general ramblings about mental health at university

Having been a semi-successful university student for a year and a half now, I have some thoughts. Not only about what university has meant for me/done for me, but about growing up in general I guess. I'm halfway through my second year now and I should be revising instead of writing this but I said  I was gonna write something every week and damn it I am going to.

Number one - you're on your own kid.
I mean I know it's kinda obvious when you go to university, you're suddenly away from your home, your family, your friends and familiar surroundings. But it didn't really hit me until I shut the door to my tiny little room last year after saying bye to my parents. I turned round, looked at the bare walls and my belongings (that didn't look right out of my bedroom at home)...and burst into tears. Anyone who knows me knows I am such a home-bird and being away suddenly felt like I'd made a huge mistake. I wasn't ready to live independently!

As it turns out, I was ready to live independently and it's all just nerves taking over. I had lovely flatmates (well bar one but we won't talk about him) and everyone is in the same boat. Talk to people, ask for help and breathe deeply if it's getting too much.

Number two - mental health and self-care
I've always been an anxious person  - I worry too much, I stress about very trivial things and I'm very paranoid when it comes to friendships, I don't really know why. But it was during the first term at university, things started to get quite bad. I became afraid to leave my little room in my flat essentially due to the fear something would go wrong in public. I had been diagnosed with stress-related IBS ...so when I had a bad flare-up in a lecture (essentially it was a horrendous stomach cramp that left me feeling like I was gonna throw up everywhere) my brain started to associate my stomach issues to lectures. Therefore lectures became a scary place to be. Which then latched itself onto any public place ... the shops, seminars, where I volunteered. It was scary and unfamiliar to me. I shut myself away a lot of the time which didn't help. Eventually I went to the doctor who referred me to a counsellor. I was told I had agoraphobia - the fear of public spaces - as well as some general anxiety that reinforced it. It sounds dumb I know but it was nice to put a name to the thing that had been bothering me for a long time. After two months of working on this, I began to feel better. I could tell the voice in my head to shut up, that I was fine, nothing bad was going to happen. I began to enjoy my studies again.

Mental health is so bloody important, never ever neglect it. If you need to spend a day eating junk food and watching crappy tv, you do it. Forget your deadlines (not completely tho) and take care of yourself. Have a bath, read a book, even just going for a walk may help clear your hand and calm you down. I'd never really had to look after myself in such a way before but now I know it's super-important that you take breaks. If I'm getting overwhelmed, it's time to go to talk to my housemate or watch a YouTube video or listen to a song. LOOK AFTER YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU'RE A DELIGHT OKAY <3

Number three-  nightlife
Due to the whole 'I-don't-like-public-spaces' thing, I really hate nightclubs. Give me a cider and a pub quiz any day of the week instead of having to pay stupid entry fees to be squished up against drunk strangers. I don't really drink as it is, I know my limits and I very rarely go beyond them. University if you don't drink (or don't drink that much) is kinda weird as it's a thing everyone does.  I don't like going out, it's just not my thing. But that's okay, you'll find like-minded people. Even if you don't and a lot of your friends do like going out (which mine do) you'll find they won't really judge you for it. I may have been lucky in this sense however so don't take my word for it. It's all a case of you do you I think. I won't judge you for going out as long as you don't judge me for not. This works probs 99% of the time. Yes this does tie into mental health.... because you gotta do stuff you enjoy, you can't just force yourself into situations cause you think it's what others do. That's only gonna lead to you feeling worse. I can promise that.

There is probably more I could go into but I think I'll save some stuff for another blogpost...
see ya next week.
Laura x

Doctor Who tag!

Hello, I know it's been a while. Life has been pretty hectic the past few months and is about to get even more so with exams and stuff but today as it is 10 years since the Doctor Who reboot began, a show which has had a wonderful impact on my life, I have decided to do the Doctor Who tag as a post today.

