tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70498853956877147852024-02-20T00:11:48.423+00:00sifting for treasuresHannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-76175932423155977222021-06-09T06:00:00.001+01:002021-06-09T06:00:00.206+01:00THE SWEETNESS OF THE LITTLE THINGS<p> Last month I went back to St Ives for a weekend with my family and a long yearned for get-away after many long months of lockdown and restrictions. Although a holiday is always welcome, more than anything else, this holiday was even more glorious simply for being somewhere that wasn’t my own house and town. St Ives is a beautiful little town. It is a place that my sister has long been visiting before my whole family decided to make a proper holiday of it, but I'm so glad that we did. We stayed in a cottage in the middle of a rambling, cobbled street, just a few minutes from one of several beaches and the main harbour. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyKUanwknbSwxQFpWzBy0pXp6JvFE_oq27Wp0yUCwQFXGwDv2HK6BlmMXmWQoOKQZu5VQtVeHxDsetrcC1_5Cmw76sMR-MomzsW-G3_DW-IMQcss8SGGP2x_DF2L_41RC04C5C259g10/s2048/CBAC2E28-3C61-4E01-A09C-24040B4F2BB8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyKUanwknbSwxQFpWzBy0pXp6JvFE_oq27Wp0yUCwQFXGwDv2HK6BlmMXmWQoOKQZu5VQtVeHxDsetrcC1_5Cmw76sMR-MomzsW-G3_DW-IMQcss8SGGP2x_DF2L_41RC04C5C259g10/s16000/CBAC2E28-3C61-4E01-A09C-24040B4F2BB8.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>There is something of a tonic about being by the sea, and that’s certainly not limited to the glossy shores of other countries. That's especially true of areas of Cornwall like St Ives that often have glimmeringly blue waters. After so long not being able to travel places or be able to eat indoors, the sheer glee of sitting in a pub for a crisp pint of cider or a delicious meal after a long day of exploring was all the more exciting.</p><p><br /></p><p>But even more than that, simply being able to travel somewhere again made me all the more grateful for those simple things. We often take a holiday in our own country for granted, but I’m more thankful now than ever to have so many gorgeous places to visit in our own country. Most of our time away was spent walking the cobbled, sloping streets of the town and tripping over the sands of the beaches to get a better look at the sea. In fact, we spent a lot of the time there walking around, including a walk to nearby Carbis Bay, and a longer six-and-a-half-mile walk along the coast path to neighbouring town Zennor. If you had asked my child-self, I'm sure that the idea of walking a lot on holiday was probably my worst nightmare but, as an adult (and in the light of the last year), being able to explore the open spaces of a different town is something nearer a dream.</p><p><br /></p><p>A lot of people had commented similar sentiments after the relaxing of lockdown rules both last summer and earlier this year, with many citing the renewed appreciation for the things they had previously taken for granted. Just being able to pop out for the day, quickly meet friends for coffee, or go for dinner or out for a day trip, quickly went from expected, humdrum parts of our week to the things we began to cherish a little more. During the first lockdown in the UK, I saw several articles online about many peoples renewed appreciation for the green spaces around them, often overlooked otherwise. </p><p><br /></p><p>I don’t want to get too mushy here and suggest that as we all gradually move on from remaining covid safety precautions we’ll all be starry-eyed with an appreciation for every tiny thing, but I do think there’s something nice about remembering to savour all the small, easy to take for granted, freedoms and activities that make our lives better. I think it brings out the best in people when we remember to be thankful for the things we can do. Things certainly feel sweeter when you’ve taken that second to appreciate it rather than just whizzing through it, especially in an otherwise difficult or challenging time. </p><p><br /></p><p>Practising gratitude in that conscious way might not be something that comes immediately naturally to me but it’s definitely not to be sniffed at. <span style="color: #0e101a;"><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/being-your-best-self/202010/practicing-gratitude-is-more-important-now-ever">Studies</a> have shown that when you practice gratitude by thinking about the things you appreciate, it can activate the parasympathetic or calming part of our nervous systems, it can lead to lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone), and even begin to train our brains to actively see the more positive parts of our day to day lives rather than focusing on negatives.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCzKAPpn_OOmUfSzWaAu3M-Nj-Tmeyxbf1AxRd_8nHI8Y4tBx0RTEsOHkO40pLoblipfm5-uanOA76k7YMb0F4Nbb351KRWNU5aDNcRHKbI0wPjpkO2TwNijVh_ZrQ_wwToKVqLmyeA4/s2048/IMG_3317.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCzKAPpn_OOmUfSzWaAu3M-Nj-Tmeyxbf1AxRd_8nHI8Y4tBx0RTEsOHkO40pLoblipfm5-uanOA76k7YMb0F4Nbb351KRWNU5aDNcRHKbI0wPjpkO2TwNijVh_ZrQ_wwToKVqLmyeA4/s16000/IMG_3317.heic" /></a></div><br /><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">With that in mind, I took a bit of time to pause every now and then while we were on holiday to appreciate all the good, small things about our trip. Scrolling through photos when we got home and lamenting being back, I tried to remember how lucky we were to have gone on holiday after everything in the previous year. Given that the effects of the pandemic are still being felt by so many, I'll be trying to keep that gratitude in mind, seeking out and appreciating those small but no less valuable moments of happiness. </span></p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-65379749095361036622021-03-27T06:00:00.002+00:002021-03-27T06:00:04.345+00:00THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS BY ELENE FERRANTE<p> <i>"Lies, lies, adults forbid them, and yet they tell so many."</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>I loved the first three novels in Elena Ferrante's Neopolitan Quartet and I was excited to read another of her novels. The Lying Life of Adults is her most recent book, following teenage Giovanna in Naples. Giovanna recalls the happiness of her childhood and early teenage years, confident in the certainty of the goodness and honourable character of her parents. After a flippant remark from her father that Giovanna is becoming like his sister, Vittoria, in whom he has always said "ugliness and spite were combined to perfection," Ferrante begins to explore the long-lasting effects of these childhood experiences and the beginning of Giovanna's exposure to the flawed reality of adults.</p><p><br /></p><p>Vittoria, with whom Giovanna's father has since cut contact, along with the rest of his family, become symbolic figures of negativity and cruel character, a source of low-level anxiety in her parents home. Vittoria herself grows too into a folkloric figure of evil or malice but despite that Giovanna becomes drawn to her and the desire to understand the unknown. Though it's clear that Vittoria is indeed a difficult and sharp woman, Giovanna cannot help but grow to care for her, often amazed by her confidence and surety, growing herself too as the previous stability of her family begins to change. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr_M8ULw6UVGtZ6dyuW0YUsgQUe9ssCmO74DMzmv6yI_3mY-MRYvIkbdpLPY72r814VsjqNGvVIZJNozTV4BC3KxRUmXBzJxOl04B_PT-YfmTBUlQNKPadyQnRpwqBHVazHQoA0-dSG8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1828" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr_M8ULw6UVGtZ6dyuW0YUsgQUe9ssCmO74DMzmv6yI_3mY-MRYvIkbdpLPY72r814VsjqNGvVIZJNozTV4BC3KxRUmXBzJxOl04B_PT-YfmTBUlQNKPadyQnRpwqBHVazHQoA0-dSG8/w571-h640/2464250C-CEDB-4DD0-9B06-DFC0E9326292.jpg" width="571" /></a></div><p><br /></p>As the book progresses, Giovanna finds herself moving between the two 'worlds' of Naples, the apparent upper class of her well-educated family with their polished Italian, and the dialectal, 'lower' Naples, a place of excess and vulgarity. As Giovanna moves between these two worlds, pulled too between the tempestuous challenges of adolescence, she searches for a solid sense of self and finds her eyes opened to the reality that those we love, who we think of as nearly perfect, can still make foolish choices. <p></p><p><br /></p><p>We see Giovanna grapple with burgeoning desire, with the conflicting vulgarity of the young men around her, and her own changing personality. As she struggles between these states, Ferrante shows us her yearning to find someone or something on whom she can rely, or at least use as the reason to try and improve herself. And yet, even in those figures, she stills witnesses disappointment and uncertainty, her emotions often conflicted. </p><p><br /></p><p>"Oh, if I really could get lost, I thought at one point," she recalls when pulled between feeling out of place, and yet yearning to fit in, "leave myself somewhere, like an umbrella, and never have anything more to do with me." Ferrante shows us the familiar feeling of wanting to assert yourself and yet also wishing you could rely on someone else to tell you who to be or how to act. </p><p><br /></p><p>Like the in Neopolitan Quartet novels, Ferrante vividly explores the depths of Giovanna's vacillating feelings but toward the end of the novel, I started to lose the drive of the novel. I know it's hard to compare it to a series of books, because TNQ spans decades and so inevitably, Ferrante can write about so many things and create many characters who feel so vibrant and real, but for me, The Lying Life of Adults, never quite swelled into the writing I expected. I loved all the initial discussions of family, of the changes in perspective in childhood and adolescence, and those things that distort our understanding, awakening us to the reality that all people are flawed, and it was interesting to watch Giovanna herself be pulled into situations that mirror the struggle of the adults around her. But as it book went on, it lost momentum for me, catapulting toward an end that felt odd and out of place. </p><p><br /><br /></p><p>I could see where Giovanna's drive came from, perhaps deciding that if there are indeed so many disappointing people and so many bad things in the world, that at least taking control of how those things happen to you is some kind of victory but personally, I didn't like it. Maybe if Ferrante offered a follow-up novel to continue Giovanna's journey, it might feel more satisfying but I couldn't help but feel uncertainty at the ending. Giovanna states, as she and a friend plan to travel, that they will be adults "as no one had ever been before", riding high on her certainty of new control, but you can't help but wonder whether she might also fall into the same mistakes and regrets as the adults around her. </p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-63456350547868348202021-03-11T06:00:00.001+00:002021-03-11T06:00:02.518+00:00THE CONFESSION BY JESSIE BURTON<p style="text-align: center;"><i> "She was on the hunt for herself, although she was the one who had provided the map. She would wander the paper forest of her own limbs, waiting for the moment of finding the person who had truly captured her. No one had yet succeeded, the treasure remained buried."</i></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8u96C4srat32eRw8RvX9EESpYR8bHGMSFoyysnqAV-jelOYLDgufoAfZsUmFjGyt5dHavBSavSrtR0W1v3nt0Qz0sHarLLshk1cbXqDLkN6sbj8HV9CCII3O-F01av-rSB0HBr0r4wO0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1188" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8u96C4srat32eRw8RvX9EESpYR8bHGMSFoyysnqAV-jelOYLDgufoAfZsUmFjGyt5dHavBSavSrtR0W1v3nt0Qz0sHarLLshk1cbXqDLkN6sbj8HV9CCII3O-F01av-rSB0HBr0r4wO0/w371-h400/thumbnail_F8E87E47-1567-4C68-B871-15DE2578D48A.jpg" width="371" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The Confession follows Elise, young and uncertain, after she meets Connie Holden, an enigmatic writer who embodies all the things Elise wishes she could be. Elise is pulled into the gravity of Connie's confidence and talent, and the magnetic aura of her life. After following her from 1980s London to dazzling LA, where everyone seems to be chasing a dream, Elise begins to struggle as Connie thrives in their new star-studded world. As Elise continues to flounder and the sunshine of LA turns sour, she makes a drastic decision that changes everything. 34 years later Rose Simmons is searching for answers about the mother who abandoned her as a baby. When she learns that Connie, now a notorious recluse, was the last person to see her, Rose stumbles on a stroke of luck and finds herself at the elusive writer's door. Desperate to discover what happened to her mother, she begins her search for the truth. </p><p><br /></p><p>I loved The Confession; Burton deftly maintains a sense of intrigue from very early on in the novel but the novel goes beyond just the mystery of Elise's past. It explores closely the confusion of trying to understand yourself, something that plagues both Elise and Rose. Though Elise is drawn to Connie for the very fact that she seems so confident and self-assured, it becomes clear that Elise is still living in someone else's shadow, watching Connie's life rather than living it truly herself. </p><p><br /></p><p>Rose, despite not knowing Elise, harbours so many of the same emotions, tracing parallels between mother and daughter throughout the novel. As she embarks on her attempts to discover the truth, Burton shows us another woman wanting to be something more, feeling the same magnetism of Connie's personality. It's these webs between past and future that pull the novel together so satisfyingly, as Burton moves between the 80s and Rose's present day. We as the reader know a little more each time than Rose does but we're both still waiting for the rest of the past to be unravelled. Burton explores motherhood not just in the absence Rose has experienced, but through the lenses of agency, loss, and fear. And these emotions flourish out as the novel progresses, as we see Burton's characters searching for their own agency, for ways to navigate their losses, and the courage to face their fears and confusions. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Confession manoeuvres through so many facets; exploring intimate relationships, family dynamics and the lies that we tell to try and maintain some sense of control, all through the vividly real women Burton creates. While the mystery of Elise's past is maintained throughout, I felt equally as compelled by Rose's own progression, and her desire for self-discovery that so often tallied with that of her mother. The Confession is a book that covers so many ideas without losing its page-turning promise of mystery. Captivating and emotional, it was a fantastic read. </p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-28523809902046658772021-01-18T08:42:00.002+00:002021-01-18T08:42:36.930+00:00WINTER SKINCARE pt2<p>Winter weather brings with it a whole host of new effects on our skin and so I'm back again with some of my favourite products to keep your skin happy! </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xPnX7X65GpW69OM7A9SiQwkV8KUwZ3htzbHdcHZPXditSZtgXbJyX6LcMcJAvR7F77bWQoGjEcvicAQDt15LXK1AHZopx6onxe_y7I-Fe4-hZ5102S0Ac1m7ncHj41Rbu86VO6xUH8k/s2048/DDFD4FA2-F4C6-47B4-B4ED-8C46DC558689.