Literary visits: Oxford and the Bodleian Library

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Hi!

Hope everyone is well 🙂

I spent a lovely few days in Oxford soaking up the history and architecture. Having never been, it’s always been on my UK bucket list of cities to visit and I am so glad I was able to finally make it, but actually spend a relaxing few days there.

I spent my days wandering and meandering through the streets just soaking up all of the architecture…and going into as many bookshops as I could obviously😅 Oxford is gorgeous!  Beautiful architecture, and it definitely gave me the Harry Potter vibes! Obviously, they filed a few scenes here and took inspiration from the buildings which is so clear to see when you walk around.

Going to the Bodleian Libraries has been on my bucket list for YEARS. So obviously I had to do this whilst I was there. If you sre interested in going, there are a few options you can choose from:

  • 30 minute tour (£10pp) – this will grant you access to the Divinity School and Duke Humfrey’s Library
  • 60 minute tour (£15pp) – this will grant you access to the Divinity School, Convocation House, Chancellor’s Court, and Duke Humfrey’s Library.
  • 90 minute tour (£20pp) – this will grant you access to the Divinity School, Convocation House, Chancellor’s Court, Duke Humfrey’s Library, Gladstone Link and the iconic Radcliffe Camera.

A word of warning – even through the website says some tickets are available online this is really not the case! Tickets must be brought on the day – you cannot buy tickets in advance. Also, tickets sell out fast and are limited, it’s on a first come first served basis and there are about 20 places per tour! I would recommend getting to Weston Library for 8:30/9am to start lining up as the library opens at 10am as during peak times it can get very busy. Bring a book with you whilst you wait!

Sadly, the 90 minute tour sold out, but I was able to get tickets for the 60 minute tour and for Duke Humfrey’s Library alone, this was so worth it. Ornate, splendour and opulent – it is what you imagine a

Breathtaking. I was so taken aback by the splendour and beauty of this library – and it’s an actual working library! Students can work here and read the books – incredible. Founded in 1488 and opened in 1602, Duke Humfrey donated 300 books to the University of Oxford. Did you know that before this, there were only 20 books on record?! In order to store the 300 books he donated, a library needed to be built, and thus, this gorgeous room was borne. I could have spent hours in here.

I also went to the Divinity School which was used in the Harry Potter films as the Infirmiry In Philosophers Stone and the Yule ball dance scenes in Goblet of Fire. How stunning!

The Divinity School

I then spent the afternoon meandering through different book shops – including the BIGGEST Blackwell’s I have been in, and will ever be in again. The reading room on the bottom floor was INSANE! I walked down the stairs and was completely taken aback by the sheer size and depth, and no matter how far in I went, there was always more to see and find.

But my favourite bookstore was this gorgoeus independent bookshop called Last Bookshop Jehrico. All the books were £5 and under, and there were so many amazing titles – I lost myself in there and even went back a second time because I regretted not buying something. 😅

It was a lovely few days away, filled woth history, books and gorgeous architecture. Definitely worth a trip.

xo

Book review: The Goldfinch

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Hi all!

How are you?

I have been having quite a mixed weeks: some super busy couple of weeks and the latter have been quite chilled which means only one thing: lots of reading!

I’ve been reading such a range of different texts to be honest; mostly fiction, but there’s been a few non-fiction which I have really enjoyed. I’m really trying to finish all the books on my physical tbr before I buy anything new (but I have slipped up a couple of times 🥲)

One of these books is The Goldfinch by Donna Tart. I genuinely can’t remember when I brought this, but I have definitely had it sat on my shelf for at LEAST 4 years 😅 I know, it’s so bad!


