Legend by Marie Lu Book Review (Contains Spoilers)| Carenza Bramwell

Title- Legend
Author- Marie Lu
Series- Legend Trilogy/Series
Published- 2011
Page Count- 295 (UK Paperback)
Publishing House- Penguin Books
Rating- 4/5 Stars

About the Author

Marie Lu (born Xiwei Lu) is an American young adult author. She is best known for the Legend trilogy, novels set in a dystopian and militarized future. The novels form the basis of a film to be produced by Lionsgate.

Taken from Marie's Wikipedia Page.

Plot

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbours. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Taken from Goodreads.

Opinions  

After reading two three star books in a row, I was fully expecting this to be another let down. Truth be told, I knew next to nothing about this series before reading it. I knew that it was considered to be a YA Classic and that I had bought them as a box set from the Works for a bout £5 a few years ago. 

I think going into it not knowing much and having not seen as much hype around them as other books meant that I actually enjoyed them more than I thought I would. I ended up being pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I didn't love it and wouldn't consider it a favourite, but I enjoyed my time reading it. So much so that I've started the second book already. I don't remember the last time I binged a series. 

I've found it very easy to read. It falls into that writing style that is easy to fly through yet still remains enjoyable. The characters were interesting too. One thing I will say is that they are both fifteen and to me they read as much older. Maybe it's because I'm nearly twenty, but I find it hard to see characters as that young. I've noticed that a lot of books where characters are said to be fourteen-fifteen, to me they'll read as my age. I must be getting old. 

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book. I really wanted to find out what happened to Metias. I didn't believe that Day had killed him as I didn't get that vibe from him. It was interesting to see June's journey from loyal soldier to renegade. She had to most intriguing character arc of all the characters. Day didn't have quite the same arc, but he was still a solid character. I found June's relationship with Thomas a bit strange and it made me uncomfortable at times. 

Something I didn't mind as much as I normally would was the romance element. It was obvious, as is the tendency with YA, that the characters would fall in love. It did become a bit cliche the way they were describing each other. I let it slide as when you're fifteen, things are a bit cliched. I found their relationship to be really compelling and actually believable for once. I look forward to seeing what happens to them in the other books.

I don't have anything to say that is overtly negative. I didn't give it five stars as it didn't blow me away and is nowhere near being a favourite of mine. I think this is a series I am going to fly through and then part ways with. It was fun, but it isn't one I'll treasure forever. It's just a good, solid series.

Carenza :) x   

An Honest Review of My Second Year of University| Carenza Bramwell

It still hasn't sunk in that I've finished my second year of university. I'm going into my final year. This time next year I'll be done with my education. All of this doesn't feel real and to me it still feels as though it was yesterday I packed up and moved to uni. I will be sharing my honest thoughts on my second year of university. Obviously, there will be some areas where I will be vague as to maintain privacy for those around me.

It is difficult to say outright whether this year was good or bad as this year ended up being very unusual. No one could have seen the current situation hitting us and it has affected every single university student across the world. I'm lucky that I was at the half way point for my degree, that this didn't happen in my first or final year of university. It was definitely a bummer that this happened when it did. It has impacted how I feel about my second year of uni, but not by much.

One thing I spotted was the jump between first and second year. First year, looking back, was quite chill. We had work to do, but it didn't feel like we were drowning in work. This year it felt a bit more intense and I imagine third year will be even more so. I did notice that the work increased and that I would finish the week and have a decent amount of work to fill my time. There were a few occasions when it wasn't as bad, but most of the time I was working hard.

A big change this year was that I joined a society. I hadn't found any that I wanted to commit to in first year. I looked over the summer and found that we had a student newspaper, something I new nothing about. I decided to join and actually ended up being one of the editors. I'm now the editor in chief, which is something I never thought would happen. I'm so glad I decided to join a society as it's expanded the social side a lot and I've met people outside of my course and existing friendship group.

Another change was that I decided to apply to be a student ambassador for my university. This is a paid role and means that I help out at any event that the university is hosting. Again, it was an opportunity to meet people outside of my course and so on. It's quite a chill job and I look forward to doing it in my third year.

Possibly my favourite thing about this year was the group of friends I made and hung out with outside of uni. We would meet up every now and then for drinks and board game nights. I am not a big drinker or party person so this was exactly my type of social event. I'm sad that they came to an abrupt end when we all got busy and then had to move home. These are memories that I'll treasure for a very long time.

