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International Women’s Day 2018!

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Hi!

Happy International Women’s Day to all! ❤

Today is a day for all women to come together and celebrate the strides we’ve made, but to also look at how far we still need to go. It’s also a day for some men to moan about “why isn’t there a International Men’s Day?” (November 19th btw). What makes this IWD so special is that 2018 marks 100 years since some women (and all men) were able to vote in the UK (#100yearsofsuffrage whoop!)

To commemorate IWD and 100 years of suffrage, I really wanted to talk about a woman who I only recently found out about, but have been obsessively researching and reading about.

I was listening to the Suffragette Centenary Special with Guardian Live – part 1, which you can listen to on any podcast app (I use CastBox) or you can also listen on YouTube, when a member of the panel, Anita Anand, mentioned Princess Sophia Duleep Singh. To be honest every time I hear an ethnic sounding name I instantly sit up straighter and commit the name to my memory so I can go on a Wikipedia binge. It’s still so rare to hear them that I’ve almost trained my brain to seek them out.

Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was a fascinating woman. She was the daughter of the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire (who gifted the Kohinoor diamond to Queen Victoria), the god daughter of Queen Victoria, became involved in, and an active member, of the Suffrage movement, then became President of the Suffragette Fellowship Commitee after Emmeline Pankhurts death in 1928, and rubbed King George V and Winston Churchill up the wrong way with her activism and refusal to pay taxes.

There’s a story that Anita told on the panel about Princess Sophia and it’s stuck with me and really just embodies what International Women’s Day is all about, and what we should strive for. During the Black Friday incident of 1910 many women were severely assaulted physically and sexually by police after marching on the House of Commons to protest the stopping of extending the right to vote. Now, Sophia was one of the women who led the march, alongside Emmeline Pankhurst and Louisa Garrett Anderson and was severely manhandled by police, but what really got her blood boiling was she she saw a fellow suffragette be thrown repeatedly on the floor by a policeman and she demanded recompense. She put herself between the two of them, pushing him off the woman, and then followed after him. After getting his police number she wrote numerous complaints to the police force about the way the women were treated. Her complaints were so numerous and vast, and she so famous, that they made their way from police to the government, all the way to the Home Secretary at that time – Winston Churchill – who scored the words “send her no more replies” deep at the end of her last complaint.

God, I love that so much. She never backed down from a fight and dedicated her life to attaining what was right and true for all women. She didn’t have to. As a woman of status and wealth and who had the favour of Queen Victoria, she could have led a simple and easy life. But she saw that her privilege and her status could be put to better use. To make a real difference and change in this world regardless of how much money she did or didn’t have. She fought for every woman and not just herself.

We as women should work together, building each other up rather than tearing each other apart. Division will not make us stronger, and if we are divided what will we accomplish? I feel so blessed, proud and insanely lucky to have so many strong, independent, fierce, beautiful women in my life who will always have my back. Who will forever see the best in me and raise me up when I am at my lowest. And to the random women who’ve helped me when I’ve fallen (I’m very clumsy!), those who’ve helped console me after public racial discrimination and abuse, the women who’ve complimented me on the streets, and the women who’ve liked, read and shared my blogs in the past, it means so much. Because this is what IWD is – coming together, working together, fighting for each other whoever we are and where ever we may be in the world to achieve equality.

You can get Anita Anand’s book about Princess Sophia here Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary, and I would highly recommend it.

xo

Tbr: January

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Hello 😊

So many books, so little time!

I’ve splurged on quite a few books over the past few months but haven’t read any of them (yet!) So I should probably get a move on, read them, and then buy more 😁

So here’s my tbr for the month, hopefully I get through them all! (I’ve linked them all if anyone would like to buy 😊)

  1. Swing Time – Zadie Smith
  2. A Court of Mist and Fury – Sarah J. Maas
  3. Outlander – Diana Gabaldon
  4. Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
  5. So Happy it Hurts – Anneliese Macintosh

I’m currently reading 3 of these at the same time because I just couldn’t pick one to start and I’m already halfway through How to be Happy so we’ll see how it ends. At the moment the story itself isn’t really gripping or keeping me interested (I started it in November…) But it is a light read, so I’m easing myself into the year with a nice and gentle story😊

I also want to re-read a few if I get the chance.

