My Life In Books - Indiependent Contribution

Apologies for waiting 12 days to actually write something here. Did you have nice new years? I almost slipped on ice, but then I ate Doritos so it was alright.

I'm here to talk about a little think I wrote for the Indiependent.

If you're familiar with the site (if not go look alright), you will know that they have weekly features, one of those features is"My Life In Books." My contribution to that went up a few days ago.

Reading has been a big part of my life since I was small. I still remember reading out loud for 10 minutes before school, and then before bed. A routine. This would lead to my tenth year where I would ask for a library card, the school library no longer satisfying my reading needs. The competition to be the child to review the most amount of books in the school year was also a catalyst. Between the age of 10 and 12, every Monday my mother and I would walk to the library and I would be able to chose a world where I would be able to live for the next few days. Somehow reading became almost as necessary as oxygen, a love that would direct my educational path and career choice.

Please go read My Life In Books which describes my attachment to books such as Matilda by Roald Dahl and Oliver Twist.

I recently read Lauren Oliver's new book Panic, so expect a review on that soonish :) 

Goodbye 

2014 Round Up

Whilst this year has had it's downsides, seriously, terrible things happened in the world this year and this post is in no way trying to ignore them but New Years Eve tends to a place to remember all the good things and personally, this year has been amazing. Here's a list.

•  I have continued writing this blog. Unlike the diaries I kept when I was nine, I have managed to continue posting to this blog for over a year. Every month in 2014 I uploaded at least two posts. That makes me proud. 
• The Summer Masquerade Ball. The end of year post 16 party if you will. My friends and I dressed up real fancy and wore masks. Although the food wasn't that great, we danced all night and my feet hurt. It was great. 
• Nottingham Potential Summer School at the University of Nottingham. I'll never be able to put into words what this
  experience did for me. The fact that I was one of the 400 accepted out of 1600 applicants is pretty amazing. I was actually really scared to apply, non of my friends seemed interested and it became apparent I would know absolutely no one - spending six days on my own with a bunch of strangers was terrifying. The obvious purpose of Summer School is to give you a true university experience, but it is so so much more. I met some wonderful humans and became more confident and comfortable within myself. It taught me that saying yes to things your scared of is a good thing. I think that will be one of my resolutions: Stop saying no to things. I know it's cheesy and cliche, but I will always remember Summer School as a wonderful experience and time in my life that I wish I could relive again. (If you're in year 12 please consider applying to a Summer School at the University of Nottingham you won't regret it)
  
• Started a YouTube Channel (ohitsonlymegan). I don't upload often, but I was brave enough to upload my face and voice to the internet, something I had wanted to do  for a while. At the moment, numbers aren't really a priority but you should subscribe if you want. 
• Began contributing to The Indiependent. Although the majority of my posts are Doctor Who reviews, I feel immensely proud that I am writing for other places on the internet except my blog and twitter. 
• My First Job. Yes, it was a volunteering job and I didn't actually get any money for it, but it's something to be positive about all the same. I talked to children about books and it was wonderful.
• I did pretty well in my AS exams. Somehow, in the summer I managed to get A's in both History and English. As these are the subjects I want to take at university, to see those grades on results day made me pretty happy. 
• History Trip. The history trip to Belgium and France is definitely the best school getaway I have ever experienced. For once in my life everyone who went was really friendly and cool. The teachers were also really great. It was extremely fascinating to relive moments from the First World War. The fact that it was the last school trip I will ever experience also means it will hold a special place in my heart. 
  
• Relationships. My friendship group hasn't altered that much this year, but I definitely have more people that I am comfortable around and call a friend. I feel that I could potentially befriend a few more individuals just to make my life in certain lessons more bearable, maybe that'll be a resolution. A certain thing in November taught me that focusing on my studies is A-OKAY. I'm also in awe of everyone who can have romantic relationships and still stay focused on education - How do you do that huh? Too personal there, Megan, abort abort. 
• I learned how to drive. Somehow, I am legally allowed to drive a car. Me. Who knew? My driving test was so traumatic it's a wonder I passed at all (let's just say at one point I joined a queue of traffic that was actually parked cars). But yes, I can do the driving and it's cool. 
• Concerts. I saw Ed Sheeran and finally managed to get Taylor Swift tickets, after 6 years of waiting. Pretty exciting stuff. 
• I received all my offers from universities. I've put this last because it is the thing that will probably effect me the most in 2015. I'm pretty much ready to reply to my offers and the fact this year I will hopefully leave home and go to university is a little bit scary. 

