What I'm Loving Right Now

It's been a while since I've done one of these roundups.

I might try and make them a monthly thing next year so it seems a bit more consistent round here.

But, we'll see how that goes!

Also, in my last post I said I'd go over my week at home before realising there's not that much to go over, just a few photos to share which are in this post.

Anyways, here's what I'm loving right now:

1) Re-reading the Harry Potter series - mateeeeeeee, I love these books. I've been meaning to re-read them for some time of late but have just had so many other books piling up in my room that I felt it was stupid to re-read something that's, obviously, already been read. I stopped caring though. Fantastic Beasts has just come out, it's almost Christmas and there's just something about these magical books that are all Christmassy for me. LOVE IT.

2) Selection of movies on at the moment at the cinema - Apart from the annoying fact they moved Underworld: Blood War to FEBRUARY, God damn it, I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing Bad Santa 2, Fantastic Beasts, Allied and Sully.

3) Nearly finished all my Christmas shopping - I am usually pretty organised but last year (I don't know why) was awful. I mean I didn't buy my step-dad's presents until August, August ffs. Granted I wasn't seeing him til late August, but still. I just have three or four more people left to buy for and then I just need to wrap everything and write my cards and hey ho I'm done.

4) Have passed four years with Adeel and starting to plan more things for the future - I'm hesitant to say anything really because every time I do it doesn't happen, but we might have actually mentioned about three holidays next year and I AM SO EXCITED. I have been dying to go away and nothing has fallen into place so I've been awfully grumpy. These past four years have also been the best and I can't wait to spend many more years to come with the love of my life.

5) Even though I feel like I've had a bit of a shit couple of months, I'm really appreciating my friends and family right now, Adeel as well  - I don't know what's going on at the moment with everything, with me, my bladdy hormones flying everywhere. But I am so angry all of the damn time, I've cried a lot, and I'm just plain aggravated at the slightest thing. I've felt awfully alone and considering I'm in a houseshare in London, I really shouldn't feel that way. But I've met up and chatted deeply with my close friends and family so am feeling a bit happier now.

6) Eating healthier and running consistently still (ish) - Okay, so as I write this I may have just demolished a dominoes pizza and cookies and I may have also had a chinese a few days ago and not eaten much fruit this week or ran so far this week, but hellooo it's my week off. I've started alternating having sandwiches for lunch with salads (made by me, not those pre-made ones doused in dressing) at work and I'm trying to eat three or four fruits also a day, as well as having pretty healthy dinners and not eating as much sugar as normal. AND even though it's winter, we're still running about twice a week around other things that crop up. So, sort of doing well, aha.

7) Writing is really coming along - As in I literally only have a few more chapters to write up from my first draft and then I can just get cracking on editing and adding extra scenes in that I may have missed in my haste the first time. And then it's just trying to get published. Oh God...

8) I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! - I missed last years show due to being in Dubai for two weeks at the end of November and I was gutted. This is the one show out of X-Factor, Strictly, Britain's Got Talent that I genuinely love. The others I can do without (in fact I do without most of them), but there's just something about watching celebs suffer out of their usual environment that's so entertaining!

Dark Heavens: Book 1, White Tiger

By Kylie Chan.

Image from Goodreads

[A young woman accepts a position as nanny to the young daughter of a handsome, wealthy, and mysterious Chinese businessman only to discover her new employer is really a god and every foul demon in creation is out to destroy him!]

I love Chinese mythology and just learning about the Chinese culture in general was fascinating which is what led me to read this book, along with a recommendation from a colleague at work.

The plot, I enjoyed.

It was action-packed and full of humour, especially between Emma and Leo. But, I did feel that a couple of things happened too quickly, like some bits just came out of nowhere.

And then there's also the dialogue. In some places, it worked (like with the humour), but in other places it felt like a filler and there were a handful of things said that the characters were implying that weren't obvious and never got fully explained.

The characters were great. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all of the different levels of Chinese Gods and their "true forms", at least the true forms as they were in this book (I don't know if that's how they're truly perceived). Simone was a cute asset and Mr Chen was a dutiful mysterious father.

I have to say though, the thing that let it down for me was, well, the protagonist, Emma, and the relationship between her and Mr Chen.

Every other sentence they'd repeat stuff like "I know this can never happen" or "we're complete fools for letting it go this far". Blah, blah, blah.

In fact, I'm pretty sure the second half of the book was just filled with these sayings and it got really frustrating.

I also noted that Chan likes to use a handful of specific descriptive words a bit too much, which also got annoying.

