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Showing posts from July, 2020

Our Story by Miranda Dickinson

It's not often we see a novel set in the Brummie area (Birmingham) of England and now I don't understand why it hasn't really been done on this scale before. It's nice to see a story based in the midlands, rather than it being London-centric or Americentric. These are working-class and middle-class characters mixing not because of what they have in their pocket, but rather what intelligence and go-getting attitude that they all possess. Maybe now people will come to realise that the midlands is not Area 51 or something stupid and along those lines, which makes me happy to see. Otty is a new-starter writer who has just been given the opportunity to write for a well-known show-runner, Russell Styles who has fired many other writers in the past, just because he believed that they were not good enough. But Otty is different from the rest, due to her working-class background and her cest for making every piece just as risk-worthy as the last, rather than safe and easy. But s...

Why I'm not competing anymore.

I, Kiki Hempell have decided to pledge to no longer feel as though I need to compete with other people, but rather compete with myself. You see, I have come to realise that I believe society is toxic and in no way good for anyone's mental health.  The more that I think about how I value other people's perspectives and how I should always be one better than the next, I begin to feel depressed. Why do we do this to ourselves? Do we know that everyone seems to experience some form of competition, even when they look like they have nothing at all?  So shouldn't we all be a little kinder towards the people who are feeling like they are losing the race?  You would have thought as an intelligent and rational race of beings that we would be immune to this sort of feeling. In fact, I think that it makes us all worse.  It seems like we all have this power to use it not only on ourselves but also the people around us. You might be thinking right now that can't be me; but you co...

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

What can we truly know of the universe? Is the universe simply beyond our comprehension or are we just too ignorant to see what is actually in front of us? What if there is life beyond Earth? What if we can discover it for ourselves? What if, our curiosity gets the better of us all? This book seems to pose many questions to what knowledge we already possess yet, are we looking at life in the right way and how we come to use the environment of Earth around us. It takes us through the story of the human race and how we have expanded our skills and knowledge to become a race which is both rational and intelligent enough to discover the final frontier, space. But what comes after all of this? This is just as an important question as the one in which we ask of how we all got here in the first place. The great thing about this book is that I feel like if you read it before watching the film, you would probably have a better appreciation for Kubrick's vision. In fact, it could be believed...

One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London

Bea is simply a woman who has been taken advantage of in a friendship which she believed to be something more but not reciprocated in the same way. However, it seems like Bea is not a woman who is completely unlucky. Making a big break in fashion blogging, writing in the style of how it is for a plus-sized woman and how difficult it is to find amazing designer clothes to wear has enraptured many readers. I don't think that I have every truly read a book like One to Watch. It truly lived up to its name of being something that must be watched, not just read. Seriously, this book should be made by Hollywood in some capacity. Everything felt as though I was reading more of what happened in a film, rather than a book. Even the epilogue felt more like a resolution from a film and how the end credits roll and they have those little videos that keep you watching to the end. Every part of this book is an event, there is nothing that sticks out to be better than the others, because they are ...

Lucky by Kris Bryant

Lucky is a book based on the story of two women, Serena and Gabrielle. Serena is a woman who has grown up in not the most ideal circumstances. Grown up in poverty and never knowing what stupid thing her mother would do next, made her feel responsible for her sister, Faith. Her life as it seems looks as though she is down and out but always caring and being reliable for others, but never getting to do what she truly wants. On the other hand, Gabrielle could be seen to have a better family life compared to Serena. Gabrielle is ruthless and knows what she wants out of life and she isn't afraid to get it, especially with her work, being in the architect business. When I first read the description of this book, I was definitely intrigued by the concept. A LGBT relationship set in the background of a woman who wins the lottery and using it to make a doggie day-care. Seems perfect right? I really wished it was. In reality it is a very stereotypical relationship which makes me sad. The usu...

More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood

Okay. So I'm not sure how I'm going to get through this review without shouting my words in excitement. If I could stand on a rooftop this very minute and sing to all below (bear in mind my singing voice is not up to par but lets continue for the sake of emphasis) with the greatest 70s pop song it would still not show how good this book is. But one thing that it will show is that I am now angry at not being able to experience the same joy that I did for the very first time that I was able to read it. Just imagine now, I am in my hermit hole crying my eyes out because I am not sure how I am meant to carry on with life, let alone read another book.  I think that we might just have a hopeless romantic on our hands. Danyal is undeniably a down-to-earth guy who unfortunately needs a little push in the right direction. However, he can also be seen to be a guy who is too good to be true. Almost like how a  star might shoot over the night sky, but can easily be missed if your not in t...

Frankie and the Gift of Fantasy by Ruthy Ballard

I have always been captivated by the thought that there could be something beyond this world, yet connected by our very own. 'Frankie and the Gift of Fantasy' is set in the age range of being a children's book which is meant to help children think, evaluate and learn, not only about what is beyond our own world, but what happens on Earth today.  Frankie can be considered somewhat of a dreamer like any normal kid with some amount of creativity should be. The only problem is that when he needs to be practical according to his parents, his mind is instead, is up in the clouds. But this is not necessarily a bad thing, not when he is transported through a crack in the wall to a place called 'Urth'. The writing can be seen as very colloquial, to the point that it feels as though not only are they omniscient of Frankie and the events that will take place, but it feels like they are reeling the events to only the reader. Almost like they are talking about the story in the s...

My Favourite Books... So Far

I have only really been reading seriously since I was thirteen years old, but I sure have found some books which I believe have really entertained and changed my perspective of life. Here are a few that I have rounded up that might be of interest to you. 1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Yes, this is pretty much a staple in any young reader's bookshelf, but not for me it wasn't. I didn't get to read this treasure until I was nineteen and I was so annoyed that I left it so long. Seriously, who doesn't love the idea of winning a golden ticket to a chocolate factory? It's the perfect little read for any age. Don't get me started on the writing! Oh, I could talk all day about it. It's simply perfection. 2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell I know I'm basic. This is already such a popular book already, but I just couldn't resist. This book personally came at the right time for me. I read it just as I was going round and researching universities t...

Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier

You get to see a lot of things when being a pizza girl. You see some of the best and the worst parts of the human race in all in one shift. In the case of Pizza Girl, it seems like everyone's life is perfect except for her own. This is where Jenny Hauser comes into the picture, the customer who becomes more of an unhealthy obsession which occupies most of her thoughts. This book can be described as being more of a creative piece, which is almost like a chameleon in the sense of the ever-changing thoughts of the main character and what society can perceive of us. If you like a story which is happy and jolly, this is not for you. There were times when the main character was simply cringe-worthy. The best way to describe it is when you watch a film and a character makes a bad decision and all that happens is an awkward silence from all the other characters in the room. However, its that moment that even though it is so bad to watch, you still have the feeling that you have to watch it...