t feel lonely. 

While I was there I was determined despite the rain to climb to the top of the Blarney Stone and kiss it and make my wish…I’m not scared of heights not really but it’s a weird feeling when you get to the top and as you dangle over and kiss the stone – it’s an adrenaline rush like being on a rollercoaster. 

As it was the lead up to Christmas I couldn’t resist taking a pic of this Christmas tree in the middle of the shopping area. 

Seeing as I went over to see the lovely Derek Ryan I thought I would include him.

The gig was at the beautiful Ballymaloe Grainstore just outside of Cork. 

I’ve been to Cork a few times but actually getting to the Blarney Stone was a special solo event and I loved every single second of it. 

If there’s anything you would like to see on my blog or specifically on Wandering Wednesday then please do get in touch. 

Blog Tour: Deadly Burial By Jon Richter

Today Hayley Reviews welcomes Jon Richter and his latest novel Deadly Burial. I was hoping to have my review up today but it hasn’t happened just yet but I’m so excited to read this one. Here’s the lowdown….

Blurb for Deadly Burial:

When DI Chris Sigurdsson is assigned a grisly murder case on remote Salvation Island, he knows that it might be his strangest yet.

A forgotten wrestling star of the 1980s has been poisoned whilst in the ring, and amidst the slippery lies of his dangerous opponents, unravelling the victim’s murky past is almost impossible.

And as a storm threatens to cut Salvation Island off from the mainland, the race is on for Sigurdsson to find the ruthless killer before he strikes again…

You can grab a copy from Amazon at the following link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deadly-Burial-Jon-Richter-ebook/dp/B01MXDDP6A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494447869&sr=8-1&keywords=jon+richter+deadly+burial

 The shortened ‘Bitly’ version is as follows:

 http://amzn.to/2q6Dkkc

Author bio and links:

Jon Richter lives in London and spends most of his time hiding in the guise of his sinister alter ego, an accountant called Dave. When he isn’t counting beans, he is a self-confessed nerd who loves books, films and video games – basically any way to tell a good story. Jon writes whenever he can and hopes to bring you more disturbing stories in the very near future. If you want to chat to him about this, or about anything at all, you can find him on Twitter @RichterWrites, or at his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/richterwrites2.

The review will follow as soon as possible… 

Friend Friday….welcome Anna….

So here is the elusive Friend Friday.. thank you Anna and Erica for being my first replies. This is my newest meme, that I hope will bring bloggers closer together. It’s a work in progress….

Today I welcome Anna to Hayley Reviews….over to Anna….

1.How do you know me? I started following you on Twitter and found your blog like that!

2.Have we met in real life?
Not that I’m aware of…

3.What is your bookish inspiration?
My big motivation for reading is to learn everything there is to know and to read everything that’s ever been published. I know it’s not gonna happen, but that thought is what inspires me to keep reading. And I think Lemony Snicket summed up my feelings pretty well: 

4.What is your favourite book and why? (I know this won’t be an easy ask so you can list more than one)

I have SO MANY favorites, but the book I’ve probably read the most is Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It’s the kind of book that changed my life – it helped influence what I studied in college, it informed my understanding of what it means to be intelligent, it helped me put the world in a new perspective. This is a book that everyone should read in my opinion. I’ve probably read it at least five times. 

5. What book got you into reading?
Redwall (Redwall, #1)

Redwall by Brian Jacques was probably the first series I obsessively read without my parents pushing them on me. I’ve always been a reader (and was raised my readers), but this series was my first independent read and it changed the way I approached books and sought them out.

6. What is your fave series and why?

My favorite series changes depending on my mood, my current reads, my nostalgia levels, etc, but lately, my favorite series has been Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn books. There are six books in the series so far and in every book, I’ve found characters that I love and relate to and excellent fantasy stories (even some wild west steampunky fantasy in the latest few books). I adore the intricacy of the magic system and the depth of the characters.

7. Favourite authors and why?
This is difficult to narrow down – My Goodreads says I’ve read Brandon Sanderson the most (which makes sense) and Lemony Snicket, Neal Shusterman, and Roald Dahl aren’t far behind. However, lately, I’ve been reading a lot of Stephen King, Garth Nix, and Orson Scott Card, so they might be my current favorites.

8. Tell us a bit about you and your blog?

My blog, The Bibliotaph (http://bibliotaphbooks.blogspot.com) is my way of pushing myself to write about the things I read. I’m trying to lean more towards SFF books on the blog, but then I’ll read something fascinating that’s completely unrelated and I feel the need to include it. Maybe I’ll narrow down my focus eventually….

As for me, I’m a dedicated reader who loves herbal tea, mix CDs, snowboarding, and goats. I try (often in vain) to bring my interests together on my blog in a way that makes sense. I headed back to school over the summer, so I’m excited to see what new books and learning opportunities school will offer my in the coming months.

9. What’s your favourite colour?
YELLOW. It’s just so happy and bright and beautiful:)

10. Here’s your chance to tell us all a bit about the last book you read and your thoughts?

I just finished Hunger by Roxane Gay and it’s a beautiful read. It’s very thoughtful and honest and that was refreshing for me. I’ll probably suggest it to my book club. 

If you want to get involved drop me a line? And be sure to follow Anna’s blog.

Team Sparkly the secret is out….

If you don’t know what I’m talking about then check out my Twitter www.twitter.com/HayleyTOfficial or any of Miranda Dickinson’s social media…..

#TeamSparkly which I’m a sprinkle of have been dropping hints about Miranda’s secret and today at 5pm she broke the news she’s written a Christmas Novella Christmas in St Ives… how gorgeous is this cover….I may have known about the novella but I hadn’t seen this gorgeous cover. 

You can pre-order it here for an awesome £1.59 cheaper than a cup of coffee. It’s out on 19th October 2017 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B075F24ZCD/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1504804808&sr=8-13&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=miranda+dickinson 

If that’s not enough to get you pre-ordering here’s the blurb.

Heartbroken Cerrie Austin is doing her best to hold it together in the run up to Christmas. Not easy when her cheating ex works in the same school and everyone’s eyes are on her. The last thing she needs is a new teacher meddling in her beloved nativity play, even if he is charming, handsome and a talented musician. The Christmas performance is her pride and joy, and she won’t be undermined.

Seren McArthur has recently returned to her Cornish hometown and is enjoying being close to her family and her oldest friends again. St Ives is at its most magical at Christmas, with fairy lights and tinsel in every shop window, tempting locals and holidaymakers alike as they pick up gifts. But an exciting opportunity is just around the corner: will she stay or will she go?

Meanwhile, the St Ives Christmas celebrations are in crisis: plans for a giant lantern parade through the starlit streets have ground to a halt. As the snow starts to fall, can Cerrie, Seren and their friends Kieran and Aggie rally around in time to save the big day?

Christmas in St Ives is a charming novella that introduces you to the characters from Miranda Dickinson’s upcoming novel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea. Available for preorder now!

So what are you waiting for…..if you want more I will be on my YouTube channel later to chat #TeamSparkly…

It’s post 100….

So today is a special day at Hayley Reviews and I have tried to do something a bit different for you. 

So here it is https://youtu.be/lSqW5qDBX0M

Anyone whose a dab hand at editing let me know what I should be doing. Also if there is anything you would like to see give me a shout. Next update will be for #TeamSparkly on Thursday. 

Who wants to win those beautiful books by RedDoor publishing….

I want to hear from you….