I was so conflicted reviewing this. There were parts that I loved, Donna Tart is such a beautiful writer, parts of her prose are sublime and I loved the way the story unfolded through art and it’s peppering throughout the narrative. The backdrop of New York just pulled me in and reignited my desire to go there. And to be honest, the first 200ish pages I was so invested in Theo, his story and where it was going to go. Theo as the protagonist and narrator I didn’t hate, I sort of liked him and yet…

The story dragged SO MUCH. There were so many points during this read I wanted to dnf it but I persevered thinking ‘it must get better, there must be something.’ Now, this wasn’t due to the length, but the boredom of continously reading Theo’s drug and alcohol riddled life events over and over and over…and over again. In all honesty, I must’ve skim read about 250 pages in total and rushed the last 150 pages so that I was done with it.

I felt as though not much happened, especially in the middle 300 pages – Boris and Theo get drunk, again, they don’t go to school, again, they take drugs, again, they throw up…again. Drudgery. Absolutely drudgery. I didn’t like Boris as a character, or what he stood for and represented. I am not someone who feels like they MUST connect with every character, each character should bring a nuance to the story, for better or worse. All of these characters (apart from Hobie and Pippa) did nothing for me. They were bland and one dimensional, bringing nothing to the story. When Theo finally got dragged into the underground drug world, I had become so uninvested in his story – I didn’t care.

Urgh. When will Booker Prize winners stop disappointing me 😢

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book review: Katabasis

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Hello!

This is going to be a tough one.

Let me start with saying that I LOVE Kuang’s prose and her story building, her meticulous attention to detail through research and her character building – Babel, for me, is just sublime and a 6* read – and it pains me to say this, but Katabasis just fell flat for me.

I was lucky to attend an evening with R.F Kuang as part of Manchester’s Literature Festival and it was a joy to hear her speak about her influences, research and love of literature.


I was so excited for Katabasis off the back of Babel and maybe these high expectations are what let me down somewhat.

Kuang writes so beautifully and the English Literature student in me loved all the classical references to Dante, Virgil and Eliot and their works on Hell, their descriptions, their analogies – she borrows from them and weaves it all together giving the beginning of the novel a gorgeous mystical feeling. And yet…Hell is inherently religious, morality and steeped in culture and Kuang strips Hell of this core factor which, I think, removes the imagination and nuances which the classical stories delve into.


The premise of the story is obviously what drew me in and sounded so intriguing, but, for me, the full potential wasn’t reached and I think it’s because I felt a constant sense of disorientation rather than clarity at Alice and Peter’s descent into hell. The plot jumped from bit to bit, the levels of hell all felt separate rather than being cohesive and feeding into each other – the description and prose of each was beautiful, but at times became nonsensical – massive amounts of exposition – and the narrative amd plot became lost in it. I did like the structure it gave the story and I liked that as they went further into hell the prose took on a darker tone.

The characters. I liked Peter. His story, his silent struggle and his need to keep Alice safe. But his relationship with Alice just lacked…everything. I didn’t feel any chemistry or intimacy between them. I wasn’t invested in their ‘love’ story. To me it didn’t feel anything like a love story – just two people forced to be with each other due to proximity.

Alice. Oh Alice. I don’t mind an unlikeable character with flaws – for me they make a story – I just felt like Alice thought so much of her self, that self arrogance linked to Grimes and then right at the end the romantic feelings for Peter. I couldn’t sympathise with her and by the end I just disliked her. Her acknowledgement of misogyny but refusal to do anything, instead to benefit from it and use Grimes’ attraction to her but then cry when he behaves the way he’s expected. Double standards. But because of this flip/flopping between thoughts and opinions I just couldn’t warm to her.

I appreciate what Kuang was trying to do, it just didn’t work for me 😔

3.5 ⭐️

Literary visits: Chatsworth House

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Hello!

I spent such a wholesome Saturday visiting one of the most beautiful country houses: Chatsworth House, used as Pemberly in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. I mean, look at it!

Chatsworth House

My friends and I paid for the house and garden ticket, which was £32. This includes house entry (you do have to book for a specific time) and unlimited time in the gardens. The house inside is gorgeous, if you’re into stately homes you would love this, just look at one of the bookshelves 😍 Of course the library was my favourite room, seeing all of the books, and I could envision myself sat there with a pot of tea for hours on end.

