18 (The Things I have Learnt)

So tomorrow it is my 18th birthday and I will no longer be classed as a teenager but instead I will be an 'adult' which is both exciting and terrifying. I am going to go through all the things I have learnt whilst being a teenager and hopefully they will help those of you that are younger than me:

1. It Is Okay To Stay At Home and Not Go To That 'Party'

Parties are great but it doesn't matter if you decide to stay at home and relax. It is always important to make sure you have time for yourself and reading at home or having a hot bath with bath salts is an amazing way to relax and have some 'me' time.

2. Falling In Love is Overrated

I learnt the hard way that you shouldn't spend your time chasing after people that aren't worth your time, sometimes things aren't meant to be but that is okay.
If it is meant to happen, it will happen.

3. School is not the most important thing in the world.

There is alot more to life than academics and it is important to not let yourself become overwhelmed by the workload. Take one thing at a time and never leave essays or assignments until the last minute. Work to the best of your ability and it is okay to receive criticism to your work because next time you can improve it and make it better. 

4. Books are Underrated

Whenever I am having a bad day, I always pick up my favourite book The Day of The Triffids and I drink alot a green tea. Somehow it always makes me feel calmer so don't forget about the books. You can explore new worlds with your mind, escape reality for a couple of hours or you can just learn new facts. Don't forget about the books.

5. Know Your Limits 

Make sure you know when to stop drinking.

6. It is okay to spend time alone.
Read a book, watch a movie, go on a walk, think. I find I work best when I am alone and I learn alot about myself when alone, it is not always a bad thing.

7. Forgive Yourself 

8. As bad as it might seem, there are people out there that do care.

9. Go to gigs.
Spending the entire night dancing, moshing and singing along to your favourite bands lyrics with thousands of other people will be one of the best things you will ever experience. I have had so much fun and met so many amazing people from going to gigs, including one of my really good friends.

10. Travel.
Some of my favourite memories are from when I went travelling or exploring. I remember really well how me and friend went on a spontaneous trip to Glasgow, we just caught a train and explored.

11. Love Yourself
This is something I am still struggling with but I am making small steps every day to embrace myself more and more.

12. Try New Things
Even if it doesn't work out, you will have funny stories to tell.

13. Never Feel Pressured To Do Something You Don't Want To Do
If you don't feel comfortable, don't do it. It doesnt matter whether or not it seems cool or fun or it is just what everyone else is doing, you shouldn't feel pressured to join in and that's okay.

14. Talk to People
I have met so many amazing people just from talking. Only the other day, I shared a table with a guy in a coffee shop and we just sat and talked for a couple of hours and he told me about his life. As terrifying as it might seem it is definitely worth trying.

15. Your Most Embarrassing Moments Will Be The Best Stories
I can't even begin to tell you about all the embarrassing things I have done in my lifetime but they are honestly the best stories I have to tell. They make me me. I am that clumsy girl that falls down stairs but I honestly feel like they have made me who I am today.

16. Be Honest
There is nothing worst than lying.

17. Chocolate Makes Everything Better
Chocolate is just great, enough said.

18. Write Down Everything
I have kept journals throughout my life and as mortifying and embarrassing they are, I love them. They reflect on who I used to be and who I am now and it's pretty cool to see how much I have changed since I was 12. Writing is underrated but it will be worth it when you look back in a couple of years.

I Disappeared Again? (Updates)

Again I am sorry for being inactive, I really wish I was far more consistent but hey I have been extremely busy and a lot has happened since I last posted. 

So first thing, I got an offer from Cardiff University to study English Literature within 24 hours of me sending off my applications which was incredible and so unbelievable since I thought I had no chance of getting an offer. Mainly since my sixth form had told me repeatedly that it was unlikely I would get a place on such a competitive course so I have been very happy over the past few days since Cardiff Uni is my first choice uni. 

I have also been to 2 gigs since I last posted. On thursday 22nd Oct I went to see Nothing But Thieves in Manchester for the second time and they were incredible. The only downside was that since im 5'4 and I had two giants stood in front of me the entire gig, I did struggle to see but these kind guys stood next to me moved up so I could see which helped aha.

I would definitely recommend seeing Nothing but Thieves live since they give such an intense and incredible performance and you will be dancing all night. Me and my friends also got to meet Conor and Dom who were so lovely after the gig. Conor even remembered us from when we met him at the Young Guns gig which was very cool.

I also went to see Amber Run on friday night which I am still recovering from aha! We had to walk 6 miles to get to venue (long story short we were dropped off at the wrong end of Manchester and suprisingly we managed to navigate ourselves without getting lost). It was such an incredible night and we managed to get right to the barrier. I started talking to the two girls stood next to me (Ellie and Charlotte) and they were so lovely. 

After the gig, I somehow managed to grab Joes plectrum (the lead singer). We then got a picture with Ellie and Charlotte who were the nicest girls. 

