Friday, 8 August 2025

WORDS

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And in the interest of switching things up on this blog, starting with the TBR at the start of the month, I decided to do something a little different for this next one. 

This isn't an essay of sorts, more like a gathering of thoughts. I wanted to create a bit of ambiance, but you've already seem the title, so there really isn't much point. 

The subject is something I think a lot about: words. Kind words, hurtful words. Etc. 

If I babble on for much longer, I'll end up using all my points up, and that's the last thing I want. 

I hope you enjoy it. 


Words have the power to change you. They can be used to inspire, to build a momentum, to make a person feel good about themselves. They also hold the power to tear you down, to diminish you and your worth, to make your question whether you’re good enough. Whoever came up with the saying “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me” was talking out of their own ass.

Words are everywhere. We see them on posters, leaflets, billboards, as subtitles. Text messages, social media, and books as well, of course. Most of the time, they’re there to invoke some sort of reaction, or emotion. They’re there to inspire, to shock, to scare, to encourage, to entertain, or inform a person, dependant on what the subject matter is. For example, a message on a cigarette pack is to shock a person into giving up smoking. The words on a poster might be spreading the word for a bake sale or a yard sale (if people still do that sort of thing).

That escalades to everything entertainment-wise. Plays, books, films, tv shows, musicals and stand-up comedy- they all had a manuscript at some point. Although stand-up comedy is slightly different- some of that could include crowd work, thinking on the spot, some of it does have to be rehearsed- links to different bits and pieces that are part of the comedian’s act.

Sometimes there are so many words, phrases, so many thoughts banging on the inside of your break, it’s hard to know the right ones to say, to write down first. There’s only ever so much time, to say the important thoughts in your head, first. You just have to say the most important thoughts first, and hope that’s enough, so the other person understands. Think before you speak.

I often wonder where harsh words come from. We’re not born thinking negatively- whether that be towards ourselves or other people- we learn it somewhere. I imagine it’s from family members, and the average passer by- who is late, agitated, and swearing profusely at something that’s making them later- whether that be a person or a vehicle that is slowing their progress down.

We all have aspects that we inherit from our families- whether that be full lips, non-existent eyebrows- and sometimes what people call ‘a potty mouth’. Also, it’s worth noting that large crowds will demonstrate something called mob mentality, where a small group of people, voicing an opinion, then having it backed up by others, is enough to start one large emotion throughout the rest of the crowd. I imagine the crowd mentality works the same way as inheriting certain features- families share similar views, carry on traditions and even share day to day habits.

That might even be where harsh words come from. We’re not born thinking negatively- whether that be towards ourselves or other people- we learn it somewhere. Not just from family members though, even the average passer-by can affect our language- a passer-by who is late, agitated, and swearing profusely at something that’s making them later- whether that be a person or a vehicle that is slowing their progress down.

I often wonder, who decided the names of words? Who decided that an apple should be called an apple, or a pear a pear? I guess it was the person that discovered it decides what it’s called. Having looked it up, in the past, names of things have been established by describing. The example given is about how a person might describe a tree down the road as a white oak, but another person might describe it as a rough oak, or a dark oak.

The longest word in the English language is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, which is the name of a disease caused by inhaling very fine silica dust. I have no idea in hell how Everett M. Smith came up with that word.

Vocabulary. What is it? We use vocabulary words to change the tone of an essay, a letter, to learn the definitions in a test. Some people use them to prover how smart they are. Personally, I don’t think you need fancy vocab words to show you’re intelligent.

I’ve always found it interesting, how people find different words offensive. Obviously, there are words that are just nasty, that should never have existed. But again, it goes back to, who decides why a certain word has a meaning that people find offensive. Does that make sense? Take the ‘c’ word for example. I’ve always been brought up to think that that word should never be heard or spoken. But over the past few years, I’ve heard it uttered increasingly frequently. And I’ve been told that up north, it’s not such a big deal to say it.

