Where Have I Been?

Despite finishing my three year university degree in June and graduating in July, I have somehow managed to spend all of my free time NOT writing my blog. I have been painfully neglectful and I am about to throw some half arse excuses at you; brace yourselves.

1. In late June and early July I spent ten days in Greece: Rhodes and Athens. Enjoying the wonders of a country in meltdown. I felt somewhat guilty benefiting from their crisis in that public transport was free in Athens. The food was brilliant, as was the weather (although, thank god for air con!), and I finally got to see the brilliant and inspiring Parthenon.

2. I graduated! Yep that's right, after three brilliant years, I finally graduated from university with a 2:1 in Classical Studies, WOOOHOO! Whilst the day itself can not be blamed for my absence, I have found myself in a post university slump. Aimless and lacking in motivation, it's fair to say that adjusting to life outside of education has been an odd experience.

3. I then found myself in Scotland. As a family we travelled up to Inverness, onwards to Thurso and then down the west coast to Scourie. We were in the middle of nowhere but it was absolutely beautiful! Time was spent taking lots of walks and drooling over the beautiful Highland Pottery in Lochinver. 

4. If one heat fuelled holiday wasn't enough; I left the UK once again, this time for Spain. It was a bit of a shock to the system! As a lover of all things cold I found the hot weather a bit too much! The hotel pool and endless supply of iced drinks kept me sane! Tans were got and books were read (keep your eyes peeled for a couple of reviews).

5. Back in June I spent a weekend in Oxford to see a friend who goes to University there. It is a beautiful city and one that I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend. Highlights included seeing the set to the Hospital Wing from Harry Potter and eating at one of the colleges formal dinners. 

6. In June I also spent a couple of days up in Doncaster, visiting a friend. Whilst up there I was able to visit York where we had breakfast at Betty's tea shop. We also went to Chatsworth House which was used in the Keira Knightly Pride and Prejudice.     

7. After suffering a lot a aimlessness induced anxiety, I managed to get myself a job as a teaching assistant in a school. I am very excited to start in September and I can't wait to have a purpose and good routine!

8. Seven months on and after one failed attempt, I finally managed to pass my driving test! It was a day I thought I would never see, but I can now legally drive a car alone! This took up a surprisingly large amount of time, I always seemed to be in a car, practicing roundabouts or perfecting my reverse around a corner.

9. This past week I have been in Wales, enjoying a brisk wind and chilly dips in the sea. I feel windswept and wind burnt, the way all good holidays should leave you! 

So, all in all I have had a very busy three months! I will do my best to get back into a good routine, but it's a promise that history tells I'm not all that great at keeping. I have read a decent number of books this summer so hopefully there will be a book review coming your way soon! 

Eilidh 

Judge a book by its cover

"Don't judge a book by its cover"

I couldn't even begin to tell you how many times I have been told that, but I actually think that in relation to physical books, it is an outdated concept. Of course, a book doesnt have to be beautifully designed with a catchy title for it to be good, and equally an amazing title and beautiful artwork doesn't ensure greatness. But I can't deny that the appearance of a book is playing more of a role than I care to admit.

Books are everywhere, book shops, charity shops, online. There are thousands upon thousands at our disposal and my own collection is a minuscule dent into what is a seemingly never-ending supply. Sometimes I walk into a book shop and I am so overwhelmed with what I see that I really don't know where to start. So, ashamedly, I start with the front cover. Yes, I judge a book by its cover. But unless a book has been recommended to me or has been surrounded by hype, it is hard to decide which book out of the mass of unknown, is worth my money.

A catchy title is important, it should be relatively short and snappy, so that it rolls off the tongue and is memorable. The cover doesn't necessarily have to be bright or colourful but it needs to stand out. Then I always look to the blurb, a short passage which doesn't give too much away but gives a tiny insight into what the book offers, I dislike it when the back cover is just quotes from reviews, I like to know a little bit about what I'm letting myself in for. Equally I do like to see some quotations from good reviews, I know that they will be completely biased but I tend to look at the credibility of the publication they have been taken from.

Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events

What is so brilliant about the design of A Series of Unfortunate Events is that by giving the series itself an all encompassing name, Snicket was able to give each individual book a quirky and brilliant title whilst still keeping them under one umbrella name. Back when I was buying the books they were hard backs with a bound spine and lovely thick paper that was slightly jagged at the edges, it added character to the book and I also liked the uniformity of the series. Each cover has a beautifully drawn image that sums up the story line of the book and it is almost framed in the centre as a glimpse into the world you are about to enter. I really appreciated the time and thought that went into the creation of the physical book and there was something about it that meant I couldn't just stop at one, not only did I want to finish the story but I also wanted to complete my collection.

