Penguin Books
Monday Rundown – That’s What She Read
book, book blogger, book blogging, book haul, books, classics, currently reading, Dickens, Jim Carrey, Man Booker, Margaret Atwood, Netflix, Penguin Books, recently watched, Shakespeare- TUESDAY’S REVIEWS – Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)
I’ve been waiting for this documentary to come to Netflix for so long and, when it finally did, I couldn’t wait any longer to watch it. Was it worth it? Find out in my review here.
- BOOK POST – The Guilty Reader Tag
Amazing! I finally have something to say for this section of my rundown. It’s not very inspiring but this tag might give you a little bit of insight into who I am as a person. Find out for yourself here.
- TBT – Man on the Moon (1999)
I couldn’t not watch Jim and Andy and then miss the chance to (re)watch the original film. Did the behind the scenes view have an impact on my viewing? Find out in my TBT post here.
- Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
- Autumn by Ali Smith
- Cheap book haul
So I bought a couple of new books when I found them on offer on Amazon for Cyber Monday and I also snagged a few new Vintage Penguins. Amazing result.
- Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie – I bizarrely don’t seem to have a copy of this book anymore so I couldn’t resist the gorgeous new (I think) hardback edition from Harper Collins. Plus, it was also only £4. Genius.
- Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood – Another cheap buy and one that I’ve wanted for ages. Although, I’ve have a few of these Shakespeare rewritings on my shelf for a while and never got anywhere with them. The Tempest really isn’t my favourite play but this sounds really good. And if anyone can make it interesting then it’s Atwood, right?
- Vintage Penguins – I bought a few more of these than I needed to but I can never resist a beautiful vintage penguin.
- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
- Scoop by Evelyn Waugh
- My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
- One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
- The Nuremberg Trials by R.W. Cooper
- Netflix Binges: QI, Compete to Eat
Sunday Rundown – That’s What She Read
book, book haul, books, currently reading, Gerard Butler, Netflix, Nicolas Cage, Penguin Books, rundown, Sherlock Holmes- TUESDAY’S REVIEWS – Geostorm (2017)
I could have gone my whole life without seeing this ridiculous looking Gerard Butler film but, in a cold-induced haze, I watched it. It’s safe to say my life will never be the same. Find out more here.
- BOOK POST
Again, I genuinely planned on writing something this week but, you know, ill. It’s amazing I managed to do anything this week. I will start doing this on a regular basis soon… I’m sure of it.
- TBT – Left Behind (2014)
After describing Gerard Butler as the new Nicolas Cage I decided it was only fitting to watch one of the Cagester’s films for this week’s TBT. I picked the shortest one I could find on Netflix because that’s the kind of approach I have to this segment. It was another life-changing watch. Read all about it here.
- Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
- Oxfam book haul
Another week and another couple of trips to the new Oxfam books in town. God I love this shop.
- Surrender the Pink by Carrie Fisher – I bought this because, duh, I adore Carrie Fisher and this has one of the most intriguing openings I’ve ever read. “Dinah Kaufman lost her virginity a total of three times. Not because it was so large that it took three times to knock it out, but because she thought losing your virginity was supposed to mean something and it took her three strikes to feel that she was even remotely in the meaning ball game.” If you read that and didn’t think the phrase “three times to knock it out” was enough to make you buy it then we’re just too different.
- Brighton Rock by Graham Greene – I bought another copy of this because it was a really simple but really lovely looking Penguin edition. You’ll definitely see it on my Instagram soon.
- Sherlock Holmes: The complete illustrated short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – I own far too many different copies of the Sherlock Holmes short stories but this illustrated book was an instant buy. It’s gorgeous and was so fucking cheap.
- The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith – This was something of a guilty purchase because it was in the collectables section of the store. I’m talking locked in a fucking cupboard and everything. This is an illustrated edition of a novel of sensibility that I studied at university. It’s so beautiful and, despite being on the higher end of the charity shop scale, is still cheaper than a brand new paperback. I saw this and spent days thinking about buying it. I’m so glad I did.
- Netflix Binges: Jonathan Creek, QI,
SUNDAY RUNDOWN – THAT’S WHAT SHE READ
animation, audiobook, book haul, books, currently reading, Johnny Depp, Netflix, Penguin Books, recently watched, Will Arnett- Classic gothic fiction – where to start?
In my new series of, hopefully, helpful bookish posts, I wrote a handy guide to early gothic fiction. I’ve encountered a few people over the years wondering where to start or having trouble getting into The Mysteries of Udolpho. I use my years studying these novels to suggest a way into these novels.