(I may have put in another book order after writing this…)

xo

New year, new…?

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ah 2017. What a year.

I’ve decided that heading into 2018 I’m not going to go with the‘new year, new me’ mantra. It’s far too much effort for one, and secondly, i’m kinda happy with who I am right now, so why change myself completely right? Instead this year i’m going to build on who I am and what I want out of my life, personally and career wise. Not that 2017 was a terrible year for me, but it could have been so much more. There were low points and hardships as always, but there was so much to be grateful for and happy about.

This poem from Milk and Honey really enforces and encapsulates what 2017 was all about, for me anyway. In 2017 we saw the power of the people✊ From women’s rights to LGBTQ rights, to speaking out against sexual harassment and assault to the BLM movement, 2017 was all about the power of saying no. No more to staying quiet. No more to being walked all over. No more to hiding in the shadows. Refusing to quench the fire of injustice and sitting idly by. I would like to thank Donald Trump in that respect. His outright and blatant racism, homophobia, sexism and general idiocy has brought about an outpouring of defiance from us as a society, as communities and as human beings.

Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur

We’re tired of all the bullshit that’s been fed to us over decades. Our opinions do matter no matter what anyone else tells us otherwise. Do our opinions make us less beautiful? Hell no. It’s our opinions that make us who we are.

So I’m going to carry the momentum and mantra of 2017 into 2018, I refuse to let the fire burn out. I’m going to build on it, re-enforce it and use it. Use it to take risks and not allow people to put me in a box.

xo

One of my favourite quotes!

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Ah quotes, quotes, quotes. All the quotes. Quotes for daaaaays.

“And though she be but little, she is fierce.” – William Shakespeare [A Midsummers Nights Dream]

This is one of my all time favourite quotes and one of the things I live by and try to embody. In fact, before I knew of this quote I introduced myself at university as “small yet mighty.”

For me, this quote shows that there is nothing to be afraid of from being labelled as ‘fierce’. I may be little in height (or perceived as’smaller’ as a woc, poc, or just because I’m a woman), but those insignificant details won’t stop me from being fierce. It won’t stop me from standing up for what is fair, what is right and what is just.

It’s also (for me) a nod to all the women in the world, who’ve come before me and paved the way for the world we now live in. Things aren’t perfect, we can definitely attest to that, but we’re on the way to making the world a more inclusive place. There’s just a few blocks ahead of us.

I may be little, but oh man can I roar.

xo

Introduction to me?

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Hello everyone! Hope you’re all well😊

I was recently told by a friend of mine that my blogs aren’t personable enough. So while I develop my writing style, I thought why not do a #meetthebookstgrammer blog with some added q’s ( I probably should’ve started with this one tbh).

So here goes!

  • Where are you from?

Manchester, England.

  • When did you start blogging?

March 2017.

  • Would you rather be an author or publisher?

Publisher. But I’d love to have the confidence to dabble in serious writing.

  • Do you prefer standalone books or series?

Series usually, but there are great standalones that I adore. Can I say both???

  • Authors who inspire you?

Urgh. So many. But J.K Rowling and Jane Austen always aaaand Toni Morrison and Khaled Hosseni.

  • Where in the world do you want to travel to the most?

New York. But I want to see the World tbh, just need the time and the money.

  • Favourite book to film adaptation?

Not a film, but Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. The show sticks closely to the novels and the writing/plots that makes them great, but they also change things up still keeping in line with the characters and stories. I just feel like books to film adaptations are pretty much always a let down because there’s so much to cram into a short space of time.

**EDIT**

Gone Girl! Man that was a great book to film adaptation. They did slightly downplay the psychotic nature of the main female protagonist I felt, but kudos on capturing the destructive nature of the book on screen.

  • Least favourite book to movie adaptation?

Ooh there’s a few🙃. Eragon. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. The Hobbit. The Golden Compass (Northern Lights). I could name so many more.

