C.K. Robertson's Blog, page 3

December Roundup: Monthly Favourites

 Hello Readers & Friends,
This month's post is a couple of days late - after a very lazy Christmas break I've been struggling to get back into the swing of... everything. I've been quieter on social media and honestly have just been painting and spending time with Steven and enjoying life offline! But today I'm back to reality and returned to work, so it's time to get back online! So here is a snapshot of my December...
December Book Roundup:I only read seven books this month, but I was busy enjoying the Christmas break with too much alcohol for reading! I read some particularly good thrillers, and a slasher horror which was surprisingly great! Most of my read choices this month were easy, breezy fun ones which I knew I could get through quickly which was exactly what I needed as I wound down for the holidays. 

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn ****The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth *****The Inheritance games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes ****This is Me by Sophie Hinch ***Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez ****Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennet ****Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall *****

FILM

Klaus - Netflix

This is going to be a new Christmas favourite. I just loved it. The animation is beautiful and charming, the story is funny and heartwarming. It follows a spoilt postman (Very Kuzco-esque for any fans of The Emperor's New Groove) tasked with reviving a horrible little island where everyone is at war with their neighbour. It's Christmassy without being cliche or North-Pole based, and I just loved every second of it. 
TV

The Queen's Gambit - Netflix
Arguably one of my favourite things I've seen all year. A cinematically gorgeous mini-series following Beth Harmon, a professional chess player in the 70s as she works her way up the circuit whilst battling addiction. I loved everything about this and at the end I cried. Over chess. I know, who am I?! Can't recommend this one enough - it's only eight episodes, so try to pace yourself or you'll be upset when it's over!

BooksI don't usually read Slashers, and definitely don't review horror reads often, but picked up Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez after seeing it recommended on Booktok. It was really great! I love horror films anyway, my favourite type being the cliche teenagers-in-the-woods style, so when I heard the summary for Camp Slaughter I was sold.We basically follow a group of young teenagers who head out to 'the most secluded cabin in Pennsylvania' to party hard. Of course, there is a serial killer and cannibal lurking nearby, waiting to pick them all off. However, the story had many layers which I really enjoyed. We don't just follow the kids story, we get to see the murderers background and chapters from his view, which were so brilliant and sad and really create a 3-dimensional monster rather than just a crazy killer. We also follow two 'ghost-busters' who are filming a documentary on the myth of Camp Slaughter, and find themselves in the midst of all the massacre. Some of the scenes were incredibly gory and the descriptions made me a little squeamish, but it's a real edge-of-your-seat read as you pray that your favourite characters will somehow make it through. I really enjoyed it. 

Christmas and New YearWe managed to get up to Scotland before the restrictions kicked in and spent quite a long time up there with Steven's mam. It was beautiful and lovely to get away from London for a while! We took Betsy on lots of long walks, and I got some beautiful photographs which I shared in this Scotland Photo Diary post.  I was spoilt with lots of amazing gifts and had a really relaxing time. It was all very lovely! Obviously London is now in tier 4 - we made the 13 drive back with a single stop in Cumbria before they went into a new tier, which ended up being a nightmare when a pipe burst in our room and we had to move! Then we finally made it back to London where we are now basically quarantining for the next few weeks in the house. New Years was just Steven and I, and I was in bed by 9pm after a particularly strong Mai Tai... but that's fine by me. After the wreck of 2020 I was ready to say goodbye to it a couple of hours early! 




