How To Meal Prep As A Student| CarenzaOnBooks

One of the first and most important skills I developed at university was how to meal prep. Meal prepping is a great way of tracking what you're eating and how much money you're spending on food. I would say that it is an essential skill that any student should want to develop if they want to learn how to save a few pennies while at university. I've broken it down into my top six tips for how to meal prep at university!

Make A List of Meals You Know You Like

This seems like a fairly straight forward thing to do, but it is easy to forget. This is something I did this year and it has made planning meals a bit easier than last year. It means that when I plan what meals I need for that week before I go food shopping, I can see which ones I've had recently and make sure I have some variety in my meals. Also, if they are meals you know you like, then you are less likely to waste money on things you don't like. A lot of the meals I have are quite basic and they are ones I've tried at home before just to make sure I like them.

Try to Find Ones With Lots of Similar Ingredients

Again, this is something that can seem like common sense, but it is easy to forget. Having recipes with similar ingredients means that you are always likely to have those ingredients in. For example, it is a well known fact that students are partial to anything with pasta. So, I always have some form of pasta in my cupboard. Ingredients such as pasta are also very versatile so you can get multiple meals out of the same ingredient.

Keep on Top of What Your Essentials Are

If you know what your essential ingredients are, then a useful tip would be to make sure you always have them in the cupboard. As they are going to be something you need frequently, it is beneficial to you to always have them in stock. For example, when I know I am running low on pasta, I always pick up a new bag when I next go shopping. That way, I never run out of it. I also try to get a brand that has two for one when it comes to pasta as it's a useful ingredient to have in stock. 

When Food Shopping, Make a List of Things You Only Need

This is probably my most important tip. When it comes to food shopping, make a list. By making a list, you are more likely to stick to it. This means that you will save money. I know that I have saved a lot of money by sticking to what I put on my shopping list. Occasionally I will buy things on my list because I have forgotten to put them on or they're an affordable price, but mostly I stick to my shopping list. It also means I only buy food that I know I am going to eat and not throw away. Throwing away food is one of my biggest pet peeves and it is something I am really against. By making a list, I always have the right amount of food in for me. 

Be Prepared to Be Flexible When It Comes to Meals

It may seem like an odd tip, but sometimes the meal you've planned for the particular day isn't actually what you want to eat on that particular day. My belief is that as long as you eat the meals you've planned, it doesn't really matter. Being flexible is a really useful skill as it means you can eat a meal you would actually like to eat and still not waste food throughout the week. 

  

Bulk Cooking

Bulk cooking is actually a really good way of making sure you've always got meals in as a student. It's not something I've done to the same scale this year as we have limited space, however even making two meals at once is still a good idea. Sometimes I make two meals at once, then when I have a late finish, I can heat up the spare half of the meal and not take a huge chunk out of my day to cook a meal. It's also a really financially beneficial thing to do as you save money in the long run. 

Book Review- Strange the Dreamer and Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- Strange the Dreamer and Muse of Nightmares

Author- Laini Taylor

Series- Strange the Dreamer Duology 

Published- 2017, 2018 

Page Count- 536, 522 

Publishing House- Hodder&Stoughton

Genre- YA High Fantasy

Rating- 5/5 stars, 4.5/5 stars

About the Author

Laini Taylor (born December 22, 1971) is an American young adult fantasy author and a finalist for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature. She is best known for the Karou or Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, whose third book appeared in 2014.

In 2017, Taylor's novel Strange the Dreamer was released. In February 2018, the novel was selected as a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. The sequel to Strange the Dreamer, titled Muse of Nightmares, was released on October 2, 2018.

Taken from Wikipedia 

Plots

Strange the Dreamer

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around - and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries - including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

In this sweeping and breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, the shadow of the past is as real as the ghosts who haunt the citadel of murdered gods. Fall into a mythical world of dread and wonder, moths and nightmares, love and carnage.

Taken from Goodreads

Muse of Nightmares 

Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.

She believed she knew every horror, and was beyond surprise.

She was wrong.

In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.

Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice--save the woman he loves, or everyone else?--while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.

As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?

Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer.

Taken from Goodreads

Opinions 

For such an incredible book, it's hard to imagine that it took me three attempts to read it. I actually went to a signing for Laini Taylor back in 2017 and had started reading it back then. I then, somehow, acquired the audiobook for it. It wasn't until I was on holiday this summer that I finally picked it up. I then had to start an Audible account just so I could listen to the second book.   

Speaking of the audiobooks, they are some of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to. As the world is highly complex, I found that listening to them meant I understood better what was happening. I also was very happy that the narrator was British as I felt I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much with an American narrator. This is just a personal preference. I was fully invested during my time as I was concentrating so hard on these audiobooks. 

  

I had put of reading these books for ages due to the sheer size and the fact that they were high fantasy. High fantasy is something I normally avoid as I struggle to wrap my head around it. However, such a complex world it felt really well developed. Yes, there were lots of examples of info dumping, but for once I didn't mind as you actually benefited from them as a reader. Like I've already mentioned, I was fully invested during my time as I kept on wanting to learn more about this world and the characters in it.

