For the Outsiders- A Response to Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency| CarenzaOnBooks

I'm not really a TV binger or a Netflix binger for that matter, but I watched all eighteen episodes of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency on Netflix in the space of four days recently. To put it bluntly- I flipping loved it and I am deeply sad they cancelled it. This post, you could say, is a love letter to it. As I'm writing it, I'm listening to the incredible soundtrack on Spotify and thinking, when is it acceptable to rewatch it, because if I could, I'd watch it all tomorrow.   

A reoccurring motif throughout the show is the loneliness Dirk feels and his amazement that Todd and Farah want to become his friends. I think at some point in our lives, we have all felt incredibly lonely.  We have all felt like there was none and it's us against the world. And at one point in our lives, we are all as surprised a Dirk to learn there is somebody out there who cares.

Dirk Gently is a bit of an outsider, something myself identifies as. As I said in my Lady Bird response, I don't fit the norm for people my age. My interests could be classed as either being those of someone much older or much younger, depending on how you look at them. I often feel like an outsider when I'm in college. I spend more time by myself than I do with people. I also am often at a loss for what's popular and what's not.

We live in an age of social media. Everything we want is at our fingertips and yet there are still outsiders. Surely, social media and connectivity have fixed this? I don't know who half the popular people are these days and there seems to be some new celebrity gossip every day. 

I remain the outsider in my world and yet, it doesn't phase me. I am content with my lot. Life isn't always about being involved in everyone's moments on Facebook. It's about making your own moments. In conclusion, I am proud to be an outsider, as if I wasn't an outsider, I wouldn't be me.

Carenza x 

Still Growing Up- A Response to Lady Bird| CarenzaOnBooks

A few weeks ago, I saw Lady Bird in the cinema. I had seen the trailer and I thought, here's a film I'm going to enjoy. It's not just another coming of age story, it's a coming of age story we can all relate to and all see ourselves in. It's a coming age story for the people who have no clue what they're doing and the people who are a bit socially awkward. It's the coming of age story for people like me. 

Lady Bird hits harder than any other coming of age story I've seen as at this point in my life, I am going through many of the things she went through. I am in the agonizing process of applying to University. I'm spending my days stressing that I won't be able to get in and if I do get in, how the hell am I going to afford. 

I'm experimenting with what my interests are. I change my main passion all the time because there are so many exciting things happening in the world. One minute, I want to become a best-selling YA author, the next I want to be a Tony award-winning playwright and five minutes later I'm practising an Oscar acceptance speech for a film I've written in my head. Truth is, while I know what field of work I want to work in, I have no clue where it will take me.

Two years ago, I wanted to be the next Cassandra Clare and write urban fantasies, now I want to write plays worthy of Tony Kushner's attention. A few years before that I wanted to be the next Zoella and have a super successful beauty blog. My potential career path has changed more times than I've dyed my hair in the last three years (I've dyed it three times if anyone cares). All these opportunities dance before me and yet pinning them down is the challenge.

Friend-wise, I have a group of phenomenal friends, and yet I find myself content in my own company. I'm not sure where I sit within this friendship group, I'm very much an outsider, and yet they have accepted me as one of their own. Soon, we'll all be leaving and making new friends and going on new, exciting adventures. 

I'm fortunate to have one constant friend, an incredible girl I've been friends with since I was five years old. We've had our ups and downs, as any friendship has had, but we are still friends. We are still there for each other at the end of the day and although we leave many, many miles away from each other, we will always be there. 

I may be nearly an adult and yet I have no clue what I am doing. Some may call my obsession with books and Harry Potter and all things bizarre childish, but they are what make me happy. I wouldn't call my interests conventional- they're niche. They don't quite fit the age range I belong in. 

Truth is, I'm still growing up. And, yes, I am legally an adult in a few months time, but I don't feel like I am nearly an adult. There's still a lot of things I have to experience. First loves. First time leaving home. First car. First job. There are a million firsts before me. I am still growing up, but I'll get there.

Carenza x     

Very Belated February Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

So, it's been a while since I posted....again. Once again, I owe you guys an apology. Life for me at the moment is hectic and as much as I love blogging, I haven't been able to find the time to write. I think I'm going to make a separate post on all the crazy things that are going on, but for now, I thought I owed you guys a February Favourites. Even though it's nearly the end of March (why is time going so fast? Can it please chill for a second?), February was a good month for favourites.

Books

I had a very good reading month in February (full wrap up coming on my YouTube channel soon), but the standout book for me was Simon Vs the Homo-sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. A book discussion on this book will be coming on my YouTube channel very soon. If you are looking for a cute, contemporary featuring an LGBT love story at the centre. I am very excited for the movie adaptation and it makes me so happy that it is getting so much more love and support. Becky's writing style is really addictive- I read this in one day and I am definitely going to have to get her other books and binge read them.    

Culture

I did see The Shape of Water in February, and while it wasn't my favourite film, I did enjoy it. I think it's so interesting and important to have such a diverse cast and creative team at the centre of this film. I'm really glad it won best picture at the Oscars as I do think it deserved it. Also, the soundtrack is incredible, it's by the same composer who did the last two Harry Potter films. 

A TV show I am currently rewatching is the BBC's Adventures of Merlin (also just known as Merlin). This was one of my favourite shows when I was little and I was feeling reminiscent of the past, so I decided to rewatch it. I'm about to start series four and I just don't want it to be over. 

Music wise, I have been enjoying listening to a lot of soundtracks. In February I listened to a lot of Disney and Harry Potter soundtracks. I just find I work best when listening to them and I can often remember the scenes they are from. If you are like me and aren't really into music, then I would recommend listening to soundtracks.  

Bits'n'Bobs

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My favourite Bits'n'Bobs purchase was my plush Niffler that I bought from Platform 9 3/4. I had been wanting one for ages and I had planned to buy one at the British Library exhibition, but they had sold out. I adore him so much, I've decided that he is named Neville as it is a nice alliteration. He was £35, which is expensive, but he's so darn cute I couldn't leave him in the shop. I also got a personalised Hogwarts letter, but as it has my address on it, I won't be showing it. 

So that concludes my super belated February favourites. I'm going to try my hardest to have something up here at least once a week, but if not, at least once a fortnight.

Carenza x