A Happy Sentence | Divergent by Veronica Roth

All of April I have been partaking (feels a little arrogant to "partake" in my own creation) in my challenge, A Happy Sentence (which you can read about HERE). For the third week I read Attachments by Rainbow Rowell and you can read that review HERE. Today I am reviewing Divergent by Veronica Roth, and chose to read it because I have wanted to for a very long time. This review should have been posted on Saturday but the last week of this challenge has not gone too well. I have been too busy to have long periods of time with Divergent. I am ridiculously gutted. However, I have made a lot of progress since Saturday so I am going to review it today!

I have been so excited to read this book. It's been a long time since I've started a series so I am excited to be very much so into one. I am also super duper excited to watch the film. Bonus!

Divergent is about Beatrice Potter and a decision that could change everything. Herself. Her family. Her life. Making a decision about where she belongs in a society sectioned into different factions that represent different values and lives, her choice is one even she doesn't understand. But she wants to.

Wrapped up in secrets and confusion, Tris has a lot to find out, to learn. About herself and about others. Battling with who she is and her secret, it is a tale of coming of age. And with coming of age, comes discovery.

This seems not to be a tale of teamwork. But is it?

Divergent is captivating like I expected. We learn about Tris alongside her. We learn about what values are important to different factions. What we think is important. We want Tris to make the right choices. We are understanding but completely in the dark. How could we understand such a society? And yet, of course, the foundations are realistic.

Even though I failed my challenge a little towards the end, it has been great fun. University got a bit hectic and it was just something that had to be prioritised. I will set myself a challenge at a better time next time! It's been a long time since I have properly completed a blogging challenge and I am determined to make the next one a 100% success! I need to stop making promises! Silly blogger.

Series & Cake,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

A Spring List

I think it can be really refreshing and affirming to write out or think of a list of things that we want to do or change- like a spring clean. So, on this quite Spring-like day, I will write my aims for spring. Aims I hope to carry with me into the rest of the seasons too!

♡ Take loads of photos!

I have been undergoing this aim for the last year and a bit and it has been going very well. It has been mainly focused on taking photos with my friends and family. This spring, though, I am hoping to take more pictures of my surroundings and such things as well. Photographs are a magical form of memories, after all.

♡ Uni work!

I am hoping to get myself organised and get university work done so the prospect of exams is less daunting. *Fingers crossed.*

♡ Food!

I want to be a little more pro-active with food. I want make more salads and different types of sandwiches. I want to learn how to cook proper dinners. I want to make cakes and fruits salads, and eat enough fruit and vegetables every day.

♡ Exercise!

I run often and it is one of my favourite hobbies. I am quite a bit of a walker, but I'm going to up this a little, whilst getting my bike out more often too. I'd like to try vary my exercise a bit more- maybe even play tennis with my brother. I am excited.

♡ Reading!

2015 has been a fabulous year for reading and I aim to carry this on. I have a selection of books I am very excited about reading these three weeks I'm off for Easter.

♡ My book!

Last but not least, I am going to get more organised with my book. I am writing a story and have been really unorganised with it recently. Last night I had a massive session of organising it and getting more and more excited. I love my characters and am immensely enjoying developing them and the story.

Eeeeee, I love a list!

Happy Spring!

Daffodils & Green Grass,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

A Slice of Un-Anonymous #1

I have always wanted have a bit more of my life on the blog, and find it a bit daunting and difficult to do so where I blog anonymously. So, every last Sunday of the month (for now), I will be posting some kind of post that will represent my life a little bit more. There will be a range of different kinds of posts. I am very excited about this.





















Today I want to start by talking about a few things I love and cherish to make The Girl in the Moonlight a bit more personal. In the photo above, the jumper that is under the "me" is also a personal touch- my dad bought it for me when I was younger and I can't let it go!

I adore candles. Yankee Candles are a weakness of mine. Although it has not been tested, I cannot imagine not loving any white Yankee Candle- they smell so gorgeous! I love sitting in my lounge, watching TV with a Yankee Candle glowing elegantly. Or reading a book with a candle as my company. Or having a candle to look at while I complete mundane tasks. 

Hairspray is one of my "happy" things. The day is instantly brightened when I watch the film or listen to the soundtrack. Hairspray brings back happy memories of my brother and I watching it constantly or my mum and I "performing" (as we believe we do) the songs.




















