Aimee Was Reading: Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Becky Albertalli)

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Published by Balzer + Bray

Pages: 303

Genre/s: Young Adult, Romance, LGBTQ

Buy on Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes and Noble

Goodreads

'Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier

prefers to save his drama for the school musical.

But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret

 is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon

is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman

for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become

  everyone’s business.Worse, the privacy of Blue,

the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing,

will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once

tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence

 with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has

suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon

 has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before

 he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends,

compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness

with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.'

 

A little while back, whilst I was in a book binge buy mode, I asked my friends for book recommendations. One of those pals piped up the YA novel Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, and I instantly had to add it to my list. Firstly, the title stood out to me; 'what is the Homo Sapiens Agenda?' I wondered. Additionally, my pal pretty much cried via texts and emoji's over how much this book means to her, and I am always in awe of books that have this capability. Fast forward a few books which I had on my to-read list longer than this one, and some lazy reading habits later, I popped into Waterstones on World Book Day and treated myself to the tale of Simon Spier.

 

The book itself tells the story of Simon. He is like most kids his age- he loves to hang out with his friends, has a geek element to him and has anxieties towards how a romantic interest may be interested in him. However, Simon has a secret; he is gay and nobody knows. Nobody except for Blue, the lover boy he has been emailing about life and school and the dreaded notion of coming out. Or so Simon thinks. The book begins with Simon's secret at jeopardy when Martin (a character I would describe as the biggest pain in the ass) tells Simon he has read his emails with Blue, and thus, knows his most personal trait.

 

I have to say that this is my favourite YA book I've read in a LONG TIME. Though I am older than Simon and his friends I still felt as though I could resonate with them. They are caffeine addicts and love to spend time together. Furthermore, I took enjoyment in the fact Simon has a good home life. A lot of YA is spent on parents not understanding their kids and conflict within the family. Simon has a positive home life which is quite refreshing in a YA book. I think what I truly loved about the narrative is how so brilliantly sarcastic Simon is portrayed as. His humour and character is so lovable, so much so that I have made it a bucket list task to read any and all books Becky Albertalli produces. I found myself snorting and giggling on public transport way more than I would like to admit for someone who travels alone. But it is so wonderful when a character is so vivid that you want to be friends with them. Adding to the characterisation in the book, it is such a great narrative in that there is SO MUCH representation. Of course there is an LBGT theme as it is about Simon's sexuality, but on top of that, there are characters of various ethnic backgrounds and shapes. I love that Becky Albertalli is displaying a diverse and realistic friendship group.

 

I don't think I have any nagging negatives about this book. The only one is the guessing who Blue is part, because at one stage I thought it was someone I REALLY DID NOT WANT IT TO BE, but it turned out Blue wasn't this person, which is a positive point really.

 

I seriously recommend reading this book if you love YA. You don't need to be a part of the LBGTQ community to appreciate how wonderful of a read it is. I am so excited to see Love, Simon in the next few weeks. I am a huge fan of Nick Robinson and Jennifer Garner so I have no doubt it will live up to the book. But, I guess I will keep you posted on that one!

 

Rating: 5/5

 

 

 

 



Laura Lee Cat's Pajamas Palette: Review

Recently I received a very too good and tempting message from Beauty Bay regarding the Laura Lee Cat's Pajamas palette. It was on offer for £17.50 and with it's pink and gold range of shades, I caved in and purchased it.

Waterparks: Entertainment (Review)

Waterparks dropped their sophomore album Entertainment on January 26th. Between the singles that have surfaced in the lead up to this record and Awsten's very open and ALLCAPS TWEETS about it, I've been hyped to hear it for some time.

Aimee Was Reading: The Couple Next Door (Shari Lapena)

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Published by Bantam Press in 2016

Pages: 344

Genre/s: Crime, Mystery

Buy on: Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes and Noble

Goodreads

Aimee Was Reading: The Song of Achilles (Madeline Miller)

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Published by Bloomsbury on September 20 2011 (this edition is 2017)

Pages: 352

Genre/s: Historical Fiction, Romance, Mythology, LGBT

Buy on: Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes and Noble

Goodreads

2018 goals

Hello and Happy New Year.

It is very much a convention at this time of year that we mortals think about the things we really dislike in our lives, and make resolutions to resolve these by December 31st of that year. I personally do not opt to have resolutions as I think these often lead to pressure to succeed and consequent failures. I prefer to set goals. I know you may think 'Aimee, what's the freaking difference?' but I think goals are more free. They are suggestions of what I would like to try out and change, with the mind-set of 'I'm going to see where this takes me' as oppose to 'this must take me to x destination.' Having said this, I have nothing against people who do make resolutions. It is ultimately down to what works for you and I have found that having small little wishes usually works out better for me than huge, life changing decisions which are rather drastic. Some people are actually pretty content with how their lives are and thus, aren't thrown into the New Year with the concept that they need to change. Whatever you want to do, that's cool- do what makes you happy.

2017 Top Trumps

As we move into 2018, with resolutions and wishes for what we hope to happen this year, I thought I would take the time to highlight some of my top things from 2017.