*I'm the girl on the right*

*Again I'm the girl in the middle and my two bestfriends Milli and Mol are on the right of me*

We then got to meet the entire band (Amber Run) after the gig which was amazing and the band were so lovely and cool. They signed my gig ticket and if I am honest, the Amber Run was probably one of the best gigs I've been to since the atmosphere and the performances were just incredible. 

I am going to try my best to upload as much as possible but since November is going to be an extremely busy month for me (I will explain this in another blog post) I am unsure if I will be posting as much as often but I am determined to keep you informed on my life and all the stuff I am doing.

Update: Gigs and Birthdays

Hello

I am sorry for being so inactive recently and not posting for the last week but I have been pretty busy. My best friend, Ritchie, turned 18 yesterday so I spent most of this weekend hanging out with him and relaxing. 

 I have been a fan of Rhodes music since I first picked up the Raise Your Love EP in 2013 (i think?) and I fell in love with his beautiful music and lyrics. I introduced Ritchie to his music since we both have very similar music tastes and he also really liked Rhodes music so when I found out he was doing a UK tour a couple of months ago, I asked if he was interested and he said 'Yes, Obviously.' so we booked tickets.

So on Saturday night, I headed down to Manchester with Ritchie where we went to see Rhodes perform live. It was one of the most incredible gigs I have been to and I have been to alot of gigs. We managed to get right to the front at the barrier and it was amazing watching Rhodes perform live. We were both dancing and singing (terribly) but the atmosphere of the venue was so intimate and breathtaking since nearly everyone was singing along.

It was incredible to see Rhodes perform live as he put so much heart and soul into his music. Me and Ritchie were luckily enough to meet the support act (JP Cooper) and  Rhodes after the gig. they were both such kind and genuine guys. I wish them both the best in the future and if you haven't yet listened to their music you need to since they are such incredible musicians.

So over the next few months I am going to 4 more gigs (in Manchester), which is insanely exciting:

Oct 22nd - Nothing But Thieves

Oct 30th - Amber Run

Nov 25th - Walk The Moon

Dec 5th - Kodaline

I will keep you updated on the future gigs I will be going to and if you would like me to?

So following the gig on Saturday, I spent my Sunday working all day and then on Monday (Ritchies actual birthday) I headed to his for dinner with his family and it was one of the nicest things I have done, it was so lovely to hang out with his family and a few close friends just relaxing and reminiscing, his grandparents made amazing birthday cake aswell which was great aha

I will be posting updates weekly for you and hopefully I will be able to post book reviews every 2 weeks from now on x

YALC 2015 DAY 2

Day 2 was probably the most hectic day for us despite the fact we only headed to the convention for 10am. Since public transport runs alot later on a Sunday and we couldnt be bothered to walk 4miles because we were shattered.

We got to YALC at around 10.30 and headed straight to the first panel, Mental Health in YA. This panel was so interesting especially with the diverse range of authors, Matt Whyham, Brian Conaghan. Annabel Pitcher, Holly Bourne and Imogen Russell Williams. It was so riveting to hear about authors discuss the issues with Mental Heath since it is usually a topic not discussed.

I then headed to Holly Bournes signing and met another lovely girl called Eve while queuing, we found out that we had both headed down from 'the North' to attend YALC and it was very cool to find out she was from a town only 20mins away from where I live (it's obviously a small world)! Meeting Holly Bourne was very cool since I am a huge fan of her writing since she always creates such interesting characters and tackles issues like mental health with style and grace.

I am currently reading her new book, Am I Normal Yet? I love it so far and yet again she has created a book with interesting and diverse characters. The protagonist, Evie struggles with OCD and she is also a hardcore feminist. It's such an interesting read so I would definitely recommend reading it.

We then headed to Louise O'Neill's book signing, where she signed my book and she was so lovely. I am a big fan of her writing and her book, Only Ever Yours, is so important as it highlights the big issues when it comes to being a girl in society nowadays.

 Following Louise O'Neill's signing, we grabbed some food and then started queuing to meet Melinda Salisbury. I loved reading her book, The Sin Eater's Daughter so I was very excited to meet her and I really needed to know how to pronounce her lead protagonist Tyrelle's name.

We then headed to Jenny Valentine's signing, author of Fire Colour One, we managed to be the first ones in her queue which was pretty cool. She was very lovely. Following her signing we then headed to Sarah Pinborough's signing, author of the Death House,

After this we went to get more food and then went to Liz Kessler's signing. It was lovely to meet her and it was kinda crazy since I had been brought up reading her Emily Windsnap books. She was one of the main reasons I started reading so I was internally fangirling when I met her.

We then headed to Steve Camden's signing which was very cool since I am a huge fan of his writing and he was such a lovely guy. 

Fun Fact: Steve wrote down my name, telling me he loved my name so if you hear of any characters in his new books called Verity it could possibly be because we met at a book signing!!