Pride and Prejudice is my favourite Jane Austen novel, and I actually re-read it earlier this year. I adore the unravelling of both Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy and their prejudices against each other as individuals and the societies and communities they come from. Austen artfully encapsulates how pride can affect everyone.

Lizzie Bennet is a strong female character who has strongnopinions and isn’t afraid to voice them, whether it be about marriage, society, or her own family dynamics. Her integrity is both her strength and flaws, but watching her unpick her own judgements and understand that the world and people around her have more depth than she realises is sublime. Austen’s prose beautifully unfolds through the slow burn romance between Lizzie and Mr. Darcy, and it’s so much sweeter when it all comes together. I love that Darcy falls fast and hard for Lizzie but has no clue how to tell her, so he basically says that even though she’s poor, he is willing to overlook this because he loves her. Oh Darcy! Im not surprised she rejected you after that proposal 😅

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

After having read Sense and Sensibility earlier this year, you can tell that Austen’s prose, plot and character development has improved. The dialogue is witty and sharp. She critiques the society around her through the characters and offers the reader life long lessons of what it means to be loved, to self develop and grow and how, if we don’t do this, our prejudices will be our downfall.

There are so many beautiful quotes from the story, but I’ve somehow managed to narrow it down to my top 3″

  • “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will no longer be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
  • “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”
  • “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
Mr. Darcy bust

This has always been a 5 star read for me, and each time I have re-read this, i fall more in love with the prose, characters, and messages. I always unearth something new in every read. This is why I love re-reading, because each time you glean something new from it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

xo

Book review: Sense and Sensibility

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2025 is the year I have dedicated to reading and re-reading classics. I started the year with Pride and Prejudice because…well do I really have to explain myself 😅

But, whilst I’ve watched tv and film adaptations of Austen’s works, I’ve never actually read them!

So, as part of Canterbury Classics Instagram challenge for 2025, I will be reading ALL of Austen’s novels.

March’s read was Sense and Sensibility. Did I pick this up in April and finish it it May? Yes. But hear me out! Work was busy and I had about 5 books on the go…

How pretty is this cover 😍 I love the Chiltern covers. I think I’m going to collect as many as I can. TK MAXX is definitely the place to go for these! I paid £8 for this copy, and they retail for about £20. Absolute bargain.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

What does it mean to be sensible?

I was actually pleasantly surprised by this and the way it unfolded. I’ll be honest, it took me some time to get into it, and I was confused by the family dynamics initially. It holds very similar themes to Pride and Prejudice: bad boy love interest, to marry for love or to marry for money and plucky strong female leads.

Marianne. I actually adored her. I can understand why some people might get annoyed at her and her reactions to things, but I loved her character. Open to all of her emotions and feeling them deeply. She knew what she wanted and she wasn’t afraid to go after Willoughby. She is reshaped and redefined by her heartbreak and illness, which makes her a better person and ends up with Colonel Brandon. Hello! The better option of man, in my opinion. She definitely got the better man. I can understand why some people might get annoyed at her and certain characteristics and over dramatic nature, but she is true to her age and who she is.

Elinor bless her. Always in complete control of her emotions, a complete juxtaposition to her younger sister in pretty much every way. She’s never able to openly discuss her wants and desires, but she is the ultimate big sister: kind, trustworthy and compassionate. I do think she deserved better than Edward. He was not a well developed character, or man, that deserved her. Honestly, I kind of wanted her to end up with Colonel Brandon…

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The bond between the sisters is the core of this novel, I found, not the romantic love. The way they consistently stick up for one another even when they’re fighting. They are both fighing their ‘sensibilities’ and rationale within society trying to make sense of it all. A true sister bond.

