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Sunday 27 September 2015

Untitled Poem

I thought I would finally share some of my writing with you since it is something I love doing and it's a huge part of my life, it is the one thing I can do which helps to calm me down when life gets a bit too much. I actually wrote this poem in the space of ten minutes (?) and I am impressed it actually makes sense but here is my untitled poem:

The passing of time is truly terrifying
Knowing that I have no control over the future
Knowing that the past will remain
And the present is constant

Wandering forwards I try to distract myself
Reading sleeping eating living
But never loving.
Loving is not something that comes easily

I forget where I am sometimes
Losing track of time and place
I feel lost all the time
Wandering the empty road of time

I like to forget
Because that is the only moment when time doesn’t matter
I have true freedom
Tranquility and it is peaceful

No need to worry about the lost words
Forgotten conversations
Future lives
And mistaken fortunes

I am scared of time
The continuous ticking of a clock
The innate thought that I must continue
But what if I want to stop.

CR: Verity A Shaw

Tuesday 22 September 2015

Not an Angry Rant But a Comment on Society.

(I am going to try my hardest to make this not sound like a rant but I have had enough.)

As a young woman, I have grown up feeling anxious  of what other people might think of me and pressured to look a certain way. I know for a fact, I am not alone in this matter and alot of my friends feel this way and it breaks my heart. It is not right nor fair that as women (and people) we should feel so heavily judged by society.

I always knew that the double standards for men and women were not equal but recently after an incident one of my closest friends when through, I now understand the full extent of these unjust views and I have never been angrier about the way society is.

My friend (I won't state her name for obvious reasons) went to party, she got drunk and she ended up kissing a younger guy. Following the party, she has been called a 'slut' and indirectly she has recieved masses of insults. I know that if it was a male in her position they would be treated entirely differently to her and glamorized for their actions which is so wrong and ridiculous. The guy who she kissed is recieving a lot of congratulations about what he has done yet she is being ridiculed and mistreated?? The double standards for men and women are ridiculous and this needs to change.

I knew it was a problem, but I was being passive in assuming that it didnt matter (not until the issue was faced by a close friend)  since I was not involved in this problem. I know other people are thinking in a similar way to me but we can't do this to ourselves. Men and Women are equal. We should not be shaming one for what the other is glamorized for, it is unfair and stupid.

I know this single blog post won't make much of a difference but we need to realize as a society that this mindset is minimizing all the chances we have in our lives. We need to change these dumb double standards and change this by speaking out against these comments.

Sunday 20 September 2015

(Really Late) August Wrap Up

August Wrap Up ?

I know it's technically the 20th September but hey its never too late to do a Wrap Up!
So I have read alot last month! 17 books in fact, I dont think I have read this much during one month in a long time and it's a pretty good feeling knowing I have finished alot of my TBR books.

These are the paperback books I have read...

1.  Storm by Amanda Sun (the final book in the Paper God's series) 4 / 5
I loved reading this series and it was amazing but I just felt like the ending was rushed and as bad as it sounds I expected someone to die, yet no one did and the ending felt a bit too happy for me ??? I mean they have powers from the gods yet after a huge fight they were all okay ? Pfft

2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 3.5 / 5
Okay so I finally got around to reading this book and after all the hype I had heard about it, I had pretty high expectations but I just felt like I was reading an entirely different book to everyone else ? I loved and hated reading this book. The plot twists left me reeling but I loved Emily Bronte's writing style. Heathcliff wasn't amazing and wonderful like everyone always talks about, I mean he is an intriguing and mysterious character but he is also kind of an asshole . The writing was amazing and I do love the way in which Emily Bronte writes but I felt let down by all the hype.

3. One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey 3 / 5
Since I am studying this book in my English Lit class I needed to pick it up and it was a good book but I didnt find myself loving it, and parts were difficult to read but I mean thats what the book was trying to portray.

4. The Crysallids by John Wyndham 4 / 5
I love this book, incredible read written by one of my favourite authors.

5. The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham 4 / 5
Okay I struggled to get into this book but jeez once the actions started I loved it. Such unique ideas come from Wyndham and they always work so well.

6. The Seeds of Time by John Wyndham 3 / 5
Not one of my favourite Wyndham books but a good read nonetheless.

7. The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham 5 / 5
I loved this book so much, I am just disappointed I didnt pick this book up earlier. The concept behind this book is so eerie and sinister but I can't really note any flaws. I read this book within a few hours since I just couldnt stop reading it.

8. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris 5/5
 It has been a long time since I have picked up a psychological thriller and I was somewhat hesistant since it isnt something I would typically read but this book was incredible.
I really enjoyed this book, I was on the edge of my seat when reading this and I was just mesmorised by this sinister world. Hannibal Lector himself is so creepy and everything he said just made my skin crawl but Harris does such an amazing job portraying him.

and on my kindle:

9. Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx 3 /5
Since I am studying this book in English Literature, I decided to pick it up and read it on the plane (to Austria) it didnt take long to read and it was an okay book. I didnt feel particularly engaged with the characters but hey

10. Solitaire by Alice Oseman 2.5 / 5
So I had heard alot of positive stuff about this book so I had hopes that I would actually enjoy this book but I struggled to since I just found the main character (Tori) so irritating, the only characters I liked and actually found remotely interesting was Nick and Charlie. I would prefer to say I liked this book but I just felt disappointed and I always find it difficult to read a book when I dont like the protagonist.

11. To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han 4 / 5
I don't usually like reading 'teen romance' books but I was somewhat intrigued by this book, I really enjoyed it and I honestly thought I would hate it. Lara Jean was such a sweet and genuine character and I loved reading about her.

12. PS I Still Love You by Jenny Han 4/5
A sweet sequel, enjoyable and I loved reading more about Lara Jean's family.

13. Miss Periguines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs 5/5
I am gutted I didnt read this book series earlier, I loved it. Such a unique and intriguing storyline and I couldnt stop reading once I started. Jacob Portman was such an amazing character and the concept behind this book and the 'peculiars' was incredible. I loved the picture elements since they added so much character the book.

14. Hollow City by Ranson Riggs 5/5
Great Sequel which I read in a couple of hours and the plot twists!!!  I am so excited for the final book to be released this month!

15. 99 Days by Katie Cotuguo 3/5
Good book with a pretty stupid female protagonist, however I loved the character growth throughout the book. Important message about gender inequality featured at the end of the novel which was the main reason I liked this book to be honest.

16. Asylum by Madeliene Roux 4/5
This book was amazing, it has been a long time since I have read a book that has given me chills (from being scared). I loved the concept behind the book (a summer school based where a mental asylum used to be), such a creepy and intriguing storyline.

17. Sanctum by Madeliene Roux 4/5
A great sequel to the first book although I did struggle occassionally to understand how the 'clues' linked and whether or not the antagonist was possessed or just psychotic, but I guess that's the point.

Hopefully, I will continue with this reading streak but since I go back to Sixthform for my final year, I am unsure as to whether my reading will continue at this pace...