GOODREADS, THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY BOOK CLUB?

Last Sunday I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, when a post by Anna Gardner, a prominent lifestyle blogger, popped up. It read something along the lines of “Finally given into the hype and joined Goodreads – fancy joining me on there?”. Cuppa in hand and with little else planned for the day I thought “why not, let’s see what this is all about.”

Now, apparently there is indeed a fair bit of hype surrounding Goodreads…

To provide some context, Goodreads is a social cataloguing website that allows individuals to freely search its database of books, annotations, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogues and reading lists. It was founded in 2007 and in 2013 was purchased by online conglomerate Amazon – to a mixed response.

Say what you will about the acquisition, the website now has 65 million users, a growth of 160% in the four years since the take-over. It has translated well to the smart-phone era, providing a free-to-download app, and boasting an Instagram following of over 83,000 and Twitter following of just under 3.7million.

The sign-up process turned out to be both quick, and enjoyable…

1. Sign up and create an account through Facebook or Amazon.
2. Connect with current friends through Facebook or Twitter.
3. Join all of the 2,056,980 users and set yourself a reading goal for 2018, which Goodreads will help you to reach, keeping you on track with notifications and nudges.
4. Select your favourite genres.
5. Rate the books you’ve purchased on your Amazon account (you have to rate 20 to receive personalised recommendations).

The whole process lasted about 15 minutes. Although, this was predominantly because the number of books I have purchased on Amazon is something worthy of an academic library (sorry bank account) and it took me a good while to rate them all – so for the regular user I would estimate it would take no longer than 10 minutes to sign-up.

Once registered, I explored what the site has to offer, with five main tabs that were equally easy to navigate:

Profile
Your profile allows you to post updates on the progress you make with the books you are reading, be that the number of pages you’ve read that day or how you have interpreted the most recent development in a plot. On your profile page, you can publicise who your favourite author is and include a quote that resonates with yourself, to give others insight into your reading preferences, and attitude.

Home
This page holds your key information, such as the book you are currently reading, how the reading challenge you have set is progressing and what you are interested in reading next. It also includes updates from those that you are connected with on Goodreads, which allows you to see what they are reading, and how active they are.

My Books
This is originally a list of all of the books you’ve purchased from Amazon, collated into an online library. Titles can also be added manually to represent those you’ve purchased from other stores, borrowed from friends or loaned from a library. This online library enables you to access insights from your reading history, such as who your most-read authors are, what genre you purchase most regularly and the average time it takes you to complete a book.

Browse
Much like the Audible app (unsurprising as it’s supported by the same company) this page allows you to browse new releases and best sellers, although it does seem more advanced than its audiobook companion. For example, news and updates on the industry are published in articulate and succinct articles and interviews with authors featured on the site are often added, so you can discover more about the inspiration to the texts you’re reading or whether a book is worth investing in.

Community
Goodreads is effectively a society of readers and this tab has different active and featured groups, identified through themes such as genre, character and author, for example: crime and thriller, heroes and villains and books by indigenous women. Becoming a member of one of these groups allows you to connect with others who want to discuss the topic, like a modern-day book club! Local, national and international literary events are publicised on the site – to enable an optimum level of engagement between readers and authors. This community space also offers interactive activities such as trivia and quizzes to clue up on old classics or test your understanding of popular releases.

I have spent four years studying English Literature at university and as such spend a lot of time examining books with friends and lecturers alike. However, few enjoy this luxury, and without a platform to discuss their thoughts, people’s engagement decreases as they get older. Goodreads not only provides said platform, but allows you to engage with like-minded people from the comfort of your own home, operating as an accessible book club, suitable for the 21st century.

I think Goodreads is a great innovation and look forward to integrating the app into my life in 2018. If you’re interested in books, whether you read once in a blue moon or put away three to four titles a month, I suggest you try it out too!

ALL ABOUT AUDIBLE

Audiobooks are far from a modern innovation. As a child, I remember visiting my local library and browsing the tapes section to decide which book I wanted to listen to on my cassette player that week. As time went on, technology moved forward, with CDs replacing tapes and then, in 1995, Audible was introduced to the world - a seller and producer of audio entertainment. In 2018 this is all available on your mobile device!

Although other Ebook providers are available on your mobile device, Audible has by far the world's largest selection of audiobooks. You can listen to the full series of Harry Potter read by Stephen Fry, enjoy full-cast performances and listen to your favourite author reading his latest story (the amount of Stephen King novels I have on my device has now broken into double digits - although this marks just 10% of his overall repertoire so I have a fair way to go to complete it). The concept is a simple one, download the app, pay a monthly subscription fee of £7.00, pick a title, purchase it and download it to your device. Then just listen. You can pause at any time, revisit it whenever you like and speed up or slow down the reading to fit with your personal preference.