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1715" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xPnX7X65GpW69OM7A9SiQwkV8KUwZ3htzbHdcHZPXditSZtgXbJyX6LcMcJAvR7F77bWQoGjEcvicAQDt15LXK1AHZopx6onxe_y7I-Fe4-hZ5102S0Ac1m7ncHj41Rbu86VO6xUH8k/w536-h640/DDFD4FA2-F4C6-47B4-B4ED-8C46DC558689.JPG" width="536" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel</i></p><p><i> </i>I've mentioned this cleanser so many times before but it really is my tried and tested favourite. It's gentle, effective, and never leaves my skin feeling tight or dry - ideal all year round bt especially in weather that can leaver skin drier than usual. . It's one of the Dermalogica 'hero' products and I can definitely see why. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCprNFDrcpxYUNc3H9fLgO6cAy6jSJLeQxDpEO4EOTFYUSwGVVkcy35elZGx-UhyIAjx0D2GyQRKvk2U7amX6b01Kn93Lt_T2oqzrQWXw-mcW4lNVvGn8ytt_xHMiiM2bHZNjjfciCYMA/s2048/F7A30ABA-A727-4579-B978-F5A7DB67EB4B.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1734" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCprNFDrcpxYUNc3H9fLgO6cAy6jSJLeQxDpEO4EOTFYUSwGVVkcy35elZGx-UhyIAjx0D2GyQRKvk2U7amX6b01Kn93Lt_T2oqzrQWXw-mcW4lNVvGn8ytt_xHMiiM2bHZNjjfciCYMA/w542-h640/F7A30ABA-A727-4579-B978-F5A7DB67EB4B.JPG" width="542" /></a><i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Dermalogica Redness Relief Essence</i></div><p>I'd been using this product on and off for a while but recently I've started using it a lot more regularly and it's working wonders. It's a soothing formula that helps reduce redness and, crucially in winter, strengthens the skins moisture barrier. </p><p> </p><p><i>Lumene Purity Dew Drops Hydrating Eye Gel </i></p><p>I'd been looking for an eye gel for a while and this Lumene one is an afforable and effective choice. The gel consistency means it's soothing and refreshing on the skin (especially on early mornings!) while still being hydrating. I love using this one in the mornings and then switcher to a slightly thicker one before bed. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0b-g_mexHl5AhrIRHLk0aYQy-5mm98YQViRGgEJ_NSy_Z2qpLH6WtCr3hcPefmt6rQJxMvJRqn-0xEuUmc8zdhpRQ3V_uFwsIJhp8XfrGV-wY6a1A7JnNOZZRAWZejsi8lo9E7gU-les/s2048/FFBFF144-D369-4281-99C0-5D2528669E2D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0b-g_mexHl5AhrIRHLk0aYQy-5mm98YQViRGgEJ_NSy_Z2qpLH6WtCr3hcPefmt6rQJxMvJRqn-0xEuUmc8zdhpRQ3V_uFwsIJhp8XfrGV-wY6a1A7JnNOZZRAWZejsi8lo9E7gU-les/w480-h640/FFBFF144-D369-4281-99C0-5D2528669E2D.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p><i> </i></p><p><i>Bare Minerals Skin Longevity Night Cream</i></p><p>This is an intensive overnight moisturiser designed to recharge the skin overnight with added hyaluronic acid, and Bare Minerals Long Life herb. What I love about this cream is that despite offering such rich moiusturisation it's still a fairly lightweight gel texture so it doens't feel heavy or greasy on your face. </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaI8ZN00tobLafouZlgX43DXyYovVyUs3fdmAUmcWZhBTXmOhCjlj4axOqC6RIq53hNaEyy8CwcDZh115xdnuoLNdny3n8X34j3xk5lRs9Ej6zFg1VQIfZPWgdPHoiRC_RIUSo1MZiD8/s2048/CE2915BA-2381-4253-BCE5-83F28ED83DFF.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaI8ZN00tobLafouZlgX43DXyYovVyUs3fdmAUmcWZhBTXmOhCjlj4axOqC6RIq53hNaEyy8CwcDZh115xdnuoLNdny3n8X34j3xk5lRs9Ej6zFg1VQIfZPWgdPHoiRC_RIUSo1MZiD8/w480-h640/CE2915BA-2381-4253-BCE5-83F28ED83DFF.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /> <i>Pai Rosehip Biogenerate Oil</i></p><p>I've always been a bit scared of using oils because my skin has a tendency to get a little oily on its own but I'd heard so many good things about Pai that I took the plunge and tried it. It's a very rich oil that offers a whole host of benefits including tackling dryness, dullness, blemishes and fine lines. You only need to use a tiny bit each time and so far I've really been loving it. It feels like an extra luxurious step in your routine that doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy.</p><p><i> </i></p><p><i> </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyp8yKAEpRdMCMv06o7Z_9JlrJ1tqh_CyKokUmU3wX7zuFxFgA_DTj8qu47rhu2ljlojgHShgh1fN9lF-3TkL5RPczsn9aG9UdWlmqGHLuNQJ4soJpo45Wg8fFQK7l2v-jXIeMjxai2s/s2048/4A37E54D-F515-499A-AD04-7BEBAEFFF8CC.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyp8yKAEpRdMCMv06o7Z_9JlrJ1tqh_CyKokUmU3wX7zuFxFgA_DTj8qu47rhu2ljlojgHShgh1fN9lF-3TkL5RPczsn9aG9UdWlmqGHLuNQJ4soJpo45Wg8fFQK7l2v-jXIeMjxai2s/w480-h640/4A37E54D-F515-499A-AD04-7BEBAEFFF8CC.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Let me know your favourite products in the comments! </p><br />Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-66394314602322491472021-01-08T06:00:00.001+00:002021-01-08T06:00:12.655+00:00THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB BY RICHARD OSMAN<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Thursday Murder Club was exactly the kind of read I was looking for after a month full of so many ups and downs. I wanted something engaging and not too challenging to get through, and although a murder mystery novel might not be the book that immediately springs to mind this one hit the spot. Despite a slightly darker theme, Osman creates a lighthearted humour alongside a cast of distinct and interesting characters. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24fOwRkK16WGoZQRlKX_HdKCvw0-EUAySXmOGQwt_qnP_pGt7nFg0UiScxDi9yOp9QJ_VdATPv95AdSa82Q-F7TFjoFPZOiOg3ll89R9sX6pLQVGztcioafPWw921ulK8kKDODEzwua4/s2048/C3B3C209-BD55-46B7-A688-2CE048B32A1F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24fOwRkK16WGoZQRlKX_HdKCvw0-EUAySXmOGQwt_qnP_pGt7nFg0UiScxDi9yOp9QJ_VdATPv95AdSa82Q-F7TFjoFPZOiOg3ll89R9sX6pLQVGztcioafPWw921ulK8kKDODEzwua4/w480-h640/C3B3C209-BD55-46B7-A688-2CE048B32A1F.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Thursday Murder Club follows a group of four retirees living in a plush retirement complex. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron meet every week for their eponymous club to explore and discuss cold cases in the appropriately named Jigsaw Room. When a shocking murder occurs close to home, the gang decides to put their skills to the test and see if they can solve the case. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As the novel progresses Osman gets us ever more invested in each of the characters own personal stories and loved as well as the ongoing murder mystery that they’re investigating. Written through the varying perspectives of the characters and through the diary entries of newest club member, the endearing Joyce, Osman dips expertly in and out of each character’s mind. Interspersing the investigations with his characters personal stories and revelations, it’s a novel that dives into a plethora of emotional experiences with a deft hand. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Packed full of twists as every good whodunnit should be, The Thursday Murder Club retains its suspense and uncertainty to the very end. It kept me guessing and I sped through it, eager to discover more. Challenging the reader's expectations and continually pulling the rug from under our feet, it was a great read. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I loved each member of Osman’s investigative quartet and I can’t wait to read the follow up when it’s released later this year! </span></p><p style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-57634393622942983662020-12-23T19:20:00.001+00:002020-12-23T19:20:26.085+00:00A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHRISTMAS<p> What a year it's been. It's a hard one to write about really, so different to any year we've had before that it's difficult to sum it up in any accurate way.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlrM7b57xWlMYZiDuseDDCxV7tPEP0thOTOOIBnlm0Uj1qowzWbSBk5J0jW3qGuWgB_EoJ0AYjsYLlfxsKbs8LS68uQzsoIVkeyiacs-yI2LfdM0enFGb7BrG6H-FKbSbKi9RJhsPdrs/s2048/E0CC0387-922E-47C3-88E1-689EEFBE079F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlrM7b57xWlMYZiDuseDDCxV7tPEP0thOTOOIBnlm0Uj1qowzWbSBk5J0jW3qGuWgB_EoJ0AYjsYLlfxsKbs8LS68uQzsoIVkeyiacs-yI2LfdM0enFGb7BrG6H-FKbSbKi9RJhsPdrs/w480-h640/E0CC0387-922E-47C3-88E1-689EEFBE079F.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I know I expected a lot of things to go differently this year. There were a lot of things I imagined doing or achieving this year and very few of those that have actually come to fruition. I'm disappointed by this year, as I imagine most people are, and the reality that transpired in place of the imagined. It's natural to feel that disappointment but it's also very easy to slip too deeply into that regret at the detriment of everything else. I know that despite my disappointments I've also been lucky too and know many people who have had a much more difficult time and so I ruminated over this post for a while, unsure what to write that didn't sound trite or insincere.</p><p><br /></p><p>So, in the end, all I could really think of was something short but candid. Though this isn't the way we wanted the year to end, we've still made it through the year. I'm sure that soon a whole host of "what I've achieved this year" sorts of posts will rear their heads and of course, it's fantastic to celebrate those achievements but it's also equally true that even if all you feel you've done this year is just get through, that's a triumph as well. </p><p><br /></p><p>The physical, emotional, and mental stress of the year and the new, unnerving states we've had to adjust to are challenges that none of us could have anticipated. And none of us has really had experience in something like this before to prepare us for it either so we've all been learning a lot of new habits. If it helps, maybe you can think of a few things that you've done that you're proud of, no matter how small. Helped out your family or neighbours? Did your best to keep your friends smiling? Kept practising a skill or hobby you enjoy?</p><p><br /></p><p>But if you can't think of anything specific then know that getting through all these new things that we've had to face and doing our best throughout is good enough. If you don't feel brilliant today, that's okay. If you don't feel as you normally do over Christmas, that's okay too. Day by day is the way to do it and it's the way we get through it too. </p><p><br /></p><p>This Christmas is going to be different, that's for sure, and perhaps one of the best things to do is drop the expectations of it. Let it be a day for the family and friends we're able to safely see without needing it to be exactly like the Christmases we're used to having. Just let it be. I hope everyone is able to find some joy and some relaxation; that much we definitely deserve.</p><p><br /></p><p>I wish you all a merry Christmas & a happy and hopeful New Year. </p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-43176230994025950432020-11-30T07:00:00.001+00:002020-11-30T07:00:01.363+00:00THE WEATHER BY JENNY OFFILL<p>Lizzie works as a librarian, a role she's not particularly experienced for but got through the help of her friend and past academic mentor, Sylvia. In this role, she also practices what she calls her other calling; unofficial shrink to family and friends. When Sylvia, now the host of successful podcast 'Hell and High Water' offers Lizzie the position of answering the emails the podcasts receive, Lizzie agrees. The emails are usually from those who are lonely or depressed, Sylvia warns, though increasingly they're focusing on religion, climate change and the 'end of days', and they spark a new existential thought pattern in Lizzie's everyday life. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEijKkLkxPz_llPf-bsG5SfjUcHXQ12gDQ8QPikX_BS1d6k0dEE43F0LHQxEE5L-vvNXrvQWuxgOU72R7VrcNGdWv9wIgiGn2dwbBYJOPGk6vXdtQqALlU4XpmYFGllnsqIliyS1Ftfg/s2048/8393F040-AC5C-464B-8E39-994B80BCEE42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1821" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEijKkLkxPz_llPf-bsG5SfjUcHXQ12gDQ8QPikX_BS1d6k0dEE43F0LHQxEE5L-vvNXrvQWuxgOU72R7VrcNGdWv9wIgiGn2dwbBYJOPGk6vXdtQqALlU4XpmYFGllnsqIliyS1Ftfg/w570-h640/8393F040-AC5C-464B-8E39-994B80BCEE42.JPG" width="570" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Offill's novel isn't long, written in short spurts of thoughts and moments, but each one of these dips insightfully into the emotion of someone Lizzie meets. Set just after the election of Donald Trump, and following the rise of climate fears and social uncertainty, Lizzie is settled as a reader of the people around her. "I keep wondering how we might channel all these dread into action," she thinks. With her husband Ben, son Eli, and her brother Henry (a recovering addict who relies on her as advisor and confidant), Lizzie expends a lot of energy in trying to understand and help those around her. "Last time Henry was drowning," she recalls, "I dove in right after him."</p><p><br /></p><p>She's far from perfect herself though, as she openly admits. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't seem to stop making bad decisions. The weird thing is they don't sneak up on me. I see them coming all the way down the pike." Offill writes an incredibly relatable character, open, honest, and experiencing as much uncertainty and doubt as everyone else. "I'm like a woman carrying a full cup into a room of strangers," she thinks, "trying not to spill it." I found myself wanting to fold down the corner of so many pages to remember each insightful, candid thought.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Weather was a different kind of read for me because it doesn't follow my typical expectations of a firm plotline, instead weaving the passing of time through those short moments, but by the end, I felt that I'd learned a lot about Lizzie and followed a very key part of her life. I found myself emphasising with her and with her desire for the people around her to be happy or find some sense of resolution. That idea of resolution felt key because, although Offill doesn't give us a clearcut resolution by the novel's end, that's sort of the point. There is no final resolution in our lives but what becomes more important is realising that we aren't alone in our fears either. </p><p><br /></p><p>"The core delusion is that I am here and you are there," Lizzie thinks at the novel's end. For me, that sums up one of The Weather's crucial messages; everyone has their anxieties and dysfunctions and although we often feel like these are the things distinguishing and separating us from others, they're actually the very things that could unite us. Lizzie exemplifies this for the reader; she's often overwhelmed by her own interior thoughts but she sees them in everyone else too. Though we often want to retreat from our fears, emotional and worldly, like the climate disaster referenced in The Weather, buryings to our problems might feel comforting but it's not going to help and it certainly won't stop things from happening. We can't always cope with this wider, existential fear and we often struggle to even process the negative things that happen or could happen to us, especially when we ourselves have caused them. Our fears are inescapable in that sense but despite that, the novel doesn't feel hopeless. While it's clear that addressing our problems cannot be done without experiencing some pain, what Offill makes clear is that we have to keep on muddling through them and in doing that, try to our best to see the good in the people and the world around us. </p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-78842558645284060242020-11-15T10:18:00.002+00:002020-11-15T10:18:50.387+00:00BLUE TICKET BY SOPHIE MACKINTOSH<p>On the day of a woman's first period, she must report to the station where she will learn what kind of woman she will become. A white ticket grants you children. A blue ticket grants you freedom. Calla knows how it works, and she knows what her blue ticket means but what if the life that has been granted to her is the wrong one? </p><p> I loved Sophie Mackintosh's first novel, The Water Cure so I didn't think before picking up this one and it didn't disappoint.