Daily Shenanigans, 15/07/2014: Secret Unlimited Screening!

I've had quite a day today, starting off with a lovely lay-in because I was absolutely shattered after yesterday! When I finally got up about mid-morning, I got straight on with writing my Top Ten Tuesday post and browsing the others on my Bloglovin' feed. I feel like I've been neglecting commenting on other people's blogs recently, so have tried to do a bit of catching up. I've also been pretty busy job hunting, sorting out the consoles that Mat and I are going to sell tomorrow, and doing a bit of reading. I really need to get back into that, especially as I now don't have a work shift for a good week and a half!

The main highlight of the day however came when Mat and I went to the Unlimited Screening. We didn't know, until tonight, what the film would actually be. A few clues had been let slip on Twitter, but nothing definitive. When I found out it was 'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes' I had a pretty mixed reaction. First there was the fact that I hadn't seen it's predecessor, so I was a little annoyed that they had decided to show a sequel for that reason. Secondly, the website advertised the secret screening as being shown 'well ahead of it's release date'. Is two days before it's released 'well ahead'? I think not. 

Nevertheless, despite feeling a bit negative to begin with, the film itself was phenomenal! I didn't need to have seen 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' to understand it (though there were references) and I thought the animation was just fantastic. I really got into it a lot and regretted my initial annoyance, though I do still feel a little cheated. Anyone who was wondering whether it would be worth a watch, it is. For the CGI alone! The expressions on the apes were beautifully rendered, managing to look both human and convey emotion, while most definitely ape-like. I really bought into the story and the acting, and I loved the soundtrack.

Tomorrow I have to run a couple of errands and I'm seeing Mat for most of the day. I should get some reading done though and I really hope to finish 'The Silent History' and get onto 'Dragon's Curse'.

Daily Shenanigans, 11/07/2014: Back on schedule.

Today has been pretty productive for me. I read Vanessa Morton's 'Moonfall'. I am waiting until tomorrow to post the review because it will be my first ever Blog Tour post but I'm so excited for you guys to see my thoughts on the book, I really enjoyed it! There'll also be an Author Q&A and a Giveaway so stay tuned! Other than that, I did a lot of chores around the house today and mostly started sorting out my upcoming blog posts and planned reads because it really needed to be done. I was so glad for my day off today, it let me catch up a bit. I'm back onto reading 'The Silent History', it's good to be back on schedule.

Tomorrow I'm working again but obviously my previously mentioned Blog Tour post will be up, and I have some other bits and bobs to be getting on with.

Daily Shenanigans, 10/07/2014: Holiday approaching!

My morning started off pretty well, even tough I had to get up early. I had work but it was a pretty short shift today and it went so quickly. Before work though, I finished 'Lord Of The Flies' and wrote my Life Of A Blogger post! I didn't have time to do the review until much later on in the day though. After work I came home, quickly got changed, then went straight back out to Mat's! We went with his family to get all the necessary food and supplies for our trip to Wales next week, which I'm so looking forward to! Last time I went to Wales, I visited a friend of mine in Cardiff and had a great time! Llangollen promises to be a little quieter but still looks so interesting and beautiful. Thank goodness for the new camera, just in time for a great holiday. After shopping, we went back to Mat's and had dinner and then I was a tad boring and fell asleep. I don't know what came over me, I just suddenly felt ridiculously tired. It was for those reasons that I ended up posting my review of 'Lord Of The Flies' much later!

Tomorrow, I have the day off. I will be doing a lot of reading, plenty of blog bits and generally catching up with myself a bit.

Daily Shenanigans, 09/07/2014: The beach again!

Today has been such a nice day off, I spent the whole of it with Mat which I don't feel like I've done properly in ages. We did quite a bit too, so it was a lot of fun! Firstly, I drove to his and we made our way to Tesco. I actually ended up buying a new camera today (as well as chocolate and doughnuts) so it was well worth the trip! After getting some fuel, we then went to mine for lunch, before heading to town to sort out some more bits and bobs. I ended up closing a really old bank account of mine and so I'm completely sorted now with my finance sorting. We had to pick up some more boxes of Mat's contact lenses and that marked the end of our town trip! This afternoon into early evening was spent at Hythe beach again. It was a little windy but really lovely. We had chips and I managed to read a little more of my book. I also tested out my new camera. It's great! After that, we then headed back to Mat's and spent the evening in playing Xbox Games and generally relaxing.

