Category: lifestyle

The 105 Books I’ve Read So Far

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This year I set myself a target of reading 100 books by the end of year, relying on the fact I’d be finishing my degree, would have more time to read and I just wanted to have a fun little goal for myself to see if I could do it. Tonight I checked my Goodreads tracker and it told me that I’d read 105 books! I’m so happy that I’ve reached this goal and wanted to share with you the list of books I’ve read (and that are now in the review queue). Don’t forget I’d love to have more friends on Goodreads so add me! And now, here’s the list…

Spider Gwen vol 1 – Jason Latour

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden – Hannah Green

Fun Home – Alison Bechdel

Late Fragments – Kate Gross

Star Wars: 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 Summer – Amanda Connor

Captain America: The New Deal – John Ney Rieber

The Namesake – Jhumpa Lahiri

Darth Vader: Shadows and Secrets – Kieron Gillen

Strong Looks Better Naked – Khloé Kardashian

Faceless – Alyssa B Sheinmel

Vader Down – Jason Aaron

Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

Sex Criminals Volume 2 – 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 and Earl and the Dying Girl – Jesse Andrews

Wonder Woman – Jodi Picoult

The Wicked + The Divine: Fandemonium: Kieron Gillen

Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl – Kieron Gillen

Baboushka – Antony Johnston

Spider-Gwen: Greater 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 – James 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 Lunar

#Girlboss – Sophia Amorusa

Alex + Ada vol 2 – Jonathan Lunar

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe – Cullen Bunn

Alex + Ada vol 3 – Jonathan Lunar

Barbara The Slut and Other People – Lauren Holmes

Wonder – R.J. Palacio

One – Sarah Crossan

Everything Everything – Nicola Yoon

Bloodline – Claudia Gray

I Call Myself a Feminist – Victoria Pepe

Deadpool: Millionaire with a Mouth – Gerry Duggan

Bombshells: Enlisted – Marguerite Bennett

Letters to my Fanny – Cherry Healey

Radio Silence – Alice Oseman

Highly Illogical Behaviour – John Corey Whaley

Archie: The Never Riverdale – Mark Waid

The Vagenda- Holly Baxter and Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

Sex Criminals vol 3 – Matt Fraction

If I Was Your Girl – Meredith Russo

Obi-Wan and Anakin – Charles Soule

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – J.K Rowling

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

What’s a Girl Gotta Do – Holly Bourne

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 Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies – J.K. Rowling

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

Grief is a Thing with Feathers – Max Porter

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

The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo – Amy Schumer

Spectacles – Sue Perkins

Rad Women Worldwide – Kate Schatz

Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur

The Girl on The Train – Paula Hawkins

A Boy Made of Blocks – Keith Stuart

Small Great Things – Jodi Picoult

Harley Quinn: A Call to Arms  – Amanda Connor

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

Belzhar – Meg Wolitzer

What have you been reading and what should I read next?! Let me know in the comments below!

Saturday Night

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So guys what are you all up to on this wild Saturday night, a Bonfire Night party, a crazy night out on the town, start with drinks and see where it goes. Or maybe you’re like me, curled up and seeing pictures flick up on Instagram and Twitter. I’m not usually one for FOMO, but occasionally I just feel this guilt as a 20 something that I should be doing amazing things. That I should be going WAHOOOO PARTY FUN. That isn’t me though.

I’ve struggled for the past few years with this sense of guilt. When I was in my first university I went to a club once, had a panic attack, left on my own and curled up with a magazine, finally happy. In second year I went out and drank so much that my anxiety was temporarily forgotten and I became someone else. In third year I had the excuse of my back to curl up in the flat and sleep.

Now I’ve left uni I’ve realised that for the majority of the time I don’t care. When I work Monday-Friday I don’t want to spend every weekend spending the money I earn on watered down alcohol in a place with awful music , getting drunk to push away my anxiety and then regretting it the following day. I completely understand that going out partying is what some people love to do, but I love to sleep. I love going out at the weekend and exploring something, seeing family or spending some quality time with Ali.

I guess I’m writing this because I know how lonely I’ve felt seeing everyone’s snaps and weekend fun, and then the sadness that I’m ‘not fun enough’ because that’s not what I find fun. I know that there are so many people who feel this way too, who love to just chill out or do something that doesn’t revolve around alcohol. You’re not alone and you know what, we’re pretty cool too.

