2019 Favourites| Carenza Bramwell

With 2019 well and truly over, and 2020 seemingly turning out to be another chaotic year, it's high time I look back on 2019 and share some of my favourites from the end of the last decade. This list will be comprised of some of my favourite books, cultural moments (TV/Film/Theatre etc) and moments of 2019. 

Books

My 2019 reading year wasn't the best compared to the years since I started using goodreads. That being said, I have picked out 6 books/series that I considered to be my favourites of the past year. I'm going to list them in the order I read them, rather than the order I consider them to be my favourites.  

The Heartstopper Series by Alice Oseman

I had never read an Alice Oseman book before I picked up the Heartstopper series and I've now read most of her published work. Who doesn't love a super cute graphic novel about a gay couple? The story is sweet, the illustrations adorable, it therefore is unsurprising that this series became one of my favourites of the year. I cannot wait to read the third volume this year!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Like most people who picked up the Seven Husbands, I was swept away by it. I am a bit hesitant to put it on my favourites list as I didn't love it as much as everyone else and I wasn't 100% with the twist at the end, apart from that I really enjoyed it and I read it in a day. I would love to see a TV series adaptation of this book so badly. 

Beautiful Boy by David Sheff

I picked this book as a bargain copy mainly because I saw that it had been adapted into a movie with Timothee Chalamet in it. I then became engrossed with how beautifully raw this book was. It is a non-fiction book that deals with topics of drug abuse and addiction, but I couldn't put it down. I still need to watch the movie, but if its anywhere near as good as the book, it will be a great movie. 

Strange the Dreamer Duology by Laini Taylor

On my third attempt of reading the Strange the Dreamer duology, I finally fell in love with it and am devastated that I have finished this incredible duology. I cannot recommend the audiobooks enough as I found that it really helped me to get emerged into the world and fully absorb myself in it. I need to read more books by Laini Taylor as Strange the Dreamer swept me away with how beautiful it was.

Sadie by Courtney Summers

This is another book with an amazing audiobook and the only book on this list that I don't actually own a copy of. I know I'm repeating myself at this point, but I was blown away by how good the audiobook was and the ending had me gripped on the edge of my seat. I would love to read another book like this at some point in the future. 

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin 

I have to admit that this was quite possibly my favourite book of the year. I am dying for the sequel that comes out either a day or two after my birthday this year. I haven't felt like this about a book in a very long time. It was just so refreshing and reminded me why I love books, I did not want to put it down. 

Culture 

2019 was a year for me that I realised how much I enjoyed consuming other medias. This year I had so many TV, film and theatre favourites that I've condensed it down to this small list. 

TV

Here is a list of my favourite TV shows from 2019 with a small summary of why I loved them: 

• Brooklyn Nine-Nine- After hearing everyone raving about it, I finally watched it and understood the hype.
• Sex Education- Opened up some important topics while having a stelar cast, great aesthetics and amazing characters.
• The Politician- A last minute discovery but a very funny comedy about politics, can't wait for the next series.
• Fleabag Season 2- Phoebe is an icon and I don't need to say anything else.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Finally watched Buffy in most of it's glory (I finished it in 2020) and I have a need to watch it again. 

Film

I can't remember how many films I saw in 2019, but the one stand out film of the year was Call Me By Your Name. I adored the book and really enjoyed the film adaptation. Captain Marvel also is worthy of a shout out for being great and female empowerment. 

Theatre

The two theatre highlights of the year were Six the Musical and Fleabag. Both have a special place in my heart and if I could, I'd see them both again tomorrow. 

Moments

This is probably a repeat of something I've said in one of my previous blog posts, but some of my stand out moments of the year include seeing Bastille live in February 2019 and going to Bruges in August 2019. These are memories I will treasure for the rest of my life and wish I could relive.

So that concludes my 2019 favourites, I hope that 2020 is as good as a year as 2019 was.

All the best,

Carenza x

October Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

Another month has come and gone, which can only mean one thing- it's time for another favourites post. October seemed to fly by and so when looking on what favourites I had for this month, it took a few moments to come up with this list.

Books

Despite the fact that I read so many books in October, I wouldn't say that I read any that will definitely make it on to my favourites list at the end of the year. That being said, I did read A Study in Charlotte and The Last of August, both by Britanny Cavallaro. I really enjoyed both stories and am eager to continue on with this series. I am a huge fan of the Sherlock stories in general, so getting my hands on new adaptations is always exciting.

Culture

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina aired on Netflix at the end of October and I watched all bar one episode in October. I've never seen the original series, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, so I can't comment on the differences between the two adaptations. I loved this show so much and I'm very excited for season two. Kiernan Shipka is an incredible actress and her look at the end of the series is incredible.

Bits'n'Bobs 

At the end of September, I bought a mini Billy bookcase from Ikea for my university room because I had filled up all the shelving space that there was in my room. It has been an absolute godsend and it was only £25. I use it for most of my uni course books and it even has space on the bottom for my folders. It was a well worthwhile purchase.

