University #1: What and Where

This is going to be the first in what will hopefully become a series of University related posts. This post is aimed at those who are either at the end of GCSEs or at the end of their AS level studies. I don't know how this would correlate to other parts of the world - sorry! - but it would be two of three years before you'd actually start going to University. I'm coming towards the end of my second year of Uni, and I've had my ups and downs just like everyone else. Hopefully this post will start to answer a couple of question you might have!

1) Do you want to go to University and WHY? This feels like a silly question, and if you're reading this you've probably already decided that Uni is the right choice for you. There are obviously loads of pros and cons to going to uni, but it's important that you know why it is that YOU specifically want to go. Maybe its because you know exactly what career you want and you know what it takes to get there? Maybe its because you don't know what career you want, so want to stay in education a bit longer to find out whats out there? Maybe you want to move out from your parents house, go somewhere new and meet a whole new set of people? Maybe you just love to study? At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what your reasons are, just so long as you have one and its important to YOU. I know people who've applied to and gone to Uni just because its what everyone else was doing, and they haven't lasted very long. Whether you decided Higher Education is right for you or not, the focus has to be on you.

For me, I never considered another option. I was academic at school, and knew exactly what I wanted to study. I also wanted to suspend 'real life' for as long as possible, so staying in education felt like the perfect choice!

2) What are you going to study? This is probably one of the most important things you've got to have started thinking about before you've selected your A level subjects (although, if you haven't thought about it yet and you're at the end of AS studies don't worry!) Some uni's will demand that you have certain A Levels at a certain grade before you can study their course - for example I'm on an English literature with creative writing course, and part of the course requirement was an A grade in either English lit or English lang (or the combined option). Most arts or humanities courses will only specify a grade in the subject you want to study, but for some science or medicine related courses they might asks for multiple subject requirements (ie, for medicine they may ask for an A grade in Chemistry, as well as another Science or Maths subject with a C grade at AS in Maths). What you pick at A level becomes super important for getting on the course you want to do, so its worth picking your options carefully.

If you don't know what you want to study yet, I'd recommend picking a range of subjects which work well together and you have an interest in. In my AS year I studied English lit, English lang, politics and media. I knew I wanted to do a literature course, but I needed some complimentary subjects too. I'd never studied politics before and it became my second favourite lesson (after Eng lit). Its worth going for something you've never tried before, but if you can go for a taster session before I'd really recommend it - I almost took sociology, but when I hated the taster session I knew that I wouldn't do well in it.

3) Where do you want to study? This is sometimes a hard question. For me, location didn't matter - I ended up going to the Uni with the best course which just so happened to be my local university. For one of my friends, they knew they wanted to be near the sea or a large body of water, so ruled out city universities. There are lots of things to consider when picking a uni, particularly their reputation and their expectations: what grades do they want you to get, are these grades achievable, and do these grades reflect the reputation of the course itself? Once you've narrowed down your options, its a good idea to check out open days. Most unis start holding open days towards the end of June, so its worth getting in there early. You can also go down the route of arranging private talks with the head of subject at your prospective uni's - it'll make you more memorable and will answer your specific set of questions or concerns.

This is also a question you can't really answer until the end of your AS year - you need to have some sort of idea what level you are working at and you need to make the universities expectations and your own realistic: if a university is asking for 3 A's and you got three D's and an E at AS, you're either going to have to do a lot of work, or change for a university which wants C's. Don't set a ridiculously high bar for yourself - it'll just stress you out.

If you do know exactly where you want to go at GCSE, then well done as you're a couple of steps ahead of everyone else! It just means you have to work with a clear goal throughout your A levels - and bear in mind that universities change their requirements each year.

4) Have you started work on your personal statement? This only applies to AS level students, although its useful to think about doing things to create material for your statement during the summer after GCSEs. The summer after AS levels is the perfect time to start work on your personal statement. Some universities will read statements, hold interviews and allocate places as soon as they start receiving them, so its worth it to get a statement in early. Cambridge and Oxford have a lot earlier deadlines than most other uni's, so if you want a shot at getting in you'll need to apply as soon as possible (their application process is a bit different and a lot more intense than most other UK uni's, so you might want to check that out before you apply).

If you're a bit stuck on what to put in your personal statement, remember universities want to know you're passionate about their subject AND that you're a rounded individual. Hobbies outside of school or extra curricular activities look great, as does work and volunteering experience. Its worth remembering that personal statements aren't very long, so only pack in what you think is really important and will make you stand out! I put a funny fact about me at the beginning of my statement (and made sure it was relative to the course I wanted), so it doesn't all have to be dry and informational. I had so many meetings with my form tutor about my statement - he was sure it should be organised differently - but remember at the end of the day its a PERSONAL statement. Take advice, but make sure it still feels like you.

I hope that helps a bit. If there's anything you'd really like to know leave me a comment  or tweet me @VickiMaitland and I'll try to make a post about it asap, or if its super specific/urgent I can reply to you there and then!Over the next two weeks I'll be doing an English Lit specific post about how to prepare over the summer, so if you've got any specific questions about that, drop me a line and I'll try to cover them!

Beauty: Everyday Make-Up Look 1

I love make-up, and love to watch make-up tutorials on YouTube, but as a student I don't have the money to spend on loads of high-end products. I also try to keep all my make-up cruelty free, and almost everything you'll see in this post is from cruelty-free brand eyes. lips. face or elf. I'm not the most skilled at applying make-up, and I don't have very good brushes, but this is pretty much what I'll do on my face almost every day. The shades and colours I use vary, so I’ve labelled this as ‘Look 1’. It’s my most natural look. Sorry for the bad image quality. I’m using my webcam, and my room only has one Velux window in it, so I’ve not got the best light source either!

1) This is me, pretty much straight out of the shower. I’ve used a face wash and have moisturised my skin (see my skin care routine if you’d like to know what products I’ve used). Whilst letting the moisturiser settle into my skin, I’ve got dressed and styled my hair into a small bun on the top of my head. 

