2016 Book #1 (Review) : 'You're The One That I Want' by Giovanna Fletcher

So, as is my personal resolution most years, I want to read more this year and I've been coming up with a couple of ways to help me stay motivated to do that. So, firstly, I am going to number the books I read when I review them on here, so by the end of the year I can see how many I managed. Originally, I wanted to aim for one per week, but I know that realistically that'll never happen because it's hard enough while I'm at home on holidays, far less when I get back to uni! But the second strategy I intend on using is making proper use of my Goodreads account. I've had Goodreads for AGES but I never use it, so hopefully soon I will start working out how to properly use it to log my reading!

I ordered this book from the library because I watch Giovanna Fletcher's YouTube videos and am a fan of her whole family, and have also read and reviewed her début novel 'Billy and Me' in May 2014.

Brief Summary: Maddy, Ben and Robert are best friends from the day Maddy joins the boys' primary school, age 9. But at 16 things get complicated when Muddy and Robert become more than friends. Not only does this change the group dynamic, but occurs alongside Ben's secret feelings for Maddy too. Can the three remain friends?

I think the idea for this book is a good one, although I didn't enjoy it all the way through.

The way Giovanna's laid it out with alternating chapters between the characters at different stages of their life I really liked, however I found the language she used to be quite childish at times, compared to the age the characters were supposed to be. For example, when the characters were 21, they were thinking and doing things I (at 18) would find to be quite childish. I don't think this was deliberate, but rather a reflection of her style of writing which is to explain things in quite a lot of detail. It was well written, just perhaps not suited particularly to my taste.

I enjoyed the story and found it to be mostly quite realistic, I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen to the characters and I can't accuse it of being predictable because what happened, I really didn't see coming.

I liked that it discussed real life topics and situations that I, as a young person, experience, but sometimes I found that the storyline dragged as not much happened.

The ending was satisfactory, but I wasn't particularly impressed with the Epilogue. I won't say too much, and it's unlike me to say this at all, but I think it pandered too heavily to those wanting a happy ending and was therefore, in my opinion, a little bit cheesy!

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would say it's worth a read if you' re looking for something light which also makes you think about love and friendship, but I didn't enjoy it as much as 'Billy and Me'. I do, however, look forward to reading her 3rd novel 'Dream A Little Dream' as I've heard great things about it.

Film Review: 'The Danish Girl'

For Christmas I received some cinema vouchers, so this afternoon, on this horrible wet day,  a friend and I went an saw a film we'd both heard of called 'The Danish Girl', which came into cinemas on New Years Day.


Brief Summary: The film is based on the true story of a young male artist who realises that he is transgender and believes himself to be a women trapped in the wrong body. The film outlines his struggles and he goes on to become the first to attempt surgery in order to fully change gender.

I thought the film was well acted and I was pleasantly surprised that the overarching issue of the struggle of a Transgender man at the time was not forced upon the viewer in a campaigning style, but simply displayed subtly through a moving life story.

The lead roles of Einar Wegner/Lili Elbe and wife Gerda Wegener were played by Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander respectively and both portrayals were, in my opinion, excellent. They were believable and, I guess sensitive. To go off on a tangent slightly (but hopefully get across my point! ) I remember when Joanne Froggat, who played Anna Bates in Downtown Abbey, was awarded an Oscar for her performance in Season 4, when her character ewes raped, and she said that she was honoured to have been trusted with such a storyline and felt a very real responsibility to play it in a manner which would be respecting the hardships faced by many women. I am in no way stating that rape and being transgender share any ball part but I simply mean to indicate that the principle actors, particularly Redmayne, were given parts that came with a heavy responsibility of staying true to reality and I be live they did a very good job. I think this was the first time I have seen something starring Alicia Vikander, but I have liked Eddie Redmayne for a while.

