Review + Response: Escape Kit by William Thirsk Gaskill

One of the books that I read this year for my 2014 Reading Challenge was Escape Kit by William Thirsk-Gaskill. This is such a great little novella from the publishing group that published my collection of short stories earlier this year. This is the perfect little book to read on a short journey... unless you're sitting across the way from a madman. A young boy on the way to visit his grandparents, on his first ever train ride, is held hostage by a man who believes he is a war refugee. The story is told by several different people involved in the ordeal. The book has been nominated for the Saboteur Award and it'd be great if you could pick up a copy. The Saboteur Awards are TODAY and the results will be announced any minute as I write this. My thoughts are with William - I voted for him. It'd be awesome if you could check out his debut novella.

Click the link below to get a copy for yourself:

Song of the Day: Still I Rise by Carice Van Houten

Today the world lost the wonderful poet, author, educator and activist that was Maya Angelou.

Today I wanted to share a Maya Angelou song and, although I've posted it before, wanted to post it once again today.

Enjoy,

Recommended Reads.

Yes, folks.
It's Wednesday again so it's time for recommended reads, a segment where I give you some things to look at. These are things I've spotted online lately that I feel like sharing with you. They can be anything from news articles to videos, even pictures of Tom Hiddleston.
Why?
Because it's my damn blog.

• Ingeniously designed products that you NEED in your life.
• A photographer has made a beautiful collection of photos and quotes that really made me smile. The photographer went out to each state in America and found people who had rescued an animal from the streets or from shelters and asked them why they rescued their pet. It creates a really beautiful reminder that there's good in the world and how amazing animals can be. Click here to see it.
• 100 Things Pregnant Women Should Never Eat.  Don't let the title fool you, this is a brilliantly fun article.
• Live in the UK? Fancy pampering yourself? Check out these gorgeous bath bombs for sale on Amazon. I've bought them previously and can confirm that they are a lovely slice of luxury. 
• Like food? Well then check out Pimp That Snack!, a website all about creating giant versions of your favourite foods. Take your snacking to the extreme...
• Here's a Daily Mail article called "What your wobbly bits say about you" that talks about how our bodies break down and deal with fat and the various things that make us fat. Whether or not this is true, I'm not sure, but it's worth a read if you're trying to lose weight.
• Oh, and here's a picture of Tom Hiddleston.

May DIY Picks!

So I've done a few of these before, it's a collection of DIY materials. Some are from blog posts or YouTube tutorial videos etc. Either way, the idea is to inspire you to to and make new things because DIY is fun and important.
Here are my picks for the month:

• How to turn old t-shirts into jewellery!
• How to make dip dye, studded shorts!
• How to make organic shampoo and conditioner at home!
• How to make a pro-biotic enzyme salad: a super healthy meal to have in your regular diet that increases immunity, optimises digestion and cleanses the body.
• How to make your own lip balm
• How to market your book!
• How to make quick, vegetarian food at home!

Francisco, you have my gratitude.

It's always important to remember the little things.
Those small blessings, those random acts of kindness, little things can make all the difference.
Yesterday a stranger showed me a little bit of kindness and it made my day much brighter.

I went outside to wait for the bus. I often go out for the bus way early because the bus service in my town is unreliable. Sometimes it comes way early, sometimes it comes way late. It's best to go out early. Of course, I went outside early and within minutes I was caught in the middle of a thunderstorm. The rain was heavy and there was thunder and lightning. It was scary. The horse in the field across from the bus stop came over. She seemed a little distressed by the weather and her owners weren't back home yet to secure her into her paddock. I stood with her as she came over for a cuddle and we waited together.

I got onto the bus when it arrived, late as usual. I had a £20 note to pay for the bus. The only problem was that it was a Scottish £20 note. In the UK it is legal tender and you can use it in England as currency. The bus driver, however, turned around and said that he would not accept it. I told him that other bus drivers have accepted it, that it was legal tender, that I had money for the bus like any other paying customer and the fault lay with him if he chose not to accept it. At this point he tried to tell me to get off of the bus. I explained that I had to get to work. I'd waited in the rain and thunder for about 20 minutes and that I had money for the bus. Everything was prepared. I explained that I'd run around looking for change around the house and that the £20 note was literally all that I had. He started driving saying that he'd drop me off at this little petrol station in the middle of nowhere and leave me to work out what to do. I explained that this would make me late for work. He was really rude saying that he didn't accept that money. I wondered if, since he is Greek, he hadn't encountered them before. I didn't want to be late for work because the next bus was an hour away.