2) The first thing I do is apply concealer under my eyes and over my lids in large dots. I my eyes can look quite dark and tired, so this brightens them up. The concealer I use is B. Under-eye concealer in the shade 060 light/medium. It’s the first concealer I’ve ever bought, so I can’t really compare it to any others. It applies pretty well and appears to last, although its perhaps slightly too yellow for my skin tone. I smudge it in with my fingers then blend it out with a stippling brush.

 

3) I then start on my eye shadow, all of the shades come from the elf natural palette. This palette is pretty cheap, and I got it on offer, but I’m not super impressed with it – the light shades are very pale and the dark shades are quite dark. But I’ve got used to working with it, and I’ll be using it for most of my make-up looks on this blog. I begin with a light, pink shade and apply it to the inner corner of my eye.

4) I take a medium, brown-pink shade next, and apply it all over my lid.

5) I take a dark, rusty-brown shade and apply it to my crease and outer corner, and blend well.

 

6) Brow time! Using the elf brow filler in the shade medium I fill the inner corner and outer curve of my brow. I've got pretty think brows already, so I like to capitalise on them and make them stand out. Once again, this isn't the best brow filler - its too think and too pink - but its cheap, cruelty-free and will do the job on my brows. If you've got thinner brows, though, I'd avoid using it as it has a large wax-crayon tip.

 7) I blend the product through my brows using a spooly brush. This both distributes the product and shapes my brow.

8) Using the highlighter end of the brow pencil, I draw a line under each brow and blend it down with my finger.

 9) I don't always do this, but I really notice the difference when I do. My lash-curlers are super old and I really need to change the rubber on them as they're covered in old make-up.

10) Lashes curled, I apply m eye-liner. I always curl my lashes before doing liner as I'm impatient and always manage to smudge the liner if I do it the other way round.

This liner is another elf product, and I'm pretty happy with it. It's just a basic liquid liner with a brush tip.  I apply is from the corner to the centre of my lid, then from the farthest tip to the outer corner. This gives me the basic shape. I then move from centre back to tip, and fill in any white space. My eye today was a long flick, but on other make up days I'll change up what I'll do. This is about as minimal as my eyeliner gets.

Its a happy day when my eyeliner is perfectly matching, and today its a bit off on one side, but it'll do!

11) I always wear mascara. I'm pretty happy with this elf mascara, but the wand is slightly too bendy for my liking. I zigzag it through the roots of my lashes, then pull it up to coat the tips.

I always do both top and bottom lashes - but I won't place the wand back into the pot before covering my bottom lashes, I just use up whatever's left on my wand from the top.

12) I like to apply lipstick when I can. This is another elf product, and it's in the shade flirtatious. Elf lipsticks have some great colours, but they transfer really badly and are very creamy. This one got broke on a night out, so that's why it looks disgusting in this picture!






There you have it! This usually takes me about 10 minutes to do in the morning, depending on how accurate my liner is first try!

If you've got any recommendations for affordable cruelty-free products I'd love to hear about them! You can leave replies in the comments or tweet me @VickiMaitland

Beauty: Skin Care Routine May 2014

I posted my last skin care routine this time last year. I've mixed a few bits up since then, so here's what I do now. 

I've got normal-oily skin. I don't have a problem with acne, but I do have a problem with blackheads. As disgusting as it is, I can’t seem to get rid of them. I’ve only got myself to blame – I didn’t see the need in washing my face every day till far too late into my teenage years, and by that time puberty had done its damage. If you’ve got any recommendations for how to get rid of them, I’d love to hear them!

At the moment I use 5 main products on my skin.

1)     Simple - Kind To Eyes Nourishing Eye Make-Up Remover Cream

2)     Simple - Kind To Skin Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleanser

3)     Simple - Kind To Skin Smoothing Facial Scrub

4)     Simple - Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner

5)     Olay – Essentials Complete Care Normal/Oily SPF15 Daily Fluid

If it’s the evening I start by removing any eye make-up I’ve got on (usually some combination of eye shadow, liquid liner and mascara, as well as some under-eye concealer) by applying a small squirt of (1) to a cotton pad and rubbing it gently over my eyelid and through my lash line. I cannot fault this product, it does exactly what it says on the tin, but if it gets in your eyes it still stings a little, so apply this carefully. Besides, it’s not good to apply pressure to your eyelid. I rub my eyes till a majority of my makeup is off and the pad is nice and dirty. If it’s the morning I don’t have anything on so I skip this step.

I then dampen my face with warm water, squirt a couple of pumps of cleanser into my fingers and massage it over my face, focussing on my T-zone. This also gets rid of any face-makeup I’ve got on (not that I often do a full face).

I rinse that off, squeeze not even a penny sized amount of exfoliator onto my hands and rub all over my face – focussing on my nose and cheeks (I suffer from a skin condition which means I have over-reproductive skin cells on my cheeks and upper arms. It’s mostly gone away on my face now, but if I don't remove the dead cells I can get small lumps, and it means that my cheeks are constantly rosy).

I rinse all that off too and pat my face dry with a flannel. Using another cotton pad apply a little toner in upwards motions over my face and let it dry for a few moments whilst I brush my teeth. I then apply a 20p sized amount of moisturiser to my face and neck. I never used to moisturise as I always thought my skin was too oily for it to be necessary, but I’ve since learnt that all the harsh oil-removers I was using was only causing my skin to think it was de-hydrated and needed to produce even more oil! Since I’ve started applying moisturiser twice daily I’ve noticed a huge difference in how my skin looks and feels, as well as how much oil it produces.

That’s pretty much it. I don’t always do everything, and I don’t always do it twice daily – it just depends how much of a rush I’m in. If I have got a few extra minutes to spare, I’ll also use Superdrug Dead-Sea Mud Mask. My skin always looks and feels so much nicer after I’ve used it, and the great thing about it is you can actually see the oil being pulled from your skin – which is disgusting and interesting all at the same time. If I apply this, I’ll do it after my wash routine, but before my moisturiser. Most Superdrug own brand products are also cruelty-free, and as I’m trying to make all my facial care cruelty-free next time I run out of any of the above products I’m going to try an own brand alternative. I’ll keep you posted!