I think it was a mixed bag of a year. I had some incredible highs and a number of lows and I think the same can be said on a more global note. But this post is designed to celebrate some of the positives to come out of 2017, so let's get into it.

* The order of things listed is not ascending unless stated.

First Impressions: Pink Parcel

I recently did a post on Birchbox, a monthly subscription box related to beauty. Part of me cancelled this because I couldn't justify paying for stuff I didn't need, and also, a part of me wanted to explore the realm of subscription boxes further (so technically, my bank account is still suffering).

Now, as fun as it is to receive random bits of beauty each month, I treat myself far too often as it is. Therefore, I opted to subscribe to Pink Parcel, which has an element of need to it, as it is a box designed to help you during that time of the month. That's right. A little pick you up parcel for your periods!

November 2017 Favourites

Before I fall headfirst into a snowman, decked in light up jumpers and devouring every candy cane in sight, I thought it would be a good idea to give November its last bit of attention with this favourites  post. I generally enjoy both reading and writing these sorts of posts, so hopefully you will enjoy this mix of things I loved in November, and maybe even try some yourself!

Birchbox November 2017 Review

When I saw in my October Birchbox that they would be collaborating with Vogue on their next subscription box, I was pretty darn excited. A list of things buzzed through my mind as to what amazing beauty products I would be receiving in the post. A few days ago, my most recent box arrived and I decided to share my thoughts on it in this post.

Aimee Was Watching: Stranger Things Season 2

So, I am a self confessed Stranger Things fangirl. Ever since I saw the first season I have been gripped by the world of Hawkins and its inhabitants. So, you can imagine my excitement when Netflix dropped the second instalment on October 27th.

*DISCLAIMER: THIS POST WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Why I love Disney at Halloween

I am fond of many things, but two of the biggest things are Halloween and Disney.

I can't exactly define what it is about Halloween that I love so much. Mainly I love being able to embrace all the things about myself which may be seen as creepy any other time of year, such as my adoration for Horror, creepy makeup looks and interest in serial killers.

Final Frightdown: Wednesday Addams

For this quick Halloween look, I am turning to one of my icons in life- Ms Wednesday Addams.

Wednesday has everything that fits this spooky season; a morbid outlook, an all black wardrobe and the signature pigtails. This makes her such an easy option for Halloween dress up. All you need is a black dress, hairbands, black eyeshadow, black liquid liner and a resting b*tch face!

Final Frightdown: Crybaby

Welcome back! My last post was a Mrs Potato Head inspired look and today's post is also influenced by Melanie Martinez. Crybaby is the protagonist featured in the songs of her album of the same name. If you are familiar with Melanie's work, you may be aware of the eccentric looks which compliment her work.

Final Frightdown: Mrs Potato Head

For my third look in my Final Frightdown mini series, I decided to opt for a Mrs Potato Head look. Now, this isn't the Disney spud, but the reconstructed, cosmetic surgery damaged, character created by Melanie Martinez.

I love Melanie Martinez and I instantly knew I wanted to do a look (or two?) inspired by the dark sides of her album. Now, I am evidently not the first person to have created what is a botched plastic surgery makeup look, but I did take inspiration from the way Mrs Potato Head looks in Melanie's video.

Final Frightdown: Scarecrow

Welcome to the second look in my Final Frightdown posts. This mini series is for all of you out there who are still stuck for dress up ideas for Halloween.

Whether your makeup skills are non existant limited or you just want something quick and simple to do, you are in the right place. Whilst my last post was a semi cute/creepy kitty look, today we are going for something which was created to cause fear.

Final Frightdown: Kitten

I live for Halloween. I pretty much spend every second of my life trying to make it spookier. I love horror films, creepy cute things and most importantly, playing with makeup.

I have decided to use my next few posts to create some last minute, easy to do, Halloween looks. So if you are looking for inspiration ideas as to who or what you can become this October 31st then you are in the right place.

Soph X Revolution: Review

Soph Does Nails is one of my favourite Youtubers. She posts amazing tutorials and some very influential Primark Hauls which are responsible for a quarter of my wardrobe.

Not so long ago, she became a part of the Makeup Revolution team, adding content to their Youtube channel and also travelling to America to promote their products. It was during my recent trip to California that I, in a haze of jet lag, discovered that she was about to sell her own eyeshadow and highlighter palette in collaboration with the company. I was beyond excited! Makeup Revolution are by far my favourite company when it comes to eyeshadows, and I loved the colour selection for Soph's palette.

Autumn Favourites Haul

Autumn has well and truly cast its spell on us. From the falling, orange stained leaves to the huge collection of jumpers and the colour berry in shops, it is hard to resist the spookiest of seasons!

As someone who absolutely lives for Autumn, it is inevitable that I have picked up some things in stores which I wanted to share with you. Now, I haven't specifically searched out seasonal products but between my recent trip to the States (where Halloween is LIT) and the goodies Primark delivers, I have mounted a miniature pile of stuff in my room. So without further ado, let me share these finds with you.

Aimee is back

Hello

I am back from my mini hiatus which occurred during my trip to the States.

I thought I would just post a quick piece on some things which I am planning to write over the next few months, with the hopes that if you're reading this, then you may also want to read them when they are posted!