Susan Cain: Quiet

I don't really know how well known this book is, I don't see it get spoken about a lot and I suppose that is because if has quite a niche market. It discusses the value of introverts and the success they can achieve despite this preconceived view that they are akward and shy. The books brilliance comes from its simplicity. The title is sharp and short and brilliantly sums up the book in a matter of fact way. You almost can't help but whisper it. The cover is all white and has a shine to it, with the title raised slightly from the page. From a distance it seems to be nothing more than a blank page which is actually quite successful in drawing you in. It is a front cover that matches the words within and it is very effective

            

F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby

As far as I am concerned, The Great Gatsby has always had very successful covers, ranging from the simplicity of the Penguin covers to the iconic blue cover that I have always associated with the book. The title is brilliant and draws you in and because it is so well known the designers have pretty much had creative freedom in regard to the cover as the title speaks volumes. Yes I fell prey to the beauty that is what you see above. I am not ashamed.

 

Frances Hodgson Burnett: The Secret Garden

This cover really stood out to me, the drawings are lovely and the hard back is a cloth cover which makes it feel a bit more special. The pictures within are also beautiful and it all helps add to the magic of The Secret Garden

Judy Chicurel: If I Knew You Were Going To Be This Beautiful, I Never Would Have Let You Go

Right, so my problem here is the length of the title, I don't think that it is necessary and I can't imagine why there was the need for it to be so long. Maybe if the book had been amazing I could have forgiven it, but it wasn't and to this day it still bugs me that the title was allowed through the editing process. For me a shorter title is often more effective as it is easy to remember and simply rolls off the tongue so much better.

Here are another two books which I think have beautiful covers and I would be lying if I said that their covers didn't play a role in my decision to buy them.

Let me know in the comments how much the cover of a book effects your decision to buy it!

Eilidh 

'A quotation is a handy thing to have about...

...saving one the trouble of thinking for oneself, always a laborious business'
-A.A. Milne, If I May

When I was writing my personal statement to apply for university I was told by my teacher to not use a quotation so as to avoid sounding 'cheesy'. I took her advice but I have since discovered that I have a fondness for quotations. Be they inspirational or dark and gloomy. As someone who can't remember her own mobile number despite having had it for a good 6 years, I find it amazing that I can reel quotations off the top of my head. Hey maybe one day I'll be like Augustus Waters' parents...

'"My parents call them Encouragements" he explained' 

-John Green, The Fault in our Stars 

In fact, John Green in a brilliant person to quote, his books are full to the brim with brilliant metaphors and witty snippets of conversation. How is it that the same man can write...

'Hump the moist cave wall'
-John Green, The Fault in our Stars

and 

'As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once'
-John Green, The Fault in our Stars

John Green, you baffle me!

So, now onto a couple of love quotations...

'Love doesn't conquer everything. And whoever thinks it does is a fool' 

-Donna Tartt, The Secret History 

I love this offering from Donna Tartt, it is a brilliant selection of words that only adds to the brilliance of the book. Although, Jung Chang would beg to differ...

'If you have love, even plain cold water is sweet' 

-Jung Chang, Wild Swans 

***on a side note, I was in the midst of my Avril Lavigne obsession when I was reading this and now I can't listen to her songs without being thrown back into 20th century China***

It's funny how quotations can make the same thing seem so different. Take these two on miracles...

'The trouble with miracles is they don't last long'

-Jerry Spinelli, Stargirl 

And then of course we have Lemony Snicket taking a completely different approach on the concept of miracles...

'Miracles are like meatballs' 

-Lemony Snicket, The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events) 

There aren't many people in the world who can justify comparing miracles to meatballs, but Lemony Snicket is one of them!

Now, we have a couple of quotations from some of my favourite books.

'Just kidding was exactly what people wrote when they meant every word' 

-David Nicholls, One Day

'Dont you think it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life'

-Audrey Niffinger, The Time Travelers Wife

'Death is a state of mind- many people on Earth spend their entire lives dead'

-Gavrielle Zevin, Elsewhere

'You can't save people from the world. There's nowhere else to put them' 

-M.R. Carey, The Girl with All the Gifts

And here is a particular favourite...