It also goes without saying that I use a clean flannel (I try to change them weekly) and always wash my hands before touching my face. IIf it’s the morning I try to have a drink of water (hot with a slice of lemon is my favourite, or black or green tea with lemon if I need a caffeine boost). Hydration is the key to healthy glowing skin, and every night you breathe out a load of water, so it’s best to revitalise that as soon as possible.

Let me know if you know any affordable cruelty-free duplicates for any of the products I’ve used – particularly the eye make-up remover cream and the daily fluid. You can leave recommendations in the comments or tweet me @VickiMaitland

xx

#reviewsdaytuesday: Tyger Takes On... Porn (BBC3)

As I think you might be able to tell from the title of this post, this programme shows some sexually explicit content. If you are under the age of 16 and feel comfortable witnessing and hearing about this, or if you're over the age of 16 (and similarly feel comfortable to do so) I would urge you to go and watch the show. I will also warn you that there is a mention of rape and rape fantasy towards the end of the show, so, if that is triggering for you, skip from 43 minutes to 46 minutes.

The show was broadcast on 15th May and is available on iPlayer for the next 3 weeks.

Similarly, this post will be discussing the explicit content of the show, so if you are uncomfortable with this, you can read my last post about what I do to my hair!

This show comes from a slightly 'laddy' perspective - not so much in the information it's giving (although, I'd say it tends to focus on boys watching porn and the female porn stars, rather than girls watching porn) but rather in the little clips of Tyger which appear to be there because the writers of the show are aware this could be an awkward topic and are trying to play it for laughs. This irritated me, particularly at the start of the programme as I was afraid that this was going to be a show which was created as an excuse for the BBC to showcase a 'cool' star, and these clips felt very self conscious.

Happily, however, the main content of the show was, for the most part, very thoughtful, insightful, and, most importantly, well-rounded. Throughout the show, Tyger was very open and frank about his own experiences with porn, as well as his own sex life, and how he thinks the former may have influenced the latter. I should also mention that Tyger grew up in a home very open about porn, as both his parents worked in the industry. Aside from the 'put your cock away' jokes with his Dad, I thought this was an interesting and insightful aspect to the show, as not many teens can say they grew up in a house that was open to porn. I certainly didn't (although, I should mention that porn has no appeal to me, and I've never really watched it except from when a guy put it on at a house party - much to the disgust of most of the party goers). 

The show did a relatively good job of interviewing both men and women equally when it came to the broader surveys about porn consumption, however when it came to the effects porn has on an individual’s sex-life there was a definite focus on men. This might be simply because it is men's expectations of sex which are most heavily impacted by porn - although this being said it takes two to have sex and this show was entirely focused on heterosexual porn and relationships, so you would think it would impact on women too (and the one occasion when he did interview a women about the impact of porn on her relationship it was particularly disturbing and troubling). The interviews he did with some of the men whose sex-lives had been most heavily impacted by porn were very revealing: they were only turned on by the porn-star look, they expected porn-style sex, they expected their sexual partners to do all the things porn stars would do and they weren't very good as discussing sex with their partners. I was particularly interested when he re-evaluated his own porn consumption and subsequent sexual expectations, as this opened up for a discussion of what is 'too much porn' and made the suggestion that if you say 'I watch porn once a week' that is still an addiction.

However, the moment in the programme which I most enjoyed was Tyger's interview with Cindy Gallop, founder of the 'Make Love Not Porn' campaign. Cindy's discussion was the real turning point in the show for me, and opened up the discussion I was most looking forward to - we need to equally blame the porn industry as well as society’s reluctance to discuss sex when we are looking to explore the negative impact of porn on my generation's experience of sex. Sadly, this discussion wasn't taken much further in the programme, though I think it is the most important discussion the how had, and I partly feel this was because they wanted to keep their audience profile entertained, so decided instead to show porn being filmed. 

Whilst showing the porn being filmed was helpful to de-romanticising porn, I wonder whether or not the show could have found the time to more fully discuss the how impact of sexual education (or lack thereof) works in tandem with an ever expanding porn industry and ever increasing availability of porn. I also was expecting to have a fuller discussion of how the online free to view porn sites were impacting on the professional porn industry, which never really became fully realised.

Over all, the programme was useful as a springboard for discussion, and I'm looking forward to seeing the next in the series of Tyger Takes On. 

Beauty: Hair Care Routine May 2014

I have an unusual hair type. I have ringlet curls, with very fine, very thin hair. But, I figure I can't be the only one with this kind of annoying hair, so I thought I'd make a post to share my method of getting the most out of my hair!

Like most curlies, I cannot go a day without washing my hair. This is partly because curly hair prevents any oils from the top of your head working their way down to the ends throughout the day, and partly because as soon as I brush my hair it looses 80% of the curl as I separate all the hair strands. Because I've also got very fine, thin hair this also means it doesn't have the weight to obey gravity*, and turns into a frizzy mess. So every morning I start by washing my hair (I tie this in with my daily shower).

When I was at home I would almost always use Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light in both the shampoo and conditioner. This was mostly because Mum had always used Pantene and this was the product which worked best for me out of their range. However, since moving to Uni, I've almost exclusively used Herbal Essences and my hair seems to love it! I'm sure it’s been softer and less dry since I've been using it. My only complaint is the wavy bottle - the cap is way too awkward to squeeze all the product out off when it's running low and hard to remove (especially with wet, soapy hands!). Luckily for me, they still have a couple of their products in traditional flip-top bottles, so I rotate between those (the Silk 'n' Shine or Moisture Balance). Both products work really well, I just find rotating between bottles keeps my hair rejuvenated as it stops it from getting too familiar with one. Not sure if there's a scientific reason behind it, but I always feel like my hair becomes lack lustre if I keep using the same type of product for a couple of bottles.

I start, as one would expect, with the shampoo, and just massage it into my scalp before rinsing. Then I apply the conditioner – which is where things get a little bit more technical (or as technical as you can get washing hair). I start by evenly distributing the conditioner through the lower ¼ of my hair. This is the cancel out the problem of dry ends I explained previously. I then get a hair brush and brush the product through the entirety of my hair. Curly hair sheds just as much as any other hair type, but because the hair gets trapped in the curls it tends to sit in my hair rather than falling out during the day. Brushing it not only gets rid of all the dead hair, but also makes sure the product is evenly distributed through my hair. I’ll usually leave this to sit in my hair whilst  do all my other shower bits and bobs so it can soak right in.