Having read this after Pride and Prejudice, I can tell that this was published first:

  • It doesn’t have the same depth of plot or character development (specifically with the men).
  • The pacing isnt great. There are long chunks of the novel where not much really happens, just various visits to family and London.
  • I felt like the ending was rushed.

However, it carries the classic Austen commentary on society and social constructs. She delves into themes or inner turmoil, morality and what it means to have sense and be sensible in a world hindered the growth of women. Austen allows the reader to become immersed in this world through the characters and understand how different people can interact and react to the same situations.

An enjoyable read, if albeit a long one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

xo

Palestinian book recommendations: fiction

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Hello all.

I wanted to share some fictional books written by Palestianian authors. I won’t spend time talking about all the horror that is happening in Gaza right now because I want to shine a light on the gorgeous words that have come from the people of Gaza.

There are NO spoilers below, but I urge you to read as many of these as you can. The prose is lyrical, beautiful and heartbreaking.

Mornings in Jenin

Starting off with a gut-wrenghing novel. Amal is born into the refugee camp of Jenin after her family was forced to flee Palestine in 1948. But here’s the kicker – her brother, a baby at the time, is stolen away by an Israeli soldier.

The vivid imagery that runs through this really immersed the reader and keeps you engaged and hooked until the very end. She really does get across feelings of hopelessness and grief, which can make it difficult to read, but it’s so necessary.

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa

Against The Loveless World

Another by Susan Abulhawa – I really do enjoy reading her work!

This novel. Where do I even begin? Following a young Palestinian refugee, Nahr, we listen to her story, which is being told from solitary confinement, as she becomes more and more radicalised.

Abulhawa blends fact with fiction and it haunts me to this day. It’s a book I think about every couple of days to be honest. The rawness of the prose, the gritty nature of what it means to be a women who is dealt a hand and has to make do in a world that is not meant for her at all.

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

The Sea Cloak & Other Stories

A collection of short stories from Nayrouz that are drawn from her experience of growing up in Gaza. This is a short book, only 100 pages, with 11 stories.

Quick snippets and insights into a range of different characters and a real focus on what it is like to live in Gaza – forcing the reader to envision life there. Short stories are always so much hard hitting I find, because of their length. The message hits harder, the words are more scathing and the prose is more sharp.

I think my favourite short story from the collection was ‘Pen and Notebook’, but they were all gorgeous.

If you are a fan of Susan Abulhawa, then I think you’d really enjoy this!

The Sea Cloak by Nayrouz Qarmout

Minor Detail

Don’t be fooled by the length. Whilst this is very small, 112 pages, it packs a massive punch in feels. I was gifted this by a friend last year and it has stayed with me ever since. If you can’t commit to something longer, this is a great, but impactful, one to start with.

Shibli intertwines the modern with the past. A Palestinian writer risks her life to find out more information about a young Palestinain girl who is raped, killed and buried by Israeli soldiers in 1948.

The story is hauntingly beautiful. The title encapsulates life – how one minor detail can strike any one of us and change our entire trajectory in life. Shibli’s narrative is sharp and gets to the point – there is no hiding.

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

Returning to Haifa

Another short read and a play! I have to read the novella, but the play packs a punch. I read this and feeling more and more deflated and desolate as I got towards the end because I knew how it was going to end, but that didn’t take away from the story.

Two families – one Palestinian, one Israeli – are forced to live out their stories side by side. Starting in 1948, after the Nakba, the plot travels through to 1967, the Six days war, where Said and Saffiya dare to travel back to their home in Haifa and the memories that dome with it.

Returning to Haifa by Ismail Khalidi and Naomi Wallace

A Woman Is No Man

Set in America, Rum tells the stories of three generations of one family of Palestinian American women and their struggle to find their place in this world, in this society and within their own culture. We go through their struggles, desires and shameful family secrets that threaten to tear apart the whole family through the three women – Deya, Isra and Fareeda.

The women, and men, in the novel adhere to and break stereotypes that are forced upon them, and so many others around the world.