 How was your December?Love, C x 

2020 Roundup: Best Book Awards

Hello Readers & Friends,
What a year 2020 has been. I'm writing this after a Mai Tai - it's NYE and while I should be with Bronte (@Brontesbookshelf) and Joe her boyfriend, instead we're in tier 4 and it's just Steven and I.2020 has been such a weird year. I started working in publishing and spent only 2.5 months in the office before working from home became the norm. For a lot of people, it's been really difficult and sad. I know that for me, when our wedding was supposed to happen it was particularly hard to swallow.So I'm sure I'm not alone in saying good riddance to 2020 and may 2021 be much, much, better.
This is my 2020 book round-up. My Goodreads target was 60, but of course due to lockdown I read much more than that, hitting 92 books, which I couldn't have planned for! Assuming 2021 is similar, I'm upping my target to a hefty 100. If I hit it, great! If not, no worries. According to GoodReads, I read 31.7k pages, although I think it was more than that beause they're saying I read 10 less books than I did. My shortest book was 112 page (Greta Thunberg) and the longest was Crush (Tracy Wolff) at 704 pages. My most popular was Wuthering Heights, and the book I read with the highest rating in 2020 was Body of Stars by Laura Maylene Walter with an average rating of 4.4*.
Without further adieu, here are my top reads for 2020:
Best Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
Special Commendation: Delirium by Lauren Oliver(The Ask & The Answer and A Discovery of Witches were both 5*, but I haven't finished the full series yet!) 

Best Thriller: The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
Special Commendation: Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall

Best YA Fantasy: Crave by Tracy Wolff
Special Commendation: Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Best Romance: The Sight of You by Holly MillerSpecial Commendation: Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett
Best Cult Read: Battle Royale by Koushan Takemi Special Commendation: The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
Best Contemporary: Queenie by Candice Carty-WilliamsSpecial Commendation: Normal People by Sally Rooney
Best Anti Racism Read: White Fragility by Robin Diangelo Special Commendation: The Clapback by Elijah Lawal
Best Can't-Stop-Thinking-About Read: The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean
Tied First Place: The Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift
Best Horror: Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez Special Commendation: Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve
----


And for a full list of all my reads & ratings in 2020...

How I rate:

* Could not read or get around style of writing/ shit storyline, likely DNF
** Really didn't like, could rant about, would not recommend, disappointing
*** Was a fine read, will probably have forgotten about it within 6 months but passed time nicely
**** Really enjoyed, looked forward to reading every day, would recommend
***** Could not put down, thought about for ages after, into the fandom and would re-read

1. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare 4.5*2. The Return by Rachel Harrison 3.5*3. My Mother, The Psychopath by Olivia Rayne 4*4. Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyumi 4*
5. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley 5*6. The Sight of You by Holly Miller 5*7. The Flight by Julie Clark 3*8. The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski 3*9. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion 4*10. Lola Rose by Jacqueline Wilson 3.5*(Reread)11. Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare 3*12. No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg 3*13. The Girl who Dared to Think by Bella Forrest 5* (Reread)14. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fford 3*15. The Girl who Dared to Stand by Bella Forrest 3* (Reread)16. Eragon by Christopher Paolini 4*17. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas 5*18. Solitaire by Alice Oseman 1.5*19. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness 5*20. The 100 by Kass Morgan 2*21. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas 4*22. After by Anna Todd 3*23. After We Collided by Anna Todd 1*24. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 2.5*25. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 4* (Reread) 26. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy 5*27. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart 4*28. Normal People by Sally Rooney 5*29. Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare 2.5*30. Pax by Sara Pennypacker 5*31. Geek Girl by Holly Smale 1.5*32. The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary 3*33. Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick 2*34. Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas 5*35. A Forget-Me-Not-Summer by Sophie Claire 3*36. Battle Royale by Koushan Takemi 5*37. The Clapback by Elijah Lawal 4*38. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams 5*39. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas 5*40. Paper Girls by Brian Vaughan 3*41. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson 3*42. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas 5*43. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan 3*44. The Guest List by Lucy Foley 4*45. Midnight by Jacqueline Wilson 2*46. Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge 3.5*47. The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan 3*48. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas 3*49. The Downstairs Neighbour by Helen Cooper 4.5*50. Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin 5*51. Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett 2*52. Paper Prince by Erin Watt 2*53. Broken Prince by Erin Watt 3*54. Twisted Royals by Erin Watt 4*55. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 2*56. Grace is Gone by Emily Elgar 3.5*57. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas 4*58. The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks 4*59. Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield 2*60. Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron 2.5*61. Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas 5*62. These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling 3.5*63. Wilder Girls by Rory Power 4*64. Body of Stars by Laura Maylene Walter 5*65. White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo 5*66. Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi 4*67. Rescue Me by Sarra Manning 4*68. Delirium by Lauren Oliver 5*69. The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean 5*70. Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalo 3.5*71. Blood and Honey by Shelby Mahurin 4*72. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver 5*73. Requiem by Lauren Oliver 5*74. The Merciless by Danielle Vega 2.5*75. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 5*76. Survive The Night by Danielle Vega 3*77. Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke 4*78. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 3*79. Crave by Tracy Wolff 5*80. Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift 5*81. Crush by Tracy Wolff 4*82. A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 3*83. The Divines by Ellie Eaton 3.5*84. Circe by Madeline Miller 3*85. Fallen by Kate Lauren 2*86. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 4.5*87. The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth 5*88. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 4*89. This is Me by Sophie Hinch 2.5*90. Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez 4*91. Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett 4*92. Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall 4.5*