Compared to my first year, I suffered a lot of health problems this year. In the first term, I had a viral cold that lasted for two months and meant I was constantly run down. I felt awful all the time and was really struggling a lot. I got better over Christmas and thought that I would manage to make up for lost time in the second term, but I was very wrong. I got really sick in February out of the blue and ended up in hospital overnight. I still don't know what happened to me, but it took it's toll on me again. It got to a point where I thought I would fail this year because of how ill I was. Luckily I managed to soldier on and pass, but this year ended up being quite difficult for me. I'm hoping that third year is better.

Second year ended up being quite a solid year. There were ups and downs. Going to university during a global pandemic was something I never thought I'd experience. It is changing the way that I will be completing my degree. I hope that I can finish my degree with a bang, but we'll have to see what life has in store.
Carenza :) x  

An Updated Anticipated 2020 Releases| Carenza Bramwell

I've decided to do an updated anticipated releases for the remainder of the year. Part of the reason why I have decided to do this is because I've found so many books to read and partly is because I am trying to read more diversely. My previous list wasn't very diverse. There are also a few books that were on my previous list that will no longer feature on this list for a multitude of reasons. 

There will be some releases on this list that have already come out but I haven't gotten around to purchasing yet. Most of this will not be out in the UK at the time of publishing this list.

The Ones That Have Been Released 

The Gravity of Us

The Gravity of Us is an LGBT+ novel about two boys who are connected through the NASA Space Programme. It came out in May but I've been on a bit of a book buying ban and haven't bought any books since April. I'm always on the look out for more contemporary novels, especially LGBT+ ones. 

The Court of Miracles 

Described as Les Miserables meets Six of Crows, this book looks right up my alley. Set in 1828 after a failed revolution in Paris, a group of the worst people (thieves and assassins) have gathered together to form the Court of Miracles. It is a reimagining of Les Miserables and uses characters from the original if the French revolution had never happened. 

A Phoenix First Must Burn: Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance and Hope

I stumbled across this when I was looking for more diverse books to read, especially by black authors. It features sixteen short stories from black authors which focus on fantasy elements. I haven't read many black fantasy stories, so this really intrigued me. 

The Black Flamingo

I had seen the Black Flamingo advertised everywhere, so I decided to add it to my list of books to read. It is about a young black queer British man and follows him from a young age until he is an adult. It is all about his journey of discovering his identity. I know that it is written in an usual format so I'm excited to add it to my list of books to read. 

Clap When You Land

This is another one I had seen floating around for a while. Elizabeth Acevedo, the author, has released two other books which have been met with high praise from the bookish community. I know that she uses a prose style writing and that her work is often very poetic. This one is about two girls who met after their father dies in a plane crash. 

The Ones That Haven't Been Released

You Should See Me In A Crown (July 2nd)

Everyone was talking about this book on Twitter after it came to light that the author wasn't receiving much attention due to the current pandemic. It's a contemporary novel about a young woman who is aiming for prom queen to earn a scholarship but ends up falling in love with her fellow prom queen rival. It is by a person of colour and is LGBT+ so I'm super excited to read it.  

Girl, Serpent, Thorn (July 7th)

This is a YA fantasy that I've seen floating around a lot. I've heard some rumours that it has LGBT rep in it and is based on Persian myths. It's about a cursed princess who finally has to come out of hiding for her twin brothers wedding. I don't know much about it but the things I have heard make it very interesting and the cover is gorgeous.  

Loveless (July 9th)

A very anticipated release of mine is the latest Alice Oseman novel. This one is about a young woman going to university and discovering she is asexual. Alice Oseman is an amazing LGBT+ writer and I am so excited for her newest release. 

The Black Kids (August 4th)

This was another one I stumbled across after searching for books by black authors. It is roughly based on the Race Riots of 1992 in LA. It is described as being perfect of fans of The Hate U Give and as it has some connection to real historical events, it is one I am very excited to read. 

Dangerous Remedy (August 6th)

Dangerous Remedy is another French Revolution story, expect this one is very diverse with characters of colour and LGBT+ characters. It has characters from different classes. I just have a weakness for stories set during the French Revolution as it is one of my favourite historical periods, so much so that I wrote my own for my degree. And yes, I made it very gay. 

The Lost Book of White (September 1st)

Another release from Cassandra Clare. This is the second book in her Magnus and Alec spin off series. I can't actually remember what happened in the first book so I'll need to reread it, but I'm always gonna buy Cassie's books. 

Blood + Honey (September 2nd)

My most anticipated release of the year. I am dying to find out what will happen next to my favourites. I need to find my copy of Serpent and Dove to reread it before this comes out. Fairyloot is doing one of their collectors boxes for this release and you can bet I will be buying it. 

