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.

  

What Inspires Me| CarenzaOnBooks

As I've been writing lots of posts about motivation and staying inspired, I thought I would share with you guys what inspires me to keep on working, especially when I'm having a bad day. Most of these are bookish/nerd related things, but as I study Creative Writing, I figured that made sense. 

Angels in America by Tony Kushner

I've got to start with the thing that sent me on this crazy journey- Angels in America. Will I ever shut up about how much I love this play? No. Will I bore everyone around me to death by talking about this all the time? Yes. I cannot put into words how much this play means to me. I'm currently listening to the audiobook adaptation of it and am having the best time. It's been two years since I first saw it and I cannot stop thinking about it. I am even debating getting a tattoo inspired by it. I have a framed print of the poster on my desk, so that whenever I am running low on morale, I can look at it and feel inspired to do what I love. 

Phoebe Waller-Bridge  

Another writer that inspires me is Phoebe Waller-Bridge. I adore Fleabag and Killing Eve. I am ashamed to admit that I still haven't read the script for Fleabag, even though I've owned it for almost two months. She's one of the few female writers that I have seen reach the level of achievement she has and she writes the most outrageous characters. I can't wait to see what she does next. It's another one where it's hard to put into words how much I admire her. I wrote about her for one of my university submissions last year. I hope when I am grown up, I can be a bit like her.

My Family

This is a bit cheesy, but my family genuinely inspires me to work hard. They have always supported me, no matter what and one day I hope to make them proud. I know that I have been a bit of a pain, always changing my interests, but they have put up with me no matter what. Without them, I wouldn't have done any of the amazing things I've done. I wouldn't have seen any of the things that inspire me to work as hard as I do. I'm grateful to know that they will always be there to support me and one day I hope I can make them very proud.

Greta Gerwig and Lady Bird

I know, another thing that I just won't shut up about. This film, and the creative genius behind it, mean so much to me. It was the first time I feel that I have seen myself fully represented in a film and I saw it at such an important point in my life. Maybe if I had seen it at a different point in my life, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. I've only watched it once since I saw it in the cinema and am due for a rewatch soon. The story is incredible. The acting is phenomenal (it has two of my favourite actors in it, Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet). The soundtrack is something I never get bored of listening to. I am very excited for Greta's next film.

Books 

This is also a bit of a fairly obvious one, but without my love for books, I would not be writing this. I wouldn't have started a blog (that's technically not true, but I'm glad I've focused on books). Books have always been there for me, a constant source of inspiration. I have more books than I could count. I have so many books I want to read and so many that have changed me for the better. I cannot imagine a life without books in it. They're my rock, always there for me. I read every single day and if I didn't I think I'd go mad. I hope that I'm a book lover until the day I die.

So that's a short list of things that inspire me to keep going even when giving up feels like the best option. There are obviously other things that inspire me, but I want to keep it short and maybe in the future, I'll do a part two to this.

Carenza :) x  

  

Harry Potter Spells Book Tag| CarenzaOnBooks

Who doesn't love a good book tag? It's been a very long time since I did one and I was just in the mood to do one, so I thought why not? I saw this one on Beth's (BooksNest) blog and I knew I had to do it. I've tagged her original post so you guys can check it out. 

Taken from Google Images

Expecto Patronum

A childhood book connected to good memories?

I couldn't not choose Harry Potter. It's obviously a childhood favourite and has lots of good memories attached to it. I still adore this series to this day. Somehow I feel that choosing Harry Potter for a Harry Potter based challenge is cheating, so I'm also going to mention that I adored a lot of Jacqueline Wilson books as a child. I've kept some of my favourites as I couldn't ever get rid of them.  

Expelliarmus

A book that took you by surprise?

Sadie by Courtney Summers. I recently listened to this on audiobook and it was phenomenal. It took me 4 days to listen to the whole 8-hour audiobook and I was swept away by how good it was. I had heard lots of good things about the audiobook and it did not disappoint. I loved it so much I now want to get my hands on a physical copy and tell everyone I know and love to read it. 