<br /></p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_wiFSdG1kz9n35XCzju1HQZQNhMnTRdDHEMS7a5M71-EfMwGACirA6Xj8ul86b1rmjEs8WAMhu1NO6UZCguqKCwtnsDUugPfMTw30ajusd7QB39tVv8WObXh1brnkYIMtvmaRDPEwDo/s2048/IMG_1952.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_wiFSdG1kz9n35XCzju1HQZQNhMnTRdDHEMS7a5M71-EfMwGACirA6Xj8ul86b1rmjEs8WAMhu1NO6UZCguqKCwtnsDUugPfMTw30ajusd7QB39tVv8WObXh1brnkYIMtvmaRDPEwDo/w480-h640/IMG_1952.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p><br />"You have been spared," says a ticket official, "with a terrible benevolence," as Calla and the other blue tickets begin their challenging journey to a new city to begin their new, liberated life. "You are a relieved of the terrible burden of choice," they are told, free to give themselves fully to the life awaiting them but what does it mean to be a free woman? What does it mean to be a mother? And what, in Calla's world, do our choices really count for? "Ever since I was twelve years old [...] I knew the shape of my life before I even understood what it meant," says one woman. <br /><br />Sophie Mackintosh frames the ever-relevant issues of bodily autonomy, womanhood, motherhood, and sisterhood within an eerie dystopia. Asking us what it means to want motherhood, she questions how this defines women, how it changes us. Reminded that she may do whatever she wants with her life (almost), a blue ticket woman like Calla is told to celebrate her freedom, but, as Mackintosh ushers us into this new society, it's clear that there's no such thing as true freedom for a woman. With emissaries, assigned doctors who become blended authority figures, and the ingrained and ever-present patriarchal views of the other woman Mackintosh accurately pinpoints the many deeply rooted aspects of control in the women's lives. Is free will really free if we are bound beneath wider expectations? How do we know whether we do things because we want to or because we are encouraged to? <br /><br />When Calla, questioning the life she has been given, is forced to go on the run she must reckon with the qualities she has been told she has and those she has been taught she lacks. Blue Ticket doesn't shy away from these questions, diving into them through Calla's tangled thought processes as she facies the emotional and animal facets of the female experience and attempts to unravel her own desires and decisions. <br /><br />The novel explores the ways Calla's society not only issues outward control but also pits women against one another, mirroring the ways women are often taught to view each other as competition, harbouring these internalised views. We see both how the tickets can unite the woman in their created sisterhoods while also tearing them apart from one another. Calla speaks of the over-powering jealousy and sudden rushes of anger she has towards other women, often white tickets, rather than at the system that controls them. She shows us too, the societal consensus of a woman 'betraying' expectations through the reactions of other blue tickets. Mackintosh asks us whether we can ever truly stand together and trust our choices in a framework designed to pull people apart.<br /><br />Sparse in detail and yet so precise in the women's experiences and Calla's emotions, Blue Ticket is challenging and evocative. Seemingly so disparate from our society and yet with so many recognisable aspects, often disturbingly uncanny, Mackintosh's novel is a challenging and haunting read. <br /></p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-8257870173846537632020-10-25T12:52:00.004+00:002020-10-25T12:52:43.146+00:00AUTUMN FAVOURITES<p>It's been a while since I shared a good old fashioned favourites post but I'm back again with five new lovely products to share.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Studio Fara - Patch Studs </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GTDXFjpL4AMMcWwtKPMv4unTFQ064dvZcdGAcl6SA9_sFMFQ0BO5plYh2pxdmfNG9ErCPejzrZM4TcBZqlRnNl2lMAMIJgq63tx4AkbncQerfeIm83seCbjOE0doYdZFZWj7pjzYwx0/s2048/D059F648-0497-4D00-B826-1B2B483A2352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GTDXFjpL4AMMcWwtKPMv4unTFQ064dvZcdGAcl6SA9_sFMFQ0BO5plYh2pxdmfNG9ErCPejzrZM4TcBZqlRnNl2lMAMIJgq63tx4AkbncQerfeIm83seCbjOE0doYdZFZWj7pjzYwx0/w480-h640/D059F648-0497-4D00-B826-1B2B483A2352.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Studio Fara is one of my favourite independent brands, handcrafting gorgeous polymer clay earrings in a beautiful array of unique designs. Although I love statement earrings, I really hate wearing any kind of weighty piercing but the designs by Studio Fara are amazingly light-weight, to the point that you barely even know you're wearing them. I've already got two pairs (which you might've seen on my Instagram a few times) but I couldn't resist this gorgeous neutral stud set.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLnECWesLtuGBNpX79tOgN9G5d1V5XAXfgCqreiRcutfjrt4HRB-UlY64wdczjBoUzjVx1EcrpvwmVbtJJU3CRjdSYcSoiETdStnleD-DbxwwvH3IhPDtygisWXhENQzAmsCcuH_C2Us/s2048/293AF7F0-6FEA-4443-B1A1-2455BBF210E8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLnECWesLtuGBNpX79tOgN9G5d1V5XAXfgCqreiRcutfjrt4HRB-UlY64wdczjBoUzjVx1EcrpvwmVbtJJU3CRjdSYcSoiETdStnleD-DbxwwvH3IhPDtygisWXhENQzAmsCcuH_C2Us/w480-h640/293AF7F0-6FEA-4443-B1A1-2455BBF210E8.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>You can find Studio Fara on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/studiofara_/">Instagram</a> and on her <a href="https://www.studiofara.co.uk/shop">online store</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Superfacialist Retinol+ Anti-Aging Night Cream</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzW03DFFzxPLjoJ1qYZ-3fV5oCZl078KURk3ytFZsRshtFTYZqTFrzct1FjyHHSpc7akpv5nTzusWmJftQpnnlvFKNbu5JZVUPr2uoP9F6h1FrzdWE9LwqoOY4q6ZK3wHIOxBV0nCFzaI/s2048/898F33EE-1FD3-4BB8-BEAE-3399F9D3495A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1808" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzW03DFFzxPLjoJ1qYZ-3fV5oCZl078KURk3ytFZsRshtFTYZqTFrzct1FjyHHSpc7akpv5nTzusWmJftQpnnlvFKNbu5JZVUPr2uoP9F6h1FrzdWE9LwqoOY4q6ZK3wHIOxBV0nCFzaI/w564-h640/898F33EE-1FD3-4BB8-BEAE-3399F9D3495A.JPG" width="564" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;">You may already know that I'm slightly obsessed with skincare and one great product I've been using recently is this retinol night cream by Superfacialist. I've wanted to try using retinol for a while now but I didn't want to start applying it directly as it can be pretty strong so a night cream that I could use a few times a week seemed like the best place to start. I actually bought this cream a while ago but wanted to use it for a month or so before I shared any thoughts and I'm really impressed with it. It's a fairly rich formula so you only need a little each time and it's incredibly moisturising, leaving my skin feeling soft, smooth and plump. </div></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Dermalogica Hydro Masque Exfoliant </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5C_I7DJb6Joc4Ndyrm4QZGJLDnVYaNAatrkqx1zTDgdPuwdx_7DXKUbgSJVbmBejn6-_EMQ84RONWeebC3OdvGk5FznSfteYzUXOBzAekPWrJKaXCau0f2f61uVsWZA6qGwLu7NqEOY/s2048/F171BAB2-1888-42FD-A365-CAED351864A4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1652" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5C_I7DJb6Joc4Ndyrm4QZGJLDnVYaNAatrkqx1zTDgdPuwdx_7DXKUbgSJVbmBejn6-_EMQ84RONWeebC3OdvGk5FznSfteYzUXOBzAekPWrJKaXCau0f2f61uVsWZA6qGwLu7NqEOY/w516-h640/F171BAB2-1888-42FD-A365-CAED351864A4.JPG" width="516" /></a></div><p><i><br /></i></p><p>This is a quick, five minute mask that I love because it's exfoliating without being irritating or drying while also hydrating the skin too. The mask contains exfoliating bamboo, packed with little exfoliaiting spheres that you massage in and satisfyingly 'burst', and hydrating Snow Mushroom, which holds 450x its weight in water. This mask always leaves my skin feeling wonderfully cleansed and refreshed, with added cucumber to soothe the skin after use. </p><p>(<i>This was a gifted product)</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Funky Nut Natural Nut Butters</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0xyzHvlEQpgrSClVwPL6iY3zJnkSKEU4hk7IYjuDlNjL1ois4mptFJj6gfKb6E6FIeUl57A89DHTTKwd7vkK2uwIgKazACtLU2kIb5ksRiLTspqJK7ou2pUyiIwJrO1YKV7OzLjFdAI/s2048/EA9D4119-2B54-45A4-B53D-E189DD67B4A1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0xyzHvlEQpgrSClVwPL6iY3zJnkSKEU4hk7IYjuDlNjL1ois4mptFJj6gfKb6E6FIeUl57A89DHTTKwd7vkK2uwIgKazACtLU2kIb5ksRiLTspqJK7ou2pUyiIwJrO1YKV7OzLjFdAI/w480-h640/EA9D4119-2B54-45A4-B53D-E189DD67B4A1.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i><p></p><p>I love peanut butter and I also love finding indepent businesses to support and Funky Nut is a brilliant one. Their nut butters are amazing; the classic crunchy peanut butter is easily one of new my favourites and they have some other mouth-watering blends like my (now nearly empty) honey & sea salt peanut butter and milk chocolate pots. I'll definitely be restocking again soon!</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Grind Coffee London - Compostable Nespresso Pods</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdKFrVhBumlzUA72VTX9kVh1P-4ygMh5bYYFRKUzRlPGgfYs6XWnHstxOOSnVbe9xw00uq3JV6QwcUVPRnzoErLs7846fq_-2jAbB0qsJvouxiIZ9LiJV_nQtmawdYycu1J2op_vVO4k/s2048/CF284E46-4331-4A98-8204-F8182E12ACB6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdKFrVhBumlzUA72VTX9kVh1P-4ygMh5bYYFRKUzRlPGgfYs6XWnHstxOOSnVbe9xw00uq3JV6QwcUVPRnzoErLs7846fq_-2jAbB0qsJvouxiIZ9LiJV_nQtmawdYycu1J2op_vVO4k/w480-h640/CF284E46-4331-4A98-8204-F8182E12ACB6.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i><p></p><p>We have Nespresso machine which I love but I'm also always on the lookout for ethical and sustainable coffee brands to support. Grind Coffee make delicious, Nespresso compatible coffee pods that are 100% plastic free, compostable, and ethically and organically sourced. You can order a cute little tin (containing 20 pods) to keep them in and from then on order or susbsribe to plastic-free refills that come straight through your letterbox. Easy as pie and just as tasty. </p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-50512907436047044512020-09-28T06:00:00.001+01:002020-09-28T06:00:06.285+01:00GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER BY BERNADINE EVARISTO<p>Bernadine Evaristo's novel was the winner of the 2019 Man Booker Prize and after reading it, it's not hard to see why. It's hard to do justice to it in a review so I'll keep it short and encourage you to get your hands on a copy so you can read it yourself! </p><p> </p><p>Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives of 12 different Black British women and traces the story of their lives, their families, and their experiences. Evaristo dedicates each character their own chapter, exploring multigenerational experiences, but each chapter often overlaps with another as we see both the great differences between these women and their experiences and the many ways in which they are interconnected. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHR16UEDXaaFpk1QP-h-Ak4wka7xy5GCzPZiQbajLiqQdckiW_3F54IV3rr4blS-2HRsvpobXYY0PaYZzz-gPfcUM1eA8GZnM0bxvZqr-Zk1S60FnsR2AfDXbFCs8VKigb2Nyoww8mww/s2048/IMG_1556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1535" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHR16UEDXaaFpk1QP-h-Ak4wka7xy5GCzPZiQbajLiqQdckiW_3F54IV3rr4blS-2HRsvpobXYY0PaYZzz-gPfcUM1eA8GZnM0bxvZqr-Zk1S60FnsR2AfDXbFCs8VKigb2Nyoww8mww/s16000/IMG_1556.JPG" /></a></div><p> </p><p>We meet Amma, a playwright who has finally made it big and wonders what it is to 'sell-out' while staying true to your roots, we meet her daughter Yazz who shows us the generation of young, feminist, politically aware kids growing up in an incredibly changing society. We see sharp and insightful culture commentaries from both women and yet also discussions of relationships, friendships, sexuality and desire. We dive into both healthy and unhealthy relationships with Dominique, what it means to be a Black woman, how to define yourself in as a lesbian in a patriarchal society, how to find real love. We trace the search for success with Carole, the desire to make a difference with Shirley, the desire to understand ourselves with Morgan, and more. </p><p><br /></p><p>Evaristo shows us women searching for a way to define and strengthen themselves, she searches into the women's pasts as they consider their heritage and history, the things many of these women have sacrificed or lost. She doesn't shy away from the harsh truths of their lives, discussing racial abuse, emotional manipulation, disappointed hopes, but she also opens important discussions about sexuality, gender identity, family, and motherhood, modern-day feminism and womanhood.</p><p> </p><p>Though connected, each of these storylines stands brilliantly on its own, a testament to Evaristo's skill, and despite the many struggles and painful moments she experiences, Evaristo's novel also resists bleakness or hopelessness, always offering up her characters' capacity for empathy, forgiveness, or growth. More than just exploring struggles, the novel explores, love, self-discovery, and happiness too. She channels the reader through the lives and histories of these twelve women so absorbingly that it's easy to become lost in their lives and yet expertly weaves them back together again. Girl, Woman, Other is an amazing read; challenging, incisive, modern and yet with so much history too. Evaristo shows us a snippet of what it is to be a Black woman in England, to be Black, to be a woman, to live and search for happiness and purpose, and to keep searching for that throughout the many highs and lows. <br /></p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-37151311309998322072020-08-18T06:00:00.004+01:002020-08-18T06:00:01.067+01:00SKINCARE FOR MASKNE<p>You've probably seen this term bouncing around on social media for the last few weeks and it's not about to go away any time soon. Though it's really important that we're all wearing our masks to protect ourselves and those around us, there's a new side effect that's proving a little pesky. If you don't know what I'm talking about,<i> 'maskne' </i>is a new term being used to describe the acne and/or breakouts that are caused by wearing a face mask. These breakouts are likely triggered by the friction and pressure on your caused by masks as well as by the increased heat and humidity from wearing them. </p><p>As someone who wears a mask all day at work, I was hoping I might be magically immune to the effects of maskne but sadly not. Over the last few weeks, I've noticed several more blemishes appearing than I'd like, so I'm gathering together my favourite skincare products to combat breakouts.