Book Blogger Tag

I found this tag on The Bookish Owl's blog. I tag everyone who wants to do this to do it, whether you're a book blogger or not (hey, I'm clearly not!). I've changed it round a little bit, so do have a look at the original if you want to do it!


1. Which book, most recently, did you not finish?

An Experiment in Love by Hilary Mantel. This was the first (and only) Mantel novel I've picked up so far. I spent a lot of the novel hoping something would just happen. Anything. I didn't care, but there was just nothing! I got about 20 pages from the end, incredibly, and just couldn't be bothered to finish it!! I think there are 'subtleties' to be appreciated such as the explanations of the characters, by delving into their entire life story. Even when I try and say something positive it comes out badly. I'm going to stop now!



2. Which book is your guilty pleasure?

One Night: Promised by Jodi Ellen Malpas. Similar to 50 Shades of Grey (though I haven't actually read that series), cheesy clichés and extremely questionable storyline. Yet I can't stop reading! The description of this 'perfect man' is intriguing and just strangely addictive to read!



3. Which book would you throw into the sea?

Getting Over Mr Right by Chrissie Manby. I read this book a few years ago now, so can't entirely remember the plot (probably for the best) but in sum, we encounter the recently dumped-via-facebook Ashleigh go to extreme measures to win over her ex. These include blowing all her funds on psychic readings, voodoo dolls and sitting by the telephone for days on end waiting for this 'Mr Right' to call. She's such an annoying character it's actually hard to explain how frustrating it is to read about her mistakes! Argh!




4. Which book have you read the most?

I've never been one for rereading books. However I used to have the Harry Potter audiobooks read by Stephen Fry and (if this counts) then these for sure. I used to listen to them so much that I knew them off by heart!














5. Which book would you hate to receive as a present?

Anything I wouldn't read, because I'd just feel guilty. I'm not really into historical novels (although I want to give Philippa Gregory a go), or sci-fi, or anything supernatural (I could deal with Twilight, but other vampire/ghost/strange mythological beasts aren't really my thing). Things like Game of Thrones don't interest me so anything like that with gory battles are also probably a no.

6. Which book could you not live without?



Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro, which is a series of short stories with themes of music and love running through them all. I've read them all a few years ago, so it's lovely whenever I come back to these wonderfully written little stories again and remember the curious tales. This book will come with me wherever I live.

Equally, Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. I bought this book as a present for my Mum, and ended up hijacking it. I was so struck by the story, and I identified with Holden Caulfield's cynical view of 'fake' people, and I've come back to this story a couple of times, and will always remember it fondly.

7. Which book made you cry the most?



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling and I believe The List of My Desires by Grégoire Delacourt made me cry on a train to York!

8. Favourite book cover?


 

This question initially was 'least favourite book cover' but I really don't think I have one, so I changed it! The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency reminds me of linocut print, and it's just so colourful that it portrays the lovely positive atmosphere Alexander McCall Smith describes in Botswana. The cover for Mischeif by Fay Weldon is stunning, helped by the fact that it's cloth bound, and woven in is a beautiful entanglement of colourful butterflies. Must read this.

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Books, Glorious Books!

I have just finished six weeks at a literary PR company in London (I wouldn't have had a clue what that even was two months ago!!). The company do the PR and media relations for authors and publishing houses. They also help organise events like book prizes. 

Along my exciting and very insightful journey into PR in the past six weeks, I picked up a total of NINETEEN books!! Mental! I'm quite a slow reader (doesn't help when you want to go into publishing!), so these will no doubt take me into next year! 

If you've read any of these books do leave a comment and tell me what you thought! 

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Graduate Work Tip

Here I am, being good and finally getting round to doing this post, which has been in my brain for a really long time now.

As I have said here before, being a graduate and looking for a job is seriously no easy thing. Along with the difficult application forms, getting your CV right and knowing what it is you even want to do (argh!), there's the stress of it all! I found that after weeks of solidly filling out applications to jobs, I was losing motivation and getting, if I'm honest, kinda depressed. Speaking to various friends, I know I wasn't alone in this.

One simple, yet amazing little tip I wanted to share is document what you apply for. It sounds like an obvious thing, but imagine if you spend a month applying for jobs, you'd definitely start losing track of what you'd already applied for. My method was using an Excel spreadsheet.