(As these tag posts are pretty easy to do and I love writing them I may start trying to do a few more until I can get back into proper blogger mode)

1. Who's your favorite Doctor?
My favourite Doctor has to be Matt Smith (I know slighly controversial). Don't get me wrong, I love David Tennant's Doctor also but for me, Matt Smith's episodes always put a smile on my face, his enthusiam is outstanding and I think his Doctor is just someone I'd get on with. The David Tennant Doctor has always been a little off with me as if I'm honest, I hated Rose as a companion with him, I never liked the fact they fell in love blah blah blah, it's just too overdone.
2. What’s your favorite Doctor Who story or episode?
My favourite story (one that spread over a few episodes) has to be the Harold Saxon/The Master story arc, I thought it was genius and just a really gripping story to watch. However, my favourite episode is The Curse of the Black Spot.... no idea why, I just really love that episode.
3. Who’s your favorite companion?
I honestly can't decide between Donna and Amy; I love them both for different reasons and I can't pick. They are also closely followed by Rory - he is wonderful and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.
4. What was the first Doctor Who story/episode you ever watched?
Rose - the very first one back with Christopher Eccelstone, I remember my dad being so excited it was back and he told me all about it being a show from when he was a kid. I just fell in love with it there and then!
5. What’s your favorite series or era?
I think it has to be Matt Smith's first series with Amy and Rory. I loved the stories, I loved the characters, that's what I think of when I think Doctor Who.
6. What is your favorite pre or post regeneration story?
I really like the David Tennant pre regeneration story where he goes back and visits his various companions to say goodbye. I think it's just so heart-breaking but lovely at the same time.
7. What is your favorite Tardis desktop theme?
Matt Smith's first one by far! So pretty.
8. What’s your favorite villain or monster?
I do like the Daleks but I also think the Slitheen are pretty good too!

So that's that!
Until next time, Laura. x

Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; A play

Last week, I went to see 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' at Hull New Theatre, produced by the National Theatre.

The book is written by Mark Haddon and it has one of my favourite books, reading it for the first time about five years ago. To give a brief summary with no spoilers, it is about a boy named Christopher who (although it is never said outright) is on the Autism spectrum who finds his neighbour's dog stabbed with a garden fork. Determined to find out who killed 'Wellington', he begins a journey that reveals secrets from his own past and forces him to overcome his own fears.

I was excited to hear the book had been turned into a play and I was not disappointed upon seeing it. Everything was just fantastic; the acting, particuarly the part of Christopher, was outstanding, the use of lighting and the set really brought the rest of the play to life, the adaption is done so well, transitioning from book to stage is hard but I could find little fault. I really would highly recommend you to go see this while it is still on tour for the next few weeks if you are inclined to do so.

I am a bit of a theatre baby, I've always loved the stage but never have I been to a play like this where every single audience member, of all ages I might add, are all giving it their full attention. It really did capture the whole theatre and that was wonderful to see. At the interval, there was a general chatter about the room of just how good it was.

I realise I sound like I'm raving about it but I just cannot find fault. I give it a solid 10/10!

Anyway that is all for now people, I hope to have some new blogs posted in the next week!
Thanks for reading, Laura x

2014 in review

Seeing as it is the last day of 2014, I thought I might just write a little reflection post on what this year was like for me/it just gives me a chance to post some pictures that I like ;)

All in all, it's been pretty damn good, however there have certainly been low points but I guess that is the same for everybody.

This was the year I've had to grow up considerably I think, what with university decisions, exams (which did not go to plan so I've again had to rethink that I'm doing with my life), health problems caused by stress, having to deal with being forced to quit by my place of work, friendships turning sour but new ones and some old ones being stronger than ever.

I turned 18 in November so I'm offically an adult now.....an adult who wore a Tigger onesie the majority of yesterday and hid in her sister's room for around half an hour in order to make her jump. So while I'm not fully grown up yet (and I'm not sure I ever want to be) I have had to deal with stuff this year that has matured me and hopefully made me a better person for it.

I guess I also want to write a note to my family and friends for this year. I may argue with my family at times but I think 2015 might be rather difficult for us given the health of a grandparent at the moment so I love you all and thank you for always, always having my back. My group of friends are all so wonderful and caring, and I am so grateful I have them in my life. I don't tell them enough because urgh soppiness but I have much love for them too. Thank you to everyone who has made my 2014 excellent or has been there through the awful bits.

To relieve some memories that happened this year, here are some pictures:

Visting Auschwitz, a very harrowing day

Meeting the wonderful and talented Carrie Hope Fletcher

MCBUSTED.