What were your favourite reads of 2020?

Love,
C x

Scotland Walks : A Photo Diary

 Hello Readers & Friends,

I thought I'd share some photos of some of the walks I've been on recently, as Scotland is just so beautiful. We were lucky to get up here when we did, but now with the new tiers and rules in place, we aren't sure when we will get back home. There are worse places to be stuck though! And Betsy has definitely been loving the walks.

My favourite walk was the one along the Northern cliffs and coast - we went with Steven's friend from Uni and he makes these beautiful handmade leather wares and knives. Steven actually bought quite a few of the knives as gifts, I gave one to my dad last year. His independent store is called PineHawk and they would make such a lovely gift, so if you want to check them out, click here. 

Onto the photo diary!

Something Wicca This Way Comes

 Hello Readers & Friends,

A VERY different type of post today, but I thought I would do it anyway and see what you all think and if people hate it, then no more, and if people are interested, then I might make it a weekly 'Witchy Wednesday' affair.

So today I wanted to talk a little about one of my interests: wicca. I suppose I've been 'in the broom closet' for a while and don't really talk about it because I assume that either people will have the same reaction as my fiance ("so you worship Satan then") or just switch off because nobody likes to talk about religion, especially 'alternative' ones. So today I thought I'd just explain why I started looking into it in the first place, because I know it seems like a bit to of a weird thing to fall into.

 I do also think it's important to say, I don't consider myself wiccan. I am just interested in wicca. I've been researching it for about a year, but I don't think I'm knowledgable enough to commit to it in a religious way. I also haven't undergone an initiation ritual or anything, which I suppose you could compare to a baptism. So for now I'm just practicing and researching and seeing where it goes!

So, these are the 5 main reasons I found myself leaning towards wiccan readings and getting more interested in it...

1. Nature is at the heart of wiccan beliefs. Wicca is a pagan-based religion, which means it largely revolves around giving thanks to the earth, respecting nature, and celebrating the changing seasons. Whilst other religions are more about Gods and Goddesses (which I don't believe in), wicca is all about the natural world. Some wiccans choose to celebrate deities that represent parts of nature, and they refer to the 'Horned God and Goddess', which basically represent the sun and the moon. So at its heart, it's basically about thanking nature and this is something I can understand and support.

2. Many of the rituals and 'spells' you can practice in wicca revolve around intentions, spiritualness and practicing mindfulness. I feel like these are all things which I try to do anyway through meditation apps etc, so it's just making the conscious decision to set time aside for this. I think they are all really good for mental wellness and mental health, so this appealed to me as well. 

3. There is no heaven or hell. One of the things which I dislike about other religions is the idea of hell, punishment, and sin. I think that the idea of 'sin' means that immediately, those 'good religious people' have a reason to see themselves as being above 'sinners'. In wicca, they believe in the Summerland, which is just a place where everyone's souls drift off to after the body dies. I imagine it sort of like a vaccuum in space, though I think wiccans prefer to picture it as somewhere much prettier with meadows etc. 

4. The Wiccan Rede is, I suppose, akin to the 10 Commandments. It basically explains what moral code people should live by and why. Despite what I said above about sin, there needs to be some sort of guidance so people know what's right and what's wrong. The main concepts for wiccans are: any bad energy you put out into the world will come back to you (karma), do as you wish as long as it doesn't harm anyone else, and don't judge others. Which I suppose are the moral codes I try to live by anyway. I like how open it is, everyone is welcome as long as they aren't harming other people. It's very peaceful. 