This album means a lot to me. X by Ed Sheeran is my "2014 summer album"- my "listen and feel so in love" album. Everything about it replays last summer and the awesome memories made. I cannot wait to play it when summer becomes our friend again- it's going to make it all the more special.


















I miss reading The Hunger Games series so much. I am very excited to plan reading them again. I read this series in a very Spring and bright month and the books accompanied me very well.

Curly hair and collar days are good days- and are most of my days! I really love clothes, and shirts are items I am very drawn to. Maybe too drawn to!

I am very excited to write another post for this series. I like reading about other people's loves and important things and other more personal things. I really want to slightly sew this into my blog.

I hope you have a very lovely Sunday. I am off to go for a walk with a friend, read Divergent and get some university work done. Easter is already wonderful!

What brings back happy memories?

Books & CDs,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

The Easier Days

I hear people my age talk about wishing they could go back to the days of crayons and midnight feasts; non-school uniform days and cartoons in the evening: the easier days. However, when I'm with those I've grown up with (and I think these easier days are my every day), I'm back to the "easier" years within a split second.

Despite the responsibilities in my life, "the easier days" are still, for me, now. And why shouldn't they be? I still buy Milk Pops when I'm with my friends. I still sing and dance to the whole Grease soundtrack with them too. I still have completely childish sessions with my best friends. I still run around without worries. I'm still that kid.

My life has got older- as ours all do. This year particularly, I have been thrown (although with my permission) into a more adult world. I look after myself. I earn for myself. I learn for myself. I progress because I want to. Not because I'm told do- although, I think that's how it's been all along. I have learnt the difficulty of moving away from my friends and family. And I've learnt how great it is to come back to them- because they're still there when I'm away.

Tomorrow marks the start of my Easter. My three weeks away from lectures and seminars- while they are still three weeks for revising and working. But, oh my, am I excited for my three weeks with my best friends and family. Today, the sun is shining, and I am so ready for my break.

Ahead of me are a lot of memories. In the next three weeks, I see memories painted by car journeys with mine and my best friend's favourite songs; I see film nights with popcorn; days with melodies that reflect the sea's song; I anticipate the evenings with my friends and dinners with my family; I hear everything I want my Easter to be.

I am thankful for so much, and I am very thankful for the easier days I am still experiencing.

Picnics & Sunshine,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Along the Way

Life is a thing I would never attempt to define. However, it is something I like to contribute ideas about, especially on my blog. Today, I want to consider the "along the way" idea that comes with life.

For me, life is not (unless it comes to deadlines and appointments) written in stone and unable to rub out (except for certain circumstances, of course). Other than general appointments to do with education and things relating, my life is not one that is planned. Of course, it will fluctuate between being more planned and less planned, but ultimately, a lot of coincidence comes into play.

We lose things "along the way"; relationships and habbits; things and priorities. We also pick up a lot "along the way"; memories and knowledge and ambitions. And of course, people. Although not exclusively (as, of course, there are many other contributors that will also change from person to person), I have found that the simple idea of "things falling into place" (but, of course, these things aren't always good things") makes up life. We meet people we want to see all the time, people we like working with and those who aren't as fab to us as the people first mentioned.

For example, when I moved to college I made friends with other people making the same move. We didn't plan to become friends before we made this move, but we fell into this "along the way" thing by talking and building our friendships as life carried on. Along this particular college path, I carried on being friends with most people but fell out of touch - either a lot or a little - with others.

Opportunities have come up in my life because of my effort but coincidence and "along the way"-ness has come into play. It's a weird one to think about- sometimes I'm thankful for it, sometimes I'm not. But, it's just an aspect of life! A narrative we can't write. It makes me thankful for all of the happiness though!

Mid-March & Early June,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

L-O-V-E

I recently re-watched Aladdin for the millionth time and it struck me how invested - as invested as I assume I was the first time I watched it - I was (and am) in the relationship of Aladdin and Jasmine. I stared at my screen like I imagine toddler me would have, my eyes completely in a trance with the Disney gorgeousness. As a blogger who claims to be a hopeless romantic, it shouldn't be a surprise that I fall in love with love on the screen- not forgetting the love I adore in the books I read.

