Goji Camera Bag

A while ago I tweeted about how difficult it is to find a decent camera bag. I had been on the look out for one which wasn't huge and had a bit of style to it, I didn't want to look like an intrepid reporter, I simply wanted a small bag to carry my camera and a lens around in. You would think that this wouldn't be so much to ask, but it seems that if you are in the habit of using a system camera (be it a DSLR or a Compact system camera) you will want to be carrying all of your lenses around at all time so will need to look like a tortoise. Well I would like to say a big "not true camera bag makers!" I have been using my sister's DSLR while she has been at uni, and I carry it around with the kit lens, thats all, and it has been doing fine.

I myself am in the market for a CSC at some point, I like that there isn't a big old mirror to break in them, and have been looking for a little bag that will keep my sisters camera safe for now and be perfect for when I get a CSC. I spent ages trying to find a bag that didn't look too manly, but equally wasn't a handbag with a camera storage compartment, I still wanted a good dose of practicality. Another factor I was considering was price, I really love the Billingham Hadley, but I wasn't willing to cough up that much money when I haven't even got the camera I want yet.

Eventually I came across this one by Goji while actually browsing in Currys, it fitted the bill. The design is quite simple without being too plain, it doesn't have a brand emblazoned across the front advertising what it contains, but also isn't so style driven that it isn't practical, and it came in two colours.
It was labelled as a CSC case, but on their website they also have it under being suitable for DSLR's so I could use it for both. The fabric is hard wearing and wipe clean so would sustain being carted about a bit, and it has both a shorter hand holding strap and an over the shoulder strap too.

The best bit? The price, this bag was only £24.99 so it didn't break the bank.



The bag itself is made up of one large compartment which both zips and clips closed, I often just have it clipped while walking about in case I need to get to anything inside. This main compartment came with two velcro dividers so that you can separate out your body and your lenses. While I have been using it with the DSLR I have only really used one separator because I am lazy and leave the lens on, but the extra space has been handy for my sunglasses case!

The front of the bag also has a small zipped pocket, where I generally keep my card reader, but if I am out and about and don't want to carry another bag with me (such as the trip to Snetterton a few weeks ago) I have popped cash, tissues, phone and all sorts in this pocket so that I don't need my handbag too.



For a bargain bag this one has been great, I have only one fault with it and that is that there is no padding on the long shoulder strap, I would have happily paid a little more for that feature. All round though this is a great little bag for if you don't want to be a pack horse just because you like being a shutterbug.

Book Review: Before I Go To Sleep ★★★★ 1/2

In S.J. Watson's debut novel Before I Go To Sleep we are told Christine's story, she has severe anterograde amnesia and wakes up every day not remembering any of her life for the past fifteen to twenty years. She wakes to find that she is 47, and married, she spends her days pottering around the house and following her husband's instructions. The day that we meet her she discovers that she has been secretly seeing a doctor and keeping a journal of her daily life, and as she begins to read back through her journal she slowly begins to piece her life back together by the power of written memory. As she puts the puzzle of her memory back together again she notices that not everything adds up, and that her husband has been keeping things from her in order to protect her fragile state of mind, but Christine begins to doubt his good intentions.

This book was an old book of the month at work, and I had passed it by and simply read the blurb and put it back on the shelf many a time before finally deciding that I would bring it home to read. I knew I would enjoy it, because I love a good brain rattler, a psychological thriller that really gets you thinking. You know that feeling you get after watching The Truman Show? I like books that can do that to you.

The book is so interesting, the idea of memory and how it can be so fragile is something that to this day I wish I had continued to study while I was in education. Throughout the whole story we just cannot trust anything that any of the characters have said or done because Christine cannot actually remember it happening. It makes you wonder what you would do yourself without your memory, and it really gave me chills to read as I imagined myself in Christine's position. The plot is very gripping, I didn't want to put this book down at all. I was constantly trying to figure out what was going to happen, I knew something wasn't right and you could guess what that is, but ultimately you really cannot be sure purely because the character herself hasn't a clue either.

