Book Review: The Morgesons

·       ‘Adelaide talked slowly at first, and then soared into a region where I had never seen a woman - an intellectual one.’

Having never heard of the book or the author before, I read The Morgesons by Elizabeth Stoddard for my nineteenth-century American literature module at uni this week. I was excited to start it when I discovered that it was a female bildungsroman as I always love books with well-developed and strong female characters, and it did not disappoint. The Morgesons is a really poignant coming-of-age novel that doesn't get nearly enough attention in the literary world as it deserves.

The novel follows Cassandra Morgeson from childhood to adulthood, recounting her exploration of knowledge, desire and the role of women in the nineteenth century. Throughout the book she travels to different settings, each one reflecting another stage in her intellectual and personal development.

I really liked Stoddard's writing style in the first half of the novel and was racing through it because I was enjoying it so much, but somehow I felt the pace started to wane in the second half of the book and it seemed to have lost some of the magic it held in the first half. That said, I did finish it and still really enjoyed it overall. There are lots of really beautiful passages in which Cassy's sense of identity seems to be connected to the scenery and I always love a bit of nature imagery in literature!

I personally really liked Cassy as a character as I thought she was really well-developed and often confounded the expectations of how women should behave at the time. I found myself really empathising with her as she faced isolation in school, and grief for various reasons later in her life. I know this is probably an unpopular opinion but I often find female characters in novels from around the same time period to be a bit silly and underdeveloped so I think Stoddard did really well in fleshing out the female characters in this.

Overall, I really liked The Morgesons and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes strong female characters, coming-of-age novels and beautiful prose.

★★★★

Book Review: Pretty Honest

The long-awaited beauty bible from the Guardian's in-house beauty writer Sali Hughes has finally landed and has already received masses of praise from its readers. And deservedly so. This satisfyingly heavy tome is comprised of several essays on different topics related to beauty: brows, red lipstick, skincare, nail painting... you name it, Sali's covered it. The essay format of the book lends itself well to  being a reference book you can keep coming back to when beauty issues arise. That said, Sali's witty, frank, no-nonsense style of writing becomes addictive and so I all but devoured my copy in one sitting while my uni reading sat neglected on my desk.

I think this book would be appropriate for beauty aficionados and novices alike as it covers basics such as skincare and foundation but also contains the more nitty-gritty scientific information about products that we hardened beauty addicts crave. It also caters to both young and old audiences with chapters on anti-ageing and teen beauty - there really is something for everyone who has even the slightest interest in beauty. She recommends products for all budgets so those of us who need to save cash need not feel guilty for spending money on beauty fodder - I love this as I think so many women can be conned into buying unnecessarily pricey products when there are so many great budget options on the market. Sali has also written chapters on less common beauty topics such as the benefits of beauty and self-indulgence during pregnancy and illness which I'm certain will be poignant for many women who have been through either or both.

Although Pretty Honest will eventually be available in paperback, I think the hardback copy is worth buying because it looks and feels beautiful and will be something you will want to refer to for years to come. It would also make a lovely Christmas present for any girls in your life who are interested in beauty or just don't know where to start with it.

You can find the hardback copy of the book here.

★★★★★

Beauty Reads

I like reading beauty blogs as much as the next girl, but I'm a true bookworm at heart. And when I sometimes fancy neither staring at a screen for any longer nor reading a modern classic, one of the glossy-paged books on my beauty shelf (visible in my bedroom tour post) will fit the bill. After reading both Meg's post and Anna's post about their top beauty reads, I thought about my personal picks and compiled them here for you. From super-clean skincare to how to perfect the smokey eye, there's something for everyone.

The 5 Minute Face by American makeup maven Carmindy shows you that it is possible to achieve a flawless face in five minutes without the need for expensive eyeshadows; it's about using the right products in the right places. (Admittedly, it does take me a little longer because my skin isn't great but it's still shorter than my usual routine!) With tips on how to extend your daily makeup into a glamorous party look and wearing the most flattering shades for your skintone and age, this book is perfect for the everyday woman as Carmindy advises you on what makeup it is actually practical to wear - we all know that six shades of perfectly blended eyeshadow is just not going to happen on a weekday morning. It's actually really nice to rock a more pared-back look from time to time as you see that you don't really need to wear that much to look put-together. She also includes a shopping list at the back with high-end and budget product recommendations for every look in the book which is really handy, especially for Americans who can buy all of the products!