'Dear Daddy-Long-Legs,

You never answered my question and it was very important. 

ARE YOU BALD?'

-Jean Webster, Daddy-Long-Legs

And in the the words of Dr. Seuss  

'Be awesome! be a book nut!' 

Eilidh

The Great Gatsby Obsession

I am not at all the sort of person who buys multiples of books, nor do I reread. I tend to give the book one read through and then it gets a place on my book shelf. Even many of my favourite books have only been read once. But for some reason The Great Gatsby was different. Not only have I read it countless times but I also can't resist picking up another copy when I see a different cover. I know that it is a very obvious book to like, but I genuinely enjoy it so much! 

As you can see, I am building up quite a collection! 

This was my first copy of The Great Gatsby which I bought when I studied it for A-Level

I love these Penguin covers- I would love to build up a collection of these! 

I found this in Selfridges- It was amongst other books with covers in a similar style

Another brilliant cover and it's in hardback! 

A beautiful cover, the metallic curves catch the light too! 

One of the less abstract covers but equally as beautiful

This for me is the original Gatsby cover and I love it! I have seen many poster versions of it and it may soon find it's way into my room! 

So that is my collection so far and I can't see myself stopping anytime soon! 

Eilidh 

A good bargain

I am always on the lookout for a good bargain- as I am sure most of you are too! When I am looking to get a good deal on books I tend to go straight onto Amazon or down to my local charity shop. Waterstones is often the last place I look as there are rarely reductions unless you want to partake in their buy one get one half price deal (which I often do). But recently I found myself browsing the shelves in my local Waterstones and I found a 'clearance' shelf. All the books were slightly damaged and massively reduced, it was an opportunity that I wasn't going to pass up!

First of all I found a hard back copy of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll which was originally sold for £16.99 but I managed to get it for £8. On the bottom right hand corner you can see where a bit of the book sleeve has been ripped- this does not bother me at all! The book is full of beautiful illustrations and at £8 it's a steal!

Next I managed to find a copy of 'Hansel & Grethel & Other Tales' by The Brothers Grim. The only damage I could see when buying this is a little bit of damage to the top of the spine. Again it had beautiful illustrations and I managed to get it for £8 down from £28.99!

Finally I managed to pick up 'Heracles to Alexander the Great' which I was particularly excited about because I study Classical Studies at university. It am excited to read it and other than the scuffed edges on the front and back cover, I can see nothing wrong with it! It was reduced to £10 from £25!

Have you managed to find any good deals recently? What are your views on buying damaged books?

Eilidh

A few of my favourite things

Reading and baking- two of my favourite things. The dreaded second year university exams ended in May and since then I have been throwing myself wholeheartedly into my two favourite hobbies. There have been too many books to read and too many sweet things to bake, but slowly I am making my way through the very long list of things I want to do before the summer ends and I am thrown back into essays and course reading.

Blueberry and Raspberry Frangipane tart, Chocolate Brownies, Flapjacks

(can you spot the little nose in the top left hand corner of the flapjacks picture?! This photo was taken just seconds before my dog tried and failed to help himself to them!)

Coffee, yogurt and granola in South Kensington

So in the last week I have made my way through

Thirteen Weddings: Paige Toon

Johnny Be Good: Paige Toon

Baby Be Mine: Paige Toon

Johnny's girl: Paige Toon

Looking for Alaska: John Green 

I picked up Thirteen Weddings on a whim as I saw it making the rounds on Twitter and my curiosity got the better of me. I am so glad I picked it up and since finishing it I have also made my way through the two books and the short story that follows the life of Johnny and Meg. I am also looking forward to making my way through The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson which is a YA book from Paige Toon.

I also finally got round to reading Looking For Alaska by John Green. I read The Fault in our Stars about a year ago and immediately went out and bought all of his other books, I have only just got around to reading them. TFIOS is still my favourite of the two and I am planning on reading Paper Towns soon so I will report back! 

Currently reading: Longbourn by Jo Baker

I am already loving this book, it is Pride and Prejudice from the view of the servants.

Next to read: The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon and Confronting the Classics by Mary Beard

What have I been doing?

X-men

London: V&A Italian Fashion exhibition 

Reading, reading and more reading 

This has just been a little glimpse into what I have been doing over the last week or two, I may do something like this every couple of weeks!

Eilidh

Kids these days...