I think Watson has achieved something with this book, he has managed to write someone who is in effect re-learning who they are, and I think the journal method was both a wonderful medium and a clever plot device in order to tell this story, it allowed Watson to make the reader feel incredibly close to Christine's character because we were reading the diary along with her, but it also allowed him to get away with leaving parts of the story out that you wouldn't be able to with a third person narrative, and which ultimately made the story such a page turner. This book has earned so many accolades for good reason.

By the end I really did guess what was going to happen, but it isn't guessing that is important with this thriller, it is not truly knowing wether you are right or not that keeps you reading. Absolutely wonderful and I cannot wait to see what Watson produces next!

★★★★ 1/2

Local Produce: Uncle Henry's

In my little bit of Lincolnshire we are pretty fortunate to be surrounded by lots of farms, it is sort of what our county is famous for, and a lot of the farms sell their own and neighbouring producers wares in their farm shops. The farm shop has become a wonderful thing though, they aren't just a shack by the side of the road any more, they are fully fledged shops with tea rooms and trinkets to buy with your meat and veggies.

When I knew I wanted to make my own toffee apples this year, I decided to use local apples, and as our own apple tree had been a bit of a disappointment I popped along to my favourite of our local farm shops, Uncle Henry's.



In the middle of Lincolnshire farm land, Uncle Henry's is a little haven, it has a relaxed and cosy atmosphere and is the first place I head to if I want something a little bit special. They have such a wide range of stock, from gifts to food and drink and local ice cream, as well those special ingredients, that I never find myself leaving empty handed.



As you walk into the shop you are greeted by the produce man, proudly bearing the Lincolnshire flag, and then once inside there are always displays to suit the season, and there was a mix of halloween and christmas when I visited, lots of little trinkets for your tree that would make lovely gifts.

They stock a wide range of beers, ales and wines, and a selection of delicious non alcoholic drinks too. I love to pick up the Toffee Apple Juice, which is designed to be warmed up on a cold day.

As you walk past the freezers brimming with bake at home pies, pastries and frozen fruit and veg you come to the biscuits and breads, and you can always find some good old fashioned Lincolnshire Plum Loaf here.



Pop down the steps to the traditional meat and veg, with a wall full of locally grown and responsibly sourced fruit and veg, and deli counters full of fresh local meat and cheeses.



My favourite balsamic pickled onions and sweet stuffed peppers can also be found here next to the wall of oils, particularly the locally produced rapeseed oil, which gives us the famous yellow fields in summer time.



Around the corner is the majority of the dry goods, though you have to pass the biscuits and crackers first. They often have a special seasonal feature in this cart and this time it was cheese bakers, a perfect christmas gift.



You can't miss the jams and preserves, and they hold a variety of different brands, from a few more commercial ones to the truly local. I love these Cottage Delight ones because they are so dinky, I can get a few and not feel guilty!



The cafe hides around the corner but you can't miss the side full of cakes under their covers. Their chocolate cake in particular is absolutely gorgeous and they also do hot food and sandwiches if you haven't such a sweet tooth. Try the potato wedges, they are the best ones I have ever eaten. Ever!



If you haven't time to sit and eat, they do cakes to take home too, I do love a slice of carrot cake with my cup of tea.



They also have a wide variety of gifts from great homely brands and a few famous faces, such as Cath Kidston Mugs and the odd kitchen gadget too. Perfect for present ideas, I spotted these egg cups that I may just have to invest in for myself!



Don't worry, I didn't forget my apples, I picked up a couple of bags of Goachers Jonagold. they were delicious!

Do you use your local produce suppliers?

Chocolate Coated Burnt-Toffee Apples

Tomorrow is Guy Fawkes Night here in the UK, or Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night, depending on how you are brought up.  We celebrate this much more than Halloween and for me there is one thing that I need to feel like it is that time of year again, toffee.



Traditionally in this country we tend to eat Bonfire toffee at this time of year, and for those in other countries it is basically treacle toffee, the darker harsher cousin of traditional hard cracking toffee. However I discovered as a teenager that something which tastes similarly but without gaffing around with treacle is slightly over done toffee. I discovered this when I first spectacularly failed to make standard hard toffee in a food technology class, and quickly decided I preferred it slightly over done.