Nick + Charlie (September 3rd)

Another release from Alice Oseman. This is already out as an eBook, but is finally getting released in physical format. It is a short story about Nick and Charlie, the two main characters in the Heartstopper series, as they are about to go to university. I am so excited for it that I cannot put it into words. 

The Confession (September 3rd)

This is the latest release from Jessie Burton. I'm just waiting for it to come out in paperback in the UK. I loved her novel The Muse, but wasn't the biggest fan of The Miniturist. I know this one is about a woman trying to find out something that happened to her mother in the 1960s and it sounds very interesting to me. 

A Deadly Education (September 29th)

I've heard that this is a much darker, more female version of Harry Potter and that is something we need right now. The basic premise is you graduate or you die. It's got witches and it's got some great sounding female characters so you can bet I'm buzzed about this one. 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (October 6th)

VE Schwab's novels are a bit hit and miss with me. I've yet to read one I adored. But this, an adult fantasy, based on the story of Faustus, sounds incredible. I'd never put it on my TBR until recently but now that I know what it's about I am so eager to read it. 

The Once and Future Witches (October 15th)

This is another historical fantasy witchy book set in the 1800s, can you see that I have a weakness for this type of book? I'm also going to have to admit that this is partly because the cover is so gorgeous. 

The Hand on the Wall (November 12th)

The final, I believe, in the Truly Devious series is coming out in paperback in the UK. I've really enjoyed the other two books in this series and Maureen Johnson is a great writer. I need to continue with her London mystery series that I started earlier this year. 

These Violent Delights (November 17th)

My final entry on this list is a asian retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in the 1920s. It is a debut novel and I have been following this closely on Twitter. I am a sucker for Romeo and Juliet stories, especially when they have good adaptations. This sounds incredible and I just need it to be November already.

So those were all the books I am excited for in 2020. I'm hoping they're good as sadly a lot of my 2020 anticipated releases have been very disappointing so far. 

Carenza :) x 

What I've Been Watching Recently- Lockdown Edition| Carenza Bramwell

With no end date in sight for lockdown being lifted, I have been watching a lot of TV to pass the time. I wasn't really a TV person up until the start of this year. With everything happening in 2020, I have been watching a lot more TV than before. So much so that I have nearly watched double the amount of TV than books I've read. Like my last "What I've Been Watching Recently", I will be splitting it into TV and Film, with a small summary of my thoughts on everything.

From Google Images

TV

Friday Night Dinner

I had watched most of Friday Night Dinner last year after a friend introduced me to it so I decided to introduce my parents to it. It has become a family favourite. Season six wasn't the best and the ending makes me feel like they're going to pull an Outnumbered and come back in ten years time with everyone all grown up. I'd highly recommend it as it's a great bit of British comedy.

The Vicar of Dibley

Speaking of classic British comedy, I randomly decided to rewatch The Vicar of Dibley. It has been many years since I watched it but I'm so glad I decided to rewatch it. It's some classic British comedy and will always be a top notch show in my opinion.

Legend of Korra

Another rewatch for me was Legend of Korra. I have always been a huge fan of Avatar and Korra. They're classics. I still need to get my hands on the comics and read them. Korra is a great character and the LGBT rep is great in this one. Plus Pabu is adorable. 

Quiz

Everyone was raving about Quiz so I had to watch it. James Graham is a fantastic writer and Quiz did not disappoint. The cast was amazing and the set design was through the roof. I still don't know if I believe if they did cheat or if they didn't cheat. I would recommend it as there's only three episodes and they're about 45 mins to an hour long. 

Peaky Blinders

I finally watched Peaky Blinders. I had watched at least the first two episodes twice before fully committing to this show. I loved the first season, but the other series are getting a bit predictable and implausible. I am interested to see what happens in season six. I'm ashamed it took me this long to watch it but I have finally caught up on this iconic show.

Devs

This was a show I had heard a lot about and one my parents were interested in. Sadly, I did not end up enjoying it as much as my family did. I felt that it was a case of style over substance. It could have been shorter and the writing in places was very dodgy. It was an interesting sci-fi/thriller and I would recommend it, it just didn't end up being for me in the end.

Killing Eve

Killing Eve is one of my favourite shows and with the world going to shit, they pushed forward the release of season three. My dad and I binged the entire first season in prep for it's release. Sadly, season three was a bit disappointing. It didn't have the same overarching plot as the first two seasons, but it still had that amazing comedic moments. I am a bit unsure how I feel about a season four, but I will continue to watch it.

Films

Scott Pilgram Vs the World

A rewatch for me. Scott Pilgram is a film I really enjoy, partly due to the cast and partly due to the writer-director behind it (Edgar Wright). It's a fun, cosy film that I like to rewatch every now and then. 