Me, the grandparents, the sister and the cousins on Grandma's 80th

Friends <3

The father dearest

A kitten I wanted to take home with in Devon

Rome

Halloween

Halloween

Birthday hug from the sis

Christmas jumpers with momma and sis

School xmas party

1920's party

1920's party

I am going to apologise for the formatting but I don't have time to make it pretty today I'm afraid :P

Very quickly, my New Year's Resolutions are:

• Eat healthier
• STOP BITING MY NAILS
• Try and be less lazy
• Write down every book read
• Try and read at least 35 books!
• Do more things with my friends
• Blog more
• PASS MY DRIVING TEST!!!
• and you know get the grades to go to Uni and that.

That's it from me for 2014. I shall see you next year! Lots of love Laura x

Film Review: The Imitation Game

This week, I saw 'The Imitation Game' starring Benedict Cumberbatch and directed by Morten Tyldum; The film tells the true story of Alan Turing, a man who deserves far more credit than he gets I personally think. Long story short, WW2 would have been about three years longer if it weren't for him and his code-breaking team working secretly on a machine that would crack 'Enigma', the encryption machine the Germans used throughout the war. Anyone could pick up these messages sent but no-one knew what they meant without cracking the code that changed every day at midnight.

While the film follows the story of the machine Turing built to crack the code, it also gives a great insight into his life. He was secretive, quiet man, extremely clever, bullied at school and sadly due to the treatment of the British government and society at the time, forced to hide the fact he was gay. Ever since I first read about Turing a few years ago, I thought he was fascinating and the film (or Cumberbatch) portrays him excellently, how he deserves to be remembered. It can't really be classed as a spoiler as it's a true story that we know the ending of but; Turing died a criminal, suicide by cyanide because he had been forced to take hormonal therapy to "cure his homosexuality" by the police service. It was only in 2013, that the Queen gave Turing a royal pardon and was remembered for the astonishing work he did during the war that was kept a secret for fifty years. But I digress. (Seriously do some research into the man, he's amazing)

Back to the film. The way they told the story was gripping, there were parts that made you happy, sad, angry, essentially all of the emotions. Every actor was perfect in their portrayal of their character. I will always sing Benedict Cumberbatch's praises but he really is outstanding in this film, very different to anything we have seen him in before but still fantastic. Keira Knightley plays Joan Clarke, the only woman on the Enigma team, extremely intelligent but made to work elsewhere on the project very secretly as she was not allowed to work with the men. She fitted the role perfectly and portrayed her with class, just as she should have been. Other actors involved include Matthew Goode, Mark Strong and Charles Dance who also played their roles incredibly.

In terms of setting, cinematography etc, I could find no fault in the direction, costumes, lighting etc. The whole film just worked together really well to tell an important story that people certainly do not know enough about. The only problem I had was that in the middle, it wavers slightly and I would have thought some people would lose interest in what was going on.

Overall, this film was amazing and I highly recommend you go see it, particularly if you are interested in History!
10/10

Laura x

Things that I liked in Autumn

I know that is technically not Winter yet but it's close enough so I thought I would have a little round up of things of all varieties that I have enjoyed/would recommend/just have a ramble about to you kind folk

TV shows
As we all know I am a rather big TV addict which is kinda becoming a problem but so far, I've managed to stay on top my studies and life in general so here are my top (some old, some new) shows that I have been loving the past couple of months

• The Big Bang Theory - I know it's been around for about eight years now and I've always loved it but recently, I rediscovered my love for this show as I've been watching my boxset and just remembering why I love it. Funny, sweet and characters you can connect to, it's brilliant for when you just need a simple show to cheer you up
• How To Get Away With Murder- holy smokes this show is amazing. I'm always up for a crime drama and this is one of the best I've watched ever. A storyline that keeps you hooked, fantastically written characters portrayed by wonderful actors (Also Jack Falahee who plays Connor is possibly one of the most beautiful men I have ever seen. Ahem) and I honestly can't wait for more. I know the States are few episodes ahead and so far I have avoided spoilers as I'm watching in the UK but I just want to watch it all the damn time.
• Elementary, (Season 3) - Cannot speak highly enough of this show, been a fan of it since the beginning and season 3 is not disappointing thus far. Sherlock Holmes in New York with a female Watson played by the stunning and talented Lucy Liu, there isn't much more you could ask for. IT has plots that keep you guessing, the writing is almost flawless and my personal favourite thing about the show is that there isn't a perfect character, they all have flaws but they all embrace them and use them in their life to their advantage, which is something I think society needs to reminded of from time to time. Anyway yeah. WATCH IT.  (I mean obviously, if you haven't seen it, watch the first two seasons as well hehehe)
• Doctor Who - Given that I could talk about this show for hours, I think I might do a whole other post on this series (let me know if I should) but all I'm going to say is that I loved it despite some annoyances so I would say it's worth it. If not, just for Peter Capaldi who was fantastic as the new Doctor. 