Currently Reading
- Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
- Vintage Penguins
Another week and another batch of new, old books. This time I’ve found the classic Penguin copy of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the iconic Milton Glaser cover of Run, Rabbit Run by John Updike, and, finally, a rare (ish) edition of Island by Aldous Huxley. They’re all gorgeous and I can’t wait to see them in person.
- Netflix Binges: Rick and Morty, BoJack Horseman
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
I watched this for the first time in years for my latest TBT review. Find out what memories it brought up in my review here.
SUNDAY RUNDOWN – THAT’S WHAT SHE READ
book haul, books, currently reading, John C. Reilly, Netflix, Penguin Books, recently watched, rundownThis week has seen me get more than a little bit nostalgic. My oldest friend, I’ve known her since I was about 4 years old, is turning 30 in a couple of weeks. She celebrated last night so I’ve been looking through old photos organising a present. I wouldn’t say that I’m exactly bothered about turning 30 but I am struggling to accept that I’m not where I thought I’d be by this age. Looking back just 15 years and the change is huge. I has the naive belief that I’d have left university and got the job of my dreams incredibly easily. I was set up by the television and films of my childhood to think that adult life was easy. Instead, I’m still madly searching for a job and still living with my parents. It’s not exactly the stuff that dreams are made of. Anyway, I’ve got my lovely books to help me escape from my real life problems. That’s why I need so many. The more problems then the more escape routes you need.
Currently Reading
- The Answers by Catherine Lacey
- Vintage Penguins
I was so excited to write that I hadn’t bought anything this week before I remembered I found a couple of my favourite books in vintage Penguin form. Any readers who follow me on Instagram will know, I’m something of an amateur collector of vintage Penguin editions and if I ever come across a good one I’ll buy it. So as soon as I came across a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Great Gatsby I knew there was no other option. They were a bit more expensive than I usually prefer, moving toward the £10-15 mark) but these are two of my all time favourite books. I think it’s worth it.
- Netflix Binges: Modern Family, Westworld
- Atomic Blonde
- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
SUNDAY RUNDOWN – THAT’S WHAT SHE READ
book haul, books, currently reading, history, Penguin Books, poetry, recently watched, war, YAGoing back to work after having a few days off last week proved to be extremely difficult. So, it came as a major surprise that I managed to keep on top of reading. I’ve decided I finally need to sort my sleeping habits out. Usually, I stay up way too late before work. This is mainly because I want to take full advantage of the time I have before I go back the next day. Just one of the major struggles of working in a job that you have zero passion for. Anyway, to get myself in better shape I’ve been trying to turn my computer off early and read for an hour or so before I go to bed. What usually happens now is that I get so engrossed in my book that I lose track of time but it’s an improvement, right? Whilst it may not be doing wonders for the amount of sleep I’m getting, it does mean that I’m making progress with my books read this year. I’ve finished another book finally. It takes a bit of pressure off after the 3/4 months that I spent getting through 7th Function. Fingers crossed it’s a sign things are improving.
Just Finished
- One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
So, as expected, I got through this book pretty quickly. I plan on writing my thoughts up for me Tuesday review so come back soon.
Currently Reading
- The Answers by Catherine Lacey
- Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
I have seen this book of poetry all over Instagram in the past few months and have desperately wanted it. With Kaur’s second collection of poetry being released next month and finding myself in an emotional state, I decided it was the perfect time to buy it. I’ve already read snippets so I’ll be glad to finally get to grips with this collection.
- The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievich
On the same impromptu shopping trip that saw me buy Milk and Honey I also purchased this book. I’ll be honest, I only got this because I loved the cover. It’s a Penguin book and was so striking that I couldn’t not pick it up. Then I read the blurb and was hooked. This is the English language translation of the history of Soviet women in World War 2. Svetlana Alexievich wanted to tell the story of all of the strong women in her life who helped with the war effort but were deleted from official history. Now you all should know that I’m a lover of all things that show how great women are and this just sounds perfect. Combined with my love of history, I can’t think of a better book to get stuck into.