Then a passenger stood up, walked over to the driver, and asked how much my fare was so that he could pay it. I instantly told him that I could not accept such generosity but he insisted. He said that, if he were in that situation, he'd hope that someone would offer to help. He was a pilot coming from the airport. His shiny name badge said "Francisco" and he and I paid for the fare together in the few pennies that we had. As I followed him back to the bus seats I asked if there was anything that I could do to repay him and he said that he just likes doing good deeds. He said he thought such acts make the world a better place.

By the time I got off of the bus, the clouds were passing and the sun was shining a little bit more. I was so thankful for this kind stranger and it reminded me how important it is to do nice things for your fellow human beings. Dear reader, when you're out and about over the next week, do nice things for people around you. Hold doors open for people, offer to help people in need and say nice things to strangers. You so often forget how much little things like that can really mean to someone.

Penny Dreadful: Review + Response

When I first saw the trailer for the new Sky show Penny Dreadful I was delighted. I've recently been reading Le Fanu's "Carmilla" so give me a dash of good old Gothic horror any day of the week. Stylistically, this is exactly the sort of show I'd watch. I sat down, hoping that the show would not disappoint.

I like that this first episode grabbed your attention within the first 60 seconds and automatically sets you up with questions in need of answers. 

Eva Green gave a captivating performance. I personally am a real fan of vampire lore and mythology. I will gladly explore any vampires in literature or on the big screen.

One of the best lines of the season premiere:
"It appears you have an Egyptian man of no particular age who at some point in his indeterminate life span decided to sharpen his teeth and tattooed himself in hieroglyphics and grow an exoskeleton. Or you have something else altogether."


Josh Hartnett plays the handsome gun-slinger, Ethan Chandler. With Vanessa Ives constantly calling him "Mister Chandler" all I could think of was this:

Similarly with all this talk of a Demi Monde all I could think of was the book series by Rod Rees of which I have the first book. Perhaps I should get down to reading that series...

This show is a deliciously dark dive into the Gothic, a genre I feel we'll be forever fascinated with. There were some moments of light humour that acted as little rays of light amongst darkness. Penny Dreadful clashes aristocratic elegance with the drudgery and discomfort of true Victorian urban life whilst lashing in plenty of horror and mystery. I thought that this was a promising start to what could be a great show. I'll certainly be tuning in for the next episode. 

Recommended Reads!

Hello sweetie pie darling...
Yes, that's what we're going with today.
So I'm sure you know what today is.
It's Wednesday.
Sure.
But its also RECOMMENDED READS!
Why did I put that in all caps?
*ahem*
It's a segment where I share with you some things from the internet so that you'll experience them too. Maybe you'll even enjoy them. It's all very exciting, isn't it?

OK, so here are my picks for this week:

• Huffington Post: Why Every Writer Needs An Author Brand
• This is the BEST. BUZZFEED QUIZ. EVER. Just click here and do it. 
• According to The Huffington Post, here are The 18 Most Hipster Books of All Time. I'm sort of thankful to say that I've not actually read any of them. 
• That said, here are apparently some author that we should be reading
• Do you like travel? Do you want the opportunity to travel with others whilst gaining invaluable experiences along the way? Why not check out brilliant travel company Contiki and peruse their website?

Song of the Day: Rise Like A Phoenix by Conchita Wurst

Here is the wonderful 'Rise Like A Phoenix' by Conchita Wurst, the Austrian entry for Eurovision this year. I thought it was the best song of the night. I'm totally loving it.
Enjoy,

Writer's Block.

I have three days off work and I was hoping to get some writing done but I am finding it so hard to write today. No matter how much I want to write I just can't seem to. I sit here, staring at my novel in the open Word Document, type a sentence or two and then find a new distraction.