Films
I won't lie; I'm normally a pretty big film buff but recently, I haven't had time to go to the cinema as much (Although I am seeing Mockingjay on Friday and I'm rather excited :D) or have a look through sky or netflix to find something to watch.

That being said, I did recently see 'Horns' which is Daniel Radcliffe's new film. I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for something to mess with your head a little bit; Good storyline, good acting, a little predictable and a little bit long (it could certainly have been half an hour shorter) but all in all, a pretty good film which is worth a watch when you have the time or inclination :)

Books
Some books I've recently read and enjoyed

• Perfect by Rachel Joyce - Having read Joyce's previous book 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry', I had pretty high expectations for Perfect and I was not disappointed. In fact, I liked it better. This was just one of those stories that was heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. It had a moving story that made you think about not only those in the story but yourself as well. It was just very sweet but also rather sad so if you need a bit of a weep, I would recommend this book!
• Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to be a Grown-Up - Written by the lovely Grace Helbig who will be known to most as ItsGrace on YouTube, this book was funny yet actually a very useful guide on how to be a grown-up. Given that I just turned 18, I find myself relating to scenarios that Grace describes and relying on her hilarious yet helpful advice on how to get through awkward new situations. Very funny and one of those books I can see myself just dipping into throughout the rest of my life if I'm honest!

Miscellaneous things
Here is a strange assortment of other random things I have enjoyed this past couple of months

• Sou&Co Orange and Pomelo hand and body cream-  This has to be one of the most amazing things I have ever smelled/put on my hands. It can be used as a body butter as well but I tend to use just as hand cream.  I often get dry hands for some unknown reason but this has been a lifesaver in keeping them soft and supple, which is brillant just as it starts to get colder as well. So if you fancy a little indulgence (go on, you deserve it), You can see their website here 
• Apple Tango - I'm not sure why but I recently discovered a love for Apple Tango so I thought I'd write it here. Do with that what you will. (If you don't know what it is, it is essentially a fizzy apple flavoured drink)
• Noel Fielding - I saw comedian Noel Fielding on his stand-up tour a couple of weeks ago and he was absoultely brillant so if you are up for a laugh and certainly a bit of weirdness, I would recommned seeing his tour if you can while it is still on. He was hilarious and commanded the whole stage and city hall perfectly - you can look for tickets here

That is about all for now folks, so I hope you've enjoyed reading :) Let me know what you've liked these past months.
Laura xo

Fangirl Challenge (kinda)

Hello lovely people of the internet!
Basically, I saw this going around tumblr (you can follow me here if you like) and I am awful at gifsets or anything technical so I thought I would edit it down so I could do it on my blog! This way, you all get to see the fangirl that I really am, get to know me a bit better and hopefully join in my nerdiness.
(PSA: I do not know who originally created this tag but all credit goes to them, I am just editing and using it for here. I do not take credit for making it)

• [10] movies - //Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban// Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat//Jurassic Park//Struck by Lightning//Bend it like Beckham//How to train your Dragon//Aladdin//Monty Python and the Holy Grail//Miss Congeniality//Bridesmaids
• [10] tv shows- //Game of Thrones//Agents of SHIELD//Orphan Black//Doctor Who//Sherlock//Elementary//Modern Family//The Big Bang Theory//FRIENDS//Scrubs
• [7] actors- Chris Colfer//Russell Tovey//Matt Smith//Robert Downey Jr//Daniel Radcliffe//Peter Dinklage//Zachary Quinto
• [7] actresses- Emma Watson//Jennifer Lawrence//Emma Thompson//Helena Bonham Carter//Rosario Dawson//Zoe Saldana//Natalie Dormer

Read into this what you will about the things I am a fan of. 
Soon enough, I think I will do a follow up post using other things from the full fangirl challenge such as favourite characters but include why etc. Those listed above are fairly self-explanatory I should think!

