Some Books From 2016

Over summer I read this really good book and I wanted to talk about it on my blog, and I can't remember if I ever did. But then I figured I'd talk about three books I read last year instead, because three books seems like just the right amount. Although just because I'm talking about them doesn't mean they're the best I read from last year, I'm not really sure how I chose these books to feature in this post. Lately I haven't been reading much because I am obsessed with the TV show 'Shameless' but I've almost completely caught up, and once I have my main mode of entertainment will be reading again, probably. At the moment I'm reading 'The Bell Jar' but I always seem to read it when I'm exhausted after college and feeling confused the next time I pick it up because my brain didn't properly read the last chapter.

THE GIRLS - EMMA CLINE

I was completely gripped by this book. The narrator is Evie Boyd, a fourteen year old girl on the cusp of adulthood. Cline navigates through classic teenage issues like rebellion, curiosity and insecurity but its just such a unique book. The story line was really good, I never know how much to give away but it was more than just the story line because Cline just wrote it so well in my opinion. You know how in some books the descriptions seem endless, in this book they're so minimal but make so much sense. Also her descriptions, not necessarily made me uncomfortable but were just so realistic, I don't know how to explain. It is just an amazing book about a girl who is coming of age and ends up involved in a twisted commune and flutters between the present and the past to keep you engaged and gah. Just so well written and such an enticing plot. Read it!

THE VIRGIN SUICIDES 

This book, I didn't find as compelling as 'The Girls'.  I could easily put it down but I like the story line. It is quite bizarre but nice and I really liked the narrative, it was a unique one. It's written in first person, a constant use of 'we' yet are never fully introduced to the narrators but as the novel progresses begin to recognise who they are, but are never individualised which I found so bizarre because how could a book be written in first person yet the narrator have such little individuality! Its about the Libson sisters who, as the title suggests, end up committing suicide. They begin as a normal family, but when the first sister commits suicide their mother is overly protective and the whole family become isolated from the neighbourhood, making them intriguing to the boys who do what they can to find out more about the girl. It is a good book, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have the first time. I ended up reading a lot of articles after it which I think definitely helped me like the book more once I realised how many symbols and themes I was blind to before. It is definitely a book I will be rereading. I think that this is a good book to read if you want something with a feminist take, I read a really good article about the concept of the 'male gaze' regarding this book and I just found it so interesting. 

HIGHLY ILLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR

Despite this book handling mental health issues, I personally found it a much lighter read than the other two. Not emotionally but just this one was pretty what you see is what you get, the other two had much more deeper meanings, I could be completely wrong but that is just my opinion. I read Where Things Come Back by the same author and loved it, and when I saw on Sarahs blog (whose book reviews I trust immensely) I just had to get it.  It switches between Soloman and Lisas narrative, I usually like that in a book. Soloman suffers from agoraphobia and Lisa is a psychology student who wants to help Soloman overcome his phobia. I'm not sure how much I can reveal but there is ups and downs in the friendship. Lately a lot of books have a mental health focus, as does this book, and although it all kind of comes back to Solomans agoraphobia, it isn't the main thing about the novel and there is so much more than just mental health. It deals with quite a few issues but in a lighthearted way. I really liked the characters and cared about them a lot, which I find important in books. It was easy and enjoyable and heartwarming and just such a pleasant read. Although there was one part that made me teary and I had to go get a cup of tea to calm down.

I'm never really sure how to write about books on here but, these were good books that I think you should read. Also, my sister is in labour! In my next post I'll be an auntie!

Best Parts of 2016

Hello! Happy new year and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I can't believe it's 2017, so much is going to happen this year. I got a levels, university, my sister is having a baby. I would say my 2017 goals, but honestly they're pretty much always the same. Get back into exercise, I'm determined to get strong enough to do at least 5 pull ups. At the moment I can just about do one, how am I meant to hold my niece/nephew with such weak arms! And also to be a regular blogger, in my mind I have a rough plan on how I will do that, whether it works out is another story. Oh another goal is to get good at wearing heels. Adventurous I know, but I am a weakling when it comes to heels but hopefully by the end of this year I will have moved away from the small pair of chunky heels that I always wear.