We're raised to believe in love, and to trust it- to love it. And for good reason, I think. We are humans who should be awesome to the best of our abilities and (I aim for awesomeness simply for my own happiness and so I believe my own accepting of myself is one of the most gorgeous things but) we deserve to share this people- and we do so through our families, our friendships and our relationships.

The reason I have always been a hopeless romantic is because these romantic situations our eyes grow wide at and our hearts go gooey at, are based around admirable characteristics such as sincerity, thoughtfull-ness, humbleness, modest charm and sweet motives. We adore it because we seek to find people and be people who are happy and full of characteristics that are pure and positive.

In turn, I adore that L-O-V-E that Nat King Cole sings about because love should bring out my best qualities too. We want and hope to be and hope we are sincere, thoughtful, humble, perform modest charm and have sweet motives. All of my life, I have wanted to be the best person I could be by knowing I can do it on my own. And I can. In a completely inspirational, independent kind of speech, I would say: I don't need love to prove my self worth. But, for this post, I am hoping we can put aside this, but not ignore it. It's a different idea that can play at the same time- if we want it.

Back to the idea of love bringing out awesome qualities in us. When we have something we're proud of (which we all should have!) - our bright personality; our humour; our natural way of being genuine - it shines in everything we do. With someone to love us - to cherish these qualities we have - they should shine, right? They should make us feel brighter or funnier or more genuine. (Again: we can do this by ourselves too, and I think I do!)

I love watching Jasmine and Aladdin's love because it's sweet and humble and sincere. (Spoilers!) Jasmine falls in love with the Aladdin who is the "street rat", because that's not what she sees. Because her motives are not harsh. And Aladdin falls in love with Jasmine, wanting her to believe he is the best person she wants him to be. Only he doesn't need to try like he thinks. That's something about love: Love should love who we really are.

Love is something, ay.

Shirts & Shorts,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

A Happy Sentence | Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

As a part of my "A Happy Sentence" March series (that you can read more about HERE), I have read Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. The reason I chose this novel was because Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is one of my for ever favourites and I wanted to read another one of her works. Last week I read We Were Liars and you can read that review HERE.


Attachments is about Lincoln and his job of monitoring emails from employees in a company to observe whether they are using it in a way the company would approve. During this process Lincoln becomes intrigued by Beth and Jennifer, two best friends who email about their lives. Finding himself charmed by their exchanges, he finds that he can't report them, and instead becomes more and more captivated by their friendship. Before long, he is very attached.

Lincoln lives with his mother and feels as if he has no direction, while being oblivious to the high opinions of him that surround his personality. He is modest, caring and polite and attached to both future, the past and the present, Lincoln begins to work out what is is he wants.

Jennifer and Beth are a charming set of best friends. They both have their own fears and worries, but both know the kind of life they want. They gain comfort and happiness from telling stories and worries to each other and their friendship is one of my favourites I have ever read about. The pair of them are honest and caring, and their humours bounce off each other in a witty and best friend-ly kind of way. I adore their friendship and everything it stands for.

Through the exchanges between Jennifer and Beth, we learn a lot about their worries related to commitment and marriage, babies and work. Their easy way of talking charms both us and Lincoln, and through the attachment Lincoln has to the exchanges and the characters, we route for him all the more while he cherishes Beth's (in particular) endearment.

Attachments is really sweet, and I am so glad I picked it for this challenge. We become invested in Lincoln's want to read more of Jennifer and Beth's emails because we want to read them too. Attachments is about finding out what we want in life, who we want it with and the journey in between.

Emails & Jokes,

The Girl in the Moonlight.                                                                                            

The Best of Me

The works of Nicholas Sparks have always been a feature of my blog and after writing THIS post almost two years ago about Safe Haven, I couldn't wait to write a similar post. This time I will be reviewing the book and the film of The Best of Me!

Before seeing the film

I was so excited to read The Best of Me, and boy, it didn't disappoint. Nicholas Sparks has this way of making me so invested in his characters' lives and feelings and adventures, whilst simultaneously making me cry and feel every sad emotion on their behalf. Yet, I always go back; always read the next beautifully warming - even if it is sad - novel written by him. 

The Best of Me is about Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole and their love that lasted- about their high school romance and how their lives had been affected since. Living different kind of family backgrounds, their beautiful love ignored the expectations; created something very valuable. And then comes the heartbreak.