(I don't really know what I am doing in this pic but Steve Camden wanted us to pull funny faces?)

So after all the signings we headed to the nearest tube station to catch a tube back to Euston so we could get home. We had ALOT of baggage so it was pretty awkward catching 2 tubes and then finding out that our 11 coach train home had been changed to a 5 coach train so we ended up having to squeeze on a train. We happened to be sitting next to a woman and her baby so that meant we couldn't sleep since the baby was so energetic...

Eventually we got home, after an amazing weekend at YALC. I am definitely going next year since it was so much fun meeting authors and other book lovers. I managed to get 15 books signed over the weekend and since it was my first ever book convention, I didn't know what to expect but it was such an amazing experience and I loved every minute of it. Bring on YALC 2016!

YALC 2015 DAY 1

So YALC 2015 (aka Young Adult Literature Convention) ran from Friday 17th - Sunday 19th July, it was my first time ever attending a book convention and comic con since YALC was running alongside London Film and Comic Con it was pretty cool when we got on the overground and there was a guy dressed as the joker and another guy as doctor who sat beside you.

So on Friday I headed down to London from my house in the Lake District, we arrived at around 5ish and then grabbed some food from Camden Market and then headed to Pax Lodge (one of the guiding world centres) which was pretty cool since while we stayed there we go to meet loads of Canadian/American guides. Upon our arrival we went straight to bed since we were shattered.

DAY 1
We got up early (around 7am) since we needed to be catching the overground to London Olympia at 8, we grabbed some breakfast and then headed out with loads of books..

Once we arrived, we headed upstairs to floor 2 (where YALC was being held) and picked up some goodie bags *insert picture of my badge covered bag*

We then wandered around the floor and got to meet author of Tormaline, James Brogden, he was lovely and signed both my books by him. I am currently reading Tormaline and I would definitely recommend it if you love fantasy/mystery books. 

We then headed to our first panel of the weekend, YA: The next generation, the panel included the authors Alice Oseman, Lucy Saxon, Helena Coggan, Taran Matharu and it was chaired by Samatha Shannon. It was a really interesting panel as the 'young' authors spoke about their opinions on how they were viewed by publishers etc and what their age means for their writing.

(left to right) Samatha Shannon, Lucy Saxon, Helena Coggan, Taran Matharau and Alice Oseman.

Following the first panel, we stayed where we were for the Shadowhunters panel, this panel was basically a discussion between Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan about what was next for the Shadowhunter universe and they gave us exclusive news about Lady Midnight, which was very cool! Cassie mentioned how there would be an engagement/??!!  It was a hilarious panel and i was laughing throughout the entire panel mainly due to Sarah Rees Brennans wacky and cool style of interviewing. We also managed to get seats on the third row which meant we were so close to her and we could actually hear what they were saying.

 We then headed to try and get autographs but we ended up getting ticket number 400 and were told to come back in an hour, so we decided to head downstairs into the London Film and Comic Con and ended up getting lost so we missed the signing :(

We did however head to another panel, Being a Girl. They spoke about the importance of feminism in YA writing. It was a lively and interesting talk which involved Hayley Long, CJ Daugherty, Holly Smale, Laura Dockrill, Malorie Blackman and Anna James.

Following this panel, we then headed to the signing booths to meet Laura Dockrill one of my favourite authors and illustrators. When we met her I was wearing my homemade TFIOS tee which had the quote "if the inevitability of human oblivion scares you, I encourage you to ignore it." Laura complimented me about the tee and then wrote "maybe one day I will be wearing one of your quotes on a t-shirt!" She was so lovely and kind, I am very excited to read her new book, Lolita.

We then headed to another panel, Carrie Hope Fletcher's YALC book club. Since I am a big fan of Carrie (and her YouTube channel) it was kinda surreal sitting in her panel. This panel included the authors; Carrie Hope Fletcher, Malorie Blackman, Holly Smale and Samantha Shannon speaking about their books and what has influenced them. 

Following this panel we then headed to Carrie Hope Fletcher's book signing. Due to her being so popular her signing was ticketed and I managed to get ticket number 172, so we decided to chill out for a while. Luckily, this lovely girl gave me her ticket and so we were moved to ticket number 101 so we got to meet Carrie alot earlier than we would have. If youre out there or you happen to read this THANKYOU!

Once we had finished the Carrie signing, we grabbed some food and headed to the main panel area where we decided to chill out and go to the Hunger Games Quiz. We were wandering around the floor and then heard them playing 'The Hanging Tree' and 'Safe and Sound' so I ended up dragging my friend with me to attend the Quiz. We met this lovely girl called Chantel who was lovely and we all shared a love for the Hunger Games. Sadly we didn't win but hey it was a lot of fun.

We then headed off for the night and grabbed some pizza on the way home. We caught the overground back to Pax Lodge and looked through all the free stuff we had collected over the day (which was ALOT).