Audible allows you to browse its contents by genre, best sellers, and new releases amongst many other categories. This user-interface makes the service easy to use regardless of technical prowess. My personal favourite genre to listen to is crime & thrillers, so if I am feeling unadventurous I can head to this section and browse a curated selection of books that suit me. For the indecisive, or even novice reader, the best sellers section works well to introduce you to popular books - this is a great introduction into the world of literature and may encourage newbies to read more and tackle a variety of genres afterwards.

Each title offers the opportunity to preview five minutes of the book - as you would do whilst flicking through a potential read at a bookstore. This is even more important with audiobooks because someone else, other than your internal narrator, is reading to you. It allows you to figure out if you connect with the narrator and whether or not you can empathise with the story and the way they are verbalising it.

The most noticeable allure of Audible is that you can listen to books in a hands-free environment. I have listened to Audible whilst walking to university, commuting into work, tidying the house and cooking dinner, all inconvenient environments for traditional reading. As a university student, I often find myself spending an inordinate amount of time looking at a screen, which has been proven to have negative impacts, including eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, and neck and back pain. Audible is the perfect alternative when I would like some time away from the screen but still want to engage my brain. It has improved my mental and physical health, entertained me whilst completing tasks and increased my productivity overall.

Audible is suitable for almost anyone. Reading and listening to books has proven positive impacts on concentration levels as well as the academic performance of children and teenagers, and Audible provides the opportunity to do this on the move, as kids always seem to be. Furthermore, it is the perfect companion for adults on the commute, and those who do not have the spare time to sit in quiet tranquility and read a book, but would still like to engage their mind.

If you are still unsure on Audible, I recommend downloading it and using their one month free trial to see if it is a good fit for you in your environment!

WHY I DON'T WEAR MAKEUP TO WORK

I started wearing makeup at the age of 11. Originally this was a powder foundation compact I borrowed from my Nans house and then, like most girls this age in the noughties, I graduated to the ever so coveted dream matte mousse.  3 shades too dark and thick as mud this launched me into the world of cosmetics – uneducated and easily influenced I was obsessed with covering my face with whatever all of my friends were wearing. This continued into my teens and although I finally dropped the dream matte mousse and glitter eyeliner the demand that I needed to have flawless skin and rosy cheeks had embedded itself into my brain. I remember waking up for school each day – 2 hours before I was due to leave the house to start the lengthy process of making myself look ‘presentable’. I would wash my hair, blow dry it and then curl it each morning (those that know me know that I have natural ringlets so why I felt this was necessary is beyond me). Then I would sit on the floor of my bedroom opposite my mirror and obsessively cover every blemish, coat my lashes in mascara and apply about 10 layers of lip gloss.

Fast forward 10 years from my Nan's powder foundation compact and I have been working in beauty PR for over a year. Moving into the professional world of work was scary, not to mention working with people that had literally moulded the beauty industry into what it is today. So I would show up every day as always, with perfectly styled hair and a full face of makeup – contour and all. Unexpectedly this is when my unhealthy attitude towards beauty changed. I had always worn makeup to feel comfortable and confident, and I worried people were scanning me thinking ‘you look tired’ or ‘your skin is awful’. I began to notice that the people around me who I admired and looked up to would show up one day with blue mascara and a red lip, and the next with just a hint of tinted moisturiser. They didn’t care. They weren’t wearing makeup because they felt the need to blend in, they were wearing makeup because they were excited about it and if they weren’t, they didn’t wear it. So one day, months into my first job, I bit the bullet and headed into work fresh faced and completely makeup free. And no one cared – obviously. Making this step has had an overwhelming impact on my mental health. It has taught me to love the way I look but also allowed me to rediscover the love I had for beauty. I own more nude lipsticks than days in the month and I am constantly having to adjust my storage space to accommodate my every growing collection but this love no longer stems from insecurity in myself, but a passion in something that has pushed me to where I am today.

If you wear makeup every day and love the way it makes you look and feel then that’s amazing, but if you’re waking up 1 hour early every morning to do you makeup because you're worried about what other people will think – don’t. If you embrace how you look and learn to love yourself others will too. 

