Self-isolating? Read These Books
The coronavirus is inducing a feeling of collective panic, one that I’m certainly not immune to and if you are self-isolating, or will be in the future, this might increase that anxiety. This is because it’s an interruption of daily life, reminding you that something is wrong but, even more so, it’s because self-isolating will probably encourage you to spend more time on your phone, seeking social engagement via the news and social media in place of finding it in the real world. And the news and social media are not very nice places to be right now. I’ve logged out of Twitter and am trying to spend less time on my phone generally, as the hysteria is multiplied tenfold on social media, with self-isolating being one of the most stressful things for many.
But instead of thinking about it as self-isolating, why not think about it as time off work to catch up on all the TV shows, films, reading and listening you’ve missed out on during the last few months? I think reading is a particularly good idea because it feels productive, unlike Netflix bingeing sessions, so it will hopefully stop you from feeling like you’re wasting time which could, in turn, cause more anxiety. But what to read? There’s so much choice!
Firstly, look at the books dotted around your bookshelves and home that you’ve been meaning to get round to but just haven’t had the chance yet. This is such a great time to get to those! If there aren’t any, instead of toilet roll, why not panic buy books? Things that were written before the word coronavirus became a part of our everyday vocabulary, so you can become somewhat oblivious to it (whilst still remembering to wash your hands!)
Any book will do, but if you don’t know where to start, here are some ideas that I think will be perfect during self-isolation…
the ‘lose yourself in another world’ book
This kind of book is ideal for times of anxiety, as it’s bound to get you out of your own head. A novel with a gripping, page-turning plot is perfect for this, which is great because these types of books exist across all genres and so there’s something out there for everyone. Fantasy would be a particularly good one though, for obvious reasons of escapism. This isn’t my genre of choice but I have been meaning to continue reading the Game of Thrones books so maybe now’s the time?
Here are some other ideas:
the ‘i’ve been meaning to read that’ book
We all have books that have been sat on our to-read pile, digital or physical, for a long time. According to GoodReads, I have 165. This is the perfect time to read them because it will make you feel like you’re putting your time to good use and ticking things off your to-do list! For many people, these books will be classic novels, either the traditional texts we think about when we say classics, some of which I’ve read and enjoyed, I have listed below, and modern classics. But this category will be different for everyone!
Here’s some ideas of books that I’ve read and enjoyed:
the ‘well it could be worse’ book
Approach this category with caution. These kinds of books might not be good for those who feel total hysteria about the world we’re living in but equally, they may remind you that what feels like an apocalyptic time has got nothing on what some writers’ minds have come up with. I’m talking about dystopian fiction, of course! It’s one of my favourite genres and for me, I think this would be a good thing to read during self-isolation, especially if it’s a dystopia that isn’t particularly concerned with health or the environment, which are two things that make me feel anxious at the moment for obvious reasons.
So here is a list of some great dystopian fiction that is not particularly focussed on health or the environment (although it inevitably does touch on them so maybe avoid this list if you don’t think it would be productive for you):
Exit West by Mosin Hamid (some would argue that this is more magical realism but I think it can also slot into the dystopia category)
the ‘relatable comfort blanket’ book
I think we all need a comfort blanket right now and luckily, there are so many books that act just like them! I’m talking about the books that you can see yourself in, the feel-good books with hope at their core, or at least somewhere in and amongst their pages. Self-care books aren’t really my thing but there are a number of books that, although don’t fall into the traditional category of self-care books, have acted as such for me.
Here are some of them:
the ‘I’m educating myself’ book
Like the books you just haven’t got round to, reading an educational book can help you to feel productive during a time when productivity levels are low. Educational is often synonymous with boring and dull but this certainly isn’t the case with some of the more informative books I’ve read. In fact, many of them have been empowering, enlightening and have made me excited about new ways of looking at the world, and inspired me to make changes, big and small.
Here are some of my favourites:
Hopefully after seeing all the wonderful books there are out there to read, you’re feeling more positive about the prospect of not leaving your home for the foreseeable or it at least seems more bearable!
If you aren’t currently self-isolating, do try and support your local book stores, whether it’s a Waterstones or an independent, and stock up on books there, as this will be a difficult time financially for them. If you’re unable to, I’ve added clickable Amazon links for every book I’ve mentioned!