Prior Incantato

The last book you read?

At the time of reading this, the last book I read was Let's Call It A Doomsday by Katie Henry. I had really enjoyed Heretics Anonymus by her so I thought I'd enjoy this as well. I ended up giving LCIAD 3/5 stars as it didn't quite hit me the same way HA did. I thought it had a really good premise but just didn't quite live up to its predecessor sadly.

Alohamora

A book that introduced you to a genre you'd never considered before?

This is a bit of an unusual book, but Columbine by Dave Cullen really opened my eyes to how non-fiction books can be engaging and not just drowning in facts. I read it for a school research project and was blown away by how the writing was almost story-like. Obviously, this book does document the harrowing events of the Columbine school shooting and was a difficult read, but it didn't feel like a non-fiction book and I would read more books like it at some point in the future.  

Riddikulus

A funny book you've read?

I might be cheating but no book has actually made me laugh out loud, but there are moments in books that make me chuckle. There's obviously some funny moments in Harry Potter, TMI, TID and many more popular books, but no book has captured my attention for being exceptionally funny. 

Sonorus

A book you think everyone should know about?

Technically this isn't a book, but the script for Angels in America is something everyone should read. I know that I keep on banging on about how much I love this play but it is phenomenal and it changed my life for the better. I will forever be in debt to how much I love this play.

Obliviate

A book or spoiler you would like to forget you ever read?

I had someone spoil what happened in the last book of the Divergent series for me while I was reading the second book. I was minding my own business, reading in the school canteen, when this girl I didn't even know came up to me and told me what happened at the end of the last book. It goes without saying, I was very angry when this happened. 

Imperio

A book you had to read for school?

I was that sad little nerd who actually enjoyed reading books for school. The one I enjoyed the most was The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. I do actually want to read some of his other work and I have a book all about his wife. I have two copies of The Great Gatsby. One is my battered, annotated school edition and one is a fancy (I believe Penguin) edition. It's a beautiful story and has some great film adaptations as well. 

Crucio

A book that was painful to read?

I'm going to go for a classic and say that the first time I read The Fault in Our Stars, I wept. My friend told me that I would and I was like "no I won't". I cried. A lot. I know that every time I've read it since, even though I know the ending, I still cry like a big baby. I think I'd like to read it as an adult and see if I cry.  

Avada Kedavra

A book that could kill (interpret as you will)?

Going by sheer size alone, the biggest book I brought with me to uni was Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clark. It is a very big book and very dense. I've watched the TV adaptation, many years ago, but I would like to read it. But the size is slightly intimidating. 

How to Make A Uni Schedule| CarenzaOnBooks

Something I decided I want to do this year was made sure I was using my time efficiently. I feel like in my first year of university I didn't use my time efficiently and this year is already very stressful. I haven't even been back a month and I feel the pressure hitting me. So I sat down and made a schedule of how I could be using my time better and I thought I'd share some tips of how you could too.

A brief overview of what my study schedule looks like

Block Your Lessons

The thing that will take up the most of your time are your lessons. My first tip would be to block out when you have lessons.  It will mean you can see when you are free and how you can use your time. For me, most of my Monday's and Tuesday's are taken up by lessons, so I know that I won't have time to study on those days. I also have lessons on Thursday afternoons, so I know that I can spend the mornings studying. It's about working around things that you can't move and making the most of the remaining time. 

Plan Chilled Evenings

Something else I decided was pretty important was to make sure I took time off from studying. I wanted to make sure I didn't feel guilty about taking time off. I have two chilled evenings scheduled in a week, to make sure that I have more than one night off a week. It is important to let yourself have time off and to make sure you are well-rested. Making sure you are well enough to study the next day is just as important as spending all your time studying. 

Manage the Rest of Your Time

If you know if you have something planned such as work or a society, then put it in. That way you will always make time for it. Something that is really important to me is that I go to the gym four times a week. I have that scheduled in so I can make sure I have time to do it and fit everything else in that I want to do in the day. Something else that is pretty important to me is making sure I have time for my part-time job. I have all of these scheduled in so I can make sure I have time to study and get everything done.  