Want to give this a go and head out fresh faced? If you are worried about stripping your face completely here are four products I use on a daily basis that make me feel more confident in myself and around others…

An avid fan of the winged liner and the “I’m not wearing false eyelashes but I’m going to damn sure try and look like I am” look, heading into work at 9am with nothing on my eyes was definitely an adjustment. Although I enjoy the freedom having no eye makeup on gives me I have found two tools that boost my lashes – and my confidence. The Joan Collins ClassAct Lash Treatment Gel, a peptide booster containing extract of seaweed, sea algae and lemon flavenoid promotes growth and fullness. I apply this treatment every evening before I go to bed and I love that this works to give me fuller looking lashes without the damaging effect harsh mascara and makeup remover can have on them. The Space NK EyelashCurler, perfectly contoured and easy to use as the curved metal surface fits easily over the lashes – gently curls my lashes and gives the illusion of bigger and brighter eyes, which I definitely need in the am!

I would not be exaggerating to say wherever I go, land or sea, I will be with lip balm. You could find them in my office drawer, dotted around my flat and in every bag I own. My absolute favourite however is the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Nourishing Lip Balm. This treatment uses eight essential vitamins, nutrients and minerals plus advanced sun protection against damaging UVA/UVB rays to keep them soft, smooth and healthy looking.

Since I stopped wearing makeup on a regular basis in mid-2016 I have seen a transformation of my skin. This change means the need I had to cover my face in maximum coverage concealer and foundation has faded away. I do however still suffer from discolouration and dark circles when I’ve had an especially late night and I’ve found the By Terry Cellularose Brightening CC Lumi-Serum  has been my new best friend. Targeted towards all those concerned with dulled, dehydrated complexions in need of a radiance boost, this blurs the visibility of imperfections and leaves my skin feeling bronzed and even.

RICE RICE BABY

Sozai Cooking School

As a country girl born and bred I was definitely guilty of romanticising London and all that it had to offer. Since my move to London just over 6 months ago however, I quickly came to realise that although the nations capital, even London had its limitations. I found that working 9-5.30 5 days a week unsurprisingly limited both my energy to go on the hunt for and the accessibility of new and exciting activities. A mixture of being content with both my work and personal life and injecting all of my energy into my job often resulted in the same old routine. 

Dinner.Drinks.Cinema 

Dinner.Drinks.Cinema 

Dinner.Drinks.Cinema 

and so on and so on...

I felt like it was time for a change so this valentines day I suggested myself and my boyfriend forget the jewellery and roses and opt for something a little more, well, fun. After spending weeks searching the internet for interesting (and not bank braking) casual date nights that we could do on a weekday evening I came across Sozai Cooking School's site offering multiple different Sushi Classes. After flicking through their site I finally settled on the Dinner Party Sushi course.

Fast forward 1 month (Yes that's right Spring is fast approaching) and yesterday evening we headed into Soho to the class. Starting at 6.30 it was the perfect time for the both of us to leisurely make our way there after work. The class takes place in a building in Soho that doubles up as a canteen style Japanese during the day. With only 4 participants our Instructor, Akemi Yokoyama, and her sous chef, the environment was intimate without that sense of awkwardness you can sometimes feel with small parties. Akemi Yokoyama, our culinary instructor, is also a chef, presenter and writer who has orchestrated many gastronomic events in London and taught sushi making to both children and adults. Her friendly teaching style is easy to follow and informative, whilst still being fun and informal.

During the class we learnt the importance of good sushi rice and how to work with ingredients such as: prawns, egg, bean curd and smoked salmon to create a selection of classic Japanese dishes (see picture above). 

The class lasted just over 2 hours, with a refreshment break 1 hour in offering a choice of complimentary Japanese alcohol and soft drinks. On the conclusion of the course an informal Q&A session took place where we were given the opportunity to quiz Akemi on her knowledge of Japanese culture and where to find the best sushi in London spoiler alert it's not Yo Sushi. We left 2 hours later with a bag full of homemade sushi (that I'm currently finishing off whilst putting this post together) and a genuine understanding on the art of Sushi and Japanese cooking.

If you are looking for something a bit different to do in London, be that with a friend or a partner, Sozai Cooking School is the perfect option.

At £75.00 per person you'd be forgiven for hesitating but I personally really enjoyed this experience and I would 100% recommend. 

You can check them out here

What have you done recently that's made you smile?

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT HANNAH?

I have been a fan of Hannah’s work and delightful personality ever since discovering her Instagram account in the summer of 2016. The beautiful images often featured her work, including her coveted ‘love’ designs, and it wasn’t long before I felt I had to get in on the action.

That being said, I’d like to introduce you to the two most recent additions to my collection...