I Want to Write a Book

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One of my lifelong ambitions is to write a book. I’ve always loved to write. I’d fill up notebooks with little stories or character profiles and illustrations of my own characters. I even remember some of the stories about fairies, twins and magic stones. I know, weird. Every November I look at NaNoWriMo and go yeah I can do that, I can do it woo! But I don’t think it’s my style, I want to research and do this properly…that and I have to decide which idea I’m going to work on, which I can flesh out. But what makes me stop and hesitate is self-doubt and the desire for perfection. I want to write something worth reading, something I’d want to read. So that’s my aim, that’s what I want to do.

Any other future authors out there?

Halloween Memories.

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Happy Halloween! It’s already the end of October and a holiday that I absolutely LOVE. I have a love affair with Halloween but as I write this at 9 on a school night we’ve had no trick or treaters, sad times. I’m a giant kid on most holidays (I still don’t sleep on Christmas Eve, I still compete in the Easter Egg Hunt with my sister and I still count down to my birthday) and it was so hard not to go to work in full fancy dress today.

Some of my favourite memories from my childhood are from Halloween. When I was really small all my cousins and I would go trick or treating together covered in glitter and face paint. We’d visit all the neighbours that had known us since we were born and my grandparents would give us our pre-made bags, aunts, uncles and parents would give us special treats from Thorntons. Later my parents would throw Halloween parties (even though I felt a little old). The best times though were when I was in America for Halloween. The USA knows how to do Halloween properly. My parents took my sister and I in 2009 and then Ali too in 2010 to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party. It’s absolutely amazing

The best times though were when I was in America for Halloween. The USA knows how to do Halloween properly. My parents took my sister and  then Ali too in 2010 to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party. It’s absolutely amazing all the characters are dressed in costumes, there are shows and a parade and all the sweets you can eat. The park is open until around midnight and you come away with bags and bags of sweets (so many that I usually take a bag or two home to the UK). It’s also a fun atmosphere, I’m not into Halloween to get scared I’m in it to have fun!

 

The last few Halloweens have been very different, parties with friends or staying in eating sweets that trick or treaters didn’t come for (what a shame!). One day though I’m going to head back and party with Mickey Mouse, because that’s how it should be done.

Growing Up and Letting Go

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I didn’t know a year ago that such a large part of growing up meant letting go and, sometimes, walking away. In the past year, I’ve learnt more about those things than I have in my entire life. I’ve had to let one of my precious girls go for her sake, I’ve walked away from friendships that I didn’t feel were working and I’ve had to let go of who I thought I was while trying to work out who I think I am. I might sound like a clichèd 20 something, ‘ I don’t know who I am’, but I really don’t. There’s the person I thought I was at university, there’s the person I am after leaving. I’ve had to let go of a sport I lived for, something which I never thought would happen and breaks my heart more than I’d like to admit. Growing up is full of changes and evolution

Growing up is full of changes and evolution. I guess it’s how we learn and all adds up to the person we’re supposed to be, but that doesn’t make it any less exhausting or any easier. The amount of time I’ve spent just wondering ‘what do I want to do?’ because that has certainly changed since I graduated. People say that being young is easy but this is certainly the most confusing time in my life, even more confusing than when I was a teenager. Theses ideas of what you should be doing, thinking etc compared with what you want to do.

I don’t have a grand plan when I write these things, maybe I should, who knows. I just get it all out on a page, because I do know I’m not the only one who feels this way. We’re all young and confused and that won’t change for the generations to come, to quote one of my favourite bands ’22 is like the worst idea that I have ever had, it’s too much pain, too much freedom what should I do with this?’ Hell if I know.

Sunday Seven: My To Be Read Pile

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Now it’s getting colder and days curled up in blankets are more acceptable I thought I’d share some of the books on my To Be Read (TBR) pile. There’s a lot more than this, but these are some I’m planning to finish in the next few weeks.

A Clash of Kings – George R.R. Martin 

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It’s been a while since I finished the first Game of Thrones book so I thought it was time I should get stuck into the next one in the series. After all, Winter is coming.

Shrill – Lindy West 

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A fab feminist read, because I always need a good book from a kick-ass woman on the go.

The Wicked and The Divine: Rising Action – Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie (Illustrator), Matt Wilson (Illustrator)

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This is one of the weirdest graphic novel series’s that I read and I’m SO excited, can’t wait to get this read!