I'm pretty close to finishing 'Lord Of The Flies' so I should have a review up tomorrow, along with my Life Of A Blogger post for this week. I do also have work tomorrow, but my shift is not so long this time.

Daily Shenanigans, 03/07/2014: A trip to the beach!

I have had a pretty awesome day today guys! The first thing I did this morning was write my 'Life Of A Blogger' post on the topic of family which was a fun start to the day. Mat came round not long after and we chilled out and had lunch together before heading to town to sort a few bits out. The most exciting part of my day was this afternoon however, when we decided to go to the beach. The weather today was absolutely beautiful so we didn't want to waste the opportunity. It was such a lovely way to spend the afternoon, I got a little reading done and we bought ice cream! When we returned home I watched the last two episodes of Game Of Thrones Season 2 and I really want to get onto Season 3 because I'm still hooked! 

Tomorrow I should post a review of 'Divergent' because I'm very nearly done! I also have work which is less fun...

Daily Shenanigans, 02/07/2014: A day with friends.

I have been  looking forward to today for a while now because I finally got to see a couple of my friends again. I've seen them both fairly recently, but it was really nice to spend time as a group together and do the things we used to enjoy doing when we went to school together. I've been in a pretty nostalgic mood today so this was definitely called for. Mostly we played games and chatted so nothing too strenuous (which was good because I've had quite the headache). I've also finally made decent headway reading 'Divergent' and I am enjoying it so much! I can't wait to get through this book and share my thoughts! A book arrived this morning, another Goodreads win. I honestly don't know how long it's going to take for me to get round to reading R.J. Ellory's 'Carnival Of Shadows' but it looks really good! I can't wait!

Tomorrow I am seeing Mat and we'll be popping to town, as well as chilling at mine for a while. I'll also be posting my 'Life Of A Blogger' post and making more progress through 'Divergent'!

Daily Shenanigans, 25/06/2014: Stifling hot day!

The weather today was so warm, and I'm normally a fan of hot days. But today was just unbearable! It was not only stifling hot, but I suffer from terrible hay-fever and today was the worst I'd had it for a long time. I ended up grumpy, tired and feeling pretty ill. I did manage to get a good amount of Gaiman's book read though I'd hoped to finish and review it today! Nevertheless, I'm glad I managed to get anything done at all. Mat is staying with a friend at the moment so he's been pretty unresponsive to my messages. I don't mind, but it's left me feeling a bit lost and lonely this evening, I'm so happy I'm seeing him tomorrow! I did however start getting excited about my fast approaching holiday in Wales with Mat and his family. I am really looking forward to spending some time away from Ashford/Canterbury and actually getting a decent break. Hopefully the weather stays decent!

Tomorrow I'll be posting my Life Of A Blogger post and I should finish reading 'The Graveyard Book' so I'll be reviewing that too. I also have a few appointments in town and am, as I have said, seeing Mat! My day tomorrow will actually be pretty busy, a friend of mine  at work is taking us all out for dinner tomorrow evening. I hope I'm in a better mood!

Daily Shenanigans, 22/06/2014: Being positive!

So if I was feeling a bit strange and upset yesterday, I definitely felt better today, and a lot more productive too! Firstly, I have filled in and sent off the application form to live in the potential new flat. Just talking about it today has really excited me and I am looking forward to hopefully securing it once and for all! I did also post my 'Weekly Wishlist' today which was new flat related. I felt like being a bit different today. My main achievement which I've only just achieved however was finishing 'One Hundred Years Of Solitude' at last! The review will of course go up tomorrow as it's late now, but I'm keen to get started on my next read. Generally I've just had an awesome day and got plenty of jobs completed. Hooray!

Tomorrow I'm seeing Mat for a hefty chunk of the day, reading and catching up on emails that I keep forgetting to send. 

Daily Shenanigans, 20/06/2014: The University Musical!