Carenza x

August and September Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

Once again, I owe you guys an apology. It's been ages since I posted on here and that's because I moved to University. I am now a Creative and Professional Writing student. I've been very busy (especially in September) moving to uni and then settling in. But now I've been here for a few weeks, I want to get back to blogging. My aim is to have at least one post a week up on here. My content won't be changing, but I will occasionally miss posts if I'm snowed under with uni work. Anyway, this post is my August and September favourites as August and September have been some of the best months of 2018.

Books

I read two really great books in August. The first was The Gentlemen's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. I had been dying to read this for ages and I finally picked up a copy. I can safely say that it lives up to the hype. It is a fantastic historical YA novel with amazing LGBT representation. I am so excited for the sequel The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, which is already out in America and is coming out in November in the UK.

Another great book I read in August was Autoboyography by Christina Lauren. Also a great LGBT novel, it was a heartwarming and quick read. I prefer TGGVV as I found Autoboyography predictable in places, but it didn't stop it from packing an emotional punch in places. 

When I moved out to University in the middle of September, my dad gave me a copy of Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G Wodehouse. We had watched the series (Jeeves and Wooster) when we first moved into our flat in 2016 and we began to rewatch it when I moved out. I read the book and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I definitely want to read more in the series as they are such fun and light-hearted books.

Culture

Over the summer I went to York Pop Up Theatre and saw two plays. The first was Romeo and Juliet, the second being Richard III. I really enjoy seeing Shakespeare plays and to see them in a theatre as close to the original theatres Shakespeare's audience would have seen them in. I'm hoping that they do another event like it in the future as it was a cool experience. 

If you've been a long time reader of mine, then you will know that I go to the Edinburgh Fringe every single year and this year was no different. This time, however, was the first time I spent overnight in Edinburgh and did two days of shows. I would love at some point in my life to go for a week and just immerse myself in the Fringe experience. I also got some cool merch such as a vintage style hoodie and the last Edinburgh Fringe teddy bear, which I have called Eddie.

 

I finally saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (both parts). I saw it for my birthday and it was incredible. I am 100% going to see it again before the cast changes as the cast I saw was amazing. Scorpius Malfoy is a precious little bean and I want to protect him with all my heart.

In September I moved to University. I have always wanted to go to University and so being able to finally do it was life-changing. I love the course I'm studying and my flatmates are amazing. I know this is going to be an incredible experience.

Since moving to University, I have been to the local Cat Cafe. Cat Cafes are the best invention and I wish there was one on campus. The cats were so cute and I can't wait to go back. Also, they did great hot chocolate.

Bits'n'Bobs

When I was in York I found a piece of clothing I had been looking for for ages- black dungarees. I had wanted a pair since I saw Bill from Doctor Who wearing them. They are so cute and if I could, I'd wear them every single day.

With the new Fantastic Beasts movie coming out, that means new FB pop funkos. The ones that I have so far are so cute and you can bet I'm going to be getting them all. At the moment, I only have Newt with me at uni, but the others are fabulous.

Speaking of Fantastic Beasts, the final trailer for the movie came out and it was jaw-dropping. A certain character reveal was completly out of the blue. I can't wait for the movie, you can bet I'm going to see it when it comes out.

For my birthday, my best friend got me a Harry Potter 2018-19 Moleskin planner and it has to be the best thing I received. I use it every single day and it was a godsend. I will be getting one of these when I finish mine as it is amazing. 

July Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

Another month has come and gone and we are now in August (the best month of the year, but I am biased as it's my birthday month). July went surprisingly quick and I had a really good month for cultural occasions.

Books 

I am continuing with my reread of the Harry Potter books. As you guys know, I'm a huge fan of the series and as I'm going to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for my birthday for the end of the month, I want to read all of the main books in the series. Now I may be falling behind on this, but I am going to try my hardest to catch up. I don't think I need to go into detail about how much I love Harry Potter at this point, it's fairly self-explanatory.

Culture 

I saw three great shows in July, the first being Translations at the National Theatre. By the time this post goes up, the run will be almost over (finished August 11th). I loved this show and its theme at heart. I don't want to spoil it, but if you are interested in Irish Culture, then I would highly recommend it.

Next, I saw The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Noel Coward Theatre in London. This is on till mid-September, I believe and is a very funny play. It's written by Martin McDonagh (who was the writer of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri). He is a very talented and humorous writer. I will say that it is very gory in places, but it is one of the funniest plays I have ever seen.

I was lucky enough to see a live broadcast of Everybody's Talking about Jamie in July and this has become one of my favourite musicals. It teaches such an important message about being yourself. Plus the songs are great and really catchy.

I'm almost finished with Mad Men. At the point of writing this, I have around five episodes left. I am so interested in seeing how they wrap up the series as I've become really invested at this point.

Poldark series 4 ending in July and oh boy was it an emotional series. Now, it wasn't my favourite series, but there were some good moments that I had been looking forward to and some unexpected moments. I am looking forward to series 5, even though it is going to be the last one.

Bits'n'Bobs 

I got a new  Harry Potter Mystery Mini in July and it was the Hungarian Horntail! I've been wanting this one for ages and I'm so happy I have it. I think the minis are adorable and one day, I'd love to have a full set but I know that will be very expensive.
Carenza x

May and June Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

Once again, I've fallen behind on posting on here. Exams were life-consuming and I've been slowly adjusting to not being in college. I'm hoping to get better at posting on here, but I won't make any promises as I don't know what the future has in store. But as I've missed posting on here, I thought I'd come back with a favourites post as I love favourites. I'm going to combine May and June as I haven't posted a favourite post for either.

