February 2016 Books

Hi Guys!

Book - Animal's People

Author - Indra Sinha

Date Started - 22th Jan

Date Finished - 2nd Feb

Basic Overview - Basically Animal's People is a fiction novel based on the Bhopal disaster.

Opinion - To be honest I didn't love it. It took me a long time to get through and I found the fact that the protagonist was saying swear words every 45 seconds slightly annoying.

Rating - 2/5

Book - Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban 

Author - J.K. Rowling 

Date Started - 27th Jan

Date Finished - 12th Feb

Basic Overview - The third book in the Harry Potter series.

Opinion - I quite enjoyed this one. I think I probably preferred Chamber of Secrets really.

Rating - 3/5

Book - Zoo City
Author - Lauren Beukes
Date Started - 2nd Feb
Date Finished - 9th Feb
Basic Overview - Zoo City tells the story of Zinzi December, a criminal who as her punishment is given an animal that she has wear at all times.
Opinion - For a uni book it was a fairly quick read. However I found the plot slightly confusing. It was one of those book that once you've finished you're not really sure what has happened. The only problem is that this book is currently out of print. It took me three attempts to get this book in English as the first two times I was sent them in French!
Rating - 2/5

Book - Biafra
Author - Nnedimma Okorafor
Date Started - 10th Feb
Date Finished - 10th Feb
Basic Overview - It is a short story which I think is about a real life event.
Opinion - To be honest I can't fully remember what it was like, but I didn't enjoy it as a much as Spider the Artist.
Rating - 2/5

Book - Spider the Artist
Author - Medi Okorafor
Date Started - 10th Feb
Date Finished - 10th Feb
Basic Overview - It is futuristic story of a time where giant spider like creatures live in the pipes within a city. It tells the story of a woman and how she befriends one.
Opinion - I enjoyed this more than a thought I was going to.
Rating - 3/5

Book - Where She Went
Author - Gayle Forman
Date Started - 13th Feb
Date Finished - 17th Feb
Basic Overview - It is the sequel to If I Stay telling the story of Mia and Adam 3 years later.
Opinion - I really liked this book. I read If I Stay a few months ago and really enjoyed it. Although the sequel was not what I expected I still really liked what Forman did with it.
Rating - 4/5

Film - District Nine
Director- 
Date Watched - 18th Feb
Basic Overview - This film tells the story of when aliens inhabit Johannesburg. When they are told to leave it is exposed how bad it is. Vickers, the leader of the team sent to evict them, is injured and as a result slowly turns into an alien.
Opinion - It was very shocking and when you know the context behind it, it makes it even worse.
Rating - 3/5

Book - On Black Sister's Street
Author - China Unigwe
Date Started - 18th Feb 
Date Finished - 24th Feb
Basic Overview - It tells the story of 4 women who have found themselves moving from Africa to the red light district in Brussels.
Opinion - I didn't think I would like this book as much as I have, because they gave us a warning at the beginning of the module that it covers very delicate issues. It does cover some horrific issues, but does it in a very sensitive way.
Rating - 3/5

Book - Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops
Author - Jen  Campbell
Date Started - 19th Feb
Date Finished - 19th Feb
Basic Overview - Shows some very interesting conversations that have been overheard in bookshops.
Opinion - I got given this for Christmas, but have only just found time to read it. It is very funny and quite quick to read.
Rating - 4/5

Book - Oxford Book of English Verse
Author - Ricks
Date Started - 25th Jan
Date Finished - 29th Feb
Basic Overview - It is a huge anthology of poetry with everything from early modern poetry (which barely looks like it written in English) to contemporary poetry.
Opinion - Each week for the last 6 weeks now I have studied a different period of poetry. I studied sonnets 18. 55 & 130 by Shakespeare in the first week. I quite enjoyed those. I have to stay I didn't enjoy to his coy mistress as the metaphysical poets don't really interest me. Again Keats odes to the nightingale and Grecian Urn don't really interest me either as I don't like Romanticism. However I did enjoy Rosetti's Goblin Market which has some very interesting interpretations. This week I am set to study T.S. Elliot which I am really looking forward to.
Rating - 4/5

Thanks for Stopping By! :)

Commuting!

Hi Guys!

At the end of last semester I decided to withdraw from my student accommodation in order to commute to uni instead. I can honestly say it was without a doubt one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. However overall I believe I have done the right thing. It is a great feeling when you feel as though you have made the right decision. I have been commuting for 4 weeks now and so far everything is going great.

I thought I would make this post today in order to help anyone who is thinking of commuting. It is honestly not as scary as I thought it would be. I had visions of delayed trains and rushing into lectures and seminars late, but with a bit of planning it turns out fine.