This post was unplanned and written quickly. I don't think I missed anything but if I did, I apologise.

Thank you, 2014 for being okayish to me. I hope 2015 will be great not only for me, but for you as well. 

See you in the New Year! 

Top books of 2014

Well hello there!

I hope you had a nice Christmas.

Somehow, 2014 is almost over and I'm still in shock about it. Naturally, I thought I would round up the year with some books I have read and enjoyed in 2014. This is not in any order of preference.

Shattered by Teri Terry.
I've spoken about how much I love the Slated trilogy before. Shattered was the perfect final installment to a trilogy that had me in love from the first chapter. This novel ties together all the mysteries of the previous novels, and still has you begging for more. If you want to read a series that has a fantastic ending, then Shattered will not disappoint.

The Crucible by Arthur Miller
I know, I know, I'm reading this for my English Literature and Language exam and I'll probably despise it by March, but for now I'm appreciating what Miller has written. The main reason, possibly the only reason, as to why this book is included is how easily this novel can be related to the modern day. It is true, that Miller wrote this as an allegory for the Red Scare in the US in the 1950's. Although this is no longer the 1950's, and we aren't terrified of communism, the element of hysteria can still be applied to events that are occurring in the modern world. It's an interesting concept to think about and I feel like we will never be able to eradicate the panic and fear created by an event scaled out of proportion.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 
I actually read this Christmas Day afternoon, after receiving it from a relative as a present. I wish I had read this sooner, the moment I picked it up I couldn't let it go. I only stopped reading to watch the BBC Christmas specials with my family. Unsurprisingly, I finished it Boxing Day morning and it was a definite favourite. Full of mystery and tension, the novel focuses on the rich and powerful Sinclair family. No matter how perfect on the outside, nothing is what it seems, as Cadence figures out when she goes hunting for the truth. The plot twist at the end is extraordinary and heartbreaking. The Guardian calls this novel cunning, clever and absolutely gripping - They aren't wrong.

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu 
If you follow me on tumblr, you probably already know about my love of the web series inspired by this novella. Admittedly, I did read this after completely watching the show, and I only bought it because I needed to make my amazon purchase over £10 but what counts is that I read and enjoyed it. It was published in 1871, released 26 years before Dracula (fun fact). I tend to stay away from vampire novels, after my shameful Twilight phase at the age of twelve I can't seem to get interested. Maybe it's young adult vampire fiction I can't stand, because I really enjoyed reading Carmilla. I will admit, the ending seemed very quick and sudden. Reduced the enjoyment a little bit.

A Kiss in the Dark by Cat Clarke
A book list wouldn't be a proper book list without the inclusion of a Cat Clarke novel. This time, it's her latest novel A Kiss in the Dark which I read in April, sent to me by Quercus on a read to review basis. What I love about Clarke is the realness and grittiness of her novels that have you on the edge of your seat and awake until 3am desperate to finish it. Whilst A Kiss in the Dark is not my favourite of Clarke's novels it does contain the most important phrase "love is love." If everyone respected that sentence, the world would be a much better place. I reviewed this book in much more detail here.




There are so many more novels I can include, but hey 2014 was a year where I felt all nostalgic and reread quite a lot of novels and I didn't feel comfortable including them in this list.

2015 is upon us and I'm not quite sure how I feel about.

Happy New Year, I guess.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

The first time I read this book was when I was eleven. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have read it at that age. Mainly because re-reading at the age of sixteen I realised I had pretty much remembered it incorrectly, making me wonder if I had understood it in the first place. Regardless, my local library clearly though it suitable to be placed in the children's section. It also didn't stop me naming it as my favourite book in my Year Six leavers journal.

So, when the film came out in 2013, I had naturally forgotten the existence of this novel which had me so entranced five years before. Let me tell you, when I saw the trailer play on television it felt like a lost child had come back to me. Especially as I practically jumped out of my chair like "I've read that book! I've read that!". I would then see the novel in ASDA and immediately purchase it. Rereading it I would soon realise that although I knew it was good book when I was eleven, I now understand that it is an extremely excellent novel. Of course I wouldn't watch the film until November 2014, where I would fall in love with the story all over again. Not to mention stay up until 2am scared out of my life because the notion of World War Three is terrifying. I have a very wild imagination and it's a real burden sometimes.