I have had myself quite a hectic day today guys, particularly during the afternoon . This morning I checked through my emails and found a number of interesting ones! Firstly, I posted earlier about Vanessa Morton's competition on her page, which has a generous prize too. As well as that, an earlier win was finally sent to me,  'Mary Hades' by Sarah Dalton . I've been really looking forward to getting into her work, so I hope I like this book! I did have work today too, which was very tiring. After my shift I had a meal out with Mat and Bev at a lovely restaurant in Canterbury. This was shortly followed by watching my uni friends in a great production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Both cast and crew were fantastic and it reminded me of how much I love thrat musical. 

Tomorrow I have work in the morning, then an afternoon to catch up. Plenty of reading
to do!

Daily Shenanigans, 16/06/2014: 'The Fault In Our Stars' Advanced Screening.

So I've had a pretty exciting and productive day today, certainly in terms of reading! To begin with, I was staying at Mat's last night and I've spent the day at his. We mostly relaxed, playing games and watching Game Of Thrones. As well as that I managed to finish that very book! I enjoyed it so much, and the review went up today as promised. I thoroughly recommend the book, it's a brilliant start to the epic saga!

But now for the main crux of my post. This evening, Mat and I made use of our Unlimited cards and watched the advanced screening of 'The Fault In Our Stars' (it actually comes out Thursday here in Britain). I will start by saying that I majorly cried and it was not a pretty sight at all! The whole cinema was in floods of tears and anyone who has read the book will know why. It was definitely worth the sobbing though, the film was fantastic! Hazel and Augustus had a wonderful onscreen chemistry that far exceeded my expectations and I enjoyed every minute of the film. They stuck pretty closely to the book as well which I was pleased about. I really appreciated seeing some of my favourite quotes in there, but I actually found a new appreciation for some parts of the film that I didn't take much notice of in the book.

The casting was fantastic. Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort were wonderful as the two leads,  as I have said. In addition, Nat Wolff played Isaac perfectly! I had such a soft spot for Isaac in the book that it was important to me that the film got him right, which they did. I was also very impressed with Willem Dafoe as the eccentric and bitter Peter van Houten. I am so glad that I enjoyed this film,  which was very funny at times, but heart breaking and emotional throughout.

Tomorrow I'm off to stay round a friend's house who I haven't seen for a very long time! I'll also be posting my Top Ten Tuesday post!

Daily Shenanigans, 15/06/2014: Father's Day!

Here in Britain, today is Father's Day! I bought my Dad a new phone case, as his old one wasn't as practical as he would have liked. We also had a curry as a treat to celebrate! We don't really tend to make too much of a fuss on days like this but it was still nice to spend time together as a family. This afternoon, Mat came to pick me up and I've been there since, as I'm staying over. I have done a lot of reading today and I'm almost done with 'A Game Of Thrones' which is good. I'll definitely be done and reviewing tomorrow!

Other than that, I've been mostly relaxing. I've posted another Weekly Wishlist, a weekly post that I really enjoy! Tomorrow I plan to continue with lots of reading and generally relaxing before going to watch 'The Fault In Our Stars' at the cinema (hooray for Unlimited Cards!) in the evening. I just know I'm going to be a wreck in tomorrow's post!

Daily Shenanigans, 14/06/2014: World Cup!

Well today has been pretty laid back for me. I've made a lot of progress with 'A Game Of Thrones' and I fully expect to have a review for it up at some point tomorrow! That makes up mostly what I've been doing today, reading. I slept in pretty late this morning, and I had a few chores to do. Mat finished work a lot earlier than usual and came straight round afterwards so I spent a lot of the afternoon and evening with him! Originally we were going to go to the Cinema, but instead we decided to stay in and watch another episode of 'Game Of Thrones'. Actually now, come to think of it, my entire day has pretty much consisted of the TV Series/Book. Not that I'm complaining!

Currently, I'm watching the England Vs. Italy match with my sister on TV. I'm not a football fan really but I'm very patriotic and so don't mind watching the World Cup! Tomorrow is Father's Day so we're having a curry (yum!) and then I'm going round Mat's in the afternoon to stay over, seeing as he has the day off! As I said I'll hopefully have a review up tomorrow, as well as my Weekly Wishlist. I feel like my blog has been lacking a little recently in posts (other than my daily entry) so it's time I got productive!