Out of the shower I towel ‘dry’ my hair. Heat on my hair kills it, not to mention gives volume I don’t really need. I brush it through again (it’s still pretty damp at this stage, but not dripping) and style it for the day. Once my hair is how I want it, I squirt Wella Shockwaves: Curls and Waves Mousse into my palm and scrunch it through my hair. This weighs down my hair, giving it a better curl and stops fly-aways too.

Then I just hope that my hair does what it’s told for the rest of the day!

If I really want to pamper my hair, and if I’ve got the time, I’ll apply a hair mask. I apply castor oil into the roots of my hair, then brush it through. Then, I’ll apply coconut oil to the bottom half of my hair. If I can, I’ll sit with a warn towel over my head for a couple of hours, but half an hour will do, then take my normal shower. This is by no means a daily routine! I try to do it a couple of times a month if I can, though.

Are you curly like me? Let me know any tips and tricks you might have either in the comments or by tweeting me @VickiMaitland.

*Not scientific fact.

Tag: Social Media Book Tag

I am a huge fan of book tags, but I rarely see them on blogs. I know lifeofafemalebibliophile has a wonderful Tag Thursdays segment on her blog, but she seems to be the only one I've come across. I find most of the tags on YouTube, which sometimes means there's questions I can't answer, so if you've got a blog and do book tags, or know a blog which does please let me know - I'm always on the look out for new reads!

I found this tag over on Margaret's channel, and it was originally created by Reagan, so with all the admin out of the way let's get down to it!

Twitter: a book you want to share with the world - Rather aptly (because of the length of some of its entries), I've chosen The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan. I was completely blown away by this book! I'd read Adverbs by Daniel Handler previously, and was pretty impressed with it, and this book has a similar premise but delivers ten times better. Everything about it, from the premise to the layout to the plot to the language was all stunning. AND it's only 215 pages long, so everyone's got the time to read it! I did a review of it over on my book exclusive blog, so if you want to find out more of my thoughts you can check it out here (although if you don't have time to look at it right away I'm planning on transferring a lot of my posts from that blog over here, so it'll probably be up in the next few months anyway).

Facebook: a book you enjoyed that was recommended by someone else - The Night Circus by Erin Mogenstern was recommended to me by my sister. I picked it up expecting it to be a children's fantasy/magic book, and was stunned at how beautiful and adult it was. Definately a YA/adult read, it follows Le Cirque de Reves - a mysterious circus that arrives out of nowhere, opens at dusk and closes at dawn. A wonderful read, and I would definitely recommend it again!

Tumblr: a book you raved out before blogging, but haven't since - When I was younger I adored Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. It was mystical and magical and everything I wanted from a book as a young reader. I really want to go back and re-read it. I saw the film and read one or two of the sequels, but nothing could beat the original...

Myspace: a book you don't plan on re-reading - I like to think I'm pretty good at sticking books out even if I don't like them, but there were several on my eighteenth century literature course which I was very happy to see the back of. Pamela by Samuel Richards is one of those. That book couldn't be over soon enough!

Instagram: a book with a gorgeous cover - Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler. Not only has it got a wonderful cover, but Maria Kalman has done beautiful illustrations throughout. Again, I've done a review here.

YouTube: a book you wish would be made into a movie - The Taliban Cricket Club by Timeri N Murari was full of suspense and action, and set in such a beautiful place with a horrific foreground I could really imagine it looking wonderful and haunting on the big screen.

Skype: a book with characters you wish you could talk to - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet is one of my favourite characters of all time, and I wish I could have a conversation looking into those fierce eyes! Similarly, I'd love to have a chin wag with almost any of the more minor characters (plotwise, not in our hearts) in Harry Potter.

There you go! I'm tagging anyone who wants to give it a go, but let me know if you do in the comments, or by tweeting me @VickiMaitland

#reviewsdaytuesday: BBC2’s Blurred Lines: The New Battle of the Sexes.

After a long weekend away from any and all internet, I finally got round to watching BBC2’s one off show about sexism and the media Blurred Lines: The New Battle of the Sexes, and I have to say it was rather good.

The show covered a lot of ground, including sexism in comedy, sexism in journalism and sexism online, with the premise that it would uncover to what extent the new media had allowed a new kind of sexism or misogyny to breed. Before I go any further, I am going to outline my personal definitions of the terms feminism, sexism and misogyny. These are not dictionary definitions, but simply what I understand the words to mean.

Feminism: The belief that there has been, and continues to be, a systematic oppression of female/women identifying individuals due to the social structure of ‘patriarchy’ – or the dominance of men in society (specifically, cis, straight, white, middle-aged, middle-class men*). Feminism wants to remove this structure from society, and replace it with a system which benefits male indentifying and female identifying individuals equally, of any race, ethnicity, weight, mental or physical ability, or sexual orinetation.

Sexism: Behaving in such a way that assumes that one sex is lesser than the other, specifically that female identifying individuals are lesser than men. A prejudice against female identifying individuals based on their indentity as female.

Misogyny: A hatred of all female identifying individuals, and an active attempt to oppress them and an internalised prejudice against them.

I hope those definitions are clear to everyone. If you have any questions, or need further clarification, feel free to contact me here in the comments, or on my twitter @VickiMaitland. Please note, however, any abuse I experience on any of these social media platforms will result in report.

* I use the term ‘female identifying individuals’ in order to be as inclusive as possible towards the struggles of transwomen and intersex women. I did not use the term ‘male identifying individuals’ in this instance because patriarchy also systematically oppresses transmen and intersex men. The discussion in this post, however, will be primarily focussed on the experiences of women, however, as this was the main concern of the BBC2 programme.