Make it Realistic 

You are not going to spend every waking hour studying. You have to make your schedule realistic, otherwise, you will feel pressure to achieve. You want to feel productive without feeling like you are forcing yourself to work every hour God sends. Plan for hours you will know you will be working, you don't need to map out the whole day. Mine starts at 6am (I usually get up at 7) and ends at 9pm. It's realistic. I'm currently in the process of getting used to using it to manage my time and you shouldn't be disheartened if you can't stick to it straight away.   

How to Stay Motivated as a Student| CarenzaOnBooks

Since starting my second year of university, I've been feeling very overwhelmed and I've only been back for two weeks. I feel the jump between the first and second year was huge and that there is so much to do. So as a way to get out of this slump, I decided that I would write a post about staying motivated to motivate myself. This could just be the biggest form of procrastination, but we're going to roll with it.  I've come up with a few tips to help you stay motivated when your workload could actually crush you.

Set Achievable Goals

This is something I always struggle with is setting achievable goals. I am terrible at this. Setting achievable goals means your workload won't be as intimidating. At the moment, my homework (also known as independent study) usually takes me about three hours per module (I have four modules) and that is a lot of work. So what I do is spread out when I'm doing my work. I have one lecture on a Monday morning and then nothing till the afternoon, so I use that time to work. It means that when I finally finish for the day, I can just come home and chill. I also try to do my homework on different days so I feel like I have a bit more time to myself. Rather than trying to cram everything into one day, I set achievable goals for each day and spread my workload out. It means I don't feel as stressed by how much work I've got to do.  

Take Breaks

This is something I am also terrible at. Half the time I sit down to work, I don't move from where I'm working for several hours. I'm not exaggerating at all. I genuinely have worked for six hours without stopping. This a really bad thing to do and I do not recommend you follow my example. Something I am going to start implementing into my study sessions is breaks. By taking little breaks it means you feel a bit more motivated to continue. I don't know if you can get this app on Android, but if you have an iPhone you can download an app called Forest that helps with productivity but you can use it for making sure that you take breaks. I have it on my iPad and my iPhone. During my GCSEs, I swore by it and I'm pretty sure it's part of the reason why I did so much work. I am going to start using it again as it was very motivational. As the name suggests, you plant a virtual tree and watch it grow. I'm fairly certain after a certain point, the virtual trees you grow start being actual trees through a partner company. I found it really motivational and I am going to start using it again.

   

Make a Work and Fun Schedule 

I have made one of these and once I have settled into a routine at uni, I am going to start using mine religiously. It allows you to see what you should be doing at certain points of the day. As important as it is to see when you should be working, make sure you schedule in some fun or you will go mad. I did this during my early academic years and I did go a little bit mad. I have scheduled in two nights a week off to have chill nights. So far I have been terrible at sticking to these. Once I've got more of routine, I am going to make sure that while I am getting lots of work done, I am also going to be making sure I have downtime as university is stressful. Having a balance means you can live a more well-rounded life and not just be a ball of stress. 

I hope these tips have been helpful and if you have any more tips that you think I should add to this post, let me know in the comments below and I will add them.

Carenza x :)

  

My Favourite Movies| CarenzaOnBooks

I was brainstorming ideas for blog posts and was getting stuck on what I should post. I then realised it's my blog and I can post what I want. That's why today's post is all about my favourite movies plus some honourable mentions. I've picked my five all-time favourite movies and five honourable mentions.

  

Lady Bird

I feel that we have to start with my all-time favourite movie- Lady Bird. I've written a whole blog post about how much I love this movie. I saw this at a really important point in my life. I was undecided about my future and this movie was oddly reassuring. Plus it had a fantastic cast (Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet to name a few) and it was beautifully shot. The soundtrack is also incredible. Greta Gerwig has become a favourite director and writer of mine and I aspire to be like her when I grow up.

