Category: lifestyle

My Top 10 books of 2016!

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How can it be the end of the year already! I wanted to share with you 10 of my top reads of 2016. I’ve had a great reading year, reading over 100 books, it was so hard to pick just 10 that I loved.  It was a great year for feminist voices with Manifesto from Caitlin Moran (author of How To Be A Woman), Girl Up by the wonderful Laura Bates (author and public speaker of Everyday Sexism) and a breakthrough from comedienne Sara Pascoe with Animal. In a fiery combination of exploration of sexuality, feminism and poetry Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey was a breath of fresh air in the world of poetry and heartfelt. Jodi Picoult knocked it out of the park again with a novel staring the problems of America’s racism in the face with Small Great Things following a black nurse and a white supremacist. In YA fiction Holly Bourne has completed her Spinster Club series *sob* with the third instalment (which began with Am I Normal Yet? ) What’s A Girl To Do  which see’s the girls facing university, growing up and the hardships of being a ‘good feminist’. In terms of thrillers and unsung hero is Hollie Overton’s Baby Doll, an eerie and intelligent Overton is one to watch for real thriller. In Sci-Fi, Claudia Gray bought Princess Leia to life once again in Bloodlines, a new novel set before The Force Awakens and looks at Leia’s everyday life and how it drastically changes. My guilty pleasure read is L.S Hilton’s Maestra, a sexy and dangerous novel that was good for a break, is it a literary masterpiece? Probably not, but it is a good and fun read with a dark streak. My latest and most heartbreaking read of the year was You Will Not Have My Hate, written by the husband of one of the victims of the 2015 terrorist attacks on Paris and it is both heartbreaking and an incredibly important read.

What were your top reads of 2016? Let me know in the comments below!

My Goodreads Challenge 2016

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Well, well, well hasn’t 2016 been a fabulous year for reading ( I mean, a terrible year for almost everything else, but at least the books were great). This year I absolutely smashed my Goodreads challenge with a mixture of Fiction, Non-Fiction and Graphic Novels. I want to share with you the list of all 115 of the brilliant (and not so brilliant) books I’ve read this year.

Don’t forget I’d love to be your friend on Goodreads! Find me here.

 

