Promise of a suicidal father

Dress - H! By Henry Holland at Debenhams

Jumper - Next

Bracelet - Pandora

This dress is an absolute favourite of mine because of the collar and cute floral print, but it hasn't featured in a look since April (link to the blog post here) because I find dresses are difficult to, well, dress differently, and I don't want to be reported on Lookbook for reposting.

I want to point out that the title for today's post isn't a personal reference, but a paraphrased quote from the book I'm currently reading "A Tale For the Time Being" by Ruth Ozeki (available from Amazon). It was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize 2013 and so far I am really enjoying it, and it's teaching me a lot about Japanese culture, which I find very interesting. We tend to think of the world as a very small place now, with aeroplanes and the internet, so it's a shock to realise that places are still so different, and not everywhere has the ideologies of the west. 

The book is split between the diary of Japanese teen Nao, and American-living-in-Canda author Ruth, who finds the diary when it's washed up on the beach in a Hello Kitty lunchbox. I can't say much more because I haven't finished it yet but I really am enjoying it so far. 

Are you reading anything good at the moment? 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

£3.85 from Amazon

I just finished reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and wow, what a great book! 

If you've read anything by John Green in the past, you'll know that he tends to ask the big questions in life in the setting of American teens, but this isn't just any teen novel, it's like the Mean Girls of teen books, absolutely perfect.

I'm trying really hard not to give too much away about the book, just be warned that I did shed a little tear at one point, and I never cry at books or films, so beware!

And yes, there are lots of lovely quotes - what else would you expect?

Presents

It was my birthday on Wednesday, and I received some of lovely presents (plus a fair amount of money!) and I wanted to share them with all of you.

This bubble bar from Lush (aptly named "Bubblebeard") was from my cousin. I used it last night and it was absolutely lovely! A little bit boring compared to other Lush creations, but this one didn't leave a pink scum around the bath for ages. Mum approved.

Alex's mum gave me The Original River Cottage Cookbook, after I said that I didn't want any more baking books (I have around six and have made about three recipes from them in total) It's a huge chunk of a book and although I've not had a proper look through just yet, I'm sure that there'll be lots of lovely recipes to try out. 

Alex bought me two CDs that although I already have on my iPod (thanks to YouTube converter) I really wanted them in the flesh: "Konk" by the Kooks and "What Did You Expect from The Vaccines" by, erm, The Vaccines. There's something about owning a physical CD, even though I never play them, which I really like.

Alex also got me these amazing galaxy print jeans from River Island (excuse my fluffy socks!) I've been eyeing these up for ages and was so happy when he gave them to me. It was an extremely lucky fit too, as he bought them when I wasn't even there, and they fit perfectly!

Mum and Dad's main present for me was a set of driving lessons, but they also gave me this lovely copy of Alice in Wonderland. It's part of a selection of classics that have been leather bound by Barnes and Noble, I think that all books should look like them.

And Hannah, of Doubleyou fame, bought me this beautiful green flower necklace (I assure you that it is green, and it's just my dodgy camera that makes it look turquoise) There's something about redheads and the colour green, I always end up drawn to it.