I adored this novel because I adored their everlasting love. I adored their relationship with Tuck, a father-like figure to them both. After not seeing each other for years, Amanda and Dawson are re-united and sparks fly with the song of memories, heartache and true love. I remember really admiring Amanda for her strength and passion, and Dawson for his gentle nature and want to be good.

The film

A Nicholas Sparks being released is one of those awesome occurrences in life. And The Best of Me was no exception.

Watching the film really brought back - not affected by the differences in the film - the emotion of the story- the ache and longing and sadness; the sweetness and the innocence and the strength. My eyes were fixed to the story as I watched it; fixed to the emotions I was feeling. It is incredibly sad, but incredibly sweet and beautiful.

The film includes stories told in present time, but also stories from when Amanda and Dawson were younger. Seeing the romance and honesty involved at the start of their relationship was awesome; young Amanda was stunningly played by Liana Liberato and Luke Bracey brought out the truthfulness of young Dawson brilliantly. And then of course, Michelle Monaghan and James Marsden portray the older Amanda and Dawson; re-creating the love that existed when they were younger perfectly- and with more raw emotion. Regret. Sorrow. Pain. Honesty.

The Best of Me

The story of The Best of Me gave me chills in the book and the film. In both, it broke my heart and taught me sacrifice and the beauty of raw love. The story touched my heart a few years ago and the story onscreen portrayed the feelings I read very well. 

Honest & Raw Love,

The Girl in the Moonlight. 

The Different Same Suns

There are a million places where a million people are seeing the very same sun. We are seeing this very same sun while we're experiencing different cultures and different landscapes and different people. We are speaking different languages and being closer to different political news. We are different, but we are the same.

This thought came to me as I was running. I must have passed a hundred different runners, and yet we all had the same idea on that sunny afternoon. And yet (I'm about to press the same thought again), we are all completely different people. With different backgrounds, different values and different families and traditions. This one thing (although there would have been other things too) connected us as similar in this one moment or recognition. 

A couple of my best friends are so very different from me, and yet our friendship makes us the same. We have the same deep-down-values but different hobbies and such things. Yet, sharing a pizza and watching a film together is one of the most natural things.

My friend and I see the same sun- as do the world and I. Yet, we see different things; different hopes; different thoughts. Naturally there are ways of thinking that are entirely rubbish (as I have blogged about before), but this freedom of thought when we're looking at the sun, should be entirely good- in a dreamer's world: It will be entirely good one day. However, the point is: We all have a voice. I use my voice everyday, sometimes to a lesser extent than others. I use it on my blog. I use it when I express opinions. When I use my voice to represent myself, I use it when I run or play music.

I come across people with different views. This happened today. I respected another's views while I hope they respected mine. We used our voices. It felt like a pleasant exchange. This person and I see the sun, but we do, sometimes, see different things.

We search for different things and do different things, but we're all on the same earth, living at the same time. I think this is the foundation to why we all need to treat each other the way we're taught when we're toddlers: nicely and with respect.

The Sun & A Run,

The Girl in the Moonlight. 

A Bookish Present

Receiving a book as a gift is one of my favourite things. Whether I am unwrapping a story because it's a book the giver loves, or a book the giver is intrigued about, or they remembered me speaking about something in particular, or they spent time researching or they simply thought: yes, that one!- I love it. As I am writing this post I have too many books in my head, and so to help myself out, I am going to think of particular ideas that would inspire a search for a book present which will be in bold like the book's title!





















In this post I want to put together a collection of ideas that fit different kind of personalities and/or wants. I could have talked about 25ish books but, here we are, a condensed but beautiful version of my original thoughts!