On the whole I believe this programme did an excellent job of showcasing the various forms of sexism and misogyny that women experience in their everyday lives, as well as the mountainous problem we have to face in order to begin to break down this sexist and misogynistic society. It did this primarily by showcasing  the (frequently ridiculous, and, frankly, mostly irrelevant) opinions of middle-aged, middle-class, white men. Unsurprisingly, many of their opinions were concerning, particularly the one of a comedian, who stated that once women were equal they became ‘fair game’ as a punchline – seemingly forgetting that after centuries of oppression by men it is completely unfunny for men to mock them. Comedy only works provided it is poking fun at the oppressor, not the victim of oppression. Making a rape joke in which the victim is the punchline is wholly comparable to making a slavery joke in which the slave is mocked. It is disgusting and inappropriate in a society when the balance of oppression has not been redressed, not to mention highly triggering.

The idea that ‘women should be able to tell when something is a joke’ was another opinion which stormed its way through the programme in various different forms, along with its sidekick ‘it’s not my fault if you get offended by something if I meant it as a joke’. We all need to take responsibilities for our words. Whether or not offence was meant, if offence is taken it is only right to apologise and learn. This links to another worrying view which was expressed: the idea that words on the internet do not matter, as if the internet were this magically fairy land where you can say anything without consequence. The internet, as the programme stated, not only reflects our world but also shapes it. It is just as real as the words in a newspaper, or the words spoken during conversation. Just because something is not tangible does not make it any less real. Just because threats and discrimination can be made anonymously doesn’t make them any less serious. It was particularly worrying as this argument came directly after the interviewer had presented evidence that mild, inferred sexism from journalists on and offline turns into extreme misogyny on social media platforms, which in turn becomes validated in the media.

Interestingly, however, there was also evidence to show that non-sexist men are not made sexist through an exposure to sexist media or comedy. Sexist men, on the other hand, are validated in their opinions and are made more sexist by this. Laughing at a sexist joke only serves to validate the opinions of sexist men. A wonderful quote ran roughly as follows: ‘Sexism is like air pollution. We’re not all producing it, and not all in equal quantities, but we’re all breathing it in.’ This quote is so fabulous as it not only articulates how everyone is effected by sexism (men and women alike), but also forms a wonderful backlash to the cry of ‘not all men’ which is so often heard in debates over sexism. Yes, obviously not all men contribute towards sexism, but all men (and all people) need to be part of the solution.

I’ve spoken quite heavily on the different views of the white, middle-class, middle-aged men which were interviewed, and you may be wondering where my commentary on female opinion will begin. This was one of the main flaws of the programme. It tended to give far more airtime to the views and opinions of those whom it was arguing against than those it was arguing for. Rarely we got to hear about the female experience from a woman (other than words given to us by the presenter Kirsty Ward), and although Germaine Greer and Mary Beard were fascinating to hear from not once were we given the voice of a person of colour, or an obvious member of the LGBTQA+ community. This was a programme wholly encompassed with an old fashioned idea of feminism, the type of feminism which only concerned white, middle-aged, middle-class women. I had hoped, since this programme was directly addressing new media, and today’s sexism, that it would give voice to all female identifying individuals. For me this was the programmes major failure.

The programme also attempted to cover a lot of ground – which sadly meant it didn’t really fully deliver on many of the things it said it would in the opening preview. There was very little discussion of music and music videos. Similarly there was minimal discussion of gaming and the ‘geek girl’. This is not necessarily the fault of the programme itself, but rather the fault of the BBC, as this could easily have been a series with each episode focussing on a different aspect of sexism and the media, rather than a one off, one hour long show.

I'm sure there are plenty of elements of the programme I could have gone in distinctly more depth with, as well as there being many ares I have not covered at all. If you have seen the programme, and do want to contribute to this discussion, I would love to hear what you have to say. If you want to contribute but have not yet seen the programme, I would prefer you check it out first. It should still be here on iplayer for the time being. 

All in all I was impressed with the show, and for me (a cis, straight, white, middle-class woman) I felt my experiences were relatively represented and recognised. I just wish so much of the programme hadn’t been based around the opinions of white old men telling me how I should or should not feel.

Hello Again!

Hello everyone,

If it feels like it's been a while, then you won't be wrong. The last thing I posted on here was all the way back in September! I made the decision to move over to Wordpress in an attempt to create a more 'professional' blog, whatever that means, a while back, but after a few months over there I've come crawling back here.

So, what's new?

I'm planning on giving this blog a bit of a re-vamp, including sorting through old posts and changing the layout etc. From now on, you can expect to find books and lifestyle posts on here (if you're only interested in the books part, you might want to pop over to my wordpress to check those out). I'm going to tentatively set myself a schedule - one post a week, to be up by midnight on Sunday. I might do more during the week, but I don't want to set myself up for too much just yet.

Next year I'll also be entering dissertation mode, so over the summer I might experiment with YouTube. The reason I use blogs is to have a creative discussion outlet, but I don't just want to be sat typing in both my work time and my leisure time. I'll keep you posted on that!

So for now, welcome one and all! And I'll put up a proper post next week!

September Wrap-Up and October TBR

Wow. This last month has gone so quickly. I've moved in to my new house and have spent the past two and a half weeks living with my housemates. We've gone out a couple of times as returners during freshers week, drunk a tad too much, danced a lot and had sing-along washing-up times. University started last week so I've been attending lots of first lectures and seminars too, as well as beginning to organise the creative writing society. Amongst all that crazyness there hasn't been loads of time for reading, I'm afraid, so this Wrap-up might look a little pathetic. But there you have it!

September Wrap-Up

The first book I read this month I finished in a couple of days when I was on holiday. The Taliban Cricket Club by Timeri N. Murari was incredible. Set in 2000 during the middle-end of the Taliban's reign of Afganistan, the book is based in fact (although the work itself is fiction), and follows the life of a young lady. Rukhsana hates life under the Taliban. They have forced her to give up her job, where a burkha and she cannot leave the house without a male companion. All she and her family want to do is find a way to escape Afganistan and get across the boarder to Pakistan and freedom. When they discover the governments decision to set up a cricket team, Rukhsana believes she has found her cousins way out. Having learnt cricket at university in Delhi, she vows to teach her cousins and help them escape. This book was a fascinating read about the lives of young women under brutal regimes. I was only young during the outbreak of the war in Afganistan and didn't really understand fully the Taliban and its laws. This was an eye-opening read for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4/5

I also read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman whilst on holiday. The only other Gaiman book I'd read was Coraline and I hadn't really enjoyed it, but after hearing him on BBC Radio 3's Arts and Idea's podcast I thought I'd give him another go. I enjoyed this book - or rather collection of interconnected short stories which follow the life of a boy growing up in a graveyard - and gave it 3/5.