Maybe it's because I'm tired.
Maybe tomorrow will be easier to write.

Do you have a trick to beating writer's block?
If so, let me know in the comments section for this blog.

Song of the Day: The Rains of Castamere by Sigur Ros

Product Review: Secret Garden Bath Bomb from Lush Cosmetics

It's not a secret: I love a good bath and if I'm having a bath I go all out.
I'll be adding bath salts, I'll add bath oils and I always love to add a bath bomb. Bath bombs make things colourful and fun.

Last night I tried out the Secret Garden bath bomb from the wonderful Lush Cosmetics. It's a bright green little number with a pink flower printed on it. With ingredients like sweet wild orange oil, rosewood oil and gardenia extract this is a fun, floral explosion. As the bath bomb fizzles down it releases real flower petals: rose petals, marigold petals... It's a little luxury that welcomes you into spring or summer in style.

This is a little more subtle than some other Lush bath bombs: it has a light fragrance with no glitter inside. It features a lot of natural oils that release a soothing scent which makes for a calming bath time. This is a bath bomb to balance your mood out at the end of a long, Summer day.

Song of the Day: Endparty by Lestat

Song of the Day: Strangers Like Me by Phil Collins

"Whatever you do, I'll do it too

Show me everything and tell me how

It all means something

And yet nothing to me

I can see there's so much to learn

It's all so close and yet so far

I see myself as people see me

Oh, I just know there's something bigger out there"

Recommended Reads

Well, campers, you know what time it is...
It's Wednesday which means it's time for recommended reads: our weekly segment where I recommend a few cool things from around the internet in a quick, bite-size list. The idea is that, in sharing them, maybe they'll show you a few cool things that you'll enjoy too.

Here are my picks for this week:

• Here are some amazing cakes inspired by famous books.
• Also, check out these 23 amazing literary love tattoos. Some of these tattoos are seriously cute. Also here are a bunch of tattoos for Disney fanatics.
• 15 Things A Writer Should Never Do
• Oh fuck it. Let's continue with the tattoo theme. One of my favourite tattoo trends is watercolour tattoos so here's a collection of gorgeous watercolour inkings.
• Are you a Game of Thrones fan? Pyrrha has some brilliant Game of Thrones inspired jewellery items that you should check out. 

Song of the Day: Three Small Words by Letters to Cleo

"Ten ticket thrill ride
Don't you wanna come inside?
A five star triple threat
Hardest of the hard to get
No one's little red Corvette
Ain't seen nothing like me yet."

Writing Challenge.

So I've been writing a lot lately and really trying to work on my novel.
It's a new one that I started. I know. I'm awful.

I may set myself the challenge of trying to finish the first draft of the novel by my anniversary. My partner and I will be celebrating our anniversary on the 23rd of July. That would mean I'd have a further six months to re-draft and

This gives me about ten and a half weeks to finish the novel. I can tell you that it's a supernatural horror and it's apparently based on true events. I've done some reading and some research and things are slowly starting to fall into place. I decided to step in and fictionalise things. This could be the novel that I finish this year.

Song of the Day: The Rains of Castamere

Motivational Monday: 9 Famous People Who Will Inspire You To Never Give Up

Need something to make you feel uplifted today?

Then click here for a list of 9 Famous People who will inspire you to never give up with information from their own inspirational stories of things they overcame to be where they are now. If you relate to them then perhaps one day you'll find the success that you seek.

You too can work towards your own bright and positive future no matter what you're been through.

Thorpe Park Trip, 8/5/2014

I went to Thorpe Park this week with all of my work colleagues. It was great because we earned it from our sales over the Christmas period so it was technically our Christmas party. It was also completely free. The company paid for the whole day. I'd never been to Thorpe Park so it was a really fun day. I'd been to Disneyland before (Florida and Paris) and I'd also been to Chessingtons but that was it. I had a great deal of fun. Some of my favourite rides were Tidal Wave and Colossus.

Tidal Wave became my absolute favourite. I love that stomach-lurch moment as the boat goes over and you hurtle towards the ground.