Regardless of the fact I can't do anything without feeling terrified (I have friends that love horror movies and it's a real issue. Why can't you love happy films where blood isn't appearing every five seconds WHY), How I Live Now is not only about the outbreak of a third world war. It's about relationships, survival and ultimately the fact that bad things don't happen for a reason - and when they do occur, you just have to deal and live with it. That is something I truly admire about the protagonist, Daisy. I will admit, I think that characteristic is more obvious within the film, but still admirable. Too often, something terrible happens and people just give up. Although, the only time I see this in my real life is within coursework essays and what not, not exactly the same as a war.

Another thing I like about the story? The inclusion of 'sensitive' issues. So little novels, any type of media really, fail to include topics that exist within the world, specifically anorexia. Which is hinted within the story. Another sensitive issue that is not hidden - falling in love with your cousin. Whilst this is an extremely hot debatable topic, it does happen in the book. I don't resent this story line, but that's not to say I agree with it. I suppose, this just follows the aspect I mentioned earlier - things, not necessarily bad, happen and we have to move on.

Finally, I would like to apologise if this seems a little rushed and all over the place. I'm trying to write this as quickly as possible so I can begin writing my extended project, an independent research project that results in a 5000 word dissertation. I know in my future life I'll look back on this and laugh because I'll have to write 20000 words or whatever, but it's extremely important that I get it done to a high standard. This is the first time I've done anything like this independently, without a teacher guiding me and helping. Scary times (not really). My history coursework is also meant to be handed in this week. Also, update: I applied to university a few weeks ago and all five have replied with offers, so yay I guess.

Have you been checking out the Indiependent? I personally feel like my music taste is getting better because of it, even though I only write about books and Doctor Who.

Okay, I must leave you now. Goodbye,


Ps. I've had this blog for over a year now, whoa! Who knew I could continue this for so long? Thanks for reading my blog posts that are sometimes excellent.
PPS. Follow me on the social medias if you're into that.

Too early for Christmas songs?

I apologise for the lack of book reviews this month. It's been majorly History based and I'm not that sorry because I absolutely adore History. So there's that. I did just finish If I Stay by Gayle Forman and it was decent I suppose, I wasn't thinking much of it until I cried on the last page. Go read that book if you want to cry.

Back to the topic at hand: Christmas songs. Is November too early to listen to Christmas songs? I didn't think so. It wasn't until I was happily singing O'Christmas Tree whilst washing the dishes and my mother pointed out rather angrily that it was ONLY November, that most people absolutely despise anything Christmas until December.  Ironically, I am listening to Christmas songs whilst typing this. I'm also procrastinating planning my 5000 word dissertation I thought would be a good idea to do in September. 

What is wrong with listening to Christmas songs though? I understand that that some believe it's bad luck to listen to anything Christmassy, but November is the time where all the Christmas adverts invade our televisions so surely it's alright then? Halloween is over, as is Bonfire Night, the next thing to look forward to is Christmas. The fact is, the majority of Christmas songs result in a feeling of happiness that no other music can produce. (I'm joking here, there's plenty of other happy music but CHRISTMAS). For instance, for the majority of the day I have been SO TIRED, probably due to the fact my first lesson wasn't until 12.20 and I was stuck for about 3 hours doing homework, revision and coursework - not the most stimulating - but now I'm home, I am so awake it's unreal. Admittedly, there are probably other factors that have woken me up, but for the sake of this post I'm saying it's the Christmas songs. 

Not really sure what the purpose of this post was, to be honest, I just wanted to write something that wasn't school work. However, Christmas songs are very important and need to be discussed, so here are my favourite Christmas songs / albums / music that is Christmas based. 

• Sounds of the Season - Taylor Swift (if you know me, you probably realised this would feature)
• Shake Up Christmas - Train
• Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens
• Warm This Winter - Gabrielle Cilmi
• On This Winters Night - Lady Antebellum
• Winter Dreams (Brandon's Song) - Kelly Clarkson

Hello Paris.