 

For once, I didn't mind the insta-love element of a book. Normally, this is a big no-no in my mind. However, Laini wrote it so well that I didn't mind. I could tell that Lazlo and Sarai were going to end up together as they were pretty much the only perspectives we got throughout the books. I also felt that they complemented each other very well and were a healthy couple. 

Truthfully, the only thing I wasn't the biggest fan of was the "villain" from the second book. I just felt that it took a very long time to get to know her and how she was a threat to our current characters. She also proved to be quite easy to defeat, even though she killed two characters. If it hadn't have been for that, I would have given both books five stars. 

I would love for Laini to write more books set in this world. I also think it would be a great idea if some kind of history of the world was written. Kind of like the info books you can get for the Harry Potter series and Game of Thrones. If one of those was released, I would happily read it. I also am desperate to reread the first book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bones series and then continue with the series as I think Laini is an author I really admire. 

Carenza x

The Antipodes Review National Theatre| CarenzaOnBooks

Taken from Google Images

Title- The Antipodes
Writer- Annie Baker
Theatre- Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre, London
Running Dates- final performance November 23rd
Running Times- approx 2 hours with no interval
Cast- Arthur Darvill, Conleth Hill, Imogen Doel and Bill Milner
Genre- New Writing
Rating- 4/5 stars

Plot

Following acclaimed runs of The Flick and John, Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Baker returns to the National Theatre with her latest extraordinary play. Their phones switched off, a group of people sit around a table telling, categorising and theorising stories. This is a world that is both familiar and fantastical. Their real purpose is never quite clear, but they continue on, searching for the monstrous. The Antipodes asks what value stories have for a world in crisis. ‘One of the freshest voices in American theatre.’ New York Times

Taken from the National Theatre Website 

Opinions

I'll be honest, before going to see it, I knew nothing about it. I only decided to go and see it because it Arthur Darvill in it and it sounded vaguely interesting. I don't think not knowing much about it impacted my viewing at all as it's the sort of play that you want to go into not knowing much about. 

If you are the type of person that is very invested in plots rather than characters, I would say this isn't the play for you. Personally, I go either way, as long as it's well written. I have a feeling that this play might be a marmite play, you either love it or you hate it. I feel that I fall into the former category. I heard a lot of people saying that they weren't the biggest fan of it due to the fact it didn't really tell a story, however, I also heard people saying they enjoyed the lack of structure. I'd like to see more plays like this as it was an enjoyable experience. 

I really enjoyed how it discussed the theme of writing and how to approach stories. I did agree with a lot of what was being said. It is hard to come up with new ideas when it feels like we are running out of ideas. Originally isn't what it used to be. I also found it a really interesting study on writers room and gender within them. The whole play has a cast of around ten, and only two of the actors are female. It was a well-written social piece and I would happily go see something similar to it again. 

One of the main things I enjoyed was how well acted it was. You got a very clear sense of what every character was like very quickly. For example, Arthur Darvill's character came across as a very stereotypical male who thinks they are the smartest person in the room. Through Darvill's performance, this came across very clearly to the audience. Usually with large ensemble casts, you can tell who is supposed to be the lead actor. But within this production, it felt very balanced. Each actor brought something to their character and it was a pleasant experience getting to watch them bring this play to life. 

Now that I've seen it, I would love to read the script. I would also love to see more of Annie Baker's plays as, like I've mentioned a million times, I really enjoyed this one. 

Carenza x  

My Favourite TV Shows| CarenzaOnBooks

A while back, I made a post all about my favourite movies. In the spirit of that post, I thought I'd make one all about my favourite TV shows. I have a lot of favourite TV shows so picking my favourites is going to be interesting.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Brooklyn Nine-Nine may be my favourite TV show of all time. I only started watching it in March of this year, but I've watched every series at least 4 times. I love that the episodes are only twenty minutes each. The characters are all great. It has the perfect balance between comedy and series moments. Series Six wasn't the best, but I'm hoping once I rewatch it once it drops on Netflix.

Merlin

This is definitely a childhood favourite, however I watched a few years ago and I still really enjoyed it. It could be that I have a lot of memories attached to it, but Merlin and Arthur are great characters. It adapted a well known story into a classic TV show. I rewatched it for the first time since it finished back in 2012 last year and I was surprised by how much I still enjoyed it. 

Sherlock

I still remember watching the very first episode way back in 2010. The wait between seasons would always be antagonising. I rewatched the entire series on Netflix this summer and fell in love with it again. It's cleverly written. The actors are incredibly talented. Part of me wishes I could experience this show afresh over and over because it's that good. Sherlock will always have a special place in my heart. 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

This is the only show on this list that I haven't seen all the episodes for. I have about ten episodes of the final season left to watch and I am determined to finish them before the end of the year. I was raised listening to the soundtrack for Once More With Feeling. Buffy is a phenomenal show and despite the fact that the last episode aired over 16 years ago, it feels timeless. Once I've finally finished Buffy, I will watch Angel. 

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

If you've been a long time reader of my blog, then this one will probably not come as a surprise. When I first stumbled across Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, I just thought it sounded a bit entertaining and was in need of a new series to watch. Little did I know that I would go on to watch it at least three times in that year. I'm still gutted that it never got a third series as it rightfully deserves. If it ever does, I will be over the moon. 

Honourable Mentions 

Like with my my best films post, I thought I'd include some honourable mentions.