I have written myself a list of blog posts to do now so hopefully I should have more of structure soon enough!
Thanks for reading and let me know your favourites of the categories above!
Love Laura x

Book review: Kill Your Boss by Shane Kuhn

The latest book I have read (apart from school ones bleurgh) is this lovely little one - okay lovely is a word we will use loosely- by Shane Kuhn. I've always liked stories of assassins and such like as creepy as that makes me sound but I find them exciting and intriguing.

This story is written partly as an FBI investigation into John Lago, the anti-hero of the book and partly as John's own perspective - an experienced hitman and killer writing to the new recruits for the company he works for HR Inc.
In summary, the story is that this is John's last assignment - he is 25 now so too old to be an intern anymore (how HR Inc get their killers into where they want to be) so he wants to go out with a bang. However, when he finds himself falling for a undercover FBI agent named Alice who just so happens to investigating the man he has been sent to kill; things get interesting. (Of course, there are huge plot twists in this but I'm not going to tell you so go read it for yourself)

I really enjoyed this book; it was funny, it was just the right amount of blood, guts and gore and there was a rather sweet little love story at the centre of it and despite me hating fully romantic novels, I do like a good love story when it's surrounded by an interesting plot line. I liked the character of John's narrative; he was rather self-deprecating at times but I can forgive him that; he hadn't had the best start in life! I also thought Alice was particularly bad ass and would have liked a back story on her!

Criticism of this book is I found myself slightly confused towards the end; everything gets a little blurry and distorted as to who is where, who is dead etc etc.

All in all, I would highly recommend to anyone who is up for a quick, easy read and who enjoys murder mysteries from the murderer's perspective. 8/10 :)

Laura x

1984: A Review!

On the 19th, I went to see Headlong's production of 1984 in York - as I am studying the book by George Orwell for my English Lit A-Level, I figured seeing the play would add a new light to it.

(In terms of my opinion on the book, I really enjoyed reading it, it was interesting, intense and very thought-provoking even in terms of today's society!)

It is very difficult to go into a lot of detail with this version of the play as I think everyone who sees it would have come away with something different. What I found the most interesting about it was at the beginning and the end, it had people reading Winston's diary in the future and talking about the relevance of it, what they thought of it, how the Party had eventually fallen but no-one actually knew how - this opening scene was later reflected at the very end when it was said Winston Smith was never real, it is thought the diary could have been written by someone who did not wish the Party to know it was them. The most chilling part was when a character said "But what if the Party never fell? Surely, this could be their way of telling us that they are still here. Always watching" The play closed very shortly after that line.

The use of including future generations reading the book 1984 was incredibly clever as well as giving the audience the impression that the story never actually happened. How it was acted out was that Winston had perhaps never met Julia, he had always been a puppet of the Party. They'd let him imagine that all of his life had happened to him when in reality, they had always controlled him, giving a rather interesting point of view on it.

Repetition was also used during the play. For example, Winston would say something but not understand it, it would later come back round as to why he said that (basically the idea that he was in Room 101 the entire time). A scene in the canteen would play out, with characters doing the same thing every day at the same moment (As a side note, during this scene, I have never seen a man dry a teacup with such malice on his face), showing the monotonous life those in the book lead. It only changes when Syme is 'unpersoned' that Winston starts notice how similar every single day is.

The use of lighting and set was very good, even if I was blinded by the strobe light that was basically next to my head half the time! Lighting was used to create a mood, was switched on and off at the most dramatic times, increasing tension or diffusing it. The set was simple but incredibly effective. For example, Winston and Julia's room above Charrington's shop was hidden from the audience view behind the main set, it was played to the audience via a webcam - I at first thought it was a clip that they just played until the set revealed itself behind the main one when Julia and Winston were captured. This, I thought, was particularly clever as it showed even when they thought they were alone, someone was always watching.

All I really have left to say is a huge well done to the cast, particularly Matthew Spencer (Winston) and Tim Dutton (O'Brien) who both played their roles amazingly. The torture scenes were certainly not easy to watch so I imagine they were not easy to act out either, Spencer brought a very accurate portrayal of Winston (I may even say better than John Hurt in the movie version which is not easy for me to say as I adore John Hurt). Dutton as O'Brien was as terrifying as he should be, sinister and weirdly charming.
But to be honest, all of the cast were brilliant in their respective roles.

