What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 91

Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and for ever. 

Donna Tartt’s cult bestseller The Secret History is a remarkable achievement - both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful. 

The Secret History is the first novel by Mississippi-born writer Donna Tartt and was published by in 1992. A 75,000 print order was made for the first edition (as opposed to the usual 10,000 order for a debut novel), and the book became a bestseller. 

Set in New England, The Secret History tells the story of a closely knit group of six classics students at a small, elite Vermont college, Hampden College. The story is an inverted detective story. One of the six students is the story's narrator, Richard Papen, who reflects, years later, on the situation that led to a unforgettable and dark occurrence. 

Nail polish is from Essence, of course discontinued, from a line that doesn't exist anymore Nail art magnetics. This is a magnetic nail polish, but I use it as a regular nail polish. This one has a name Hex hex and the colour is steel grey. The application was ok, I just wish that the brush streaks were less visible.

Have a great day!

What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 90

Here's a novel that is not translated into English (yet). The original title is Piaskowa gora which would translate into something like Sandy Mountain, and the author is Joanna Bator. Joanna Bator is a Polish novelist, journalist, feminist and academic. 

Sandy Mountain is a poetic name for a block of flats in a town in Poland. Through many small, seldom moving stories about women we get to see the portrait of Poland society after the war with its ethnical, religious, patriarchal mythologies. 

Nail polish is from Essence, from a limited edition called Rebels, the name of this nail polish is Mauve Like a Rock Star and the finish is latex, although I always put top coat over it, for fast drying reasons. The bottle is small and so is the brush, a really tiny one, so the application is a bit tricky. I like the colour, but seeing the pictures, maybe I should apply three coats instead of two. 

Have a great day!

What I'm reading + NOTD pt. 89

HHhH is a panorama of the Third Reich told through the life of one outstandingly brutal man, a story of unbearable heroism and loyalty, revenge and betrayal. It is a moving and shattering work of fiction. 

Two men have been enlisted to kill the head of the Gestapo. This is Operation Anthropoid, Prague, 1942: two Czechoslovakian parachutists sent on a daring mission by London to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich - chief of the Nazi secret services, 'the hangman of Prague', 'the blond beast', 'the most dangerous man in the Third Reich'. His boss is Heinrich Himmler but everyone in the SS says, 'Himmler's brain is called Heydrich', which in German spells HHhH. 

Lately I've been reading a lot of novels that are set during World War II and in some cases, like with the book HHhH, I came to a realisation, that I really know nothing. I shouldn't be so poor in contemporary history, I also had a subject at the university, but there are just some themes, that I don't know nothing about. Like the Operation Anthropoid for example. So HHhH is not just a brilliant novel, but it serves also for broadening the horizon. 

On my nails I have an old polish from Essence with the name Fateful desire. The colour is beautiful, but the application not so much. Most of my older polishes are ok, but this one became goopey, as you can also see from the terrible application (you can also spot my chopped nail), so I think now is the time to buy a new polish in this colour. Just your typical deep red, that is on the cooler side. 

Have a great day!