I thought I would do a round up of 2016, but then figured if it was a roundup it would have to be in chronological order and I have no idea what happened when so I'll do highlights of my year. Wow, it's really hard to pick the first one because I feel like it will be the most significant one but I can't think of  anything anymore and don't want to be judged for whatever I think the best part of 2016 was for me, so I have decided to just dive in.

• My sister got pregnant.
• I finally saw Twenty One Pilots in concert, as well as Years and Years and many other great bands.
• I discovered Honest Burger, possibly my new favourite restaurant, it is very hard to find gluten free onion rings, let alone ones that taste that good!!
• I got closer with some of my friends and made new ones. It's nice to solidify friendships, and reach the 'best friend' stage.
• I went to Athens with my college, possibly one of the best trips of my entire life.
• I met (well technically we met in 2015 but I never really spoke to him) my boyfriend (oh so cringey typing that) Michael and he's pretty cool
• I went to Reading festival and had an incredible time. To be honest, I think just the summer in general was super fun for me.
• I sent off my UCAS
• I discovered some foods and learnt how to make spicy cauliflower. Not that big a deal but oh boy do I love spicy cauliflower
• I rediscovered how much I love English lit. During first year a-level I hated it, now I can't get enough of it

It is always a constant struggle of mine to find photos. Oh but exciting stuff, maybe not to you but hey ho, I have ordered a planner (after seeing how great Lucys looked). Maybe 2017 will be when I become organised. So far not, but we're only four days in, so it doesn't really count. Also funny stuff whilst looking through pictures, I remember last year new years I took a photo of me kissing my friend on the cheek and, not to brag, but my bone structure looked so good and throughout January to March, I have a bunch of photos of me kissing my friends on their cheeks, attempting to recreate the perfect bone structure photo. It never happened again though. 

Christmas In Covent Garden

I am having a nightmare trying to figure out what makeup to ask for for Christmas. It's time to splash out and get stuff I wouldn't usually honour myself with, but oh boy there is so much makeup. The only thing that is helping me narrow down my makeup choice is that I'm trying to make my makeup bag cruelty free. I'm thinking of getting NARS foundation, but that is so fancy. I don't think I am fancy enough for that!

The other day I spent the day in London and oh boy it was just so Christmassy. The lights and the buskers and the Christmas markets, ah it was just all so lovely! And just to top things off I went to Honest Burger, and everything was gluten free! Even the onion rings! Onion rings are never gluten free, I could have even got a gluten free beer. Shame neither of use were eighteen yet. Apologies for the poor quality of photos, I am very much lacking in photos at the moment. 

My mocks are over and Christmas holidays are so close but ah man, I really messed up my English mock. I was looking at the hour hand rather than the minute hand and thought I had loads of time and was so shocked, but turns out I had wasted fifteen minutes faffing about, so continued to spend a few more minutes stressing out and subsequently wrote an awful essay for an amazing essay question. It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't applying for English at uni, everyone will judge me for this awful grade when usually I never perform so poorly! The other mocks were equally as bad but oh I just feel so annoyed at the English mock, but as everyone says 'they're only mocks'. Oh! And to top things off, I completely forgot all important page numbers in the book and pretty much had to reconstruct fragments of quotes I remembered, I Just hope I got the quotes roughly right. 

At least it's all over and Christmas is so soon! For the record, all the pictures are so blurred that this is the only acceptable photo I could. An amazing photo, I know. 