Happy self-isolating or as I like to call it, happy-sitting-in-bed-and-reading-all-day-guilt-free-time <3
The Monthly Media Catchup: Everything I Read, Watched & Listened To | February 2020
February was a month of settling in to my final semester of university, which brought with it a bout of deadlines that arrived much earlier than usual. With all this writing came less reading, but lots of collapsing onto the couch with some feel good TV, even some films, which is so unlike me as I am, generally, someone who watches films exclusively at the cinema.
After this intense period of watching I am once again out of TV shows to watch, so please leave any recommendations in the comments (I only really like light-hearted TV because I 1. am a wimp and 2. use TV as a way to relax so don’t enjoy anything stressful.)
As always, let’s start with books, of which there was a mere three this month…
Books
Perfume by Patrick Suskind | ★★★★
This was the first book I had to read for a university module about humans, animals and their intersection (which is super interesting.) I’ve actually read this novel before, as Sam bought me it for my birthday a few years ago because we used to semi-ironically listen to Nirvana and this was Kurt Cobain’s favourite book. Following a man who has an abnormally strong sense of smell which defines his life from his birth to his death, it’s a very weird, unusual story. It’s written in a similar style to Vladimir Nabokov’s prose, which I love, so the style of writing was probably my favourite thing about it, but the hilarity of the strangeness of the story is also great.
Expectation by Anna Hope | ★★★
I was definitely influenced to read this book by its social media coverage, as lots of my favourite people to follow Instagram sung its praises. Whilst I enjoyed its plot and the issues it explored, motherhood and friendship being two of them, I found the writing style to be a little dull, which made certain moments have less impact, and limited it from surpassing a 3 star review. An easy, enjoyable read? Definitely! But it’s not one I’ll particularly remember or will go out of my way to recommend.
I’m trying to monitor whether I’m reading books because I saw them on social media and unthinkingly added them to my ‘to read list’ or if because there something I’m really interested in. Instead of relying on social media, I’m trying to discover new books more and more by wondering round bookshops and picking up books that intrigue me, reading their blurb and maybe a few pages, rather than taking so many recommendations off social media, as I think I’m beginning to lose my own taste in books.
Company Parade by Storm Jameson | ★★★★
This is the first in a series of Storm Jameson novels that I’ll be reviewing over the next couple months, as her fiction is the subject of my dissertation. Jameson is an author who sat on the margins of the modernist movement and has long been forgotten, but I became fascinated by her after studying one of her novels on a module last year and have decided to focus my dissertation on her work. If anyone’s interested, it’s about how she depicts clothing as uniquely powerful for her female characters- still working on my title.
This novel follows a young woman from Yorkshire who moved to London to pursue a career in writing in the post-WW1 years. It partly explores the trauma of war on society and individuals but what I love about Jameson’s fiction is her capacity, which is way ahead of its time, to authentically explore and depict young woman, who are often working-class, in a way that has philosophical and socio-economic importance. I like to think of her as Virginia Woolf but with more social commentary. This is a bit of a lazy comparison but I feel like it’s the best way to get people to read her work, which they should because it’s great and a shame that it’s been forgotten.
Tv
Next in Fashion | ★★★★
I was really excited about this show, mainly because it’s hosted by Tan France and Alexa Chung, a duo I didn’t know I needed, but that makes so much sense. Happily, it did not disappoint and I enjoyed every episode. The designers were all really great personalities but were, equally, incredibly talented designers (good job casting directors!) I loved watching the process behind each design and I think the themes for each week were well-chosen, plus, the guest judges were really impressive and not outdated at all, which I think they sometimes can be shows like this one.
(Mild spoiler: I really wanted the runner up to win, mainly because his looks on the sportswear week and the climate week were incredible. This is very weird for me because I’m generally uninterested in menswear, so this did ignite a minor identity crisis. But the winner’s ultra feminine final collection won me over the end which reassured me of my roots in womenswear.)
Crashing | ★★★★
Since finishing Fleabag, I’ve wanted to watch this series, also created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, but didn’t get round to it very quickly. I’m at once happy and sad that I finally did, happy because I finally watched it, sad because now it’s over. The humour is very much similar to that of Fleabag and although it isn’t quite as genius, it’s still a thoroughly enjoyable watch with weird and wonderful characters.
Love Is Blind | ★★★
This Netflix series really appealed to the part of me that is obsessed with the weirdness of American culture because, wow, is it weird. Weird in all the best ways that make great television, though.
I have to say though, as I watched the credits appear for the series finale, I felt my final brain cell slide begrudgingly down the side of my head, like a slug moving away from the grasp of a piece of kitchen roll. But we all need TV like this now again, especially when all your days are spent reading critical theory, there’s really nothing like good, sh*t TV.