The flavour is much lighter than treacle toffee but still has some of the warmth and depth that the black treacle would normally bring. Traditionally Bonfire Toffee comes in foil pans with a lolly stick stuck in it, but I like to wrap my burnt toffee around apples to make a halloween/bonfire treat hybrid.

Now obviously making toffee is dangerous, and in this case even more so because there is a fine line between slightly over done and just plain charred, and the line can be crossed very easily, just like going from plain old toffee to slightly over done toffee can take seconds, so for this you definitely need a sugar thermometer, and to be very very careful.


You will need:

Apples, I made 6 quite large ones

240g Golden Caster Sugar

220ml Water

2tsp White Wine Vinegar

50g Butter

Toffee Apple Sticks

1 Bar each of cooking chocolate flavours for coating.

Red gel food colouring if you want to colour your toffee


To begin we need to remove the wax and stems from those apples, boil a full kettle with fresh water and leave to stand for a few minutes. Put your apples in a large bowl and pour the hot but not boiling water over them.



Be careful not to leave them in for too long, about 30 seconds is fine, or they will start to cook, so then fish them out with a slotted spoon and using a cloth hold the apple and twist out the stem (I didn't use a cloth, I burnt my fingers, learn from my mistakes!)



When you have removed the stalks, let them rest for a couple of minutes to cool slightly, then you need to stick your lolly sticks in. I have proper toffee apple ones which are square but you can use all manner of sticks for them. Make sure you try to aim straight down the core and insert them to about half way.



Once they are done, set up a baking tray with a sheet of greaseproof paper on it and stand the apples on it ready and then find yourself a heavy bottomed pan. Into your pan you need to put the sugar and water over a high heat and let the sugar dissolve into the water. It look pretty murky at this point I know, but don't stir it, that is pretty key to this whole toffee making process, do not stir!



Then as soon as the mixture gets to boiling point, slosh in your vinegar and butter, and again do not stir the mixture! Just let it do its thing.



Once the butter is all melted in you can add your food colouring. I use gel colour because it adds a lot of colour for not much product, and I find the easiest way to do this is just to hold the colour on a spoon over the steam rising from the pan, it melts it right in and it mixes very nicely.



Now is the waiting game, you need to get your thermometer out and rest it in the mixture and wait until the temperature rises high enough to reach a hard crack. This can take quite a while, it took mine 15-20 minutes, but do not leave it unattended as that is when you run the risk of charred toffee.



Hard crack is labelled on my thermometer as you can see, but it is 148 degrees if you don't have a handily labelled one. If you want typical toffee, this is where you grab the pan off the heat and start dipping your apples, as that is the correct "not burnt" temperature. However if you want a bit of extra depth to the flavour of your toffee wait a few seconds more until you pass 155 degrees, but do not let it go past 160. Pass 160 and you are into the realms of burnt the likes of which I cannot vouch for as yet (and do not try to take pictures while you do this, as you can see I came dangerously close and had to quickly abandon camera to save it).



Once you have taken the toffee off the heat and given it a couple of seconds, grab your apples and start rolling them in the sugar, coat them well, and then hold them over the pan a little to drip off the excess otherwise they get a monstrously sized "foot" when you put them down and that makes it hard to coat them with chocolate (and it wastes toffee)



Once they are all coated and standing on your tray, let them cool while you admire them. Check out the russet tone to that toffee, that comes from both the food colour and the slight over cook, if I hadn't used food colour they would have more of a deeper brown tone than the clear light brown where you can still see through to the apple that you see in shops, but the brown tone in that red is the longer cooking time.


Once they have cooled and set you can think about turning these babies into luxury apples, with a good smothering of chocolate!
Take a bar and break it into chunks, and put it in a bowl to microwave. You can do this the old fashioned way with a pan of boiling water if you like but I'm lazy and have perfected the art of microwaved chocolate through an obsession with marshmallow fondue over the years.



I always make sure it is in a small bowl, as it seems to be the chocolate being spread too thin and not being stirred that makes it burn, and then I microwave on a low wattage (usually 450 or 600, my microwave does multiple heats) for about 10/20 seconds at a time and give it a little stir at each interval.