I only had one or two disappointments with this production which was there was no use of the famous first line with the clock striking thirteen, I felt that should have been a must! Another is that (even though loose ends were tied up) the beginning is rather confusing even to those who have read the book, it was difficult to understand why there were suddenly smartphones in 1984!! Obviously though, these are very minor things and it is more me just being picky.

All in all, I would give this a definite 9/10 and highly recommend you go see it while you can!!
Their website is here if you want more information 

Below is a trailer for the production in the West End!

*DISCLAIMER: pictures are not mine*
That's all!

Laura x

Mockingjay: Part One thoughts

The trailer for the penultimate Hunger Games movie is here!
 *WARNING: possible spoilers for those who have not read the books*

As a lover of both the books and the movies, I am very excited for this film to come out.  With some book-to-movie conversions, I feel very disappointed as a reader how unlike the book the films often are *cough Percy Jackson cough* but the Hunger Games movies are (generally) loyal to their book counterparts and for that I am thankful. From what I can tell from the trailer, they have District 13 exactly as I imagined it from the books, dark, mysterious but a hopeful place.

In terms of the cast, I am particularly excited for Natalie Dormer's part as Cressida in this movie - she is a fantastic actress, seen in Game of Thrones and Elementary, as well as just being an all-round beautiful person. I honestly think she could take over the world tomorrow and everyone would just be okay with it. Josh Hutcherson as 'Captiol' Peeta in this movie could also be very interesting to play out on screen. In the books, those scenes broke my little Katniss/Peeta shipper heart so to actually see them in front of me will probably just turn me into more of  an emotional wreck than I already am!

There isn't really much more I can say on this, just because it simply is a trailer for a movie that looks really bloody good. The first two instalments of The Hunger Games are fantastic, particularly Catching Fire, so I have no doubts that this will match up in all aspects. Once the full movie comes out, I will obvs be doing a review. These were just some initial thoughts I had and wanted to tell someone about!
Let me know what you think if you are a fan also!
Laura x

New school year, New start

I'm pretty sure I've said this every school year I have started - "I'm gonna be really organised!" "I'm gonna get all my homework out the way when I get it" blah blah blah, you get the picture but never actually followed it through.

But seeing as this is my last EVER school year (oh god), I am so determined to keep to these promises. This is my most important year of school and exams and for once, I am motivated to try hard, go the extra mile and all that jazz.

Including, making time for this blog. Starting from this week, I am going to be posting something every Sunday, could be a review of some kind, a recipe, something I want to talk about, something I've written myself but just a blog post with words in it.

This one is gonna be short and sweet so all I am going to say is to my fellow students, work hard and keep to any promises you make to yourself! We can do this together!

Tis all for now.
Laura x

I CAN'T WRITE PERSONAL STATEMENTS - a ramble about my life

So if you're like me, you are 17, got your AS results (and if you're really like me, you are incredibly annoyed with yourself over them) and are now just stressing about life and the ominous 'future'.

And the truth is.... I am terrified.

Generally, I'm a postive person- I'd like to think I spend quite a lot of time making sure my friends are happy and not feeling down. I give them advice that I ought to take myself but I just can't think straight when it comes to me.

The way I'm going writing a personal statement, passing my A2's and getting into a decent uni seem virtually impossible at the moment. If you add loving but pressuring parents, ill grandparents and low self-esteem on top of that, I feel overwhelmed. While I can't decide if this is due to my own feelings or the British schooling system, it is likely it is a mixture of both.
I've spent the last 24 hours thinking what the hell am I going to do? I'm never going to amount to anything, I'm never going to pass anything....etc.

However. Nearly everyone I know is possibly in the same boat. This is our final year of school that has suddenly got here very quickly. We're all scared. We all probably don't know what we are going to do in the future. We all know we have a hard year ahead.

So this is essentially a post to say.... let's be scared together.
A piece of paper with some letters on it does not define you and I need to remember that.  I think a lot of us need to remember that.

I realise this hasn't been coherant but whatever. Share thoughts with me if you have them on this matter :)
Laura x

So I guess I'm new here once again

The fact I started this blog and then went on to neglect it has been playing on my mind for almost the year (oops) since I had the idea of a blog.

In all honesty, I'm not sure the reason I never continuted with it. A strange mix of writer's block and the idea that I thought my friends would think I'm weird for writing this. But I've slowly come to the realisation that I should just write about whatever comes to mind, and I am actually going to try once a week. And that my friends should hopefully like me whether or not I write a blog or not.