</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGATqFZRmAlWkGgHSJNMZuwk3gpf-33w43RPzZGJr991YsDM0rWrDraR_eHeZ6ncXxO5esZf8g1i3726UQgDKoEZlFnYwOCM_9wQD8BLKVpxJuSmoT66MeMxSy8HYh9HmZNKeh36PY2ns/s2048/6FF01D6A-C29D-487F-ADA2-22C114EAD4F2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGATqFZRmAlWkGgHSJNMZuwk3gpf-33w43RPzZGJr991YsDM0rWrDraR_eHeZ6ncXxO5esZf8g1i3726UQgDKoEZlFnYwOCM_9wQD8BLKVpxJuSmoT66MeMxSy8HYh9HmZNKeh36PY2ns/d/6FF01D6A-C29D-487F-ADA2-22C114EAD4F2.JPG" /></a></div> <p></p><p><u><i>DERMALOGICA ACTIVE CLAY CLEANSER </i></u>- I actually talked about this product in a post a little while ago (find that one <a href="https://siftingfortreasures.blogspot.com/2020/05/april-skincare-favourites.html">here</a>) and it's been one of my favourite cleansers for breakouts. With clay and charcoal to cleanse your skin and combat excess oils, it's still a gentle product that won't exacerbate your breakouts. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_Hq2cgCYcIcbJM0ChPF0vWstfWSg8AyLC6vE7vvghWzj4L_k1YWVhyL-gjWyasvbjrYnbVP2PdCS9VtPwNBd88cuAVRnkKV5veNA3EQkFlhpQPRA1DUhC7Dju1TOF3luspOLNVxBxlk/s2048/E085CB27-41EE-45A6-B37E-8C70C1EAF0DA.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_Hq2cgCYcIcbJM0ChPF0vWstfWSg8AyLC6vE7vvghWzj4L_k1YWVhyL-gjWyasvbjrYnbVP2PdCS9VtPwNBd88cuAVRnkKV5veNA3EQkFlhpQPRA1DUhC7Dju1TOF3luspOLNVxBxlk/d/E085CB27-41EE-45A6-B37E-8C70C1EAF0DA.JPG" /></a></div> <br /><p></p><p><i><u>SUPERFACIALIST SALICYLIC ACID ANTI BLEMISH FACIAL SCRUB </u></i>- This is one of my favourite exfoliators and another one I've shared on <a href="https://siftingfortreasures.blogspot.com/2020/05/april-skincare-favourites.html">here</a> before but I love it so much I want to share it again. I think finding good facial scrubs can be tricky because you don't want it so harsh that it just ends up doing more damage than good but there are also a lot of scrubs that don't really feel like they're doing anything at all. The Superfacialist scrub is fairly coarse so it's not one to overuse but it's worked wonders on my skin and this is my second tube of it now so it's one of my trusted go-to products. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdnRZYD4s3NgEsnYAjvoUvjM4Sk99VFSWD56mejJgeiy9GT-_ollvfOuoqQ3TS_Qp9olDoF1ZgisFeSWfqJqm0PMTWShYYN_7HHJS0kkk2Hq14cKOrZ37TKmANunLlPHOjGaWZxQVImI/s2048/C02E6209-90FD-4EA0-B15C-3A18793B4592.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdnRZYD4s3NgEsnYAjvoUvjM4Sk99VFSWD56mejJgeiy9GT-_ollvfOuoqQ3TS_Qp9olDoF1ZgisFeSWfqJqm0PMTWShYYN_7HHJS0kkk2Hq14cKOrZ37TKmANunLlPHOjGaWZxQVImI/d/C02E6209-90FD-4EA0-B15C-3A18793B4592.JPG" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>At its heart, maskne is caused by friction and irritation so I've been trying not to go too crazy with scrubs to avoid just making it worse. Gentle is usually best and though it's tempting to scrub like crazy at blemishes every night, in the long run, it just makes things much worse so I've only been using this scrub every two or three days to avoid any additional irritation.</p><p> </p><p><i><u>ORIGINS CLEAR IMPROVEMENT MASK </u></i>- this is another great active charcoal product. The friction from wearing a mask can contribute towards blocked and clogged pores and so this face mask is a great one for drawing out those blockages. Clay masks, in general, tend to dry quite quickly and you don't want to leave them on to the point that they're making your skin feel dry and tight so I tend to only leave this one on for about five minutes or so before gently washing it off.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKwM6eo_lHtRYv6vGGwHh1tz8CAQffQIhcc-VT5bi7aRTALx8bKE79MqCWELJYMdBHr4EI9NRb3zn_pNxUG-pOXRvMRSPci1dTD4B-8juvGcHb7ZMQpDnkmQbiERjUErqjdLCr0QjrIU/s2048/70FC59A7-2A2D-4087-BFBB-DA2157DF9725.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKwM6eo_lHtRYv6vGGwHh1tz8CAQffQIhcc-VT5bi7aRTALx8bKE79MqCWELJYMdBHr4EI9NRb3zn_pNxUG-pOXRvMRSPci1dTD4B-8juvGcHb7ZMQpDnkmQbiERjUErqjdLCr0QjrIU/d/70FC59A7-2A2D-4087-BFBB-DA2157DF9725.JPG" /></a></div> <p></p><p><u><i>THE ORDINARY SALICYLIC ACID 2% SOLUTION </i></u>- I love the Ordinary's products and their salicylic acid solution is well-deserving of its reputation. Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid (or BHA as you're more likely to have seen it written on other products) which means it's great for exfoliating your skin and unclogging pores and it works by breaking down the dead skin cells that block pores. This is quite a low percentage formula which I like because it means I can use it every day if I want to. I tend to use just a few drops, focusing on my t-zone where my skin is most likely to be oily or to breakout. Even with this percentage though it's always good to start gently and try just a small amount on alternate days to begin with just to be sure it doesn't disagree with your skin. </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdLUPa_u7tJmwdMSwaNMF0cGWXgEiC-kb2K-bul37PjJxdEn0sjcljhY-fmlSj3Xk1_FNDbQJijhKXOKJOSTB2k4HHJvMwX8bb_8WZ4bvwfcEY6CsAd1q0AqipLFmO7zYNW1jpXnfgbg/s2048/F4E5371B-8C13-48DB-B23D-2D3537C5E8A4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1649" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdLUPa_u7tJmwdMSwaNMF0cGWXgEiC-kb2K-bul37PjJxdEn0sjcljhY-fmlSj3Xk1_FNDbQJijhKXOKJOSTB2k4HHJvMwX8bb_8WZ4bvwfcEY6CsAd1q0AqipLFmO7zYNW1jpXnfgbg/d/F4E5371B-8C13-48DB-B23D-2D3537C5E8A4.JPG" /></a></div> <p></p><p><u><i>REVOLUTION 10% NIACINAMIDE + 1% ZINC </i></u>- Niacinamide in any form helps to minimise the appearance of large pores, improve uneven skin tone, and rehydrate the skin by improving the skins natural barriers. It also helps to reduce inflammation which is really helpful if a face mask is leaving your skin feeling irritated and red. Niacinamide can also help to regulate oil production too which in turn helps to minimise breakouts. This is a fairly new product for me but so far I'm loving it and it's definitely helping to soothe down new blemishes.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZh9DYX_cVANxNb8hdxNC3Jt-Aj8a2hLF_8FibZPV0bF-kBKbwPQ_PSyIceGv-86nioQbSfUQZTBu-wVi-35iZgSqxYGc3wZ1XZQRzrrrOoB0AbcWq1grcwiIWaY-8vaqSzVolvq8Mqgo/s2048/33F58CAB-C293-4ADA-B39F-86B0D61010C2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZh9DYX_cVANxNb8hdxNC3Jt-Aj8a2hLF_8FibZPV0bF-kBKbwPQ_PSyIceGv-86nioQbSfUQZTBu-wVi-35iZgSqxYGc3wZ1XZQRzrrrOoB0AbcWq1grcwiIWaY-8vaqSzVolvq8Mqgo/d/33F58CAB-C293-4ADA-B39F-86B0D61010C2.JPG" /></a></div><p>New breakouts are always annoying but regularly washing face masks, wearing a well-fitting mask, and having a regular, gentle skincare routine are the best ways to minimise those breakouts and keep skin healthy. If you're facing a maskne breakout then I hope some of these products help and I'd love to hear which products you've been using in the comments below! <br /></p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-34835011321557319372020-07-25T06:00:00.002+01:002020-07-25T06:00:03.093+01:00THE TRUANTS BY KATE WEINBURG<div>I won't lie, a big part of the reason I picked up this book was because of the reviews that said that fans of Donna Tartt's <i>The Secret History</i> would love this book. I love Tartt's novel and that claim alone made me interested. Despite that, I think it's always hard when new books are compared to cult favourites - how similar do we really want them to be? - but for me, <i>The Truants</i> really held its own. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It's a coming of age novel following new university student Jess who is desperate to change her life and reinvent herself at university. She soon makes friend with wild George, hoping to capture some of her magic, and joins the class that drew her to <g class="gr_ gr_992 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" data-gr-id="992" id="992">university</g> in the first place. Taught by the enigmatic professor Lorna Clay, it's a course on the mystery novels of Agatha Christie, as much revered for <g class="gr_ gr_1307 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" data-gr-id="1307" id="1307">its</g> <g class="gr_ gr_1306 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" data-gr-id="1306" id="1306">teacher</g> as it is for its content. Jess soon becomes swept up in her new life, drawn in by Georgie, her mysterious new boyfriend Alec, and their new friends. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmUEKo9mYuxNjoUe2y_g0wk4dok9UX_XqI8aDxkpVxcMh3hpN-BR-qJkcP8J_uj16Nn8Zb-jbdfpQ2-7ZBVHJ6OTpxw3l8zQBx_4z6Pwy774RuYog2YoJg3rLoyGQ23QGqZW6SPTz6xU/s2048/9732CAC8-225B-4C2C-AF44-267FA941902F.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmUEKo9mYuxNjoUe2y_g0wk4dok9UX_XqI8aDxkpVxcMh3hpN-BR-qJkcP8J_uj16Nn8Zb-jbdfpQ2-7ZBVHJ6OTpxw3l8zQBx_4z6Pwy774RuYog2YoJg3rLoyGQ23QGqZW6SPTz6xU/d/9732CAC8-225B-4C2C-AF44-267FA941902F.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As <g class="gr_ gr_1867 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" data-gr-id="1867" id="1867">the term</g> continues, Jess powers into her new self - following in the daring footsteps of her friends who she is as much in awe of as she is enamoured by. Intoxicated by the <g class="gr_ gr_2221 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling multiReplace" data-gr-id="2221" id="2221">upper-class</g> life of Georgie, with both it's wealth and prosperity and its darker sides, and by the <g class="gr_ gr_2409 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" data-gr-id="2409" id="2409">ever-mysterious</g> postgraduate journalist Alec, Jess also grows closer to Lorna herself who she finds endlessly fascinating. As the lines between friendships begin to blur, Jess is drawn into confusion and mystery and when tragedy strikes, despite still knowing so <g class="gr_ gr_3191 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" data-gr-id="3191" id="3191">little</g> about her, Jess finds herself turning to Lorna for support. But how much does she really know about the woman she so admires?<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>"The biggest question,"</i> Lorna says in a lecture Jess attends, <i>"is not 'Whodunit' but 'Could you?' Could you be driven to kill someone who feeds <g class="gr_ gr_3465 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" data-gr-id="3465" id="3465"><g class="gr_ gr_28 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace" data-gr-id="28" id="28">a deep anger</g></g> inside you."</i> <i>The Truants</i> is as much about the intricacies of our behaviour as it is about the mystery it follows. Weinburg asks us to question what drives our actions, how much our emotions influence our behaviour, and what we can be driven to do by others. She creates an absorbing web of characters, managing to steer free of cliche, and has us questioning what Jess really knows about the people around her and about herself. Carrying with it the homages to the murder mysteries of Agatha Christie's novels with modern twists, <i>The Truants</i> kept me absorbed to the last page. Though there are a few similarities to The Secret History<i>, The Truants </i>really stands alone as a very different story with striking characters, deceptions, confrontations, and an ending that keeps you thinking about the mysteries of the people around us. <br /></div><div><br /></div>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-66010720463668251592020-07-12T09:14:00.003+01:002020-07-23T18:47:17.941+01:00LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN<p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">A month or so into lockdown my Dad jokingly commented that lockdown life suited me. It was late morning on a sunny day, and I had already been out for a run, come back and made myself breakfast, had a quick tidy, done a little writing, and now I was kicking back in the sunshine with a book. In a way, it did suit me. If you can forget about the reality behind the lockdown, of course. In its essence though, my time was my own. As someone who didn't have to try and continue their usual job from home during a crisis or go out and work on the front line, I was able to plan and utilise my time however I pleased, within reason. </span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Just like anyone else though, I've been subject to a fair few lockdown wobblers. I tumbled unexpectedly into those days where everything felt suddenly pointless and it was impossible to motivate myself, or when I felt unable to step up to my (often a little too grand) plans of productivity. A large chunk of that upset originates from the unsettling uncertainty that surrounded not just the lockdown itself but also the post-lockdown life we find ourselves in now. <br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNnq_HP_TOtoyg-dqhnsa_AuhXjqnDTuPw4hn4-3DnrbDduHf5XMl-wtpnka_4_PCxKTbpQS96i9fAIIK9hSGzyya28ChWLU0g1Q1pxD6EO_HnoqSPgR3ekpDyfAdJ5d07axoj7qtVJA/s2048/IMG_0676.