Why I Am Changing My Book-Buying Habits

I love having a physical book to read. I find books to be beautiful and it is a great feeling to pop one into my bag, knowing that a story is waiting there for me. I recently had a big sort out of the books on my shelves. I tried a chapter of some, read and DNFed others and checked reviews when I wasn't sure whether to continue a book. I found some books I enjoyed but I found that a lot of them I just was not interested in anymore.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Book Review!

Putting my Mental Health First (Even with Reading)

I have come so far in regards to my mental health and my general wellbeing. However, I still get times when my mental health dips. Whether that be my anxiety, depression or OCD. At times like these, I can easily become trapped in my whirlwind of over-thinking. There is always so much that I feel like I should be doing and things that I worry about that probably do not even need to be worried about. Through therapy, I have learnt that my brain can tell me irrational things and I have to not let my thoughts spiral. When I start to feel bad, the best thing for me to do is fight my instinct of either laying under my duvet, or obsessively thinking and to stop. Just pick up something and distract myself, whether that be with music, an audiobook, a physical book or a game. 

All of my unread books!

I asked on Twitter whether anyone would like to read an updated TBR shelf post and people said yes! I wanted to do an updated post because I have become much pickier with my reading- I have been DNFing books I don't enjoy and unhauling books that I don't like. This makes me feel so much better rather than trudging through a book that I am not enjoying. Here is a list of all the books I currently own that I have yet to read:

Below is a list version and underneath that is a graphic version :)

Historical Fiction:

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe, Lilit Zekulin Thwaites (Translator)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

Mysteries:

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

My Top 5 Goals Right Now

I love goal setting. I have so much that I want to do but I have to be careful not to overwhelm myself with too many! I wanted to create a post about my goals right now. Some are ongoing, others to focus on now and others to work on a bit later on.

1. Study for my dream job

 I said in an earlier post about wanting to get into teaching. I am currently working in education and I find it so fulfilling. My dream is to teach English as a foreign language (EFL). To do so, I need to study a variety of things. One very important thing is grammar. Typically in English schools we learn a lot less about grammar terminology. I remember learning very little about grammar when I was at school. So the first part of my first goal is to study grammatical techniques and learn the vocabulary. Secondly, I am going to be doing a relevant qualification to gain more knowledge, experience and to boost my CV. I am planning on doing a series of posts about my journey!

Bird Box by Josh Malerman Book Review

The 3 Biggest Challenges Of Novel-Writing

Anyone who has ever written a novel will tell you that it is hard work, but not nearly so difficult as it seems before you have ever done it. When you are just starting out to write a novel, you might find yourself feeling as though you are about to embark on the impossible. It is helpful to remember that a first draft is just that - a draft - and to bear in mind Hemingway’s assertion that the first draft of anything is meant to be terrible. Giving yourself that space and freedom to just write, as bad as whatever comes out might be, is a hugely valuable thing to do, and ultimately the only way that anyone ever manages to get a first draft down in the first place. You can edit later, and make it as good as it needs to be at that point. For now, it is worth paying attention to a few key challenges which you are going to have to overcome. The better you understand how to approach the following, the better your results will be.


Credit

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson Book Review

Life Update April 2019!

Hi everyone! So much has happened so I really wanted to write a life update post. 

Health

If you have been here for a while, you may know that I have anxiety, depression and OCD. I am so happy to say that for the first time ever, I have made so much progress in this area! I used to be so anxious because of my OCD about going on a bus and I had not been on a bus in years and guess what? I took a bus. I had a job interview which meant that I had to get a bus. I was very nervous but I did it! And then, I took a train. And another one. And another one. I travelled far on my own and had an amazing time. 

Additionally, I have now been in a pretty much full-time job in education for a while. I will talk more about my career goals below but with my depression and anxiety, there were times when I didn't work and I struggled working part-time. I still have symptoms and I still get bad times but those bad times are a lot shorter and I am able to deal with them better. I feel like these improvements are due to a few factors. I went to a specialist and finally got the right medication for me. I have been taking part in regular therapy. I have been regularly blogging. And I have been fortunate enough to have an amazing support circle. I still have a way to go but rather than thinking about where I want to be, I am trying to think more about where I was and where I am now. 

And for anyone reading who is where I was; severely depressed/anxious, unable to do anything and nothing seems to work: things can and do get better. Seek professional help and keep trying until you find a doctor/therapist that you gel with. This can take a lot of tries but believe me, it is so worth it. I know that not everyone is fortunate enough to have people that support them but please do not give up. Things can and do get better. You never know where the future will take you, usually to places you never dreamed possible or even thought of. 

Dinosaur Cutout Silhouette Framed Poster From Chris and Christine's Crafts Review!

I recently discovered Chris and Christine's website, where they sell handmade cards, decor, jewellery. Their decor range features watercolour prints, embroidery hoops, wreaths, cut out artwork and clay hangings. Chris and Christine were kind enough to send me a cut out artwork to review! I loved so many of their designs but being a huge dinosaur fan, I absolutely had to review this dinosaur cut out silhouette framed poster. Chris and Christine provide this design with a range of colours. The dinosaurs are cut out on the front page and different colours laid beneath. The names of the dinosaurs are also included.

The first thing that I have to say is how beautifully wrapped the package was! The poster came in a large cardboard package with an adorable pattern drawn around the address. Chris and Christine's wonderful label was also included. The poster was wrapped carefully in paper sheets and it arrived in perfect condition. I was really pleased with how this poster was both well-packaged and individually designed.