What I have been reading, playing, watching & making

I haven’t been very well lately but I have managed to do some things which I wanted to talk about here!

Reading 

This week has been an odd week for reading. I finished a graphic novel I was sent to review, Pilu of the Woods. I also DNFed more than one book due to issues I had with the writing or character development. I feel like there is a mixed response to not finishing books but in my opinion if you are not enjoying a book there is no point in wasting your time just to say that you have completed it when you could be doing something else that you enjoy.

I currently have three books on the go. I have been reading Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson between review copies but yesterday I did not feel like reading a murder mystery so I picked up The Surface Breaks by Louise O' Neill. This is a little mermaid retelling and I instantly fell in love with it. The Little Mermaid was one of my favourite TV series' when I was younger and you can definitely see its influence in this book. However, in this book, the author also adds an additional dimension, a mystery that makes me want to keep reading; the main character's mother left to go to the world above. She is rarely mentioned and people say that she is dead but her daughter wishes to know the truth and intends to ascend to the surface in order to discover it.

I have recently picked up sewing again (more about that below) so I thought why don't I pick up an audiobook to listen to whilst I sew? I found Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings, a book that has been on my shelf for a while. I have heard mixed reviews of this book but I have got to say that so far I am really enjoying it. I would really recommend the audiobook, I only had minimal issues with the way some things were said but other than that I have found the audiobook a great route to consume this book. Zenith follows a crew of three females, they are space pirates, each seemingly running away from their pasts. The main character, Andy is really fascinating. There is a *potential* love interest and I can't help but want to see what happens. Andy has an emotional background and she is offered a deal which relates to her past. This book so far has been fast paced and engaging and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Playing

I haven't been playing too much recently due to not feeling well but I did restart Fantasy Life. This is a cute Nintendo 3DS RPG which in my opinion is hugely underrated. You choose a class, or 'life' which you can change whenever you want to. In each life you receive class quests and in each class you can increase the related skills. I got this game when it first came out and played most of the different classes but I never got round to completing the game and felt like going back to it. You also have story quests and optional extra quests. You fight in the open and you can easily run away as you control where you move in the area. You can even get additional benefits such as owning a dog! I am looking forward to advancing my skills and finally finding out the truth behind the mysteries.

Watching

I have been bouncing between films and TV shows lately but there is one series that I stuck to. Death in Paradise, a BBC show set in Saint Marie, an island in the Caribbean. The main characters are posed with a new murder mystery each week, each with their own clever twist. The team are comical and feature their own stories that develop throughout the series. I ended up watching series 3, 4 and 5. I have to admit I was slightly disappointed with the ending of series 5 but I am interested to see what series 7, which features a new character, is like. 

Making

Finally I come to what I have been making lately. Throughout the years I have tried various art forms, including watercolours, oil painting, sketching, digital art, sewing fabric and sewing felt. I recently decided that I wanted to start making felt creatures again. So whilst listening to my audiobook, I made a koala! He didn't turn out exactly as I imagined but I love him anyway. 

Overall, I am really proud with how much I have managed to do in my free time, whilst feeling unwell. I have struggled for years with being able to relax and I feel like recently I have achieved something. Please let me know what you have been up to in the comments below!