The only bad point of the day was the food. As a pescetarian I couldn't exactly eat at KFC or Burger King. I ended up at a noodle bar and there was only one meat free option that was stupidly expensive and the noodles were severely under cooked. All in all it was a great day and I cannot wait to return with my partner.

Song of the Day: West Coast by Lana Del Rey

"Down on the West Coast they got a sayin'
"If you're not drinkin' then you're not playin'.""

Song of the Day: Mhysa by Ramin Djawadi

Eurovision Live Blog!

I know, I know. Live blogs can be a little dull but oh well, that's what you're getting.
I had to write something for this week. I'm just going to write my thoughts as they occur whilst

watching The Eurovision Song Contest and, when done, post them immediately. I really enjoy Eurovision. It's fun to see what different countries put forwards and to sample lots of different music. My favourite Eurovision acts in recent years have been Loreen, Emmelie De Forest and Anouk.

I loved Emmelie De Forest last year. I genuinely adore the song 'Only Teardrops' and can't wait to hear it later this evening.

I'm liking the building and general set design. I've performed in big European music competitions in buildings like this and I can tell you that the energy at such an event is brilliant.

Hmmm... Poland looks interesting. Loving the costumes. The contestants from Greece look great. YAY! CONCHITA WURST! I think already that Conchita Wurst could win this year. France looks like a weird new LMFAO.

Oh wow, are we going last? I've not heard the UK song entry. I know nothing about the singer, Molly.

I feel so sorry for the people who have to clean all that confetti tomorrow...

I wonder if other countries have the same level of sassy commentary that we're getting here in the UK from Graham Norton.

Oh wow, did Ireland not make it in this year?
Did they put Jedward forward as their act again?

So first, it's Ukraine. An interesting political move would be for all countries to rally together and vote for Ukraine to win. This is a decent song, the singer is wearing a great dress. I actually want that dress and a giant wind machine to walk fabulously wherever I go. I could tolerate this song if I was out in the club.

Song number two from Belarus is called... Cheesecake.
Really? That's the name? Am I missing something?
Ten points for obscure Patrick Swayze reference. Oh wow, this song is so cheesy that the title makes so much sense. God, make it stop. I can't take it. Oh, that choreography. So bouncy. I can't....

Ok, now for Azerbaijan. The song, Start A Fire, hardly sizzled. I liked the cathedral window effects behind them but I can guarantee you that, although it's a pretty song, I'll forget it within five minutes.

Now comes the song No Prejudice from Pollaponk, the entry from Iceland. Apparently a politician will be on stage. I'm loving the rockabilly style and Tellytubby/Wiggles colour co-ordination like a United Colours of Benetton advert. It's like an anti-hate song for toddlers and for that reason I appreciate it... What's the bloke at the back in purple doing? Awh, this is actually kinda cute. They have my approval. They're cheesy but I like it. It's a yes from me.

Now for Norway with a song called Silent Storm. Oh, here comes a ballad. No, man. This is harshing my uber happy, post-Pollaponk vibe. This song is okay. In fact I could imagine this being really popular and hearing it on UK radio. I love what the violinists are wearing. This song is okay, it just isn't the sort of thing that I normally like.

Now for the song Miracle, the entry from Romania. "I got a feeling" - No sir, you're not the Black Eyed Peas. There are lots of hand gesture based dance moves here. I'm liking the big circular piano. I think that's the only good thing about the Romanian entry. I liked the moment where they both sang whilst having a bit of a hug.

Ok. Time for Armenia. The singer looks a little bit like Jeff Goldblum. Okay, I'm bored. Even the audience are still like they're bored.With his hands up and the white design behind him it feels reminiscent of Frozen. BAM! Here we go, things got a little bit more interesting. Shame it's still not a great song. I definitely didn't enjoy that.

On to Montenegro. The roller skater is more interesting than the actual performance. Again, a fairly dull tune. The set design is quite pretty.

Up next is Poland. The song is called "My Slovenia - We Are Slavic"
Oh wow, the costumes. Ha! This is interesting. I love the blend of classic costumes with a contemporary twist. I love the girl power vibe. I don't know what they're singing about but it sounds good. Casual, sexual milk churning going on there...