There are only a couple of small 'criticisms', if you can really call them that, which I would make. The first is that I did find the film to be quite slow moving at times. I suppose this was because it was following the journey of one man, and was leading to one place, without any side stories and sub-plot, and didn't have very many main characters. It wasn't a boring film, but did drag at times. The second thing isn't a criticism, and I must be careful in the way I word it because I don't pretend to have much knowledge on the topic and wouldn't wish either to cause offensive or to contradict my previous observation. I suppose it was because the film began in such a way as to join Einar's story at the point at which things began to properly change for him, but, although there was some minor reference and explanation of transgender experiences previously in his life, his decision appeared very sudden. It seemed as though he was one minute pining for physical relations with his wife in order to conceive with er, and the next entirely focused upon finding his true identity. There are many explanations for this, he was trying ti fight his inclinations but was triggered into finally admitting it to himself and from that point couldn't turn back seems the most realistic o me. Therefore I do not criticise the script, I simply wish to note that I could see where some viewers may find confusion or a lack of consistency or even an argument for a hint of unrealistic storyline. I, however, think it worked very well- I mean, if they'd attempted to begin much earlier in his life, this would likely  only have heightened my notion that the film wasn't particularly fast-moving, as it would have taken longer to get to the real message.

Finally, I don't want to include spoilers so I won't talk much about the ending, but all I will say is I didn't expect it, and I always appreciate when a film catches me off guard, because I like to save predictability for cheesy rom coms haha.


Overall, I think this was a good film that has been released at a good time, when the issue it addresses has been in our media, most famously with Caitlyn Jenner as the modern pioneer for transgender rights. Understanding that we're all different and clearly showing that living a lie should never been socially required remains important, and I hope that this film aids that, along with being viewed simply as a great first release of 2016!

Reflection and Recycling Resolutions

Firstly, I hope anyone reading had a really special Christmas and New Year. For a few reasons, this is the first time I've posted since I returned home from uni over 3 weeks ago, and to be honest the break from writing has been nice. But it's a new year, and I'm ready to enter this fresh start with new ideas and good intentions, however cliché it may be.

Last year I made a series of resolutions, something I never normally do. And when it came to considering what I wanted to list this year, I realised that everything I want to change is everything I wanted to change last year.

I guess at first I thought I must have failed at achieving my resolutions, or perhaps I was simply far too ambitious. To be honest, both of those things are probably true, but what I know is that there's nothing wrong with setting the bar high, even if it means it takes me more than one year  to get where I want to be. It's not like I ignored my resolutions, I got somewhere with every one, they just aren't the type of things you complete and forget. They're long term projects which I hope will continue to improve my life. Well, we'll see. In no particular order ...

1) Improve my health (particularly weight and therefore body image) by healthy consideration of both diet and regular exercise. I've started a new routine of swimming and running. I can't say I love it or that it'll last forever, but you've got to start somewhere. As for the diet, I go through phases. I find it hard, but I'll get there, a few smoothies later...

2) Take my appearance a little more seriously- if I feel good about how I look, it could do my mental health a world of good. This means, in particular, taking care of my skin (Doctors appointment booked for Wednesday), keeping my hair nice (recently cut and started using new products and straightening more often) and just generally wearing things I like. AND POSTURE!

3) Write more. Just like last year, the diary has been started. Who knows if it'll last longer than a month this time? Plus my blog, and ideally some fiction this year, something I totally neglected in 2015.

4) Read more. The first half of 2015 saw me doing really well with this one, right up to the end of August in fact. Then I started uni and didn't read a single thing for pleasure! I still adore books and I'm going to try a new tactic with this one this year, but I won't say too much because it involves this blog and you gotta keep some things as a surprise!

5) Be a nicer daughter/sister. As most years, there's been ups and downs this year. But between working full time all summer and then being away at uni, I think this has perhaps improved by default. Things still aren't all rosy, but I think my increased independence is helping a little!

6) A 'romantic' experience of some kind. Yeah, that'll be right. Doesn't stop me dreaming haha.

7) Work hard on my studies. Perhaps unconditional offers decreased my motivation a little but I did manage to complete two dissertations, 4 x A Grades in my sixth year exams and lots of uni coursework as well as my first two uni exams during 2015. I still sometimes struggle with motivation but I'm holding my own, for now.

Don't ask much of myself, eh? Haha, I know this might have been a bit boring for some people who don't know me but it's done me good to write it down and I hope it helps someone to be brave and keep working on their resolutions. It's been a year and I've barely scraped the surface of my same 7. We'll all get there!