Grimm

I've actually just started to rewatch Grimm for the first time since the final season aired and I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying it. I've also forgotten how much of a slow burn this show has. It's another one with great characters and a great world. Can't wait to continue my rewatch.  

Lucifer

This is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine, but I can't help but love Lucifer! It has to be mainly because of Tom Ellis' phenomenal acting skills. I am dying for season five and cannot believe it's going to be the last one. 

 

Agent Carter

If Agent Carter hadn't been cancelled and had had a decent ending, it would have made it on to my favourites section. Peggy is an amazing character and I loved the tone of the show. It's one I'd love to see them revive at some point in the future. 

Doctor Who

I had to include Doctor Who on the list, it was non-negotiable. I've been watching it faithfully since I was a kid. My favourite doctor has to be David Tennant. I'm always excited for the next season and can't wait to see what they do with the show as the years progress. 

Game of Thrones

If it hadn't have been for the final season, Game of Thrones might have made it on to the favourites list. However, due to the dreadful final season, it deserves to be in honourable mentions. I loved the characters and how invested I became. If only it hadn't had such a dreadful final season, the potential that was wasted! 

End of Year Book Tag| CarenzaOnBooks

This is a book tag that I have wanted to do for ages, but I have always left it too late to do. But not this year! This is the year that I finally do the End of Year Book Tag. I saw this on JessetheReaders channel and I found the questions on my bookshelfdialogues blog, to see the questions, click here.

Are there any books that you've started this year that you need to finish?

There are no books that I've started and not finished this year. I have a terrible habit of reading a book to completion even if I don't like it. There are a couple of series that I'd like to finish, but I'm not sure if I will get to them. The first is one that I don't own all the books for, but I have one more book that I actually own and that is the Poldark series by Winston Graham. I have one book left that I actually own so I feel that this is going to be an achievable goal. If I finish all the books that I own, I will get the remaining four or five books in the series. 

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

I didn't have an autumnal book, but I am currently reading a "spooky/halloween" book. I'm listening to the audiobook for Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco. I'm fully aware that it isn't a Halloween book per say, but it was a spookeque book and I have wanted to read this series for a while. So far, it's alright and I have a fairly good idea who could be Jack the Ripper in the novel, but I'm hoping that I'm wrong. 

Is there still a new release that you're waiting for?

There a quite a few new releases that I'm waiting to arrive, but have already come out. I am really looking forward to reading the sequel to Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson. I'm also looking forward to read The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White, I'm in the mood for a Merlin based story.   

What are three books that you want to read before the end of the year?

How could you make me choose only three books? There are so many, but I'm not sure I'll get to all of them. If I was forced to choose three, then I would choose Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I am really excited for the upcoming adaptation. I would like to read Find Me by Andre Aciman as I loved Call Me By Your Name, both the book and the film. The final book I would choose is How to be Famous by Caitlin Moran. I listened to the audiobook for the first one and even though I wasn't the biggest fan, I would like to keep up with this series.  

Is there a book that could still shock you and become your favourite of the year?

I think I have found my favourite book of the year, but there is always the chance I could find a new favourite book. I won't know until I read it though! So far my favourite book came out of the blue and I'm not sure if anything can top it. 

Have you started making reading plans for 2020? 

So far my reading plans for 2020 are pretty much the same as 2019. I'm hoping to continue to tackle my backlog of books to be read. I'm just hoping to have another good reading year and keep up the mentality I've had towards books.

Carenza x

What's In My Uni Bag- Creative Writer Edition| CarenzaOnBooks

I never thought I'd post something like this, but I figured it would be interesting as I don't see many of these posts aimed at art students. I'm not saying that I bring anything special with me but we're all naturally curious and if you're a fellow creative writing student, then this might give you some idea of what you might need on a day to day basis.

I thought before I actually got into what I bring with me, I'd talk about the bag I take with me. I'm very basic and I have a Kanken backpack. I wanted to invest in a good quality backpack after going through so many in the past few years. It's a really good size and has everything I could need in a backpack. I like that it has a bulky main pocket, with a small one on the front and two side pockets. I don't really use the mini front pocket, but I use the main one and one of the side pockets. Yes, they are pricey but I wanted a quality backpack that I can use for many years to come. I got mine in a black colour as it goes with everything.

One thing I cannot leave the house without are my many notebooks. I usually carry two types of notebooks with me on a typical day. Firstly, I have my Moleskin exercise books. I stumbled across these last summer and I haven't gone back since. They're the best quality notebooks I've ever had and are affordable. You can get a pack of three for around £9-£13, which I think is pretty decent. I use these notebooks for all of my lectures. This year, I have already filled one and am on my second. They have around 120 pages, the last 20 or so you can pull out. They also have a pocket thing at the back which is really handy for putting in loose sheets that I need to stick in. I then also bring an old A4 notebook with me. This is for making rough notes. There are days when this is a bit excessive, but sometimes I use it to lean on things. I know that if I didn't carry around these notebooks, I wouldn't get half the amount of work done that I do.