 Hello all. Did you have a nice day? I hope so.

If you remember my last post, I attempted to articulate what I had experienced in relation the memorials of the First World War. Whilst I feel I failed on that account, I now feel it is time to show you what happened when we visited Paris the next day. Let me just say this one thing: A day is Paris is not enough, when I can go back?

So after 3 hours travelling on a bus, with charades completely over played to the point we could just say "you got this wrong last time" and the answer would be instant. We arrived at our hotel in Pairs, and trust me, after living in a cabin-like hostel in Belgium, the modern decor and 10+ floors was a definite shock to the system. As it was about 6.30pm, naturally we stayed in the hotel for the rest of the night (we aren't that wild, even though there was a disco in a questionable basement room).

The next day was actually crazy. We visited the Eiffel Tower, went on a two hour boat journey down the River Siene and then spent a good few hours wandering around the Avenue des Champs-Élysées (here I bought a mug from the disney store, fun fact.)

Here are some photographs I took. I hope they please your eyes.

Battle Fields Trip October 2014

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Last week, I was involved in a school trip to Belgium and France. Here, we remembered those lost in the First World War and tried to understand in more detail what we had been taught in the classroom. Whilst, to some of you, this may have seen a little depressing and not a good way to spend my half term, it was, however, extremely moving and extraordinary to be able to stand on the ground where the soldiers went over the top, commencing the Battle Of The Somme.

A poem found on the grave of a soldier
in Essex Farm Cemetery

Call me a history nerd, but I love visiting historical sites. Although, I still can't put the emotion I feel into words when I'm in an area of rich history. It occurs when I go to Hardwick Hall (probably my favourite place ) and it occured everywhere we went in Belgium and France, for example, in the
Carrière Wellington (Wellington Quarry) in Arras where thousands of soldiers lived under the city during the War. It was also a prominent area within the Battle Of Arras (9th April 1917), we actually passed Exit No. 10, where the soldiers left the quarry. With the messages left on the wall (from both World Wars), and the sounds the museum had installed, the quarries were fascinating but extremely sad and creepy - especially the area where the soldiers took their last prayer on Easter Sunday.

I'm constantly afraid that I'm sounding insensitive as I write this, I'm honestly not and I apologise if it appears so.

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Found on Thiepval Cemetery

The most moving event of the trip was when we watched The Last Post Ceremony - A ceremony that takes place every night at 8pm in Ypres under the Menin Gate, to remember those lost in the First World War. Usually it lasts a few minutes (Full details will be provided by an outside source, the link will be at the end of this post), unless it's an extended ceremony. The night we watched, visitors from the Lancashire Regiment attended meaning it was extended, which made this ceremony extremely moving - especially as after each wreath was placed, everyone which saluted. Maybe it was because that day we had visited several memorials, but that almost made me cry. Unrelated to the ceremony, we were stood next to the Mayors from the Lancashire regions and we were able to speak with them which was exciting and weird.

Newfoundland Park - Where
The Battle of The Somme
took place

  I wish I could explain to you the impact that the memorials have, but I just can't put into words. When you're in a classroom and you're told the facts, it really doesn't seem that many. But once you visit several memorials, and you read the names, it all becomes very real extremely quickly. Especially when you visit memorials that list the names of those lost in the War, for instance Thiepval Memorial which lists the names of those lost in The Battle of The Somme. Equally, memorials that feature mass graves, for instance the German memorial Langemark, are just as moving and sad.

Statue of the Mourning Soldiers in Langemark

I think what's important to remember is that every soldier was fighting for a cause, and there was no 'good' and 'evil'.

The Wreath we placed on Thiepval Memorial

Thank you for reading this. I apologise if it was a bit 'waffly' but I just wanted to share my experience. All of this, plus more, occurred within two days, it all happened so quickly I'm still trying to contemplate it. 

After we did all this, we spent a day in Paris, so expect that soon! 

Information can be found here

Places I visited:

The First Day

Bayernwald German Trenches, Wijtschate, Ypres Salient

Essex Farm Cemetery

Langemark German Cemetery

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917

In Flanders Fields, Ieper

The Second Day

Wellington Quarry — la Carrière Wellington, Arras

Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont Hamel, France

A Guide to WW1 Battlefields and History of the First World War

Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery