The Underground Railroad

Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad is the story of Cora and her escape to freedom from the cruel bondage of slavery in America. It is written in the third person POV, following Cora, Caesar, the slavecatcher Ridgeway and a number of other characters.

Cora lives on a cotton plantation somewhere in the middle of Georgia. She was born there and both her mother and grandmother have lived there. So it is all she has known. Even though she is outcasted from society--especially after the death of her grandmother and after her mother escapes--, she is still marginalised in the black community, where she was kicked out of the cabin she lived in with her grandmother and other women on the plantation. She was sent to live with women who were sort of abolished, since the black people on the plantation can't really fire anyone technically. A new addition to the black slaves is Caesar, who comes off as a tough man with no time to waste. He has tasted the comfort of the illusion of freedom and wants more. He talks Cora into escaping from the plantation to New York.
Various narratives are embossed in every chapter, depicting the horror black people have lived through during those times.
It is shocking, heartbreaking and gut wrenching. Easily a page turner, keeping the reader on edge throughout. The prose is just excellent and lives up to its strong concept.

However, I don't think there is any character development for anyone, especially Cora. The secondary characters were not developed at all, and sometimes I thought "okay, this one is mentioned just to fill a gap". The underground railroad itself is very interesting and you can tell how much research Whitehead has done, but it isn't represented enough in the book.

A fantastically horrific book to read and a must for everyone!

2017 Goals and Resolutions

Hello! Sorry for the very spar posts ... I honestly have no excuse. However, I had no WiFi for about 2-3 weeks since we moved to a new flat. Actually, I still don't have any, we're borrowing from the neighbours but it's so slow! I know, I know, excuses, excuses.
I still want to lay out my goals and ambitions for this year. I don't get why some people hate doing this, it really helps get things in perspective. I do agree, however, with the "don't wait for the new year" to achieve what you want; you should always be working towards your goals! Which is why my resolutions are more continuous of the previous year, there are only very few new tweaks here and there.
I am going to divide my resolutions between two categories; my normal life ones and my reading goals for the year.
So, here is what I am hoping to achieve with my reading this year:
1. Read Shakespeare: I bought this really hefty collection of all of Monsieur Shakespeare's works, including both his plays and sonnets. It's a Wordsworth edition. I want to read every month 1-2 plays in hopes to finish the collection this year. There are so many so I am not going to push myself to read all but I hope I get a good amount done!
2. Read the Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie: Continuing with this from the end of last year. I just started reading Agatha Christie and my god have I missed out! I very recently got into crime, both true and fiction -- in movies, books, tv shows and even podcasts -- so Christie is fairly new to me. I've got two down so far and many more to go!
3. Read Arabic books: I don't read any Arabic. At all. Last year I only read one Arabic novel, one. To be fair, I never had a liking to reading in Arabic. Growing up, I guess the ones I did were poorly chosen and they kind of made me not like reading in Arabic. However, I got a good number of recommended books from some friends who eat up Arabic novels. I am trying to read one a month. I did already fail reading one in January but February is not over yet!
4. Classics! I feel like the majority of readers have this as their reading resolution, more classics! There are just so many and there is a vast number of the major classics that I know nothing about. And as an English literature graduate, I am ashamed. I don't want to pressure myself with the classics though because then they will feel like a chore and I would just put them off. I will be giving them as much time as hey need and not rush them.
5. Series: There are a few series I would like to venture into this year: His Dark Materials, The Lord of the Rings, (reread) Harry Potter, A Song of Ice and Fire to name a few. Of course, Miss Marple series as well. As I read throughout the year there will be more series or continuing series from previous years that I haven't got round to finishing yet. I've never read The Lord of the Rings because I just wasn't into that sort when I was younger, we've had the book for ages there's no front cover any more; it's ripped off!

As for my personal resolutions, they are more basic ones that I try to do every single day but I'm trying to make them more habits. I'm also tracking them down on paper; I've started bullet journaling.
1. Eat better: This goes hand in hand with the previous goal. I am not a fast food eater nor do I overeat. I just don't eat that well. My diet is not really balanced and I want to wane myself off of carbs for a while and have lots of fibre. I'm doing really well since I'm not really addicted to food. In fact, I could go hours without eating. My initial problem is inactivity and not the food. I know that when on a diet, 70% is the way you eat and 30% is  exercise. I am working really hard! I just hope it keeps up.
2. Workout every night before bed: Now this is excluding the regular exercise that I'm doing 5 times a week. I want to do a 15-30 min workout before I call it a night every night.
3. Go out for walks more: I have been walking quite a lot but not enough. I typically do 1 hour of walking 2-3 times a week. Rates need to go higher!
4. Take care of my skin: This year I want to really invest in proper skincare and see what works and doesn't with my skin. I think it is very important and I want to be able to keep it hydrated and looking youthful for as long as possible.
5. Get a job: This is silly to write down as a resolution but I am really struggling with finding a job and kick starting a career. I'm just really hoping this year I'd be able to find something. I have found nothing since I graduated.
6. Try to be positive: I usually tend to be quite anxious about things and I can be really down on myself sometimes. I want to be able to be optimistic. You see life how you feel. I want to be a lot more positive to see the beauty in life.
So, these are what I'm going to get done in 2017. I'm hoping next year I can look back at this post and be like "yep, ticked this one and that one, actually I've done them all!"
Hope anyone who's reading this is doing extremely well with your resolutions and happy new year! x

November Reading Wrap Up

Sadly, this November I've had a very slow reading month. I feel like I was stuck in a slum, nothing really excited me to read although I have hundreds on my reading list. However, this is what I got round to reading.

The Virgin Suicides

After putting this book down, I immediately thought "how the hell am I going to write a review for this?" It is very hard hitting, personally, as a female. In a sentence, the book is about struggling girls and the pressures they are put under from society and their parents.
Jeffery Eugenides's The Virgin Suicides is a very unconventional story. I think Eugenides made the book unique by giving it a different POV than the typical. The setting is an American suburb in the 70's. The story is told by high school boys who are obsessed with their a group of sisters that attend their school. We never really find out much about the boys as we read, they really only talk to the readers about the girls. The Lisbon sisters, Therese, Mary, Bonnie, Lux and Cecilia, have very strict parents who calculate their every move and don't really allow them to do much on their own; they do everything as a group.
The story starts with the youngest, Cecilia, found in the bathtub with slit wrists in a wedding dress. One of the boys admits to finding her as he snuck in the house. Cecilia survives but remains the talk of the town for a while. Some people decide that the girls are under so much pressure from their mother and father, others think she just wants attention. However, Cecilia's psychiatrist decides that it is a cry for help and tells the parents the girls need to socialise with boys their own age. This is how our boys telling the tale are invited to a party in the Lisbon basement and meet the girl they are constantly talking about and spying on. They have even accumulated some of their items they stole from them somehow. During the party, Cecilia asks to be excused and then successfully commits suicide. The rest of the story is more or less waiting for the boys to get to the part when all girls kill themselves.
After the girls go to a school dance, a couple of months after Cecilia's death. Lux disappears into the night with her charming date who supposedly had girls dropping at his feet but wanted Lux. She is seen by the neighbour returning home just around 1 am or so. After this, the girls are in lock down; they were not going to school or even leaving the house. The only time the boys see them is when Lux sneaks boys and has sex with them on the roof or when one of them going into the garden to catch a breath of air late at night. The girls are desperate, they try to communicate with the boys. They succeed by playing records on the phone by both ends.
The girls give in to the pressure, the only way they have to rebel from the societal system is through suicide; refusing to live and play by the rules that suffocate them so.

13 Reasons Why

UGH. How is this book popular? I am genuinely so confused.
The story is of a girl names Hannah Baker who has committed suicide but before doing so, she has recorded 13 tapes giving reasons, and blaming others, of why she is was going to kill herself. Our protagonist is the scapegoat Clay, who we learn throughout the book that Hannah had a crush on him. Hannah gives instructions that every name mentioned in the tapes is bound to listen to them as well as pass them down to these said names. Otherwise, as Hannah threatens, the tapes would published for all to hear. She has also included a map for those who would like to visit areas mentioned in the tapes.
This book is a joke. Hear me out though. I read this because a friend of mine liked it so I thought I'd give it a go.
The thing with these types of books is that they romanticise suicide. They make it sound "cool". To be honest, they was no valid reason for Hannah to kill herself. And the fact that she went through the trouble of creating tapes and blaming others is just desperately crying for attention. I know that the previous book is about five girls killing themselves but that book had a very feminist, psychological message to come across. This book just made suicide seem like it's a trendy thing to do.
This book is just garbage. NO ONE READ IT!

New Music This Month

The Healing Component - Mick Jenkins 

Third album dropped by rapper Mick Jenkins, The Healing Component is probably the most soul-heavy, cinematic, lyrical rap I have heard, at least this year. I feel like Jenkins really poured himself in this album. The songs came off as something personal. America is going through some shit, especially when Jenkins was composing and writing this album; Black Lives Matter, Trump and whatnot. Jenkins is showing his reaction to everything in his music, in the beauty of the way he writes. In accordance, Jenkins brings the element of god and Jesus in his songs. They're not centred around god but he does incorporate him here and there. He is trying to show us, his listeners, the only way to advance and move forward is through the healing component, love. The love of god, loving ourselves, loving others, loving where you come from... etc.

"Spread love/ fuck a dollar" , Prosperity (feat. Themind) - Mick Jenkins.

He stresses in some of his songs how money and politics are blinding us from seeing what is good in the world, from seeing how love could heal the evil nature of a man who is obsessed with money. He even incorporates the differences of social classes and how the lower classes eat the shit most of the time.
Mick Jenkins' aesthetic is kind of soft and gentle rap contrasting with the heavy-hearted wording of his songs. He doesn't choose to make his works with a loud, cheesy beat but rather easy on the ears. I feel like that's what makes him unique. He did it with The Water[s], he did it again with The Healing Component.
The cover of the album is so beautiful and I'm sure you'd agree it goes with the whole theme. The choice of colours, the intricacy all goes without saying, reflects the work in his songs. I find it very eye-catching, personally, since I am interested in music that is philosophical and gets you thinking. Sure, I enjoy a good beat every now and then, but usually, I would rather listen. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way, which is why I think this album will appeal to you.
Even if you don't enjoy rap, you might like this album, very much recommended.


A Seat at the Table - Solange Knowles 

This. Woman. 
Wow, wow, wow...

I did not know what to expect from her new album. I confess I haven't listened to her previous album True, so I went into this completely blind. Nevertheless, I was so taken aback with this piece of art.
Solange is a blast from the past and a glimpse of the future, she is way ahead of today's music, at the same time, this is what soul and R&B was. You can take it as neo-soul or neo-R&B, if there's such a thing. The style is quite slow for my liking, but there's just something about it. It's so fresh, so artistic, so heartfelt, her music just has so much depth and meaning to it. Damn, Solange.
People keep comparing the Knowles sisters, but you have to understand they are on two different lanes, musically.
The album focuses on the topic of strong black voices. She stresses how both black men and woman have always struggled and are still struggling in this white man's world. This album is just so personal. There are tales being told in her lyrics, in her poetry.
I had to research this because it just moved me, but the track "Where Do We Go", is the story about how her father and coworker got trapped in the mine they were working in as it collapsed and the company refused to offer any form of help. Luckily, most of her father's family worked at the mine so they all went out together and dug them out. Now the comapny of course was furious at the disobeying of the rules and fired them all, not long before they gave some of them they're jobs back. This, however, created a tear in the family of those who refused and those who accepted. After knowing this story, I listen to the track differently; it feels just so much deeper and necessary.
This album is just purely remarkable.
After telling the tragic tales of indurance and patience, Solange moves on to telling us listeners that she will continue on her journey and move forward, but she is allowing us to embark and join her. She also warns against letting others determine your self-worth.
I had to include this quote of Solange's talking about the album:
“The album ends with Master P saying that we are the chosen ones. That shouldn’t make anyone feel uncomfortable because, for us, as a people to literally go through the journey that we have, endured what we have, and to be where we are right now, we have had to be chosen in a sense. I think that there’s a thread of regality that I wanted to constantly project through the horns, through the sonics of the record, or through the visuals because we are typically not projected as such. But we have always been just that. And a huge part of the record is just honoring and giving a tribute to my parents.”
Listen to this masterpiece.

24K Magic - Bruno Mars

Okay. Here it is, a new Bruno Mars piece.
The album contains 9 tracks, all embezzled with a funky, classic feel to them.
Bruno can do no wrong. I freaking love him. I always have, ever since Hooligans. His voice is just so unique and sexy, and the album contains techniques of a modernised 70's disco. Even so, he still instills 80's and 90's music styles into this album. Just a great, utter throwback.
Bruno's music is fun to listen to, fun to dance to with a great beat to them. He does also include slower songs that are more sentimental.
The thing is, and I know this might come off as ridiculous, it sounds more like a summery kind of album. I don't even know if that makes sense. I enjoyed listening to the songs but they'd be more appreciated if it was dropped in the warmer weather. Silly? It does sound so, I don't know.
I have heard people comparing "24K Magic" to "Uptown Funk", lots saying they are quite similar. Seriously, as brilliant as the song "Uptown Funk" is, when are people going to realise it's not really Bruno Mars' song? I don't really see it's similarity.
The second half of the album is really slow, and I actually got a bit bored since that is not what I typically enjoy. I feel like the song "Straight Up & Down" was just thrown in there for the sake of it, it just feels like it's awkwardly filling a gap.
All in all, the album is enjoyable but I feel like it could be forgettable for me.

Day Breaks - Norah Jones

Norah Jones returns with a sixth album. Jones has one of the silkiest, softest voices out there. Her tunes are flourished in jazzy, folk and blues tones. It's such a midnight kind of album.
At the beginning, the tracks start strong. Lyrically and musically, the first half are brilliant; they have strong, poignant messages. She talks about injustice and peace, and in "Flipside", there's a clear message about rioting, gun violence and racism. It has a very clear socio-political undertone.
Moving on to the rest of the album, it gets slower and sappier. I enjoyed it but I felt my eyes dropping, in a good way. She just has such a calming voice, so smooth and unique. She could have the very trendy, very "in", ASMR kind of calming vocals. Yet, her voice is still quite powerful.
I'm not one for music videos but the one for "Carry On" is just so sweet.
What I really love about Jones is that she is a needle in the haystack of the music industry. She doesn't feel the need to fit in and create music like every other shit track that is popular right now. She sticks to her guns, I find that quite brave.
If you are into jazzy rhythms and tones, this could be the perfect album for you! Give it a listen!

There have been loads of new music dropping these past couple of months but this is what I got round to listening to, let me know what you have been enjoying and what you'd recommend! xx

October Movies Review

The English Patient

This was my first time watching the English Patient. What a masterpiece. I absolutely loved it! As soon as I was done, the movie immediately went to my top ten list.
The story is based on the novel The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. A classic love affair during the war time. A badly burnt pilot is found and cared for in the Sahara desert amidst a plane crash, and transferred to move with an Italian troop. As they are travelling, his nurse, Hana, finds an abandoned monastery where she decides to care for him. Hana believes everyone around her will always get hurt, and she knows for a fact her patient is a dying man. Through flashbacks, the story of the patient is revealed. His name is Count Laszlo de Almasy, roaving the desert in attempt to map the African landscape. His expedition group is joined by an English couple of explorers who spend most of their time in the Egyptian heat, exploring the tombs and artefacts. Almasy starts to develop an interest for the wife, Katherine Clifton, and usually asks about her. After her husband has to return to England for a short time, Almasy and Katherine have an affair. Katherine later ends the affair but not long enough, Geoffrey, her husband, finds out. Almasy was near one of the caves they discover packing up, when Geoffrey attempts a murder-suicide, killing himself and injuring Katherine. Almasy carries her to the cave, leaves her with provisions and leaves to seek help.
During this time, Hana learns to heal her own pain while fending for a dying man.
I know this is an older movie but I'll stop there in case someone has not watched it. If you haven't, watch it tonight! It is very well written and performed. Absolutely brilliant.


Shutter

October is Halloween month and I very well did watch a fair share of horror and thriller movies. Quite a lot actually, but I'm only going to mention those that were new to me.
This movie opens with our protagonists' wedding, Ben and Jane. Ben is a photographer and turns their honeymoon into a working opportunity in Japan. As they are driving up a mountain at night, Jane hits a woman who appears out of thin air. They stop the car to check on her, but just as she appeared, she disappears. Ben convinces Jane it was nothing and they continue driving. Jane still feels uneasy the coming days as she feels she can see the woman everywhere, as it she were haunting her. Ben then starts seeing her ghostly silhouette in the photos he snaps as he's developing them.
The ghost of the girl becomes stronger the longer they are staying in Japan. She starts attacking in the late night hours or in the bright daylight. The movie has a fair few jumpscares that catch you off guard, but it isn't that terribly scary.
It does take a very unexpected twist in the last twenty minutes or so. It is kind of a plot twist, not particularly mind blowing. Still an enjoyable movie though!




Train to Busan

OH.MY.GOD. This movie.... This has to be one the best movies I've seen this year! It is so so so good! I was seeing this movie being talked about EVERYWHERE. It is only my second Korean movie, but instant love!
A zombie outbreak suddenly occurs in South Korea. A little girl, Soo-an, lives with her father and grandmother after her parents divorce. Her dad, Seok-woo, is constantly working and is barely at home, that he forgets her birthday and buys her a gift she already has. All Soo-an wants is her family back together again. She begs him to go see her mother with her. Seok-woo agrees to take the train to see her mother. They're packed up and ready to go. We are shown the different passages on the train, from the elderly to a group of teenagers, to businessmen and families on the train. As they are leaving, a homeless man suddenly jumps into the train with so much fear in his face, as well as a girl who seems to have injured her knee. Nope, she was bitten. Soo-an also gets a glimpse of someone thrown on the floor and attacked by a zombie outside her window as the train moves.
The bitten women is on the floor as one of the stewards tries to attend to her and is bitten as a result. It becomes a chain reaction thing. The passengers on the train try to survive as the cities around them are falling apart and are inflicted, as well as the train. The train engineer receives news that Busan is still open to the train and they are trying to keep things under control. That's where they head, with a lot more struggle along the way.
It is just so so incredibly amazing! The actors, the storyline, the cinematography is out of this world. A must must watch to anyone who is reading this right now. Even if zombies aren't really your thing, I'm not really that crazy about them myself, but just watch it. This is a true personification of how a parent would sacrifice anything for their child.