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNnq_HP_TOtoyg-dqhnsa_AuhXjqnDTuPw4hn4-3DnrbDduHf5XMl-wtpnka_4_PCxKTbpQS96i9fAIIK9hSGzyya28ChWLU0g1Q1pxD6EO_HnoqSPgR3ekpDyfAdJ5d07axoj7qtVJA/d/IMG_0676.jpg" /></a></div><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">In a conversation later that same week, I was talking to my Dad about the effects of being in lockdown and he replied, sagely, that even if you were just at home during all of it it's still a pretty stressful and anxiety-inducing time. It can feel especially so for young adults who are still trying not just to cement down but also discover the paths their lives are going to take. That sentiment hit the nail on the head. In the period of your life when growth and success are heralded as all-important, those weeks often felt pointless because we weren't 'achieving' anything despite so much time passing. Rather like desperately trying to swim forward and yet only being able to fruitlessly tread water, I can see the future shore on the horizon but the distance between it and my stranded self only seems to be growing. </span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Coming part and parcel with that is the impact all of this is having on our social lives, particularly if you have any nervousness or anxiety around that. Though keen for the lockdown to be relaxed, when we were still in it I sometimes uncovered an odd backwards fear about that happening because I felt rather as though I'd find myself catapulted forward by a tidal wave now having completely forgotten how to swim. Part of lockdown's potential anxiety ease was knowing that you could retreat right back into your comfort zone again. No need to come up with excuses or spend days running up to a big event, mentally steeling yourself for what will inevitably be a completely fine and normal evening. Instead, we could all stay inside and it wasn't being unsociable, it's following government guidelines. To be clear, of course, we all wanted the lockdown to relax. We want to see friends again, see our families, to go to places that aren't your own house or a supermarket but it's irrefutable that those months will have had an undeniable impact on our mental health, whether positive or negative. </span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Time to ourselves is necessary and healthy but </span><i style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">too</span></i><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> much time alone isn't always a good thing. After so long actively avoiding crowded situations, of course, it's going feel challenging to return to some parts of 'normal' life but I'm trying to recognise that those days when I felt stagnant, or when claustrophobia began to creep in after being constrained within the same perimeters, are reminders that only so much can be achieved and experienced within your own boundaries. The only way to get that sense freedom or to feel challenged is to gradually push out of personal boundaries once more, even if it does mean momentarily returning to discomfort. And the only way to regain some sense of progress, to stop treading water and start swimming again is, well, to start swimming. What's that phrase? Nothing changes if nothing changes. </span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">And if you're feeling like this too then you're far from alone. A quick google search on the topic brings up reams of articles and discussions about the many forms of post lockdown anxiety. What these articles all tend to conclude with is that it's perfectly normal to have these feelings. To go for so long without being in these social situations is bound to bring up some uncertainties when we return to them, particularly when we still need to be just as mindful and sensible as we were being in lockdown. What many discussions around post-lockdown anxieties also mention is using this time to reassess our reactions to our social lives and plans and I think that's a great way to think about it. Are we giving into introverted tendencies to shy away from situations that could be fun? Or are we teetering on the edge of burning ourselves out by committing to too many things or always forcing ourselves into situations that feel we ought to be in but don't enjoy? </span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">If and when we find ourselves facing this anxiety, do we feel reluctant because of the doubting, critical internal voice telling us to believe in our fears about situations and ourselves? If so, then it's a good time to try loosening our belief in that voice and gently begin to broaden our perspectives again until it grows ever quieter. Shorter, smaller social events or commitments, to begin with, will gradually rebuild confidence and ease anxieties.</span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">If, however, our reactions to new plans are ones of exhaustion and genuine unhappiness then maybe it's time to reassess the things we're expending our energy on and how often we're doing that. If you're more often than not leaving events or social meetups feeling only worse then it's probably time to alter our calenders and commitments to something that serves us a little better. <br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd3gowT2cGIzsOQGsuOc4RL-UlWcpmrEXtclr-Hh8rJM-hycUKvC_iuoSgQTHO2XEkdO3eiLEYq78iN1tHQQgwyD3BMQhZ2d4X411dEDzj_uIIePvtBEL3z6otEm5PSSUyhPtbGkay_8/s1889/IMG_1079+2.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1889" data-original-width="1601" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd3gowT2cGIzsOQGsuOc4RL-UlWcpmrEXtclr-Hh8rJM-hycUKvC_iuoSgQTHO2XEkdO3eiLEYq78iN1tHQQgwyD3BMQhZ2d4X411dEDzj_uIIePvtBEL3z6otEm5PSSUyhPtbGkay_8/d/IMG_1079+2.JPG" /></a></div><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It's a fine line for sure but one that we can learn to tread gradually. It might be nice sometimes to laze about, to be that person of leisure my Dad joked of, but all of that quickly dwindles into pointlessness without some feeling of purpose, challenge, and change. Finding the balance between leisure and the point of overworking ourselves should be the goal. As a nation, the return to normal life will have to be embarked upon, not in the imagined tidal wave of motion but rather step by step through reasoned, measured movements forward. That's a good mindset to absorb personally when returning to normal life. I'll be taking it <g class="gr_ gr_143 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" data-gr-id="143" id="143">step</g> by step again and trying to focus on the things that</span><i style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> are</span></i><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> changing and improving. It's not a sign of failure if you have to retread the steps you have already climbed; it's strengthening. So I'll try not to focus on how much distance I feel I have left to cover but rather on how much progress, no matter how small, I've already made towards the horizon. <br /></span></p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-90005997086449071172020-06-11T06:00:00.000+01:002020-06-11T06:00:04.520+01:00MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION BY OTESSA MOSHFEGH<div>I'd been debating about buying My Year of Rest and Relaxation for some time, never quite sure whether to go for it or not but a few weeks ago I ordered some books to keep me reading during the lockdown and added Moshfegh's novel to my basket. Moshfegh's unnamed narrator is a self-admitted privileged young white woman, slim, attractive, and wealthy after inheriting from her late parents. Living in New York, with money and means, she is still desperately unhappy. At the precipice of a downward slope, our narrator decides to engage in a drug-induced 'hibernation' period, described as a chrysalis from which she will emerge refreshed and reset.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6K9Mr-fJSkjxBul0xbswEmNIE1N5mnZ65F2t-URpzOdKm5aTbMj2-aex4gxqXuFAkjWOXsdxYnow4901_HkZJFOlMfdYCeNfqLfhKAvvPYzQ0Vf1Y9gAawvE9RfAPYCs2p-DCGYT5iL4/s2922/9B4ABCDC-9318-40AE-94F3-47BB82EAF5E0.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2011" data-original-width="2922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6K9Mr-fJSkjxBul0xbswEmNIE1N5mnZ65F2t-URpzOdKm5aTbMj2-aex4gxqXuFAkjWOXsdxYnow4901_HkZJFOlMfdYCeNfqLfhKAvvPYzQ0Vf1Y9gAawvE9RfAPYCs2p-DCGYT5iL4/d/9B4ABCDC-9318-40AE-94F3-47BB82EAF5E0.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br />Moshfegh's novel can be a challenging one to read. Her characters are deliberately unlikeable, and it's oftentimes impossible to sympathise with them. Despite the occasional dips into the unhappy childhood of her narrator and the unloving parents she describes, Moshfegh seems careful to ensure that we never feel too sorry for her. Each emotional moment soon clashes up against a reminder of surface-level emotions and self-absorption. <br /><br />Moshfegh creates a facade of beauty and privilege that the narrator is well aware of, creating an initially repulsive character. Repulsive not through appearance but through thoughtlessness, carelessness, and selfishness, a character who struggles and often fails to offer bare minimum levels of social kindness or generosity. Despite that, the narrator exposes the reality that a lot of our lives is about pretending; pretending to care more about others than we do, pretending to care about our jobs or pretending to care about the consequences of our actions. Through her narrator, Moshfegh shows the excesses of the American lifestyle and the many things her narrator can get away with or have access to because of skin-deep appearances. <br /><br />Despite all that, I felt a morbid kind of fascination to keep reading. I wanted to know what the narrator would do next, how far she would take her experiment, how she would experience her life of waste and of wasting away. To be someone both emotionally negligent to those around her and yet so unabashedly unbothered by that is no mean feat. It's through this hard to stomach character that Moshfegh delves into the more 'unattractive' parts of modern society in both our capacity to close our eyes to those around us but also through the clear gestures to people's struggles and discontentment. The narrator's desire to start this chemical hibernation, her constant search for the relief and escape of sleep, comes from her yearning to 'drown out my thoughts and judgements since their constant barrage made it hard not to hate everyone and everything.' This sentiment might well be relatable for many readers but it's also clear that the narrator can and does take it so much further. <br /><br />The narrator's psychologist, who seems to mindlessly prescribe reams of medications with little concern, is portrayed as a living piece of satire in character form. Absolutely ridiculous in so many ways, and exemplifying many worryingly absent characteristics for a medical professional, she often brings on the most near-lunatic point of the novel. Her bizarre advice, peppered with testers and samples of medications, seems only to enable our narrator's destructive behaviours. And yet, she does occasionally tap into some sense. "We're mostly empty space," she says, "we're mostly nothing". While that might read as fatalistic, it seems intended to remind us that we can't take anything too seriously or try to be too deep because it's just life, day by day, experience by experience, and that's it. <br /><br />Mirrored in that sentiment is the narrator's apparent idol, Whoopie Goldberg. The narrator admits that her love for Goldberg comes from her feeling that Goldberg understands the 'fundamental ridiculousness of life'. However lightheartedly we are encouraged to engage in life, for the narrator it seems that she is already too overwhelmed. While much of the novel is a criticism of excessive lifestyles, the falsity of advertised 'self-care', and the desperation to prove ourselves as interesting and memorable to other people, it's also clear that the narrator is grieving. During her hibernation experiment, she recalls her parents, crying as she feels so 'desperately lonely', with the most emotion Moshfegh has shown in her in the whole novel before she passes out again. While the narrator clearly finds living and consciousness unbearable, it's clear that this grieving is also unbearable in its own ways. <br /><br />Moshfegh's novel ends just before the 9/11 attacks. Her narrator emerges from hibernation a little before that, on the cusp of an event that will shake American society to its core and alter it deeply. We are left to decide for ourselves whether the narrator's experiment is successful and what the novels final pages try to say as she witnesses something so out of her control and inescapable after the rigorous restraint of her hibernation. How much of our lives can we determine? Is it merely fruitless in the end to strive so much for success or for happiness? Can we accept that we are 'empty space' and yet still keep the humorous perspective that the narrator sees in Goldberg? It's a skilled novel, one that leaves you questioning, really questioning, what you're read about and ultimately, what it means to live in our society.<br />Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-88850225607875580472020-05-16T06:00:00.000+01:002020-05-16T06:00:09.591+01:00OUTLINE BY RACHEL CUSK<div>Rachel Cusk's trilogy of short novels begins with Outline and it has a fascinatingly unique prose style, told primarily through a series of conversations Cusk's protagonist, Faye, has with the people she meets. Often curiously impersonal to Faye throughout most of the novel, despite happening in the aftermath of something so inexpressibly affecting as a divorce, Cusk pulls us swiftly into the personal lives of her surrounding characters.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiC6-nvW4WfbXqNtxKkdX7vNj10qA4t8a-mta9huMkFVrycfmC1Sr_RqrKCEDJA4lfqnKcPxAwbyei_NbOmSGMg68_VsVJxrdk9S0nTgQLWppXNZPXqW22ja80JlZ8n3tI9hNjCyrpAb8/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiC6-nvW4WfbXqNtxKkdX7vNj10qA4t8a-mta9huMkFVrycfmC1Sr_RqrKCEDJA4lfqnKcPxAwbyei_NbOmSGMg68_VsVJxrdk9S0nTgQLWppXNZPXqW22ja80JlZ8n3tI9hNjCyrpAb8/d/5758A0F7-F887-4452-9940-C79AEDAC53F5.JPG" /></a></div><br />The novel takes place during Faye's trip to Athens to teach a writing course and while the bulk of the story occurs in dialogue, it still feels like reading an emotional thriller in so many ways, pulled irresistibly towards each character and the vibrancy of the personal stories they share. As readers, we invest ourselves into these monologues, stepping into the intimate moments shared by the people that Faye meets and interacts with. As we progress through these interactions, we can piece together the threads of Faye's life from the trifling few details given, and Cusk demonstrates the mirror that these conversations hold up both to Faye's life and the lives around her. <br /><br />A great deal of Outline's discussions centre around the enduring impact that our relationships have on us, both negative and positive. Faye's neighbour on her flight out describes his own marriages and divorces and, knowing this is something relevant to Faye, we hear this experience and perspective as something both deeply personal to these two people and yet extremely universal. Like all of the conversations that will follow in Outline, we as reader and Faye as the listener can never be completely sure how honestly these histories are being told as each is shared through the filter of personal perspective. <br /><br />For so many of the characters we meet, what occupies them the most is the impact of our relationships on our identity. This is a focus of Faye's too, shown in the moments when we explore her own thought patterns. While on a boat trip with her neighbour from the plane, she imagines swimming away forever: "it was an impulse I knew well, and I had learned that it was not the summons from a larger world I used to believe it to be. It was simply a desire to escape from what I had." Cusk's narrator is remarkably self-aware in these moments and we gain a brief insight into the way she is processing her divorce and the shockwaves it leaves in its wake.