Off the Page - Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

I really enjoyed this book. It is actually a sequel but I heard of this one first and for some reason the
first didn't appeal to me as much. It states that this can be read as a standalone and it totally works as one, though I do wonder how different the experience would have been if I read 'Between the Lines' first. I tend to enjoy revisiting the lives of characters in books I loved so it might have made this even better, but somehow I still don't have any urge to read the first book. I might (probably will) do in the future but for now I am in no rush.

Setting the scene, Delilah is in love with Oliver, a character in a fairy tale she read. Somehow, together they manage to get him out of the book and into her world. Happy ever after? Not quite and that is where this story picks up. Between trying to convince the rest of the world that this is how things should be, and the book trying to put things back to how they were, Delilah and Oliver have a tough time ahead of them. But for anyone worried about the lovebirds - spoiler alert - there are plenty of happy endings.

Interspersed between the chapters are pages written from someone else's perspective, and this adds another hint of mystery. This is not resolved till the end, but is very satisfying and doesn't interrupt the story line.

A pretty obvious cocktail choice (and one I discovered around the time I was reading the book) is the Twisted Fairy Tale Fizz by the Martini Diva. You can find all the details here:

http://themartinidiva.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/twisted-fairytale-cocktail-for-once.html

Doesn't it sound magical? Martini Diva has tons of amazing and unusual cocktails, a great inspiration when I've had some excess ingredients and didn't know what to do with them.

Flawed - Cecelia Ahern

First of all, some gushing...

Oh My God! I don't know where to start with this one. I'm determined that this will be the subject of my first post but I'm scared I won't be able to do it justice, in fact I know I won't be able to do it justice but I have to try, and I hope it won't all come tumbling out as even more gushing, no matter how much I want to.

Secondly, read this book. No matter what you're into, no matter what you expect, it is going to be better.

I was lucky enough to win a copy on twitter but I would have bought it anyway, as I love Cecilia Ahern's books. As I also love Young Adult, I knew this was going to be good, what I did not know was that this was way harder to read than any of the adult books she has written.

So, I read this and then made my mum read it. Then we both made my sister read it, she read it twice in one week! Gave it to a friend who stayed up all night to finish it and then gave it to her sister. We all have different tastes in books but none of us could put the book down. I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever get it back! Next I think I'll try it on my dad who never reads anything but the paper.

'Never trust anyone who walks into your house and sits at the head of the table' this is a great quote from the book and tells you a lot. Celestine lives in a world where everything is perfect.She has a wonderful family and the perfect boyfriend. Anyone who is less than perfect is branded so that the rest of the world knows exactly what you've done wrong. In a split second decision, Celestine does something that changes her life forever. Now she will have to decide, admit to being flawed or save herself by doing something that will truly prove she is flawed.

As you read the book you learn more and more about all the characters, even those who seem 2 dimensional soon prove they have more to them than you first thought, and some of them are really not as you think.

Warning!!! The book concludes in part 2, out in April 2017. When I realised it nearly knocked me out but I have survived 5 months so I think I might be able to survive the rest. As long as it doesn't get pushed back even further. I really can't cope much longer.

Now, the perfect cocktail for the perfect book, the French 75. Not only is this one of the most perfect drinks, the reason champagne bubbles is due to the tiny imperfections in the glass, which seeds the bubbles. Plus this is one of my favourite drinks, really easy to make, but impressive to serve.

Simply shake 1 1/2 shots of gin, 1/2 shot of lemon juice and a dash of sugar syrup with plenty of ice. Strain into a glass and top up with champagne or prosecco. This is traditionally served in a flute glass but I like to use a vintage glasses to make it feel extra special!

I like to mix it up with different types of syrups, for example rosemary or spiced orange. These are easy to make at home too. Enjoy!

Me!

Books and cocktails are 2 of my favourite things. I love making cocktails and I WISH I could write a book!In the meantime I'll carry on reading like crazy. So this is going to be primarily a book review blog and whenever I can, I'm going to post a cocktail recipe inspired by the book.One of my other favourite things is astronomy so in addition I might have to drop some spacey things in here when they come up too. You never know, maybe one day I'll open a library bar on the moon...