Next, I always bring my pencil case. I actually have one that I got in my first ever bookish subscription box, back in February 2016. It's a good size and it looks nice. I carry a decent amount of pens and highlighters with me. This is probably really nerdy but I recently bought a new favourite pen and it is so nice to write with. My handwriting looks great and my notes also look great. The only thing I don't like is that if I highlight stuff, it smudges. A pencil case is a uni essential so I'd say it's worth finding one you like and that it carries everything you need.

Something I cannot live without is my trusty Harry Potter Planner. I don't know how long I coped without it. I know I wouldn't get anything done if I didn't write it down. I am not a huge fan of digital calendars and planners, so this is perfect for me. I have a whole blog post about how I use my planner, if you are interested in reading it, click here.  

As a Creative Writing student, I always have some book on me. I mostly have books that I have to read for my course, but occasionally I'll bring a book that I want to read. It does mean that my bag does get pretty heavy as I carry a lot of big books sadly, but I'm sat down for most of the day, so it's not too bad. 

I also bring lunch with me to uni as it's cheaper than buying something from one of the many cafes on campus. I never leave home without my water bottle. I've been making an effort to drink more water and I'm finding that I am actually drinking way more than I was over the summer.

This technically doesn't go in my bag as it doesn't fit, but I also usually bring a folder. I have one that I bought while I was on holiday in Bruges for 2 euros. I really like it, but it would be so much better if it fitted in my bag. I get a lot of handouts to read and it's really useful to have somewhere to put them during the day. 

Carenza x 

Feeling Burnt Out- The Creative Killer| CarenzaOnBooks

Something I have been struggling with recently is feeling burnt out. I've been feeling disconnected from my creative side and uninspired to do things that are creative. This has become apparent, especially when it comes to my social media, especially with my blog. 

Compared to this time last year, I am incredibly busy. I feel like I have a never ending to do list and there is always something I should be working on. It doesn't help that the second year of any degree is fairly intense, plus I am now working on the student magazine, I have some minor part time jobs, I'm working on my blog and trying to balance all of this with having a normal life. You can see how all of this piled on top of me has lead to a creative burn out. 

Normally when it comes to my blog, I write the posts a week in advance. I write one a day as a way of spreading the work out and not feeling overwhelmed. Well for the last two weeks, I have been writing three blog posts in one day. I haven't been pre-writing and am feel a pressure to keep on top of this amount of work. I also have been struggling with my new commitment to the student magazine. I have a lot of articles to write and I put them off until I have to work on them. 

With my blog, I have noticed that I don't feel inspired in the same way when I started working on it back in September. Three posts a week is a lot. Coming up with around 15 ideas a month is difficult. All of this work has lead to a burn out. I feel uninspired and uninterested. I don't want to do anything that is vaguely creative. Sitting in bed all day, watching TV feels right. Yet, it also feels wrong. There is a more deep-seated issue here, but that's for another blog post.

I'm trying to feel inspired to work on my blog and my other creative projects. But I definitely stuck in a rut. Everything I try to work on feels unoriginal and lacklustre. I want to be creative but right now I don't have it in me. The smartest thing to do right now would be to step away and take some time to work on my problem. But that feels like giving up to me. So I'm trying to push my way through it. This probably isn't the healthiest way of coping with my problems, but I don't know what else to do.

When your whole life revolves around writing and being creative, it isn't hard to drive yourself towards a burnout. I think this is the first time in my life where I've actively been able to spot that I'm stuck in a burnout. I think that my way out of it is to spot that I am stuck in a burnout and to acknowledge that I have a problem. If this is something that I love doing, then it shouldn't feel like a chore. My problem is is that I am approaching it like I job. It is something that I am doing for fun. 

It will take time to work on this. My problems won't be fixed overnight. But to anyone else who is feeling burnt out, it isn't the end of the world and eventually you won't feel like this. Feeling burnt out is a totally normal part of the creative process. If we functioned at 100% all the time, then we wouldn't be a well rounded person. I may have to take some time away to work on my problem but at least I know that, through writing this, I have taken the first step to fixing it.

Carenza x     

Book Review- Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- Serpent&Dove
Author- Shelby Mahurin
Series- Serpent&Dove Duology
Published- 2019
Page Count-519
Publishing House- HarperTeen 
Genre- YA Fantasy  
Rating- 5/5 stars 

About the Author

Shelby Mahurin grew up on a small farm in rural Indiana, where sticks became wands and cows became dragons. Her rampant imagination didn't fade with age, so she continues to play make-believe every day—with words now instead of cows. When not writing, Shelby watches the Office and obsesses over her Twitter feed. She still lives near that childhood farm with her very tall husband, semi-feral toddlers, two dogs, and one cat. Shelby's favorite books include A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and, of course, Harry Potter. Her debut novel, Serpent & Dove, will release from Harper Teen in Fall 2019, with a sequel to come the following year. She is represented by Sarah Landis of Sterling Lord Literistic. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. 

Taken from Shelby's Website

Plot 

Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.
Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.
Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.
The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.
And love makes fools of us all.
Taken from Goodreads

Opinions

I should probably start this review with a warning by saying it is going to be a pure gush fest because I adore this book so much. It might not be the most critical and in depth review because I just need to say how much I love this book then I can move on with my life. 

