Book Club: 'Me Before You'

£3.86 on AMAZON

- NO SPOILERS- This is my first Jojo Moyes book which I've read, I have bought another one since but haven't read that yet.  I finished it a few months ago but the story has stayed with me since.  It is definitely a weepy, but I'm always welcome to them, I find it kind of beautiful how words, these little black things on a page, can make someone emotional.  It's a thought-provoking book (my favourites) about love, soul-searching and letting go.
In a sentence the plot of the story is a woman taking care of a quadriplegic man and, when accidentally discovering his intentions, she sets herself the mission of giving him reason to live.  The subject of physical disability is dealt with in a sensitive and compassionate manner.  It really hit home with me when I was reading about Will's daily life, in which he has to rely on people to do everything except move his head.  He's a man full of life and adventure, making it even more heartbreaking.  His sould is hungry for something that can never be his again.  If this book won't encourage you to get out there and live your life - a lesson which main character Lou has also to learn - then I don't know what will.  My personal definition of 'love' is when you care about someone's happiness more than your own, and if they're happy, then that's what really matters, and this book definitely reflected that.
I correctly predicted the outcome pretty much before opening the book, but how it got there was beautiful and moving.  It really makes you think 'Well, what if I was in the position?', referring to both of the main characters.  It touches ethical issues such as the right to die, something which I've always believed in and thus only adds to the beauty of the book.  A must-read.

October/November haul

Burgundy t-shirt dress: TOPSHOP

Fairisle knit snood: TOPSHOP

Pom-pom cable knit hats: TOPSHOP

Dusty pink jumper with zips: TOPSHOP

Floral bouquet dress: TOPSHOP

Baroque print tee: ASOS

Ganesha print tee: URBAN OUTFITTERS

Fishnet mesh tee: H&M

Denim dungarees dress: TOPSHOP

Blue velvet maxi skirt: ASOS

Faux leather trousers: RIVER ISLAND

Bones skull top: ZARA

Organza skirt: H&M

(Jurassic Park trilogy, a dinosaur tea towel and a cartoon dinosaur movie, is anyone seeing a running theme in this haul?)

Knitwear, dresses and books, oh my!  Boy oh boy, have I done some shopping.  And may I point out, this is me being "sensible".  I could have easily done a lot more damage.  Very easily, in fact.  After seeing this, though, I somehow don't think I deserve a pat on the back for my efforts.  As the title says, all of this stuff is from the past couple of months, I didn't go crazy and buy it all at once.  I'm definitely pleased with all my purchases, when I watch hauls on Youtube a lot of girls tend to say 'I think I'll take this back', but that never happens to me.  I'm not really an impulse buyer, before I buy things I usually have to think about them first.  For a lot of these items I saw them online, decided I liked them and then went to the store to see if I really liked them (I always did, it never ended well).  As a result, I always end up loving the clothes I buy.  I've discovered I've got to know my style a lot better over the past few months, because there's basically nothing in my wardrobe which I would willingly put on eBay, which is a difference to the piles of clothes I usually build up.  It's a bit of a shame on one hand because I could really do with the cash, but whatever, my wardrobe and I are on very good terms right now.
I'd pick a favourite piece but after looking back, I can't.  I mean, the faux leather pants, I will wear them again and again and again (etc) until it becomes physically impossible to continue wearing them, but then the velvet maxi skirt is such a stand-out piece.  And I got a good eleven pounds off it (ASOS strikes again) which makes me love it even more.  And the fishnet tee from H&M is unlike anything I own, but it's so damn perfect... Oh, I can't bloody choose.  If you have a favourite, do let me know.
I've also been buying a variety of DVDs and books, as well as Rihanna's newest album (obviously).  I receive a 'student support package' off my university which is income based.  Pretty much meaning I get four thousand pounds on my uni card, over the next couple of years, to use at the Student Union shop (which my brother keeps telling me to visit to get him some free chocolate) and also at the Blackwell's bookshop across the road.  I am a book worm, so this is very exciting to me.  Hence why I've gone a bit crazy and bought a wide variety of books.  I haven't got my nose stuck into any of them yet but am sure I will do over the Christmas holiday.  They were also stocking dinosaur tea towels in their Christmas gifts section, which inevitably had to be added to my basket.
I've also bought a fair few Disney DVDs (one cannot beat old school Disney!) as well as some of the newer ones which I saw at the cinema, such as 'Red Lights' and 'Spiderman'.  I am someone who can watch films more than once, so when a movie has an impact on me, I buy it.
And that's it!  Living in Manchester is still proving to be terrible for me, yet is doing wonderful things for my clothes collection.
You win some, you lose some.