Let's start off with Miranda's awesome book, Is It Just Me? I adore this collection of stories and thoughts of Miranda's. It's funny and bright and smart and delightful. It's everything I wanted when I opened the first page. It's a bit quirky and a perfect novel for someone who is wanting to relax and delve into somebody else's thoughts. And then there's Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. I think it's an awesome idea to buy someone a book that is my one of my favourites- and here we are. Firely Lane (review HERE) is gorgeously magical. I love it because it is very focused around two best friends and their journeys through life. It is, though, about family and love too. It's heart-warming and heart-breaking. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (review HERE) would be an awesome present as a prime example of a young adult book that is suitable for everyone. It's fresh and thoughtful and an awesome telling of a character's story and thoughts. I can't and won't let go of this next novel: Thirteen Weddings by Paige Toon (review HERE). This book is perfect for a holiday. It's funny and smile-producing, while we ache for love to win. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (review HERE) is a book for everyone. It's charming and funny and every page simply made me turn the next- it was one of those awesome books that naturally becomes stuck in the heart of the reader. I picked Where She Went by Gayle Forman as a tear-jerker (review HERE) kind of book. Where She Went is the second of Mia and Adam's story (the first, If I Stay is awesome too!). I picked this book as a tear-jerker (even though it is the second book!) because there was a lot of emotion in this book. (Naturally, there was in the first one too.) There was a lot of anger mixed up with nostalgia and regret and sadness and grief. It really got my tears flowing. Then, because of course I must include a Nicholas Sparks book, we have Nights in Rodanthe. My reason for this being a great book is because every Nicholas Sparks book is awesome and thought-provoking and magical. Nights in Rodanthe is no exception. If you're looking for a classic literature novel for a gift, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is one of my favourites. Packed full of social reflections, Frankenstein is a classic literature novel I can't let go of.

What books do you think make good presents?

Love & Thought,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

A Happy Sentence | We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

For THIS challenge I am reading four books in March for different reasons. For the first week I read Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy and reviewed it HERE, because I loved it as a child. For the second week I read We Were Liars by E. Lockhart because I have been so curiously excited about this novel.

We Were Liars. It felt Fitzgerald-esque in a Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl way- but, naturally, so beautifully unique. Because every page surprised me; haunted me; fascinated me. And the end? Have my disjointed thoughts made you realise how hard I shall find this review to write? In case it all goes wrong, I will write you some words that I need: thought-provoking; haunting; tragic.

The novel follows the life of Cadence Sinclair Eastman, part of the "beautiful Sinclair family"- the squeaky clean and yet tragically haunted family. The novel teaches of the cracks behind a family, the unhealthy motivations in life, and about family values. We accompany Cadence and "the Liars" and how the summers where Cadence, Johnny, Mirren and Gat they returned to Beechwood Island- we see their friendship, we see their views on the Sinclair family and the way the family fight over money. We wonder, like Cadence, how it is that she cannot remember what happened one summer. We question what tragedy she endured.

Cadence struggles with the past and suffers from headaches and a lot of sorrow. She is honest and strong-minded but fearful too. We admire her because she challenges the world she lives in and the world in general. She loves her friends and although she recognises the flaws in her family, she does love them. We really love her and her good friends, Johnny, Mirren and Gat and their adventures and thoughts too. We ache nearly as much as she aches to find out what happened to her one summer to make her forget. And my reader friends, I did not guess it.

I've found a few reviews particularly challenging to write- and this joins the list under that title. We Were Liars is awesome. It's solemn but teaches the sorrows of life in a way where we ache for happiness in the purest of ways. It teaches us a lot. It made me think a lot, and my thoughts are not yet coherent- in the most beautiful way. This novel is a good'n.

Thought-provoking. Haunting. Tragic.

Left & Right Hands,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

P.S. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell is next!

Seeking Whilst Doing

I was on a run the other day and it occurred to me that - in a pleasant way - there are reasons behind the things we do, and these should be noted on the blog. I think I shall be referring to "we" in this post (and we shall find this out), whilst thinking about me, but very much so my family and friends too.

To start with, I was on this run. It's one of my favourite hobbies for a few reasons; it's good for me, I've always simply enjoyed it, and it gives me a level of peacefulness in a different way to other ways I find happy peace. We seek these activities where we can be free of any stress. We can even think of this stress whilst we do these things but it is belittled among the beauty of something that makes us feel happy and/or productive, and/or at peace. Whilst running I enjoy taking in the surroundings in a different way to usual. I notice, in more detail, the different skies I experience. My heart smiles at the trees changing for the season and the laughter between dog walkers. It makes me feel very tranquil. We do these activities because that lovely, warm feeling (like - another example - drinking hot chocolate on a winter evening), is a feeling we adore. We can't shut that loveliness out.

Photographs. We love photographs. We love holding our memories. I never used to be any good at remembering to take photographs but now, I seek to do so a lot. We take them so that we can later seek a particular happiness and comfort from these images of peacefulness. We look for reminders in these photographs.We take more photographs because we don't want to forget.