Hand Cuff: £28.00
Silver Wrap Ring: £20.00

Each piece is individual and has its own unique identity. The material Hannah uses means each design (including the hand cuff featured here) is slightly adjustable. This is amazing if, like me, you find it difficult to pin point the exact size you require. Every single one Hannah makes has its own personality and I love that!

Hannah’s original designs and creative energy have established her in mine and many others mind as the first port of call for all of your jewellery desires.

Use discount code: HANNAHCODE to get 15% off everything!

Check her out here!
*This post contains PR Samples

5 STEPS TO BECOMING A (not so terrible) MORNING PERSON

I know New Years Resolutions aren't for everybody but I for one love the start of something new. Be that a new year, a new month, or even a Monday, I always find myself more motivated to achieve my goals and improve my wellbeing. This year, as I am 6 months in to my first official 9-5 job, I thought it was only appropriate to start working on one important thing - mornings. Below are the attempts I have pledged to make in 2017 to encourage me to embrace those early morning starts!

Drink water
The minute your alarm goes off give yourself a few minutes to wake up and then head to the kitchen and pour yourself a large glass of water. I personally like to have cold ice water with a slice of lemon and a dash of salt. Always try and finish the glass before you head out of the door.

Shower
I've always been one to shower in the evening (and granted this was largely due to the fact I never had enough time in the mornings) but it was a routine that I'd always followed. However, making time to shove your hair up in a bun and hop in and out of the shower only takes me 5 minutes tops, and always leaves me feeling revitalized!


Wash your face
Now the first step of this can be done in the shower. I leave my current cleanser in my shower and like to wash my face whilst the waters running. Once out and whilst I'm drying off I like to spritz my face with toner and moisturize. Feeling clean makes me feel refreshed and less like I've just got out of bed 10 minutes earlier.


Plan your outfit
Now without a doubt this saves time in the morning. If, like me however, you don't meticulously match your nails to your clothes or your bag to your shoes you may be thinking this is overkill. I'm not suggesting to line up your entire outfit with the accessories and makeup to match, just have an idea in your head of what you plan to wear. Is it a midi dress and tights kind of day, or gym leggings and a hoodie? Having some idea in your head of what you plan to wear prevents your room being turned upside down in that mad morning rush so you can leave the house with a tidy room and a tidy mind.


Eat breakfast
Now if you're not normally a morning person like me then you may be thinking this is an impossible task. I'm not into the standard cereal and toast option as it was never something I had as a child, but granola and fruit is a great option when you're pushed for time. Also because I'm a basic b*tch I just can't function without avocado. This takes a tad too long in the morning though so what I often do is bring an avocado into work, buy some toast, smash it up and bring it to my desk. This helps me ease into the start of the working day whilst feeling fulfilled and ready to go.

Are you making any steps to become more of a morning person? I'd love to find out what works for you in the comments below.

HOW TO APPROACH A BRAND

Preparation:
Research the brand and only approach those you truly like and inspire you.

Before approaching a brand try out some of their products, write a post or share a picture so they can see how content would look and how you make things original and unique to you and your social channels.

Email:
Create an email signature. If you have your address, social links and full name easily accessible you make it as easy as possible for the PR.

This is very important, never email a brand straight up asking for stuff. That just doesn't work, or if so, very rarely. Ask to be added to the database and provide a concise list of all of your key information. Blog URL, Twitter, Instagram handle and Follower count (media kits are extremely helpful when done well).

Show some love, with E-blasts and product info alike respond with your opinions and experiences if you're excited. If something takes your fancy see if it's out in the shops, if you snap some pics for your social channels don't hesitate to send to the PR.

When you email asking for products have an idea in mind on how you want to work with the brand - an idea for a post or a picture for example.

Always remember - there's someone behind the computer screen. Be polite, be friendly and never I repeat never spell their name wrong (If someone calls me Laura one more time I am going to go insane)!

Maintain communication:
If you've been lucky enough to receive products from a brand, or you have simply gone out and bought a product that took your fancy it's great to email the PR with links to your posts. If you know you'll be posting multiple tweets or instagrams then bulk together the links to make your communication more succinct.

Posting a snap and an insta story is amazing as it gives you the opportunity to share your routine and your favs with your followers in real time. The negative of this however is that the PR might not have had the chance to view your story before it expires - try and screen shot any posts the brand may be featured in and send over to them with details of the date and social channel you featured them on.

Have you had any trouble introducing and promoting your blog to brands?  I'd love to hear about your experiences in the industry in the comments below.