Stacking The Shelves

Hi guys! I'm going to jump right in about Stacking The Shelves. It's a book-related meme that is about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves. (Learn about it here: http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2012/05/staking-shelves-official-launch.html). If you know me, you know that I do love my books :)

Here's the books that I've gotten throughout the past two months or so:

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

After watching the last Hobbit film, I really didn't want to let the series go. I grew up with LOTR and The Hobbit, and seeing the whole series end made me feel as if my childhood had ended together with it :( So to satisfy my Middle Earth cravings, I bought The Hobbit off Amazon. As you do.

Christmas At Claridges by Karen Swan

A random buy at a bookshop, just because it was the Christmas season. Mini review: It started off really well. As I read further on, some parts felt like it was going nowhere. Towards the end, it got a little questionable. Three stars out of five. 

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Have yet to see the movie, but am quite excited to read the book. Bought this at a charity shop for a pound. Score!

Just A Girl Standing In Front of A Boy by Lucy-Anne Holmes

I remember this as the first book that I bought in the UK. Which happened because I was really attracted to the cover. (Yes, I'm superficial like that, sorry.)  I quite like this book. It looks like the usual light chick lit / YA novel, but it actually goes slightly deeper than the superficial. I even felt a bit choked up at one point (which is a rarity). Four out of five, I'd say. 

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie. Enough said.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I heard a lot of good reviews about this book so when I saw the 3 books for 10-pounds deal on Amazon, it was a no-brainer.

Confessions of A Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

....I just really like Jane Austen okay? 

Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

Similarly like The Night Circus, people seem to rave about Jenny Colgan so I thought I might see what all the fuss is about.

The Seafront Tea Rooms by Vanessa Greene

Kind of an impulse buy, but the blurb at the back sounded promising, so.. (Three ladies. One tea room. Need I say more?)

Queen of Big Time by Adriana Trigiani

I'm familiar with Adriana's work, and have enjoyed her books thus far. Hopefully this will be another good read!

Once Upon A River by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Another random buy. I needed a dose of action, coupled with a strong heroine. 

A fun buy at Oxfam!

With impossible-to-get-wrong recipes.

And dessert-related quotes to boot! :)

Phew, that was a long one. What books have you gotten recently? Let me know so that I can go on the hunt for more!

Oh, and happy new year! (throws imaginary confetti and glitter around)

Take care and till next time,

Cheryl

ps: I got too lazy to switch the text to align on the left as per the top of this post. but hey, the middle alignment always looks good right? no? okay, i'll take my leave now byeeeeee.

Major Updates!

Hiiiiiiiiiii. It's been months, yes? Sorry about that. (As if there's anyone reading to say sorry to, lol.)

Have been meaning to update you for ages but certain life events that happened the past few months have dampened and prevented me from doing so. It has been a roller-coaster of life-changing ups and downs, but now I think the curve's coming round to a stretch. I've found my footing now and it's time for you to be in the loop.

This post, by the way, is aimed to friends who want to know what's been going on for the past few months or so. (Why not family? Well, they're already in on it thanks to our family Whatsapp group which by the way is very vibrant). So for those who are clueless, what happened more than a month ago?

I uprooted myself from comfy Malaysia to the little, quaint city of Bath, UK.

Me, who only ever flew on a plane to Singapore. Which gives me a running total flight time of 45 minutes x 2.

I flew out to bustling country of England. 13,000+ kilometers. 14+ hours. With a crying toddler in front of me.

But hey, I made it! Not only that, I also survived Freshers' Week (not that I did anything as much as the others).

Thoughts?

Definitely have had some Expectation vs Reality clashes here and there, but all in all I feel very contented and blessed to be where I am now. 

I love the historic look of the city; cobbled stones and all. I like how there's so much history contained here - in the people who lived in this place long ago, the cultures which influenced the architecture.. the list goes on. I like how there's a slight crowd during the weekends but never enough to make you feel claustrophobic. Some people feed off the buzz of bustling London. Similarly, I thrive on the quiet, more muted hum of Bath.

Goodbye for now,

Cheryl