For really in-depth information about choosing and applying makeup, the Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual is the one to read. Bobbi takes it back to the beginning with this one as she really goes into detail about how to choose the makeup that's perfect for you. This would actually be great to buy for an aspiring makeup artist as not only does Bobbi give advice on choosing the perfect foundation for your skin type and colouring, she also includes her tricks of the trade of how to break into the industry and the essential tools of a makeup artist's kit. All of the instructions are accompanied by really clear photos showing you the step-by-step process of each look so you can't really go wrong. This one is a bit beefier in terms of information than the one by Carmindy but it really worth reading in my opinion, especially as Bobbi Brown is one of the most illustrious makeup artists in the industry.

Finally onto skincare; I bought skin-savvy Liz Earle's Skin Secrets this year, a book in which she dispenses her knowledge on how to have naturally beautiful skin for your whole life. A bold statement, no? Before I read this book I had very little knowledge of the nitty-gritty details on skincare, from icky ingredients to the effect that eating certain foods has upon your skin - no, a Neutrogena face wash from Boots will not suffice. Liz singles out the chemicals you don't want on your skin and advises what you should be doing to take care of your skin in each stage of your life without it being too complicated. She also explains the importance of having a healthy lifestyle if you want good skin: you can't just rely on a good skincare regime if you want good skin, because you are what you eat and beauty comes from the inside (cringe). This book would be ideal for anyone who is a skincare novice as I was a few months ago who wants to overhaul their skincare routine.

What are your favourite beauty reads?

Book Review: It

As I'm sure was the case for many young adult females, ubiquitous style icon Alexa Chung's coveted new book It dropped through my letterbox a few days ago. The rather ambiguous title seems to be referring to how Chung became an "It" girl, although she has the modesty not to state this in the book. Instead, she seems to infer it through the mood board-esque mishmash of doodles, polaroids and musings that the book is comprised of. I must admit, the relevance of some of the captionless photos is slightly questionable (the trolley full of pumpkins, for example), but I suppose they all reflect the little aspects of her character that make her It.

In my mind (and the mind of most other 18-30 women), Alexa Chung absolutely epitomises cool in terms of the clothes she wears: she consistently manages to perfect a preppy, slightly androgynous getup that always looks effortless. Unfortunately though, as she points out, "Looking effortless takes a lot of effort". The book is scattered with her own style inspirations, most of whom seem to be the It girls of the 60s: Jane Birkin, Twiggy, Charlotte Rampling.. and George Harrison. The latter is perhaps a slightly odd source of sartorial inspiration for a 21st century woman, but Chung stresses the importance of alluding to, not copying, these inspirations: "rather than literally ripping off a look and seeming as though I'm in fancy dress as a particular character, I manage to incorporate certain styles into my wardrobe in a more subtle way". Although this is by no means a definitive guide of how to dress like Alexa Chung, you definitely get a sense of what underpins her style in terms of her inspirations and her staple pieces. She also discusses what sparked her love for her signature cat-eye eyeliner and how she achieves her effortless bedhead hair.

What I was pleasantly surprised by was Chung as a character as opposed to just a style icon. I knew very little about her as a person before I read It but it seems that she possesses a personality equally as cool as her dress sense. She's not too worried about being cool though - she confesses to her love for for karaoke and says that "the more cheesy and awful the song is, the better". Her witty, dry sense of humour really comes across in her writing which is often tongue-in-cheek. Case in point: she includes an instructional guide on how to take the perfect selfie. She also touches on more personal issues such as heartbreak and musings from her childhood which is nice as they give some insight into her life and show that she also has to deal with the crappy things in life that the rest of us do! She discusses other extensions of her personality such as her eclectic taste in music and how the Spice Girls introduced her to the concept of feminism - I had no idea that she was a feminist so that made me pretty happy.

All in all, I think it's a fun, enjoyable read which I would definitely keep on my coffee table if I lived in a glamorous apartment in New York. If you are interested in Alexa Chung as an entity or as a style icon, it's definitely worth picking up.

Have any of you read It? (Ha ha.)

★★★★