Am I a feminist?

"Are you a feminist?!"- a question I have been asked a few times, the tone if often accusing, as though I ought to be embarrassed, almost daring me to deny it. For years I have felt uncomfortable admitting that yes, I am a feminist, because there is a stigma surrounding it which to be honest is a bit off putting. But you know what, if feminism means equality between men and women, then damn right I support it. I don't want to be considered more important than a man, I just want to be valued as an equal to them, is there really anything wrong it that?

What annoys me most is that some men (the emphasis being on some and not all) believe that they are above women simply because of their gender. It annoys me just as much that some women are willing to fall into the role cut out for them by society because that is what they have been brought up to believe is their role in life. I like to think that a woman should be able to choose to become a wife and mother, just as she should be able to choose to value a career over family, the emphasis being on choice. Feminism isn't about what women wear or how much makeup they use, or whether they are stay at home mums or driven career women- feminism is about the ability to choose what you want from your life, and not have other people telling you that you can't, because you are a woman. Feminism is about being able to do what ever a man does and not have people tell you that 'you are such a man'. Feminism is about expecting your partner to do just as much of the childcare, cooking and cleaning because ones ability to clean, cook or care should have nothing to do with gender.

I like to think that if I was going for a job against a man with the same qualification and experience that we would have an equal chance of getting the job, if he was to then get the job I would like to be confident in the knowledge that he got it because he was a better candidate and not simple because he was a man. Sadly, this country still has a long way to go before women can claim they are completely equal, but it is even worse that in regard to female rights, the UK is actually very advanced and it angers me that I live in a society where victims are blamed for rape but I am expected to be grateful because at least I have rights. Yes, I probably should be thankful that the UK is advanced but that doesn't mean that women should have to settle for less than equality. The other day I saw a post on a social media site from a girl of around 20 claiming that all these 'feminists' needed to calm down because they had gained equality and now they were just seeking attention. It upsets me that some women have settled for something that I honesty don't believe is equality and for me, that is why we need feminism.

I would like to say thank you to all the women and men out there who are fighting for equality- whether you call yourself a feminist or not, it's nice to know that some people are fighting for a world of equals.

Love
Eilidh
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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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Keeping my spirits up!

Ah so May swung around all too quick! Exams, exams and more exams- even if the weather was good, I wouldn't be able to enjoy it! Lately I've been feeling a bit down about the whole revision thing so I have been trying to do things that will keep my spirits up. Baths usually do the job, but alas, my uni house doesn't have one (crazy!). So last weekend I decided to pop home and on my way back I popped into the Lush shop in Waterloo train station and here is what I picked up...

This one is called the Comforter, which seems rather fitting! It had a lovely berry scent and I will definitely be repurchasing.

This one is called 'Pop in the Bath' and it was equally as lovely and relaxing!

How do you relax? What's your favourite lush product? 

Love

Eilidh

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Shh: a shout-out to the introverts.

I am a self confessed introvert. Never have I seen the allure of a night out "on the town", the idea of prolonged social activity sends shivers down my spine- even the thought of it makes me tired! For a long time I thought I was alone in this, many of my friends lived for Friday night when they could say goodbye to school and hello to a thriving social life. Instead, I could often be found in bed reading a book or re-watching Greys Anatomy for the millionth time! It wasn't so much that I didn't like talking to people, but rather that five days a week I was in school, which meant that by the end of the day, and most certainly by the end of the week, all I wanted was a bit of alone time and some much needed rest. I am now at university where I feel my introverted tendencies have become even more obvious, I find myself turning down requests to go out, simply because the idea of going out just doesn't appeal to me. I would just like to point out that my introversion is mixed in with a bit of shyness and anxiety and I know that shyness and anxiety doesn't automatically make me an introvert but I feel that I definitely match many of the qualities found in an introvert! 

Recently I stumbled across a few things that have brought introversion to the forefront and I have realised that the reason I felt singled out in my need for alone time was because introverts don't shout about it from the roof tops- that's just not our style! 

So first I would like to talk about "Quiet" by Susan Cain- I have recently started reading it and although I have yet to finish, I am so far loving it! As an introvert who has always considered it as a weakness, Cain's book, which focuses on the power of introverts, has really made me more confident. It has also made me realise that there is no need for me to change myself to suit a world that is seemingly dominated by extroverts. I picked it up at my local Waterstones and my eyes were immediately drawn to it, from a distance the cover seems blank, and although I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, I felt this cover was very effective and I had high hopes before reading a single word. 

                                 

I have just started my second year university exams and after my first exam on Friday I picked up the May copy of "Company" to cheer myself up. It was whilst flicking through that I found this article titled "how the internet helped the introvert". I felt this was particularly relevant as I actually started my blog to give myself the voice which I felt I lacked in my everyday life. When I am writing a post I don't feel the pressure to make constant conversation, I can write a post at 4am in the morning or whilst I eat my lunch- there is no pressure to do certain things or be a certain type of person, I really feel as though this blog has allowed me to be the person I want to be. 

               

What this book and article have made me realise is that my introversion isn't a negative trait and that I can be just as successful and happy even though until this point I felt as though I lacked the voice to do it.

I would love it if you could let me know if you consider yourself an introvert. Have you ever considered it a weakness? 

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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Jon Richardson: the best night in a long time

We all love to laugh right? Be it romcoms, political humour, one-liners, satire, stand-up...the list goes on! For me stand-up has always been my go to if I want a laugh, and yes, if you haven't guessed already, Jon Richardson is my all time favourite! I suppose I first became aware of him about 4 or so years ago, around the time he first appeared on 8 out of 10 Cats as a guest, before he became a team leader. Since then I have been hooked, I saw him live about two years ago in London, second row from the front, it may have been the best birthday present I ever received! He was amazing! Since then I learnt to be content with just watching him on the likes of 8 out of 10 Cats and any other comedy program he pops up on, but around Christmas time, tickets went up for a new tour and I managed to get front row seats at my local theater! It's safe to say it was one of the best nights I have had in a long time, being in the front row meant that we got the interaction with him that you don't really get when you are sitting further back. It was great to hear some new material and I am now suffering from sore cheeks and a cracking headache from laughing too much. 

Afterwards we hung around at the stage door in the hope of meeting him- 'don't be weird, don't be weird' I kept telling myself and as you can see below, I finally met him and I wasn't weird! It was a good night all round.

(Sorry the quality is awful, it was taken on my phone and there was a really harsh blue lighting which is why I have had to put it in black and white!)

He also signed my copy of his book 'It's not me, it's you!'

They say don't meet your heroes, but Jon Richardson is just so lovely, patient and funny, meeting him was the sort of thing I would never have thought would happen but it has put a permanent smile on my face!

Are you a fan of Jon Richardson?

Love

Eilidh

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