Once it is all delicious and melty, start to cover your apples. I do not recommend dunking them in unless you have made up a huge vat of chocolate, as there is never enough to cover them all, but instead I use a spatula and spread it over thickly enough that it smooths out any spatula strokes once I let the excess run off. One standard bar of cooking chocolate covered 4 of my apples, so I did the remainder in dark chocolate, beware though that dark chocolate is more viscous when liquid so will go further, and will also set to a harder chocolate.



When your chocolate is set (and this will take a while) you can add some more chocolate drizzles to fancy them up a bit. I used both dark and white chocolate, and melted each the same way in the microwave in a small bowl.



I used the same spatula to spread the chocolate over in drizzles, basically letting it go wherever it wanted to look pretty. You could add sprinkles here if you wanted, or if you really wanted to get fancy you could add toffee drizzles to your chocolate topped toffee apples. I might do that next time.



Again, you must leave them to set, and just admire them while not being able to eat them. When it does come to eating the beauties, the chocolate coating on the toffee makes it a little easier to bit into without cracking a tooth, but they still have that sweet warm taste of autumnal toffee underneath the silky chocolate. Do make sure you have napkins ready though as they are guaranteed to go all over your face, consider yourselves warned!



Delicious!

Book Review: The Cuckoo's Calling ★★★★

I think I, like most other Harry Potter fans, when I found out that J.K. Rowling had released a book under a pseudonym had a couple of heart palpitations and immediately tried to get my hands on a copy. I wasn't near any shops at the time and the eBook companies hadn't jumped on it yet so instead I reserved it through the library, I got to the list before most others so it didn't take long for my copy to come in and within a few days I was immersed in the world of Cormoran Strike.

The Cuckoo's Calling is a detective story based around the murder of supermodel Lula Landry, her brother refuses to accept the police verdict that her death was a suicide and hires an old family acquaintance Cormoran Strike, a down and out private investigator, to dig a little deeper. Strike is reluctant at first, but with increasing debts and no clients he decides to take a look into the case a bit more, and discovers things were not all sunshine and roses in the limelight for Lula.

Unlike most other Harry Potter fans who have now grown up, I didn't jump on The Casual Vacancy when it came out, it is still sitting on my shelf unread. There were such mixed reviews about it, I decided to give that one some time before I got stuck in. When I found out that not only had Rowling written another book, but that it was a crime novel however, well, I couldn't wait for this one.

I picked up The Cuckoo's Calling and near enough didn't put it down. It was a great mystery, featured a great detective with a lot of character and the potential for more as the series progresses. He was compelling, we didn't know everything about him, he was hard to read into and that is exactly as a great detective should be. They feature the great mind that can solve the mystery, they should be somewhat elusive. The characters all intrigued me, they were, as always with Rowling, a bit of a study of human nature. they all had faults yet you could identify with them. Robin in particular I enjoyed for her reluctant assistance and her compassion for Strike's situation even without fully understanding. She created a lot of humour also and I loved how inventive she was when dealing with situations.

I didn't solve the mystery, it was a clever one, and I was far too busy enjoying the read. The story flowed from point to point without straining to jump forward as some mysteries do, and the conclusion was lead into gently, without all of a sudden appearing without any suggestion. Definitely a well plotted solving of a crime.

I was surprised to laugh while reading this book, after hearing how serious the Casual Vacancy was I had prepared myself for this being completely different to reading Rowling's Potter works, but actually I found myself getting the same warm feeling of happiness while reading this. It is by no means the same of course, I wouldn't want it to be, but I am surprised that no-one pegged this book as Rowling's work before the lawyer let slip.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and look forward to the next, I feel I should only give it four stars purely because I don't want to peak too soon, as the next could be even better!

★★★★

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling is £12.74 from The Book Depository

Karin Herzog Oxygen Face Cream

Today we are going to talk skincare again for a second, but bear with me while I talk about royals.
When Prince George was born, The Duchess of Cambridge was of course all over the internet again, old links for her beauty regime and fashion choices were cropping up everywhere as all relevant content was pushed into our faces. Being a bit of a Kate fan (man would I love to have her hair!) I had a browse back through some of those posts and came across one about her skincare choices. It was reported that she had been a great fan of the Karin Herzog Oxygen Face Cream until she got closer to thirty.




