Weekend Wish List!

one / two / three / four / five / six 

Spring is coming and some new bedding would be a nice update for my room, this floral bedspread from H&M looks lovely and would be great in summer too. At just £30 this bedspread is a lovely choice and is definitely affordable too. 

I am in dire need of getting my eyes tested again soon and definitely need some new glasses and I would seriously love to treat myself to some more Ray-Bans. I got some Ray-Bans sunglasses and I love them so much, but I got them years ago and my eye sight has definitely changed since then. However, I managed to get them for £50 last time so I need to keep my eye out for another great deal again! 

I am definitely overdue some new straighteners and I would love to treat myself to some more GHDs. I used to have a pair and then I was stupid enough to leave them on the floor and I accidentally stood on them and broke them. I do have straight hair so I don't tend to use straighteners that often, but it would be nice to have some new ones. 

I love this Nails Inc nail varnish too, it is so cute! Anything red is a must for me, love my red nails especially on my toe nails! I have quite dry heels too so would love to try this Burt's Bees foot cream, I love their lip care range so it would be good to try some of their other products too. 

Book Review: The Silver Linings Playbook.

I have recently finished reading The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick and thought I would do a quick review of the book. I am yet to do a book review on my blog so hope its okay! 

I saw the film "The Silver Linings Playbook" when it first came out and absolutely loved it! The film definitely made me fall in love with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence a little bit more after seeing the film, and from reading the book I appreciate how amazing both of them were and acted in the film too now. The both portrayed the characters so accurately. Definitely agree with the Oscar that Jennifer Lawrence received for this role! 

The book is narrated by Pat Peoples who comes from New Jersey, and has moved back home after spending some time in a psychiatric hospital ("The bad place"). Pat thinks he has only been in there for a few months when in reality it has been years. The book hints that his mind has repressed his bad memories and that is why he cannot remember everything that has happened to him. Pat is aware that he is separated from his wife, Nikki, but calls it "apart time". He has a theory that life is a film created by God and that its "silver lining" will be the end of 'Apart Time' with Nikki. Pat strives to improve himself, both physically and mentally, as he believes it will help him win his wife back. Pats old friend Ronnie introduces Pat to a girl called Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrences character in the film). Tiffany really doesn't need much of an introduction if you have seen the film or have heard of Jennifer Lawrences acting in this film.  

That is about as much of the story I will give away as I truly believe that everyone should give this book a read, or at the very least watch the film. The book is really easy to read and is quite a short book, and the chapters are fairly short so you feel like you can pick it up to read a couple of chapters before bed.

I love how much this book emphasised focusing on the positives in life and also to look for the silver linings in life. Throughout the book I was really rooting for Pat, in the hope that he would get his silver lining at the end of it all. I found that the story was so believable and felt  that the Peoples family was actually like or similar to a typical family that many people can relate to. 

One other point I like about this book is although Pat is argued to have mental health problems, (as he was in a psychiatric hospital and subconsciously repressed his memories, as well as having quite intense anger issues) however I found myself asking "what actually counts as 'normal'"? Several other characters in the book could also be argued to have mental health issues or at least causes for concern, which I love about this book as it made me further question some aspects of mental health diagnosis and treatment. And seeing as I have a keen interest in Psychology ( as that is what my degree is in), this book really interested and gripped me throughout. 

Furthermore, Pat is out to improve himself which is pretty inspiring, for example Pat often tries to be nice instead of right for a change, and this helps him to sympathise with other people more and understand their point of view, which I personally feel that a lot of people could benefit from doing too. 

The film doesn't allow for as much character development as the book does. For example Pats mother definitely deserves a mention because she is such a great and loveable character. Many parents could definitely relate to her and would be rooting for her during the book too. 

This book is definitely a 'happy' book and would recommend everyone to read it. I hope to read some more Matthew Quick novels in the future too! Don't feel like you shouldn't read the book if you have already seen the film because they are both different and great in their own ways! Some parts of the book are not included in the film so definitely give the book a try! 

Has anyone else read this book? Or have any similar reading recommendations?