It turns out that this is actually part of a trilogy, but I don't even know if I want to read the rest of them if the writing was that repetitive. It wasn't all that enticing with the ending either so I may just leave it as it is.

✌︎

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicles, #1)

By Patrick Rothfuss.

Narrated by Rupert Degas.

Image From Goodreads

[Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the 
magically gifted young man who grows to be the 
most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a
troupe of travelling players, his years spent as a
near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his
daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a
legendary school of magic, and his life as a
fugitive after the murder of a king form a 
gripping coming-of-age story unrivalled in recent
literature.

A high-action story written with a poet's hand,
The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that
will transport readers into the body and mind of
a wizard.]

Oh my god, I am loving listening to audiobooks. Why did I not do this sooner?!

I can't believe distributing audiobooks is one of my main tasks at work and it took me a good six months before I even thought about, just maybe, listening to one myself. 

Duh, what an idiot.

The Name of the Wind is a brilliant, intriguing, fascinating read (or listen in my case).

So far, I can determine that it is about a young man's adventure through childhood alone - after an unfortunate, tragic event occurs to his family - and his ambition to get to the university, so that he can finally learn about (and I presume track down) the people that took his family away from him so soon.

It is longggggg (just over 28 hours worth), but it is so worth it. Every detail and minor action is thought of, it is so beautiful.

I did struggle initially to get to grips with it, but I think that's only because of it's quite complex story (to begin with) as you're thrown right into the middle of it and have to learn all these new characters and places and events and terminology that Rothfuss just made up.

I did enjoy Rupert Degas's reading though, he can do a multitude of voices very well and I can clearly tell all of the characters apart from this.

I also absolutely loved the characters. I got so drawn into their lives that - even though there wasn't a whole lot of action action - you're completely intrigued by all of the mundane events that goes on. 

You end up really really rooting for Kvothe as he always seems to get himself into some sticky situations. You also forget that the whole thing is pretty much him telling his story to a scribe, occasionally flitting back to the present day.

The friendships (and even the enemy-relationships) are beautifully done. There is humour and knowledge and disbelief all entwined. And even though Kvothe is meant to be in his mid-teens, I can't help but root for him to get the girl.

It does say in the blurb that he's a wizard and I would just like to clarify for anyone who wants to read this that he isn't a wizard in the sense like Harry Potter, but it is a story that includes an underlying magical theme. 

Basically, whatever you think you know of magical literature, put it aside and be prepared to get something fresh and fantastic. 

I can't believe this was all just one day of him telling his story with the promise overall of three days (obviously within this one day he has told the majority of his childhood and teenage years).

I am definitely hooked on wanting to know what happens next, following his story as he grows into his adult years can only get more interesting I believe! 

(I am currently about 15 hours into the sequel which is an astonishing 43 hours long!!)

Absolutely brilliant.

Dracula And Other Horror Classics

By Bram Stoker.

[Dracula and Other Horror Classics collects the most memorable
tales of horror by Bram Stoker. In addition to Dracula -- the
landmark vampire novel that set the pattern for virtually all
vampire fiction written after its publication in 1897 -- this
omnibus collects the novels The Jewel of Seven Stars and The 
Lair of the White Worm. It also includes a dozen of Stoker's
short tales of the macabre, including "Dracula's Guest", a
sidebar to his famous novel.

For more than a century, Bram Stoker's fiction has inspired
countless writers of horror and fantasy fiction. This volume
allows readers a unique opportunity to appreciate the full range
of his dark imagination.]

Dracula
I was worried initially that the writing style would be too difficult to grasp, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was rather easy. From what I can remember (I did begin it in April after all) Dracula started off reasonably well-paced. I found I enjoyed the story line with Lucy and her antics better than the subsequent manhunt for Dracula himself, meaning I didn't enjoy the ending as much as I could have. There was quite a bit of waffling as well that really wasn't needed which made the pace a bit slower right before the climax. I also found that the characters came to trust too easily and fell in love awfully quick, but maybe that was just part of the times.

The Jewel of Seven Stars
This one drew me in straight away with the Egyptian theme throughout (I find the whole mummies and curses ordeal fascinating). Again, I found that the protagonists fell in love way too quick for my tastes but I went along with it anyway. This, like Dracula, started off well then declined in a lot of unnecessary waffle followed by ending with a bang. I'm still in shock now at how this one ended so I would have to say this one might be my favourite out of the three longer tales as it was so unexpected.