Firstly, let's start with how great the characters are. Lou and Reid are amazing characters. As individuals, they shine and come to life on the page. I can easily see them and their personalities were great. We need more sarcastic people in books. As a couple, they transcended the page. They complimented each other so well. From the beginning they were two peas in a pod. You could tell you were in safe hands from the beginning. I cannot wait to see what they get up to in future books.   

Next, the setting is incredible. To me, it was a fantasy version of Paris. As Paris is one of my favourite places, I was already enjoying the book even before I opened it. The world felt incredibly real to me and like Lour and Reid, it came to life on the pages. I can't describe what I feel about this setting as it's unlike anything I've read before. 

As you've probably already gathered, I am so excited for the sequel that I physically cannot contain my excitement. The first book was so good, I know the second book is going to be just as good. At the moment the release date is the day after my birthday, so just skip that and give me this book. Also, I've seen a lot of people saying that the sequel may be from a different characters perspective. I really hope it isn't as I love Lou and Reid. I need more of my sarcastic, amazing, loveable beans.

Normally, I am not a huge fan of romance, but the romance in this book was one of the best I've read. Yes, it was a cliched enemies to lovers, but it was done so well that I melted. The fact that Reid was a virgin and Lou wasn't was really refreshing to me. It was also one of the most realistic sex scenes I've read in YA. The other characters and their love stories were just as great. Also, Reid is the best husband ever as he does love her and is protective in a good way. 

I don't remember the last time I felt this way about it a book. It's been a good few years since I felt like this about a book. I cannot wait for the sequel and I will probably have to read it again as it was just so good. This may be the most useless review I've ever written but I just needed to share my fan girl ways before I exploded. 

Carenza x 

October 2019 Wrap Up| CarenzaOnBooks

Another month done, another monthly reading wrap up. October was a very stressful and busy month for me, meaning I didn't get as much reading done as I wanted to. I only read 5 books, 2 audiobooks and 3 physical books. I've been a bit under the weather and truthfully, I haven't been reading a lot of books that I've been excited about. I think I might be in a bit of a reading slump but hopefully I'll break it soon and be back to my old reading self. 

Sadie by Courtney Summers

My first audiobook of the month. I had heard nothing but good things about this particular audiobook and it did not disappoint. To read my full review click here. I was hooked from beginning to end and I was so sad when it ended. I think I listened to it in about five days. I would love to read/listen to more books like this as it's like nothing else I've read. 5/5 stars from me.

Let's Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry

I had read Katie Henry's debut novel earlier this year and I had really enjoyed it. Sadly, the consensus is that her first book is better than her second one. I just found I didn't care for the characters as much as I did in Heretics Anonymous. I also felt that the love story was very forced and came out of the blue. The mental health rep in this book was great and I did enjoy the fact that it was centred around a friendship between two girls. Sadly, the rest of the book just wasn't for me. 3/5 stars.

Angels in America by Tony Kushner

This was a re-read, but I listened to the new audiobook production. If you've been following my blog for a while then you'll know that my favourite play of all time is Angels in America and they recently adapted it for the audiobook format. It was a recording using the Broadway cast, which is predominantly the cast I saw. It was amazing being able to relive the experience over again and it was still as brilliant as when I saw it. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud at certain points. The only thing that made me sad was that they cut one of the best lines in the play for no reason and I was so upset about it. Still gets 5/5 stars.

Under the Net by Iris Murdoch

I wanted to branch out and read something outside of my comfort zone, however this ended up being too far out of my comfort zone and I did not like it. I just couldn't get into it. I honestly don't know why I spent ages reading the whole thing and didn't DNF it. Maybe at some point later in my life I would enjoy this book, but I just didn't like it this time around. 2/5 stars for me.

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Now we come to one, if not my favourite, book of the year. I adored Serpent and Dove and I am dying while waiting for the sequel. The characters. The story. The setting. Just everything about this book was great. I haven't read a book like that in ages and haven't had an experience where I literally cannot stop thinking about it and am having to stop myself from reading it again straight away. Obviously 5/5 stars from me. It is the best. Please read it.     

October Favourites 2019| CarenzaOnBooks

I can't believe that we're into the penultimate month of the year. Can time please slow down? My life is flashing before my eyes. With another month ended, that means it's favourites time. Here are my favourites for the month of October.

Books 

The book I have loved the most this month has been Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin. I genuinely can't remember the last time I fell in love with a book the way I have for Serpent and Dove. I saw lots of hype around it and the summary sounded really interesting. The characters were so good. The story was so good. I am actually dying waiting for the sequel. I am very tempted to reread it at some point because I loved it that much. If you are looking for a book about witches, then look no further. Also the characters are super sassy and relatable. I don't think I can find a single thing I disliked about this book and will be thinking about it for the rest of my days. 

Culture

I have a lot of TV favourites this month. The first one is Catastrophe. It had been on my radar for a while, and as it was on Amazon Prime, I watched all 4 seasons. I thought it was really funny and charming. It has become one of my favourite TV shows and I will have to watch it again at some point. My next TV show favourite is one I have watched more times than I care to admit, but I do love Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Although season six was not my favourite, the other five never fail to put me in a good mood and make my day better. I cannot imagine my life without Brooklyn Nine-Nine anymore and I hate myself for it taking me so long to watch it. Something I am slowly making my way through it Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I'm hoping to finish season seven by the end of the year. Buffy is an idol and I adore Spike. Once I've finished watching it, I will have to continue with Angel.  