We have traditions. We celebrate certain dates and start birthdays off in a certain way. We meet up when we're free and we do the same things we always do. Because they bring back old memories, create new ones and inspire loveliness. We love this loveliness. We love the chatter and the exciting reminders of other moments from previously carrying out this tradition- we plan the next same event. We seek the feeling of "home" and familiarity and we carry on doing so because it simply is the loveliest form of pleasant.

In life, we seek to do the things that bring love to our hearts and inspire smiles on our lips and twinkles in our eyes. Because we are friends or we are family; we are something so gorgeous I could never let go of the happiness that this something or someone of group of people brings. A particular agenda behind doing something springs as something negative in my mind, but it's not always, is it? My motives are purely magical, purely very Disney in these lovely events and doings.

Loveliness is something we love. It's something we cherish.

Walks to the Beach & Lazy Mornings,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

A Warning

Tears fall from the sky, creating a staccato rhythm as the ground refuses its company. The one puddle formed remains isolated and unseen while a delicate glimmer pierces the surface of the loneliness. The slight wind races by, ghosts of yesterday vigilant with fatigue and saddened by the evil tranquil, icy flames of cruelty rippling the minds of the good. A melody made up of the quiet screams of the prisoners shadow their ache for freedom, their need for a salvation from the silhouette of their past.
 
The moon continues to glare upon the world.

A girl sits on the edge of solace, the remains of earth acting as her temporary safety, balancing her body to free her from the deafening silence that creates the soundtrack of her mind. She feels lost. A sudden twinkle of quiet pauses the fear that once sung through the air. Though, as soon as the relief is felt, the noise returns, we must all be assured. The girl's hair softens beneath the liquid moonlight as she brings a frightened creature to the warmth of her withered hands. She feels her heart beat an alone pulse. As the day retreats once and for all, and the streets remain still, the girl wonders why she is untouched by the droplets of tomorrow. 
 
The solitary moon grimaces and sings a haunting song.
 
Orange, green and blue splash against the pavement now, and the grey world is stunned by the unknown concept of colour. Maroon, crimson and scarlet stain the scene. Yet, it dares not to touch the girl. Maybe she is wrong, but the girl is sure she saw pink. No, it can't have been. It isn't long before the colours fade and all is as it was before. But, before this was normal, before the only colour was grey, she couldn't help wonder what the world once was.
 
The moon begins to taunt and haunt and scare the dying wall that protects the world from the moon's frown.

Nature reverses and a drum in the sky warns the world of the yellow light that, sure as the sad day, would cut through the air. The rain smashes against the ground, the once alone puddle now joined by a chorus of friends- or foes; one can never tell. The moon begins to shine darker and flashes of the world's history are apparent through the aligning of the stars. The sky flashes and a drum is heard again. Something's ready to attack. Fear. Dread. Awe. It is all felt: fear for their lives; dread for the knowing; awe at the power. Would today be the day that they won? A ripple of wind is heard as hands reach towards the sky, to inform the moon that they have surrendered. Every hand but hers. 
 
The moon lifts back its arms and easily casts a spell on the world, making sure it would continue to spin, continue to torture, continue to allow sorrow and sadness and silence to radiate from its surface.

A whistle reassures the air, as another joins, as do two or three more, creating a harmony of façade and false hope. All is quiet again. The cycle is complete. The hope of promise begins again. Hope is not enough, the moon would say, but they could not hear.
 
She lets out a whimper and brings her newly born hands to her face and attempts to cradle her fragile mind.
 
They had lost.

They always would.

They always will.

~

Oranges & Chocolate,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

The Act of Being Quiet

"Being quiet" can be a way of describing someone. I don't often hear people who describe someone else as "being quiet" doing so negatively. And yet, here I am, writing a post about it. Because the act of being quiet is one that is as beautiful as "being loud" and anything in between. And I just want to talk about it for a while.

I am a mixture of either loud or quiet. Round those I am closest to I am loud and round those who I don't even know, I can be loud. Yet, there are situations where I am quiet, a little less confident and people I don't know who I will be quiet around. This is not to say I am "two-faced" with these two opposite attributes- it's just who we are sometimes! I think this is the case for a lot of people. When I am in a situation where I am quiet, for me, I am not performing the act of being quiet because I don't believe in myself or because I'm not confident, it's just how I prefer to be in that particular circumstance (this will not be the case for everybody). While I write this I am thinking of a particular class at college where I would chose to be a lot quieter than I would be in my other classes. There were reasons I am not going to go into but not ones that made me any less sure of myself.