<br /><br />This idea of wanting to swim away and recreate ourselves is reflected in several of the other characters. Her friend <g class="gr_ gr_46 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" data-gr-id="46" id="46">Paniotis</g>, recalls the unending and yet exhausting drive to continually improve oneself, sure that if we can only continue progressing that we will never fall apart. Angeliki, his friend and a character portrayed somewhat ambivalently in the novel, takes this further in her discussion on how women are often forced or instructed to seek meaning through their family. On a trip to Berlin, Angeliki recalls thinking "one always seemed to see [sucessful women] running: they ran everywhere", and she imagines feeling their "collective exhaustion". In the novel that Angeliki writers, her female protagonist watches women running in a park and "asks herself whether they are running towards something or away from it," concluding that they are, in fact, imply running in circles. While Angeliki speaks from a personal, female perspective we get little of Faye's response to this but it leaves us questioning not only if Angeliki is right but if Faye has experienced this herself. This conversation, like so many others, leaves us reflecting on our lives through the eyes of these speakers. <br /><br />While Faye doesn't always offer responses, Cusk also demonstrates through her monologue form that speakers don't always want to listen. Her flight neighbour is often so enmeshed in his own perspective of his divorces that he fails to see any alternatives to his own explanations. If the relationships that Cusk shows us in Outline demonstrate that identity can be remade and reforged through them, then it also demonstrates that if we refuse to acknowledge those around us and our own responsibility to them and to ourselves that we will be stuck, much like the women in Angeliki's novel, turning in circles from one collapsed relationship and identity to the next. <br /><br />Entangled in this experience of relationships is our speaker's concepts of language and speech. In a dinner with two women, one comments of her relationship falling apart that "each of us thought there was something we could say that would set us free, but the more words we spoke the more tangles and knots there were". Cusk questions both how we approach the relationships we experience but also how we reflect upon them. Indeed if our words only lead us to further confusion then we might wonder at the point of a novel so full of these conversations but it's clear that such dissection is a fundamental part of how we understand our lives and brings with it always the shy hope that one day we might just be able to unravel those knots rather than create more. <br /><br />What's clear is that at some points in our lives these conversations will be deeply meaningful and they will offer understanding or closure but just as likely is the possibility that speaker and listener might simply shout into the void, each missing the most salient parts of the other's dialogue. <g class="gr_ gr_50 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep" data-gr-id="50" id="50">Outline</g> offers us both possibilities, demonstrating the various ways relationships can flounder and end, the ways these profoundly impact our own senses of self, and yet also offers the possible counter of understanding as Faye listens to each of these stories, often with suggestive parallels to the few details we know of her own life. Whether we are able, as we assume Faye does, to absorb these conversations and tease out the pieces that resonate is reliant upon the individual but Cusk suggests that we will continue to rebuild and remake ourselves over and over until we can finally come to some sense of fulfilment and preservation. <br />Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-68550601257358665392020-05-08T06:00:00.001+01:002020-05-08T06:00:07.790+01:00APRIL SKINCARE FAVOURITES<p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Even though we've all been stuck inside for the past few weeks I've still been trying to keep up some of the same routines and that includes maintaining a good skincare routine. With that in mind, I wanted to share some of my favourite skincare products from the last month. <br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTih-r5e1ErlSWdmUONpl93RQL048nxbtkIbI5PRIjE-Xq8DxGz4zMZh6wvIQVoksiKLP7DE4vKXxYwJPjhMucMGMSHlFUb7b_GWP0WsqztqEuI2YUyUnsdP-c8Kt0Tu_ZGODuTRFx1g/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTih-r5e1ErlSWdmUONpl93RQL048nxbtkIbI5PRIjE-Xq8DxGz4zMZh6wvIQVoksiKLP7DE4vKXxYwJPjhMucMGMSHlFUb7b_GWP0WsqztqEuI2YUyUnsdP-c8Kt0Tu_ZGODuTRFx1g/d/IMG_0641.JPG" /></a></div><br /><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The new </span><em style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Dermalogica Active Clay Cleanser<font size="2">*</font> </span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">has become a new favourite of mine. It's a prebiotic purifying cleanser with Kaolin Clay and Charcoal to help absorb excess oil, as well as botanical lips to protect your skins natural lipid barrier, helping to avoid dehydration and dryness.</span><p></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqeEqUAh7teAt_iX9KbbZQLAXPJqaroQTNWoJGTWEDCR6hEmTzj_mLUo4oNEacewgccQF5WbB3uCnEqW2OKfZARAIFNosn_c7bzHadYSpO_aXjTw1lv0BsyUWrY0dCG3FdLv08P8onSs/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqeEqUAh7teAt_iX9KbbZQLAXPJqaroQTNWoJGTWEDCR6hEmTzj_mLUo4oNEacewgccQF5WbB3uCnEqW2OKfZARAIFNosn_c7bzHadYSpO_aXjTw1lv0BsyUWrY0dCG3FdLv08P8onSs/d/IMG_0639.JPG" /></a></div><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I've also been using the </span><em style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Superfacialist Salicylic Acid Anti Blemish Purify & Refresh Facial Scrub </span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">(whew, what a mouthful). I've used a few </span><em style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Superfacialist </span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">products before, which have always been great, but I love this face scrub. It is a little harsher than some scrubs so I don't tend to use it very often (maybe once or twice a week) but even that is enough to help leave my skin clearer and feeling smoother. <br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-53o8lm4PSsyIR0rVKDdyYYn7sTZ_q0PPug1xjfke4Ml-6NSHuhDcKBFROFUBDZOZI-8wVsCaf_NgRKH29aEJ4_libJfPts5edHHoQoVuzfSiA9qb_HnuhsOMOs-1z7UdHj9c5WpLKLY/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-53o8lm4PSsyIR0rVKDdyYYn7sTZ_q0PPug1xjfke4Ml-6NSHuhDcKBFROFUBDZOZI-8wVsCaf_NgRKH29aEJ4_libJfPts5edHHoQoVuzfSiA9qb_HnuhsOMOs-1z7UdHj9c5WpLKLY/d/IMG_0642.JPG" /></a></div><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">My skin can get quite dry and I've been a long and dedicated user of </span><em style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Ordinary</span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">'s </span><em style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Hyaluronic Acid. </span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">It's so easy to use, just a few drops smoothed into the skin morning and night to hydrate the skin and leave it feeling plump and moisturised. I love using this after cleansing and before applying a cream moisturiser.</span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslYDS9KlJ5Y20cOZ6lYuJmyDitXvVA860xuiV6WZqBQVHxPD-Eqnb7ic3KYjjkCYAA6L-W-WkIHhQzWCDI8ytPBXiXH27MEwyGVCR1GNncPk19PnQM733mTDZ1SEBV3RgizIWQ_bHK8Y/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslYDS9KlJ5Y20cOZ6lYuJmyDitXvVA860xuiV6WZqBQVHxPD-Eqnb7ic3KYjjkCYAA6L-W-WkIHhQzWCDI8ytPBXiXH27MEwyGVCR1GNncPk19PnQM733mTDZ1SEBV3RgizIWQ_bHK8Y/d/IMG_0643.JPG" /></a></div><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Finally, since the sun's been showing its face again I've been using the </span><em style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defense Sunscreen<font size="2">*</font>. </span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Suncreams can sometimes make my skin feel more oily but this one has a much more weightless formula, blending in easily without leaving a heavy residue, and with SPF30 to protect your delicate skin. </span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Let me know your favourite skincare products in the comments! <br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">(asterisked products were gifted)<br /></span></p>Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-55409846816974517372020-04-18T06:00:00.000+01:002020-04-19T10:42:06.067+01:00UNSHELTERED BY BARBARA KINGSOLVER<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Unsheltered, I live in daylight. And like the wandering bird I rest in thee."</i></div>
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Unsheltered follows Willa Knox after moving to an old crumbling house with her husband Iano, grown-up daughter, Tig, and son, Zeke with his own newborn son, and ailing father in law, at a time when each of their lives seems to be collapsing like the house around them. As each faces their own personal strifes, it's a challenging time like no other and when the house threatens to fall apart, Willa and Iano struggle to find a way to support their family and make ends meet. However, Willa soon discovers that a famous female scientist from the 1800s may have lived in her house and embarks on a journey to uncover who she was and what her life was like. Kingsolver shifts us between Willa's life and life in the 1800s, focusing on neighbours Mary Treat and Thatcher Greenwood, cataloguing the daily moments and surprisingly similar ailments of both their lives.<br />
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It's an incredibly absorbing novel, I found myself instantly enamoured with Willa, sympathetic to her situation and captured by her family members: irascible father in law Nick, calm and loving Iano, conflicted Zeke, and free-spirited and innovative Tig. As Unsheltered progresses, we gain captivating insights into the pivotal moments of their lives through Willa's perspective, stepping into the relationship between mother and child, the tender moments of a new child's life, the harder ones of Nick's failing health. We learn of loves lost, new loves, and of Willa's struggle to align her past and present life to the one she had imagined for herself and her family, getting lost in the gaps between the two states.<br />
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In contrast, we see in Tig someone who is devoutly certain that we need to make strident changes in our lives and how we treat the planet. She is more industrious than she seems to her family with an initially a distant relationship that develops as the novel progresses. She's the polar opposite of her financially career-minded brother with whom she often clashes. As the family cares for Zeke's newborn baby Aldus we see the ways that each member adjust to a new addition to the family and how Aldus, or Dusty as he is affectionately termed, comes to transform and affect each one.<br />
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Peppered between these moments, we learn more about Thatcher Greenwood and Mary Treat and the lives they lead in the 1800s facing challenges as scientists in the face of those stubbornly set in their ways. Kingsolver takes us through the lessons Thatcher learns from Mary and the absorption Mary has in her work and the bravery she shows in committing herself to what she loves with little regard for those who judge her. Despite the differences in their lives, Kingsolver threads distinct similarities between the two times and, much like Thatcher, Willa learns from those around her the lessons that she desperately needs: how to deal with the crumbling remains that surround her and how to use them to build up her life again. It's a novel about coming to face a life unsheltered from the trappings we had assumed we'd have. "You're going to end up in rubble," says Tig to Willa, "But it's okay because without all that crap overhead, you're standing in the daylight."<br />
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Kingsolver's novel isn't a short one, just over 500 pages, but I found myself speeding through it over several days. It isn't a thriller, you aren't waiting with bated breath, but I still felt desperate to learn what would become of Willa and her family, of Thatcher and Mary, and for me, that's the mark of a good book: how invested you are in the characters and their lives. Willa's journey is one that involves learning to adapt the challenges she faces, to face the loss around her and to see it not simply as loss or destruction but as a possibility for change and growth.Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-41128405071531974542020-04-05T06:00:00.000+01:002020-04-05T14:54:36.491+01:00ON FEELING: AT SEAThere's probably never been a more apt time for another <i>On Feelings </i>post than now. For most people, the entirety of our day to day lives has been altered by the impact of the coronavirus. In many countries, including in England where I'm writing this from, societies are on lockdown to reduce the transmission of the virus and that means a lot more time spent inside. I'm writing this from the incredibly privileged position of being able to safely stay at home without putting myself at risk and I want to take moment to be thankful for my own good health and to thank all the amazing front line and key workers who are putting themselves at risk to keep the rest of us safe and well.<br />
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In the UK we've only been on lockdown for just under two weeks but a lot of us are already feeling the impacts of social distancing and isolation. I started last week with a lot of grand plans about the things I could get done in this time, the posts I could write, ideas I could finally tease into substance, but sitting down and writing this post is the first properly 'creative' thing I've done in nearly a fortnight and I'm not alone. There are countless articles discussing this shared feeling of confusion, demotivation, and lack of focus.<br />
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For one thing, a lot of our usual boundaries of normality have been stripped. Many people are no longer working and for those that are, working from home can feel like an odd limbo state, severed from your usual workspace and coworkers. We're also probably consuming a lot more media than we're used to. With the hours rolling out, it's easy to get sucked into the social media vortex, scrolling through post after post or reading countless news updates and articles. With routines changing as well, each new day feels a stilted, awkward thing without the guiding markers of our everyday patterns. Many of us are concerned about family and friends and given the unprecedented nature of this period it's no wonder we're all feeling a little at sea. It's often not until these habitual markers are taken from us that we realise how much we rely upon them and without them, it's easy to feel stranded without a paddle.<br />
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With all that in mind, perhaps the first thing to do is remember that it's completely natural to feel uprooted by this loss of normality. There's a reason why there are so many discussions going on about how people are coping with this emotionally; it's challenging to be faced with so much change and anxiety. None of us is alone in feeling this way and a quick google search will confirm that, so reaching out to family and friends to share the burden of uncertainty can offer some mutual reassurance and understanding.<br />
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While all of this has altered our usual routines, something we can do is ground ourselves in the little things that do remain normal in our day. They might only be small things like having coffee in the morning, keeping to your usual evening skincare routine, or going for a run twice a week but they offer us some soothing, regular behaviours amongst the change. Making sure to change out of pyjamas in the morning, even if it's just into yet another pair of joggers, creates that same habit of getting ready for the day that we're used to.<br />
