The Fear of an Angry Feminist

It's been so long since I've written anything I think that's why I feel so blue lately. The idea of writing dances around my head all day, everything I do I think about how the words would fit on a page. What they would sound like when they're all put together but then they get jumbled up and I can't think straight and the urge to write becomes me not wanting to put my heart and soul into something due to fear of being judged.

Recently I've discovered something about myself. I live in constant fear of not being liked. I want people to like me but when you think about it, not eveyone is going to like you... What's that Dita Von Teese quote, “You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there's still going to be somebody who hates peaches.”  I'm trying to be better at this. I'm trying to speak up about things. I'm the type of person that would go along with something purely because I don't want to be a hassle for someone else. It's really not a good habbit to be in. This is all coming from a girl who is known by her friends as the angry feminist. I will talk till the hills become mountains to my friends about feminism and equal rights for woman because I feel so strongly about it, but once to comes to me being treated like a real life person I push myself to the side. I want to start writing, not just about novels but about everything I want to talk about. I'm tired of feeling like I'm alone. Maybe someone who feels the same as me will read something I write and feel like there's someone who understands because trust me, I understand. I don't want to feel like a waste of space anymore. 

Book Review of 'The Grownup' by Gillian Flynn

Title: The Grownup
Author: Gillian Flynn
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Date Published: 2015
Number of Pages: 67

Plot: This is a short story written though the eyes of an unnamed narrator. She makes her living faking it as a psychic, praying on the gullible minds of lonely housewives and young mothers looking for excitement. On the side she does some illegal soft-core sex work. One day the unnamed narrator meets a woman called Susan Burke. Susan moved to the city one year ago with her husband and 15 year old stepson Miles. They live in an old Victorian house called Carterhook Manor. Susan is convinced that some malevolent spirit is inhabiting their home. The narrator doesn't believe in the supernatural or exorcism. However when she enters the house for the first time she begins to fell like like house is watching her, waiting for her to let her guard down. 

Thoughts: I found this book yesterday hidden on the self of my local bookstore and to say I freaked out was an understatement. A new Gillian Flynn story? Another terrifying world I could get lost in? Without a shadow of doubt I bought a copy and dug into it as soon as I got home. 

I finished this book in about 30/40 minutes. It was terrifying! By the time I got to the last page I was too scared to move. The plot twists in this book are incredible. I've read enough Gillian Flynn novels to know nothing is ever black and white with her, but every time the plot twist sneaks up on me. 

This novella is perfect for Halloween, it's a very fast read but it will chill you to the bone. Flynn's character's are real and raw. By the end of any of her novels you are wishing you could talk to every character to get their side of the story. 

'The Grownup' will leave you wondering what happened next....? It'll keep you up all night tossing and turning, scared to turn off your light. If that doesn't scream Halloween Read, I don't know what does. 

5/5 stars for 'The Grownup' by Gillian Flynn. 

Book Review of 'A Work In Progress' by Connor Franta

Title: A Work In Progress
Author: Connor Franta
Publisher: Keywords Press
Date Published: 2015
Number of Pages: 212

Plot: This is an intimate memoir of the life Connor Franta lives behind YouTube and Instagram. Connor shares what he's learned on his journey from small-town boy to internet sensation. Within the pages of this memoir Connor talks about his struggles with identity, body image and sexuality in his teenage years; and his decision to pack up his life in his mid-western town and move across the country to the bright lights of LA. 

Thoughts: I loved this book. It was everything I expected it to be although it was 100 times more beautiful. I loved Connor's writing style. He was so true to himself throughout this book. While I was reading it I felt like Connor was telling me each story personally. The photos within this memoir are beyond beautiful and inspired me so much to pick my camera up again and start snapping. The stories are personal and heartwarming. This memoir is a must-have if you're seeking inspiration and motivation to start living the life you have always wanted. 

4/5 stars for 'A Work In Progress' by Connor Franta.

Book Review of 'The Girl On The Train' by Paula Hawkins

Title: The Girl On The Train
Author: Paula Hawkins
Publisher: Doubleday
Date Published: 2015
Number of Pages: 316

Plot: Everyday the train Rachel takes into London stops at the same row of houses, everyday Rachel gets to watch a few seconds of two strangers lives play out in front of her. Lives that seem perfect. One day Rachel see's something that changes everything and it's her chance to finally be involved in the lives she has watched from a far. 

Thoughts: I went into this book knowing that it has been compared to Gillan Flynn's 'Gone Girl' and if you know me you know that book is my everything. I am OBSESSED. And if you're a long time reader on my blog you'll know I try to find a way to praise Flynn in every blog post. This book is good... Great even, but it is not Gone Girl. 

The writing is great, the characters are complex and raw - they are flawed and real and I loved that. The plot was exciting, yes it dragged out a bit in the middle but I struggled on till it got up and running again and the twist at the end was a bit predictable. But I still enjoyed reading this novel. It was everything a thriller should be and it was an excellent first novel for Paula Hawkins. I will defiantly be picking up her next work. 

I would recommend this book if you're Gillian Flynn fan, a lover of thriller novels or just starting out reading thrillers. It was a fun journey (no train pun intended) It's a fast read and it will keep you up at night wanting to know how it all plays out, but don't go into it expecting it to be the next best thriller.

4/5 stars for 'The Girl On The Train' by Paula Hawkins. 