Me Before You

There is a brief summary of the Me Before you book in my previous post so I won't repeat myself. I really wanted to watch the movie, because umm hello? Emilia Clarke? Yes. She is so good in the film.
I wanted to watch this after I read the book as per usual. It was quite good! They did stick to the book mostly, but they did leave out a big portion (I won't spoil which bit though). It didn't ruin the movie or the storyline, I actually thought it was mentioned like in the spur of the moment in the book, like it was a random thought Moyes had. The producers said they didn't want the movie to become about Lou and how she moves on from the incident (that's all I'll say) but rather, they wanted the movie to center around ceasing life and taking advantage of every opportunity you get since it is typically short, and the fact that you can't predict what life will throw at you, good or bad.
Quite cliche, yes, but very well performed and filmed. As I mentioned in my reading wrap up, it is unconventional, so it's like rephrasing the cliche in a somewhat original way.
All in all, loved it, cried a bit, would recommend!



An American Crime

On another note, An American Crime is one of the cringiest film I've seen in a while. It's no new by any means but I hadn't seen it before.
The film is a true story which revolves around two sisters, Sylvia and Jennie, who's parents travel around the country working with the carnival. The parents usually leave them with relatives so they can go to school for the year. This time the father leaves them with a devoreced mother, Gertrude, who he just met, and already is juggling six children of her own.
Gertrude is struggling financially and is under a lot of stress, we learn early on that she prostitutes herself and her youngest is a result of it.
At the beginning, the sisters got along with the daughters they moved in with. Sylvia bonds with the eldest, Paula, and they became quite close. Paula goes behind her mother's back to see a married man who she calls her boyfriend; however, he has no interest in her. Paula gets herself into trouble but Gertrude lets out her frustration on Sylvia, forcing her to do horrible things to herself. The girls try to contact their parents, but they were betrayed by the kids who told the mother.
Eventually, Gertrude locks her in the basement and performs all kinds of torture to her. She even lets the neighbourhood kids join in, kids that Sylvia went to school with. In the end, she dies from starvation and infections from her wounds.
The movie can be quite gory to some who might be sensitive or squeamish. I still cannot believe this was something that actually happened. The fact the kids willingly joined in is just baffling to me. The way they laughed, they way she begged... just disgusting.
Lastly, I think Ellen Page playing Sylvia did a really good job, as she always does.


Bad Moms

This was such a fun movie! Finally a comedy that actually made me laugh. I loved this so much!
Amy is a mother of two who married young to a great husband. She is always rushing around, either working or doing things for others. She feels so exhausted from everything til one day she is fed up. She befriends two other moms who encourage her to live for herself a little bit more, especially after she caught her husband wanking off with another girl online. They dress her up and push her to go out. On the other scale of things, the moms at school are having a PTA election. Gwendolyn, the perfect image of a mom and has a clique of perfect moms of her own, typically wins every year. Amy decides to go up against her. She throws a huge party inviting all the moms who let loose and go wild. This editing of this part of the movie was so epic.

Lights Out

Last but not least, the last movie I will be speaking of is Lights Out. I saw the trailer months back and could not wait for the release, I was sold.
Late-night worker is closing up to leave for home when he notices a silhouette in the dark. He immediately notices the creature goes no where near the light, so he attempts to run for sanctuary in his well lit office. Not for two long. We learn of his family; he has a step daughter, Rebecca, a son, Martin, and the wife who suffers from depression and is on medication. Martin starts to notice the heaviness of darkness in his own home. He even thinks he sees a shadow lurking about. He moves in with his sister but the shadow still follows him there. Rebecca also notes the shadow in her flat and tries to come closer to her. As they are haunted by this girl figure, Rebecca learns more about her mother and her illness. She also learns about a girl her mother was best friends with at the institute she lived at when she was a young girl. Turns out the girl haunting them is one of the patients named Diana. Diana is jealous she doesn't have the mother all to herself. She was not about to have that and would do anything to get her back.
Great movie. I absolutely enjoyed it. It has a fair number of jump scares and I was proper scared for days. I slept with the lights on for a few nights!