The Lair of the White Worm
From reading the title to the end of this one, I was terribly confused. First of all, a worm? That's the big threat? And second of all, the plot was kind of all over the place. The love between the main characters seemed to happen instantly and then the death of a character had an absurd reasoning behind it. The only bit I really enjoyed was the climax-type scene towards the end because the imagery was really strong and this tiny bit made sense to me. I didn't understand half of what was going on though.

Dracula's Guest and Other Stories
The majority of these shorter tales, funnily enough, I rather enjoyed. They were quick and to the point, drawing me in and then abruptly ending in all sorts of weird ways. The Squaw, The Judge's House and The Burial of the Rats were my favourites out of the bunch with intriguing plots, a strong role for the familiars and beautiful imagery.

Overall, even though the writing was quite easy to navigate, it was still obvious that they were all written some time ago as the women were expected to stay out of the way and let all the men do the work and the racism in The Lair of the White Worm was absolutely horrendous!

Letting Go Of Fear

I've realised of late that I've been letting fear get the better of me again.

It's not anywhere near as bad as last time, in fact it's a whole different kind of fear (not so much the emetophobia I suffered from before, fear fear).

I've been going running now for quite a few months, yet every time my housemate is busy I feel like I can't go without him for fear of being attacked or laughed at or judged.

It may sound silly, but I've heard a lot of "horror" stories, as it were, about solo female runners and, well, I don't exactly feel like I live in the safest of areas.

So, the solution would be to run in a more public place right? 

Wrong. 

I can't stand the idea of being all sweaty and out of breath and hideous in front of loads of strangers in cars, on bikes, in groups. It makes my heart get all jittery and my stomach ties itself into a million knots.

I just feel ridiculous and like a coward, yet this is the one exercise I've found I really enjoy and keeps me fit and motivated.

There's also the fact that I just bought my first car and I drove it back to London and all of that weekend with my boyfriend beside me, giving me pointers and whatnot, comforting me.

But there comes a point when one must attempt it alone.

It terrifies me that after four years since passing my test they just allow you to get behind the steering wheel once more without so much as a freshen up of a driving lesson as a requirement.

I guess it's difficult for that sort of thing to be enforced but trying to get used to driving again with all the things you have to keep an eye on and all the things you have to remember and getting used to a new car is really really daunting and hard, especially in London.

I won't wear dresses or skirts or show much leg at all because I think they're too pale and people will judge me.

I don't tend to go places alone, especially not restaurants, for fear of looking like a loner or getting picked on by some weirdo. 

It always happens, even just walking down the street, some weirdo will pick me to hurl his insults at or (and this is probably worse) the wolf whistling and cat-calling. It's horrible. I can never tell whether they're being serious or not. Plus it makes me feel really uncomfortable, either way.

I won't finish my book because I'm scared it's just not good enough. I keep putting it off even though I love writing it.

I feel like a coward and like I'm being stupid because I can't seem to work up the courage to do any of these things alone or at all.

What happened to being a strong, independent woman huh if I need someone to do these things with me?

---

I wrote this post a few days ago.

Since then, I have in fact driven by myself - albeit only around the block a few times. But I managed to parallel park by myself and I didn't stall once. That equals success in my books.

I wore a dress today, out in Westfield, on a busy Sunday and I ran by myself this morning.

I still need to work on them, trust me, but there's still time to progress.

I will beat back my fears one step at a time.

Elantris

This is a few days late. It's been a mega hectic kinda week so I apologise for the tardiness.

Audio book numero trois: Elantris

By Brandon Sanderson,

Narrated by Jack Garrett

Image from Goodreads

[Elantris was built on magic and it thrived. But
then the magic began to fade and Elantris
began to rot. Now its shattered citizens face
domination by a powerful Imperium. Can a
young Princess unite the people of Elantris, and
lead a rebellion against the imperial zealots?]

I love Brandon Sanderson's novels.

I love the way he writes. 

He always uses so much detail and colour and vibrancy. 

It creates such a clear picture in my mind that it's like watching a film come to life.

I love getting to know his characters as well. 

Raoden and Sarene, in particular, were very good protagonists, but even Hrathen in the end was another I came to enjoy reading about.

They were all portrayed so realistically - character trait-wise, not magical element-wise - that you couldn't not love them, despite their faults. 

Even the minor characters were well-developed and interesting.

The plot was flawless. 

The way Sanderson flicks between different points of view is great, it really gives a full view of the story and the twist at the end was brilliant. 

I really didn't see it coming.

There's a beautiful mix of magic, love, friendship, religion and action in this epic first novel of Sanderson's.

It really is a great read - or listen - and I'm thoroughly looking forward to listening to more of his novels in the future!




✌

Fan Art, Friends and Cars

We lost our second cat at the start of this week.