Books

My favourite books I read in the months of May/June were the Poldark books by Winston Graham. I've only read books 1-5, but I'm loving them. It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of the TV show, so I decided to give the books a go. I'm currently taking a break from them as books 6-7 cover the most recent series and I want to watch the series before I read the books. 

Culture

I finished my rewatch of Merlin in June and it was amazing. I cried at the final episode and I know at some point I'll rewatch it. I still can't believe that the first series came out ten years ago. 

I also continued watching Mad Men and I'm definitely more invested in the storyline now. Series 3-4 have been my favourite so far, but I am loving the direction the series is going in. I'm hoping to finish it before I go to university in September.  

Poldark series four started in June and so far I'm loving it. It's not my favourite series of the Poldark franchise, but any excuse to watch Poldark is good for me. I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends. 

I saw The Happy Prince in June and I really enjoyed it. Oscar Wilde is someone I'm interested in, but I know very little about his life. It was a beautiful film and if you are interested in Oscar Wilde, then I would highly recommend it. 

Bits'n'Bobs 

It will probably come as no surprise that I have got new Pop Funkos on this list. I'm always adding new Pops to my collection and with the newest wave being announced, it will continue to expand. I don't know what I'll do when I go to university as I'm not sure if I'll be able to afford them.

shop

While in Liverpool, I bought some new earings for the first time in ages. I'm allergic to anything but gold or silver, which makes getting earings expensive. Thankfully, these were about £13, which for one pair is still expensive. Nevertheless, I think they're beautiful and they were a bit outside of my comfort zone fashion-wise.

So that concludes my belated favourites posts. I'm slowly trying to get on top of my posting schedule again, but it may take some time for me to get back to posting once a week on here.

Carenza x  

April Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

Another month has come and gone, which means once again it's time for a favourites post. April, to me, seemed to vanish in a blink of an eye. I feel like I spent the majority of it revising as my exams slowly but surely creep up on me. As far as favourites go, there wasn't that much new things in my life, so a lot of these will have featured in past favourites posts. I also have a confession- there will be no book favourite for the month as I had an awful reading month and didn't particularly enjoy any of the books I read. 

Culture

I went to London on my first solo trip to see The Kiss of the Spiderwoman- a new adaptation of a play that was once a book, but then it was a film and briefly a musical. It stared Samuel Barnett, who played Dirk Gently in the Netflix adaptation. I knew very little about it before going, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sadly, it was only on for a short amount of time and is no longer being performed. 

Even though I saw it on the very last day of April, I've decided to include it in my April favourites and that is Avengers: Infinity War. I'm not as invested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but this film was one of the best ones and definitely didn't end how I thought it would. I am looking forward to the films to come.   

Bits'n'Bobs

I'm not really a clothes/fashion person, but in April I picked up two new clothing items that I love. The first is a black denim jacket from the Men's section at New Look. As we are transitioning towards the warmer months in the UK, I needed a lightweight jacket for those days when it was still on the cold side. I love it to pieces and it's become a staple piece of clothing in my wardrobe.

The next item was something out of my comfort zone- a mustard yellow jumper. I wasn't sure if yellow was a colour that looked good on me, but I've come to love it and for once it adds a bit of colour to my wardrobe (I'm a monochrome kind of gal). But the reason I picked it up was because it says Avid Reader's Club on it. I had been looking for something that expressed my love of books and this was the perfect thing.   

So that concludes my rather short April favourites, I can't promise that May will be a better month, but once my exams are over, everything should go back to normal (ish).

Carenza x

Belated March Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

I know it's nearly the end of April, but it just dawned on me that I hadn't posted my March Favourites. For me, life is a bit hectic at the moment with my exams creeping ever nearer. I'm trying to get back on top of blogging content, but there will be times when there are gaps, unfortunately. As far as I can remember, March was a very good month for me. I saw lots of amazing films and got back into my love for TV series. 

Books

My favourite book of March was Sycthe by Neal Shusterman. The sequel is already out, but it doesn't come out until May 3rd in the UK. I haven't enjoyed a dystopian style novel in a long time, so when I picked this up and flew through it, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't want to put it down. I had a really good reading month in March, but ironically, I'm having a terrible reading month in April. 

Culture

I saw Lady Bird in March and I flipping loved it. I actually wrote a whole blog post about it, so if you want to read it then click here. At this point in my life, it is very relevant. I am going through the process of applying to university and deciding what I want to do with my future. The acting is phenomenal and the soundtrack is incredible. 

I'm pretty sure I saw Black Panther in March, but it might have been February, but as I didn't include it in my February favourites, I thought I'd talk about it now. I thought it was a great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's not my personal favourite, but I did really enjoy it.

I have a lot of favourite TV series for March. Starting with Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency on Netflix. Again, this is a series I have a blog post all about, so click here to read it. I'm already on my third rewatch. I love it so much. It is quite possibly my favourite TV series of all time. I could watch it on repeat like an upturned turtle. I am very sad that they cancelled it. 