Book Review of 'You're The One That I Want' by Giovanna Fletcher

Title: You're The One That I want
Author: Giovanna Fletcher
Publisher: Penguin Group
Date Published: 2014
Number of Pages: 372

Plot: Maddy stands at the back of the church, dressed in white. At the end of the isle stands her best friend Rob - the man is she about to marry. Next to Rob, stands her other best friend Ben. Maddy is thorn, having to choose between two of the best men she has ever known. Does she love Rob enough to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him, or is does she love Ben enough to risk losing years of friendship over? 

Thoughts: This book gave me all the feels! I caught myself smiling while reading this far more than I should have. It's such a beautiful light read that will leave you feeling loved up by the end, and if you're anything like me in need of a cuddle.

This was my first Giovanna Fletcher novel, although I have read her blog many times mostly due to the fact that I'm a McFly fangirl and I love her baby Buzz - he's so cute! But I love her writing, it flows so nicely and it was so easy to read. A perfect book for when you're trying to get out of a reading slump. Which it helped me a lot, so thanks for that Gi!

I loved the characters in this book. Although the plot wasn't exactly page turning and it was quite predictable it was still nice to see how it would play out. Ben made me smile like an idiot and broke my heart at the same time, knowing that sweet and loving fictional characters are not real. BOYS IN BOOKS ARE BETTER! I got way to involved in this book. It turned into a thoughtful discussion at the dinner table with my mum, 'Who Ben should be with.' 'If Maddy deserved both amazing guys to be in love with her.' These discussions mostly ended with my mum telling me I'm emotionally invested in novels and fictional lives.

I can't wait to get my hands on Giovanna's debut novel 'Billy & Me'. I'm sure I'll have it firmly in my grasp within a couple of weeks, if not days. 'You're The One That I Want' is a perfect summer read, if you've read it, let me know if you're  #TeamRob or #TeamBen!

Giovanna's third novel 'Dream A Little Dream' is set to be released soon so keep an eye out for that. I'm sure it'll be just as heartwarming! 

4/5 stars for 'You're The One That I Want' by Giovanna Fletcher. 

Life Lessons from Nick Miller

I spend a lot of time watching reruns of the show 'New Girl' purely based on the fact that I am madly in love with Zooey Dechanel (My yearbook quote in secondary school was "sometimes I cry because I'm not Zooey Dechanel" and I still fully stand by that) I am insanely jealous of the amazing friendships on that show and NICK MILLER. 

Now to a lot of people, Nick Miller is an annoying, unmotivated character who acts like a child and doesn't take anything seriously but that is not the case with me. I love Nick. I think he's sweet, caring, an amazing friend and absolutely hilarious. Sure he's had some set backs - dropping out of law school, has a dead end job, can't hold a relationship longer than a few months but there is a bit of Nick in us all. Nick has done stuff, he's wrote half a book about zombies! 

I've learned a lot from Nick while watching this show. Like how talking about your feelings is overrated, how adulthood is different for everyone, aging is underrated and how to kiss. I'm sorry I have emotions and get that fuzzy feeling in my stomach whenever Nick kisses Jess. What I'm not sorry about is that I'm still waiting for a kiss like that to happen to me in real life. 

Nick has some of the best lines in the show and I never pass up the chance to quote my favorite fictional character *cries in corner because Nick Miller isn't real* My friends don't understand my love for Nick but they don't have to, they just need to accept it. 

And when I found these glorious 'inspirational' Nick Miller quotes on the internet I had to post them on my blog. Everyone gets a little creativity block now and then, let these quotes inspire you to live like Nick.

Basically what I did with guys...

What I say to people when they ask what I've been doing since college...

It's not even funny how true this is...

 I found these on BuzzFeed and it's honestly the best thing I've found on the internet. The article link is here if you wanna check out the rest of the pictures and get inspired.

Book Review: 'Flowers in the Attic' by VC Andrews

Title: Flowers in the Attic
Author: VC Andrews
Publisher: Fontana
Date Published: 1979
Number of Pages: 423

Plot: Siblings Chris, Cathy, Cory and Carrie are pulled away from their perfect lives when their father suddenly dies in an accident. In over whelming debt their mother has to try to get back into her dying father's heart, but without him knowing of her four children. So she locks them in the attic of her childhood home promising them they will be let out soon. But as the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months the children start to face the terrifying realization that they may not be let out of the attic after all.

Thoughts: Let me start by saying, doesn't that plot sound great? Yeah, I thought so too. Well that was until I got passed the first couple of pages. To get straight to the point, if you want a book that is badly written, has terrible character development, and no plot then I would highly recommend 'Flowers in the Attic' by VC Andrews, but if you want a book that is well written, has good character development and actually has a story line than I suggest any other book than this (and that's coming from someone who read and at some point, enjoyed, 'Twilight')

I couldn't finish this book. I gave up on page 208 or so because I couldn't hack it anymore. It was so god damn boring. The narrator was a boring 12 year old girl who had no clue about anything and her older brother irritated me more than my own older bother! Don't get me started on the mother and the grandmother. UGH!

After reading a lot of mixed reviews online and I mean A LOT I'm glad I gave up on this book, personally I don't want to read about consensual incest, I get enough of that in 'A Song of Ice and Fire.'

Over all I 100% hated this book. I would not recommend. Sorry not sorry.

1/5 stars for 'Flowers in the Attic' by VC Andrews.