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Taking up new routines can also offer some reassurance. I've been trying to get up and do yoga every morning because it stops me from wasting the entire morning in bed but also because it gives me something regular to look forward to and work on. Other routines might be making sure to have breakfast by a certain time every day, going out every afternoon for a walk (remembering to keep your social distance), or plotting in fun activities to look forward to. Having these moments to order our days around is what a lot of us are looking for and given that so much of what is going on is out of our hands putting some kind of altered routine into place can give us back some control and avoid the dreaded slump.<br />
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If you're still feeling unmoored then try doing something that can provide a sense of purpose. If you're fit and well you could offer support to neighbours who might need it. You could make a blood doning appointment to support hospitals across the UK, which is still classed as a medical need and completely safe. You can also donate to charities supporting those most affected, like food banks or the National Emergencies Trust. And remember that although it might not always feel it by staying inside and following social distancing guidelines you're already helping.<br />
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More than anything it's important not to put too much pressure on ourselves. Sure, this could be a great time to crack on with that project you've been ruminating on but don't expect yourself to be at peak creativity during a time of unprecedented uncertainty. Do what you can to help but remember not to expose yourself to too much of the news and media because it will only overwhelm you in the end. Recognise the moments when what you're doing isn't helping and take a step back to re-ground in those actions of familiarity and comfort. It's okay to feel at sea, just remember to take it one day, one stroke forward at a time.Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-9750904378305088862020-03-22T09:15:00.000+00:002020-04-17T11:57:20.244+01:00ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS BY JAMI ATTENBERGVictor Tuchman is a bad man; a ruthless businessman, cruel husband, and uncaring father. Now, lying on his deathbed the Tuchman family gather for his final hours, each bringing with them their personal histories of life with Victor. Alex, Victor's daughter, wants to understand what he did in his career and why he was so cruel, but with her mother Barbra unwilling to talk, her brother Gary nowhere to be found and his wife Twyla teetering on the edge of nervous collapse, Alex has her work cut out for her.<br />
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As Attenberg draws us further into the Tuchman's lives she paints a vividly dysfunctional family portrait but she shows through each members perspectives that, despite their fragmentation, they are more similar than they'd think. With both Barbra and Twyla seeking ways to feel wanted and loved, even at the cost of being absorbed into another's personality, and Alex longing to feel some sense of belonging and stability just as Gary searches for happiness, Attenberg shows that what ties this family together is the isolation they've each felt and their desire to tie themselves back down to something that feels safe. Attenberg has an interesting way of occasionally diving into the minds of strangers that our characters briefly coincide with but in doing this she shows us that everyone has those same inner monologues and private histories. As she pulls in external characters, weaving them into the Tuchman's lives, she shows the constant connections we have to others, no matter how brief.<br />
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The bulk of Attenberg's novel spans just over a day, beginning just before Victor's collapse and then following the twenty-four hours of his time in hospital. Within that small time frame, she dives into deep into the Tuchman's past through the memories of each of its members, from his and Barbra's first meeting and marriage, to the childhood's of Alex and Gary and their own marriages. Though Alex is trying to piece together her parents past, Attenberg makes it clear that personal history exists in fragments, each piece held onto by a member of the family, as we move between perspectives learning a little more about their lives as we do so. Taking us through both one day and an entire lifetime, we see an unflinching look into the messiest parts of life from difficult relationships and motherhood, cheating and scandal, to heartbreak and isolation. As the hours pass, we see the impact of one person on the many, the things we pass down from one generation to the next, and the chances we have to keep hold of those legacies and pass them onto our children or to shake them off and be free of them.<br />
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Though All This Could Be Yours delves into the dark realities of life, Attenberg handles all of them, even the briefest moments, with a complex and astute hand and despite the ugly family truths that are unveiled she manages to end the novel with moments of well-needed hope. As we move from one generation of the Tuchmans to the next, we see the family evolve again, hopefully having learned from their mistakes. All This Could Be Yours is an amazing read, both sharply insightful and yet gentle in its exploration of the family as it shows the moments that connect us all together as we search for and grasp onto ways to feel at home in our confusing lives.<br />
<br />Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-3144960878633381752020-03-09T06:00:00.000+00:002020-03-09T06:00:07.035+00:00TURNING TWENTY-FIVEI turned twenty-five in February. A quarter of a century. Actually, it sounds a lot worse that way so I'll stick to plain old twenty-five. And still, that feels like a lot. Twenty-five feels firmly in your twenties, in fact beginning to edge a little bit closer to your thirties (eek!). Is this the age we think of when we imagine having our lives a little more in order, perhaps having a clearer direction in our careers, a stronger sense of who we want to be?<br />
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The internet is full of laments about turning twenty-five and an awful lot of them centre around the premise of achieving something. Inevitably with that assumption comes the sense that we're failing if we haven't achieved anything 'notable' or traditionally successful. I'm far from the only one who sometimes feels like their life isn't moving fast enough or that compared to everyone around them they've not achieved enough yet. But, if nothing else, turning twenty-five is making me realise that that mindset is at best useless and at worst maddening.<br />
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Twenty-five isn't an iron-clad gateway which we must submit our achievements to for judgment in order to pass through to the following years. Instead, it might be the moment that we start to realise what we want, what kind of life we're searching for. And that doesn't mean a ten-step career plan or an immediate mortgage under our belt, it can simply mean aligning ourselves with the kind of values we want to live our lives by, knowing the sorts of people we want around us, and the kind of work that we might find more fulfilling.<br />
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All that said, let's not pretend I didn't freak out slightly. It feels impossible to avoid comparing yourself to other people, especially when you're reaching supposed milestones and wondering what you've got to show for it. You inevitably start to wonder, should I own a house, or have a firm set career, should I be married by now, or having kids, should my life look more like my friend's life or my colleague's? But the truth is, wherever you are you're doing fine. If you're doing the best you can to not get sucked into the comparison vortex then you're doing fine. If you want to change and you're doing something, no matter how small, to get that happening then you're doing just fine. All I try to keep in mind is to keep seeking out the things that make me happy, keep looking for the opportunities that will challenge me, and to keep adding all those small parts together so that in the future I can step back and see how all of it has come together in the end. Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-37753571047180309122020-02-23T06:30:00.000+00:002020-02-23T06:30:02.400+00:00REVIEW: AKIN BY EMMA DONOGUHE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"There's another theory about how the city was named. In Niçois - the local dialect - 'ne za' means 'neither here' so the name might mean that Nice is neither here nor there, an in between place, not really in one country or the other, see?"</i> </div>
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Seventy-nine-year-old Noah is planning a trip back to Nice for the first time since leaving it in childhood when he receives a phone call from a social worker searching for a temporary guardian for Michael, the eleven-year-old great-nephew he's never met. As Noah stumbles into his new quasi-parental position, the two set off for France. Though they seem as different as can be and their trip faces tumultuous disagreements of every sort, Michael helps Noah uncover the missing pieces of his family history through a handful of photographs taken by his mother.<br />
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I love books that delve into the facets of identity and Akin does this with fascinating style, sifting through the roots of family history, cultural identity, and language. Joining Noah at a time in his life when he admits he "was just freewheeling [at this point]; the race was pretty much over", we see his desire to understand his past. Akin moves in loops, swooping through arcs of family history, as Noah travels back as an elderly man to where his life began, now joined by the youngest member of his family tree. During their trip, Donoghue plays with the barriers that exist around identity and language. Noah laments his rusty French, the language of the mother he is trying to understand, and recalls begging his father to let him change his name from the French Noé after moving to America to avoid teasing. These language barriers are mirrored again between Noah and Michael, as generational colloquialisms widen the expanse between them with language both binding groups together and yet separating them from others. Noah and Michael tread along the edges of these different identities as they learn more about each other, testing the others willingness to open themselves to change.<br />
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As Noah searches for sense in his past, Donoghue lays out the fragments of the fractured identities and lives that were pulled apart and re-made during the second world war. Noah tracks the career of his grandfather, Pierre Personnet (artists' name, Pere Sonne) a famous photographer and the years of his life laid out through the photographs he took. Supported by his daughter (Noah's mother) Margot, Pere Sonne documents both famous clients and later the everyday people, "les gens" through his lens. A play on words says Noah, meaning every day but also sounding like "legends" - the everyday legends of normal life. Alongside this, Noah and Michael attempt to unravel the truth behind Margot's photographs; who do the initials on the back of each photograph refer to? What was Margot doing in France after her husband and child had already fled to America?<br />
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Throughout the novel, Donoghue explores the theme of belonging. With Michael, she shows a child displaced, separated from his mother and developing a hard exterior to cope. For Noah, despite the generation gap, a similar feeling of being uprooted persists in his mind too. His return to Nice is an attempt to regain a sense of home again, his apartment still echoing with the loss of his wife. Both find themselves living in a kind of limbo and Noahs desperation to know more mother's past sits like an anchor for him to fasten himself to, free from restless uncertainty.<br />
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As Noah and Michael begin to patch together the pieces of Margot's past, negotiating their own challenging relationship, Donoghue shows the search to understand our pasts so as to feel content with our present lives. Expertly weaving a historical story into a personal journey, Akin blends together the intimate and the collective past in a novel that challenges its protagonist to search, to question, and to listen. With Noah finally learning more about his family and beginning to understand Michael we see the ties of family and kinship extending out once again as their trip comes to an end. Donoghue is honest and realistic about family but she offers us the crucial and well-needed hope that we are all searching for.<br />
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<br />Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-65267721845907519012020-01-27T06:00:00.000+00:002020-02-23T11:53:22.660+00:00REVIEW: THE LAST OF HER KIND BY SIGRID NUNEZ<div style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Last of Her Kind is a novel that promises a lot; discussion of feminism and womanhood during a revolutionary period, an exploration of racial injustice, of class injustice, and personal identity. For a relatively short book of about 400 pages, that's a lot to include but Nunez doesn't disappoint. </span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The novel follows Georgette, who starts Columbia University, sharing a dorm room with Ann. The two girls couldn't come from more disparate backgrounds. Georgette from a poorer, working-class family, often facing the abuse of her mother and desperate to escape, is surprised by wealthy, upper-class Ann who specifically requests to board with someone as different from her as possible. Despite her background, Georgette soon discovers that Ann sneers upon the upper-class luxuries of her family, striving instead to see and understand all social injustice. Though this seems noble, it's also clear that this drive also comes with an unpleasant edge that Georgette finds sour as Ann often claims the wish to have been born to a different family and to have known struggle and strife personally.</span><br />