The final book I read this month was A Short History Of Tractors In Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka. This book is a lot more enjoyable than it sounds. From the perspective of one of two feuding sisters, this is a surprisingly light read about family life. The father in this is both funny, infuriating and pitiable, the sisters well balanced and not caricatured, and the 'villian' both contemptible and lamentable. I wouldn't palce it in the top 1001 books you have to read before you die, but it's a nice little read. 3/5

And that, sadly, is it, which means I've read 941 pages this month. Which, it's fair to say, is a little bit disappointing after last months success. I did get halfway through The Life of Pi, however, and if I get the chance to finish that tomorrow or Monday I can add that to the pile!

October TBR

I'm not really sure what to put in this. Most of the book I'll be reading will be university stuff, but fingers crossed I'll get around to reading some other bits and bobs too!

As I said, I plan on finishing Life of Pi by Yann Martell in the next couple of days or so, and hopefully I'll also finish Vagina, a new biography too!!

The first of the novels I'll be reading for uni this month is Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. I have always wanted to read this, and am not really sure what it't about, so hopefully that'll be interesting.

The second novel I'll be reading is Gulliver's Travels  by Johnathan Swift. Again, despite going to Gulliver's Kingdom when I was little, I don't really know what this book is about. 

I think I'll leave it at that to be getting on with. Hopefully I'll get into a bit of a routine and I'll post more frequently again!

Best Wishes

xx

August Wrap-up and September TBR

Hello, sorry this is coming to you so late but I was away on holiday in the over the end of August and the first week of September, then I've been moving into my new house and saying goodbye to old friends and preparing for uni and yeah. Generally been crazy! But enough of that, let's get down to it!

August Wrap-up

The first book I read in August was Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, and I reviewed it here. Same goes with the second book I read (Divergent by Veronica Roth).

Then I picked up Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn. I really liked the concept of this book - the struggle to produce words when letters dissappear is super intersting, particularly as a writer. The world building in this book (which is an epistolary story) is amazing, it doesn't feel like it's being explained just for the reader, which could have been difficult as the author is almost solely speaking to characters which already exist in the world. This said, I never really got involved with the characters - there were too many names flying around with not enough backstory. I gave it 3/5.

This was followed by two books which weren't on my TBR - City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, which I also reviewed here.

Back on piste I read The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith. Following the life of Alex Li-Tandem (an autograph salesman) this story is about his coming to terms with the death of his father and his obsession with the autograph of Kitty Alexander and how these impact his daily life. Whilst this book didn't live up to NW, it was still a really good read and I gave it 4 stars.

Finally, the last book I read in August was The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern. This book was incredible, it managed to skate the line been childish fantasy and young adult novel perfectly. In it, we watch the circus and take part in the lives of the people who work there - particularly the lives of Celia and Marco whose destinies have been preordained since their youth. It is wonderfully written, an easy enough read that anyone with a touch of imagination and the desire to be taken on an adventure would really enjoy. I gave it 4/5.

So that was it! Sorry my wrap-up wasn't as detailed as they have been in the past, but there are 4 full length reviews hidden in those hyperlinks, so it's not as short as it might appear. I did pretty well with my TBR from last time - the only book I didn't read was Vagina, but I wasn't in the mood for non-fiction. Maybe next month, eh? In total I read 2921 pages in the month of August, which I'm very pleased about.

September TBR

I feel a tad cheeky putting two of these on here as I've already read them, but here goes.

The Taliban Cricket Club by Timeri N. Murari. This book is about Rukhsana, a young Afgan women living under the brutal reign of the Taliban in 2000. Partially based in fact, we follow her as she risks her life teaching her cousins cricket in order to help them escape the country she has grown to fear.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Beginning life as a collection of bedtime stories for his daughter, The Graveyard Book features Bod, the boy raised by ghosts, as he grows up and discovered the real reason for his supernatural upbringing.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka. Recently my friend gave me a copy of 1001 books to read before you die, and this was in there so I thought I'd pick it up. Fingers crossed nit's as good as they say!

The rest of these books I'm adding tentatively, as Uni starts on the 23rd and I'll have got a tonne of reading to do for it.

The Basic Eight by Daniel Handler - I've heard so many good things about this book that when I saw it on Amazon Kindle for 99p I had to have it!

White Teeth by Zadie Smith - Loving her at the moment, and when I saw this in a charity shop for a bargin 75p I had to pick it up.

And once again, Vagina, a new biography by Naomi Wolf. Maybe.

Till next time,

xx

Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The story follows a couple narratives, the main one being Cassie, a 16 (ish, I think) year old girl. Cassie lives a normal life with her mum, dad and baby brother Sammy. She is invisible to the guy she has a crush on, worries about her hair and spends most of her time texting her best friend. Basically your standard teenager. However, her whole life gets flipped upside-down when the Mothership is seen orbiting Earth. Then the First Wave arrives - and there's no going back. We enter the story shortly after the Fourth Wave has ended. Cassie is camping in the woods, alone save for a teddy bear and a being in the dark.

When I first started reading this book I adored it. It was fast paced, exciting, you learn so much in such a short period of time and I raced through the first 60-100 pages. Cassie was a very real, down to earth character. Yancey does an excellent job of capturing the growth from girl to woman that Cassie is forced to prematurely experience (one line of the book mentions how she is worried that her supply of tampons will run out - which I loved as writers (especially male writers) tend to miss out).

I was surprised and a bit disappointed at first when the narrator changed, as it seemed a shame to move away from Cassie as she was becoming a fully fledged character. The other characters we follow aren't as well developed as Cassie initially, but they are engaging enough to sustain the plot, and I was looking forward to the point when the narratives collided.