I thought I would explain the pro's and con's of commuting. I'm not going to sit here and tell you it's all wonderful, but overall I do believe I made the right decision for me.

Lets start with a positive shall we. I can't deny that being able to go home to my parents (and the dog) every night is amazing! One of the hardest things I found with being in student accommodation was how isolated I felt. I hardly ever saw my flat mates and as a result I just seemed to spend hours at night on my own in a room that never quite felt like home. I just felt so alone. If there is one thing that anxiety feeds off it's time to think. Now if i've had a bad day, I can come home and talk to mum and dad and you would not believe how great that is.

However commuting does take quite a big chunk out of my day. I have a 25 minute bus ride, then a 20 minute train ride and finally a 15 minute walk to uni. That doesn't sound that bad, but it's all the waiting around that makes it longer, especially on the way there. It seems that the trains and the buses just do not seem to coincide at all!

On the other hand, all the time that I have to wait around can be put to good use. I usually use the time that I have to read. I normally have about 2 hours a day in which I can read whilst i'm commuting and this allows be to get through the set texts that I have to get through easily as well as reading for pleasure sometimes.

The early mornings and late evenings can be hard sometimes. If there is ever anything I miss about living in student accommodation it is not being able to practically roll out of bed to get to uni, especially on a Monday morning. I have a lecture that starts at 9am. This means that I have to get up at 5:45am to be out of the door for 6:30am. This makes Mondays feel like they last about 3 weeks long! I have to say I do find it quite hard when people complain about that lecture! Equally I have two late night lectures at finish at 6:30pm and 7pm. For some reason there is one train at 6:30pm and then not another one until 7:30pm. This means that get on the same train on both days, meaning I don't get home until about 8:15pm.

Ultimately the best positive about commuting is that my anxiety feels a lot more under control again. Don't get me wrong, I still get anxious, but not half as bad as I did last term. Overall this means that I feeling a lot happier and this helps to confirm to me that I did make the right decision.

Thanks for Stopping By! :)

Book Tag!

Hi Guys!

1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

I Generally I do the majority of my reading when I'm commuting to and from uni. However if I am at home then generally I will read when I'm in bed because it's comfy.

2. Bookmark or a random piece of paper?

I would love to say I'm the type of person that has a ready supply of bookmarks everywhere. Unfortunately that isn't the case and most of the time I find that I just use the receipt that came with the book. Either that or I use the Post It page markers as they generally are in my bag all the time.

3. Can you stop reading anytime you want or do you have to stop at a certain page, chapter, part, ect?

Most of the time I set myself a goal of how many pages I will read in a day. So I read to a certain page. If I am near the end of the chapter then I will finish it.

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?

I'm trying to drink more water. Most of the time I have a bottle of water with me.

5. Can you read while listening to music/watching TV?

I can't when watching TV, but I can when listening to music.

6. One book at a time or several at once?

The majority of the time I read a couple of books at a time. However because I am ahead of reading for semester 2, I'm only reading one book at a time.

7. Reading at home or everywhere?

Everywhere.

8. Reading out loud or silently in your head?

Most of the time I read in my head, purely because it's quicker. However if I am reading a play, then I generally read out loud so I can follow the story better.

9. Do you read ahead or skip pages?

I never skip pages, because you never know what you might me missing.

10. Breaking the spine or keeping it new?

This is probably quite controversial, but I am a spine breaker. I can't stand when a book doesn't stay open very easily.

11. Do you write in books?

Again it is quite controversial especially among the people on my course. It's a bit of a marmite situation. Personally I love writing in books, but I know others that hate it.

Thanks for Stopping By! :)

Boots Haul

Hi Guys!

Sorry this is really late. Today I thought I would show you some of the items that I have got from boots over the last few weeks.

Lee Stafford Here Come The Curls Shampoo and Conditioner - 2 for £10

I needed I new shampoo and conditioner, because I didn't feel like mine was working very well anymore. I like this combination as it makes my hair feel really clean and really defines my curls.

Lee Stafford For Hair that Never Grows Past a Certain Length Treatment - £5.99

I brought this after the success of the shampoo and conditioner as I am trying to grow my hair out at the moment. It is quite hard to tell whether it is actually doing something, but at the very least it makes my hair feel really soft.

Una Brennan Vitamin C Skin Renew Cleansing Oil - £10.99 (got a third off this)

I have wanted to try a cleansing oil for a while now, but have always been scared it would make my skin really oily. However I was pleasantly surprised by this. I had slightly dry skin at the time as the weather was quite cold and this just helped to balance it out. This made my skin really nice and soft and I use it in combination with the next thing i'm going to talk about.