 

La La Land

I know that there is a lot of mixed feelings around La La Land, but I genuinely love it. I'm very happy that I saw it before the hype as I don't think I would have enjoyed it that much. The aesthetic is on point. The songs are so catchy that you'll have them stuck in your head for days. The theme of achieving your goals vs selling yourself for your art was beautifully written. As someone who would, maybe, like to work in the movie industry this didn't glamorise the ugly side of Hollywood. I need to watch it again in full as the last few times I've watched it I've only watched three-quarters of it. 

Moulin Rouge

Up until I saw Lady Bird, I would have said Moulin Rouge is my favourite film. I watched this way too much when I was a kid and I feel like I need to watch it as an adult to see if I still like it. It's another film where the soundtrack is an absolute bop. It's set in Paris, which is one of my favourite places in the whole world. I just remember it being a beautiful love story and like the other two films I have mentioned, the visuals are stunning.

Mood Indigo 

This might be a bit of an odd one to put on my favourites list as it's the only movie I've seen once. I saw it at the cinema five years ago and to this day it remains one of my favourite movies. It's a French movie and it's slightly bonkers, but I fell in love with it. I keep on meaning to buy it on DVD so I can watch it again, but there's a part of me that doesn't want to taint that memory. I don't think I can put into words how much I loved this movie and what it meant to me at the time I saw it. 

Hot Fuzz

This is definitely the odd one out on the list as it's the only action/comedy movie. I became a huge fan of the Cornetto Trilogy about five years ago. Hot Fuzz has to be my favourite in the trilogy. I'm not sure why I decided this was my favourite in the trilogy, but if I ever want to watch a Cornetto movie, I always pick this one. I think the Cornetto trilogy is really clever and I admire Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost greatly for their work on it. I do love a good comedy and this has to be one of the best.  

Honourable Mentions

My Neighbour Totoro

I was going to put this in my favourites, but I felt that it was better suited to this category. Studio Ghibli make some amazing movies and this has to be one of the best. I feel that it's one of the best purely because Totoro is an epic character. He (is it a he?) doesn't say anything and yet manages to help these two young girls. It's another one with amazing visuals, as all Studio Ghibli movies have. It just puts me in a good mood when I watch it. 

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 

This is the best Harry Potter movie and I will defend it until the day I die. Alfonso Cuaron made some amazing decisions with the visuals of this movie. He also expanded the set of Hogwarts. It introduces us to some of the best characters in the series and has the best soundtrack. I think it is universally loved within the fandom and every time I see a screenshot from it, I just feel happy. 

Baby Driver

Another Edgar Wright movie and a recent watch. I had wanted to watch Baby Driver since I saw the trailer for it and I finally watched it. The use of music in it is so clever and the story is super compelling. The cast is also phenomenal. It's very different from some of the movies Edgar Wright has made and maybe after a few more watches, might become one of my favourite movies. 

  

Call Me By Your Name

I feel that this deserves an honourable mention as I recently watched and fell in love with it. I'm really glad I read the book first as the book is obviously superior to the movie. I would say that it was one of the better adaptations out there and they are going to make a sequel. The main performances were incredible, it had epic visuals and the soundtrack was beautiful. I might have to watch it again very soon because I feel now I can fully appreciate it. 

 

In Bruges 

My final movie on this list is In Bruges. I wasn't sure if I wanted to put this on, but I realised I've watched it so many times and I do really enjoy it. Martin McDonagh is a writer I hugely admire and this was his first film. It subverts expectations and is a genuinely funny movie. It has some great quotes. Having been to Bruges, I feel I can fully appreciate it more than when I hadn't been to Bruges. 

The Joys of Audiobooks| CarenzaOnBooks

Recently, I have discovered the joys of audiobooks. I've taken out a subscription to audible. I'm listening to audiobooks whenever I can. With my recent discovery of audiobooks, I thought I would share some of my thoughts on audiobooks. 