My only non-TV culture favourite was a play I saw at the Bristol Old Vic. I saw Cyrano in it's opening weeks and I'm really glad I saw it. Despite how bad the seat was, the play was really good and funny. The ending was sad, but wasn't as sad as I was expecting it to be. If you're in Bristol, I'd highly recommend the production.  

Bits'n'Bobs

I have some random bits'n'bobs favourites this month. I'm not sure how to describe them, but in a market in Bristol I got these two tiny wooden creatures. Ones a guinea pig and the others a hedgehog. They were so tiny I couldn't not get them. I may have to get more in the future because they're friggin adorable. 

Recently I've been burning a lot of candles. I bought one from a company called Our Own Candle Company and it's really good quality. I may have to get some more from them at a later date as I like the one I have at the moment. Because it's been getting dark early, it's been nice to work with a candle burning in the background. I have a box of candles waiting to be burnt as I accumulated a lot when I was getting my Fairyloot boxes. 

This is probably a bit of a weird favourite, but I've been using my iPad a lot more recently. I've been using it for my lectures and I forgot how good it is. I hate taking my laptop as it's big and heavy, but my iPad is so easy to chuck in my bag and use. I'm so annoyed I didn't think about using it earlier.  

My Favourite Things About Halloween| CarenzaOnBooks

Happy Halloween!
I've made it no secret on here how much I love Halloween and I was desperate to write a Halloween themed post, so I thought I would share with you guys my favourite things about Halloween!

Decorations

By now, it's no surprise how much I love decorating for Halloween. Last year, I bought some cheap Halloween decorations and decorated my uni flat. This year, I reused the same decorations and decorated my house on October 1st. It brings me such joy to be walking around and see the little decorations I bought. I spent £5, so it isn't that you have to splash out and buy lots of things. I've always been a fan of adding something a bit extra at various seasonal occasions. Plus, all the Halloween decorations are a really nice shade of orange and are on the cute side, so it just makes me very happy. 

   

Fun Food

In the past few years, I have become an absolute sucker (pun intended) for seasonal food. More and more shops are getting on board with this. I know that this year, M&S have lots of Halloween inspired food. Who doesn't love crisps in the shape of fangs? It's cheesy, but I can't help myself. As I'm away from home for Halloween this year, my parents have stocked up on some Halloween inspired food and we're going to celebrate Halloween when I go home. 

Having a Reason to Celebrate

With how busy I've been and how stressed I've been (so stressed), this year I am desperate to have a night off and have a bit of fun. This year I am going to a friends house, and we're going to have a chilled Halloween celebration. With the way things have been this year, sometimes you just need an excuse to let steam off. Halloween has always been a reason to celebrate in my household and I have no intentions of stopping that any time soon. 

Spookiness

I'm not sure how to phrase this, but I am a fan of how spooky it is at this time of year. I don't like horror or paranormal, but low level spookiness is good. Think Buffy, Nightmare Before Christmas, that kind of level of spookiness. I like it when it's dark and there's a bit of mist in the air. It's just a really nice vibe.  

Hanging Out and Doing Halloween Things

Again, this is one I'm not sure how to phrase, but I have such good memories to do with Halloween. Most recently, me and two of the people I live with bought pumpkins and carved them. It was really fun just walking to get the pumpkins and getting home to carve them. They looked so good and it's a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. I also used to have loads of Halloween parties as a kid and I have so many good memories because of it. Just spending time with people I care about and doing loads of fun activities, I wouldn't change anything about it. 

 

I'm going to link you guys to a very old blog post of mine, but this is what Halloween looks like to me. Sadly, I don't have any photos of all the cool Halloween food.
Carenza :) x

How I Use My Planner to Keep on Top of Everything|CarenzaOnBooks

In the past few months, I have become someone who cannot function without out my planner. I have a Harry Potter Moleskin planner that I got for my 18th birthday and I swear by it. I have noticed that I do get more done now that I was this time last year. In this blog post, I thought I would share with you how I use my planner to organise my life. I would like to put in a tiny disclaimer and say that certain bits of information have been blocked out to protect some private information. Although I am sharing how I use my planner, it is important to me to protect personal information and I hope you guys can understand and respect this decision. 

One of the things I like the most about Moleskin planners compared to normal planners is the layout. I like having the week all on one side and then a section for notes. To me, having a section for notes is a key factor. The layout really works for me in particular as it allows me to split my week into certain sections.

At the top of each weekly spread, next to where it says the month, I like to put my overall goals for the week. It's easy for me to see what I need to get done that week without setting aside a certain day for that task. Often as the week progresses, I have to amend what I have planned, so by having my "to do list" at the top, it means I can do a task when I get some time. I also use this top section to track what week it is at university. My university plans things on the financial calendar (for some bizarre) reason and I have it converted into what week it actually is.

Down the side of each week, you will see I have blocked off a section. In this little section I have my timetable. Last year, I wrote out my timetable and it took up too much space in the day boxes. This year it means I can see what I have on each day and still put an individual plan for that day. As I'm getting busier as the term progresses, this is really helping me with making sure I don't accidentally double book myself. 