I have been watching Mad Men and I feel like I've finally got into it. I wasn't the biggest fan of series one and two, but I loved series three and four. I feel fully invested in the characters and I'm excited to see where it goes for the final three seasons.

I mentioned this in my February favourites, but I am still loving Merlin. I'm about to start the final series and I really don't want my rewatch to be over. I think it's an incredible show and it reminds me so much of being a child and watching it on the weekends as each new episode was released. 

Bits'n'Bobs

My new favourite bits'n'bobs have to be the two newest editions to my Pop Funko family; Ron and Ginny on broomsticks. I am going to be posting some Harry Potter inspired photos on my instagram (@carenzaonbooks) as I'm in the biggest Harry Potter mood. I think these are great editions to the collection and I just can't wait to keep on growing my collection. 

So that concludes my March favourites, I am going to try and get back on top of my posting schedule, especially with my Shadowhunter Chronicles reviews. 

Carenza x    

Very Belated February Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

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

Books

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

Culture

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

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

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

Bits'n'Bobs

Edited by VSCO cam

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

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

Carenza x

January Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

We're officially into the second month of 2018 and it's a bit scary how fast it's going. For me, 2018 is a big year and it's going to be filled with change, so if it could slow down a bit, that would be great. But, with it being a new month, it means I can reflect on all the things I loved in January. January was a good month. I did lots of reading and really got my mojo back.

Books

I read a whopping 10 books in January, but the standout book for me was Turtles All The Way Down by John Green. I picked this up for £1.99 in my local Waterstones and flew through it at the start of the month. I loved it. It was such an incredible representation of anxiety and opened me up to a whole new side of anxiety that I knew nothing about. The relationships between the characters were amazing. I am going to be writing a full review at some point soon. 5/5 stars from me. 

Culture

January was the month I finally saw Hamilton. I had been waiting to see it for almost a year and I finally saw it. It was amazing. It lived up to all my expectations. King George still remains my favourite character. I have some Hamilton merch and am very happy about it.

I also finally went to the Harry Potter exhibition at the British Library. It was phenomenal, but then the exhibitions at the British Library always are. I'm so excited to get to go back and finish the rooms I didn't get a chance to because I had to rush off to Hamilton.

I saw the amazing film that is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. I really enjoyed it and it definitely has some important issues at heart.  I would highly recommend it.

Bits'n'Bobs 

As I've already touched upon, I saw Hamilton in January and therefore I acquired some Hamilton Merch. I got a programme, as is my custom when I go to the theatre. I also got the King George t-shirt, which I adore. Lastly, I got the poster as I am a poster hoarder.

So, that concludes my January favourites. I think January was a really great month for me and I hope the rest of the year is as well.

Carenza x

November and December Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

It's never too late for a favourites post, right? I know this is super late, but I think by now we've established that I'm awful at sticking to an upload schedule. Forgetting this, here are my favourites from the months of November and December!

November

I read two of my favourites in November and they were The Life of Pi by Yann Martel and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. These are two of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. I enjoyed myself the whole way through and I would love to read more from both authors. I have been neglecting my book reviews, so I'm going to make a list of all the books I want to review and get them all prepared to go at some point in the next few months.

I saw an epic amount of movies in November. I'm pretty sure I saw a movie every single week in November, which is insane. But, there are three movies I really enjoyed. The first was Thor: Ragnarok. I really enjoy Marvel movies and this was a really good one. It wasn't my favourite, but I loved the soundtrack and the whole aesthetic of the movie. I'm looking forward to the Marvel film releases later this year. 

Another film I enjoyed was Breathe. It was Andy Serkis' directorial debut. I went to the cinema by myself and I was the youngest person in that room, and I cried. It had some really sad bits and I don't cry that much in the cinema. It was beautiful. 

My final film fave was The Death of Stalin. This was so funny, I genuinely couldn't stop laughing. I'm currently studying Russian History as one of my courses at college. It had an incredible cast and if you enjoy historical comedies, I highly recommend this.

I saw the Imperium plays at the RSC and I really enjoyed them. I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's based on the novels by Robert Harris, which I think I'm gonna read at some point in my life.

I got two new Pop Funkos in November and surprise surprise, they're Harry Potter ones. I got two of the Autumn Convention exclusives. I got the Boggart as Snape and Gellert Grindelwald. I love them both so much and I love seeing my collection grow.

December

It might seem obvious, but I really love the festive period. I love the dark evenings and wearing all the jumpers. I love having a Christmas tree up and the build-up to Christmas. We had snow this year, which was really exciting.

In December I FINALLY saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (part one only). It was amazing. I loved it. I'm seeing it again on my birthday. I spent a lot of money on the merchandise, but it was totally worth it. I had a whole day in London with my Mum and it was so lovely.

A TV show I binged watched with my family was Gotham (series 3). This was by far the best series of Gotham. It moved the story in an incredible direction and I'm sad that I have to wait for series four to be on DVD to continue watching it.

If I'm honest, those are the only things I really enjoyed in December, as December is just a crazy busy month. 

