My favourite song

If their is a song that I could listen to for the rest of my life, it would be Iris by Goo Goo Dolls. Without a doubt. There is something about the song and the lyrics that really get to me. I play it when I am writing, I play it on my way to uni, I play it when I am reading, I play it just before I go to bed at night. For me, songs are more about the words than they are about the melodies and the instrumental (although, who doesn't appreciate the opening to Guns N' Roses Sweet Child O' Mine which has equally great lyrics!) The lyrics in this song are so powerful and relatable in so many ways. When someone asks me what music I listen to, I usually say rock, pop, and anything in-between. But, to be honest, I like all music. Most of the time, my music taste is quite eclectic and I have to keep my earphones on so that my parents don't have to listen to it. Generally, I appreciate anything that has moving lyrics. Sweet Child O' Mine, Time by Pink Floyd (or anything by Pink Floyd), My immortal by Evanescence, Thank you for the venom by My Chemical Romance, The Pass by Rush, Fallen Angels by Black Veil Brides (just because I can't not put a BVB song on here because I love them!). All these songs have great lyrics, in different ways. I know it can be quite hard to pick a favourite song, but these are just ones that I play a lot. I also listen to a lot of the radio one live lounges. 5SOS's drown was great, Miley Cyrus made me fall in love with Summertime Sadness which I didn't actually like when it came out and 30 Seconds to Mars cover of Stay was super cool (got to love Jared Leto!) So yeah, this post was quite random. I've been very into my music lately and these are just a few of the songs I've been at the moment.

 (obviously the colour in the printer was running low)

Iris by Goo Goo Dolls lyrics

And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't wanna go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
When sooner or later its over
I just don't wanna miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive

And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am


Do you have any favourite songs?

Lauren x

Review | Everything Everything

Hello! I have had this book for a little while now and I have literally just put it down. Everything Everything is a debut novel by Nicola Yoon.

On paper it has everything (...everything) that I expect and love in YA contemporary novels. Madeline has a rare illness called SCID (which basically means she is allergic to the world) and is not allowed to leave her house and is under constant surveillance by her overprotective mum and Spanish nurse, Carla. At the start she seems content with reading books in her bedroom and repeating the same day over and over again. That is until she see's Olly. Olly's family moves in next door (with secrets of their own). Olly is an energetic, yet mysterious guy who wears head to toe black. Madeline stares out of the confinements of her bedroom window at Olly, free as a bird. Bundt cakes, secret internet conversations and limericks lead to a romance that's as passionate as it is destined to destruct.

What struck me as interesting and different to other novels of this kind was the illustrations. I mean, I'm not really a visual person, but I loved the illustrations and contrast between short and long passages of text. As a reader you could really get inside Madeline's head. We had access to her reviews and spoilers on books and her own personal dictionary. You can see a love for words within both Madeline and Yoon herself (which of course I loved and related to). The chapters were each named accordingly to Madeline's emotions, like her own personal diary e.g. 'life is short' and 'a tale of two maddy's'. The book was quirky in style is what I'm trying to say and reflected Madeline's personality.

It wasn't until the end (without revealing too many spoilers) that I realised just how much of a fairy-tale this story was. I love fairy tales myself, but there are  only so many you can read without them all becoming the same. I admire the modernised stance on a fairy-tale and feel it succeeded in that I was shocked at the climax of the story. However, I wasn't too surprised at the ending. It reminded me too much of Rapunzel, whether that's a good thing or not, I'm still not sure because aren't all Shakespeare's stories based on other stories, and Shakespeare's great!

I'm happy that I read this novel (because who doesn't like a gorgeous teen romance story?) It was written beautifully and I felt real empathy for Madeline and her condition.


There was one passage I re-read a few times. It stuck with me.

'I read once that, on average, we replace the majority of our cells every seven years. Even more amazing: We change the upper layers of our skin every two weeks. If all the cells in our body did this, we'd be immortal. But some of our cells, like the ones in our brains, don't renew. They age, and age us.
In two weeks my skin will have no memory of Olly's hand on mine, but my brain will remember. We can have immortality or the memory of touch. But we can't have both.'

It's tragic, but I'd live it all over again.

 

****

"Every moment I spend with him I learn something new. I become someone new."

"There's more to life than being alive."

"A universe that can wink into existence can wink out again."

"He's the biggest risk I've ever taken."

University!

I started university last week. 

I am studying English and American Literature with Creative Writing. Obviously, I expected there to be a lot of work, but oh my goodness is there! Not necessarily written, but the amount of reading we are expected to do is unbelievable. I had to read Oedipus the King by Sophocles and The adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi last week. 

This week I am reading Hamlet by Shakespeare and My brilliant career by Miles Franklin. To me, reading is an important part of my life, but these books aren't necessarily what I'd choose to read myself, but I'm excited about them nonetheless.
 

 
In this post, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about what university has been like for me at the moment.
 
My timetable is relatively good. I have to be in for three days a week (not bad, eh?) Only, I have to be in at 9 on two of those days so that means waking up at 6.30 and driving 40 minutes there each day.