Film
While we’re young | ★★★
I watched this at the beginning of the month, not solely because Adam Driver stars in it, but mostly that. It was a relaxed, funny watch and I really enjoyed it but it obviously hasn’t made that much of an impact on me because I can barely remember the plot. From what I can remember, it’s about a middle aged couple who become friends with a younger couple, sparking a mid-life crisis of sorts in which they try and re-live their youth.
parasite | ★★★★★
I’ve wanted to see Parasite for a while but, to be totally honest, I was put off a little bit because it’s a foreign language film and there’s subtitles. I thought this would make it a tiring watch requiring a lot of mental energy, especially in the cinema, but after the first 10 minutes, I didn’t even notice that I was reading subtitles rather than listening to words. The plot of this film was phenomenal, the humour mirrored my own down to a tee and the twists and turns it took consistently shocked me but made total sense. The social commentary running throughout it was also so affecting, without it being in-your-face, and completely universal, transcending language and countries. One of the best films I’ve watched in a long time.
booksmart | ★★★★
This is the perfect easy-to-watch, feel-good and hilarious film. I love that more films about female friendship are being made and I love that Beanie Feldstein is being cast in them because she is simply great.
fighting with my family | ★★★
When I suggested to Sam that we should watch a film about wrestling he was very confused. “Florence Pugh’s in it,” I explained. he was still confused. “She was in Little Wome-”, “Oh okay, I get it.”
I actually really enjoyed this film. Again, like Booksmart, it was easy to watch, funny and, at times, heartwarming. But I wasn’t always convinced by the script which was sometimes cliched and cringeworthy.
honourable mentions
particular podcast episodes, articles or any other bits of culture that don’t fit into any of the above cateogories
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
As an English Literature student whose current sole purpose is to read fiction, people often tell me that they want to get into reading, whether they've fallen out of the habit or never made one. Despite the fact that I've always loved reading since I was little and now have to do it as part of my degree, there are still times when I also get out of the habit. I never stop enjoying it I just sometimes forget how much I enjoy it.
This was particularly the case during high school when my priorities were very different to what they had been before this period and what they are now. It took actually reading a book that I liked in school (which didn't really happen until I was around 16 as I think before then I'd read a total of one book as part of my studies and that was Holes by Louis Sachar that I honestly think we spent around a year reading as a class) to get me back into reading. My love of reading was re-ignited by studying English then, but most people who talk to me about wanting to start reading aren't really ever going to study English Literature again, so they're not going to have the same opportunity as I did to really get back into it.
So, I thought I'd make a post on how to get out of a reading slump (whether it's a month, a year or 10 years long). They happen to me all the time even though I know how much I love reading so I always have ways prepared to get out of them
FYI: I'd just like to point out that reading isn't for everyone and, if it isn't for you, that's nothing to be ashamed of. Through spending a great deal of my time with other English students, I've come to realise that liking reading is often held up on a pedestal, signifying not only your academic intelligence but your emotional intelligence. But this just isn't true- liking books really doesn't automatically make you a better person! Some people just don't like books and never will. If that's you, don't feel pressure to read this post or to read a book.
But... on the other hand, if you've never given reading a proper go then you may as well try, maybe you just didn't start with the right genre for you? For me reading is a source of escapism, relaxation and positivity so don't rule it out just cause you've never tried it. Although I feel like a bit of a hypocrite in saying that as I've never properly tried an olive and never will- the smell nauseates me :)
Anyway, here's my tips...
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
1. Always Have A Book With You
This is probably the tip that really got me back into reading or at least led me to start reading a lot more often than I originally was. People often say take a book with you if you're going to be on public transport, which you definitely should do, but don't just stop there, take a book literally everywhere. Whether you're just popping out the house to go to the supermarket or you're going on a weekend away in which you're planning on being extremely busy (and even drunk) all weekend, you never know when you're going to be delayed, in a queue, or forced to be waiting around for something.
After establishing the habit of taking a book everywhere with you, you then have to make a habit of picking your book out of your bag rather than your phone when you have a spare minute or 10. I still struggle with this all the time but I always feel much happier and like I'm using my time better when I choose to pick up my book instead of my phone, so I try and keep that in mind.
So whether you know you're going to have time to read a book, or you're certain you definitely won't, never leave the house without one, because life is unpredictable and you never know when you might thank yourself for doing so!
