Reads and Ramblings with Beth

  Hello everyone,  I know it's Monday, not Sunday evening which is when I usually post but I was still reading my last book of January and needed to rest early for a really busy day today! But I've gathered my thoughts now and am ready to share them with you all! So, I managed to read 6 books in January which isn't the best for me but the new uni semester has started and I spend a lot of my time reading articles etc rather than books due to that. However, I managed to read 3 physical books and 3 ebooks, which I was impressed with as I've had my kindle for absolutely years and yet could probably count the times I've used it on one hand.  The first book I read in Jan was The Foundling by Stacey Halls . I really loved this and it reminded me so much at the beginning of reading Hetty Feather when I was much younger. The plot was kind of predictable but it's historical fictions so you somewhat expect it. I definitely like Halls writing style, I think it's really ...

  good evening,  I am going to try and stick to Sunday as my regular posting day now as much as I possibly can - as a student it just makes the most sense as it's my day to relax. One of my 2021 goals is to put more effort into my blog and to post regularly in the hope of growing my little corner of the internet.  Since coming back to uni this year I've decided to put more thought and time into cooking - last term I ate a lot of takeaways and not only was that financially irresponsible, it didn't feel good! Also, last semester, as a friendship group we would take turns cooking, cook for each other etc and now that I'm here living very independantly it is down to me to cook every night 😂 I can't (and don't) make anything fancy, it's fairly basic but it's actually quite enjoyable and I do feel better for it.  So, this week I decided to keep a little food diary so I could show you all what I've eaten this week and how most of it is really simple and pr...

  good evening,   I hope everyone is well, and that you are all looking after yourselves. I hope you were able to do something restful with your Sunday today - read a book, had a bath, took a walk, or any activity you like to do for self-care during this hard time ♡  I would also like to take a moment to say that my comment section and instagram messages are always open for support and a chat when things get tough (I read all my message requests so as long as it's a friendly, appropriate message I will always answer you!)  On with this evenings cosy little post! I made a very bold decision that I would spend this third lockdown at university, almost completely by myself. All my wonderful friends and my boyfriend have decided to wait until the lockdown is lifted to return, and no one knows if that will even happen this semester! Social media and texts and calls have become my lifeline - I've messaged more people today than I usually would, and our family group ch...

  hi everyone!  A few months ago I posted my Uni Reading Module 1 mini reviews  after it was requested on my Instagram poll. I promised to be back with Module 2 and I've only just now gotten round to it - sorry about that!  If you don't already know or haven't read many of my other posts - I am a BA English Literature student and I have a really varied reading list, with some personal favourites of mine and some brand new reads too! Module 2 - The Gothic: Transgressive to Shock >The Castle of Otranto - Horace Walpole (1764) This is hailed as the first gothic novel and it has such an interesting back story which I definitely encourage you to look into.  This is a very typical novel of incest, secret passages, tyranny and death. Spooky paintings and a curse, a damsel chased around a castle. Reading it nowadays it's quite amusing  - I liked it! 3  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ >Dracula - Bram Stoker (1897) This is a really exciting gothic read. It's a little slow to ...

  Hello everyone!! Firstly I would like to say that this post is inspired by Jared Davies post 'MOVING OUT AT 18' which you can read here  - he is a fellow blogger who is also moving into student accommodation this month and I definitely recommend you give his post a read!! He has lots of different lifestyle blogs that I always really enjoy, and like me is going to be blogging about his experiences through university so maybe consider going over and following him if you like that sort of content. ❤️ A few days ago I moved into my accommodation at BGU (Lincoln) ready to begin my first year as a first year BA English Literature student.   I've had my heart set on BGU from the first open day that I attended and I was so lucky to have been awarded an unconditional offer to study with them.  I have chosen to live slightly off campus as  I was keen to have as much independence as possible whilst still enjoying the fun parts of communal living. I wanted ...

hi everyone!  A few weeks ago I held an Instagram poll asking whether people would be interested in seeing mini reviews of the books on my first year university reading list. I am starting my degree in September and have been enjoying reading the books in preparation to start!  Lots of people were interested, so here is the first part!! Part 2 will be up very soon - I have 1 more book to finish.  Module 1 - Intro to Literary Studies > Girl Meets Boy - Ali Smith (2007) This book is a modern retelling of Ovid's 'Metamorphoses', re telling the myth of Iphis and Ianthe, through Anthea and her gender queer partner Robin.  Everything in this book is about challenging normal expectations and the wonder of fluidity, from the characters to the unique style of narration. There are many important themes such as feminism, activism, gender identity, sexuality, sexual harassment and homophobia.  The water motif that runs through the book is a really beautiful portraya...

Hello everyone and happy August!  Hopefully this will be a fairly short post - but we know how much I can ramble on.... JULY WRAP... So, July was a bit of a weird reading month for me. I felt like I was reading all the time and should have raced through lots of books - and I definitely bought a lot of books - but I actually only managed to complete 3 books during the month!!  Normal People - Sally Rooney I really really enjoyed this book just as much as I did the series. I loved Connell's character especially and thought it was really important that Rooney had chosen male mental health representation. I would have preferred this book in a different narrative style and not to jump around as much in the timeline however, it was amazing.  Rating: 4.5  ✩ The Beekeeper of Aleppo - Christy Lefteri This book was an absolutely beautiful read. I haven't previously read any books about the current issues in Syria but this one really opened my eyes to the peril of an immigrants...

Hiya everyone... Long time, no see! I honestly do not know where this month has gone. It's nearly the end of July already and I've barely had time to notice it go by. However, I have now left my job and have the next 6 ish weeks to prepare for university. I have a biggg list of books to read and a chance to enjoy time with my family. With plenty of time for blogging thrown in too!  I am a huge classics fan and from the reading list I've already received for the first term of my degree, university is going to fuel my passion even more. There are some great books on my shelf to read before September, including The Great Gatsby and Dracula!!  With that being said. Here is my  Classics TBR... 📚 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens 📚 This is Dickens' most famous bildungsroman novel and has some of his better known characters including Uriah Heep and Betsey Trotwood. The novel is all about coming of age and the journey through Copperfield's dramatic life.  This novel...