So that concludes my favourites for November and December. I'm thinking that I might start posting my favourites posts bi-monthly as I think I prefer it.
Carenza x

September Favourites 2017| CarenzaOnBooks

Yet again, it is time to reflect on the previous month and the things I enjoyed most in that month. September was a very quiet month for me, I was snowed under with work and got ill towards the end of the month. But, despite that, I still enjoyed lots of things and wanted to share them with you.

Books

My favourite book of the month was Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. My review is coming very soon, but I loved this book and am currently reading the second book. I gave it 5/5 stars and I can finally understand why everyone has been raving about this series.

Culture

I have one cultural favourite and that it the soundtrack to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I received this for my birthday and have been listening to it a lot. I've been finding it very calming as I've been so busy lately.

Bits'n'Bobs

My bits'n'bobs favourite has been Pop Funkos, specifically Harry Potter ones. I acquired 3 Harry Potter ones in September, but my favourite has to be this. This is one of the Summer Convention exclusives. I bought it on eBay, but I know you can get it on Tesco Direct.









So that concludes my September favourites, I know it's shorter than usual but September was a crazy, hectic month filled with lots of deadlines and flu, so I didn't really enjoy it as much as I usually would.
Carenza x 

August Favourites 2017| CarenzaOnBooks

Another month has flown by and I have more things to add to my ever growing list of favourites. August was a very good month, but I may be biased as it is my birthday month. I always look forward to August because it's when my family have our summer holiday. I did a lot of amazing things this August and consequently, I have a lot of favourites.

Books

If you saw my monthly wrap up, then you'll know I am in the middle of my Harry Potter reread. I will always love these books and it made me exceptionally happy rereading them. Reviews will be coming your way soon once I have finished my reread.

Culture

August was a very good cultural month. I went to Edinburgh twice and I also went to London. My first trip to Edinburgh was to meet Cassandra Clare and Holly Black at their Edinburgh signing. I have wanted to meet Cassie for 4 years and I finally got to met her. I wrote a blog post about it and you can check it out here.

My other trip to Edinburgh was for the Fringe festival. This was my fourth year in a row attending. I saw some amazing theatre and some less amazing theatre. I'm hoping to go again next year for longer than a day and experience more of the festival.

I went to London over the Bank Holiday to see Andrew Scott play Hamlet. It was a part of my birthday celebrations. Andrew Scott's Hamlet was one of my favourite Hamlet's and I can't wait to watch it again when it airs on BBC 1 or 2 next year.

My final cultural favourite was my trip to the Harry Potter studios. I got to go round it properly (I went in January with my college) and see the new Forbidden Forest. I'm already planning my next trip, probably this next year. I'm thinking of making a blog post about tips and tricks for people planning on going to the Studio, would you guys be interested in it?

Bits'n'Bobs

My favourites in the Bits'n'Bobs category has been depleting these past few months, but my Bits'n'Bobs choice for August is Pop Funkos. I've really gotten back into collecting them and have added a few to my collection in the past month. I really want to collect all the Harry Potter ones, but it will take a while as most of the ones I don't have are American exclusives.

And that concludes my August favourites. I can't believe there are only 3 months left of 2017, where did the year go?
Carenza x

July Favourites 2017| CarenzaOnBooks

Now that we're safely in August, I can talk about all the things I loved in July. July flew by and it's hard to imagine that we're now in August. I have a favourite book, as well as some favourite cultural things that happened in July to share with you all.

Books

My favourite book of the month was Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu. I read this in one day, it's one of my top reads of 2017. If you are looking for some YA feminism, then this is the book for you. It's not out in the UK yet, but you can buy it from WH Smiths as it's part of the Zoella Book Club. I will be writing a review on it very soon and I need to find more people who've read it to fangirl with.

Culture

If you've been following my blog for a while, then you will know I fell in love with a play called Snow in Midsummer that was on at the RSC. Well, I may have found something I love even more. I saw Angels in America (performed at the National Theater, London, but via a NT Live broadcast to cinemas) and I am obsessed. It is a fantastic play, the production was beautiful and the actors in it are exceptionally talented. It's told in two parts and I saw it over two weeks. If it gets broadcast again, I will 100% go and see it again. I've ordered the script and need to get a programme and basically spend the rest of my life talking about how much I love this play.

Something else I did that was pretty cool in July was go to a practice race for Formula One when it came to the UK. It was a amazing experience and something I would do again. The atmosphere was tangible and every time Lewis Hamilton drove past the audience would clap.  

One of my most anticipated TV shows came back this July and I am very happy to be watching it live for the first time. I only recently (end of last year) joined the Game of Thrones fandom, and I'm here to stay. Every week it's exciting to see who lives and who dies (don't worry, this is a spoiler free zone). I can't wait to see how this ends and have to wait a whole year for more Thrones.

A TV show that deserves a honorable mention is Poldark. I love Poldark, I can't believe the final episode of this series is this Sunday. Yet another TV show I'll have to await the return of.

Bits'n'Bobs

I only have one bits'n'bobs favourite and that is that I got some new bedding. I know it's not the most exciting thing in the world, but I'm happy with it. It was from Asda and it's gray with cranes and cherry blossoms on it. I really like and will be looking for simple bedding like it in the future. 

So that concludes my July Favourites, I really enjoy writing these posts as it allows me to reflect back on the month.