Now for Greece with the song "Rise Up", and I'm loving their pre-song video with their shell based flag design.

Time for Conchita Wurst, talk of the town and potential winner. It's the song entry from Austria and the song is called Rise Like A Phoenix. I could see this becoming a great European trans anthem. I hope queers around Europe make this song a success. You can hear people singing in the crowd. The song is clearly popular. This song is actually pretty fucking good. It echoes this sense of real strength. This is such a wonderful moment in Eurovision history to help boost trans visibility. That was my favourite song so far.

Now here's Germany with a song called "Is It Right" and it involves an accordion so I'm going to say that it probably isn't right. The singer looks like a mix between Jessie J and Kandee Johnson. The song is okay, I guess. Not the best, not the worst.

Ehh, I stopped paying attention and now we're on to the entry from Sweden. I'm loving the dress and the song isn't too bad so far. It's not a bad song.

Now for France with their crazy hipster band. I've no idea what their song is like so this will be fun. The song is called Moustache by the band Twin Twin. Apparently it's about a man who has everything but can't grow a moustache. This is one of the moments where you realise how fucking crazy this whole Eurovision thing is. What even is this nonsense...

Now for more twins, but these twins are from Russia and are singing a song called Shine. I like the intertwined hair, it's kind of quirky. It's a fairly good song but politically Russia is a difficult one to vote for this year. It's funny that they have a song about brining love and being strong when, as a country, they've been responsible for some really shitty stuff in 2014. Like they're singing a song telling us to show some love... Am I the only one finding this awkward?

Now for Italy. I'm loving the rock vibe. I'm loving the costumes. This is actually a pretty good entry even though I don't know what they're singing about. This is one of my favourites for the night. This song is great because it stands out.

Now time for Round and Round from Slovenia. OH YES, YOU PLAY THAT FLUTE. The dress is pretty nice. As you can see I'm all about the outfits and the singer is wearing a killer blue dress with a hint of glitter. Great song. I really enjoyed that.

Now for Something Better from Finland. They are apparently the only boy band in the competition. My first impression in the first 30 seconds are that it's an okay song. I can hear it being used in the trailer for some film about young people on an adventure. I actually really like this. I'm not sure it will be one of my favourites of the night but it's pretty good.

Alrighty, now for Dancing In The Rain from Ruth Lorenzo who is representing Spain. She came close to winning the X Factor in the UK and the song is apparently reminiscent of her time in the UK. It sets off to a beautiful start and Ruth clearly has a gorgeous voice. The song was a bit repetitive and I feel that such a strong voice was wasted on such a song. Her voice could have been showcased so much better.

So next we're on to Switzerland for the interestingly titled Hunting for Stars. There's whistling and the singer has giant, baby eyes. This song is really quirky. I mean there's a banjo involved here. I'm not sure what I feel about it.

So now we're going to the entry from Hungary with a song called Running. The song is kind of bland. The dancers are pretty good. In fact, the song isn't bad. It's just not the kind of thing I like that much. This song could enter the UK charts. I can imagine this on the UK radio.

Now for Malta... ooh, this is exciting. The song is off to a good start. Wow wow wow, I really like this song.

The title "Cliche Love Song" totally has my attention on the Denmark entry. Oh, there's scatting... Bit too boppy for me.

Up next it's a song from the Netherlands. Last year they were represented by the wonderful Anouk. Man, I wish I was from the Netherlands. The accent is so cute. I actually quite like this song. It has a nice stylistic edge and stands out. I do kinda wish that there were acts a little less scared to be out there. I mean, we had fucking LORDI win one year. We're not afraid to be a little different.

Okay gang, here we go. It's time for Molly from the UK. The song is called Children Of The Universe. I've not heard it before. Ten seconds in and I'm liking it. It has a bit of a Florence and the Machine vibe. Oh my goodness, I actually really like this. Could we potentially win with this song? It feels like a winner? This is the brilliant counterpart to Russia's entry. After everything that has been going on in Europe lately, it feels like a great response.

Now for San Marino with an interesting Birth of Venus style layout.
Can you get penalised for using the song "maybe" too many times in one song?
This is just like weird, amateur poetry.