Being in the market for a new day cream I decided that if it was good enough for Kate it was worth a try so I ordered a tube. Lets take a second to admire the packaging this tube of heaven arrived in shall we? Just look at it! I thought I had mistakenly ordered a collectible or something. Big points for the "special factor" upon opening the parcel.

I ordered from Feel Unique and got 50ml of product for  £31.45, which is pretty good considering it is usually £38 per tube. Feel Unique had it to me within a couple of days over a weekend, just in time for my old day cream to decide it was completely empty, it couldn't have been more perfect in the timing.


Tubes that are only 50ml for a good chunk of money always make me squirm, and my boyfriend exclaim "how much!?" and I have to admit, when buying this with my night cream too I did feel a bit guilty knowing how quickly my normal 50ml bottles of day cream disappear. However I really needn't have worried with this. The texture of the cream is incredibly light, in a way it reminds me of Steamcream in that it feels whipped. However unlike Steamcream, a tiny bit of this product, I'm talking a pea sized amount, will hydrate my whole face and neck and it even feels then like I maybe have a tiny bit too much on. This tube is going to last me ages so it is definitely a good investment.

When you apply this, Herzog recommends using a brush so that you don't waste active ingredients on your fingers, and I have to admit I don't bother, I make sure my hands are really clean then slather it on. Another application tip she gives which I do pay attention to though is not to rub it in, but let it absorb on its own. This is something I had to get used to as I am notorious for being a bit rough with my face, but it helps it feel special to use, I feel like I am pampering myself every morning.

Now a bit about what is supposed to make this so special, it is an oil free formula which contains 2% active oxygen. What has oxygen got to do with good skin other than helping us stay alive? Well Herzog claims that it penetrates the skin to neutralise bacteria that cause acne and help clear out toxins. I honestly don't know if this is true, but it sounds good, and I imagine the oxygen content is what makes it such a dream to use.

The real bit that got me interested however was that this product helps balance the hydro-lipid film of the skin, it is effectively a sebo-regulator, it balances your natural oil production. Now I have been reading up about this layer that protects our skin and how acne is often caused by it being damaged, having seen huge results when on Roaccutane (which inhibits oil production just in case you aren't aware) I know now that the majority of my acne is oil based. Get rid of the oil and I don't get the spots. Obviously I can't stay on that treatment forever, and my skin seems to go back to a bit of oiliness once I come off it so I have been trying to find ways to regulate, rather than attempt to dry up all of my natural oils. If your hydro-lipid layer is damaged, you produce more natural oils to protect your skin from harm, so preserve that layer and your sin will naturally go back to being a "normal" type. I love this theory, and I really am noticing that my skin is a little less oily throughout the day, I am not glow free, but I feel less grubby by home time. I have also been experiencing less acne breakouts and my skin looks and feels much healthier than it has done in a while.

All in all, I am so glad I gave this a try, it is a little tube of luxury for my morning routine and I am so far reaping the benefits. I will obviously continue to use it and see how it goes, but I have a funny feeling it will be sticking around in my skincare routine for a long time.

A Few October Favourite's

I thought it was time for a little "general stuff" update, with a few of my favourite things of the month.



1. Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Clay Mask £22 from Boots - I picked this up after hearing so much about it on YouTube. My sister also had good recommendations for it and I really wanted to try some Origins products, so far I really like it, and will have a full review up soon.

2. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Bel Ami £24 from Boots - I was totally talked into buying this as part of a points event the other week, I couldn't resist, but let me tell you I am so glad I did. My normal winter lip shade is Clinique Black Honey, but this has been my choice since I purchased it. A subtle berry that is my lips but a shade darker. I think I have found my perfect pair in Boy and Bel Ami.

3. Downton Abbey - Is there anyone out there who doesn't watch this? If there is you need to change that stat! For a while there I thought I may have to stop watching because of the recent story lines (oh my god poor Anna!) but I feel better about things now, Downton I still love you!

4. Rib Jumper in Prune £32 from Next - Really this is just chunky jumpers in general, I really want a cable knit one, but I picked this one up last week with a left over birthday voucher (I don't usually have them left, last time I tried to spend it the machine wouldn't work, boo Next!) I like the zip detail on the sides of this one, normally I hate chunky zips but it is subtle here and doesn't look too grungey.