It seems so long ago already as I've been back to London since then and met up with a few friends.

It was only in April that Smudge was taken from us unexpectedly. He was hit by a car sadly, such a horrible way to go.

But Kittie, she was getting on a bit so we knew it was coming soon.

Mum said she was purring right up until the end. Heartbreaking :(

 

Sorry to start this post off with a bit of a downer, but just look at how beautiful she was.

She was always there for a cuddle when I was growing up. Sixteen years of my childhood.

Anyways, I am now back at home again after a whirlwind few days at work, just so I get to see mum and Neil before they go back to Dubai.

I've seen a couple of friends already and have a couple more to go as well as my grandparents. Just trying to relax mainly as I haven't taken any holiday in quite a long time.

I went bowling last Saturday with a friend from college I hadn't seen in 2 years. Saw another friend from college for dinner after work one day.

I also saw one of my best friends yesterday and she's obsessed with gaming and tumblr and whatnot. So now that I've come back from seeing her I have a new (old but returned) love for tumblr again.

We looked at a lot of fan art yesterday (mainly for Fallout 4 as she loves it) and it's made me want to start sketching again.

I miss it so much.

I used to do it all the time. I mean I worked my butt off at GCSE and got an A*.

I was so proud.

And then college came along and my art class got dropped and photography took over my world. If only I'd have continued drawing.

There may be a few dodgy sketches to come before I can get back into the swing of things, but I really am hoping to start up again if I can find the time.

I've also been trying to get a car as I suddenly got the urge to drive (plus Adeel's insurance is super expensive since his accident)! I've put a deposit down and test drove it, so I should be picking it up Tuesday if all goes smoothly.

Fingers crossed! (I'm sure I'll post pictures once it's all official, got to drive it back to London on Wednesday yet - scary!)

And on another note, as this is an arty post, I still haven't thought of a name for my bloody novel.

At this rate it never will have a name. Why is this bit harder than the actual writing?

Ah, oh well. I've got a few more days here and then I'm back to normality.

Wish me luck.

The City of Mirrors

By Justin Cronin.

My God, I waited 6 months for this.

I pre-ordered it and everything.

And this epic finale has definitely not disappointed.

I even think this trilogy (The Passage and The Twelve also) has just overtaken The Lord of the Rings as my favourite novels.

Really.

[The plague that almost ended humanity
is finally over. For a new generation of
children, the once-feared virals have
begun to seem almost like imaginary
monsters, creatures from a fairy tale they
no longer believe in.

For Alicia, however, the bad dreams can
never be forgotten. And the voice in
those dreams is leading her towards one
of the great cities of The Time Before.
The ruined city of New York.

Ruined but not empty. For this is the
final refuge of Zero, the first and most
terrible product of the viral experiment.
And Alicia knows that the nightmare can
never truly be over until he is destroyed.

But what she finds is not what she's
expecting.

An opponent at once deadlier and
more human than she could ever have
imagined, who takes her on a terrifying
journey into the past to learn how it all
began.

And to find out how it must end.]

Can I just say? Justin Cronin is a God of literature and I am sorely tempted to pick up The Passage once more and start the trilogy all over again.

Seriously, the plot, the characters, the writing style, the imagery, everything = PERFECT.

I loved the backstory of Zero's character. Although the content of his history was almost mundane, boring in a way, the way it's written and just the pure fact you - as a reader - know what's coming is enough to keep you hooked.

The rest of the original characters (that are still alive) are back twenty years or so on. I must admit I was a little disappointed they were all grandparents at this stage. It created a whole new spin on their situation though.

As always, Cronin draws you in, building up for the tension to hit and he sure didn't hold back.

I don't even know what else there is to say that won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read any of them.

It was a novel of heartbreak, beauty, friendship, love, soul-searching and a new beginning.

I can't suggest you read it enough.

---

Rating:
★★★★★★★★★★



✌

What I Want To Do In The Next 6 Months

I just sat opposite a man on the tube who had the hairiest chest and, equally, hairy mole right on his chin. I honestly thought he had a goatee at first... Whoops.

Anyways, as my countdown app kindly reminded me this morning, it's just six months to Christmas (as I write this post) and that brings me to look back on my resolutions from January. 

I haven't quite achieved many of them as of yet, but I've created another similar list of goals in this post of what I would like to have achieved in the next 6 months.