Surprisingly, I found this a really motivating thing to do. I found huge satisfaction out of watching the list grow as I put the effort in. It's something that you can always come back to. Now I'm coming to the end of the work experience I'm currently doing, I can come back to this list and add to it as I start applying again. As a fan of lists, I just love the organisation of this, and it actually encourages me to apply for more.  

More to come, 

Good luck guys!

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Dropping by...

My dear reader (my blogspot traffic info says my readership figures are comprised of pretty much just myself), I can only apologise for my absence. I have blog posts lined up in my mind (new work update - more fun that it sounds and book posts) but I just need the time to write them. With minimal living time and maximum working/commuting time, I'm finding it rather hard to organise anything else at all, which is sad. Such is the 'real world' as they say.

Enough of the excuses. I'll be better next time.

Also I have a backlog of things for my sister blog (written by me for my mother) http://woollymummoth.blogspot.co.uk! Check it out!

Errrrm...Change of Plan!

Oh how the tides have turned and the seas have changed! In my last post, I was set to go to Oxford to do a Masters degree. I am not in Oxford. I am not doing a Masters degree. I am about to finish my last week at a local high street drug/beauty shop whose name rhymes with 'hoots', and start some work experience at a literary PR/Marketing firm in London. About a week before I was meant to go to Oxford, I had a very 'un-me' panicky and emotional outburst, where I realised I actually didn't want to go at all. I realised I don't want to do more education, I just want a job I'm happy with. Even if that means I'm at the bottom, working my way up.

Life is a big question mark in all departments currently, and although this is stressful, anxiety-inducing and unsettling for someone who needs some kind of control, I'm grateful for the opportunity.

Songs listened during this blogpost: Hozier - Take Me To Church, Paramore - Still into You, Interpol - All the Rage Back Home, Royal Blood - Little Monster

Summer Progress

I'd be so intrigued to read other peoples' blog posts about the summer directly after they've finished university. If you're not lucky enough to have a job lined up ready and waiting (we all know those annoying people!) then the summer can be a stressful and pressuring slog.

Having left university, I had 100% ruled out all possibility of doing a Masters degree. For me it seemed like too much of an academic direction to go in, when I knew I wanted to get into the publishing industry. It also just seemed like A LOT of hard work when I'd just finished my BA (Hons) degree, complete with dissertation! After a bit of searching around into the world of publishing, I noticed first that a Publishing degree was a thing, and second that lots of people seemed to have one, or were talking about it. I am told that it is not necessary to have an MA in publishing to get into the industry, but my attempts were clearly not working (many rejections - most likely on the grounds of not enough experience). I applied for the MA at Oxford Brookes, not really thinking too much of it (as I was still hoping a job might come my way!), but after the personal statement was written and telephone interview was held, I got in! As of now - the MA is the official plan! Mental!

I'm very much looking forward to living in Oxford for the year, as I've heard good things about the city!

I'd love to hear about anybody else's plans for the future, or how your post-uni summer is going?

Who Got Me Through

That's it. My final essay has been submitted today, and it's all done. There's a frenzied sense of finality in the air, but my mind is taking this in many different directions. I feel happy that the late-night, dreary-eyed essay slogs have finished, proud that I've managed to complete my dissertation and all my assignments and achieve the grades I have. But also I feel sad that the routine of work and lectures and deadlines has been snatched away. I feel odd that soon the living space I have called home for the past two years will soon belong to somebody else. Finally I will feel sad that the city I have loved will no longer be "mine".

That is my necessary 'homage' to uni, but that is not what this post is about. I wanted to say thank you, in my own little way, to the music that has got me through my degree. Mainly this was through the medium of albums uploaded to YouTube, which I would listen to through my headphones on my laptop or on the library computers.

First, and possibly most frequently listened to is the Ellie Goulding album 'Halcyon Days'. Only now, writing this post I have looked up the meaning of the term 'halcyon days', and it means 'denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful' (according to Oxford Dictionary). Ironic seeing as I was not feeling peaceful tapping out those essays! 

Next is a completely different genre, of the classical variety. The serenity of this music (although, it's not all serene) really got me through the hard times. Sometimes I just can't be bothered with the poppy-ness of mainstream stuff and so I found this! 

Finally (there are many, but I want to keep some brevity in the hope that my dear readers do not drop off to sleep), is the album by Lorde, who I have come to adore. What a wonderful voice that girl has. Track favourites include 'Buzzcut Season' and 'Tennis Court'! 

Best wishes to those of you who have finished your degrees and also to those of you who still have this wonderful journey to look forward to! 


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