Obviously, I don’t say that word, because it’s an insult, but I can’t help thinking about other swear words. Like, say when you trip over something, or burn yourself cooking. Saying “Shit!” or “Fuck!” can relieve you of pain and help you to fight in the fight or flight response. Surveys show that people that frequently swear tend to be more honest and forthright day to day. They can even be calming.

I have an example as for when profusely swearing was calming. This was several years ago, when I was a kid. I went on a volcano ride with me Dad, and I found the entire thing entertaining as heck. Basically: being pushed in. Cue a little swearing. But really, it wasn’t until the cart unexpectedly sky rocketed that I could see the words tumbling out of him like water! It’s a good thing the roar of the rocket was so loud that I couldn’t hear a word of what he was saying. ‘Swearing like a trouper’ is the phrase I will use.

Anyway, if you’ve managed to get to this part- congratulations! This is the last part- the summary.

All in all, words can hurt. What might be a fleeting comment to you, might scar someone else- perhaps for life. Consider what you say, before you say it. (Unless you’ve been mates for over a decade and know each-other enough to insult them to their face and they won’t get offended (we all need a friend like that.)) That counts for online too. Everyone has their insecurities, their obsessions, their loves and passions, and pissing on that might just make you terrible.

Also, sometimes it helps to turn your phone off. To take a break from all the advertisements. You don’t need a reminder of all the things that everyone is doing, all the things you should be doing, to boost your health, to get more sleep. So, take a break off social media and get some peace and quiet.

Okay! Those are all the thoughts I have on well, words! Message, texts, truth, conversations... It's all around us. As always, if you have any thoughts of your own that you want to voice on the subject, please feel free! It's an open space after all! 

I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Sunday, 3 August 2025

August TBR (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And this month is going to be a little different to my other TBR's. To show that I am serious in dwindling my ever-expanding unread books list, I am making a promise to myself: I will not be posting another TBR until all of the books on this list have been read. Not only will that make me more productive in this goal, but I'll also be forced to think of more creative blog posts (because, if you hadn't noticed, they tend to be primarily TBR's and Wrap Ups at this point.)

I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of intimidated by this TBR pile, but it's got to be done. 

It's crunch time. 

I hope you enjoy the post. 


1. The Paris Apartment, by Lucy Foley 

As soon as I think I'm free to choose the next book I want to read, without any restrictions, cue a message from my work colleague, Clare, saying that her friend is fine with me borrowing her two books, that Clare herself has just read and loved. 

I'm fine. I love that she trusts me enough to ask her friend if I can read her books, but at this point it just feels like I'll never have no restrictions. 
If you didn't know, The Paris Apartment is written by best-selling author Lucy Foley, author of The Hunting Party and The Guest List. At this point I'm just under 100 pages in, and really enjoying it. You're following a number of different characters. Jess is the sister of Daniel, the brother with whom she's staying with for a while, until she finds a job and a place to live. The other characters are all Daniel's neighbours, living in the same building. The night that Jess arrives, there is a murder- Daniel is nowhere to be seen. And there are secrets behind every door. 
Right now, Jess has no idea what's happened to Daniel, and none of the neighbours seem to want to help her find out. I get the feeling I'm only at the tip of the iceberg with this story.
The chapters are all about 3-5 pages long, so I'm hoping it's a quick read. More on the wrap up. 


 2. The Moment I Met You, by Debbie Johnson
The minute I saw this, I knew it was a fluffy romance. Which is fine. I'm hoping after the quick-paced story of The Paris Apartment, a change of pacing is what I crave. 

The Moment I Met You tells the story of Elena Goodwin, who went on a dream holiday to Mexico, ten years previously, and in one night, her whole world was ripped from her feet in a single moment. 

Ten years later, she still can't forget the face of the stranger who held her while everything else came crashing round her. 
Thrown back together again, she begins to piece together the truth about that fateful night- and starts to question whether she made the right decision all those years ago. 