Blinded By the Light

This was a film that my parents wanted to watch. I don't think I was quite the target demographic for this film as while I enjoyed it, it just didn't land well with me. My one big critique is that the characters randomly burst into song every now and then. It didn't work for me. It was a good, rom-com, feel-good film, but I was not the target audience for this film. If you grew up in the 80s and loved Bruce Springsteen, then I would recommend it.

Grand Budapest Hotel

With the world being terrible, many companies across the world started these joint cinema experiences. One that we joined in with was the Secret Cinema one, which has recently ended. The first film was Grand Budapest Hotel. My dad and I had already watched it, but I think my mum hadn't. The experience was good but they recommended lots of activities to go alongside the screening, which wasn't really our cup of tea. Grand Budapest Hotel is a bizarre, but great film. 

La La Land

Another joint cinema experience we joined in with was Lionsgate Live. For four weeks, they streamed four of their films for free on YouTube for a group experience. La La Land is one of my favourite films and my mum had never seen it before. It's a fun, cosy film and I'm glad we decided to join in.

Star Wars- A New Hope

May 4th, or May the Force Be With You Day. We had to watch a Star Wars film. We chose the one that started it all. Star Wars will always be special in this household so we had to celebrate Star Wars day.

Knives Out
Knives Out was a film I was desperate to see at the end of 2019, but sadly missed the chance to see in the cinema. We rented it online and I am very happy that I finally watched it. I had no idea what to expect going in, but it ended it up being quite funny. It could have been shorter in places, however, I am very excited for the sequel. 

Wild Tales

My family have recently taken out a subscription to Curzon Home Cinema, home to mostly indie and international films. We watched Wild Tales, a Spanish film, made up of six stories. The only thing that links these stories is violence. Some where better than others and it was a bizarre film. I am enjoying watching more unusual films. 

City of Bones

I saw that City of Bones was on Netflix and I really felt like rewatching it. If it wasn't an adaptation of CoB, it would be a great film. As an adaptation, it's not the best. It is classic YA adaptation from 2013. I just felt like being back in that world. 

Eddie the Eagle

Another Lionsgate Live film was Eddie the Eagle. A biopic about Eddie the Eagle, an olympian in the winter Olympics. It was a fun, British comedy. I am glad I watched it. I had never heard of Eddie before watching this film. 

Still Life

This was another Curzon film. It was about a man who went around organising funerals for people who had no families or were estranged from their families. It followed him on his last case, tracing friends and family of this man who had recently died. It turned out that the man who had died lived in the same building as the man investigating him. It was a very sad film, but it had a heart warming ending. 

Howl's Moving Castle

Netflix have recently added a tonne of Studio Ghibli films to their repertoire. I decided to rewatch Howl's Moving Castle as it's one of my favourites. I need to watch some more Studio Ghibli films as there's a few I haven't seen.

My Old Lady

This was also a film from Curzon. It's based on an old French play about a man who inherits an apartment in Paris from his father, but finds out that someone is living there. The woman who is living there rents is paid to live there by the mans father. You could tell it was based on a play as it didn't quite work for screen, but it was still a sweet little film.

Bend It Like Beckham

Yet another Lionsgate Live film. A British classic. I had been meaning to watch this one for a while and I'm so glad that I got to finally watch it. It's a solid British rom-com, with some great female characters. It is also by the same writer-director behind Blinded By the Light. 

The Hunger Games

The final Lionsgate Live film. It has been so many years since I watched the Hunger Games films and I never even finished them for some bizarre reason. It is widely regarded as one of the best book to movie adaptations ever. I am now really desperate to watch the rest of the films.

Solaris (1972 Russian Version)
My mum had really wanted to watch some of the Russian films on Curzon, so we chose Solaris. Solaris has been adapted a few times for cinema, but this was the 1972 version. It was three hours long and it was weird. At one point there was a fifteen minute long scene of this man just driving around. I am interested in watching the 2002 version, but the Russian one was just weird.

Misbehaviour
I had really wanted to watch Misbehaviour after seeing trailers for it in the cinema (God I miss going to the cinema), so we rented it through Curzon. A historical piece based on real life. It was a good, fun, feminist film. I would highly recommend it. Plus it has Kiera Knightley in it. It tackles issues of feminism and racism in the late 1970s.

Colette
Another Kiera Knightley film. I had seen this in the cinema at the time of its release last year. Colette is a really interesting woman and it's made me want to read some of her books. Plus, Kiera Knightley is the queen of historical films.