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum

I can never do these stories justice. They’re meant to be read. Meant to be cried over. Meant to stir anger and passion.

All of these books were 5 stars for me. They were achingly, heartbreakingly beautiful reads. The imagery, the pain that is at the heart of each story, connecting it. They were all sublime.

Happy reading!

🇵🇸🤍🍉

xo

Geopolitics: India and Pakistan

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…

I don’t even know where to begin with this.

If you’re unaware, over the last few days, India sent missiles into Pakistan in retaliation to a horrific attack that killed 22 people in April.

The history of India and Pakistan is a complex one that can be pinpointed to partition, but in all honestly, that was the culmination of cultural and religious fighting that started before then.

Many 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians whose ancestry hail from India (pre 1947) carry the weight and pain of partition with them, and when the violence between these 2 nations escalates we all hurt.

Tha narrative that says ‘all Indians hate Pakistanis’ and vice versa is hateful and pushes the discord further. It is damaging. It is misinformation. But it is dangerous. It allows specific groups and sects to weaponise it and utilise for their own advantage.

These are lines drawn on a map by people who did not know the land or its people.

Lines that turned into borders that ripped apart families, communities and friends. Forced displacement of millions of people who had no choice but to watch loved ones die. From Amritsar to Lahore, the land has never really healed, it’s people and the diaspora have carried it with them since.

I always find it SO interesting about how geography and politics are so intrinsically linked. How a line on a map can make or break a nation and it’s people. How borders shape identities. How they include and can exclude, who has rights and who does not. The notion of power and control all comes down to lines drawn on a map. History is built on nations going to war all for that extra slice and slither of land to add under their territory.

Why do people fight, kill and maim over lines in the dirt? Why does it matter? Turning swathes of people with shared blood and lineage against one another, what does that get you? Where does it get anyone? And I don’t think it’s the majority of people, but the rhetoric that is coming out of India right now is so hateful.

In a world where it’s so easy to hate, empathy is much harder to have and hold onto.

This all felt like a bit of a rant with no real point, but my heart is heavy.

xo

Thinking about writing!

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So I’ve had the crazy idea to maybe write a novel? I mean, it’s not as if I’ve never thought about it before or haven’t been told ‘oh, you like English and love to read, maybe you should just write your own book!’

I also don’t think it would amount to much, but maybe it would be nice to explore that side of my love for literature? Ah conflicted!

Anyway, I think I might use this space to just throw some bits and pieces out there and I guess we’ll see how it goes.

Any tips would be really welcome!

xo

Book review: ACOTAR 1 – 3

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Hello!

This has definitely been a long time coming…

I recently went through, sorted and cleared out my MANY boxes of books. A woman on a mission, I vowed to get through my physical tbr this year and force myself on a book buying ban (I have already broken this of course🫠). So, I spent a few hours sorting books into piles and came up with a few piles to read.

Whilst sorting, I found A Court Of Thorns and Roses, A Court Of Mist and Fury and A Court Of Wings and Ruin as a trilogy…wrapped in cellophane…with a receipt from 2017. That should give you an indication of how far back my physical tbr goes 😭 But I thought why not, they seem to have had a resurgence lately. About 8 people I work with are reading them, so I thought why not see what all the fuss is about?

Sarah J Maas has worked on creating a universe that is interesting to delve into – all the courts and their personalities – was definitely something that’ll interested me as I read the trilogy and kept me engaged. I did like how she spent time fleshing out these different courts and their High Lords, differences, similarities, unique aspects. With fictional universes, so many times this aspect is rushed, I find, so this was definitely a nice breath of fresh air. A lot of the characters were fleshed out, given somewhat complex personalities. Only so much can be achieved over the course of three books, especially when you have a diverse range of characters.