I do want to actually try and improve my writing, and I actually have a list of ideas for posts this time.

So this is a new era beginning, I would at least like to think.

I know this has consisted of almost nothing but I hope the future holds something more coherant.
Bye for now :)
L x

August/September Reviews!

August/September - My first monthly review!

  Anyone who knows me knows I read a lot, watch a lot of TV and see a lot of films every month so I decided instead of doing individual reviews for every single thing, I decided I put them all together in one large post, rather like a monthly favourites video that YouTubers like Zoella do!

I am going to try and actually do this every month because I like talking about things and here seems like the perfect place so I no longer annoy my family and friends by rambling on about what books I've read!

*edit* okay when I said every month I forgot school would get in the way. So every two months seems more logical to me now. Sorry. 

These reviews/rambles could be literally of anything even if it's just food or something so yeah....on we go! :)

Books 

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

I think I joined the bandwagon a little late on this book to be honest and I really wished I'd picked it up sooner! 

As a fan of the Hunger Games, I was told by a friend that I would really enjoy this book and when I saw it in a shop with £3 off, I figured I'd give it a whirl! 

Set in a dystopian future, Uglies tells the story of a society that is split between the "pretties" and the "uglies". Everyone is deemed an "uglie" until the age of 16 where you get taken in for an operation to become a "pretty" and you finally get to be able to live your life on the pretty side of town.  At the start of the novel, 15 year old Tally is desperate to become 16 and finally become pretty not only so she can see her best friend Peris again but because she will finally be pretty, something she's waited for her entire life. 

However, when she befriends Shay, a girl who would turn pretty on the same day as Tally, who isn't all that keen on the idea of having to become someone else's idea of "pretty", Tally begins to learn about a world outside of the towns and cities, where no-one is pretty.
When Shay runs away, Tally is told to find and betray her friend or never turn pretty. 

I found this book so thought-provoking and incredible to read, showing that on the path to external beauty, it isn't really all that beautiful at all. There is sinister work going on by those who deem ordinary, imperfect but still beautiful people to be Ugly. 
At first the character of Tally annoyed me as she seemed rather weak and easily misled by others but by the end, she is so much stronger than I would ever have expected her to be and she shows that intelligence is a far greater weapon than anything. This book makes you think, makes you happy, makes you question your morals and I think that's everything you could want from a good book. If you enjoy the Hunger Games, this is a definite read for you!

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

A friend of mine told me she was reading this and while I was at LeakyCon earlier this month it was there so I figured I'd give it a try!

The general idea of the story is a teenage girl named "Zoe" (not her real name as you find out at the end oooh plot twist) who has a terrible, guilty secret - I won't tell you what it is - and she can't tell it to anyone because she'd be in big trouble. Until she hears of criminal on Death Row in America, one who knows all about secrets - the book is the series of letters she writes to him, telling him about her secret. 

When I first read the synopsis, I was intrigued by the story - it sounded mysterious and I do love a good mystery book! By the end of the first chapter I was hooked.... however after that the book went a little down hill for me I'm afraid. I kept going with it as I wanted to see what this horrible dark secret was but I found the main character very whiny about her life if I'm honest. She was pretty much stringing along two boys and I ended up feeling sorry for them not her and her quest to find which one she liked better. In fact, I think my favourite character was "Zoe's" little sister Dot, who is deaf, but didn't let that stop her from being adorable and supportive! 

All in all, not a bad read, easy to get through if you had a few hours to spare and a good ending but I'd only really give it a 6/10. 

A Song of Ice and Fire: Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Onto the opposite end of the scale for this book! During this summer, I started to watch the TV series of Game of Thrones and I fell totally in love with it, it has become my new obsession. 

Yes I'm a naughty fan because I watched the TV show before I read the books but sue me I don't care. I bought the first book after watching the first season so I already knew the main plot points anyway. 

Game of Thrones is set in a dystopian, almost medieval universe where houses compete and fight and generally try to get one over one another! The plot of the first book centers on Lord Eddard (Ned) Stark, who is asked to become Hand of the King by King Robert Baratheon despite the previous Hand dying very suddenly. Ned is thrown into a suspicious world where either everyone or no-one can be trusted not to mention the exiled family Targaryen rising to power once more AND the people that keep disappearing and coming back with ice-blue eyes seemingly never being able to die - a threat thought to be have been destroyed years ago. 