The Lost Boys
This is a weird 1980s film we decided to watch. It's a vampire film, but very cheesy and very much of its era. It was okay and that's about as much as I can say about it.

Parasite
I sadly missed seeing Parasite in the cinema, so when it became available to rent on Curzon, we had to watch it. I'm glad to say that it's as amazing as everyone said it was. It rightly won all those Oscars and I would love to watch more films from its creator.

A Simple Favour 
My last entry on this very long list is A Simple Favour. I had this on my radar for a while and I finally decided to watch it. It was a solid mystery thriller, with interesting characters and twists and turns. I loved that it had two female characters at its core. I would love to watch more films like it in the future.

So those were all the TV shows and films I've watched recently. I'm trying to watch more new content rather than keep on rewatching old stuff I've seen a million times over and over again.
Carenza :) x

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Book Review (Contains Spoilers)| Carenza Bramwell

Title- An Ember in the Ashes
Author- Sabaa Tahir
Series- An Ember in the Ashes
Published- 2015
Page Count- 446
Publishing House- Razorbill
Rating- 3/5 stars

About the Author

Spent my childhood in the Mojave Desert, where I didn’t have cable and thus chose to entertain myself with books and radio. My parents assured me that I wanted to become a doctor, but a brief stint working in a hospital changed my mind.

I left the desert for university at 17, graduated from UCLA a few years later, and went to work for The Washington Post directly after. Five years later, I left the Post and started working on a book.

If I could be anything, I’d be a space explorer, but a cool one, like Jean-Luc Picard.

I’m represented by Alexandra Machinist at ICM.

Taken from Sabaa's website. 

Plot

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Taken from Goodreads.

Opinions

When I first got into reading in 2015/16, I discovered the world of BookTube and the book community. I saw all these books that everyone was talking about and had to get them. It took me many years to actually read them. In the years that have passed, I have become a very different reader. My taste in books has changed a lot. 

I think I am one of the few people that almost always does not enjoy the super hyped books of the classic days of the book community. I always read them too late and they never feel like they're exactly for me. An Ember in the Ashes sadly falls into this category of hyped books that I just don't like.

I will say that I adored the first part of this book. It really hooked me in and I wanted to know more. The setting was interesting and I wanted to know more about the characters. This book is split into three parts, so I was expecting more of the amazing quality of part one in the following two parts, but it just didn't feel the same. I really lost interest in this book as I read on. I stopped enjoying the world and the two central characters, Laia and Elias, ended up being quite annoying. 

I think that the reason I ended up not enjoying this as much as I thought I would was the writing style. I've spoken about how I really don't enjoy the first person perspective, especially if it's from multiple perspectives. However, this book was written in the first person present tense perspective and I just couldn't get through it. I really didn't like the writing style as I read more and more. I will say that this is a personal preference and not the fault of the author. 

If the book had been in the same style as the first part, I would already be purchasing the next two books. However, as I've mentioned, I just lost interest. I didn't care for the Resistance plot or the Trials plot. I also felt that there was a lot of unnecessary romance in this book. I think it ended up being a love square. None of the characters relationships, especially the romantic ones, felt convincing to me. It just felt like that the author had to include romance because it's a common feature in fiction. 

This book did feature a lot of violence towards the characters. There was also a huge divide between the higher class characters and the slaves. The author also used rape or rape attempts a lot. I would be careful going into this book as there are a lot of uncomfortable scenes. 

I can see why this is a beloved book and the hype behind it, sadly it just ended up not being for me.

Carenza :) x

Dear JK Rowling...I'm Breaking Up With You and Here's Why- An Open Letter| Carenza Bramwell

Dear JK Rowling,

To put it bluntly, I'm breaking up with you and here's why.

You are transphobic. There is no other word for what you are. You should have learnt from your blunder in December, but you didn't. Instead, you chose to stick your nose in it at the worst possible time, Pride Month. The month where we celebrate the LGBT community. I think you missed the memo and instead, chose to degrade them publicly.  Even worse, you defended your actions and refused to apologise. 

I am embarrassed to be a fan of your work. I am ashamed to have supported you for most of my life by reading your books. Watching films from your worlds. Buying your merchandise. Giving you probably thousands of my families and friends money. I am sad and disappointed that you have tainted something that was very special to me. 

Harry Potter was a safe haven for me. A world I could happily return to over and over, never getting bored and feeling at home there. Now, I'm not sure I can do so in the same way without feeling a deep sense of guilt and sadness. For someone who wrote about those rising up against extremists, parroting ideology that only the "purest" are the best, it seems you need to educate yourself. As a grown women, this is something you should be able to do quite easily, but sadly I doubt you will. 