350 pages, and a large-ish font. Hopefully I should be able to fly through this in a few days. I really hope so, cos I'm not really in the mood for a romance/comedy at the moment, despite it being summer. 
If I can't get into it in a few days I might DNF it, but we'll see. 


3. Unread Neil Gaiman books 
  
In my Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag post, I mentioned that I wanted to read all the books that I'd been gifted. Which includes these three. Literally all the books I was gifted is on this list, because they're the most important out of all of them that I own. 
One of those friends will actually read this at some point, which is why so that makes me double as guilty, but you never know, I might have read my gifted book if I was ONLY GIVEN ONE, LIKE I ASKED. Haha. 
Anyway, I'm really not fussed which one of these I read first, so if anyone has read any of these, please let me know if there's one that I should read first. 

4. Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernardine Evaristo 
This book is a map, from the top of Britain to the very bottom. This is Britain as it has never been told. 12 protagonists, 12 stories, that are all entertwined in some way, to be brought together at the ending. It's all in verse, from what I've seen. 
This is a book about a lot of things: love, struggle, passion, luck. 
I have heard nothing but fantastic reviews for this book. 
Even writing about it now, I want to read this first, above all of the others on this list. 
Whether that happens, I highly doubt it. But we'll see. 


5. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickins
I guess I should be happy my friend bought me this, instead of Les Mis, in which case I would be positively weaping. 
We all know the story of Great Expectations- or we should. Great Expectations is the story of Pip. Young, orphaned Pip, who is taught by Miss Havisham, made into a gentleman, and shipped off to London, because of a large sum of money, donated to him by a mysterious benefacotr. Once there, he must discover his true self, his own values and priorities. I've heard there are some rather disturbing events in this novel, but I have no idea what they are. 
I know I'm going to need to be in the right mindset when I tackle this kind of book, but if I want to post another TBR soon, that mood will need to be soon. 


6. A Heart Full of Hatred (Skulduggery Pleasant #17), by Derek Landy 
I rarely leave a Skulduggery Pleasant book for so long after purchasing it. This one has been sitting on my unread shelf for a couple of months now, and although I've had other priorities, that's still unexcusable. A Heart Full of Hatred is the penultimate book in the Skulduggery Pleasant trilogy- the last lot of books he will ever right in this wonderful, wonderful universe. I'm not ready for it to end, to be honest. But there's no need to get emotional, I still have this book to read first. 
This book will not be sitting on this list for long, I'll tell you. 


7. The Miniaturist (The Miniaturist #1), by Jessie Burton
The Miniaturist is a novel I read many, many years ago, under the recommendation of a Waterstones staff member. I wasn't altogether confident on whether I would like it all that much, but was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed it immensely. 
It wasn't until years later that I stumbled upon it's sequel, The House of Fortune, and remembered how much I enjoyed the first book. 
Hence me putting this on to my TBR list- I've House of Fortune for well over two years now, and it remains unread on my shelf. 
Taking place in the 17th century, we follow eighteen-year-old, newly-wed Nella Oortman as she takes her place at her new household, as wife of wealthy but distant merchant Johannes Brandt. Once there, she is presented with an extroadinary gift: a cabinet sized replica of their home, to be furnished as she sees fit. However, as she begins to uncover the secrets of the household, she realises the dangers they all face. But does she plan to save the people of the household- or destroy them?


8. The Porpoise, by Mark Haddon
The Porpoise. Written by award-winning author Mark Haddon, also author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. I will say, The Porpoise sounds very different to that novel, if just as interesting. 

The Porpoise tells the story of a motherless girl, who has grown up in the company of her isolating father. She believes that their relationship is normal- but over time she gets the overwhelming feeling that something is very wrong. 
She has no solace, no escape, so she reaches for stories as a way to leave her strange world- if only for a little while. Her favourite stories are of heroic mortals, and angry Gods, one of whom will eventually come to her rescue. 

Soon, she loses track of where the stories end, and she begins. 

This sounds like a very poetic, gripping, beautiful story, that I don't believe I've ever heard anyone else attempt. I'm very much looking forward to picking this up, especially as it's pretty short. 


