Month: Mar 2020

10 Things You Can Do If You're Stuck At Home

10 Things You Can Do If You’re Stuck At Home

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I don’t want this blog to become a place full of fear and anxiety. While I can confirm I am anxious right now and my mental health isn’t at its best with the current situation I want this to be a place where you guys can get away from the news, doom and gloom.

So! Let’s find some positive and fun things that you can do if you’re stuck or are going to be stuck indoors.

1. Read

Come on, what do you really expect from this blog? Of course I’m going to encourage reading! I’m really into fantasy at the moment, because it’s a total escape from reality and the 800 pages of House of Earth and Blood is keeping me company.

Pick up something you’ve been meaning to read, listen to an audiobook or download something new on to a Kindle app. Books are a great way to escape and just breathe a little bit. Also if you need recommendations hit my up – it was my favourite part about working in a book shop.

2. Catch Up On TV/Movies/Podcasts

I am really bad at being up to date on TV and movies – my friend Joe regularly makes fun of all the films I haven’t watched. With Netflix, Amazon Prime and the like if you love films and TV now’s your chance to get all caught up.

3. Learn Something New And Allow Yourself To Be Bad At It

We 👏Don’t 👏Need 👏To👏Be👏Good👏At 👏Everything👏

There’s an idea that all out hobbies we should be the best at and let them become a side hustle. Do something and be gloriously shit at it. Don’t feel that you need to post it on social media or talk loads about it – do it for you.

4. Make The Most Of The Bedroom

Yep, the kind of alone time which means taking your pants off – it gives you endorphins and is meant to boost your immune system. Realistically by getting down to it you’re helping yourself.

Although, if you’re planning on getting those endorphins going with another person make sure it’s protected so you don’t end up having a C-19 baby at the end of this year/beginning of next. Yes, they will have a stupid media nickname when the baby boom hits…think of the children!

5. Make a Fort

Because why the hell not? Get out all the blankets, duvets, whatever you have an get that fort set up. They said we have to self-isolate not that we have to be boring about it.

6. Do Some Life Admin

It’s not the most exciting way to spend your time but if you’d got nothing else to do sorting some of your life stuff out could be a blessing.

I might even do some goal setting stuff, although I’m fully aware of how wanky that sounds.

7. Home Workouts

So I’ve just got into going to the gym and getting those endorphins going. While at the moment it’s perfectly ok to go for a walk for most people if you are indoors there’s a lot of workouts on YouTube that you can do at home.

OR the much more fun option is have dance parties to your favourite upbeat songs to keep spirits up. I can confirm that this works a treat, particularly while blasting music through your headphones.

8. Movie Marathon

Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter, Twilight (not for me but who am I to judge). There are a lot of good movies you can binge, also, Disney + comes out next week and I am VERY excited about it because I can basically relive my childhood – there’s a whole post coming on it.

9. Get Around To Something You’ve Been Meaning To Do For Ages

It might be organising your wardrobe, looking into at home pilates, starting a book you keep saying your going to write (yes this one is for me, yes I’m trying).

10. Sweet Damn All

That’s right. Nothing, when you’re not working you can get some sleep, chill out or do nothing and that’s totally ok. People have been making sweeping statements about all the great things they’re going to do to improve themselves but it’s ok if you don’t want to do that.

Is there anything you’re going to do that’s been left off of the list? Let me know in the comments below.

The Dylan Thomas Prize - Surge By Jay Bernard

The Dylan Thomas Prize – Surge By Jay Bernard

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This year I was invited back to read and post about one of the nominees for the Dylan Thomas Prize Blog Tour- The world’s largest literary prize for young authors. Again, I chose to focus on a poetry pick, that being Surge by Jay Bernard. So, what is it about?

“Jay Bernard’s extraordinary debut is a fearlessly original exploration of the black British archive: an enquiry into the New Cross Fire of 1981, a house fire at a birthday party in south London in which thirteen young black people were killed.“

While reading this I was shocked that I had no idea what the New Cross Fire was, even after a Google search I found little information about the fire itself and more about the activism afterwards. It seemed crazy to me that so many young people could die and so little seems to be said about it.

Of course, I’m no expert, but it does come across as something not being right. Officially it says that the fire was caused by an armchair but that many people being killed by one fire? It doesn’t seem to add up.

The way in which Bernard has shown this story to a whole new generation of people and has also linked it to Grenfell is incredibly effective. It really made me question how much has changed in this country in regards to racism. I’m a white woman, I’ve not been a victim of racism in my country but this gives me an insight, however small, into what needs to change.

As a debut collection Bernard has a strong voice and I can see more powerful poetry coming from them in the future. This was incredibly impactful and the writing showed extreme talent. While there were parts where I don’t think I fully understood what was going on, I felt that this added to the sense of disbelief.

I would really recommend picking this up if you want to learn about a chapter of history that I fear is often left out of the conversation.

Thank you to the Dylan Thomas Prize for sending me a copy in exchange for this review and good luck to all of the nominees! You can find out more about the prize here.

Book Review: What Kind of Girl - Alyssa Sheinmel

Book Review: What Kind of Girl – Alyssa Sheinmel

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The girls at North Bay Academy are taking sides. It all started when Mike Parker’s girlfriend showed up with a bruise on her face. Or, more specifically, when she walked into the principal’s office and said Mike hit her. But the students have questions: Why did she go to the principal and not the police? Why did she stay so long if he was hurting her? Obviously, if it’s true, Mike should be expelled. But is it true? Some girls want to rally for his expulsion – and some want to rally around Mike. The only thing that the entire student body can agree on? Someone is lying. And the truth has to come out.

As soon as I saw that there was a new Alyssa Sheinmel novel I jumped on requesting it from NetGalley where I was super excited to receive an ARC. I’ve previously read Faceless and thought it was incredibly well written so I wanted to give this a go.

For a chunk of the novel the female characters aren’t given names, instead they’re described by their traits which, although I found it hard to follow initially, I found to be an excellent way of writing. For me, it added to the idea that this could happen to anyone no matter how popular, smart etc – part of me wishes that this could have gone on for longer.

Of course it goes without saying that this is a tough book to read with mentions of violence within a relationship, self harm, Bulimia and mental ill health. If these are difficult for you I’d maybe recommend waiting until you’re in the right headspace.

This is, without a doubt, an important read and one that I hope gets a lot of attention. I think it shows that these things do happen to young people. It also makes you question your own reactions to these kinds of stories, who do you believe and why? Can you separate a person and an accusation? All of these questions will make you think for days after finishing it.

There were point where I struggled to read what was happening, I felt such a range of emotions while reading. For a book to make me feel like that was pretty incredible and I applaud Sheinmel for the writing.

I do wish there was more of a resolution at the end because I feel like it was left quite open and there are also some point where I’m not sure I completely followed who was who and what was happening. That said, the book itself was a good read.

This was a 4 star read from me and I’m definitely going to be reading more of Sheinmel’s books because she can transport me into a story and a person’s hardship.

My Love For Lucy and Yak

My Love For Lucy & Yak!

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Chances are you’ve seen the rise of Luck & Yak, even if you didn’t recognise it. There is a dungaree revolution happening and I am all here for it! The best part about it? They are an ethical fashion brand. Win!

Here’s what their website says about their values:

– To create fabulous, high quality clothes and products that we love

– To be fair with everyone that has an input in the making of Lucy & Yak clothing

– To give every customer the most awesome buying experience every time

– To always be working towards a positive environmental impact

– To ultimately give back more than we take out

Finding clothes are are comfortable and look good on someone who is 5’2 with a big butt and boobs is not easy. A lot of high street stores seem to have a certain type of woman in mind. Why not just try petite? I hear you ask. That is a whole other situation, a note to high street designers – short does not equal the body of a child.

Anyway, I digress. I was nervous about ordering from Lucy and Yak’s website but I thought well it seems that there’s a lot of different bodies enjoying them online, might as well give them a go.

Inspired by my friend Emmi and Hannah Witton’s YouTube channel I took the plunge with a pair of black originals that were on sale. That was the first pair and I was amazed at how comfy they were and I looked…good. I felt cute in them. Then I got myself a blue pair, then I found a pink pair on eBay for a good price…oops.

My most recent buy though, which I didn’t intend to buy but I don’t think I’ve ever felt as attractive when I’ve put something on in a changing room, was my Juni. I’m already planning to buy them in each colour they release and I’m GUTTED I missed the khaki. Again when style is comfy I’ll buy as many as possible.

Also, the fellow Lucy and Yak lovers I’ve met are all so lovely. I’m part of a Facebook group that’s wonderful for advice as well as uplifting when you post your outfit of the day – I love reading through people’s posts. Also, when I was in the shop which is SO welcoming to people from all walks of life I was chatting in the changing rooms and just wanted to stay forever.

The fact they are ethical and fair means I’m happy to pay slightly more for them, as well as looking damn fine! It’s worth pointing out that this post isn’t sponsored, but I wanted to share with you something that has filled me with joy and given me self confidence in a body that I’m not always comfortable with.

Do I have any fellow Yakkers reading? Let me know your favourite below!

Celebrating World Book Day With Viking Books!

Celebrating World Book Day With Viking Books!

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A very happy World Book Day to you! My feeds have been filled with pictures adorable kids dressed up as their favourite character from a book, some people have decorated potatoes which is now a thing. It’s just great to see kids getting excited about books and reading.