Are we raising a generation of kids who can gain access to an iPad within seconds but haven't so much as opened a book in months? I was sat reading the Sunday Times this morning and as per routine I flicked to the book section of the culture magazine. I like to see which books are best selling at the moment- I was pleased to see Donna Tartts 'goldfinch' has made it into the top 10 for the 23rd week in a row. I was less pleased to see what had made it into the top 5 children's Sunday times best sellers. John Greens TFIOS made it in at 3 which I wouldn't at all argue with and it has been sitting in the top 5 for 54 weeks! John Green is a great asset to YA literature, but the other four that made it into the top 5 actually kind of upset me. All four of them were manuals on how to use Minecraft- yes that's right, handbooks on how to be good at a computer game are sitting in the top 5 of children's lit- and it's not just that, two of them have held a top 5 position for up to 27 weeks! Please don't tell me I'm the only one who thinks this isn't right!

Don't get me wrong, I love playing on iPhone games as much as the next person, I joined in with the Flappy Bird craze and I still find myself opening Angry Birds when I'm a bit bored. But it has never dominated my lift, I still turn to a good book as a way to relax and I still see reading as a good form of entertainment. My worry is that kids are growing up with computer and iPhone games as their main form of entertainment. When I was a child, we did have a computer, but the only game I can remember playing was Dr Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham and books always played a huge role in my life. Maybe I am over reacting, maybe I should just be pleased that kids are still reading, but I find it somewhat wrong that the books they are reading are sometimes only being read to aid their gaming addiction. I know that most children do still read regularly and read decent books, and I know that a top 5 bestseller list from 1 newspaper doesn't give a realistic view of childrens literature as a whole, but I just found it interesting how these Minecraft handbooks seemed to dominate it.

I don't know whether books have lost their place in childrens lives or the quality of childrens literature is just not out there anymore. Maybe we need another J K Rowling to unite everyone in their love for an author and their books. Or, maybe i'm just being over dramatic!


Please let me know of any good childrens authors at the moment, and what is your view on books like the Minecraft handbooks dominating certain bestseller lists.

Love
Eilidh
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My university bookshelf

So almost two years ago I packed up my bags and embarked on a new chapter of my life: university. But packing is never easy when it means leaving behind hundreds of books that you have spent 18 years collecting. So I was faced with a decision- which books deserved to join me on my journey to university. Here I have the selection of books that made the cut. 

In the end I chose to bring books that I hadn't read rather than my favourites, you can see that there is quite a selection of John Green books, they were bought on a bit of a book buying spree shortly after the breakdown that occurred whilst reading TFIOS! The Time Traveler's Wife made it in despite having read it a hundred and one times already- I just loved it too much to leave it behind! Finally on this shelf we have series 1-8 of Greys Anatomy- not a book I know, but they have got me through some rough times, they deserved a bit of shelf space!

This shelf has a bit more variety, a mixture of classics books- The Illiad, The Odyssey etc as well as some of the fiction books that I have on my 'to read' list. 

Now this shelf is devoted to books for my course, as you can see by the cracked spines, they are well read, and as much as I love them, I can't wait to get stuck into a fiction book that isn't on my course reading list!

This is just a tiny glimpse into the books that made the journey with me to university, I am sorry that the photo quality isn't great, they had to be taken on my phone. If you would like a more detailed tour of my bookshelf then I would be happy to oblige once by exams are over!

Love

Eilidh

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Books that have shaped my life

I wouldn't say that these books have changed my life, but they have most certainly shaped it, together they have made me the person I am today and they are books that I will never forget.

The Secret History: Donna Tartt x

I finally read this last summer after years of being told that it was right up my street! The story focuses on a group of Classics students who immerse themselves in the subject a bit too much. It is a bit of a murder mystery, but not in the conventional sense. The way it is written is amazing and Tartt somehow manages to lull you into believing that what this group of Classics students is doing is actually perfectly okay. 

One Day: David Nicholls x

So this was a very hyped book due to its incredible success and then the film that followed. It is a love story but not in a really soppy way, I read it before the film came out so I fell in love with it before the film (and Anne Hathaway's sketchy accent) could influence me. In regard to the film, I actually really liked it, although I would say that the book is definitely better! This book had me laughing and crying in equal measures and to me that is a sign of a good book. 

Wild Swans: Jung Chang x

Wow well this book is really thought provoking and inspiring. I read it when I was 10, probably long before I should have read it, but I was going through an Oriental phase, I had just read the Chinese Cinderella books and I found this lying around my Grandmas house. It is biographical and follows the lives of women from three generations of a family, it covers concubines and communism and it will most certainly get you thinking! 

