October & November Non-Beauty Favourites 2016

I had way more lifestyle and non-beauty favourites in the last two months, so much so that they necessitated their own post rather than just being chucked in with the rest of my favourites (read that post here). But when it came to actually writing it I found that I couldn't remember half of them. So here, for your reading pleasure, are the favourites that I could remember.

Makala Soprano Dolphin Ukulele in Light Blue Burst - £34 from gear4music.com

This is the best thing I've bought. Ever. The only thing that comes even a little bit close to this magnificent purchase is the Furby Baby I bought with my pocket money when I was 8. And so far I haven't had any dreams about my ukulele coming to life and attacking me in my sleep, unlike the Furby Baby. I'm not entirely sure why I'm comparing my ukulele to a Furby Baby, the only thing they have in common is the fact that they're both baby blue. Anyway I've been learning to play the guitar for the past six months and I wanted to turn my hand to the ukulele, which as it turns out is much easier to play. Not that it's easy, but it's certainly not as painful.  So far I can play Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah, Kiss the Girl from The Little Mermaid, Twenty One Pilot's cover of Can't Help Falling in Love and the opening of George Harrison's Here Comes the Sun. I bought the Makala Soprano Dolphin Ukulele because they're really good for beginners, they have excellent sound quality and they come in loads of cool colours. Obviously I got light blue, because I'm obsessed with blue! I wouldn't recommend buying it on Amazon though. I had a really negative experience with the company that sold it to me, which wasn't Amazon. It took ages to get to me, despite the fact that it was eligible for Prime and I'm a Prime customer. I then had to return it because they sent me the wrong one, which was worth less than half the price I paid, was broken and sounded like a broken toy. It took nearly 3 weeks to get everything sorted out and it was a total pain in the arse.

Eadie & Wallace 'Opulent' Sandalwood, Cinnamon & Clove Candle

I picked this up in T.K. Maxx back in the summer when I was already dreaming about Christmas scented candles and it has become a firm favourite. It smells incredible,  seriously incredible. It has a very woody and spicy scent that isn't at all overpowering or heady. It throws a decent amount of scent into the room, even when it's not lit and it burns really well, evenly with no pooling. And that packaging though! It's so understated and pretty. I seriously love it. Sorry to be a tease but I have scoured the internet and haven't been able to find it in stock anywhere. It's definitely worth checking in store at T.K. Maxx though, just in case.

Try Not To Breathe by Holly Seddon - Paperback/Kindle Edition £3.99/£3.79 from Amazon

Comparisons with The Girl on the Train are literally printed on the front cover of this book. They are very similar as both protagonists are alcoholic women, unable to cope with their divorces and trying to get to the root of a mystery. In this case Alex is a journalist, trying to find out what happened to Amy, who has been left in a coma after being viciously beaten thirteen years previously. I've read both, and out of the two I think I preferred Try Not To Breathe. It's easily one of the best books I've read this year, if not ever. I read it in one day, when it took maybe two days for me to get through The Girl on the Train. It just absolutely gripped me from the very first page. I know that's such a clichéd thing to say, but it's true. It was like the story pinned me to the spot and demanded my attention from the very first word. I was hooked. It's incredible. It's suspenseful, incredibly tense and full of shocking twists and turns, particularly the ending, which I really didn't see coming. This is definitely one to curl up with on a cold night, but be warned, you will be reading it well into the early hours. 

We Were On A Break by Lindsey Kelk - Paperback/Kindle Edition £3.85/£3.99 from Amazon

Lindsey Kelk is my favourite chick-lit author. I've read all of her books, and I've loved them all. They're so funny, full of pop-culture references, which I love, and make for really nice, easy reading. We Were On A Break is her latest and I really liked it. It's a dual narrative told from the points of view of Liv and Adam, a couple who were supposed to get engaged in Mexico but came back on a break instead. It was laugh out loud funny at times and so frustrating at others. I ended up shouting USE YOUR WORDS at the two main characters so many times. Other than that I really enjoyed it. If you're getting away for some winter sun - you lucky things! -then this is a great beach read. 

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - Paperback/Kindle Edition £5.59/£4.99 from Amazon

When it comes to YA fiction it's no secret that I'm a HUGE fan. One of my biggest pet peeves is people discounting or undermining YA fiction, without reading it, purely because it's written for a younger audience. But it's their loss. I even wanted to write my Masters Thesis on John Green's The Fault in Our Stars and Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but then I started researching them and there were virtually no academic sources available, making a 20,000 word dissertation almost impossible. But I digress. When it comes to YA fiction few do it better than Rainbow Rowell, apart from John Green I can't actually think of any.  Her writing is beautiful, funny and captivating. Once I start reading one of her books I can't tear myself away. This is particularly true of Eleanor and Park, which  is one of my all time favourite books. I can, and have, read it over and over again. It's about Eleanor, a chubby red head from a troubled background and Park, a Korean American who just wants to fit in. They meet on the school bus on Eleanor's first day. After a rocky start they fall in love, bonding over mix-tapes and comic books. But can they overcome Eleanor's troubled background and her dick of a step-dad? You'd have to read it to find out, and you should read it, because it's a wonderful book. It's funny, it's heartbreakingly sad and has just the right level of teenage angst without being irritating. It's get me right in the feels every time. 

What are your non-beauty favourites? Let me know by commenting below - I always reply so check back -, on twitter, or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin', snapchat -search lolarocknroses - & pinterest for regular updates.


Love love love xxx