"Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

Firstly, can I just say how fricking proud I am of myself for finishing two books during this spring break!!! I feel like I am out of my reading slump (what has also helped me get out of my writing slump!!) and it feels great.

So, the second book I read whilst on break, was "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell. I had heard so much about this book before reading it that I wasn't really sure what to expect. I hadn't read anything else by Rainbow Rowell before and the reviews I'd heard had been both bad and good. Still I was interested how the author wrote fanfiction and people who like fanfiction. So when I had some spare money, I picked up a copy of the book. 

I gotta say I liked the book quite a lot. It wasn't just a love story as I thought it would be. Also it didn't really include a love triangle, what I also though it would? I don't know where I had gotten these ideas. Anyway it talked about so much more than I expected. It talked about troubles with family and growing apart with someone you've been really close with. And it also talked about creating stories and writer's block and other problems writers can meet when creating. And also first times and not being sure about relationships and dealing with change and anxiety and so on. So I liked the issues the book dealt with and how it dealt with them.

I also really liked the characters. I have to say I wasn't a big fan of the main character Cath. She tended to get a bit whiny and I don't think she dealt very well with her emotions. But I really loved a lot of the side characters. Like Reagan for example. She is truly life goals and definitely wife goals. I just really loved her attitude and take on life. Also Levi is a babe. He is so sweet and nice and I really want to meet a person as charming as Levi in real life one day.  

I also really liked the little fragments of the book and the fanfics that were given in the book. I think it definitely gave a lot to understanding the main character and her sister more thoroughly. Also it made me really want to read the book series and the fanfiction written for it, oh god. 

All in all I really liked the book, I gave it a 4 stars out of 5, but if I could've I probably would've given it a 4.5 stars out of 5. It was a good book and I really enjoyed reading it. 

Til next time,

Ingrid 

"Teen angst? Naaah..." by Ned Vizzini

So I've had a little bit of a reading slump lately. I just can't be bothered to read anything, no books, no short stories, no poetry, no nothing. And I hate it. I love to read so when I physically can't make myself pay attention to a book it makes me very mad at myself. But during this break I got back on the reading badwagon with this nice book.

"Teen angst? Naaah..." is a quasi-autobiography by Ned Vizzini. It is a collection of short stories the author has written about his own teenager life. The book is divided into sections by the school year he was in when the stories took place. The blurb on the back says that "this collection of essays (in which names have been changed "so I don't get yelled at") never fails to bring out the humor and the truth of growing up."

I really liked the book, because it did exactly what the blurb promised. It brought out the humor and truth of growing up. And it did that without becoming too sappy or motivational, because the author had written the stories when he was dealing with these things first-hand, back when he still was a teenager. The stories didn't seem watered down or censored and they were, dare I say it, relatable. I could relate to the stories and I liked that a lot.

I had read Ned Vizzini's "It's kind of a funny story" (by the way gr8 book 10/10 would recommend) and having liked that I had great expectations for this book. And the book filled my expectations so yes, great success (hella rhymes).

Til next time,
Ingrid.

P.S. this post was brought to you by midnight writing to the sound of my lovely friend Ingrid (yes I have a friend that has the same name as me wow) sending me poop emojis on facebook.

Walks

What else to waste your school holiday days on then taking long walks on the beach. Or in my case in Old Town and on Pirita road.

Tallinn's version of Diagon Alley?

well the sticker on the other side of the road sure raises some suspicion

can u tell ive got max zoom on

#vintage

i just really love to take pictures of trees 

taken by the amazing Ramona

true happiness 

Ramona looked really #aesthetic

the most heartbreaking goodbye since Titanic

more trees #nice

me in a tree #nice

more #aesthetic Ramona

#deep #sea #girl #follow4follow

well i tried to capture the sunset? its the thought that counts??

The walks and my cute companions, Ramona and Zero, were very great and I very much recommend taking walks and looking at your home town from the pov of tourists to everyone once in a while. For me, it keeps the city fresh and exciting, because even after countless Old Town photo trips, I still find something new every time. So take walks, take photos, laugh with your friends, have fun etc. Because these days are the ones you'll want to remember. #deep. 

Til next time,

Ingrid

Cucumber, Banana and Tofu

I haven't really written anything in a while. Mostly because I've been so very lazy it's horrible. But today I didn't feel that well in the morning, so I took a day off school and decided to get some things back on track. This blog being one of them. So I'm gonna tell you about three linked shows that I have been loving these past months.

Cucumber, Banana and Tofu are all series from Channel 4 and have been airing for a couple of months already. They all discuss sex and sexuality in their own ways. Cucumber, the main show, is mainly about a 46 years old gay man named Henri and the troubles he finds in his relationships and life in general. Banana tells a different story of a member or a couple of members of the LGBTQ+ community every episode. All the stories are however linked to the main show, Cucumber, in one way or another. The third series, Tofu, is a documentary webseries that discusses sex and sexuality with the cast of Cucumber and Banana, members of the LGBTQ+ community and other members of the public.

I really like these shows. Not only because they have a lot of characters that aren't heterosexual (do you know how hard it is to find a show that has gay characters that aren't shallow and used as plot devices or accessories), but also because the stories told are truly interesting and beautiful. It discusses problems that everyone has in a very straightforward way. I like it when topics that are kind of taboo are discussed openly and that's what Cucumber, Banana and Tofu do.

Also the characters are simply amazing. They all have their flaws and I like that a lot. They are people you'd meet in your everyday life, not some perfect beings. The main character of Cucumber, Henri, is a great character in my opinion. He is not a great person, he has many flaws, most of which he is aware of, but he is a versatile character, he is a person, not a tv trope, and that makes him a great character. My favourite character from Cucumber has to be Freddie though. Firstly because he looks so totally in control of his life, but when you get to know him more you see the problems he faces as well, he isn't just his pretty face and his amazing sex life. Also he's bisexual and I think we need a lot of more bi- and pansexual characters.

Last but not least I really love the cinematographical side of the shows. The camera work is amazing, the use of camera angles really helps tell the stories. Also the soundtrack of the show is amazing. Not only the songs played (which are great and always go well with the scene) but also the sound effects give so much to the shows. I'd like to give a big applause to whoever edits and cuts the show together as well, it is so well made.

So I really think everyone should watch Cucumber, Banana and Tofu. I should warn you though, they tend to get a bit graphic, so if you're not used to seeing penises just hanging bout and don't want to see them either, then maybe the shows aren't for you. Still watch Tofu though, no penises there :)

Til next time,
Ingrid