As much as I adore the books, the HP films were a little let down compared to the amazing writing of Rowling. Although I have to say Prisoner of Azkaban (for me) is the best HP book to film adaptation. It stuck to the magic of Rowling’s writing and really brought to life the story. Alfonso why you no do all 8🙁

Having said that about the series as a whole, they can stand alone from the books which I do think is a great thing. They allow more people to come into the Potterverse even if they’re not the biggest readers.

  • Cats or dogs?

Cats, but I do love dogs too.

  • If you were stuck on a desert island, which 3 books would you take with you?

Urm…err…hmm…well maybe…ahh…the…gah…help!

  • Favourite quote?

Most of you probably have the same problem as I do, in that I can’t pick just one! But one that’s stuck with me over the years is:

“Though she be but little, she is fierce” – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare.

Good ol’ Wills!

So that’s me pretty much! I’d love to see your answers to these questions or just the general #meetthebookstagrammer q’s😊

xo

A book for every mood

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Hello😊

Does anybody else have a book they automatically reach for when things get a bit shit and you’re feeling a tad insecure, low and generally down? Mine’s North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley. I picked this up, ooh, about 8/9 years ago when I was around 15/16 I think. I remember cruising Amazon not looking for anything in particular (like I do most nights🤣) and I happened upon it. The first line of the blurb grabbed my attention, “how far would you go to find true beauty?” I mean what a question. When you’re a teenager that’s one of the most prevalent questions really isn’t it? ‘What can I do to be prettier/liked/popular/cool…?’ take your pick, there’s a dozen more interchangeable words you can use.

The story follows a young girl, Tessa, who goes through a journey of self discovery and self acceptance. A port wine stain covers her cheek and dictates how she portrays herself to the world. It’s the age old tale of a young girl who doesn’t quite fit in, trying to navigate her way through society and the world she finds herself in through her passion of cartography and art. As the story progresses she’s forced to realise that the way she’s been living her life, through her own choices and the circumstances around her, isn’t the path she has to continue on. With a controlling and emotionally manipulative father who cages her into a box, it’s takes a boy called Jacob (obv) and a trip to China for her to break down the walls she’s built around her self worth and recognise that her flaws are what make her beautiful, and not her quest to change herself to be the epitome of societal perfection and beauty, “flawed, we’re truly interesting, truly memorable, and yes, truly beautiful.”

The first time I read the novel I remember feeling peace, a stillness within me after I turned the last page. As a 15/16 year old, Tessa’s journey of self acceptance and self love spoke volumes to me. I don’t know why this particular book and the story spoke to me, but it did. Right book at the right time I guess. Every time I read it I felt so much better within myself. Happy. Content. Proud of who I was. I always turned to it whenever I was feeling low, upset, unhappy with who I was, inadequate, or a mixture of all them, and once I’d finished I’d make a mental note of my self worth and why I was important.But unfortunately this feeling didn’t last long and as it faded I needed more reminders. It reached the point where I was reading it at least 2-3 times a week, finishing it and literally picking it up again the following day. And then without realising it, as time went by, I was reading it less and less. Once a week. A couple times a month. Once every 6 months. Now I can’t remember the last time I read it. It’s definitely been at least 2/3 years, but the time frame is slightly hazy.

My university years are when I grew the most as a person, learning to love myself for who I was and North of Beautiful, along with a few other books and supportive and loving friends helped me come to terms with who I was as a person and to not feel like I had to hide myself away because I wasn’t ‘pretty enough’ like I’d been told during my teen years. I hate that. No one should be told they’re not pretty enough, or fit enough, or man enough, or if they did X they’d become more appealing. I still get this, but my skin has grown thicker and I’m able to brush it of much easier than I used to. This is the society we live it, but it shouldn’t be the norm, especially in the social media age we live in. It’s so easy to fabricate a life well led for others to be envious about and to edit images, that’s it’s no surprise depression rates are high and most people feel like they will never be ‘enough.’