Carenza x 

June Favourites 2017| CarenzaOnBooks

Another month over means another favourites post. June went so unbelievably fast that I don't know if the favourites I have for this month (June) are actually for June.

Books

My favourite book for June is obviously Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare. My review is still in the making (I know I've said that in the last few posts, but it is taking me a while to write it). I have Lord of Shadows 5/5 stars. I can't believe that we have to wait till 2019 for the next book. Also, can we appreciate how gorgeous this Waterstones exclusive edition is? Cassie has been blessed by the cover gods.

 Culture

I have quite a few TV show favourites for June. The first being Versailles series 2. I wasn't the biggest fan of series 1, but I loved series 2 so much and am very excited for series 3. If you interested in learning about the building of the Palace of Versailles as well as the King who built it, then you will love this. It brings back all the memories of my trip to Versailles in 2011 and I would love to go again.

Another TV show that returned was Poldark. I love Poldark so much and I'm so happy to be back in this world. I'm pretty sure it's already been commissioned for a fourth series, which would take them up to book 8. I love the music, the cinematography, the actors and the plots. It makes me very happy when Sunday's roll around and I get a new episode.

I began re-watching the Legend of Korra for what must be the fourth time since 2014. I love this show so much and it makes me happy every time I watch it. The episodes are only 20 minutes long, which means you can get through quite a few at a time. I need to get it on box set, but for now I am  very happy watching it on Prime.

Bits'n'Bobs 

I'm not sure if I got any new bits'n'bobs in June, but I did reorganise my candle shelf in my bedroom which made me very happy. They had been very cluttered, but now they look beautiful. I probably have more candles than I need, but they make great props for Bookstagram photos and they smell great.

I'm very excited for what July brings at I have a few trips planned as well as it being Camp NaNoWriMo and Game of Thrones coming back. It also means that next month is my birthday month, which I am a bit too excited for.
Carenza x

April and May 2017 Favourites| It'sCarenzaB

For the first time in a while, I am doing a combined favourites post as due to exams I didn't have time to post one in May for April. But, it does mean that this post is going to be twice as long which is a good thing.

Books

My favourite book for April is The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I had the pleasure of meeting Angie while I was reading this book and it added to my experience. If you are looking for some diverse reads, then this is a great book. 

Seeing as I only read one book in May, my favourite book in May was A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas. My review is coming very soon, so stay tuned for that.

Culture

April

I have two favourite plays, the first being Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead at the Old Vic. It follows the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from Hamlet and shows us their side of the story while interlocking with Hamlet (the play). The main reason I went and saw this was because it had Daniel Radcliffe in it. Even if it hadn't had Daniel in it, it was a phenomenal play and I would love to see it again in the future.  

My other play favourite is The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth. I have already seen Mojo by him, so it was exciting to see his new play. I believe it is still on at the Royal Court and if it isn't, I know it's transferring at some point into the West End. It has elements of comedy, but also has a message running through it which is something that happens in some of his other plays.

A film I was very excited to see was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. I had loved the first one and was so happy to see the second in the cinema. I will say that my favourite thing about this film is Baby Groot. I would happily sit and watch a two hour feature film of Baby Groot being very cute. It's been over a month since I saw it and I still can't decided if I love volume 1 or 2 more.

May

I spent the majority of May listening to the La La Land soundtrack. I adore the film, so listening to the soundtrack has been great while I wait to get the film on DVD. It's a very calming soundtrack, so listening to this while revising was nice.

If you saw my last favourites post, then you'll know that a play from the Royal Shakespeare Company made it on to the list and another one has this month. I went and saw Visa Versa, which is a new comedy set in Rome. If you can get to the RSC and see this, then you will have a great time. Even if I did sustain a very mild injury from one of the actors, I had a great time. (It was very mild, and more of a shock than an injury) 

Another great play I saw in May was The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the Donmar Warehouse. It was a great play and Lenny Henry played the title role. It was quite scary how the title character was very similar to several politicians, both alive and dead. 

Something I finally started watching in May was Anime. I have been a fan of Studio Ghibli since 2012, so it was time I dived headlong into the dark hole of Anime. I absolutely love it. I've been using an app called Crunchyroll to watch it. I've completed Yuri on Ice (review/discussion post coming this month) and have watched 15 episodes of Attack on Titan. If you are a fan of Avatar the Last Airbender, then you will love Anime.

Bits'n'Bobs

April

With the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, I loved having my Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 tsum tsums on display. At some point, I plan on getting the Vol 2 tsums as Baby Groot is adorable and needs protecting.










May
In May, I added four new Pop Funkos to my collection. Two Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (they're both Baby Groot), Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones in her outfit from season 1 and the Demiguise from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

With exams squashing me in May, I needed to find time to relax and when I wasn't revising, I was colouring as it was really calming and I actually quite enjoyed it. My mum bought me an amazing Sloth themed colouring book which I have been enjoying colouring.

So that concludes my rather long favourites post for April and May, hopefully in the future these posts won't be as long.
Love,
Carenza x  

A Belated March 2017 Favourites| It'sCarenzaB

So this month, I am bringing you my March Favourites a tiny bit late. Why? I hear you ask. It's a bit late as recently I haven't been in the mood to blog and I only want to put posts on here that I am proud of. For a while, I have been in this routine to rush posts so at least I'll have posted something. That stops from now on. I am going to be making a separate post about some changes that will be coming your way soon. But, anyway, March Favourites. I have a couple of favourites for March, most of which have been cultural favourites. 