I don't know how much I can actually accomplish with my ever dwindling motivation, but maybe this will get my butt into gear. So here goes:

1. To visit home/friends/my dad more

2. To book my trip to Venice

3. To buy a sketch book and start drawing again

4. To finish the second draft of my novel

5. To travel more, even if just in England

6. To do a writing retreat and lock myself in a hotel away from home and get a substantial amount of writing done

7. To find more inspiration. Create mood boards if I have to in order for my motivation to return

8. To meet some more of Adeel's family

9. And to equally not worry so much about it and what people think

10. To celebrate Adeel's new job (when he gets one)

11. To donate money and the rest of my unwanted clothes to charity

12. To have a clear out and a tidy up of my room

13. To take more photos in photo booths or more photos in general

14. To decide when I want to return to Dubai and visit my mum and Neil

15. To run 96 more miles

16. To increase the percentage of my wages going in to my pension

17. To stop buying cheap clothes that always seem to fray or break easily, buy something expensive and durable

18. To find a new home, one that we can start calling our own with new furniture and everything

19. To give away or sell all my old textbooks

20. To spend more time offline



✌

The Great Gatsby

I'd heard a lot about this story, especially in the past few years, and with so many good reviews on the novel and the film, how could I pass on the opportunity to read it as well? 

I'm pleased to say I thoroughly enjoyed it too!

[Young, handsome and fabulously rich, Jay Gatsby is the bright
star of the Jazz Age, but as writer Nick Carraway is drawn into
the decadent orbit of his Long Island mansion, where the party
never seems to end, he finds himself faced with the mystery of
Gatsby's origins and desires. Beneath the shimmering surface of
his life, Gatsby is hiding a secret: a silent longing that can never
be fulfilled. And soon, this destructive obsession will force his
world to unravel.]

I loveeeeee the way Fitzgerald writes - all of that detailed description and the time period he often sets his novels in is just perfectttt. The plot was great, but having seen the film first, all I could do was picture Leonardo DiCaprio saying "old sport" with a martini glass in hand. Not that that was a bad thing. But I evidently saw the end coming the entire time, making it somewhat less dramatic.

It got a little confusing at times, the writing seemingly jumping ahead or trailing off and never filling in the details or picking back up from where it left off. Maybe that was the effect he was going for as the narrator himself was writing the events down as he remembered them, causing the skimming over of particular details that he himself may have had trouble remembering?

I didn't like Tom at all, especially that he could get away with having an affair and Daisy couldn't - maybe this just portrays the time the novel was set in well. But still, hypocritical much? Also, where on Earth was Daisy for the entire end of the novel?? She just disappeared, not even fazed by the events that occurred.

Even though I did know the ending because of the film, it still left me feeling a bit deflated and bad for poor old Gatsby. Did no one really care for him at all but just for his fabulous parties? It's just too sad.

Although, I guess it was actually nice to see a love story not end with the typical 'happy ever after' for a change! If you can even call it a love story with Daisy being so all over the place.

✌

What I'm Loving Right Now

So after the catastrophe of last week I thought I'd put together a short post of seven things that are small reminders of happiness or something I am currently enjoying through all the bad news (although this week has definitely turned around in some good ways!)

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

I am beyond excited to be reading this. I was recommended it just before Christmas by one of my housemates and I didn't even realise it was a novel! Jurassic Park is one of my favourite films (apparently I was even excitable in the womb as my mum saw it in the cinema when she was pregnant with me!). Review to come once I've finished it!

Coco Mademoiselle - Chanel

My boyfriend is an absolute babe. I, for some reason, became obsessed with wanting a Chanel scent just before Christmas and my boy was kind enough to gift it to me for the occasion!

F Scott Fitzgerald Notebook

Yet again my boy bought me a little somethin' somethin' just because he wanted to. He knows my love for notebooks is ridiculous and has added another beauty to my ever-growing collection.

V&A Teacups

Another gift from Christmas, except this time from my Dad and his girlfriend. They always buy everyone such cute and quirky gifts, I love them! They're so adorable.

Houmous

This is another weird one, but I've literally been eating this by the pot for a good few weeks, maybe even months now! I LOVE it!!!

Celebrity Big Brother

Okay so this one is a bit sad, but, hey ho, there is a tonne of drama this year. It's been a few seasons since I've watched it, but it's so full of ridiculousness that I can't help but watch it!

Agatha Watch

When me and Adeel were in Dubai we finally thought we would buy each other very, very belated birthday presents (mine is in March and his April and we were in Dubai at the end of November!), so I bought him an Apple watch and he bought me this rose gold beauty from a French brand called Agatha. I'm so in love with it, it's beautiful and goes with everything I wear and I feel so grown up for it! (If you look closely you can see that the second hand is in the shape of the Eiffel Tower - cute!)

✌