You Don't Have to Carry a Book with You Everywhere

I really like how light it is to take audiobooks with you. It's just carrying my phone and I take that with me everywhere. As much as I love physical books, they are so heavy to lug around with you. Especially as I do a subject which means I have to have a lot of books with me anyway, adding one for my personal reading just makes my bag super heavy. Phones aren't that heavy which means it's really light to have my audiobooks with me. Gone are the days of heavy physical tomes, bring forth the days of light reading (pun intended). 

   

Multi-Tasking Is Possible

I am a big fan of multi-tasking. Listening to an audiobook means I can use my time productively and read my books. I've started listening to audiobooks on the way to and from uni. It's only a 10-15 minute walk, but that's half an hour I'm listening to. I also like listening to my audiobook as I do my food shopping. As the local supermarket is half an hour walk away, with the whole 2 hours (roughly) it takes for me to do my shopping, I can listen to a lot of my audiobook while doing something boring but useful. I've also started listening while I'm at the gym. I've got to walk to the gym and then there's the time I spend at the gym, which means I can listen to even more of my audiobook. I just love how versatile they are. 

 

They're Very Relaxing

It might just be me, but I find the idea of someone reading to me relaxing. If I am having a very stressed day, sometimes reading physical books actually makes it worse as I can't concentrate on them. But with an audiobook, I give it my full attention and it relaxes me. Something I've been doing since the summer is trying to read every day and because of audiobooks, I know I've read something without having to pick up a physical book. It means I have another way to relax after a bad. 

I'm annoyed that I didn't start listening to audiobooks sooner as they're a really good way of getting reading done. They're also very accessible to people who can't read physical books, which means even more people can read. I've fallen in love with audiobooks and am going to try and read more of them from now on.  

September 2019 Wrap Up| CarenzaOnBooks

Another set of posts I'm reviving are my monthly wrap-ups. I used to love writing these, but like my favourite posts, they got a bit repetitive. So I'm bringing them back on a temporary trial to see how I feel about writing them and if people enjoy reading them. In September I read 9 books, 2 audiobooks and 7 physical books. I'm really happy with the amount I'm reading at the moment. I'm hoping by the end of the year to have read over 100 books.  

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman 

Click here to read my review

Radio Silence has become one of my all-time favourite books. I have now read all of Alice's published works and I am very excited for her future releases. I've been on a contemporary high recently and this just hit the spot. It's a book about friendship and fandoms. It has a great set of LGBT characters and handles darker themes, such as mental health and academic pressures, really well. I loved it. 5/5 stars from me.

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

Another one of my new all-time favourite books. I listened to both books in this duology on audiobook and I couldn't recommend the audiobooks enough. I'd only read one Laini Taylor book before this and I had really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to reading more from her. I can't talk too much about this as it is the final book and I don't want to spoil it, but Laini is a phenomenal writer and I just want to read everything she writes. Obviously 5/5 stars.

I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman

Unlike the rest of Alice's work, this is the only one I didn't really love and didn't connect to. The characters were great, but I couldn't connect to them at all. I did enjoy the multiple perspectives we got in this book, but I kind of found myself floating through this book and not really enjoying it. Given that this is her most recent fiction release, I am surprised that I didn't like it. 3/5 stars.

Pulp by Robin Talley

This was another book I was really expecting to enjoy but ended up falling flat for me. I thought it was going to be this epic LGBT novel spread across two different decades, the 1950s and the present day, but it ended up being really predictable. Abby was a difficult main character to connect with. I've heard good things about Robin's other books, so I might try them, but for now, I have to admit I'm not a fan. Another 3/5 stars.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

I know that the main reason I disliked this book is my own fault, but I feel it could have been marketed better. I believed this was a contemporary book overcoming mental health issues, but it turned out to be more sci-fi than I had bargained for. This was another one where I had a hard time liking the main character. I'm not sure I'll be continuing this series and sadly this is another one I gave 3/5 stars.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Click here to read my review