Spider -Gwen, Vol 0: Most Wanted?  – Jason Latour

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden – Hannah Green

Fun Home – Alison Bechdale

Late Fragments – Kate Gross

Star Wars, Vol 1: Skywalker Strikes – Jason Aaron

Star Wars: Before The Awakening – Greg Ruka

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them – J.K Rowling

Why Not Me? – Mindy Kaling 

The Trial of Captain America – Ed Brubaker

Harley Quinn: Hot in The City – Amanda Connor

Captain America Vol 1: TheNew Deal – John Ney Reiber

The Namesake – Jhumpa Lahiri

Darth Vader: Shadows and Secrets – Kieron Gillen

Faceless- Alissa B Shienmel

Strong Looks Better Naked – Khloe Kardashian 

Vader Down – Jason Aaron

Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

Sex Criminals: Two Worlds, One Cop – Matt Fraction

Hot Feminist – Polly Vernon

Harley Quinn: Power Outage – Amanda Connor

How Hard Can Love Be? – Holly Bourne

The Widow – Fiona Barton

Living Dolls – Natasha Walter

Girl Meets Boy – Ali Smith

The Wicked + The Divine: The Faust Act – Kieron Gillen

Postcards From the Edge – Carrie Fisher

Me, Earl and the Dying Girl – Jesse Andrews 

Wonder Woman: Love and Muder – Jodi Picoult

The Wicked + The Divine: Fandemonium – Kieron Gillen

Phonogram – Kieron Gillen

Codename Baboushka: The Conclave of Death – Antony Johnston

Spider-Girl: The Grater Power – Jason Latour

Black Magick : Awakening – Greg Rucka

The Wicked + The Divine: Commercial Suicide – Kieron Gillen

Everyday Sexism – Laura Bates

Chewbacca- Gerry Duggan

Phonogram: Rue Britania – Kieron Gillen

Silk: The Life and Times of Cindy Moon – Robbie Thompson

Light Box – K.J. Orr

Moranifesto – Caitlin Moran

Phonogram: The Singles Club – Kieron Gillen

Maestra – L.S. Hilton

Sane New World – Ruby Wax 

All of The Above – Juno Dawson

Deadpool Kills Deadpool – Cullen Bunn

Deadpool Killustrated – Cullen Bunn

Huck – Mark Millar

Girl Up – Laura Bates 

One Breath Away – Heather Gudenkauf

Harley Quinn: Welcome to Metropolis – Karl Kesel

Alex + Ada: vol 1 – Jonathan Luna

#GirlBoss – Sophia Amoruso

Alex + Ada: vol 2 – Jonathan Luna

Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe – Cullen Bunn

Alex + Ada: vol 3 – Jonathan Luna

Barbara The Slut and Other People – Lauren Holmes

Wonder – R.J. Palacio

One – Sarah Crossan

Everything, Everything – Nicola Yoon

Star Wars: Bloodline – Claudia Gray

I Call Myself a Feminist

Deadpool: World’s Greatest, Vol 1: Millionaire With a Mouth – Gerry Duggan

Bombshells: She Can Do It – Marguerite Bennett

Letters to my Fanny – Cherry Healey

Radio Silence – Alice Oseman

Highly Illogical Behaviour – John Corey Whaley

Archie: The New Riverdale – Mark Waid

The Vagenda – Holly Baxter and Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

Sex Criminals: Three The Hard Way – Matt Fraction

If I Was Your Girl – Meredith Russo

Obiwan and Anakin: Vol 1 – Charles Soule

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – John Tiffany 

What’s a Girl Gotta Do? – Holly Bourne

Harley Quinn: Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Stab – Amanda Conner

Baby Doll – Hollie Overton 

A Game of Thrones – George R.R. Martin

What I Couldn’t Tell You – Faye Bird

So Sad Today – Melissa Broder

On The Other Side – Carrie Hope Fletcher 

Mad Girl – Bryony Gordon

The Perfect Girl – Gilly Macmillan 

The Graces – Laure Eve

Short stories from Hogwarts of Power Politics and Pesky Poltergeists – J.K Rowling

Short Stories from Hogwarts : Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies – J.K Rowling

Grief Is The Thing With Feathers – Max Porter

Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide – J.K Rowling

The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo – Amy Schumer

Rad Women Worldwide – Kate Schatz

Spectacles – Sue Perkins

Milk and Honey – Rupi Kuar

The Girl on The Train – Paula Hawkins

A Boy Made of Blocks – Keith Stuart 

Great Small Things – Jodi Picoult 

Harley Quinn: Call to Arms – Amanda Conner

Where Am I Now? – Mara Wilson

The Wicked + The Divine: Rising Action – Kieron Gillen

When We Collided – Emery Lord 

And A Happy New Year – Holly Bourne

Our Super Adventure – Sarah Graley

The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*** – Sarah Knight

Scarlet Witch: Witches’ Road – James Robinson

Silk: Sinister – Robbie Thompson

The Girl In The Picture – Alexandra Monir 

Bellzhar – Meg Wolitzer

Winter’s Snow – Carrie Hope Fletcher

Hello Me, It’s You – Edited by Hannah Todd 

The Sun is Also a Star – Nicola Yoon 

The Princess Diarist – Carrie Fisher

This Modern Love – Will Darbyshire

Notes on a Thesis – Tiphaine Rivière

Animal – Sara Pascoe

Vassa in the Night – Sara Porter

Scrappy Little Nobody – Anna Kendrick

A Mother’s Reckoning – Sue Klebold

Complete as of 22nd December 2016

Sunday Seven: My First Month in a New Job

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I can’t believe that as I write this I’ve been at my new job over a month. I didn’t think when I graduated that I would get to Christmas and would have  had two jobs, two new starts but that’s just the way life has gone. For this week I wanted to share 7 tips from my first month in a new job!