Hello Me, It’s You –  Anonymous, edited by Hannah Todd 

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I requested this from the publisher, mostly because I’m interested in what other people would say to their younger selves. I really hope this is as good as I think it’s going to be.

Belzhar – Meg Wolitzer

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A young adult novel that has something to do with Sylvia Plath? Sign me up!

In Order to Live – Yeonmi Park 

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I don’t know a lot about North Korea. I’m hoping that Yeonmi’s account, which I’ve heard only good things about, can teach me about what it’s like for the people.

Brain on Fire – Susannah Cahalan

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I’m always interested in reading other people’s accounts of their lives with mental illness. Susannah’s book was recommended to me on Goodreads.

What’s on your reading list? Let me know in the comments below!

Living with Chronic Pain

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For the past year and a half I’ve been living with moderate to severe back pain. By definition this now means that I’m living with chronic pain, there’s no break from it, no rest , it’s just a constant part of my life. Living with chronic pain is not something that anyone chooses, in my case, it was because of an injury. We’re still not sure about the damage, I’m booked in to see another specialist and have another MRI scheduled.

I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again, it’s all about good days and bad days, as many illnesses are. On a good day, I might be able to do a light workout, walk around and the pain is just background noise. On a bad day, it’s like someone is hammering on my spine, the smallest things will hurt and climbing stairs can feel like Everest and when it’s at its worst I can’t feel much in one leg. I might have to take a crutch when I go to an event. I take my medication but it doesn’t even skim the surface, to say that it’s frustrating is an understatement.

But what’s it like to live with chronic pain? Well, it’s definitely not fun, but I’m always aware that my injury could have been much worse. I’m walking, when I was incredibly close to losing that all together. So I’m always aware of that but living with chronic pain means a lot of doctors appointments, a lot of tiring discussion, repeating yourself, physio and medication change after medication change. It’s not pretty, but for a lot of us, it’s just life.

Some people might not understand why I’m broadcasting this, why I’m letting myself possibly look weak. I don’t think that’s it though. I don’t think anyone who keeps fighting is weak and that’s what people with chronic pain do. We go to work, we live our lives the best we can, we just get on with it and that’s the simple truth of living with a chronic illness. Even when the pain is the worst it can be we carry on as best we can. That is what living with chronic pains is like.

Sunday Seven: Super Cakes from the Cake and Bake show 2016

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Yesterday Abbie, Sums, Mum and I headed into London to go to this years cake and bake show. The absolute best part was definitely the competition entries. The skill and artistry that have gone into making these was amazing. There were so many good ones and it was hard to pick just 7 to show you all but here are some of my favourites.

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Reign of Fire by Mylene Wolfe 

The detail that went into each of the tiny scales, the facial features and the wings was absolutely incredible. I’m pretty sure this is Smaug, although that tag doesn’t specifically say so.

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Enchanted by Jane Lashbrook

This was both terrifying as well as being enchanting as its name suggests. I don’t think the picture does justice to how lifelike this cake looked.

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Dragon Warrior by Zahir Rathod 

There were multiple warriors and dragons but this was absolutely incredible because everything was edible on this cake, every single part.

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The BFG by Noemi Orbay 

This is just amazing, the size, the kindness of the face I just absolutely loved it.

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Harry Potter and the Sorting Hat

Harry Potter Cake? Of course this was going to make the list. Harry Potter will always make the list.

The Little Mermaid by Amoy Stone 

This was a beautiful cake, as well as the main mermaid I loved the detail of the growth that she’s sitting on. I also loved the fact that Amoy didn’t just make Disney’s version, instead this focuses on the original fairy tale.

Honeydukes Express Harry Potter by Namrah Arfan 

More Harry Potter! I loved the originality of this, using Honeydukes and the fact that there were so many individual pieces, particularly the Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans that had been hand crafted. I wanted to take this home the most.

 

Going Cruelty Free – Makeup

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I love animals. From the moment I was brought home from the hospital I have been around animals. There have been cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, birds and fish in my family home alone. I’ve been shopping in Lush for years, since we first got a store in Basingstoke, but while I wanted to be kinder to animals as a cash strapped teenager almost 10 years ago (man I feel old) there wasn’t a lot of affordable stuff on the market. A few weeks ago I learnt the horrifying truth about how fur clothing was made, I’d always know it was horrific but I’d never found out how much so. While I’ve never worn fur, I thought a lot about animal cruelty and decided that I wanted to try and help, by not giving money to companies who test on animals, so that meant new make up.