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Despite their differences, a deep and complicated friendship is born and Georgette finds herself almost reluctantly fascinated by Ann's life. Her fascination though is also tipped with jealousy, not just for the life Ann has had but the feats she has achieved and the endless motivation that seems to drive her actions. As the girls grapple with their university, studies amidst student justice protests and rallies, Georgette dismayed by her struggle to finesse her writing, we follow Georgette's transition to working at a women's magazine, </span><i style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Visage,</span></i><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> as she strives to live independently. </span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">As the girls grow cracks begin to form in their friendship. Ann, now engaged African American, Kwame, often accuses Georgette of selling herself out by working at </span><i style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Visage</span></i><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> and refusing to better herself. Fissures deepen and eventually the girls have a disastrous argument centred around Ann's assertion that Georgette has been racially insensitive to Kwame and with vicious abruptness they sever ties. </span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">While Georgette continues in her position at the magazine, Nunez expertly threads in the ties of so many sensitive themes and topics. Touching upon sexual violence, the struggle to separate ourselves from our pasts, the position of women in society, and the simple yearning to be happy we watch as Georgette treads through these turbulent waters. We see Georgette's desire for something more meaningful, her regrets about University and her realisation that despite </span><i style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">"never have experienced Big Love [that] did not stop me from having big ideas about it. Between me and the world hung a veil [...] when I fell in the love the veil would life. I would see the world as it really was".</span></i><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> While Georgette struggles through these feelings, Nunez writes about a time of incredible change; it's a period of sexual liberation for women, open relationships, multiple partners, which Georgette realises come with both benefits and downfalls. </span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Georgette is recounting this past retrospectively, admitting how much of what happens was of its own time. How easily, for example, she found a job after school, how she was able to live alone, how her sister Solange, who soon becomes pivotal to the novel, was able to run away from home and live safely as a drifter for some time, how that despite their mother being abusive and cruel even that wasn't particularly unusual. A key part of this retrospective seems to be Georgette laying out the pieces of her past, how ever disordered or out of order, to try and find the patterns within them. When Solange finds Georgette in New York Nunez threads in another complex theme, mental health. At a time of openness around drug use, it's still clear that Solange has a problem and Georgette becomes a kind of proxy career for her - a role that will both strengthen their bond and become a test. </span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">When Georgette finally learns that Anne has shot a police officer she is desperate to understand more about what has happened in a case that will become a huge point of public discussion. Georgette, still loyal to Ann, witnesses the intricacies of class and racial injustice at play, their poisonous presence in American society, and the many protests and rebellions against these injustices that, despite often being well-intentioned, often lead Ann to be branded as a white "rich kid who want[s] to play revolution". </span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">There are too many deep and intricate webs in Nunez's novel to dissect in one review but she creates a rich a broad tapestry of topics and experiences to digest as a reader, exploring Georgette's two failed marriages, her adjustment to motherhood, the "big love" relationship that left her heartbroken, her relationship with Solange, and finally a chance to see and perhaps understand Ann a little more closely. Throughout it all, what we witness is Georgette's desire to </span><i style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">understand</span></i><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. She wants to understand Ann's past and her future actions, to understand her relationships and losses, and how to sift through all the moments we live through and find some meaning and clarity. </span><i style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Last of Her Kind </span></i><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background: transparent; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">is the first book I finished this year but I already know it's going to remain one of my favourite's in 2020.</span></div>
Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-61127133123110989082020-01-06T06:00:00.000+00:002020-02-23T11:53:51.543+00:00NEW YEAR, BETTER MINDSETAnother fresh year has rolled around again pulling behind it the resolutions bandwagon. Personally, I've always quite liked the idea of resolutions but it's often the practice behind the intention that's harder. Still, I've seen a lot of people talking about them and if 2019 was the year that mindfulness really came to the forefront of people's thoughts then I think 2020 is the year we're really putting it into practice.<br />
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Part of the problem with New Year's resolutions always seems to be that they're too stringent, vowing to stop eating junk food inevitably results in a guilty binge, deciding to go for a run every morning usually ends with snoozing your alarm for the third time. Despite that, I know I can't resist the idea that this year will be the year everything will change and my iron-clad self-control will reveal itself in the shape of unshakeable new principles.<br />
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What I've seen more people talking about this year though are new <i>mindsets </i>which are a little broader, a little more forgiving, and so hopefully a little more realistic and longlasting too. They got me thinking about what my new mindsets could be and, after writing them down and pondering for a while, I found myself much more taken with these that with the old commandment like resolutions of the past.<br />
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<i>Be patient with yourself and accept that change takes time. </i></div>
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<i>Move more for the benefits of feeling stronger and happier not to see the number on a scale change. (Oh, and throw away the scales!)</i></div>
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<i>Remember that sometimes self-care means doing those hard, uncomfortable things because you'll feel a lot better afterwards.</i></div>
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<i>Take the time to reach out to others as much as we would want them to reach out to us. </i></div>
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<i>Try not to fear that things will pass you by. What's meant to happen will happen but we have to be brave enough to take those chances when they come along. Let yourself be open to change. </i></div>
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Something I saw on one of my favourite Instagram pages, The Insecure Girls Club, really struck a chord with me while I was thinking about this post.<br />
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That's what I want to keep in mind this year. For me, it's about trying not to overthink things so much or rather trying not to think myself out of things and rather into things instead. To be open to the things that could happen and the chance to be more than I am now.<br />
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Whatever your resolutions may be, I wish you all the best of luck!<br />
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<br />Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-55353373175294614482019-11-26T07:00:00.000+00:002019-12-15T20:20:01.720+00:00REVIEW: THE MAN WHO SAW EVERYTHINGYou might remember that some time ago I wrote a review of <i>Hot Milk</i> by Deborah Levy which was one of my favourite books of last year. It was incredibly written, thought-provoking, and totally absorbing. So when I saw Levy's new novel <i>The Man Who Saw Everything </i>in the bookstore I knew I had to get it. Saul Adler, a young historian, is hit by a car on his way to visit his girlfriend. Not long after that, they break up but not before she has photographed him walking across the famous Abbey Road. Saul leaves England to study in East Berlin in the months before the wall comes down. There he is assigned a German translator named Walter Muller and his time there becomes a mix of study and personal reflection. As we follow Saul's journey, piecing together the parts of his life we witness his attempts to understand his own past.<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i>"It was true that my wings were wounded. It was true that I had no idea how to endure being alive and everything that came with it. Responsibility. Love. Death. Sex. Loneliness. History." </i></div>
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Reading <i>The Man Who Saw Everything</i> is almost like piecing a puzzle together as you turn through the pages. This novel continues Levy's insightful analysis of identity but where <i>Hot Milk</i> delved into rediscovering and owning your own identity, this book not only looks at our own perceptions of identity but the ways other people see us and how we often misconstrue those views. Saul Adler, Levy's protagonist, often considers language in the novel but it's not just about the words we use but the ways we choose to use them. Walter Muller, the translator Saul is assigned in Berlin comments "the personality of the translator has to hide" and it's that sense of who we portray ourselves as versus who we really are that Levy traces throughout the whole novel.<br />
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It's hard to review <i>The Man Who Saw Everything</i> without giving away a lot of the plot but the novel's second half is where Levy's novel really tests the reader, as she begins to play with our understanding of time in the novel. As Saul tries to recall the moments from his past, inevitably blurred through the lens of his memory and the process of retrospection, what we really see is Saul trying to understand who he really is. Who was he to his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Moreau, to Walter Muller in Berlin, to his own family? Jennifer, a photographer, demonstrates this through the photographs she has taken of Saul and the strangeness feels at seeing himself in them, knowing others will read their own perceptions of them.<br />
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What becomes clear is Levy's analysis of the ways we're linked to the people of our past and how a past version of them always exists in us and further to that, the ways we're all inevitably a little self-centred. Saul isn't a particularly likeable character but despite that, I still wanted to know more about him and Levy's style leaves you desperate to understand the questions and inconsistencies she lays out for us throughout the novel. We're looking into the fragments of Saul's past and witnessing the spectres that taint his memories as he tries to piece together the moments he lived through. Perhaps the intended irony of Levy's title is that in reality, Saul <i>sees</i> very little of what surrounds him or rather that he only sees it filtered through his own perceptions until he is forced to really try to understand his life.<br />
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It's a fascinating read and one that really favours the value of exploring our perceptions and thought processes over any clear sense of resolution but it demonstates clearly the weight of all of our actions and the ways they will live with us throughout the year.s Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049885395687714785.post-16049577519855452522019-10-27T06:00:00.000+00:002019-10-27T06:00:03.792+00:00IN PRAISE OF SOLO OUTINGSSince I started drinking coffee at university (partly fuelled by my desperate desire to stay awake to study) and then becoming probably a little bit addicted to it, I always find myself admiring little coffee shops whenever I pass them. I can also while away an alarming amount of time scrolling through photos and flat lays of coffee shops and their interiors on Instagram and tend to jump at the opportunity for a coffee date with friends.<br />
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I love catching up with people over coffee, especially in a homey little coffee shop when you're surrounded by the hum of conversation and the intermittent whir of coffee machines. What I've also come to love though is taking myself out for coffee dates, just me and me. I remember a few years ago the idea of sitting alone in a coffee shop seemed slightly scary and a little pathetic as I narcissistically imagined that everyone would be subtly glancing at the loner on their own. I've discovered though that it is actually the opposite. Now I'm not going to start waxing poetical about how great it is to do something by yourself for yourself or whatever else but there is something distinctly special about taking yourself out. And I don't mean gulping down a coffee in the corner of a crammed cafe and then legging it, I mean finding a place you really like with a coffee to savour (and maybe a cake) and probably a book or a magazine as well. Often it's a little oasis for me, a way to purposefully make myself slow down.<br />
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I know it sounds a bit hipster coffee culture-ish but it's more than that really, it's more about trying not to be afraid to do things on my own. I remember talking to friends about it before and hearing some of them admit that they'd never feel comfortable sitting by themselves, let alone spending an hour or so doing that. I always wondered why but I supposed it was similar to me, stemming from the childlike fear that we still clutch to that winces at the idea of doing things alone. I guess that feeling of being "alone" is always scary in some ways but I tend to think of it less as being on my own and more as <i>choosing</i> to do something by myself.<br />
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It's true that I'm quite introverted and like a lot of people who are, I do value my own time and I cherish the quiet moments to recharge but I think it's something that everyone should cherish really. To take some time to just settle, to focus on something or to do the complete opposite and let it all go, that's part of what doing something by yourself allows. I think that spending time doing something soothing like this alone, whether it's going to a coffee shop, a museum, or a walk somewhere, is all the more valuable in those times when you feel stressed or in need of a moment of calm. So who cares if you're on your own, take yourself out on a coffee date and savour the moment - you deserve it. <br />
<br />Hannah Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382668900701697962noreply@blogger.com0