5. It's open to interpretation. There are many different types of wiccans; ones who study in groups called a covens, and many who work solitarily. There are wiccans who focus on studying cosmic energy (zodiacs, constellations etc) and wiccans who focus on kitchen magick (cooking up things for rituals such as a lemon brew for cleansing the home etc). And there are eclectic wiccans who take their favourite parts of different branches and mix and match for what suits their beliefs and their lifestyles. I like this because the fluidity means things don't feel forced or fake, and everything I'm doing is being done because I genuinely believe it is benefitting me spiritually. 

 Those are the main reasons why wicca appealed to me as something to explore for my spiritual wellbeing and why I'm hoping to research it much more through 2021. Hopefully I'll find a more spiritual self along the way!

And for some quick mythbusters:

- Wiccans do not believe in Harry Potter style magic. The 'magick' referred to by wiccans I have interpreted to basically be referring to the 'magic of nature' - e.g. a sunset is magical, the way lemon can clean a penny etc. 

- Wiccans do not worship, or even believe in, Satan or the devil. The devil is a Christian construct. 

- Wiccans do not hex, curse, or do any sort of blood sacrifice like you see on TV shows. This would go against the rules laid out in the Wiccan Rede about doing no harm to others. You also can't make someone else's hair fall out or any of that stuff, it's more about the idea of directing negative energy towards someone else, which is a no no. 

- The pentagram is not for speaking to ghosts or raising demons or anything like that. The pentagram that wiccans use as one of their key symbols is actually to do with nature (like everything else wiccan). The five points of the pentagram represent the elements; earth, fire, wind, air, and the 5th is the spirit which connects them all together. Much less menacing when you think about it this way! 

- Wiccans do not have a 'Little Black Book'. Many wiccans have a Book of Shadows, which is basically just a fancy name for a notebook where they track what they learn. It can even just be a digital file on their laptop. I started one this year to keep notes of what I learn, such as tracking the wiccan holidays, the phases of the moon, things like my natal chart, and any tarot readings I try out. It's just basically keeping track of my journey, what I try, what I think works, what I think is boloney, etc etc. It's almost like a school textbook, covered in scribbles and doodles and workings out etc! Nothing as sinister as people probably imagine! 

So there you have it. Do drop me a line on IG if you enjoyed this and would be happy to see my learnings on Wednesdays or if you're horrified and would rather I keep this all to myself! But bear in mind, they won't be educational posts or anything - I'm not qualified for that! They'll probably just be what I did in the week and how I found it! 

Love, 

C x 

Reflections and Resolutions: 2020

 

Hello Readers & Friends,

I've been sitting on this post for a couple of days now because I have no clue what to say! Because honestly, what a year it has been. I never would have believed you if you told me in January that I would be working from home in my new job for the whole year because of a global pandemic allegedly caused by a pangolin. I mean, that just sounds like a whacky dystopian storyline. But fast-forward 12 months and here we are.

It's been a really tough year for a lot of people. Many folk have lost loved ones, and even more have struggled with the restrictions of lockdown. It's been a hard year for anyone who struggles with mental health.

For me, I definitely started to really struggle around June/July time. It was my birthday, we were supposed to be getting married, and I wasn't taking care of myself at all. So I think that instead of dwelling on the crappy state of 2020, I will focus on looking forward to 2021. (But not too much - just in case...)

Looking ahead to 2021The first thing I've done is redesigned my blog. I wanted something that was responsive for mobile users, but that also reflected my personality and aesthetic. I'm really, really happy with how it's turned out and am hoping to have more creative posts happening in 2021.
I've also spent some time adding lots of books that I've made a note of from TikTok and Instagram recommendations, and my TBR has increased sizeably. 
Hopefully our wedding will be happening this year! We pushed it back one year to June 2021, and though it is set to be small, I am hoping this will work in our favour. Sadly (for me), one of my bridesmaids is pregnant and a few special people I had really wanted at the wedding are unable to make it now, but I hope it will be magical all the same. And I can't really blame Abi for not coming when her baby will be literally a couple of weeks old!
So I suppose it's time for the resolutions... I'm going to keep it short and hopefully manageable this year. I don't want to feel like a failure before I've even really started!
New Year's Resolutions1. Stop biting my nails. (This will be the 18th year in a row that this is on my resolution list, but here's hoping.)
2. Continue with my health and fitness plan because it is good for my mental health, my energy levels, and my all-round confidence.
3. Invest time into incorporating wiccan rituals and mindfulness into my day-to-day life. (I have been researching wicca for a year now, and though I wouldn't describe myself as a wiccan, I think I'm heading that way. Let me know if you'd like a blog post on this!) 
4. Hit my GoodReads target. (Number TBD - This year I read much more than last year, but that's mainly due to lockdown I think...)