5. Seamed Ponte Leggings £12 from F&F by Tesco - These are comfortable as hell, thick enough to be warm in autumn and winter, and have a seam down them so they look a bit like jodhpurs. I love them so much I went back and bought a second pair.

6. A Street Cat Named Bob £4.60 from the Book Depository - I started reading this a couple of days ago and I absolutely love it, Bob sounds like such a charismatic cat, and when I started google image searching there are loads of pictures of him high-fiveing his owner. I do love a good animal story (if you've read this and want another cat book, Dewey is one of my favourites too)

What are your favourite things this month?

Book Review: How I Live Now ★★★

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this one, I picked it up off the library shelf on a complete whim after seeing that the copy we had was a world night book.

It turns out that How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff  is a young adult dystopian novel with a bit of a difference. Instead of being set after the catastrophe has occurred, the novel starts just before and continues during the fictional third world war. It tells the lives of Daisy, an American sent to live in England with her aunt by her father after she causes family trouble, and her English cousins who all live together in the idyllic English countryside. Daisy is originally very put out by being sent away and doesn't mix well, but then begins to form friendships with her cousins, and develops a romantic relationship with her eldest cousin Edmond. Suddenly Daisy and her cousins are left to fend for themselves when the war strikes and leaves their only adult stranded in Norway, meaning they have to come face to face with the horrors of war and learn to deal with all the physical and emotional trauma that war brings.

I haven't read of another dystopian novel which actually goes through the event that changes the world of the novel, they all seem to occur after the event when the characters don't really know of life any other way and slowly discover that life hadn't always been so awful. I liked that the story allowed the teenagers to grow by forcing them to experience the war as it happened, they had to deal with situations they previously wouldn't have even contemplated happening, such as potential starvation and trekking across the countryside to survive. In a dystopian novel this is pretty much the norm, but for these kids it isn't, they aren't faced with going into the arena every year like Katniss, for the first portion of the book there is no real fear. Along with the idyllic countryside, childhood innocence hasn't been spoiled by destruction and this made their new reality all the more shocking for them to experience.

While reading you very much felt like you were listening to a teenagers thoughts, the writing lacked all speech formatting which added to the reading experience as it made you think a bit more about who was actually involved in the conversation, and what was internal speech.
The teenage thought process was a little annoying to read as an adult, as it so often is, and I did find it hard to like Daisy as a character, she wasn't completely intolerable though just very self-centered, a typical teenager. My favourite character by far was Daisy's younger cousin Piper who she ends up spending quite a lot of time with, she read as balanced and the most put together despite being younger. I hope that this was intentionally written in to provide a contrast between the two girls and the effects that individual emotions can have upon someone in a crisis.

The main theme of the book is teenage love driving you to survive, and while I can understand that as a mode for storytelling, I can't say that I felt Daisy and Edmond were well suited. I was a bit weirded out by them being cousins, and felt that that particular tie was in no way necessary as any young man would have been a fine character to provide the focus for the teenage love angst. I do like the moral though, and it is true that for teenagers their relationships are the be all and end all. It becomes especially poignant for the ending of the story too, focussing on the idea that you never truly forget your first love.

The book has recently been released as a film you can see the trailer right here. I have to admit I am not exactly excited for this film, Saoirse Ronan isn't how I imagined Daisy at all, and I suspect they may have made her less the self-centered teen and more of a heroine for the film.

I enjoyed this book, but I was a bit disappointed by it. After discovering the plot I was excited for something a little different, and wished it hadn't been so angsty, I should have known better really!
I would still recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre, and even if you have read a few and are becoming a little tired of them, this one is just different enough that you might just enjoy it. An extra perk is that it is also not very long, or a series so there is less commitment!

★★★

Book Review: Ketchup Clouds ★★★★

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher tells the story of Zoe, a fifteen year old girl from England who has an awful secret that she cannot share with anyone around her. She is weighed down by the guilt about the terrible thing she has done, and then she discovers the perfect person to talk to, and inmate on death row in Texas. As Zoe writes to Mr Harris, telling him all about the past year of her life, she begins to grapple with her feelings about her situation, and learns a few things about life along the way.