Daily Shenanigans, 13/06/2014: Doing things differently!

Today ended up being quite different to my usual day since finishing Uni. I made a decision to give myself a break from being sat at my computer today, purely because I had a pretty terrible headache and I really wanted to get on with other things. This of course meant that I didn't do much in terms of my blog. I did however get much further into 'A Game Of Thrones', which I'm really enjoying. I definitely feel like watching the TV series has made me appreciate this book even more! Anyhow, I did a lot of tidying this morning as a sort of surprise for my Dad because I'm generally a pretty unproductive person when it comes to household chores. I really recognise this as a flaw within myself which I'm determined to address.

This afternoon, I continued to have an interesting day when my friend, Imogen, came to visit! We drank tea, caught up with each other's antics and she bought me a cute Totoro pillow which served as part of a very late birthday present (she'd accidentally had it delivered to her Uni address while living at home). I've included a picture because it's so soft and awesome and really wanted to show you guys! This was the same friend who bought me chocolates and a set of Lewis Carroll books a few weeks ago and it made me feel really grateful to have friends in my life who know me this well. Thank you Imogen! After dinner, Bev (my sister) had her photography exhibition which we went to have a look at. Going back to my old school was very surreal but it was nice to revisit everything and see how it has changed! The exhibition was great, there are a lot of talented photographers and artists about.

And so ends my day of doing things a bit differently. Tomorrow I'm seeing Mat and we may go to the cinema in the evening depending on timings and what is on. He'll be round in the afternoon so I'll be using the morning to hopefully really get into 'A Game Of Thrones' and finish some tasks that really need finishing!

Daily Shenanigans, 09/06/2014: Guest post!

So, I've ended up being a very busy bee today actually! I'll start off by saying that the weather was tremendously hot, though it has rained quite a lot and we've even had a Thunder Storm this evening. Hopefully the air will be a little less humid now! I started the morning off playing a little bit of The Sims 3 and reading a rather hefty portion of 'Stolen Songbird'. I am enjoying this book so much and I can't wait to finish and review it for you guys! Mat came over about mid-morning and has spent quite a lot of it fussing over me on account of my hurting foot after yesterday's little trip down the stairs (...that was a terrible pun, my apologies). I also finally got round to posting a separate page for reviews, so they can be found more easily. I am glad I have the time to be improving upon my blog in the way that I want to at last! Mat and I did pop into town today to do a few bits and bobs, but other than that it has been very much a day of relaxation. While in town, I did buy Season 2 of 'Game Of Thrones' on Blu-Ray and we watched a couple of episodes today. I am thoroughly addicted to that series.

After Mat left, I began to work on a post that I've been keeping secret up until now. The lovely ladies over on Oh, The Books! have recently put out a call for all newbie bloggers (if your blog has started in the last six months) to write a guest post for them to put on their own blog (click here if you're interested). It's a wonderful idea and though it took me a while to pluck up the courage to say I would do it, I'm glad I have volunteered. I've started on the post today. It isn't quite finished, and I haven't been given a set date for when it will go up but I shall keep you all updated as I know more! I'm extremely excited! 

Tomorrow I will try and finish it, and then send it onto them. I shall also be posting my 'Top Ten Tuesday' list and hopefully reviewing my current read too. Busy, busy!

Daily Shenanigans, 07/06/2014: A light at the end of the tunnel!

Finally, after days and days of struggling, it seems I might be making headway with this book. I'm about three quarters of the way through now, and have decided to read as much as possible before sleeping tonight so that I can have a review up for you tomorrow morning. Obviously this is already much later than expected so I am determined! Then I shall be getting straight onto 'Stolen Songbird', which I'm really looking forward to! Reading has taken up most of my day so there isn't much to tell. I arrived back in Ashford from London mid-morning, then headed to Mat's not long after. He really wanted to clear away his Uni stuff and then I sat and half-watched him play on his Xbox while working my way through my monstrous novel. I did also write my 'Six Degrees Of Separation' post which was a lot of fun! We had a lovely Chinese takeaway in the evening, then snuggled up to watch the Britain's Got Talent final. A perfect end to a lovely few days away!