I think that's enough for now. I spent a while thinking of a 5th number because 5 goals sounds better than 4, but if I had to sit and think up one then the likelihood of carrying out was never going to be high, was it?
So, that's me. What are your hopes for 2021?
Love, C x 

November Roundup: Monthly Favourites

 Hello Readers & Friends,
It's officially CHRISTMAS time!!  November has been a bit of a bleh month, so I'm not disappointed it's over. The UK went into lockdown again so I haven't seen anybody or done anything other than journal and read, so it's been very quiet and boring. I'm super excited to dive into December and begin celebrating! 


November Book Roundup:I managed nine books this month which is great, as a couple of them I found really slow. I started off with a couple of spooky horror reads which were leftover from my October TBR, and discovered a new favourite with the Crave series!

Survive the Night by Danielle Vega ***Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Tucholke ****Anna and the French Kiss ***Crave by Tracy Wolff *****Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift *****Crush by Tracy Wolff ****A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer ***/*Circe by Madeline Miller ***Fallen by Lauren Kate **

@byckrobertson

November roundup! ##bookish ##booktok ##yabooktok ##bookrecommendations ##booktokchallenge

♬ original sound - Eren simp

FILM

Parasite - Amazon Prime

I finally watched Parasite after it made its way to Amazon Prime. I thought it was amazing. I abolutely loved it. The story was dark yet somehow funny, following a poor family who con their way into working for a rich, slightly stupid family. It's a story about class divisions and opportunity, and I honestly thought it was amazing. One of my favourites from the year, I think. 



BooksThis month I want to talk about a proof I got from work called The Last one at the Party. It's not out until next year, but I thought it was so good! It's a story about a pandemic (awkward) that wipes out everyone within 6 days. It's so quick that there is no time to plan, no time to run, no time to do anything. And one, lone woman survives. We don't know her name, and we don't know why she is granted immunity, but we follow her journey as she rediscovers the world - and herself. The pandemic itself isn't the story - the book follows her story AFTER the pandemic. So we get a couple of scenes at the start where she's holed up with her husband in their flat trying to survive, but the majority of the book is what happens after.I loved how realistic it was. She's useless. She has no decent survival skills. She's exactly like me, and she's darkly funny. She has no clue what to do, and ends up spending her time doing things like breaking into Harrods and drinking all the expensive booze, taking a load of drugs she finds at her friends house, rescuing a barking dog and keeping it for a companion, all whilst in search for someone - anyone - else who may be alive. It's about a young woman finding out who she truly is, and what's really worth living for. I really can't recommend it enough and gave it 5 stars. 


JournallingAs mentioned, because of the second lockdown I have had nothing else to do, so I've been journalling a lot. I don't share much of this on my channels because I've assumed it's something people aren't really interested in, but it's all I've really done this month so here we are! My journal is a 'life journal' - there's no theme or rhyme or reason to any of it. I just do what I'm in the mood for in the evenings to help relax myself. Sometimes that's writing about my day, sometimes it's a spread on something I'm reading or watching at the time, and sometimes it's just a random collage or painting. It's something that I do just for myself and enjoy the unrestricted creativity. However, it has made me a bit of a paper-hoarder, refusing to throw out anything that may be recycled later down the line!


 How was your month?Love, C x 

November Roundup: Monthly Favourite

 Hello Readers & Friends,
It's officially CHRISTMAS time!!  November has been a bit of a bleh month, so I'm not disappointed it's over. The UK went into lockdown again so I haven't seen anybody or done anything other than journal and read, so it's been very quiet and boring. I'm super excited to dive into December and begin celebrating! 