I really like this book, I had picked it up on a whim purely because of the title, I thought it was such an interesting one and wondered how it came about. I won't spoil the explanation for it, in case you haven't guessed already, but it is quite beautiful, and I shall be using it myself in future. 

This is a teen novel, the main character is fifteen, but I don't think that this book is limited to that age at all as it has a message that can be understood by many. That message is about guilt and forgiveness, in particular forgiveness of yourself when you believe you have done wrong. Zoe battles with this throughout the book right up until it's conclusion. We read her teenage woes with a trepidation, knowing as a reader that there is something sad coming towards us, and that surely her behaviour must be the cause, but although it feels like watching a crash, you cannot help but keep reading because Zoe is just an innocent girl, and you know there must be a resolution.

The writing is simple yet elegant, the humour both suited to teenage sarcasm and wit, and the complex sense of humour of an adult. Reading it I was hard pressed not to smile at how (for want of a less derogatory word) cute everything was, even though if it had been written with adult characters it would have felt seedy and shocking.

The range of characters were interesting, we did not need many, and weren't introduced to a wide range, just enough to show multiples sides of human nature, their coping mechanisms and problems, their joy and means of expression.

I think this is a great book for if you want to read something which is both fairly simple in plot, but complex in the depth of emotion shown by the characters. 

I shall definitely be looking into Pitchers other work.

★★★★

Aston Martin Owners Club at Snetterton

A couple of weekends ago me and my boyfriend went for a jolly day out at the Aston Martin Owners club session at Snetterton Race Circuit in Norfolk. Now don't get the wrong end of the stick, we don't own an Aston, we just know people who do, and we like to go along for the Vrooms.



We hopped in the weekend car and zoomed through the county with me pointing out library locations as we went and popped across the border. I hope I don't offend anyone when I say, I found some of the place names in Norfolk to be very amusing! It sort of made me wish I had a funnier address.

When we got there we parked up and had a bit of a gander at some of the testing that was taking place, and just managed to catch a friend of ours taking his motor for a spin.






We had a nosey around the fine specimens in the car park




Then had a wander over to see this little green Morris Minor, which was being raced by a friend,




The event wasn't all Aston Martins, it had a bit of everything, including a range of old and new cars.




We saw lots of speedy driving, some cars going onto three wheels around the bends (though I think they all had extra "stabilisers" underneath)



Lots of close shaves and wheel spin dust,




And even witnessed a couple of spins off the track like this one I proudly captured on the camera.

 

The grub was expensive but really quite good. I had a delicious broccoli pasta bake in the cafe, and sipped on copious amounts of water and maybe a pint of lime and soda as it was really a very warm day when in the sunshine.

If you have never been to a race circuit before, be warned even if it is very warm, there is little shelter so you will get wind burn, my face felt very tight by the time we got in the car to go home, and was even a little pink.



I went with layers for clothing, and wore a vest top, a t-shirt, a hoodie by David and Goliath and then my Barbour body warmer, and took them off/put them back on as and when needed.
Jeans were a go to for this day out and I made sure they were of the thicker variety with my trusty Topshop Baxter's, I saw a few women shivering in leggings!
Long hair girls, you will need a hair tie!
Comfy shoes are also a must obviously, so I went with my fairly new but sort of bedded in Neon Pink Converses. They did the job but in poorer weather a boot would have been better, the day involved a lot of walking around to different viewing points.
Sunglasses are also highly recommended, there tends to be a lot of glare off the track and squinting just gives you wrinkles.
Note the bottle of Yazoo Milkshake is optional, I went with strawberry.

We ended the day by watching a friend race from the Pit wall, which I unfortunately couldn't take pictures of as the marshall told us off, and said it was signposted (I read all those signs before I got the camera out, they didn't mention cameras) I was a bit mad about it, but I didn't let it spoil the experience.

For my first race day I had a lot of fun. I have always wondered what it is like to hear the cars in person and it is quite loud, but not so much so that you need ear plugs. I have a love for vintage cars, so they were more to my taste than the new ones, but it gave a variety for all watchers.
If you ever get the change to go to a club racing day, I highly recommend it!