9. I Am Pilgrim, by Terry Hayes
Time travel and crime. 
£2 in WH Smiths bargain bin. Of course I picked it up. 
For those reading, if you think I should pick this up first, comment down below. This is your signal. 
Bit of a hefty read, but I've never really been scared of a large page count. And based on all the reviews inside the book, it's absolutely worth it. 


10. Cloud Atlas, by David Nicholls
If you've been following this blog for a while, you probably know that I'm a sucker for interlocking stories. The Authenticity Porject, Blackout, even the Taylor Jenkins Reid's books to an extent: I love stories where random strangers connect and change the world somehow for the other person. That's Cloud Atlas down to a tea. To quote the blurb "Cloud Atlas erases the boundaries of time, genre and language to offer an enthralling vision of humanity's will to power, and where it will lead us." 
I have no idea where this book will lead, but I was excited to read it three years ago when I first laid eyes on it, and I'm even more excited now. 


Okay! That is my August TBR (and likely September TBR to be honest, because who knows how long this lot is going to take me)?
Anyway, as always, feel free to comment down below what your reading plans are for the month, or even which book you think I should read first! 

I hope you have a wonderful evening, and I'll see you all soon! (Hopefully with the My Friends review I've been promising.)
Byeeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

Thursday, 31 July 2025

July Wrap Up (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my July Wrap Up (2025)! 

Going into this month I think I was three books behind schedule, which is definitely a good start. But, I pulled my socks up, came up with a plan, and got reading. I was even on track at certain points in the month! But alas, I still remain one book behind my Goodreads reading challenge (when will this torment end?)

But, I have lots of books to share with you guys today, and good news- I'm no longer reading the Earthsea Quartet or A Series of Unfortunate Events series! Finally! 

Anyway, enough rambling on. I hope you enjoy my Wrap Up. 


1. My Friends, by Fredrik Backman 

I did mean to write a review for this, because I loved it so much, and I wanted to share it all with you, but the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag reigned supreme when it came to this review. 

I might still, to be honest, I only finished it at the start of July, so I still have all my thoughts sitting close to my chest at the moment, so keep an eye out for that. 

Although My Friends was very much a slow burner, the writing was impeccable as always, and I loved the way these characters just felt like characters at the start, and then you suddenly start feeling so much for them, all at once, as the story rolls along. 


2. Clementine: Book One (Clementine #1), by Tillie Walden 

3. Clementine: Book Two (Clementine #2), by Tillie Walden 

4. Clementine: Book Three (Clementine #3), by Tillie Walden 

Since the release of Clementine: Book Three got pushed back, I've been eagerly waiting for June to roll around so I could marathon the first two novels and finally read the third with them. 
With Volume Three, our heroine is on pretty good footing- excuse the pun- with friends, a cat, security and a person to spend the rest of her days with. Until that person is thrust away from her, never to return. Clementine feels that there's no hope to return to the happiness that she once had, until she's shown the way to another potential family, and another life entirely. But at what cost?
Clementine: Book Three brings about a well-rounded finale to a beloved series of mine, and I'm satisfied with the ending. 

5. Global, by Eoin Colfer

I picked this up in Middlesborough, I think (during our Whitby holiday) and recognised it immediately. Global is written by Eoin Colfer, who also wrote Illegal, which I read a couple of years ago, and loved. Of course I had to have it. Of course I loved it just as much as Illegal
Global jumps between two protagonists, Sami and Yuki, in two entirely different places in the world, but both in an equally desperate economic disaster. Sami and his grandfather live in a village along the indian ocean, and are daily risking their lives, trying to gather enough fish to sell to survive, all the while waiting anxiously for the next monsoon. Yuki lives in the far north of Canada, where warming temperature is melting the ice, and endangering the polar bears. Yuki is determined to do something to help. 
Both stories are gripping and fast-paced, and I read the entire thing in one afternoon (probably because it was a graphic novel, but it was still good.)
If anyone knows of any other Eoin Colfer graphic novels, I would love to read them. 