March Favourites 2017

Books

Now, while I had an exceptionally good reading month in March, most of the books I read were either for college or books I didn't enjoy. I do have a favourite book and also a favourite script, which ties in with a culture favourite.

My favourite book of the month was Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I had been dying to read this for a while and my friend and I were buddy reading Carry On, but I hadn't read Fangirl. I think I read this in about a week (which for me at the moment, is very impressive). I absolutely loved this book. I have been in a big contemporary mood lately, so this was the perfect book to read. I will be reviewing it soon.

My script favourite is Snow in Midsummer by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig. I'll go into more detail about why I loved the play in my Culture section. The script was slightly different from the play and it was interesting reading it between the times I saw the play.

Culture

As I was just talking about it, let's keep on talking about Snow in Midsummer. I kid you not, I saw this play 3 times. I absolutely loved it. The cast, the set, the music, the plot- everything was incredible. If I could, I would have seen it more than 3 times. As cheesy as it sounds, I can't put into words how much I love this play.

A certain highly anticipated live action Disney film came out in March. Beauty and the Beast has been widely accepted as a very good adaptation and most people seem to love. I love it. Beauty and the Beast is my favourite Disney film and the live action version lived up to my expectations. I have been listening to the sound track a lot and I have to say that my favourite song is Evermore.

Bits'n'Bobs

My only Bits'n'bobs favourite are the Beauty and the Beast Tsum Tsums. You guys know I love Tsum Tsums, so add my favourite Disney film to one of the things I collect, it makes me very happy.













So that concludes my favourites for March. I'm debating stopping these posts as I don't feel as though they go with my other posts.
Love,
Carenza x  

February 2017 Favourites| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

It's reached that point in the month when I tell you what some of my favourites were from the previous month. This is probably the smallest favourites I have ever done as February just seemed to go so quickly and I had so much on I can't remember what happened. My posts are usually a lot longer, but I have under five favourites for this month. For the first time since I introduced the Bits'n'Bobs category, I have no random favourites.

Books

My favourite book that I read in February was Caraval by Stephanie Garber. I have a review of this, which you can read here. I have seen some mixed reviews about this book, but I personally loved it. I had started to hate reading fantasy, but this made me rethink my love for fantasy.

Culture

I only have one cultural favourite and that was a trip to London I made in mid-February. My family and I went to the British Museum and we saw an amazing exhibition on South Africa. I do like going to exhibitions, but sometimes I can find them a bit overwhelming, especially after a long journey. But I really enjoyed this one. We then went to a pub, which for the life of me I cannot remember the name, but it was one of the best pubs I have ever been to. But, the main reason we went to London was to see a play called La Ronde at a theater called the Bunker. It had one of my all time favourite actors in it, Alexander Vlahos. This play was definitely for more mature people as it dealt with sex and relationships. I'm not sure if it is still on, but if it is, I highly recommend.

My other vaguely cultural related thing is that I have been enjoying buying books from charity shops. Most of the books I have been buying are from charity shops. I feel that books from charity shops get a bad rep because they can be damaged, but at the end of the day you are getting a book and a charity is getting money towards its cause.

So that concludes my February favourites. I know this post is tiny compared to my usual favourite posts, but February went so quickly.

Love,

Carenza x    

January 2017 Favourites| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

It's time to discuss all the bookish, cultural and random things I loved in January. There were loads of things I loved last month and I can't wait to discuss them.

Books

My favourite book that I read in January was We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. You can read my review here. This was really different from anything I've read before and raises some really important issues.








 

My favourite purchase in January was this gorgeous edition of the Complete Sherlock Holmes. I got this from the National Portrait Gallery in London. This is my second Barnes and Nobles classics and I will definitely be purchasing more of them. 

Culture

My first cultural favourite is La La Land. I'm sure you guys will have heard loads about La La Land as everyone seems to be talking about it. It was a really different take on a musical. The songs were really catchy, I still have City of Stars stuck in my head. 

My next favourite is Sherlock series 4. While series 4 wasn't my favourite, it was still amazing.The story line was very different from the previous series. The characters were also really well developed. I really hope that it isn't the final series as I love Sherlock.

Another film I saw in January was A Monster Calls, to read my review click here. I genuinely sat in the cinema and cried. The animation and cinematography was beautiful. It was one of the most accurate book-to-film adaptations I have seen.

I have a theater favourite and that is Lazarus. Lazarus was the musical David Bowie produced before his death. The soundtrack is amazing, I highly recommend. While I really enjoyed it, the seating arrangement was awful. At certain times I couldn't see the far corners of the stage. I also  struggled to see over the people in front of me as the seats weren't steep enough. 

My travel related favourite was visiting the Harry Potter Tour near London for the first time. It was like the inner 5 year old was going crazy. While it is expensive. it is totally worth the money. I went with my college so I won't be talking about my experience in too much detail, but I am hoping to go again this year. I did buy a lot of things and I got to ride a broomstick!