Rush hour can be avoided 

I hate traffic, really, really hate it. So I asked to adjust my hours and now work 8-4, it is harder sometimes to get up when it’s cold and dark but I save money in petrol and don’t feel stressed when I get to work.

Tea is for bonding 

There’s nothing better for bonding at work than a cup of tea or coffee. I’ve had many an interesting chat in the kitchen.

Believing in yourself is key

I was so nervous when I started and full of self-doubt but I realised I had good ideas and I would learn things I didn’t know. Believe in yourself because the people who hired you must!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! 

I’ve never worked in lighting, there was a lot I had no idea about so I find myself asking a lot of questions. It hasn’t done any harm, it’s better that you ask and get it right rather than struggling in silence.

Get as involved as possible 

This month we’ve had a surprise lunch, Christmas party and there’s going to be a Secret Santa this week. I’ve been out to shows, up to Birmingham to go and meet customers and am making plans for next year!

The past is the past 

I worried a lot about things I’d gotten wrong before I started this job, but worrying about them didn’t help me. The past is the past for a reason.

Don’t be scared to share your ideas! 

You’re there for a reason, as a new person you’ll see things differently because you have a new perspective, use it. It doesn’t matter if your ideas aren’t what they’re looking for the fact that you’ve got a voice and you’ll use it!

 

Final Illumicrate of 2016! Review and Unboxing.

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November’s Owlcrate was the last of the year, and what a year it’s been! This is definitely my favourite bookish box so far. As always this post is going to go into detail about the contents of this books so if you don’t want to see any spoilers look away NOW, otherwise let’s take a peak at November’s goodies.

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The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid 

I’ve heard a lot about this novel floating around and so I was interested to see that it had been included in this month’s Illumicrate. I’m really hoping this is going to be a good read and something a little darker.

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Happy Socks

What’s better than being nice and cosy when reading? These socks are going to come in handy for sure and I’ve always wanted a pair of Happy Socks. These were unexpected but definitely welcomed.

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Aiden Exclusive Candle 

I’m not really sure who Aiden is (I’ve misplaced the card with all the details on) but this candle does smell delicious!

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The One Memory of Flora Banks Sneak Peak 

I love that this was included, the blurb makes it sound like a fascinating book. I’m definitely going to have a read of this and then hopefully buy the novel.

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Temporary Tattoos, Bus Pass Case and Notebook

I have to be honest this kind of felt like filler to me. I really liked the notebook but not so much the temporary tattoos or bus pass holder.
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Coffee Cup Cosy 

I think this is adorable and as soon as I have a coffee cup to use I’ll be popping this on too. You can never have enough things to proudly proclaim to the world you’re a book nerd.

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Quotes and Postcards 

There were a variety of postcards given out this month, again this did feel like filler but it did work and make me want to read these novels.

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Overall this wasn’t my favourite Illumicrate of the year but I do know the owner welcomed a little one a few months ago! I definitely feel that there’s a good amount of content but hopefully there’ll be less postcards and other items of a similar nature in January’s box.

What did you think of this box?

Leave your comments below!

Sunday Seven: My Christmas Wishlist

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Can you believe it, we’re already in our first Sunday of December! The big day is only 21 days away and I could not be more excited! Now, my Mum is super organised, she asked me for a Christmas wishlist weeks ago (which meant I had to think fast), the conditions she had were that I wasn’t allowed to ask for any Pop Vinyls or Lush products (I go to the Lush sale on Boxing Day, last year I spent a little more than I planned). So this year I thought I would share with you seven things I popped on this list!

 

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Reach For The Sky Toy Story jumper, Vans. 

I am a HUGE lover of Toy Story, it’s one of my all time favourite films. I saw this jumper in the collab between Disney and Vans and wanted it from that second.

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Calvin Klein Underwear

Normally I’m not one for designer products BUT I received a black pair of these for my birthday this year and they are the most comfortable set of underwear I’ve ever owned. Comfort is key when it comes to underwear.