I use the notes side of the spread to keep a track of my homework/uni work and to track my finances. At the top, next to a short code for each module, I will write the task and when I have to do it by. Once I have written in all my homework for the week, I will track my finances. Obviously, I have covered up this information, but typically I write where I bought something from and then the amount. I have a colour scheme to track everything in my planner to help me keep on top of everything. 

I also use my planner to plan my blog posts and to plan my meals. At the top, next to each day, I write what I am planning on eating that day. I have been very bad at planning weekend meals, but throughout the week I do this to make sure I am only buying food I need and that nothing will get wasted. You'll notice at the bottom of each blog post day, I have written what I am planning on posting that day. Typically, I write all my posts a week in advance, so this helps me see what I have to write when I am working on blog related things.

My colour scheme was something I worked hard on last year and I am sticking by it. I will explain it to you as I feel that using colour makes things a lot easier to manage. You will notes that the majority of tasks in my planner are in blue in. Those are my "to-do" tasks. I found that having them in a different colour means they stand out more. General information is in black as that is typically the colour I write in. Meals are in green so that they stand out and blog posts are in orange, also to stand out. Another colour that I use to stand out is red for important tasks (such as meetings). In the weekly section, if it is near rent day I will have my payments in pink to stand out. Most of the colours I use are for my financial tracker so I can see where I am spending the most money. I found that by doing this it was easier for me to visualise where my money was going. So far this year, my biggest spending have been food and "fun". I have a category called fun so it means I can still treat myself, but within reason. My main expenditure for "fun" is books. I have a blog post all about tracking finances if you interested in going into that in more detail, you can read it here.    

I believe that having a paper planner is an essential for students as I find that by writing things by hand means I am more likely to remember to do them. I am going to be so sad when my Harry Potter planner runs out, but I will 100% be buying another Moleskin one as they are the best planner for me.

Carenza :)x  

Finding Time to Read| CarenzaOnBooks

At the moment, with my life being insanely busy, it feels like there is no time to read. I am constantly working or running around like a headless chicken. So, partly for my own benefit, partly for others, I thought I would share some tips on how to make sure you find time to read in your busy life. 

Have a Fixed Reading Time

This is something I definitely need to put in my life. So far this month, I've only read 3 books because I've been so busy. I try to read before I go to bed, but sometimes that doesn't work and I don't end up reading as much as I would like to. I might start trying to find time to read earlier in the morning rather than late at night, as by the time I'm crawling into bed I'm exhausted. Don't feel bad if you don't stick to your fixed reading time straight away as it will take time to become a part of your everyday routine. See where you have the most time available in the day and utilise that time for reading.  

Make the Most of Every Option Available to You

If you don't want to lug around a big heavy book around with you, then fear not, as there are other options available to you. I've started listening to audiobooks every-time I have to walk somewhere. I've found this means that I am getting something done and still using my time to read. I've been listening to a lot of audiobooks while I'm at the gym. I also used to use the Overdrive app a lot and when I would arrive early to my lectures, I would read whatever eBook I was reading before people arrived. It means you can get some reading done and not have to carry a huge book with you.

Use Reading to Relax

This is something I really need to do as I've been very stressed lately. Since I started blogging again and as I do a book heavy related course, sometimes it feels like reading isn't a hobby and that there is no time to relax. Sometimes it can feel like reading is a chore, but I'm trying to get back into the mindset that reading is something I enjoy. Reading before bed was something that I find relaxing. It helps you to feel sleepy. Depending on the book, reading should be a fun and relaxing experience. Take time in your day to wind down and to not spend every hour working. 

I hope these tips are helpful. Please let me know if you think I've missed anything as these are the tips I would find helpful.

Carenza :)x  

A Typical Day in My Life as a Uni Student| CarenzaOnBooks

As someone who watches a lot of studytubers, I thought it would be interesting to share my experiences and day to day life as a Creative Writing student. A lot of student bloggers/vloggers etc I feel are studying more "traditional" courses and often we don't get to learn what it's like to be an art student. I thought that it would be helpful for anyone interested in studying Creative Writing or wondering what it was like to study Creative Writing to share what a typical day in my life looks like.

I would like to start this with a tiny disclaimer- obviously, every day of my life isn't like this and I am going to be merging what I do to give a broader picture. My experience is also unique to me, so what I do as a Creative Writing student might be very different from what other people do.

Gym, 6-9am, 4 times a week

Depending on what my day looks like, I like to try and go to the gym. I have a membership to my university gym, which is a 10-15 minute walk from where I live. I am not your typical gym buff, I don't think I really know how to use the gym properly, but I try my best. At the moment, as I haven't been to the gym at all over the summer and I'm getting used to being back at uni, I'm only going for 20 minutes in the morning. I like to use to cross-trainers and that's about it. I am hoping to increase my time at the gym once I've worked out my schedule properly, but for now, I go for 20 minutes 4 mornings a week. Typically, I try to get there around opening time and I like to be home by 9am, ready to start working. I started going to the gym in my second term of uni as I wasn't getting any exercise and by paying for it, I feel that I need to get my money worth out of my membership. It's a really nice way to start my day.

