Change For The Better & A Book Tag

A few months ago I had an epiphany of sorts.

Me and Adeel had been disagreeing a lot or arguing, whatever you want to call it, and things were getting tense and frustrating.

But we came through the other side.

And you know what I learned?

Don't try to change others, change yourself for the better instead.

So instead of getting frustrated at the little things he does or says, I've tried becoming more understanding and calm-headed so I don't flip out.

Of course there are still times where I get grouchy, but he's so persistent most of the time that he always manages to make me smile again.

This is definitely something I need to work on because I don't want to grow up to be a consistently negative and moody cow, I want a positive mindset and I want to be kind and forgiving quickly.

What a great time of year to set this new goal, huh?

Anyways, I've also got another book tag below (again I got it from Lindsay's blog, check her blog out here).

Question 1:
Hardback or paperback?

Paperback, they're way easier to hold whilst reading! Although some hardbacks can be really pretty - The Miniaturist is one memorable one with a lovely binding and endpapers.

Question 2:
Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?

I hate this question. I've been asked it a few times and I never know how to answer. I feel so guilty for choosing! Harry Potter was my childhood so I will forever love it, but, there's just something about Lord of the Rings...

Question 3:
The smell of an old book or the smell of a new one?

The smell of a new one. I've smelt some of the old ones before and some are alright but others can just smell fusty and damp? Maybe it's just however you store them!

Question 4:
Stephen King ot RL Stine?

Okay so I literally just had to google RL Stine as I'd never heard of him, but he wrote Goosebumps! Didn't think I would've read anything of his if I didn't know his name, but I've definitely read at least one Goosebumps book. I've also only read one of Stephen King's books - Carrie. I preferred Carrie to Goosebumps although there's about ten years age difference in when I read them, but I've heard a lot of good things about King's works so I may pick up a few more of his in due time!

Question 5:
Sci-fi or Fantasy?

Fantasy all the way. That's pretty much all I read.

Question 6:
Reading indoors or outdoors?

Depends on the weather really. Indoors mostly though I think. The sun can get so bright sometimes when you're reading outside that it makes me so sleepy and then I'm getting all hot and bothered too. Reading in bed is the best for me I think.

Question 7:
Twilight or 50 Shades of Grey?

Twilight. Although they're both basically the same thing. Hello, 50 Shades is fan-fiction of Twilight. Ahaha, sorry to say I've read all of both. I like the way Stephenie Meyer writes, it's just the storyline of Twilight obviously isn't great, but another of her novels I've read is brilliant. 50 Shades looks like it was written by a teenager.

Question 8:
Shop online or from a local bookstore?

Bookstore. Any chance I get and I'll be in a Foyles or Waterstones, rifling through their many shelves. It's pure heaven. I don't really have any local, independent bookstores in East London though. However, it's great when I visit my dad in Faversham because they have a good handful of old, musty, crooked bookstores.

Question 9:
The Great Gatsby or Catcher in the Rye?

I've only read The Great Gatsby so that one I guess, although I actually didn't think much of it even though everyone raves about it. I will read Catcher in the Rye at some point, added to my ever-growing list of to be reads...

Question 10:
Fiction or Non-fiction?

Fiction. I rarely pick up non-fiction. A great one I've actually read this year, that's non-fiction, was Unbroken. Mind-blowing.

Question 11:
Bookmarks or dog-earing?

I actually do both. I bookmark my position in the book, obviously, but I dog-ear the points of 25%, 50% and 75% because I like to know how far through the book I am. Strange, I know! Aha.

Question 12:
Dr Seuss or Roald Dahl?

I've not really read either? Like I have a little Roald Dahl collection from my childhood on my bookshelves back home but I don't remember reading them very much. And Dr Seuss I think I've only read snippets of. I'll pick Roald Dahl though because I prefer his stories.

Question 13:
eBook or Audiobook?

Audiobook after this year. A new love was found when my friend suggested Audible to me. I like eBooks too, I must dust off my kindle this year!

Hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas
x



☆

Study Soundtrack

It's been such a hectic week with the amount of work we've been given this year that I haven't had much of a chance to blog. So, I thought it would be a good idea to post a personal soundtrack I like to use when studying as I've been doing a lot of it recently.

I tend to prefer music with no lyrics, film scores if you like, or something relaxing and quiet. They're all from my favourite films, obviously, which I do find can tempt me into watching them, every single time. Yet, I have managed to avoid them and get a lot more work done than I would if I had listened to something upbeat.

Obviously, I don't get through all of the albums below, but I like to mix and match depending on what I feel like listening to.

Number 1 - 

The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture). 

The scores to these movies are amazing, I absolutely love them and I cannot wait to buy The Hobbit soundtracks too! One of my favourite tracks though, which I hadn't realised was even a soundtrack to the film, is Annie Lennox's Into The West.

Number 2 - 

Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture). 

Again, I just love the soundtracks to this series - I can picture the scenes to specific bits of music perfectly, although quite distracting especially with Johnny Depp in my head! My favourite bit is definitely when Will & Elizabeth get married on the ship; the accompanying track I Don't Think Now is the Right Time is perfect.

Number 3 - 

Harry Potter (Mask Plays Music from the Motion Picture). 

Some of the tracks on this album are a little scary, even without the connecting images (although Harry Potter in itself is not scary, the scenes with the Dementor's and Lord Voldemort in Philosopher's Stone are quite terrifying!), but I love it nevertheless. The Christmas tracks are my favourites by far.

Number 4 - 

P.S. I Love You Soundtrack. 

This just makes me want to go to Ireland and explore and fall in love all over again. It's so relaxing.

Number 5 - 

Twilight Soundtrack. 

I know there's a lot of controversy about this film in general, and I agree that it's not the best vampire film out there (Underworld!!!), but it's soundtrack is beautiful. I love the piano melodies especially, even if Robert Pattinson is not actually playing them.

Also, similarly to LOTR, I didn't realise Robert Pattinson actually had a song in the film. Although it is not the soundtrack piece it's still worth a listen (Let Me Sign).

And finally - 

A recent purchase, is Gabrielle Aplin's album, English Rain. 

Even though this is an album with lyrics, I find I can still concentrate enough to get work done. It's a stunning album and is very calming. I especially love the track The Power of Love as we are in the lead up to Christmas.

I hope you try some of these albums out, I know they're probably not to a lot of people's tastes but they're worth a listen!

What albums/sounds help you to study?

:)

Obviously none of these images are mine, they are the original artworks for the albums.