My Personal Wall

 

Since taking this photo my wall has developed a bit, but I just needed a picture and liked this and thought it was relevant because its a part of my wall full of memories and is super personal as is this blog! Well my blog isn't super personal but in some ways is. I had my driving theory test today and the man at the desk asked me what was on my nose and it has been a long time since I have had a nose piercing joke and I was going to say I was sick of them, but then he called me a rebel for having it. Anyone that knows me knows I'm the furthest thing from a rebel, and I found it pretty flattering he thought that. I passed my theory as well which was a relief because oh boy does hazard perception bore me. I'm getting my sisters old car (wahoo) and wanted to paint flowers on it over summer, but summer has been and gone and still no flowers.

I have progressed a lot since my last post and pretty much am already to send off my personal statement but ah! Scary stuff! I also need to do a last grammer check but I've read it so many times I doubt I'd realise if there were any mistakes. Its so hard trying to make it fit the character count, I've taken out loads of random words and just hope those little words weren't too important in making my point!

Sorry for not having any cool outfit posts at the moment, I haven't been rocking any good looks lately. I have just embodied the tired, moody stressed student look. Although I should try making an effort again more because (personally) I find wearing makeup much more enjoyable than not wearing makeup. Sometimes I see my reflection and am just shocked and even putting on my glasses as a form of hiding my face doesn't help! I really want to buy hats and colourful tights and coats but I spent all my money on my friends birthdays/Christmas the other day because Redbubble had 20% off and oh boy do I love Redbubble and want my friends to share my enthusiasm for it as well. I was going to get a Twenty One Pilots tshirt (who I am seeing on Sunday!!!) but decided not to be selfish and buy my friends presents instead. I am feeling some regret but trying to focus on fact that I have got my friends bangin presents and I have been dropping massive hints about this tshirt.

Why Must Personal Statements Be So Important

It's crazy how difficult A-Levels are. I know a lot of people go through them but my oh my it is tough! I'm meat to be writing my personal statement now and I forgot how much I enjoy this blog. And also, personal statement is so hard. I can't type how I type here because I want to appear professional and sophisticated but also need to sprinkle a bit of my personality in there and I am not sure how to do that. How am I meant to just 'sprinkle' my razzle dazzle. It's either all or nothing with me. Also, after much deliberation I've decided to apply for English literature. And, I'm not trying to victimise myself,  but I feel like an English literature personal statement is super hard because its trying to show off your writing skills, you really got to impress. 

Also the opening line of a personal statement. Lets be real, how am I meant to wow them. I was reading model personal statements online and just had to stop because I wanted to steal all their opening lines, plus they were all incredible and my writing ability is not up to that standard. That makes me nervous though, because what if I am just not up to English literature standard in general. What if everyone is there quoting Shakespeare and making jokes about classic authors I've never even heard of. If I get accepted into university, I will spend my entire summer reading so I can try and become a boffin. I want to impress people with my book knowledge. But I am super forgetful so I'd most likely end up embarrassing myself. 

Someone close to me found out about my blog the other day and I was like ah man I gotta get posting. So I am going to start. I say that in every blog post but blogging is such a good outlet and wonderful community. So..hello. I am actually back. I think I'm going to stop putting so much pressure on having good blog posts. In my head I imagine everyone laughing because my standards were so poor before, but I'll come here to ramble and stuff. No necessarily just outfits and makeup. Because I am mature now. All my friends are turning 18, meaning I'm friends with adults therefore I am practically an adult (crikey!!!!!!!!!!!!). Nah but I just mean not posting because I have no pictures. The picture I've used isn't relevant at all. Its a photo I took in summer of my dog after she finished sniffing the flowers. I suppose I could make it relevant, because dogs have no responsibilities and therefore they dont have to worry about writing an amazing 47 line document about how wonderful and impressive they are. I am not that wonderful or impressive, I think one of my most impressive qualities is that I am amazing at making popcorn on the hob and that I burp after every drink I have. Thats not even impressive just a fact about my life.

Anyway, see you guys soon. Good luck with personal statements and all that shitty school jazz. (Is it lame I just got so excited to be posting a blog post again and to catch up on all my friends blogs)(I dont actually really have any friend bloggers but there are some people who are my friend in my head)(and by some I mean lie 5749 people).