6. Before I Die, by Jenny Downham 
At this point in the month I was struggling with deciding what to read next. I wanted to read something I would enjoy, but also didn't want to take an age to read it, because of the ever looming Goodreads Reading Challenge. Cue Before I Die: one of my favourite fast reads, when I'm in the mood for a sad book that I knew I would enjoy. Before I Die is about more than just a girl dying of cancer. It has a message that I think is very important- to take what you want and never let go. Tessa is dying- there's no getting around that- but she has a list, and a promise to herself: she's not going to die until all ten things on the list are done. 
Before I Die is an emotional, powerful book, and it is always a pleasure to pick it up again. 

7. The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events #11), by Leminy Snicket
8. The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events #12), by Lemony Snicket

These books have been a long time coming. I think I put them off for two months, maybe. But July, for me, has been my catch up month, where I promised myself that I would finish everything I'd been working for, for seemingly forever. 
Even though you can't tell, because the Earthsea Quartet is four short stories, all in one book, I was alternating the A Series of Unfortunate Events series, and the Earthsea novels, so I didn't get disinterested in either series. 

I honestly think what was stopping me from finishing this series was the start of The Grim Grotto. It starts by descriping the water cycle, and maybe I just wasn't in the mood to read that, in the extremely wordy style that's accustomed in the ASOUE series. Once I got past that, I started gaining speed, and managed to knock out each of these in five days or so. 

The Penultimate Peril felt like the finale for this series, because you get re-introduced to a number of characters that the reader has met over the last 11 novels, except for the extremely chaotic ending that sends the hotel up in smoke. There are only a few select characters that either show up, or get a mentioning in The End, so I thoroughly enjoyed The Penultimate Peril, since it's mostly a review of all of the Baudelaire's woes and troubles since the series began. 

9. Earthsea: The First Four Books (Earthsea Cycle #1-4), by Ursula K. Le Guin
Honestly, thank fuck I finished this. I doubled with reading this and listening to the audiobook with each of the short stories for Earthsea, and it worked wonders for my progress. Each of the next three novels after A Wizard of Earthsea were captivating, entising and full of excitement. I fell in love with this vibrant world, interesting and flawed characters- because geenuinely, so much was packed into each story, each chapter, each page. 

I am aware that there are two more novels I have to read until I have fully completed the series, but I'm going to read those as and when I'm in the mood to read them- hopefully it's sometime this year. 


10. The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13), by Lemony Snicket
I'm going to start with this: The End has a completely different feel to the rest of the series. Like I said before, very few characters from the past 12 novels make it to the thirteen book. Kit Snicket is there, Count Olaf is also there, the Baudelaire parents are mentioned throughout, and the Quagmire triplets and Dewey are mentioned occasionally. That's it. Basically, the book starts with the Baudelaires and Count Olaf being ship-wrecked, and landing on a coastal shelf in the middle of nowhere. 

It's soon clear that everything washes up on these shores eventually, the place that the Baudelaires find themselves on. Including, their parents, right before Violet was born. A very big part of this book is Violet, Klaus and Sunny finding our more about why their parents were here, what they were like, as well as trying to find out more about the schism, amongst all the other secrets they've been trying to uncover for the majority of these books. 

It was very detatched to the structure of the other books, but I didn't have any issues with it, with the way it was written, and although I'll undoubtedly be thinking about it for at least another week, I was extremely satisfied with the ending. 

Thankyou Lemony Snicket, and the Baudelaire siblings, for your amusing and unfortunate story. It was a pleasure to read about your lives once more. To another seven years before I come across your books again! 



Okay! Those are all the books I read in July! I'm extremely happy to say that I'm finally free of all the series I've been stringing along (except for some books my colleague gave me to borrow...)
which I'm already reading now. 
As always, feel free to comment down below what you got up to in July, and we can chat about it! 
I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all soon! 
Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxx

This book possibly has the best blurb I've ever read (in my whole entire life).