Now, I don’t wear much make up, I’ve never been a huge fan but this was important to me. I want to clear some things up though, when talking about this change I was challenged over the fact that I eat meat and dairy. I am not a vegan, nor am I a vegetarian and that is my choice and partly for medical reasons. I am helping in a way that I can. So, here are a few of my starter purchases. Also, this isn’t me becoming a beauty blogger, my 15 year old sister teaches me to do my make up and gives me brands to try.

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Barry M Lipsticks 

I love a good Lipstick and while my favourite is MAC (see a statement about them later) so I also wanted some great new lipsticks and Barry M are cruelty free, which surprised me. While these do need care when applying and possibly a lip liner they have good colour.

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Lottie Loves London Nail Varnish 

Again, something I was concerned about, nail varnish. I’ve been pleasantly surprised gorgeous colours and it holds really well (which I need because I chip my nails all the time).

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Bare Minerals Set 

My skin is prone to break-outs, something I have been self concious about in the past. My Mum and sister use this so I found a set in TK Maxx and gave it a go. For the first time ever I’ve found something that doesn’t hurt my skin and it’s easy to apply, which for someone who didn’t start using make up often until she was at university is helpful.

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Barry M Lash Vegas Mascara and MUA Intense Glitter Pencil 

I’ll admit I got the glitter pencil by accident BUT it’s better than almost all of the eyeliners I’ve tried. Also have no complaints about the new Mascara, looks good and doesn’t sting my eyes. Always a plus.

About MAC 

If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I have a love affair with MAC, which left me with a dilemma. Did they test, didn’t they test? I found this statement online to inform you all of their stance on Animal Testing.

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Now I’ve been getting into some more research I have a list of brands I want to try next, let me know in the comments if there are any you’ve tried or any more I should add!

Elf

Urban Decay

Kat Von D

Red Apple Lipstick

B.

theBalm

Burt’s Bees

Inkia

Paul Mitchell Hair Range

Sunday Seven: Lush Halloween and Christmas Haul!

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As I mentioned in last weeks Sunday Seven, one of my favourite things about Autumn is the new Lush products that come in every year. So what better way to celebrate them than share them with you!! After shopping with my fellow Lush addict Abbie I picked out a few to share with you! For the most part I’ve tried to include new bath ballistics (I wanted to pick up all the shower stuff too but, you know girls gotta eat), whether they are new to store or just new to me. Just to note, this post is NOT sponsored in any way.

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Pumpkin

This is a hot contender for one of my favourite bath products EVER, I don’t remember seeing this one last year but I am in LOVE with it and so glad I bought two. It smells like refreshers and makes the bath a beautiful shade of orange. They’re only in store until Halloween though, so get moving!

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Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar

So. Much. Glitter. This is one that’s been around for a while but it just screams Halloween to me. On the other hand my boyfriend hates it because he always ends up with glitter all over him. Sorry not sorry.

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Northern Lights 

Both Abbie and I are SO excited about using this, because of what we’ve seen on Lush’s Instagram. The colours and magic that are in this are incredible. It also smells delicious.

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Lord of Misrule

I used the shower gel constantly so I’m in love with the smell but I’ve been told by the brilliant Lush staff that there is a surprise, it looks green but you’ll end up with a beautiful red bath!

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Shoot for the Stars 

I’ll be honest I went for this one because of the colour and the glitter, it smells pretty good too.

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Never Mind The Ballistics 

Not only does this smell scrummy, it’s also got a nice smooth, and slightly strange, texture on the top. Oh and it’s named with a punk theme, Lush are just incredible human beings.

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Star Dust

This is for a much more chilled out bath. While it smells lovely (although I can’t quite make out what it is) it’s very relaxing and Abbie and I have suspicion that it also has some beautiful colourful surprises that await.

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Candy Mountain

Now I know this is Sunday Seven buuuuut I’ve snuck in one of my all time favourites. This beautifully sweet bubble bar is one of my favourite christmas scents. Mmm, mmm, mm.

What are some of your Lush favourites? Are there any more I should try? Let me know in the comments below!