Elsewhere: Gabrielle Zevin x 

If you follow my blog you will have seen this pop up in a previous post which you can find here, I won't go into too much detail, but it gives a really interesting spin on afterlife. Also, although it is aimed at teens, it is a book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to adults.

A Thousand Splendid Suns: Khaled Hosseini x

I was torn between putting this one or Hosseini's latest offering, And the Mountains Echoed which I would actually go as far as saying I preferred. Both are amazing books that cover really topical issues such as the treatment of women in Afghanistan. His books are upsetting and thought provoking, they will make you cry but they will also make you think. The reason I chose A Thousand Splendid Suns is because I read it when I was 14/15 and it had stuck in my mind ever since, it is the sort of book that never leaves you. 

Noughts & Crosses: Malorie Blackman x

Again, this is a book that I read quite a while ago, maybe when I was 12 or 13 and it is the sort of book that never leaves you. It deals with racism, violence and romance among many other issues, but it does it in a book that can be read by teenagers. 

I would love to know if you have read any of these books or if there is a book that you believe has shaped your life! 

Love

Eilidh 

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I've got books on my mind

Argh, the life of a university student, it's not all fun and games you know, the endless lists of recommended reading and seminar work means that I rarely have time to read for, well, FUN. Don't get me wrong, I love Homer's Illiad and all the jazz, but sometimes it would nice to just sit down and read a book simply because I want to and not just because it is a part of my course. Unfortunately I rarely have to time to do this, and as a result I have compiled quite a list of books that I want to read! Here's to hoping they will eventually get read!

The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle: Kirsty Wark x

Is it wrong that I bought this book because the blurb revealed it was set in Scotland? No? Thought not! I am the sort of book buyer who places a lot of faith in the front cover and the few choice words on the back cover or inside sleeve. This may be a bit flippant of me, but other than rave reviews or hyped books, it's all I have to go on when deciding which books deserve my limited funds!

Unexploded: Alison Macleod x

Ok, so I purchased this because it is set in 1940...when I was younger I went through a phase where every book I read was set in WW2- I am a bit of a history fiend and as they say- in your old age you revert back to childhood tendencies! Yeah yeah yeah, I'm only 20, but I feel old! OKAY!

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly: Sun-Mi Hwang x

At only 134 pages, I was unsure whether to buy it, for me, the longer the book, the better. I hate it when good books end too soon! It has beautiful illustrations and I have heard it be compared to Charlotte's Web so its safe to say I'm excited to get my teeth into this one!

Love, Nina: Nina Stibbe x

This book is really a collection of letters that tell the story of Nina's time as a nanny in London, I have heard that it features the likes of Alan Bennett! 

Paper Aeroplanes: Dawn O'Porter x

Ah so I have been a fan of Dawn O'Porter before she added the 'O', I have always found her very likable and relatable and I still am an avid fan of teen fiction (which this book is labeled under). I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

Goose: Dawn O'Porter x

As a follower of Dawn on twitter, I have been kept up to date with the book tour for Goose which makes it all the harder when I have to force myself to revise when all I want to do is curl up into a ball on my bed and not move until I have finished reading it!

Sisterland: Curtis Sittenfeld x

I picked this up on a whim when I was waiting for my train out of London one day, I always pop into WHSmith because they usually have quite good deals on books that are popular at the moment! Since buying it I have heard some rave reviews from the likes of Tanya Burr.

So that's my list of books that I have lined up to read, hopefully this summer I will get through them! Are there any books you are desperate to read or have you read any of the books that feature on my list?

Love

Eilidh

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Gabrielle Zevin

If you have not read Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin, I implore you to go and buy it right now! I read a lot, but I rarely read a book twice, Elsewhere however has a permanent home on my bedside table, it has been read multiple times and I have my favourite parts marked out for easy access! I find it hard to create top 5 book lists, there are too many to choose from and rarely does a book stand out so obviously. Elsewhere however without a doubt makes it onto my top 5, along side the likes of The Secret History (Donna Tartt) and The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald (an obvious choice I know- but amazing nonetheless). So when I heard of Gabrielle Zevins latest offering- The Collected Works of A. J. Fikry- nothing could be done to stop me running down to my local Waterstones and picking it up!

I have yet to read it, but if it is even half as good as Elsewhere then I am sure I will love it! I will follow up with a review once I have read it!

Are you a fan of Gabrielle Zevin?

Love

Eilidh

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