Back in January I received an email asking if I’d like to team up with Viking Books on World Book Day for a craft project. Now, I’m not the most crafty person (it seems to have skipped me) but I do like a chance to get creative.

So, what was the challenge?

I was gifted a box full of goodies including craft supplies, old book pages, a frame and a copy of Book Art by Claire Youngs to give me some inspiration.

As a brief I was told to get creative and show a book that inspired me, one I couldn’t stop thinking about. The first one that came to mind was Harry Potter but then I had another idea…

My Piece

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath had a big impact on me when I was studying at university. I could really identify with the main character, Esther, her worries, concerns and thoughts.

One of my favourite quotes also came from that book “I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.” There are also so many great quotes I could list but it’s a book that speaks to me and that quote in particular reminds me to take a minute when it all gets too much.

How Can You Get Involved?

So, I took quite an easy approach BUT there are some really great ideas in the book that I’m going to try later on. Pick up an old book and get creative or maybe pick one up cheap at a car boot sale or jumble sale.

Thank you to Viking Books for sending me the materials and book in exchange for this post.

What I Read In February 2020

What I Read in February 2020

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February may be a short month but that didn’t stop me reading. I did find myself in a little bit of a slump in Feb, I think because I read so much in January my brain needed shorter reads. So, here they are – have you read any of them?

What Momma Left Me

On my trip to Brighton I found a copy of Renée Watson’s latest novel What Momma Left Me and I couldn’t leave without it. This is a story about a young girl who’s life changes after the death of her mother. It’s about family, secrets and finding your place in the world. This got 4 stars from me.

Next I picked up an ARC from Netgalley that I was granted. Sincerely, is a sweet collection of poems that was written as part of a proposal. A lovely concept with some sweet poems and a 3 star read for me.

The Voice Of My Mind
Always Here For You

Another NetGalley ARC I received, The Voice Of My Mind, came next and this one just wasn’t for me. It was also a poetry collection (I’ve been pretty into them this month) but I just couldn’t connect with the tone of voice. A 2 star read for me.

I read Always Here For You as part of a book tour I took part in, you can read the post here. This is for younger teenagers and looks at who you’re really talking to online and how young people may find themselves in this situation. A good read that would do well in schools. 4 stars from me.

This Soul Estranged was sent to me by the author for free in exchange for my thoughts. I enjoyed this collection and felt that I could connect with the poems and the tone of voice. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next. A 3 star read for me.

Next up another Netgalley ARC, this time it was a graphic novel/information type book. A Quick & Easy Guide To Sex and Disability was a really interesting read and had a good message. I would be interested in a longer guide but obviously that doesn’t match the title! A 4 star read for me!

Fascism And Democracy

I got an ARC copy of Diary of a Confused Feminist while working over Christmas but only just got around to it! I wasn’t sure at first because I felt super old (I’m 10 years older than the protagonist eeek) but the second half of the book I was hooked. If you like Holly Bourne I think you’ll like this. Another 4 star read for me.

A bit of a light read (note the sarcasm), Fascism and Democracy is super short but I thought it was incredibly relevant in today’s world. Now, I’ve read a bit of Orwell before and I stand by my earlier assessment that his non-fiction work is long winded. That said, this had interesting ideas and was good to see it through the lense of the 1940s while Hitler was in power. 3 stars from me.

  • Letters on Motherhood

I received an ARC of What Kind of Girl and also bought a physical copy because I really enjoy Alyssa Sheinmel’s way of writing. This looks at domestic violence in young adult relationships. It’s pretty heavy and there’s also details about mental illness and methods of self harm so know that going in if that’s something you struggle with. Another very well written book. 4.5 stars from me.

I also read Letters On Motherhood incredibly quickly because it was such a sweet and wholesome read. In this Giovanna writes letters to her three sons, her husband, parents and herself about motherhood. While I don’t have children I fell in love with this collection and felt it was so honest about the highs and lows. A great read.

I read the poetry collection Surge for a post that you’ll find out about soon! It’s a collection that looks at race in Britain starting with the New Cross Fire, also known as the New Cross Massacre in which 13 young black people were killed. Political, personal and a new perspective this is a really interesting collection. 4 stars and you’ll find out more about it soon.

And finally I picked up a copy of You’re Crushing It by Lex Croucher which I’ve been meaning to get to for ages. It’s a quick book which made me laugh out loud more than a few times while reading. It was a 4 star read for me and a nice pick me up.

And finally, thanks to the extra day in the month I also finished A Danger To Herself and Others also by Alyssa Sheinmel which I’ve had on my TBR for a while. It’s an exploration of mental illness and it can be quite a tough read but another excellent book. This got 4.5 stars from me.

I haven’t listened to an audiobook this month – for some reason I’ve struggled getting into them but I’m sure I’ll come out of that soon. Did you read anything good in February? Let me know below!