There is too much going on in Game of Thrones to sum it up easily so my only advice for you can be READ IT. I was surprised how much I love the series given that I'm not great with blood, guts and gore and by how much sex there is in it but the characters are my favourite, I get very attached to them all and the story lines are so fantastic! I recommend highly but definitely for ages 16 and up only! (There are some rather...ahem...racy/violent scenes)

Films

The Smurfs 2

I admit, I only went to see this film because my sister wanted to see it and I didn't have anything else to do for the day and my only reason for seeing it was my (large) obsession with Neil Patrick Harris. 

However, I was pleasantly surprised by this film! I actually think I enjoyed it more than my sister and the numerous other young kids in the cinema to be honest! 

It had a really sweet message running through out it and it had some pretty good comedic moments. The cast were all great as their respective parts and it's just a really nice feel-good movie! I did find parts of the storyline slightly unrealistic though - four people managed to get from New York to Paris in under (what seemed like) 12 hours? No.

I'd recommend if you want to watch something that isn't too hard to follow or you have younger children with you. 
Click here for the trailer ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQbSGLaVJ5c 

Grown Ups 2

When I heard a sequel to Grown Ups was coming out, I was so excited as I absolutely adore that movie, it never fails to make me smile!

I went with my cousin, who is a huge fan of the first movie like myself, so it's safe to say we were both pretty excited. 

I wasn't disappointed! It was hilarious, made me feel happy and just generally good about life. And with a stellar cast of Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Salma Heyek, Maya Rudolph AND David Spade, it was obviously going to be amazing (also Alexander Ludwig and Taylor Lautner in minor roles which was lovely for the females watching ;) )

My only negative point about this film was it didn't really have a plot line. I don't know how to explain it but it introduced a few running jokes at the beginning and the 'party' where the film reached it's ending - and after that ...that was kind of it. It was still full of comedic moments but there was no real story to it. Which in a way is good because you didn't have to concentrate on the storyline, just enjoy the film!

I recommend for ages 12 and up :)
Click here for the trailer ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhOWtVElqfw 

Music

I only really have one music for this time round which is Theo Katzman's album Romance without Finance. 

I feel so bad for jumping on the bandwagon late with this one as the album has been out since 2011 (whoops my bad). 

I found Theo's music from Darren Criss (star of glee and the potter musicals on youtube for those who are unaware). Theo supported Darren on his first national tour and being from England I could only watch YouTube videos of the concerts but I found that I loved Theo's songs! 

I downloaded the album and have barely stopped listening to it. The songs make me happy, the lyrics are stunning and the music is gorgeous. Go give it a listen!!

Here is Theo's song 'Brooklyn' --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF_fVEAk728

In Conclusion 

Thank you for reading, I will get back into this blogging thing properly I promise! If you want you can find me on twitter here @elderpr1ce 
*disclaimer I don't own any of the youtube videos or pictures used and opinions are my own*

Until next time! Love Laura xx

Hello!

Now you've read the blog title, I'm hoping I've got the song "Hello!" from the Book of Mormon stuck in your head!

Anyway, this is my first post on this blog! To give you some infomation about myself, I am Laura Caley, a 16 year old girl from the North of England (namely Yorkshire). I decided I wanted to give this blogging thing a try as kind of creative outlet for me - because I can't draw, sew, watch myself back on camera or do anything else creative but what I can do is talk. (Often about nothing to be honest!)

I've had Tumblr for a long while which is, first and foremost, a blogging website but I generally use my Tumblr to fangirl over Darren Criss and random TV shows. I decided I wanted somewhere where I can write down my thoughts and feelings on anything and everything whether it be a book review, a film review, if there is a particularly good or bad episode of a TV show I'm watching or even just something that happened in my day and a proper blog would be much better for me to do this rather than just some thoughts on tumblr where it is so easy to be attacked for having a different opinion to someone else!

It doesn't matter to me whether or not people read this blog (although it would be nice!), it's just something for me to do in my spare time as a hobby. 

This post isn't going to be very long or particularly exciting but there will be more to come shortly! For example, my LeakyCon London post will be up shortly!

Thanks for reading :) 
Love Laura x