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Great British Bake Off 2016 book

This was the first year I really got into Bake Off and I absolutely LOVED it. So, of course, I’ve added this to my list, especially as it’ll be the last one featuring Mary, Mel and Sue, *sob*.

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Fantastic Beasts Screen Play 

This was a last minute addition after seeing Fantastic Beasts last week. I am obsessed with Harry Potter anyway, I loved the characters and this is an absolutely beautiful  cover.

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Game of Thrones Monopoly 

I love monopoly, I’m loving making my way through the GoT novels so this is just something fun to have! Perfect for Winter 😉

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Ron Weasley’s Wand

Of the golden trio I only have Ron’s wand to get. Currently, I have Harry, Hermione and Ginny’s wands so it seemed only right that I finally get Rons. I’m also hoping to add to my collection later with other Wands such as Newt Scamander and co.

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In the Dark, in the Woods – Eliza Wass (Also known as The Crasswell Plot) 

This is one of a few books I’ve put on my wishlist, I’ve heard so many good things about this book and it’s known to be quite creepy!

What is on your Christmas wishlist? Leave in the comments below!

Spine Update! November 2016

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Depending on how long you’ve been reading my blog/following me on Twitter you may or may not know that back in 2015 I fell off a horse and broke part of my spine (vertebrae T12 to be exact) and damaged other parts of it. It’s been a long 18 months with a lot of pain, scans, x-rays, physiotherapy, wheelchairs, crutches and walking very, very slowly. There wasn’t any part of my life that wasn’t impacted by the accident, I spent a lot of time (longer than I should have been) on maximum strength painkillers and spent almost 2 months in this wonderful contraption…

 

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I documented on here and on Twitter whenever I could what it was like living with my spinal injury. I learnt a lot from it and it gave me a bigger appreciation for not only being able to walk but life in general. That said, it is frustrating and the pain was indescribable and is still a huge part of my life today. BUT! I finally have some good news to share.

Last week I attended a clinic called Hampshire Backs to see a back specialist. I’d waited since September for this appointment and had an MRI (I was stuck in the machine for an hour!) determined that something would happen this time after seeing endless doctors, consultants and surgeons only for them to shrug their shoulders. My new consultant is brilliant, I’ve seen the scans and my break is fully healed, as is the damage to other parts of my spine, my nerves are clear of disruption and my spinal chord is good. All the majors were ok! We then went to on a physical examination, one that’s almost routine to me now, it took him a small amount of time to work out what was going on.

Due to the fact I’ve tried almost all the options that I have been able to at this point, including a year of physiotherapy, we were going to the next step. At some point next year I’m going into hospital to have a procedure, during which I’ll be asleep while a mix of steroids and anaesthetic will be placed in to the joints in the base of my spine. The hope is that this will give me relief, meaning I can build up muscle before it wears off and hopefully that will help the pain. IF this works then there will be talk of further procedures, if not…well we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

I won’t lie to you, I’m terrified of going to sleep and having people stick things into my spine but I also have a new found hope. This could be the start of me not living in constant pain and worry. I’m going forward and trying to be positive about this.

The I Love Sleep Tag!

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Lately, I’ve found myself even more in love with sleep. My weekend lie-ins are one of my favourite parts of the week, particularly after getting up at 6.30 every weekday (and that’s the latest it can be *sob*).  So I thought I’d give this a go, partly because it’s fun and partly because my brain has turned into a sleepy mush. I found this over on Dreaming of Spoons, go take a look!

1. What time do you go to bed?
Usually between 10 and 11, got to get some shut eye!

2. What’s your routine before sleeping?
Set out my clothes for the next day, check on my Hamster, go and pee, brush my teeth, set my alarm and curl up.

3. What do you do when you can’t sleep?
Try and tense and then release muscles if I know I need to sleep, if it’s the weekend I might get up and do something.

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4. What is your favourite sleeping position?
On my front, facing the wall.