Una Brennan Rose Calming Creamy Cleanser - £7.99 (got third off this)

I normally use this after the oil to double cleanse and it was very effective. However I don't like the smell of rose, but I can cope with that as it is effective.

Maybelline Gel Eyeliner - £7.99

I brought this hoping that it would last longer than a cheaper Seventeen one I brought a while back. I doesn't really especially if you have eyeshadow on.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Eau de Nude - £4.99 (got for half price)

I have been waiting for this shade to come to the UK since these were realised. However I find that it can look slightly orange on my pale skin.

Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer - £5.99 each (got for buy one get one half price)

I have gone through so many of these as it is great for both under the eyes and spots. I generally use it all of the face when i'm feeling lazy. I got two of these as I know I will use them eventually.

Seventeen Waterproof Mascara - £4.69

I brought one of these when I was first at uni as I was sick to death of panda eyes considering I spent about 60% of my time crying. This is a really good mascara at it doesn't budge. Also it is reasonably priced and lengthens and separates my lashes well, holding the curl all day.

Soap and Glory Hand Maid Hand Gel - £2.50

I usually buy this using my boots points as it is really handy to have in my bag. Also it smells nice, which is better than the fake smell of cucumber which is used for 80% of hand gels. Cucumber doesn't smell of anything, but you put it in a hand gel and suddenly it has a really strong scent, which doesn't make any sense.

Thanks for Stopping By! :)

January 2016 Books

Hi Guys!

This month has been great for reading. For the majority of the month I have been on Christmas break which allowed me to read some of the books I have been wanting to read for a while. At the same time I have had to prepare for next semester and I have managed to read a good portion of my reading list. I have decided to do these in a more structured way with subheading, so it would be great to know what you guys think of it.

Book - Longbourn

Author – Jo Baker

Date Started - 27th Dec

Date Finished - 29th Dec

Basic overview – It is described as a cross between Pride and Prejudice and Downton Abbey and I would definitely agree. It is basically the Pride and Prejudice from the servants perspectives.

Opinion – I quite enjoyed this and definitely enjoyed it more than I would the original. I hate Jane Austen novels and even I like it. It is definitely more interesting and shows a relatively realistic view of what life was like in service.

Rating- 3/5

Book – Glamour Jan 2016 edition

Date Started - 29th Dec

Date Finished - 29th Dec

Basic Overview – It was good for if you were wanting to start the new year by making lifestyle changes and was good value at £1.

Opinion – I have to say I prefer to buy the Boots magazine as it is more normal, if that makes any sense at all! Also it is free with an advantage card!

Rating – 2/5

Book – Uncommon Criminals

Author – Ally Carter

Date Started - 2nd Jan

Date Finished - 2nd Jan

Basic Overview – It is the second in the heist society series by Ally Carter. It tells the story of a group of young thieves.

Opinion – I love Ally Carter books as they are so easy to read. I managed to read this in one go in a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes! That never happens with me and just goes to show how easy they are to read. Also I love the characters and she just has a way of making the story come alive in your head.

Rating – 4/5

Book – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Author – J.K. Rowling

Date Started - 2nd Jan

Date Finished - 3rd Jan

Basic Overview – I have been meaning to read the Harry Potter series forever, but have never seemed to have the time. I got the DVD box set for Christmas and therefore thought it would be the perfect time to read the books as well. I am forcing myself to read each book before I can move onto the next film.

Opinion – I definitely like this book better than the Philosopher’s Stone. I think this is because the key concepts have already been introduced therefore Rowling can focus more on the story itself.

Rating – 4/5

Book - Zeitoun

Author – Dave Eggers

Date Started - 7th Jan

Date Finished - 10th Jan

Basic Overview – It is basically the story of a family during hurricane Katrina.

Opinion – Parts of it were really shocking. I didn’t really know a lot about hurricane Katrina as I was only about 8 when it happened. But this book has prompted me to go and research it some more to learn more about it. It will be interesting to see how the media’s view is different to the narrative. It is probably my favourite course text that I have read so far.

Rating – 3/5

Book - The Edible Woman

Author – Margaret Atwood

Date Started - 8th Jan

Date Finished - 12th Jan

Basic Overview – It is the story of a young woman growing up in (find time it was set in)

Opinion – At the beginning I didn’t really understand what the point was and why this book is significant. However, as I read on I begun to realise the significance of it. It is great as it shows the massive gender stereotypes and how men and women react to things in different ways. Also the title will make sense in the end!

Rating – 3/5

Book - Refugee

Author – Sophie Nicholls

Date Started - 10th Jan

Date Finished - 10th Jan

Basic Overview – It is a selection of contemporary poetry about refugees.

