Me Before You | Book Review

It's been a while since I've written a book review here on my blog because, honestly, it's been a while since I've read a book. However, I don't think I could've picked a better book to break my reading slump - I was hooked from the very beginning! 

I had heard my friends talk about this book a lot (and by talking I mean all-caps-in-the-group-chat talking) and with the film adaptation hitting the big screen in a few weeks, I knew I had to read it. 

Without giving too much away, the story follows Lou Clarke as she cares for Will Traynor, a wealthy young man who seemed to have the perfect life, before it was ripped out from underneath him after a tragic motorcycle accident and he was left a quadriplegic. Before Lou, Will barely left his house and was distant from just about everyone. But as the story progresses over a six month period, Lou tries to give him a new lease of life through their various outings (which Will definitely would not have agreed to before Lou) and the time they share together. 

Will and Lou are the sort of characters that you fall in love with instantaneously and that you're routing for from the very beginning. They're the sort of characters that will always have a special place in your heart long after you've read the book. 

For me, 'Me Before You' is one of those books that you can't put down; one more page turns into one more chapter, and then 2 more, and then suddenly it's 4am and you realise you should probably go to bed. Seriously, it was so good that I read it in a day!! It has a bit of everything; romance, humour, heartbreak. I laughed, I smiled and I cried all within the space of a few chapters. It's definitely a roller-coaster of emotions.  And just a warning: I cried for the last hundred or so pages! 

I would highly recommend this book to you! However, it does contain the mention of a sensitive and extremely controversial topic which may be a little heavy for some...but I feel that Moyes deals with the topic very delicately in her beautifully written story. It's definitely a book that gives you something to think about afterwards.

Now to wait for the movie to come out and prepare to cry some more!

Have you read this book? Do you plan on reading it?

Sarah-Michelle x 

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The Music Tag

I saw Courtney from the blog Courtney Hanna do this tag and as I'm a huge music lover and honestly couldn't live without it, I  thought I would do it to give you a little more insight into my music taste! 

Which band/ artist do you own the most music by? 

The vamps. I think I've bought basically all of their albums, eps and singles! 

What was the last song you listened to?

Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran. I love this song so much and I already know that I want it played at my wedding. Is that weird?

What is in your CD player right now?

 I don't have a CD player any more but the album I've been listening to the most recently is Sounds Good Feels Good, and if I did have a CD player, that is what would currently be in it. 

What was the last show you attended? 

I saw 5SOS on the 25th of April at their show in Belfast and it was incredible! You can read about it here if you want :)

What's the greatest show you've ever been to? 

The music festival Belsonic with Bry, Twenty Øne Pilots and All Time Low was amazing! So many good artists in one concert.

What's the worst show you've been to? 

I haven't been to a bad concert. Live music is one of the best things, I  don't see what could be bad about it...

What's the most musically involved you've ever been? 

I took piano lessons for about 10 years, studied music for GCSE, performed in my schools concert and I'm trying to teach myself to play the guitar at the moment. 

What show are you looking forward to? 

I have no upcoming concerts and that makes me very sad. What artists are coming to Northern Ireland??

What is your favourite band shirt? 

My All Time Low one. It's burgundy (such a nice colour) with a small logo on the front and a large design at the back. I wear it all the time with black skinny jeans.

What musician would you like to hang out with for the day? 

I'd love to hang out with Taylor swift. Could you imagine how amazing it would be to hang out with her?? 

Who is one group/ musician you wish could come back? 

Queen!! Their music was so good. Basically everyone, no matter what their age will know at least one of their songs. And Bohemian Rhapsody - what an absolute classic!

 

How many concerts have you been to  in total? 

I've been to 8 concerts, but I plan on going to so many more! And yes, I save all of my concert tickets. 

Who have you seen the most live? 

I've seen The Vamps live 3 times now; twice on their own tour and once when they were supporting The Wanted. 

What is your favourite movie soundtrack?

I love the 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' soundtrack. It's one of my favourite films and I really love the music in it too. If I'm not too busy quoting every single word from the film, I'll be singing along to all of the songs, most likely annoying everybody else in the process... 