So my favourites this evening were Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Finland, Malta and the UK.
Iceland were fun too.

I can't wait to hear Emmelie De Forest sing.

Ha! I can't believe they called Graham out on making fun of the commentator and actually gave him a little moment on screen. 
"It's like the gay wedding I'll never have,"

What is this glowing ladder bullshit? Get Emmelie on now and stop this embarrassing charade. All of these songs being played to give people time to vote are silly.

Also why the hell did Ylvis not represent Norway?
They could have won by doing that...

Anywho... I think I'll maybe sign off for now. I've given my thoughts on every act. My favourite song of tonight was Conchita Wurst with Rise Like A Phoenix. My second choice is the UK entry followed by the Italian entry.

It's been a good night but not as weird as previous Eurovision competitions.
I just hope I never hear that Cheesecake song again...

MRI

Today I had to have an MRI scan. I needed it to finally figure out what's wrong with my knee and why it's not healing. It's possibly a meniscal tear. It'll probably require a small surgery to fix. I'm not sure yet but I'll find out soon. After a year and a half since the first injury I'd just love to have a final answer. Being in the MRI machine made me very, very anxious. I got very claustrophobic. It probably didn't help that I couldn't stop thinking of that scene from Prometheus.

Song of the Day: Libera Me from the Interview with the Vampire soundtrack

Song of the Day: Emily by Carice Van Houten

"I guess you know where this is going.
You better tell me now to stop...
Did he kiss you?"

7 Trips To Take By Yourself

So I just watched this video and suddenly feel so uplifted.
The video, entitled '7 Trips You Should Take Alone', discusses ways to travel all by yourself and still have fun. It reminds us that travel is about experiencing things and that you don't need friends to accompany you.
If you want to travel, just go.

Recommended Reads!

Oh hey, you.
How are you?
You're looking good today.
Are you here for recommended reads?
I bet you are.
If you don't know what that is, it's a segment on the blog that I do where I share with you some cool things I've seen around the internet lately. My hopes are that you'll enjoy them too.
Here are my picks for the week.
Enjoy:

• Brutally honest Disney posters.
• This one's a little sad. Two years after losing his wife, a man recreates his wedding photos with their young daughter. This serves as such a beautiful testament to their love and reminds us that we remember those we love when they're gone. 
• So... if you, like me, like shopping but staying totally on budget then you'll be pleased to know that eBay does daily deals on clothing items. Click here to check out the deals of the day!
• 15 deleted Harry Potter scenes that will give you the feels.
• 16 Major Perks To Being A Book Lover

Song of the Day: Still I Rise by Carice Van Houten

"Does my sassiness upset you? 

Why are you beset with gloom? 

'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I'll rise."

Song of the Day: The Bear and the Maiden Fair by Tall Like Tyrion

"The bear,
The bear
Lifted her high into the air,"

Write.

Lately I've been writing as much as possible. With a job it makes it harder to get anything written but I've been writing to NaNoWriMo standards of almost 1666 words per day. I hope to have up to 10,000 words by the end of the day.
 I'm so determined to finish my first novel by the end of the year.

Have you been writing lately?

YET ANOTHER PAY DAY BOOK HAUL

So as you all know, I appreciate books quite a bit. Over the past month and a half I've bought a few books so I thought I'd do a brief updated book haul of books I've bought from March 13th onwards. Here are some of the books I've treated myself to:

• Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
• Escape Kit by William Thirsk Gaskill
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Allegiant by Veronica Roth
• Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence 
• The Heavens Rise by Christopher Rice
• Angelfall by Susan Ee

Of the books above I've only read Escape Kit thus far. I've started on Fahrenheit 451. I gave Divergent and Allegiant to my sister and will hopefully read them once she's finished with them. I promised to buy the books for her if she did well and studied for her exams. I'm really excited to read Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu because it feels like one of those books that I simply have to read in my life. Already I'm thinking of doing a big project around this particular book. I've actually tried to cut down on the amount of books that I buy, but most of these books were under £3 so that's an expense that I can justify. I'm hoping that I'll get through most of these books by the end of the year so that I may count them as part of my 2014 reading challenge.