November Book Roundup:I managed nine books this month which is great, as a couple of them I found really slow. I started off with a couple of spooky horror reads which were leftover from my October TBR, and discovered a new favourite with the Crave series!

Survive the Night by Danielle Vega ***Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Tucholke ****Anna and the French Kiss ***Crave by Tracy Wolff *****Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift *****Crush by Tracy Wolff ****A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer ***/*Circe by Madeline Miller ***Fallen by Lauren Kate **

@byckrobertson

November roundup! ##bookish ##booktok ##yabooktok ##bookrecommendations ##booktokchallenge

♬ original sound - Eren simp

FILM

Parasite - Amazon Prime

I finally watched Parasite after it made its way to Amazon Prime. I thought it was amazing. I abolutely loved it. The story was dark yet somehow funny, following a poor family who con their way into working for a rich, slightly stupid family. It's a story about class divisions and opportunity, and I honestly thought it was amazing. One of my favourites from the year, I think. 



BooksThis month I want to talk about a proof I got from work called The Last one at the Party. It's not out until next year, but I thought it was so good! It's a story about a pandemic (awkward) that wipes out everyone within 6 days. It's so quick that there is no time to plan, no time to run, no time to do anything. And one, lone woman survives. We don't know her name, and we don't know why she is granted immunity, but we follow her journey as she rediscovers the world - and herself. The pandemic itself isn't the story - the book follows her story AFTER the pandemic. So we get a couple of scenes at the start where she's holed up with her husband in their flat trying to survive, but the majority of the book is what happens after.I loved how realistic it was. She's useless. She has no decent survival skills. She's exactly like me, and she's darkly funny. She has no clue what to do, and ends up spending her time doing things like breaking into Harrods and drinking all the expensive booze, taking a load of drugs she finds at her friends house, rescuing a barking dog and keeping it for a companion, all whilst in search for someone - anyone - else who may be alive. It's about a young woman finding out who she truly is, and what's really worth living for. I really can't recommend it enough and gave it 5 stars. 


JournallingAs mentioned, because of the second lockdown I have had nothing else to do, so I've been journalling a lot. I don't share much of this on my channels because I've assumed it's something people aren't really interested in, but it's all I've really done this month so here we are! My journal is a 'life journal' - there's no theme or rhyme or reason to any of it. I just do what I'm in the mood for in the evenings to help relax myself. Sometimes that's writing about my day, sometimes it's a spread on something I'm reading or watching at the time, and sometimes it's just a random collage or painting. It's something that I do just for myself and enjoy the unrestricted creativity. However, it has made me a bit of a paper-hoarder, refusing to throw out anything that may be recycled later down the line!


 How was your month?Love, C x 

Christmas Gift List: For the Bookish!

Hello Readers & Friends,

Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year, and I LOVE buying presents for people. I wanted to share some ideas for gifts that bookish folk may love (because I love them). I'll try to make sure there's something for every budget. I've also tried to make sure I'm supporting small and independent businesses where I can.

Happy shopping!

STOCKING FILLERS - Under £10

Cosy Booklover Sticker Sheet - £2.50 

Frankenstein's Monster Toe Tag Bookmark - £2.50

Book Sleeve - £8.99

SECRET SANTA  - £10-£20

Retro style Reading is Lit t-shirt - £19

Personalised book stamp - From £13

Calm & Restore Book & Tea box - £17.50


40hr Bookish Soy Candle - £11.99

Industrial Farmhouse Style Bookends - From £12.99

Dead Poet Society Hardback Journal - £14

UNDER THE TREE  - £20-30

Twilight City of Forks Sweatshirt - £28

Book Nook Diarama - £42

Miniature Bookstore Model Making Kit £39.99

Page Anchor - $50

What I Love About This Book Personalised Stamp & Inkpad - £38

YA Fantasy Classics Scarf - £21

What are you hoping for this Christmas? 