My point is: I like my loud and quiet scale.

One time I had parent's evening and one teacher said I was confident and loud whereas another teacher said I was quiet and didn't ask any questions. My mum said to me, "Do you need to ask those supposed questions?" I didn't! The point is, although some people will need to ask questions (and in the "louder" classes I would do so because I actually needed to!), my teacher was assigning my being quiet to an assumption that I didn't understand because I didn't "speak up", inferring my supposed lack of confidence too, so to speak. There are these stereotypes to our volume and I find it seriously bizarre.

One of the most awesome people I know describes himself as quiet- an attribute he thinks most people see in him. Not because I think it's a bad thing (because I really do not), I asked how he felt about it. He said he liked it that way. It's not because he doesn't have a voice, opinions and an incredible story to tell that he is quiet, because he does. It's just that part of his personality is him being quiet. So what? In turn, this awesome human isn't summed up by his quietness. (Even if he is 100% quiet all of the time, it wouldn't be an issue, but) around me (and obviously others) he is energetic and loud, and awesome in these moments. Just as awesome as he is when he is quiet; when he is being him. We are supposed to be ourselves, aren't we?

There are these expectations of personality in "the perfect person" and yet I hope we know a million and one attributes (without a million other attributes) in a person are perfect for different reasons. I love one of my best friends because she is "loud" and love another because he is "quiet." And it should be known now that I am not alone in thinking that these two people are seriously awesome.

Jeans & Jumpers,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

A Happy Sentence | Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy

For THIS challenge I am reading four books this month, for different reasons. For the first week I read Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy, which I chose as a book I have read before. As this was one of my favourite books when I was younger (and remains a favourite!), I couldn't wait to get stuck in!

Ah, this book! I adore it so much! Having this book in front of me reminded me of all of the times I re-read this book. I would feel excited for Scarlett and her romantic adventure, refreshed by the lessons learned and comforted by the family values that can be considered with other aspects of life too. I remember never wanting the novel to end whilst I swore the book was a form of magic.

On this nth reading, nothing has changed!

The titular character's story is about her - if we're being literary about it - coming of age story. With a lot of sadness in her heart and some lessons to be learned, we watch the brightly-coloured-hair character and her journey. After being kicked out of a few schools in London, she is sent to her dad's in Ireland. Here, living with a family that feels entirely strange to her, she has a lot of anger that is lurking.

With the gorgeously beautiful surroundings in the Irish setting, Scarlett finds herself still in trouble in another country's school too. Soon her heart opens to the place around her, with apples and cakes and homemade lemonade. And a boy named Kian.

Scarlett is sad and angry, but her awesomeness shines through. Her strength and courage triumph and you can't help but adore the attitude she finds again. She opens her heart to another world and we want her to! Then there is Kian- her dark and mysterious boy. He is haunted by the past but grateful for the present- very much so including Scarlett.

Scarlett is a sweet story and one I will never forget. And definitely one I will read again in the future.

Now it is time to read We Were Liars by E. Lockhart!

Midnight Horses & Apples,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Dreaming of Summer

Right now, the day outside is blue and yellow, and warmer than it has been recently. Oh, but it is still much too cold for my summer wardrobe. Here I am, sat in my living room, with the cold outside a picture in front of me, dreaming dreamily of summer.

As soon as Christmas is over, I dream of summer. It's a fact. A really sad one, actually.

Summer is bright even when they sky is not bright. Summer is lazy and exciting, relaxing and renewing. Summer is everything I love and this is particularly highlighted by the summer I had last year that I can't let go of. (However, nostalgia is one I am excited to endure better- it should be a good thing: more on this later!) I have felt the same, summery feeling since, but everything and everyone I enjoyed in that summer are in separate places, and sometimes - and recently a lot of the time -, it makes me call summer's name.

Lazy days with my friends on the beach; walks in the early evening; movie days; family time.

I can feel myself chanting, "Summer. Summer. Summer." like in High School Musical 2. Only, I'm a little too early.

It suddenly dawned on me that this premature excitement for summer (that I have had all of my life) is something I should work on. To reduce. I doubt I can stop it because I really love summer too much but I need to stop ignoring that awesome memories are made through the year and not just in these designated, warmer, brighter months.