Which artist/ group is your guilty pleasure? 

I don't really have a guilty pleasure as such, I listen to everything from cheesy 90s pop, to country, to rock shamelessly. All you have to do is take a look at my Spotify playlists! 

I'd love to know your answers to these questions, so if you decide to do this tag let me know in the comments!

Sarah-Michelle x

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April Favourites

Hello! It seems like my blog posts are all over the place and I have no real routine at the moment. Unfortunately, revision and exams take priority over my blog at the minute, so I've only been writing bits and pieces here and there when I get a chance. How crazy is it that it's May already though?? This year is going way too fast for my liking. Anyway, here's what I was loving in April!

Naked 2 Palette

Around the start of April I treated myself to the Naked 2 palette and I've been obsessed with it ever since. After loving the original Naked palette, I had no doubts that I would love this one as well. However, I prefer this palette for more everyday looks. Some of my favourite shades from the palette are 'Chopper', 'YDK' and 'Blackout'. 'Blackout' is a matte black shadow (something which I thought was missing from the original Naked palette) which is great for creating an intense smoky eye. There are a few shades that are similar to the original Naked palette like 'Half Baked' but it's one of my favourites, so I don't mind that too much.

Hoola Bronzer

I've never really been into the whole bronzer/ contour thing, until I stole this bronzer from my sister to use for a night out and it somehow ended up in my makeup bag for a few days... It's a matte bronzer, so it's perfect for both bronzing and contouring. It's really easy to blend out and I feel like it gives a really healthy looking glow - perfect for pale people like me! I really need to get my own one of these soon, because I don't think my sister appreciates me stealing it all the time haha! I would also like to try some of Benefit's other products from the Hoola range.

Sounds Good Feels Good by 5SOS

If you read this post, you'll know that I saw 5SOS live in April, so of course I was listening to them non-stop throughout the month. I think that this album is my favourite 5SOS album as the songs have a lot more depth and really showcase their talent. Some of my favourite songs from SGFG are 'Catch Fire', 'San Francisco', 'Vapor', 'Broken Home' and 'Jet Black Heart'. Honestly, I could go on but I would literally just be listing the entire tracklist. 

Sophie Foster

This month I've been loving watching Sophie Foster's videos on YouTube. I've been particularly loving her makeup tutorials, because her makeup is just all of the goals. I can also really relate to her love of sunsets and highlighter haha!

Mark Ferris

After seeing him in a lot of Zoe Sugg's vlogs and finding him absolutely hilarious(!), I had to watch a few of his videos. It turned into one of those watch-every-single-video-in-one-go times, and I have no regrets. So many of his videos make me laugh, especially his videos with Zoe. If you haven't already watched any of his videos you definitely should!

What were you loving in April? 

Sarah-Michelle x 

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7 Things I Learnt During 7 Years at School

Today was my last ever day at school. *cries* It was definitely an emotional one! How could I spend 7 years of my life there and not be sad? Throughout the years, school had a lot of ups and downs. Of course there are some things about school that I won't miss (exams, stress, coursework), but I'll definitely miss seeing my friends everyday, and everyone else I'd gotten to know over time. I'll even miss some of the teachers.

 I learnt a lot during my time at school - not just pointless facts that I'll never use again (the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell) - but things I'll carry with me through life and always remember, so I've decided to share a few of these with you!

• Not everyone will like you and that's okay.

• It's better to have one best friend than lots of fake friends.

• Be yourself; what people think of you at school won't matter afterwards.

• Having a boyfriend is not the most important thing in the world, even though it may seem like it at the time.

• People are always going to judge you for insignificant things, like your clothes. It doesn't matter what they think as long as you are happy and comfortable.

• Your mental health and well being is a lot more important than exam results.

• Don't just follow the crowd to be 'popular'. Sometimes those who are popular and look like they have everything, don't.

This post was a little bit different from my usual posts. I hope you enjoyed it! Have you learnt anything from your time at school, whether you've left or if you're still there?

Sarah-Michelle x

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