The lack of diversity in your books is shocking. I believe only a small handful of characters are specified as being people of colour. You add details of diversity after many years, only to make yourself relevant and on board with what is popular. If Dumbledore is gay, why not say so? Why add it in as a side comment? If Hermione was black, why not say so? They are not your tokens of diversity. They are fully fleshed out characters and to add these seemingly very important details years later is just poor effort on your part. 

I do not believe that I can stand by you with a good conscious anymore. You have hurt so many people with your cruel and backwards comments. The people associated with you, Daniel Radcliffe, Katie Leung and many others are now embarrassed to be connected to you. They have had to make public statements condemning you and your actions. It is 2020 and your views are severely outdated. Learn to move forward with time, not against.

I will still remain a fan of Harry Potter, but not of you. It is difficult to separate the two, but it is the only way not to loose the precious memories I have associated with Harry and his magical, supportive world. If I ever choose to buy something that is Harry Potter themed, I will be donating money to charities that support trans people and their rights to balance out the fact that you are getting my hard earned cash, even though you no longer deserve it.

I truly hope that you learn from your mistakes and take the time to educate yourself. You clearly need it and the internet is free, with many incredible resources. In the meantime, I have broken up with you and already feel better for it.

Yours sincerely,

Carenza      

My Favourite LGBT Books| Carenza Bramwell

Happy Pride Month!

June is Pride Month, a whole month of celebrating the LGBT+ community. Obviously, the LGBT+ community is celebrated the whole year, but this month is dedicated to them and their achievements. I am proud to be an ally of the LGBT+ community, something I have been for many years. In today's post I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite LBGT+ books and authors. 

Adam Silvera

Obviously, I had to mention Adam Silvera's books. I have been reading them for many years now and with the only exception being his fantasy novel, I have really enjoyed all of his books. They are always guaranteed to hit you right in the feels. Adam himself identifies as a gay man and his books always feature gay characters. They are widely regarded as good books, especially for their featuring of characters from the LGBT community. I will always get whatever book Adam releases as you know you are in safe hands. 

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst 

I still can't believe that I am waiting for the sequel to this book to come out in paperback in the UK. An LGBT fantasy novel about two girls falling in love? Sign me up! I remember really loving this at the time I first read it back in 2017/18. I will have to reread it before I purchase the sequel, but I love fantasy and I love LGBT novels, so it was perfect for me. It also comes with the added bonus of it being an own voices novel, which is always good in my book. 

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

I remember flying through this back in 2018. I had heard nothing but good things about it and it did not disappoint. It is one of the few books I have see deal with LGBT issues and religion. It is a bit predictable and cliched, but it is a solid read. I would highly recommend it if you haven't read it. The edition I have also came with a bunch of LGBT books, music and films recommended in the back.  

Heartstopper Series by Alice Oseman

These are probably some of my favourites on here. The Heartstopper series is an LGBT graphic novel series that started as an online comic. It is also the only entry on this list that is by a British author and set in Britain. It follows Nick and Charlie, a young couple as the fall in love. The art is beautiful and the story is great. Anything Alice Oseman writes is a god send and I can't wait for her other two books coming out this year. 

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston

This book took the bookish community by storm last year and rightly so. It is a what if novel about if the son of the United States of America fell in love with the Prince of England. It is NA, New Adult, so it is a bit more explicit than your average YA book. It was another fun and fluffy contemporary. I believe Casey is writing another LGBT book and honestly I can't wait, if it's anywhere as good as RW&RB.

Angles in America by Tony Kushner 

I'm technically cheating with this one as it's a play, but it is my favourite thing in the whole wide world. Angels in America is an LGBT play set in 1985 New York and follows a group of people affected by the AIDs crisis. With elements of Magical Realism thrown in, it takes you on an epic journey. I will never stop talking about this play and what it means to me.

Honourable Mentions

I was unsure if I should include these two on my list, but I decided to include them in this little section. The first is Simon Vs the Homosapiens Agenda, or Love, Simon by Becky Albertalli, as it's now known. It is a well known LGBT novel about a boy called Simon who gets outed as gay at his school. It was turned into a film adptation, which I have yet to see. I was hesitant to include it as it is written by a straight author, however it is an excellent LGBT novel.

The next book I was unsure to include are the Gentlemen's Guide series by Mackenzi Lee. Mackenzi Lee has been revealed to be highly problematic, featuring racist and transphobic content in her novels. That being said, I did really enjoy the first Gentlemen's Guide book and saw it as a solid LGBT novel at the time I read it in 2018. 

Those are some of my favourite LGBT novels. What are some of yours?