In the last 12 months

March 2014: One of my favourite nights ever

October 2014: The best day trip

November 2014: A celebrated Birthday in the joyful cold

January 2015: A lot of awesome books read

February 2015: A few completely relaxing days

You may have guessed my conclusion. I don't feel that it needs to be a large one. Note to self: Stop dreaming of summer all the time- memories are sunny in all of the months of the year. Aim: Appreciate every season because I do appreciate all of the memories that are made- summer or not summer.

Seasons & Smiles,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Journeys

I am currently sat on a train and in a mood where I want to and am writing loads of blog posts. I savour these these sprees of writing because I get such excitement in my hear, and such will for the inspiration to proceed for as long as my fingers can type. 

Before university I had experienced trains a fair bit, but since university, trains are like second nature to me. I even find them a bit homely. On so many train journeys I have indulged in gorgeous books and on so many train journeys I have finished stories that I would wish could carry on. I’ve had train journeys with those closest to me which have been stored in the “Awesome Memories” section in my heart, and I have simply sat and experienced the world go by on many trains.

Journeys

In many books, a journey of a character (or multiple characters) is evident. They may begin with a long way to becoming the person they are destined to be or they may be close to learning a crucial lesson that changes the direction of their journey. They may be lost and about to be put back on track or they may be working towards a journey they are wanting to travel- all while they are on their journey of life (*smiles sheepishly*).

At different stops, as you may expect, people are getting on and they are getting off. Strangers are part of each other’s lives for a moment- someone helps someone with their luggage; another offers a mother and a child their seat and finds a single seat; someone simply reads a newspaper in the company of strangers. All of these people are on their way to somewhere. As much as I’d love to think their journey is to somewhere awesome, some may not be. But here I am, on the train. Excited to go home.

Excited for my journey to proceed.

I have been talking a lot on the blog recently about “ordinariness” in the ways of the lives we live. I’m on a train with clothes, a book, my university work and a laptop in a bag. That’s pretty standard, right? But it’s pretty beautiful too. I’m on a train with clothes I have worn in my favourite memories, partnered with a book that I am adoring with every page, with university work that I have been getting pride from and my laptop… My way of releasing my writing to the world.

Today’s journey (although not metaphorical) has created blog posts that have caused me nothing but joy to write. They have inspired thoughts that are not particularly noteworthy (as seen above), but ones I have enjoyed indulging in.

Scones & Tea,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Carrie Says | The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

Carrie Says was one of my 2014 resolutions. I plan to read all of the books (however long it takes!) that Carrie has suggested in selected videos I chose last year (with one I have added since too!). The last Carrie Says review was about The Book Thief by Markus Zusak which you can read HERE. I read The Five People You Meet in Heaven because of THIS video!

Carrie says: "...it's a book about how you can affect someone's life and change someone's entire world without ever really knowing them."

Since I started this series, one of the books I was particularly excited to read was this sweetly-covered novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I wanted this book to be the first of 2015's Carrie Says and so I bought it in January with a lot of excitement in its purchase.

This book is as consuming in the sweetest way possible as I thought it would be. The book is entirely sweet but also very tough in terms of the lessons that are learned. This book got me emotionally in a very sweetly tear-jerking but honest - a very honest - way. This was awesome. I think it could bring anyone a new, inspiring perspective- to those who are religious and to those who are not. It is as uplifting and thought-provoking as I thought it would be. I closed the book with a, "Hey, I have just learned a lot from this book" feeling that I don't often get as prominently as I did with The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

The Five People You Met in Heaven is about Eddie. He dies trying to save a girl and the book follows his journey into finding more out about himself- about events and people in his life. He meets five people who teach him something and memories from his life are clearer.

Eddie learns a lot, and through it, so do we. Last week, I posted THIS post where I spoke about the fear some people have of living an "ordinary" life that they deem not to be worthy of the history books. Eddie voices similar thoughts about his life- how he never escaped the amusement park he worked at. This novel focuses a lot on this theme and I just think what we learn (although we clearly see the importance of Eddie anyway) proves why we have this book in front of us. This book about Eddie. Devoted to his, ordinarily beautiful life.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is delightful. It's a lot of truth mixed in with pinches of sadness but happily overshadowed by honest love and an important, "ordinary" life.

Fairground Rides & A True Love,

The Girl in the Moonlight.