My first day was extremely stressful. I didn't know where to park, so I ended up parking ages away from the main campus. When I had my first seminar, I didn't have a clue where I was going! All of the buildings go round and round in circles and I couldn't understand the room numbers. In one building, all of the doors kept leading to the same places and it took me 40 minutes to find it! The teachers insist on you introducing yourself as well, but I never know what to say so I end up mumbling nonsense. I felt completely alone all day and out of place when most people knew where they were going and had made friends.

But when the first day was over, I started to get the hang of everything. I still don't know where everything is, but I can find my way around most places.

My favourite module at the moment is my narrative theory and practice one. We are studying Aristotle's Poetics which luckily I had already studied before. It is the creative writing aspect of my course. I'm hoping to really better myself as a writer through this module.

My lectures so far have been boring as hell. I don't know whether it's because they are in the morning and I'm still adjusting to the day (sound a bit like a vampire), but they are just so dull. I mean, who really wants to listen to someone droning on about Plato's The Republic at 9 in the morning?!
 

 

I was surprised by how involved the seminars are. I am a very shy person. I don't like to be the centre of attention. I hate speaking up in a group. One thing I dislike at the moment is how the seminar leaders pick on you, just like in school, which I hate. I mean, if I have an answer and want to tell you, I will. They are also very into presentations!

I am not.

We have to do several presentations throughout the year. I took the sign-up sheets and flicked to the very back so that I could get the very last presentation spots! I didn't even look at what I had to do it on, I just choose some of the last ones. To me, it's all torture. I never used to mind doing presentations when I was in sixth form because we were in small groups and most people were my friends, but I don't know anyone at the moment. Some people seem friendly. But most just aren't. Don't get me wrong, I've spoke to some nice people. But out of all my seminar classes, I think there are about two people I could become friends with. I know, I know. I shouldn't judge people, I've only been there two weeks. It's just, I'm one of these people who knows what people I like to be around. I haven't found many of them yet. Yet.

 
 
I noticed a lot of people coughing in some of my lectures. I hate germs! The thought of being in a room with sick people, makes me want the ground to swallow me up. I was hiding underneath my jacket in one of my lectures as a girl behind me was choking away. I can't concentrate on the lecture, because all I can think is 'all of those little germs from that girls mouth are slowly finding a new home - and that home will be me!' Of course, they are going to come for me. I can't avoid it in a room full of sick people. Aggh!

This morning, I woke up and my throat felt like it was being scratched and my ears were ringing. So, yeah, now I'm ill! But luckily, that means now I have an excuse to drink hot chocolate in the afternoon and have soup for lunch. Above is a mug I painted when I was away at Centre Parcs a couple of years ago (amazing isn't it?!)

So yeah, University is going alright. I'm settling in gradually. The work load is pretty tough at the moment. I don't know why, but I didn't think there would be this much to do. You hear a lot about students leaving everything until the last minute and still passing, so I didn't think it would be this bad. Boy was I wrong!

P.S. I wasn't planning on being one of those students who leaves everything until the last minute...


Thanks for reading :D

Review | Eleanor and Park

Last night, I finished reading Eleanor and Park. I started reading it when I was on holiday in Rhodes. Do you ever read a book really slowly so that it never ends? Well, I was probably reading about two chapters a day!

I loved loved loved this book. Rainbow Rowell, the author of Eleanor and Park, has created two characters I just can't get enough of. And not just the characters, the story and the plot is very well done and kept me turning pages (as reluctantly as I was to do so).

The story is set in 1986 America, a time full of racism and discrimination. Eleanor is an eclectic, stubborn and self-loathing sixteen year old with unruly, red hair and an odd fashion sense. She was kicked out of her house by her horrid, abusive, alcoholic stepfather and has now returned home to a life of poverty and oppression where she lives in fear of her every move. Meanwhile, Park, is a reclusive, half-Korean, black t-shirt wearing kid at the back of the bus with a love of comic books. He leads a decent life at home with a stylish, Korean mum and straight-talking father who teaches him how to drive. Eleanor and Park meet on the school bus. Everyone has their place on the bus and people are reluctant to give up their seat. Park is too, but feels bad for her so allows her the seat next to him. As time goes on, Park lends Eleanor some of the comic boys he has been reading and this slowly unwinds into casual chat and eventual love. But Eleanor and Park are forbidden to see each other. The world would not allow such a thing, at such a time like this. Their love fights against every obstacle, but unlike in Romeo and Juliet, these star-crossed lovers it seems do have a happy ending, however you want to take those last three words.

I think what makes this book special, is the fact it takes place when it does. Of course other writers have used 1980's America before, but I think for a YA contemporary novel dealing with outsiders, the setting really makes the book shine. It shows that even in a time when people are discriminated against for their race, gender, sexual orientation, love can still blossom and keep people united.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who hasn't already read it. It is a work of pure genius, combining a treasured story of forbidden love with beautiful syntax and elegance. I love the way Rowell loves her own characters, like they are the most important people in her world. It makes them seem so real, and like their lives still go on even when the last words have been read. That's why I give this book 5 big fat stars!

 

*****

 

 

 

 

"I love your name. I don't want to cheat myself out of a single syllable."

 

 "I don't think I even breathe when we're not together." 

 

"But it's up to us...It's up to us not to lose this."