5. What is something people may wake you up for?
Ali wakes me up on a regular basis to tell me to stop snoring…whoops.

6. What time does your alarm clock go off?
6.30am

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7. Snoozing or getting out of bed immediately?
Normally I just get up, I start work a while before Ali does so I don’t let it keep going as I don’t want to wake him up, top girlfriend award over here!

8. Do you sleep in late on the weekends?
I try to, it doesn’t always work but when I can I’ll let myself have a lie in, particularly in the winter.

9. Are there any strange things you do while sleeping?
According to Ali I chew in my sleep…I have no idea when or how this started.

10. How many pillows are there in your bed?
Four, two for me, two for Ali. Although occasionally I get to steal all of them 😛

11. What do you wear in bed?
Character PJs.

12. Do you sleep with your socks on?
Nope. I like feeling my feet against the sheets.

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13. How big is your bed?
It’s apparently a double but it feels a LOT  smaller than my last one.

14. If I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is…
Switch off my alarm and convince myself to leave the warmth.

15. Do you dream every night?
Not that I can remember.

16. Which dream or nightmare is still in your memory?
I had a nightmare about Smurfs when I was a kid…still don’t trust Smurfs.

17. What’s your biggest dream?

To be happy and successful.

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To Everyone Who Didn’t Vote Trump

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Hello,

You might not know me, you might not read my blog but watching the election results come in this morning left me with a sick, sinking feeling in my stomach. I’m not American, but I am human and I know what it feels like to get a result that you think is wrong and dangerous. My country voted for Brexit, and in the process, we got a Prime Minister we didn’t vote for.  I know that there are so many of you who are scared, confused and angry. That you now have a man that uses division, hatred, racism, and misogyny to get to where he is today. You’re right to be scared, most intelligent people would be and, like Brexit, I have no idea how this happened.

It’s not that I’m going to tell you to get over it and just feel better. There’s a lot of uncertainty, a lot of fear about the future, as there is here. What I am going to say though is that you are not alone in this. There is anger, disbelief ,and shock around the world that lies have won this election. But, most of us know that this doesn’t represent the good of America. There are so many incredible people that I have personally met and he doesn’t represent you as the people you are.

To every woman, every ethnic minority, every disabled person, every LGBTQ person everyone he and his campaign have offended you are not alone. It may feel that way right now, that you don’t know who to trust or what’s to come, but stay strong. The rest of the world understand your feelings of loss and pain and we won’t forget about you. It might feel like your country is against you, but the rest of the world are not.

Lessons I’ve Learnt From Quitting My Job

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Last week I did something I didn’t think I would do, I left my first job as a graduate after 5 months. I never intended to get a job that I would leave so early. There’s a magnitude of reasons why I felt it was the right time to go, some personal and some professional. While I know I’m going to miss the people that I was working with (because let’s face it, they are amazing) I needed to do this for me.

Putting myself first

I knew for a while that I wasn’t 100% happy in the role and what I was doing, and that wasn’t anyone’s fault. I wrestled with myself, but people liked me if I left they’d be upset. What would the company do? Would they be mad? Will I be able to even get another job? Will this wreck my savings to move out? I slept badly and was really stressed for weeks. For once I decided to do what I hardly ever do. I put myself first. I needed to think of myself, my career and my personal life, because at 22 I deserve to try new things. I’d never thought of it that way.

Accepting that not everything works out

I always give 110% to everything I do, and work was no different. I thought I had found a job that I’d love for years and stay there. This was simply something that didn’t work, for me this time. I walked around for a long time feeling ashamed and stupid. Then, after talking to a lot of different people, I realised that I can’t control everything and trying new things makes us grow. I’ve always been the kind of person who will half kill themselves trying to get something to work, this is only the second time I’ve done this and I feel a lot better.

Realising that I am in control of my own life 

I realised that I could change my life. I wasn’t 100% at what I was doing, so I changed it. I sent out a few CVs and had a lot of calls back. I didn’t have a clue that would happen, I didn’t have the confidence in myself but even though this was a hard part of my life and a huge decision it taught me that I am in control. I can make my life what I want it to be.