2. Set Yourself a 'Reading Time'
Half of the struggle of not reading is just forgetting to; letting Netflix roll on to the next episode without the thought of turning it off even popping into your head, letting 5 minutes of Instagram scrolling turn into an hour. There's so many distractions in our life, many of them digital, and books don't have push notifications like so many of these other things do to remind you to use them. You have to consciously decide to start reading, even if the idea of staying on Instagram feels easier.
So, to combat this, work reading into your routine. Set a time every day when you're going to read. For me, this is in the evening time just before I go to bed. Others do it in the morning, some people on their lunch break, whatever works for you! I personally like doing it before I go to bed because it really allows me to escape into another world and leave all the worries and stresses that are in mine behind, so I can have a restful night's sleep. But I know some people can hardly read a paragraph before they go to bed without falling asleep mid-sentence, so just try different times out and see which ones work.
Remember not to feel guilty if you don't feel like reading sometimes though! At times, you just won't and turning it into a chore won't help. Try and remember the positive reasons as to why you want to read and hopefully they'll motivate you to stick to your 'reading time' but if they don't, no problem, try again tomorrow.
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
3. Find a Good Book That You Actually Want To Read
Now this one sounds obvious. And it is. But I feel like to get back into reading you have to become infatuated with a book, in order to really feel like picking up another one. So it's important that you start with a good one. Don't set yourself the task of reading that classic Dickens novel that you've always wanted to read. That one can wait. Start with a page-turner that's going to get you hooked and excited!
Think about the types of films and TV you like to watch and find your favourite genres in books, whether it's crime, romance or dystopia. If you're really passionate about about something, from feminism, to sport, to music, find a book with themes that incorporate your interests! These are the things that you already enjoy so use them to find a book that you'll like.
Like I said, I'd recommend getting back into reading with a page-turner to get you excited, so here are some of my favourite page-turners of all different genres:
4. Read With Others
For me, talking about a book is often just as enjoyable as reading it, which is a big part of the reason why I chose to study English Literature at university. But you don't need to be studying English to talk about a book you've read and, often, it's a lot more enjoyable and less pressurised and pretentious to talk about books more casually.
So why not join a book club? Whether it's an IRL one or an online one, it will be a good way of not only holding you accountable to read but also to make reading a more sociable thing. I used to run a feminist book club for Girls Against and I loved running it as it meant that I always engaged with the book we read so much more than I usually would and, therefore, enjoyed it more. I had to stop doing it because I'm currently reading 3(ish) books a week for UNI so the pressure of having to read another one a month on top of that was a little bit too much. But obviously my reading load is unique so hopefully joining a book club won't involve that type of pressure for you.
If you feel as though it does or just don't think it will be your thing, then it's worth just getting a friend or two involved and see if they want to read the same book as you for the next month or so. You can then text and talk about it as you go and when you've finished it without the formalities of an actual meeting to discuss it. A good thing to do, if you have a friends birthday coming up or, dare I mention the C word, for Christmas, is to buy two copies of a book you want to read and think a friend will enjoy, one for you and one as a gift for them. It's the gift that keeps on giving for both of you!
5. Try Audiobooks
Finally, if you just cannot find the time (although, I think it's always worth making time to read) or if your attention span isn't allowing you to read, try to start out with an audiobook. You can listen to it while you're driving, cleaning or getting ready in the morning but it still requires your attention. Some people prefer this to actually reading books but I also think it could be a good way of training your attention span up to the point of being able to read a written book.
I've personally never properly clicked with audiobooks. I did listen to Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love earlier in the year and enjoyed that more than I think I would have in written form, but I haven't found any other audiobooks that have had the same effect on me. So if anyone knows of any I'd love your recommendations! Despite the fact that I'm not head over heels for them, audiobooks definitely do work for some people so they're worth a go. I think Audible offer a free 30 day trial so that might be worth looking into!
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
I really feel like settling down with my book for the rest of the night after writing this post so I hope you feel the same way! Like I said, reading is such a positive thing for me and, as much as I love social media and our digital age, I think the way in which reading has fallen out of fashion because of it is a shame and a loss for a lot of people. So even if you're only considering it a little bit, definitely give reading a go, whether it's an old friend of yours or one you've never truly got on with, there's a book (or a thousand) out there for most people.
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
Are Words Dying Out?
Are Words Dying Out?
Photography by Ell Field.