I had heard so many good things about this book I felt it was finally time to pick it up. It didn't disappoint. I enjoyed my time reading it and would be interested in reading more by Francesca. It dealt with the mental health aspects really well and I was fully invested. The only thing I didn't like is a spoiler, so if you've read this book, check out my review as that explains my one big grudge with this book. 4/5 stars.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I have a feeling that this might be a marmite book- you either like it or you don't. I think for the time being I fall into the latter category. I had a hard time reading this and I didn't really care for either of the characters. Honestly, they spent so much time crying, I wanted to cry from frustration. I thought it was an interesting exploration into being LGBT and Mexican in the 1980s, but I just feel that it wasn't for me sadly. 3/5 stars.    

How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran

I had accidentally bought the second book in this series, not realising it was a series. I had assumed it was a stand-alone. So since I started my audible subscription, I decided to listen to the first book on audiobook. It's narrated by Louise Brealey (who played Molly Hooper in Sherlock). I loved the narration, but I didn't really care for the story. Johanna wasn't a very likeable character and not very much happened in the book. I've seen a lot of people comparing Johanna's life to Moran's own life. I'm hoping the second book is better, but it was 3/5 stars for me. 

Ziggy, Stardust and Me by James Brandon

I stumbled across this book in Foyles back in August and waited to buy it on release day. I was expecting amazing things as the premise sounded really interesting. It didn't quite live up to what I was expecting. I found Johnathon a really unlikeable protagonist. Some of the phrases that were repeated every other page became very irritating. It had a very flat plot too. Maybe if I give it another chance a few years from now, it might get a higher rating, but it took me a while to read it. I did like the use of music, especially Ziggy Stardust. I did also enjoy the relationship between Web and Johnathon. It also covered a part of the LGBT community history that isn't really discussed in literature. It was promising and I will probably read something else from James Brandon, but for now, it gets 3/5 stars from me.       

September Favourites 2019| CarenzaOnBooks

I thought I'd do a little blast from the past and bring back my favourite posts. I used to love doing these, but then they got a bit repetitive, so I'm going to bring them back on a temporary run. Like always, they're going to include books, culture and bits'n'bobs.

 Books

Hands down my favourite book of September was Radio Silence. I have a review of this book if you are interested in learning my more in-depth thoughts. It's about friendship and fandoms and what life has to offer you. It also features a boy-girl friendship that doesn't develop into a romance and some great LGBT characters. Alice Oseman is an incredibly gifted writer and I'm very excited to see more of what she creates. 

Culture

This is kind of an odd one but I've been listening to a lot more music and I've also started listening to audiobooks when I know I've got a long walk ahead of me. I've got some playlists that I love playing. These include my Mad Musical playlist with all my favourite musicals on (Six, Hamilton and Book of Mormon to name a few) and my Indie Bands- needs a better name, haven't thought of one yet. This playlist currently includes Ezra Furman, Panic! At The Disco and Bastille to also name a few. I finished listening to the audiobook for Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor. I am so happy I have finally read this series and will be listening to more of Laini's books in the near future. I am currently listening to (at the time of writing this) How To Build a Girl by Catlin Moran. Not sure about the story, but it's read by Louise Brealey (she played Molly Hooper in Sherlock) and she's fantastic as a narrator.

I finally watched Call Me By Your Name and it was amazing! It was (almost) everything I wanted in the adaptation. It has made me very excited for the sequel coming out this month. It was beautifully shot, the music was incredible (I need to buy the soundtrack) and the performances were stunning. I loved Elio and Oliver in this adaptation. I just want to watch it again and cry about how amazing it was. Thank God they finally put it on Netflix.  

Bits'n'Bobs 

Quite possibly my favourite "thing" I have acquired recently is my Catbus plush that my parents got me for my birthday last month. I'd only ever seen it available in Japan and was very surprised when they got it for me. To put it simply, I find it cute and to expand, I find it very cute. It made me fall in love with Studio Ghibli all over again. I like waking up every morning and looking at it. It always cheers me up.