[Book Review]- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

After hearing and reading a bunch of glowing reviews about The Night Circus, I was ready to be swept away by the wave of hype. The book was original, riveting, whimsical, and at times even enchanting. However, for whatever reasons, It wasn't quite love at first read for me.

THE CIRCUS ARRIVES WITHOUT WARNING. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white-striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is open only at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Amidst the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance. 

[Book Review]- Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Like most North Americans, I love Mindy Kaling. Ever since she first appeared on the scene as a writer and star of The Office, and now in her own show, The Mindy Project, I can't get enough of her. The fact that she's written a book about herself on top of everything else totally justifies my healthy obsession. I mean, books are my thing  — clearly, this was meant to be.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is Mindy's first novel. The back cover describes it as a collection of humorous essays. Mindy's description is much more apt, of-course. 

"In this book I write a lot about romance, female friendships, un-fair situations that now seem funny in retrospect, unfair situations that I still don't think are funny, Hollywood, heartache, and my childhood. I wrote this book in a way that reflects how I think. Sometimes it's an essay or story, and sometimes it's a pliest, which is a piece with a list-y quality, a term I've just made up." 

For some context, this was written in the time frame before The Mindy Project came in to fruition but after she had departed The Office. I love this book because it felt like Mindy was beside me the whole time, chatting away about her life as I turned each page. This is a must-read for fans of The Office, as she includes lots of details about what it was like working on the show, along with many anecdotes involving various cast members and writers. There's even a eulogy written for Mindy by a former writer and cast member. Yup, a eulogy. It's hilarious. You'll have to read the book to find out who wrote it.

Mindy's next novel, Why Not Me, will be published in April 2015. I can't wait!       
    

Views From the 6ix: Toronto Islands

A couple of weeks ago when it still felt like summer in Toronto, (It is currently freezing) I took a late day trip to Centre Island with some friends. I've never been to the Toronto Islands so late in the day before so I decided to snap a couple of pictures with my phone. I got a little carried away (ofcourse) trying to capture as much of the beautiful scenery as I could. Below are a few of my touristy shots from the day. #305ToMyCity

P.S- Drake, if you're reading this, (lolz, yeah right) you need to film your next music video on the Toronto Islands at night. It's time we show the world a different and perhaps under-appreciated view from the 6.     

I took this awesome shot as our ferry pulled away from the dock, on the way to Centre Island.

Another shot of the city skyline with a pretty sunset as my backdrop.

Here's a cool looking weeping willow that greeted us as we pulled in to the island dock. I felt a great kinship with this tree. I wanted to hug him and tell him and tell him that I could relate.

This is definitely my favourite shot of the night. We came upon this beautiful scene after walking through some long wooded paths along Ward Island. Upon approaching a clearing I happened to look to my left and was met with this amazing view. I felt like I had stumbled in to a scene from the movie, 'The F-Word".

 

As you can see, I just could not get over how beautiful my city looked from a boat. Call me lame, but I have at least five more awesome shots of this view. You may think I'm being a bit excessive and this blog post is lame but, too bad. I can't really put in to words how amazing it looked in real life. I suggest you check it out, in person. It was breathtaking.

  

  

Drug Store Concealer Review: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles

 This is the Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer (run- on sentence alert). I decided to review it, because for a drug store product, it worked really well and at around $8, was really affordable. 

I purchased the shade light. There is also a separate neutralizer shade that can be worn as a primer under this concealer for those with super stubborn dark circles. Upon asking the sales lady she recommended I buy this one and assured me I wouldn't be disappointed with the results. She was wearing both the neutralizer shade and concealer and I was immediately impressed by the fact that there was barely even a shadow detectable under her eyes!

The only slightly annoying thing about using this product is the amount of effort it takes to first get the product out. The instructions read that you need to keep turning the top until the product begins to bleed out. This. took. forever. At one point, I was worried it was broken and I would have to be a raccoon for the day.

After a lot of twisting, It finally worked! Here's the eye I tested the product on first. I swooped it on with the applicator in the triangular shape under my eyes and then blended it in with my ring finger until it dried. The consistency was nice and buildable. Added bonus: it has goji berries and haloxyl in the ingredients.  

This is my other eye, without the concealer. Ew. As you can see, this dark circle eraser works like a charm. The coverage was pretty long lasting. I wore it for around 8 hours with no touch ups because I'm lazy. I could have easily done one after about 4-5 hours. Overall, I would rate this product a 8/10. I will definitely be repurchasing.        

Now Playing: Bombay Bicycle Club

I first discovered Bombay Bicycle Club in March of this year. The best way I can describe their music is that it makes me happy and gives me #allthefeels. Yes, I just used a tumblr tag to express myself. #SorryNotSorry. 

Bombay Bicycle Club is a British indie rock band from Crouch End, London. The band members include Jack Steadman (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Jamie MacColl (guitar), Suren de Saram (drums) and Ed Nash (bass). Here's a fun fact, the band got its' name from a (now defunct) chain of Indian restaurants in Britain.

Their latest album, So Long, See You Tomorrow has become my obsession.  There are 10 tracks in total, all of them amazingly catchy and uplifting. My favourite three tracks are "It's Alright Now", "Carry Me", and "Luna".

Check out their SoundCloud and their music video for their first single, "Carry Me" below.

[Book Review] Worst. Person. Ever. by Douglas Coupland

“This novel contains: much talk of bodily functions, improbable sexual content, violent death, nuclear crisis and elaborately inventive profanity. Reader Discretion Is Advised.“

This blurb is on the back of the book. You’ve been warned. It’s no joke. I decided to pick up this book from Indigo as a way to kill time while waiting for my inconsiderate friend to show up (late as usual). The title caught my eye for being so fitting at the moment. After reading the back blurb and the first few pages, I was hooked. — I’d never read anything like it before. I spent the next hour and a half immersed in its vulgar glory…unable to look away.

Just like the cover promises, this book really is demented, dark and hilarious. This is the first book I've read of author Douglas Coupland, and I wasn't disappointed. He's such a funny and descriptive writer and I cannot wait to begin reading more of his work. That being said, I really hope Raymond Gunt is not based on a real person. *Shudders in revulsion*  *Side Note*- Drake should read this book. He would totally get Raymond Gunt. #WorstBehavior

[Book Review] Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Life After Life is the story of Ursula Todd, born to an English banker and his wife in 1910. Ursula dies at birth, before she can take her first breath, yet she is born again on that same snowy night in 1910. This is the first of many deaths and reincarnations that Ursula will experience throughout her turbulent life, spanning the young century as it marches towards the first cataclysmic war.  As the book progresses, Ursula seemingly has an infinite number of lives to change the destiny of the world surrounding her.  

This is the first piece of fiction I’ve read in a long time due to the fact that I briefly went through a memoir craze. Life After Life was a refreshing departure from reality that was brilliantly original and captivating.  

At roughly 477 pages, I found the novel a bit of a long read for the storyline. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the overall plot and am still thinking about it days later.  Atkinson created a storyline that makes you think long and hard about the meaning of life and question what you would do differently given the chance to change your own life’s outcome.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys imaginative fiction and doesn’t mind a long read. Here’s hoping Kate Atkinson’s novel is picked up for movie rights. In my opinion, Life After Life would translate wonderfully on screen, similar to the Benjamin Button adaptation.