This week however, I’ve felt the urge to pick up North of Beautiful for the first time in a long while but it’s okay. Everyone’s insecurities and inadequacies spring up from time to time and this week’s been my turn. Reading the book after such a long time away has been like an old friend welcoming me back. Warm and comforting, enveloping me into a world of safety. Below is one of my favourite passages from the book. It’s the turning point really where Tessa begins to re-evaluate her life and the impact she can have on others if she only learns to love herself and the talents she possesses:

“This is beautiful,” I said, ignoring the shop window to trace the gleaming stone walls fronting another boutique.
“You know what’s funny?” Jacob asked. He didn’t wait for my answer. “You can see beauty in everything, except for yourself.”
I swallowed hard. Erik thought my body was beautiful, Karin that it was enviable. At random times, people had noted that my hands were beautiful, or my hair. The Twisted Sisters had called my art beautiful. Mom had the best intentions and always told me before and after my laser surgeries that I would be beautiful. But no one had ever said that I was beautiful, all my parts taken together, not just the bits and pieces.”

Self love and self worth is so important, but it takes time. No one is perfect, and we should all take the time to recognise our flaws and accept them. Easier said than done I know. I’m definitely still learning to accept all my flaws and I probably will be for the rest of my life. But hopefully as time goes on, they’ll fade further and further away from my consciousness until I don’t fixate on them.

“That’s when it struck me: how gorgeous we all were, even with cellulite and stretch marks, scars and tattoos.” ❤ ❤ ❤

xo

August book goals!

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Hiiiii😊

After spending stupid amounts of money in Paperchase buying pretty stationary😍, I’ve made a conscious effort to put a plan in place and schedule to write more!

My plan is to (fingers crosssed):

  1. Line out any and all my book goals for the upcoming month at the beginning of the month.
  2. Write an update halfway through, see how I’m doing!
  3. And then a review of the overall month at the end.
  4. (Plus any extra blogs I manage to write😁

Soooo…*drum roll please maestro* here are my book goals for August *tada!*

  1. Read at least 3 new books this month AND review them.
  2. Read 2 literary journals/articles.
  3. Write 3 extra blogs on top of the 3 already listed above.
  4. Complete an August reading challenge (if anyone knows of one please let me know😊)

Not massively extensive, but small steps and all. Gosh I really hope I stick to this. Guess we’ll find out in 2 weeks!

Happy August😊

xo

200 years of Austen❤

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Hello 🙂 This is just my little tribute to the brilliant writing of Jane Austen.

Today (or 2 days ago by the time this is posted😶) marks 200 years since one of the most influential women writers died. She, her novels, and characters have managed to stay in the public eye for 200 years. She even got put on the back on the £10 note😊🎉

Gosh, where do you even start with Austen? Her characters? Her mesmerising writing? Her scathing critique of social situations, and society? I’m not even sure to be honest. She’s spawned prequels and sequels, fan fiction, a web series, stage productions, podcasts, and multiple tv and film adaptations. Phew! Did I get everything? It’s like we can’t get enough of her, even 200 years later, constantly being drawn in and enticed by her witty language and bold protagonists. What’s brilliant is that her stories and themes still hold relevance today. Everybody still wants their Mr Darcy, or Colonol Brandon (I’m a hard-core Mr Darcy lover, particularly Matthew McFayden in the 2005 movie😍).

I read an interesting article today about how Austen is lost on teenagers because they can’t understand it. That the deep meanings, intricacies, and themes of her novels go over their heads. I’ve gotta say I completely disagree with this. It’s not that teenagers don’t understand it’s that most teaching methods won’t allow them to gain the understanding and nodules of from her novels. What makes Austen so relevant and brilliant is how accessible her writing is, whether that’s through her novels or the maaaany adaptations and interpretations (Bridget Jones ftw although I am partial to the Bollywood version of P&P😂).

Smart, funny, witty, passionate, and fiery, Lizzie Bennett is probably the most well known Austen heroine, and my favourite. But she’s not without her faults. Her pride and naivety get in the way of her judgement of both Wickham and Darcy. Its not until she’s forced to realise her mistakes that she re-evaluate all she knows and allows herself to become open to change. So beautifully written, Austen isn’t afraid to make her characters flawed, nd that’s what makes them human. No character in an Austen novel is perfect. Perfection for Austen is superficial only. No-one, no matter how much they claim, can attain that level of perfection because reality dictates it as unattainable. It’s down to this and Austen’s frankness of society that’s allowed her work to transcend over the past 200 years.