However, I haven't only got praise for this book. One aspect of it very nearly put me off finishing it, mostly because I thought this book was better than the trope it used.

There will be sort of spoilers from this point on (concerning Cassie and Evan - both of whom the blurb of the book introduces), so read on at your peril if spoilers bother you.

-------- SPOILER WARNING ---------------------------------------------------------------

When Cassie first meets Evan, I'm ok with that. I understand that the author wanted to create a bit of romantic tension for his leading lady, and having her lusting after a guy who she's literally said a sentence to isn't the most engaging plot. When Evan kisses Cassie, that's when I get angry.

This kissing scene is described as a deeply romantic, sensual act. However, Evan essentially kisses Cassie against her will. We already know that he knows a lot more about Cassie than he's been letting on (and we later learn that he's been stalking her), and to add what can be described as sexual assault to this mix (and to portray it in a way which is meant to have teenage girls swooning) is disgusting and dangerous. I hate Evan and Cassies entire relationship - it's totally overdramatic and over the top. Whilst Zombie's relationship with Ringer is understated, natural and sweet, Evans and Cassie's is scary.

Not only this, but from the moment Cassie meets Evan most of her strength and conviction (her best and strongest personality traits) vanish, and she virtually regresses back into the teenage girl with a crush.From being such a strong female lead she turns into a girl who can't cope without her man. I thought this book was better than that, and Cassie's character was strong enough to sustain her part of the narrative. I understand why Evan was needed (from a knowledge point of view) but I don't understand why they had to be so overly 'romantic'.


This being said, the premise of the book was excellent and the execution (for the most part) was superb. I recommend reading it, so long as you can question the presentation you're given.

I gave it 3.5/5

xx

Currently Reading: Vagina: a new biography by Naomi Wolf

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Fifteen year old Clary Fray has spent her whole life feeling normal - well as normal as any teenage girl ever can feel - until she becomes the sole witness to a murder. A murder performed by 3 teenagers who no-one else are able to see, and where the body of the victim vanishes. The murders turn out to be Shaddow Hunters, a race of humans to have 'The Sight' - the ability to see Downworlders (demons, vampires, werewolves etc) and kill them using magic. When Clary's mother is taken by demons, Clary gets sucked further into this mysterious world, and wants vengeance.

For the most part I was extremely underwhelmed by this book. I never felt anything more than annoyance for the main characters - ridiculously self-obsessed, know-it-all sixteen year olds that they were - and many of the plot lines were predictable and followed the standard 'ya fantasy' tropes. If I had read this during or just before my 'Twilight' era, I probably would have loved it, which might also be one of the reasons I was disappointed with this - it felt like something I had read before.

The main story, however, is an intriguing and interesting idea and some of the plot twists (whilst not being particularly well executed) were twisty enough that it kept me reading. If this book had tried to be a heavier read, I don't think I would have been able to sustain it till the end, however it was really easy to get through (for the most part, although the more difficult parts to read were the result of even worse writing rather than cleaver or more sophisticated writing).

I was really looking forward to reading this and seeing the film, but after this experience I'll probably just wait till it shows up on Sky Movies before I see it. Weirdly, I still want to read the second book in the series - I just really hope the writing style and the characters progress. Also, the last plot twist (whilst confusing, again due to the poor writing style) leaves some questions that, whilst they won't keep me up at night, are interesting enough that I'd like to see where Clare takes them.

A 'mundane', harmless little read, not worth paying full price for, but an interesting enough time filler to be picked up from a library.


I gave it 2/5 on Goodreads.

xx

Currently Reading:
The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith
Vagina: a new biography by Naomi Wolf

The First and Last tag

This tag as been floating around the booktubers for a while now, and it got me thinking about books I've read etc, so I thought I'd give it a go!

1. (I'm missing out the first question because it's about video)

2. First booktuber I ever watched: Rosianna got me into watching book related videos, but as she's mroe than just a booktuber, it'll either be Kayley or Lena?
    Last booktuber I watched: Kayley again!

3. First book I bought: I got a lot of books given to me when I was growing up, and spent hours in the library, so I haven't really started buying books till semi-recently. Maybe Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger or The Ant Colony by Jenny Valentine.
   Last book I bought: The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. I read The Golden Compass (aka Northern Lights) just after the film came out and really didn't like it (I also didn't like the film), but the fella keeps bugging me to read them, so much so that he gave me a copy of The Subtle Knife so I thought I might as well have the whole set! Plus it was only 20p at a second hand sale. The last full priced book I bought was NW by Zadie Smith.

4. First novel I read: This is a hard one. I read everything I could lay my hands on when I was little and read on my own from a very very young age. The first books I remember loving (and I swear I almost read the entire set - or at least as many as the library could order in) were the Animal Ark series by Lucy Daniels.
   Last novel I read: Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn.

5. First dystopian I read: When I first heard this I immediately jumped to The Hunger Games but then I thought about it and actually the first dystopian I read was probably Orwell's Animal Farm. It's not a traditional dystopian I guess, as it's an allegorical novel, but it's definitely about a world gone wrong, which is what defines dystopian in my mind.
   Last dystopian I read: Divergent by Veronica Roth.

6. First paranormal romance I read: Probably Twilight as I can't remember reading much romantic fiction before that.
   Last paranormal romance I read: Maybe one of the Morganville Vampires series, although I can't remember if I'd got bored of those by the time Breaking Dawn came out? Although, I've just flicked through GoodReads and I read Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, if that counts?

7. First time I cried over a book: I very rarely cry over books, so the first time I can remember crying over a book was probably Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine.
   Last time I cried over a book: Looking for Alaska by John Green. Maybe. I don't know. I remember books that a lot of people cried at that I didn't (the final Harry Potter and Now Is Good for example). I cry more at films or TV than books, I think because with a book I can close it, gather myself, and read on.

8. First series I completed: I think I've read all the Famous Five books? So maybe those? If not then the Switchers trilogy by Kate Thompson. I think I'm one of a rare few whose first series wasn't Harry Potter.
   Last series I completed: This is surprisingly difficult. I've read all the Uglies books by Scott Westerfeld that were in the original trilogy, but I think he released a forth book (Extras) but I've no idea if I ever finished it. I know I got a bit fed up with them. Oh, The Hunger Games. Obviously.