Love, C x 

Bookstagram & Beyond: EBook

Bookstagram & Beyond is a  complete guide to organic social media for the bookish! (Or the non bookish, but most of the examples are bookish.)
I have seven years of marketing experience working for international brands, and have been a part of the bookstagram community for four years. I now work in publishing, with an insider advantage for sharing tips!Bookstagram & Beyond mostly focuses on Instagram and Twitter, but does briefly touch on TikTok as well. If you're a book blogger or author looking to bolster your online bubble - this is perfect for you!
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You will learn:
- What channels are best for you to use
- How to create an online identity
- How to shoot, edit and write for social
- How to use Twitter and Instagram analytics to optimise your content and grow your following
- How to become part of the community
- How to work with brands
PLUS: Worksheets, exercises, templates and listicles offering ideas and tools to help you get the most out of your own channels. 

You will get:
A 120 page PDF file ebook.
It is an instant digital download, and no physical book will be shipped. You can read this on your phone, tablet or computer. It can also be emailed to Kindles and e-readers, but this will affect formatting. 
This file is for personal use only. It is not for commercial use, resale, copy, recreation, reproduction or redistribution for any purpose.

How To Purchase:1. Pay via the button below. (Currently only £8.50 to celebrate launch!) You will be redirected to Paypal2. Confirm your purchase and go through the motions3. When you reach the purchase confirmation page, click 'Return to Merchant' at the bottom4. You will be redirected to a page where you will be able to access the PDF file and download it
 

Full Contents: 

REVIEWS:

October Roundup: Monthly Favourites

 Hello Readers & Friends,
Okay, October is officially over, is it Christmas yet? I feel ready for festive music and sparkly baubles. October was a good month, I feel like now the UK is in national lockdown again November is going to be a bit sucky. But hoping to get lots of reading done! This month I didn't get to read as much as I'd hoped, A Discovery of Witches is 700 pages and really slowed me down as the first half is such a slow pace. But I had a great month overall and managed to squeeze in some fun things which I'll share in this post. 
October Book Roundup:I read 8 books this month but I feel like all of them were good reads and I really, really enjoyed some of them. So I'm not mad about the number. 

Delirium by Lauren Oliver ****/*Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver *****Requiem by Lauren Oliver ****/*Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalo ***/*The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean *****Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin ****The Merciless by Danielle Vega **/*A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness *****

@byckrobertson

October roundup! happy Halloween! ##booktok ##bookish ##yabooktok ##bookrecommendations ##booktokchallenge ##readingisfunclub

♬ Monster Mash - Bobby Pickett

FILM

Howl's Moving Castle - Netflix
 I haven't been watching much good TV or films recently, so I spent an evening rewatching Howl's Moving Castle. I think I followed it better this second time, and really enjoyed the magic of it. (As with all Studio Ghibli films.) It follows a girl who is cursed and turned into a 90 year old women. She gets a job as a cleaner for Howl - a wizard who lives (you guessed it,) in a moving castle. It's set during a war and is just a really lovely, beautiful story about love and friendship. 

Books
I read so many amazing books this month! I'm so happy! Even though I only managed to eat through 8, I really enjoyed most of them. The Delirium Trilogy was easy, breezy, fun, cliche dystopian YA goodness. Then Discovery of Witches was very much Twilight for adults, and I loved every moment of it. It was smart writing, intricately detailed writing and gave me serious dark academia vibes. A new favourite. The Last Thing to Burn was the best proof I've read all year, and I'll be thinking about it for ages after, similarly to A Little Life. Honestly, it was a great month for books. 
Halloween!
As has become our new tradition, Bronte (@Brontesbookshelf) came over for a Halloween weekend. She brought her dog Teddy who pooped in my house, and we carved pumpkins and watched scary films. (We tried to, anyway. Most of them were shit and we kept switching off. Eventually we stuck on Nine Dead which was terrible bit also great. Melissa Joan Hart has really gone downhill since her Sabrina days.)We also recorded a couple of episodes for our bookish podcast, Plots & Shots, and relaunched with a spooky reads episode on the 31st! Unfortunately sound quality isn't the best as we relearn how to do it all, but you can listen to it here. 

MusicThis month I spent a shameful amount of time listening to Halloween music. I even made a playlist. I'll share it below. No judgement please! 
 How was your month?Love, C x