For me there’s an Austen novel and heroine for everyone. You just have to find it. So thank you Jane. Thank you for writing 6 of the greatest novels in the English language. But not only that. Thank you for being one of the pioneering women writers in a time where it was frowned upon. Thank you for showing and proving that some of the greatest stories come from those who are oppressed and that all they need is one chance to get their story out there.

xo

20 years of Harry Potter ❤

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Hello 🙂

Okay so I know that it was yesterday since Philosopher’s Stone was released 20 years ago (whelp!), but I was kinda busy with Eid…so free pass?

I just wanted write a little something to commemorate the day, but where do I start? These books mean so much to me. They’ve impacted my life in a way that no other book has done since, and I don’t think any book will. From receiving my first detention at 8 (because I was too busy sneakily reading Chamber of Secrets rather than doing my Maths work🙊😂), to making long lasting friendships over the years through our love for the books.

They taught me about love, life and friendships. To not back down, to fight and stand up for what I believe in. To be just and true. That being smart or a nerd isn’t a bad thing, that true friends will always be there for you. They taught and showed me so much. I could go on for eons (might have to do regular HP blogs😅), but they’re so rich in story telling, intricately woven layer upon layer through each book that with every read I unearth new gems that were previously hidden to me.

Philosopher’s Stone

Philosopher’s Stone sparked off my insatiable literary passion, and I was hooked from the very first chapter. The magic literally flowed off the page and into my brain and I’ve never looked back. I also found a plethora of strong female characters, wildly flawed that made them human. Hermione Granger, untamed, wild and unapologetic. Gosh I love her. I saw myself in her and really connected with her and her struggles. The combination of her, Ginny and Luna showed me in my teen years who I wanted to be. That being female, a strong female at that, isn’t anything to be ashamed of.

Thank you Jo. For creating this amazing world and sharing it with all of us. For never making us feel ashamed for loving it with a passion that could be considered obsession. Thank you creating a magical world where so many have found safety and belonging.

“Whether you come back by page or by film, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.” – JK Rowling.

xo

All kinds of cliches

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Hello☺

So nearly 2 months on from this blog post, have I managed to change things? Well…yes and no. So far I have:

  1. Utilised my time more effectively in the mornings on my commute into work by reading more🎉
  2. Taken a notebook around with me everywhere as well so that I can jot down all my ideas and thoughts. I’m actually loving this one! Just writing down my ramblings on paper made me realise how much I miss the simple act of putting pen to paper.

Aaaaand that’s pretty much it🙈 Although 2/5 from my list isn’t too bad I guess. I’m still a little annoyed that I haven’t been able to implement the others, or even get a start on them. Work has been super hectic this month and I’m really hoping after this week everything dies down a heck of a lot so I can invest more time into my writing and reading even more.

I did come across the below quote by Stephen King recently that really made me snap back into focus and realise what it is I’m passionate about. Writing has always been something I’ve never been 100% comfortable with. I mean don’t get me wrong, I can write a damn good essay, but that’s pretty much it. Facts, opinions and a strong solid subject. But writing for myself has always alluded me because I think I’m just not good enough. That my writing won’t be as inviting or intriguing as some of the amazing work I’ve read by my favourite authors, or my peers. But it’s this kind of thinking that’s held me back, and probably holds a lot of people back. Doing something (whatever it may be) for the sake of others, whomever they may be, won’t allow you to reach your full potential. Do whatever makes you happy for you. After all, you’re going to be the one investing your time and emotion, no-one else. It needs to make you happy.

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” ― Stephen King

As a lover and student of literature, I know it’s been buried deep within me to write a novel or something one day, even if it’s just for myself and no-one else. I would love to devote more time to it if I can. Hopefully this blog will inspire me to keep on going.

xo