Opinion – I am studying these in my contemporary writing module and I found them really interesting to read. I gave a completely different slant to the refugee crisis going on at the moment. It helps you to realise that they are just humans like us, who have families that they love and would do anything for. You can get it on kindle and all of the money goes to Freedom For Torture.

Rating – 3/5

Film – In this World

Director – Michael Winterbottom

Date Started - 12th Jan

Date Finished - 12th Jan

Basic Overview – It is a film about a young boy and his uncle who attempt to travel from Syria to London. It came out in 2002, but it is still relevant today.

Opinion – I found out a lot of information that I did not know about before. It makes you realise how hard and dangerous the journey really is. It made me think about how desperate people must be to go to such lengths.

Rating – 2/5

Book – Miss Julie

Author – August Strindberg

Date Started - 13th Jan

Date Finished - 13th Jan

Basic Overview – It was a play about an upper class young woman who wants to run away with her father’s butler.

Opinion – To be totally honest I found this slightly boring to read, but maybe I would find it more interesting to watch. I think it will be one of those texts that I find more interesting when I study it in depth.

Rating – 2/5

Book – The Fat, Black Woman’s Poems

Author – Grace Nicholls

Date Started - 14th Jan

Date Finished - 14th Jan

Basic Overview – A selection of poetry.

Opinion – I enjoyed reading these and want to know more about the context behind them. I am looking forward to studying them more in depth.

Rating – 2/5

Book - Enron

Author - Lucy Prebbles

Date Started - 14th Jan

Date Finished - 14th Jan

Basic Overview - It is a play about the true story of a financial scandal in the 1990s.

Opinion - I found it slightly boring, but I think that it is because I don't really understand it that much. I think after some research it would make a lot more sense.

Rating - 2/5

Book - Grapes of Wrath

Author - John Steinbeck

Date Started - 15th Jan

Date Finished - 21st Jan

Basic Overview - It is a story about an American family that move west for work.

Opinion - I didn't love this book and it was kind of hard to read. However I do appreciate it and am looking forward to analysing it in more detail.

Rating - 3/5

Film - Wall-E

Director - Andrew Stanton 

Date Started - 21st Jan 

Date Finished - 21st Jan

Basic Overview - Disney movie about a dystopian future where the world was so full of rubbish that the humans had to live in space.

Opinion - It is kind of tedious to watch because of the lack of talking. However it is great to analyse.

Rating - 3/5

Thanks for Stopping By! :)

Top 5 Favourite Films!

Hi Guys!

Today I thought I would share with you my top 5 films. These are generally films I can watch again and again I never get bored of. They are in no particular order as I love them all equally!


1. Love Actually

I love watching this every christmas curled up on the sofa with a warm blanket. I love the fact that there are multiple storyline which are each as sweet as each other. It always gets me into the christmas spirit, but I watch it at all times of the year.

2. Bridget Jones's Diary

I can't even count the number of times I have watched this film and every time I watch it I love it just the same. I don't know what it is about it, but the story is just so funny!

3. Love, Rosie

I discovered this on Netflix in the summer and I had been meaning to watch it for some time. It is such a sweet story of two best friends. I also love the music in it as some of it reminds me of when I was younger.

4. About Time

This is something I have only watched recently, but I loved it so much. The story is great and has some wonderful actors and actresses such as Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy.

5. The Fault in Our Stars

I also loved the book and thought that the cast were very well suited to the story. However I didn't cry, but then I don't cry at anything!

Thanks for Stopping By! :)

Would You Rather Tag

Hi Guys!

Sorry I haven't post in a couple of weeks I just couldn't find anything I wanted to write about. Now I decided to find my way back into the swing of things by doing a tag.

1. Would you rather go out with messy hair and nice make-up or nice hair and no make-up?

    Nice hair and no make-up as I think you would notice hair before make-up.

2. Would you rather shave your eyebrows or have your eyelashes fall out?

    Shave my eyebrows as I couldn't imagine not having any eyelashes.

3. Would you rather be forced to shop at only MAC or Sephora for the rest of your life?

    I have never shopped at either, but I only know what MAC is like, therefore I would have to say MAC.

4. Would you rather wear lipgloss/lipliner look or 80s perm?

    80s perm.

5. Would you rather leave the house with an obvious foundation line or overdone blush?

    An obvious foundation line.

6. Would you rather wear MC Hammer pants or biker shorts in public?

    MC Hammer pants.

7. Would you rather have a bad orange-y spray tan or really weird tan lines that can't be covered?

    really weird tan lines that can't be covered.

8. Would you rather have a bad haircut or bad hair colour?

    A bad haircut.

9. Would you rather have youtube or twitter taken away forever?

    Twitter.

10. Would you rather give up using makeup brushes or mascara?

Makeup brushes.

Thanks for stopping by! :)