My first musical favourite is Hamilton. I finally listened to the soundtrack and it is as amazing as everyone says. My favourite song is You'll Be Back. I can't wait to see it next January (2018).

My final cultural favourite is the Poldark soundtrack. My parents got me this for Christmas and I have been listening to it loads. It has a lot of calming piano pieces.

Bits'n'Bobs

My first Bits'n'Bobs favourite is this notebook in the shape of a C. As you guys know, my name starts with a C and I can never find anything with a C on it. I thought that this was really cool and a bit different, plus it has cats on it. Do I need to say anymore? This is from a company called Alphabooks. I bought mine in the National Portrait Gallery.

My next favourite is this cool copper lamp that I got from my parents for Christmas. I have been using this a lot on my Instagram and I love how cool and unique it is.

My final favourite is all the stuff I bought from the Harry Potter studio tour. While it was expensive, I loved every single thing I bought. If you are wondering what card I got, it was Rowena Ravenclaw.










So that concludes my very large January favourites, let me know what some of your favourites were.
Love,
Carenza x

     

Best of Culture 2016| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

Welcome to the second in my "Best of" series. Last year I talked about books, beauty and Bits'n'Bobs, but this year I have decided that I am going to stop talking about beauty on my blog as I have no interest in it. I have decided that I am going to start talking about culture as culture is a huge part of my life.

I know that culture is a very vague word, but on here it means theater (plays and musicals), art exhibitions, films and tv, travel etc. I am now going to start featuring culture in my favourites every month.

Theater

I am very fortunate to be able to go so many plays and musicals with my parents. Most people I know would rather go on sunny beach holidays, but we would rather go to the theater. I get to see a lot of plays and musicals and it was very hard to narrow it down to my favourites. I will be honest I am only talking about plays and musicals from June onwards as I can't remember lots of what I saw before June because of exam stress.

First on my list is getting to see The Book of Mormon for the second time. I had already seen it in 2015 with my Dad and my Mum was desperate to see it. So the weekend before my birthday we went and saw it. It was even better the second time. I highly recommend you go and see it as it is hilarious. It is written by the people who created South Park. I will warn that it has lots of swear words and if you get easily offended, this musical isn't for you. I can safely say that The Book of Mormon is my favourite musical.

Next on my list was my trip to Edinburgh with my Dad to the Edinburgh Fringe for the 3rd year in a row. If you are ever planning to go to Edinburgh, then this is the time to go. There is so much to see, I can guarantee that you won't be bored. My Dad and I only went for a day and we managed to fit in 5-6 pieces of theater.  

In mid June, my parents and I went to Glyndebourne Opera House near Brighton as part of my Dad's present to my Mum for her birthday. I had never been to an opera, so I didn't know what to expect but I really enjoyed myself. I believe the opera we saw was called The Little Vixen. The costumes the singers wore were amazing, as was the set. I don't know if they do this at all Operas, but at Glyndebourne the interval was longer than the performance. In the interval, you have a picnic! The food was really nice and it felt very posh. I hope at some point in my life, I can go again as I really enjoyed it.

My final theater favourite is the Winter season at the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company). I've been going to the RSC since I was 6 years old and I have always enjoyed it, but this season was the best thing I saw. Obviously, I enjoyed everything else at the RSC, but these plays have stayed in my mind. I particularly enjoyed the plays in the Swan Theater. If you ever visit Stratford Upon Avon, you have to go to the RSC and see something.

Films and TV

There were a lot of amazing films that came out in 2016, as well as a lot of TV. I think I have narrowed it down to my ultimate favourites, otherwise the list would be endless. I will warn that I am rubbish at describing why I like films because I am not a film reviewer. 

Films

My first film favourite is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. You guys know that I love the Harry Potter series, so I was both excited and skeptic when they announced the Fantastic Beasts films. I do have a review on here for the film, you can read that here. My review goes into loads of detail about why I like the film.

My next favourite film was Moana. I have always been a fan of Disney, so every-time they release a new film I get really excited. Moana was very different from the other Disney films as it shows that you don't need a man by your side. I've noticed that Disney is branching away from the "a princess always needs a man/prince to save her" recently and I couldn't be happier. I loved the songs as they were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, so they were in a similar style to Hamilton. 

My final favourite film was Stark Trek Beyond. It is quite possibly my favourite of the 3 Star Trek Films. It was very funny, but it also had some more serious scenes. I loved the opening scene. I was really happy that the film paid tribute to Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin as both died before the films release.

TV

My favourite TV series of 2016 were:

• Lucifer
• Poldark (series 2)
• The Living and The Dead
• Game of Thrones (I know I'm really behind, I only just joined this fandom)     

I'm not going to go into as much detail as I did with films because I can't put into words why I like them, I just like them.

Travel

My favourite place I traveled to in 2016 was Brighton. I visited Brighton when I was very little, so I don't really remember much about it. It was nice being in a seaside town that felt a bit old-fashioned (it has the huge pier). The Lanes were really fun to visit and the weather was mostly good. I hope in the future I can go back to Brighton and spend more time exploring and take more photos.

So that is it for my Best of Culture for 2016. Next weeks  post will be Best of Bits'n'Bobs and I have a feeling that this is going to be a really long post.
Love,
Carenza x