Thoughts of a Bibliophile: March 2017

It feels a bit strange writing this post as I would not say I am a very organised person at all - my mum can vouch for that I'm sure! However I am always looking for new ways to try and become more organised and with exams looming around the corner, and the weeks ticking by way too quickly for my liking, I have found a way becoming more organised about day to day things. Whilst I haven't built up enough courage to make an exam time table yet, I found this really cool weekly planner the other week and thought it would be a great way to try at stop being so chaotic that I end up forgetting everything I need to do.

So this planner has a column for each day of the week and on the back has a section for To Dos and Notes. I picked this one as I knew I needed to get into the routine of making lists as I have the worst memory and am constantly forgetting what I need from one moment to the next. However, I don't know about you but I am the kind of person that if I feel to forced into a routine I tend to go against it and go out of my way not to. So instead of writing a definite list each evening for me to complete the next day, I have tried being much more flexible, writing everything I need to remember to do but also realistic with what I can achieve that day. I always tend to go over bored and never finish a list but then I just move it onto another day when I can. This way I get everything I need done and don't forget about it.

But again, this approach may not work for some people and a more strict regime may work better but you can use it in so many different ways. I decided I would colour code the different things I need to do, maybe just to make it look a bit nicer but it works because I look at it a lot more! The three main things for me at the moment are school work, revision (ugh!) and my blog, but then I have some other bits and bobs in there so I added another colour for those. I am sure as time goes on I'll change what they are, for example in the summer I (hopefully) won't have any school work so I'll change that out for something else.

So just a little tip for you today that I have been finding really helpful and wanted to share as I know a lot of you guys will also have exams coming up soon and will be thinking about getting into a routine. Have you got any more tips to stay organised?

17:52 4 comments

The circus arrived without warning

No announcements precede it...

It is simply there, when yesterday it was not

If that blurb doesn't make you want to go and pick up this book I am not sure what else this review can do but I'll give it a try! The first thing I want to talk about, as it is what really stuck with me and am still thinking about even though I finished this a week ago now, is how beautiful Erin Morgenstern's writing is. Her descriptions of the circus are wonderful and I found myself constantly wish I was in the story just so I could see for myself how amazing it is. I kept thinking whether or not this would make a good film as, whilst there is so much imagery and it would make a stunning picture, would anyone be able to do it justice? I am always hearing of people who highlight or pick out quotes they love whenever they read but I have never been one people who find amazing quotes that just have to be written down, but again The Night Circus has changed that with so many lines that are beautifully written and had to be noted.

I read it over a period of 3-4 days which is something I would really recommend you do just because it is very slow paced. Now that is not to say there wasn't a lot happening, as believe me there was, but Morgenstern has such a descriptive way of writing and there is not a sense of urgency in her work. Normally, I am not a big fan of slow paced book, although I think I am becoming more accustomed to them as I get older, but with The Night Circus I still felt enraptured by the story line and kept on wanting to read. There were moments that I put it down and got distracted with other things, but I always came back to it pretty quickly which says something about the book in itself.

As a general overview of the plot, without giving too much away, it is about a circus which only comes out at night... so that was pretty much a given but there is also so much more to it than just a circus. It centres mainly around the two characters, Celia and Marco, who were chosen to play a game against each other when they were children, and they were brought up in preparation. But, you never really know what this game is about as even Celia and Marco are left in the dark and you find out bits and pieces along the way with them throughout the book. Another aspect I love is how Morgenstern doesn't just stick with the two characters but also goes into the lives of all the other people involved in the circus and how they all weave in together. Again sometimes I don't like this as you lose the connection to the characters and whilst this may have happened slightly here, it didn't have any negative impact in the overall book and I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

So I am pretty sure you can guess that I would really recommend this to anyone who wants to read it! It is such a unique and beautifully written book you can't go wrong! What have you guys been reading recently? I am currently in between book so need a new recommendation!

20:47 4 comments

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