Carenza :) x

Diverse Books I Want to Read- BAME Edition| Carenza Bramwell

I think you would have to be living under a rock to not know about the situation in America and the movements happening around the world following the death of George Floyd and many other Black Americans. Many people have come out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, both in person and online. I have decided to do my bit by sharing some books by BAME/POC authors I want to read. Before I share the books I want to read, I am going to be including some links to useful and educational resources to support the BLM movement. If, like me, you are unable to donate, then these are some ways you can help without spending a penny:

Black Lives Matter Petitions- https://blacklivesmatter.com/petitions/

Change.org Petitions- https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-all-black-lives-matter 

Black Lives Matter Educational Information- https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/

The Financial Diet Donate Resource- https://thefinancialdiet.com/what-to-do-where-to-donate-how-to-support-black-lives-matter/

Ways to Help (USA)- https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Black Lives Matter (UK)- http://blacklivesmatteruk.com/

This took me about five minutes of Googling to find all of this. Signing petitions takes very little time and is completely free. There is so much more information out there, including educational resources. I am ashamed to admit that I have never taken the time to educate myself on this important issue, but I am going to start doing my best to be able to help in any way I can. 

The books on this list are all be POC/BAME authors. Reading books is one way of educating yourself and supporting the BLM movement. I know there is a readathon being boosted on Twitter about reading books from Black authors. I will be making my own list of books I own and books I don't for me to make my way through. My entire list is about twenty-five books long and features authors from the BAME community. I will sharing a small fraction of those books, but again with some googling, you could find so many more in lists complied by people with more understanding than me.

Books I Own

Pictured Another Country by James Baldwin

The first book on my list is Go Tell It On A Mountain by James Baldwin. Baldwin was an African-American LGBT writer, who's works were published between the late 1940s to the late 1980s. He was heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement as well as the Gay Liberation Movement. I've had this book for years and I'm ashamed that I haven't read it. Go Tell It On A Mountain is a semi-autobiographical novel from 1953, featuring the struggles of black men and gay men.

I will add a small note here that in the photograph I have featured a different James Baldwin novel as my copy of Go Tell It On A Mountain is still in storage, but I plan on reading it once I find it.

The second book is a non-fiction book by British journalist, Gary Younge, called Another Day in the Death of America. It follows the lives of ten young people, mostly people of colour, killed in gun crime incidents on the same day. Younge, a black man who had been living in Chicago at the time, links it to incidents in his own life experiencing racism. I had read about a quarter of it a few years ago, but sadly put it down. I will mention that this could be triggering as it does deal with gun crime.

The next books are ones my parents own, but I plan on reading. The first is Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. The winner of the Booker Prize in 2019, it follows the lives of twelve (mostly black) women. It tells the tales of these twelve women from different parts of the country and at different stages in their lives. I've heard really good things about this one and I am excited to read it.

The final book on this section is a non-fiction book and that is Becoming by Michelle Obama. If you don't know who Michelle Obama is, then I'd be very surprised. My dad is currently reading this and I plan on reading it after him. Michelle Obama has led a very interesting life and after her time in the White House, she has gone on to do so much good for the black community in America. I really want to learn more about her and her life. 

Books I Don't Own

The first book on this list is due to come out on July 2nd (UK Publication date) and is You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson. It follows Liz, who feels she doesn't fit in for a variety of reasons, but decides to run for Prom Queen. Then Mack arrives, who also decides to run for Prom Queen. Mack is just as much an outsider as Liz, and Liz can't help but fall for her competition. An LGBT POC book? Sign me up. You can bet I will be ordering this and reading it as soon as it comes out.

The next book is due to come out September 1st (UK) and is The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed. Described as perfect for fans of THUG by Angie Thomas, it is set in 1992 and follows a group of black teenagers during the race riots in LA. I stumbled across this one by accident, but it sounds provoking and intriguing. 

One that's already out is A Phoenix First Must Burn, edited by Patrice Caldwell with contributions from many YA black authors. It is a collection of sixteen stories where black people take centre stage in genres where they wouldn't usually feature. I think the best way to describe it is to quote the description from the Amazon page "Evoking Beyoncé's Lemonade for a YA audience, these authors have woven worlds to create stunning narratives that centre Black women and gender nonconforming individuals".

My final entry on this list is one I've been meaning to read for a while and that is We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. While the central themes of this book are about feminism, I would like to read this as it isn't written from a white perspective. I only know what it's like to be a white woman and I feel it is my duty as a woman to learn what it is like for all women. 

There are so many books out there you can read, but these are just a few that are on my radar.