Song of the Day: Time and Space by The Cinematic Orchestra

"Every soul 

comes to this earth
carried on angels wings
to human birth.
Born of love
or born of hate
each one is heaven sent 

to human fate."

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

Many of you may not know this but today is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!
It is... exactly what it sounds like.

Every year on the first Saturday in May participating comic book shops across the world will give away certain comic book titles for free (whilst stocks last)
Click here for the list of titles that will be free this year. There are loads of great comics in there for kids so if you have kids then this is a great way to get them into comic books. There's a Guardians of the Galaxy comic in there which would be great to pick up ahead of the release of the film. There's a really great selection on offer this year so there should be something for everyone.
To find out if your local comic book store is taking part, or to find your nearest comic book store, click here for the comic book store locator. 

Song of the Day: Pure As Snow by Mono

I found this on YouTube lately.
It's just a nice little instrumental piece but it makes for good background music when you've much to think about. 

Enjoy,

Silver Linings Search: April

So this is my fourth month doing this. The idea is to record nice things that happened in the month because it's important to remember that good things do happen, even if they're little things. Those little things can add up to big happiness.
Here are some little things that made me happy in the month of April:

• From the 3rd of April until the 5th, I had a glorious 3 days off. A three day rest was just what I needed.
• I started to look at graduate jobs. I've enjoyed my current job, I've gained a lot from it, but it was always going to be a temporary thing. As I write this I'm currently eyeing up a position as a university librarian. I've been a librarian before. I'd love to be a librarian again. It's quiet work, surrounded by books... 
• I finally got to see a doctor about my knee and he actually took it seriously unlike the last prick of a doctor I had to deal with. 
• I did a lot of gardening. There was one day, a day I had off work, where I just sat in the garden in the sunshine with a beer in my hand. I've planted lots of lovely flowers: lobelia, aster etc. I've planted four different kinds of pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers. We're going to be growing an entire salad bar at this rate. I've found that gardening is truly calming. 
• I won a big sales competition at work, ahead of the best seller and it looks like I'm about the win another. Work hooked me up with a wonderful meal for two. My partner and I each had a full three course meal and left the restaurant without having spent a penny which was a wonderful feeling - such a gorgeous meal too. 
• My Dad does little adorable things sometimes. He's not the most outspoken person when it comes to his emotions, he won't come up to you and tell you that he loves you, but he shows it in his own ways. Like, yesterday he bought me peanut M&Ms because he knows they're my favourite. If I'm unwell he'll make me a hot water bottle and wrap me in a blanket. It makes me smile.
• My boss gave me an Easter Egg as I was leaving one day. We all got one as a thank you from the company. 
• I applied to some new jobs with more confidence than ever before.
• I won an Easter Egg at work at our last meeting for my superior film knowledge
• It may seem like a little thing but on the 6th, I had a wonderful bath with a gorgeous bath bomb from Lush Cosmetics and I curled up, the room lit with candles, and listened to The Vampire Armand on audiobook. It was so relaxing, it left my skin smooth and my hair in curls. Little moments of relaxation like that make life a little easier. 
• On the 7th of April I stayed up until 2am to watch the season 4 premiere of Game of Thrones. I was so happy for the return of my favourite show. 
• I got to see the wonderful Within Temptation. The last time I saw this band live was probably around 2011. They were awesome as always and it gave me a chance to meet up with friends old and new. 
• My Dad and I had a day in London: we went to a Harlan Coben book signing, wandered around Camden and ate foods from all around the world: Japan, Iran, Italy - it was wonderful!
• My sister and my partner spent some quality time together which was all kinds of heart-warming. There's something really nice about the people you love loving each other and being good friends.
• Some baby chicks hatched out on the home farm: on the first day three chicks hatched out with a fourth still pipping through her shell. Within two days we had seven beautiful baby chicks. They're all different breeds so it shall create a wonderful variety of chickens. Here's hoping they're all hens!

April was a decent month. I didn't do VEDA or Camp NaNoWriMo as expected but I'm sure the month of May will be just as positive and productive.