I'm back today with a more 'thoughtful' post (i.e writing about something that's been on my mind that has nothing/very little to do with the photos I share alongside it). These types of posts, as opposed to posts about fashion and style, tend to be my favourite ones to write and tend to be received the best upon sharing so you'll probably be seeing much more of them on my blog. I've even created a new category to my blog called 'Thoughts & Musings' to allow myself this space on my blog, so do head over there after reading this post to read more of these types of posts. Also, final sort-of disclaimer before starting the post, you may have noticed that I haven't been posting on my blog as much recently, which isn't down to lack of wanting to do so but a lack of time as I have been working A LOT. For now, my aim is to get up a blog post once a week on Sunday evenings but don't be surprised to see an extra post up (probably on Wednesdays or Fridays) on the weeks when I'm working a little bit less.
Anyway, let's move on to the discussion point of this post, something that's very close to my heart, words. I've always been a reader and a writer, both in and out of school. As an English Literature student, I spend most of my time doing these two things during the academic year and as an avid reader and someone with a blog, I spend most of my free time doing the same two things. I simply love words (hence the name of this blog), whether I'm reading them or writing them. But in an age where most of our communication and entertainment is in the format of photos, videos and even voice-notes, are words simply unnecessary? As you can probably guess, I'd argue against this and although I love Instagram, Netflix and Snapchat as much as the next person, I get the most satisfaction through reading something that is above the 140 character (or is it 280 characters now?) limit and writing something longer than an Instagram caption.
Are Words Dying Out?
This post isn't designed to be an insult to anyone who doesn't enjoy reading or writing because not everyone does, and I'm not going to act all high and mighty just because I do! To my shame, I'm really not interested in anything remotely science-y and I even find Blue Planet (maybe stop reading now if you're a big fan) pretty boring. Everyone has different interests and they're definitely not always as simple as preferring English to Maths or History to Science but sometimes people simply do not like reading or writing and that is fine. The problem today, in my opinion, is that many people don't know whether they do or not because today's fast-moving, visual-orientated society doesn't give them a chance to find out. When I was listening to The High-Low podcast the other day (10/10 would recommend), someone sent a question in asking about how to improve their attention span in order to be able to read for longer, worried that social media had essentially shrunken theirs. The discussion that ensued following this was so interesting. Pandora and Dolly discussed how social media essentially provides quick-fixes to everything, allowing you to consume so much varied information in one go, which is perhaps why the 'task' of reading one book that is on one topic sounds like too much and boring for many people. After this, they thankfully assured their readers that it is impossible for our attention spans to 'shrink' and that, with practice, almost anyone can become an attentive reader. Despite this, it is still interesting to think about how social media is changing our habits and our ways of thinking.
Even as someone who loves to read I still find myself reaching for my phone rather than a book 90% of the time, a habit that I'm trying to change, and skipping through articles to the 'important bit' and ignoring most of what has been written. I think this is part of the way modern life is becoming more and more fast-paced and social media is obviously becoming such a big part of it. Since starting my blog I've found that I'm on my phone even more now but, because I use social media to promote and go alongside my blog, I can kind of count it as being productive. And it is a lot more productive and positive than it used to be, but I know that turning to a book or an article would be much more beneficial for my brain and my mental health than scrolling through Instagram for the 20th time that day.
Are Words Dying Out?
Finally, I wanted to discuss how the gradual death of words is affecting blogging. I only started my blog a few months ago but it's already clear to me that people would rather scroll through my Instagram than scroll through my blog, which is fine because scrolling through my Instagram is less time-consuming and probably a quicker way to get to know me and see what I've been up to. Does this mean that blogs are going extinct? I don't think so. I think/hope that there will always be people who love to gobble up words as much as I do and therefore blogs will always be able to survive through them, if not on such a large scale as photos do on Instagram. I think there is an element of compromising as well because putting a blog post up without photos is pretty much a no-go, which is saying something in itself. This can sometimes be annoying for me because sometimes I want to discuss something and don't have the photos to go with it but I also understand this need for a visual aid and enjoy it myself. I compromise with this by just adding photos to a blog post that are, more often than not, unrelated to the topics that I'm discussing. And this seems to go down with readers of this blog just fine!
So until words truly do die a death, which I know the book-lovers of the world would never allow to happen anyway, I will continue writing on this blog, whether anyone reads it or not! And if you are someone who likes reading or writing but perhaps has fallen out of it, there's no time quite like the present to start again- you could even take a look at my blog post on the best holiday reads for some reading inspiration! I'd love to hear your thoughts on how social media is affecting our reading and writing habits and maybe even some ways to ensure that you still get your dose of words in the comments or on social media.
Are Words Dying Out?
Are Words Dying Out?
Are Words Dying Out?