Carenza :) x

My Favourite Female Fictional Characters| Carenza Bramwell

I am proud to be a feminist and support my fellow women. A lot of the reasons why I am a feminist stem from my love of female characters in film, TV and books. Today I thought I'd share with you some of my favourites and what I've learnt from them.  

Film and TV

Maeve Wiley

Maeve Wiley arrived onto our screens in 2019 in a flurry of pink hair and no "bullshit"ness. She is a fierce feminist icon, with an incredible sense of fashion and great range of greetings for those in her life. I love Maeve so much that I changed my fashion style to be similar to hers, and found it suited me in the process, and dyed my hair pink. She's also insanely intelligent and regularly states she'd prefer to be at home reading than at a party, which is me to a T.

What I've Learnt from Maeve- I've learnt that you shouldn't let anyone change you. If you are happy and comfortable being who you are, then stay that way. I've also learnt that you can change if that makes you happy. We see that through her relationships with Jackson and Otis. I look forward to seeing where season three takes her. 

Ladybird

Part of the reason why I love Ladybird so much is because at the time I first saw Ladybird, I was going through the exact same thing myself. She wants to escape a hometown she feels constricted by, but finds leaving isn't what she quite hoped from. She's also another reason why I dyed my hair pink. Yes, she is deeply flawed, being shown to be selfish and thoughtless, sometimes even cruel to those around, but she learns from her mistakes. 

What I've Learnt from Ladybird- As I mentioned, while she is shown to be deeply flawed, she acknowledges her flaws and grows from them. She changes after realising that she has made mistakes. She takes the worst bits of herself and turns herself into a better person for her own sake, and those around her. 

Villanelle

Villanelle is an odd one to put on this list as she is an assassin, and has some very worrying character traits. That being said, I can't help but love her. Like Maeve, she is unapologetically herself and when she sets her sights on something, she won't stop until she has that. Even if it means killing a few people on the way. She has a brilliantly cheeky streak to her, and her humour is some of my favourite. 

What I've Learnt from Villanelle- Apart from many ways to kill a person and that the assassin lifestyle is not one I want to try, I've learnt to embrace this childish/cheeky side of me that as a grown up, we are told not to follow. I've also learnt that I am very jealous of people who can speak multiple languages.   

Fleabag 

Fleabag is another odd one to put on this list. At her core, Fleabag is a chaotic individual, who places a lot of her self-worth on her appearance and who she's sleeping with. Outside of that, she is shown to be a caring individual, looking to escape the worst points of her past. She is another women who is unapologetically herself and unafraid to be a bit outspoken, as we see with her admissions on feminism.

What I've Learnt from Fleabag- It is a bit repetitive of me, but I've learnt that it is genuinely okay to be yourself. This is something as women we are often told we have to change to fit societies views of us. Fleabag doesn't change for anyone.    

Captain Marvel 

Captain Marvel exploded onto our screens in 2019 and took the typically male superhero genre by surprise. Going and seeing this in the cinema, the first time I had ever seen a female centred superhero film with a close female friend of mine was life changing. For once, I thought maybe I could be the hero. Her ability to fight doesn't degrade her femininity. She has the perfect balance between both.  

What I've Learnt from Captain Marvel- The scene where it shows all the versions of Carol being knocked down, then getting up, before she turns to the villain and says that she doesn't have to prove anything to him, made me fall in love with her. It's a valuable life lesson, that you don't have to prove your worthiness to anyone.   

Books

Hermione Granger

Hermione Granger was the first female character that I truly fell in love with. I remember when I was little, a friend of mine and I would play at being in the "Harry Potter world" and it was always a competition to be Hermione. She is fiercely loyal and insanely intelligent. She also has to deal with Ron and Harry being idiots for seven years. She takes her status as Muggle Born in her stride and never lets it lower her potential as a witch. She is an incredible icon for girls and women.

What I've Learnt form Hermione- Embrace your intelligence. She is proud of her intelligence, and works hard to maintain that status. She also teaches us that there are more important things than "books and cleverness", that it is important to have friends, as she learns.

Tessa Gray 

Art by Taratjah

Tessa Gray is the only person that could put Will Herondale in his place. She arrives in London and turns his world upside down. She cares deeply for those around her. Like many of the women on this list, she is funny and intelligent. She is a strong female character in a world where strong women weren't as well accepted. 

What I've Learnt from Tessa- Compassion and caring don't make us weak. It's expected of us as women, but a little kindness never hurt anyone. It's the golden rule, treat others as you wish to be treated. 

So those are some of my favourite female fictional characters. Who are your favourite female characters?

Carenza :) x