- Netflix Binges: Modern Family, Travel Man
SUNDAY RUNDOWN – THAT’S WHAT SHE READ
book haul, currently reading, Netflix, Penguin Books, recently watchedWe’re one week on and I’ve had to contend with another job disappointment. To be fair, I suspected it wasn’t going to get me anywhere but it still feels shit. I’m sure I’ll get there one day but I just need to work harder to get there. Obviously, I still need to learn stuff and get to a place where I’m standing out. It just feels like there are so many hills to climb in order to get the very basic job these days. And it doesn’t help that everyone I’m competing against is not only younger but also just brilliant. I can’t help but feel that I wasted the last few years and should have been getting ready for this earlier. Anyway, whatever happens with my job search I’ve always got books to escape into. Here’s what I’ve been up to this week.
- The Fireman by Joe Hill
- Vintage Penguin books
I’m still managing to be fairly strict with my spending this week but I have let myself buy a few vintage Penguin books from eBay. I’ve been using my vintage books in a lot of my Instagram photos lately and have been loving it. So I’m back on the wagon and getting more and more. The old school Penguin books really are the best of the best though. It’s worth a slight splurge.
- Netflix binges: RuPaul’s Drag Race
SUNDAY RUNDOWN – THAT’S WHAT SHE READ
Benedict Cumberbatch, books, currently reading, Harry Potter, J K Rowling, Penguin Books, recently watched, Sherlock Holmes, Steven MoffatI’ll be honest with you, this week has fucking sucked and I’m super glad it’s over. It’s been a shit week for my family and, really, I haven’t felt in the mood to do anything. Other than shop. That’s the one thing I can rely on at all times. So this week’s rundown isn’t exactly inspiring. I have read some things but I’m only getting through one chapter a night because I’m so tired. Still, it’s hopeful and tomorrow is the start of a new week. It can only get better.. or I hope so because any worse and I’d have to give everything up.
- The Plague by Albert Camus
- The Magician of Lublin by Isaac Bashevis Singer
- The Great Science Fiction by H.G. Wells
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Illustrated Edition) by J.K Rowling
- Sherlock series 4 episode 3
- The Girl on the Train
SUNDAY RUNDOWN – THAT’S WHAT SHE READ
book haul, books, currently reading, Jim Carrey, Netflix, Penguin Books, recently watchedFair warning, I’ve just got to the end of a week of 7am starts and I’m feeling tired and melodramatic right now. 2016 is turning out to be a pretty dismal year all things considered and this last week has definitely been a tough one. It started with the news that the great Leonard Cohen had died at 82 and then continued to reveal that Donald Trump would become the next President of the United States. Then Nigel fucking Farage has been popping up spreading his usual bigoted bullshit and looking extremely pleased with himself. It’s too much. We’ve lost so many talented people and seen too many political upsets this year and we’re still only in November. I’m going to blame this difficult week for the fact that I haven’t done any reading. I’ve just been hiding in my room, listening to Leonard Cohen songs, and pretending 2016 isn’t happening. Only a month and a bit until we can start a new year and leave this awfulness behind us. 2017 has to be THE year, right?
Not gonna lie, I’ve read nothing this week. I’ve just been so tired after work that I just fall asleep without warning. It’s been one of those weeks where I look at the time at 11pm, decide it’s time to get ready for bed, and suddenly its 1am. I just can’t cope. So I’ve been shit but I’m trying to reboot over my next 2 days off. Hopefully I’ll become a functioning human being again.
- Penguin Little Black Classics
- Mascots
- Liar Lair
SUNDAY RUNDOWN – THAT’S WHAT SHE READ
animation, book haul, books, Halloween, Harry Potter, Man Booker, Netflix, Penguin Books, rundownOnce again, I’ve have a Sunday off and I’ve done fuck all. This week has been a bit of a boring one. Work is increasingly frustrating and applying for jobs is back in full, repetitive, swing. Still, I’m remaining hopeful and trying to look into ways that I can prove myself. Bribery, selling my soul to the devil, that kind of thing. I’ve also, finally, come to the conclusion that I am too keen to wilfully spend my money on shit I don’t need so I’ve been trying super hard to not do that. Unfortunately, the shit I don’t need is actually really fun. So it’s been a difficult start. I am, however, a stubborn old mule and will persevere. If I can only get rid of some of my stuff as well I might actually start resembling a functioning adult… or at least someone who could one day turn into one.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling
- Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Not really sure that I should include this on the list as I haven’t really read any of it. However, being unable to read Harry Potter in public because of my embarrassing dependence on other people’s perception of me, I’m carrying it around with me in case the mood should strike me.
Recently Purchased
- Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories by Ray Russell
- Pocket Penguins
- The Addams Family
- Rick and Morty