9. The first book I couldn't press myself to finish: I did eventually get round to reading this and LOVING it, which just shows how taste changes over time, but the first time round I simply could not push myself to finish The Hobbit.
    The last book I couldn't push myself to finish: Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. This book came so highly recommended but I just couldn't get into it. I got about 100 pages in and had to bail out. It's still sitting in my currently reading on GoodReads because they don't have an 'I abandoned this book' function as far as I can tell.

10. First and Last people you'll tag: If Maz or Meg are reading this, then you guys!

Hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did! I might see if I can do more tags that I stumble upon...

Best Wishes,

xx

Currently Reading: The Autograph Man  by Zadie Smith
Vagina: a new biography by Naomi Wolf

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth and Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

First off I'm going to apologise if these reviews are terrible nonsense. I had an 8 1/2 hour shift at work today (which meant getting up at the ungodly hour of 5.45am) and apparently I'm still awake enough to type. So here goes... I've had a super productive couple of reading days, and have managed to power through both of these books. They're both very light hearted, easy reads, aimed at a YA audience, but they are both VERY different.

Divergent by Veronica Roth is your classic dystopian novel. Set in the future, when humanity is trying to fix its flaws, humans have been dived into different factions based on which character traits they value the most (ie, honesty, self-less-ness, knowledge, bravery etc). In your sixteenth year, you get to decide which faction you are going to join - whether you stay with the faction you've grown up with or whether you leave behind everything and everyone you've known and start life in a new faction. This is the point at which we meet Beatrice, our main character. Beatrice feels like she isn't enough for her faction, but also doesn't know which faction she would fit into. Beatrice has one of the hardest decisions of her life to confront, whilst at the same time being aware of the stirrings of trouble in the stricture of humanity.

This sounds like a heavy topic, but at it's heart this story is a YA read. Whilst it does deal with some tough themes (most importantly, especially in YA, the idea of growing up and becoming your own person and being comfortable in your own skin), it's also got romance and (I hate to say it) a bit of cliche thrown it to make it a really easy read.

I really enjoyed this book, it was faced paced, with just the right amount of world setting and I can 't wait to read the sequel and watch the film. However, I am a little disappointed about the way the romance was done in the book. Without spoiling things, it becomes obvious to the reader (although of course Beatrice is oblivious) that there are two guys who like her, and when she finally realises, she has to reject one etc etc. Now, I don't mind a love triangle situation, but it kind of felt like there was a love triangle for love triangles sake.

That being said, I do think the eventual romance is important to the story, although the family ties/ personal growth should have been more of a driving force through the novel, rather than just the beginning. I gave it 4/5 though, and powered through it in a couple of days despite it being nearly 500 pages long (the quickest I've read a book of that length since Potter I think - high praise indeed)

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - as I said in my TBR, I picked this up in lieu of there not being Eleanor and Park, and when I started reading it I was a bit disappointed. However, the tables quickly turned, and I soon found it hard to put down.

Again this was a super light and easy read, lighter than Divergent even though it is aimed at the slightly older spectrum of YA. I say this because the usual YA trope is to have the 16/17/18/19 year old character who has to learn something important about themselves, whereas this book featured adults as the main characters, with jobs and established identities. It's 1999, the internet is just becoming established and we're following Lincoln: a 29 year old IT technician who still lives with his mum and works the night shifts at a newspaper company, monitoring the new in-company email system. It's his job to send warnings to any users who are sending non-work related emails. Beth and Jennifer's emails appear in his filter a lot. But he never sends them a warning and instead becomes engrossed in their lives.

This is a lovely little love story. Funny and romantic, the female characters are believable (ie. they don't just talk about men, although men do get spoken about) and Lincoln in endearing. The fact that this story is about adults is really what elevates it from the traditional YA love story - it somehow feels more real when the people falling head over heals have had long term serious relationships beforehand.

I gave this 3/5 on goodreads, but to be honest it's more of a 3.5/5. I can't wait to pick up Eleanor and Park now, and I'd really like to see how Rowell's writing will have progressed, and if she can capture the same sense of believability with younger characters.

Writing all of that has actually made me sleepy (result!), so,

Goodnight and TTFN

xx

Currently Reading: Vagina: a new biography by Naomi Wolf

Review: The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of A Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

I read this book back in June, and I know I've been promising a review since then, so here it finally is!! Sorry it's a little short, but it's one of those books that you can't really explore without spoiling it.

It's Tuesday May 2nd 2005 and Allan Karlsson is hours away from celebrating his 100th birthday when he steps out of his bedroom window and runs away. He makes his way to the nearest bus stop where he is asked by a young man to look after a rather large and rather heavy suitcase. When his bus arrives and the man has not returned, Allan steps on, suitcase and all, and sets off on an adventure. However, this is not the first adventure Allan has (somewhat accidentally) embarked upon during his 100 year time upon the earth. The story follows Allan in this newest adventure whilst recounting his previous ones and the elevctic people he's met over the years.

I picked this book up almost as much on a whim as Allan picks up his various adventures - that is to say when I saw it was only 20p on Kindle I thought 'This has been on Waterstones best seller shelves for a while, might as well give it a go!' and boy was it worth it!

Allan is an extremely endearing character. He is very matter of fact, polite and generally nice guy who enjoys a good vodka almost as much as he enjoys his sleep, and the friends he encounters on his adventures are equally likable, even with their somewhat dubious pasts. The adventures he goes on a wildly dramatic for such a sweet, quiet man and in a way he is very much like Forest Gump, if Forest Gump preferred a nap to a run.

I laughed a hell of a lot through this book at all the absurd situations that Allan and his friends find themselves in. I would love to go into detail about some of my favourite moments, but I wouldn't want to spoil them as what makes them so incredible is how unexpected they are. Entertaining, easy to read and wonderfully written, I would highly recommend this book. Five stars!

Happy Reading!

xx

Currently Reading: Attatchments by Rainbow Rowell
Vagina: a new biography  by Naomi Wolf