Freyre

Ah, our protagonist. I wasn’t sure how to feel about her in all honestly. Over the course of the three books, I didn’t feel like her arc progression amounted to much, but maybe she wasn’t meant to. A stable 1st person narrative that allows the reader into the mindset of a girl trying to manage herself in a new and volatile world. It’s a trope that’s been done, of course, time and time again. Set against the backdrop of magic and faeries the strong-willed, fiesty, snarky female didn’t really feel that much different from other fantasy females. I did like seeing the inner conflict and how she dealt with that, the way she loses and then remakes herself in this new world.

Rhysand

I mean. I love me a chaotic good character. Couple that with enemies to lovers…ooh! Rhysand. A white Knight saviour, hidden under the mask of being a prick. I get it. He’s the guy who treats you right, gives you the choices, doesn’t force you into doing something you don’t want. Respectful. But coupled with being messy, willing to be sneaky to get what he needs, all whilst having peoples best interest at heart. I think I would have just liked to see a bit more push and pull between Freyre and Rhysand. Once the mating bond kicked into place, then everything became really easy for them as a couple. No fights or disagreements, really. I think having that would have just added to their relationship.

The inner circle

Definitely very well fleshed out, interesting characters that added richness and depth to the story. Azriel definitely needs a whole arc to himself. Mor…it’s been 500 years, just tell him already. And Cassian, the glue holding them together. Odd love truangle – that wasn’t really a triangle – but was forced to be was odd for me, especially when nothing came from it? It had been teased for two books and then nothing? I delt slightly cheated if i’m honest. I felt like Amren just disappeared from A Court Of Wings and Ruin, appearing sporadically and not really doing much when she arrived.

Writing and pace

The pace of the trilogy was pretty decent. I didn’t really feel like there were any major sections that were unnecessary. The plot itself tied together quite neatly with no plot holes and a somewhat happy ending for all involved. I do think the writing of the courts and the world building could have done with more  “show not tell”. I never felt 100% immersed in the courts. I could envision them well enough, but I wanted to feel like I was there, the smells, the sounds, the fell of the grass and roughness of the bark and ash trees.

I understand why people are raving about this series. For me, it was okay. Nothing special, but an easy read with decent pacing. Would definitely help to get someone out a reading slump if need be.

Overall rating for the trilogy: 3/5

xo

I feel sick.

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I’m currently in my 10th week of lockdown, and to be honest quarantine life hasn’t really made me want to write about anything.

But yesterday, another innocent black man was murdered in America by the police. This is the third black person to have their life cruelly taken away from them in the space of a few months because of police brutality.

Because of inherent racism in a country that calls itself openly ‘the land of the free.’

Because of a systematic and biased system that is supposed to be there for the people, not just a small selection of people they deem worthy of their protection.

It is disgusting and sickening for me to see this. And I’m tired. Tired of seeing black people mercilessly black listed, oppressed and denied their human rights. How many more innocent lives will be claimed and taken before they should be? How many more families will lose loved ones? How many more children will be scared to step outside of their own homes?

Staying silent, knowing that what is happening is wrong, is just as complicit as doing nothing. We need to use of platforms to show solidarity, to show our support and to make noise loud enough the world over to show that we will not stand for these injustices. I am reminded of this poem from 1946 as I type this out and I would urge you all to read it.

Just because you are not black does not mean that you cannot empathise with their plight. You can make yourself an ally and show your support:

  • Educate yourself – don’t just take what you read and watch on TV and social media as fact. Research it for yourself.
  • Ask someone – if you don’t feel like you know enough, or you need help understanding or clarification don’t be afraid to ask.
  • Promise to listen – give people a platform and your ear. Listen to their grievances.
  • Step in – if you see racial injustice, no matter how uncomfortable you may feel, step in and help.

For too long we have sat back and watched as people from different races and backgrounds have been persecuted and killed, made to feel worthless and scared of living in the countries they’re born in and done nothing. We need to do more and we need to do it now. The time for change is here.

I am here and I am an ally. I will stand up for you and I will not back down from your fight.

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery.

Say their names✊🏽

xo