Lectures, 9am-5pm, 3 times a week

Due to the nature of studying Creative Writing, my contact hours are a lot smaller than some other degrees. I have 12 hours a week split between 4 modules. I don't always start at 9am, but I do finish at 5pm every day. Typically, on my longer days, I'll be in uni all day and work in between my lectures. I'd recommend this rather than going home as it means when you go home you have less work to do and you have a clearer separation between work and home. I will say that this is very different compared to my first year of university. Second-year is a lot more intense and you are expected to do a lot more by yourself. I quite like my timetable this year as the amount I'm in uni isn't daunting but it feels like I'm still learning lots. I've also discovered that I do quite enjoy spending more time at uni and getting work done there.

Studying, various, almost every day

Most of the time when I get home from uni, I try to get as much work done as humanly possible. I do have a bit of a problem when it comes to working, but I am trying to fix it. Sometimes I only do under an hours worth of work, others I work until I am exhausted. It depends what I have to do and when I have to get it done by. On Monday's, for example, I have a lot of lecture notes to write up, so I spend a lot of time on that. But on Tuesday's, as I have the next day off, I feel less bad about taking time off and not working. It all depends on what I've got the next day and what I want to get done, whether that's for uni or for my own personal enjoyment.  

Other Activities, various, almost every day

Obviously, my whole life isn't eat, sleep, study, repeat, I do do other things with my life and I have to try and fit them in. Typically these activities can involve- blogging (I set aside three days a week to work on my blog), running my social media accounts (I have been bad at this recently, but I do tend to do work on at least one of my accounts every day), work (I have a casual part-time job), chores (sadly I have to do these every single day) and reading (I also have to do this every single day). Typically, I'll tidy my room up first thing in the morning. I'll also make sure that at some point during the day, I do my dishes. Reading I tend to do just before bed and although I've been really bad at reading, I always try to make time for it during the day as it's something relevant to my course but it's also something that is important to me as a person.

I hope that this depicts an accurate picture of what my a day in my life is like as a Creative Writing student. I know that this looks daunting, but I promise you that this is a manageable load and is just what it's like to be a Creative Writing student.

Carenza :) x           

Book Review- Sadie by Courtney Summers (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

Taken from Google Images

Title- Sadie
Author- Courtney Summers
Series- N/A
Published- 2018
Page Count- 308 (1st Edition, Hardcover) audiobook- 7 hours 57 mins
Publishing House- Wednesday Books
Genre- YA Contemporary/Mystery
Rating- 5/5 stars

About the Author

Courtney Summers (born 1986 in Belleville, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian writer of young adult fiction. Her most famous known works are Cracked Up to Be, This is Not a Test, All the Rage, and Sadie.

Taken from Wikipedia 

Plot

A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she's left behind. And an ending you won't be able to stop talking about.

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meagre clues to find him.

When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.

Courtney Summers has written the breakout book of her career. Sadie is propulsive and harrowing and will keep you riveted until the last page.

Taken from Goodreads

Opinions

Before I even start going into depth about my opinions on this book, I would highly recommend the audiobook for this book. It's partly the reason why I got my audible subscription. I had heard amazing things about it and it did not disappoint at all. It's a full cast recording, so pretty much every character is narrated by a different person. If you are looking for an incredible audiobook experience, then look no further. 

Something I think is a universally liked thing about Sadie is the way it's written. The format of it being told through traditional storytelling elements and mixed media is really interesting. You go back and forth between Sadie's POV as the story is happening to her and the podcast told by West McCray after the events have happened. You almost have to piece the two storylines together to get the whole picture. You start and end from the POV of the podcast, which as someone studying writing, is a really interesting decision to make. The way it was written plus the audiobook adaptation meant I was hooked until the end. I cared about both storylines and was trying to work out what would come next after each chapter ended.     

I'm not sure if it's just me but I found the killer to be somewhat predictable. When it was revealed that it was the ex-boyfriend of the mother, I wasn't really surprised. I would have liked for it to have been slightly more shocking than it was. This is pretty much the only negative thing I can think of about the book as I really enjoyed everything else about it. 

I felt that the book handled the dark elements really well. As it deals with a young girls murder, it is to be expected that there are some dark themes in this book. These include drug abuse, paedophilia, sexual abuse, murder and destructive behaviour. All of these themes, plus some others that I'm fairly sure I've missed, were dealt with in a way that wasn't derogatory at all. Listening to some of the events being described made me feel sick to my stomach. Throughout the novel, it is hinted that Keith (the killer) sexually abused Sadie and then later Mattie. Although it is hinted constantly, the chapter which goes into some details made me shiver. Despite some of the characters truly awful behaviours, they were never dehumanised. They always felt human and I'm glad that these dark and somewhat disturbing themes were handled well. 

 

I know it says it in the blurb that the ending will be one you cannot stop talking about, but that ending took my breath away. I am so desperate to learn what happened to Sadie as it is left to the reader's imagination. A part of me is pleased that Courtney didn't tell us that she was either found alive or dead, as that would have ruined the ending slightly, but I can't help but need to know what happened to her. I like to believe that she continues on her journey of helping all the girls that Keith abused, but there is a little voice in the back on my mind saying that she died during her fight with Keith. I hope one day it is revealed what happened to Sadie, but for now, it will remain a mystery.