Tomorrow I have nothing planned other than a hefty amount of reading, blog organising and posting, completing a few tasks for some exciting projects coming up (more on those when I have official dates) and hopefully playing The Sims 3 (the withdrawal symptoms are almost crippling now). I'm extremely excited about some upcoming events to say the least but I'll keep quiet...for now!

Daily Shenanigans, 06/06/2014: Last full day in London!

Today for the most part has been a relaxing day. This morning, after finally getting up, Mat and I watched the last episode of 'Game Of Thrones' Season 1. I have to say it has made me really desperate to read the book. And I hear that the series only continues to get better and more addictive. I would really love to see what the series has missed out or altered. Luckily I only have my current read and the one after standing in my way. Speaking of reading, I still can't shake this annoyed feeling that I am really behind. I got a good way through today but I really would like this book to be finished now, it's so long! I'm only halfway through! Still, I'm enjoying it.

Other than relaxing, Mat had a lot of packing to do in preparation for moving all of his stuff out. Most of it went today (his family came to pick a majority of it up) but the rest will be out tomorrow and we will be going back home. I'll be round his for the day but I still plan to do plenty of reading!

Daily Shenanigans, 05/06/2014: 'Let The Right One In' on stage!

Let me just start by saying I've had a really nice day today. I did manage to get a small bit of reading done, and generally relaxed in the morning. It was nice to be able to do so again and it really hit me that Uni is actually over for good. Gulp! We went to view the house in the afternoon, only to find that no Estate Agent turned up! Apparently they had rung and left a message to cancel the viewing, though Mat didn't have a missed call so I'm not so sure. Still! The trip wasn't entirely wasted! we went to the nearby Sainsburys and bought a few bits and bobs, including some Ben & Jerries! Yum!

After going out for a lovely Italian, we made our way to the Theatre to watch 'Let The Right One In'. My parents bought me the tickets for my birthday and I've been really looking forward to watching it, the Swedish Film Adaption has always been one of my favourite films. I wasn't sure what to expect. I wondered how on earth they were going to stage half of the scenes, but having seen 'The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime' at the Apollo, I have every faith that it would be an awesome show. I was not in the least bit disappointed and found myself blown away on so many levels! I'll start by saying that the seats we had gave us an amazing view, and the set looked just beautiful. I've included a picture, and I was shocked about just how realistic everything was! They even had a sky scene on the roof that you could see if you looked up.

So, the acting. Rebecca Benson as Eli was just fantastic. She gave the character a beautiful mix of vulnerability and ferocity, and she really did seem so otherworldly. Martin Quinn was also amazing, especially considering that it was his professional stage debut! When I read that in the programme, I was blown away! The two of them together were just lovely to watch and I really liked watching the relationship build, just as I did in the film. I also liked that the show as a whole really heavily drew from the film, but managed to be it's own thing as well. It had a perfectly creepy atmosphere, amazing soundtrack (so beautiful at times) and I almost cried at a few points during the show. The way that they achieved some of the effects as well were just amazing. If you enjoyed the film I really recommend this show. See it while you still can!

Tomorrow, Mat and I are in all day. He needs to pack up most of his things to move from Uni and has told me I can spend the day reading if I like. I'll probably help him a bit, but I hope to make lots of progress!

Daily Shenanigans, 04/06/2014: 'The Sims 3' spree!

I've had a pretty busy day today actually! I started it off by venturing out into the pouring rain to go and pick Mat up from his house, before heading back to mine. We went straight into town where he went to the Opticians and I booked an appointment. While I waited for him, I went shopping and bought myself a few expansion packs for The Sims 3 which I've been really craving to play recently. Then I headed home and managed a minute amount of reading/blog stuff. In the afternoon, I had a dentist appointment and then not long after Mat and I made our way to London once more. We are going to be here for a few days and have plenty to do!

I'm getting a bit worried about how far I'm falling behind my reading schedule already. I had hoped to have finished this book by today but I'm only a fifth of the way through! I will just have to get through it as best I can and then do some serious catching up this weekend. Tomorrow, Mat and I have a house viewing, maybe a bit of shopping and then the Theatre in the evening. Not too much time for reading but it still looks like it will be a fun day!

Daily Shenanigans, 03/06/2014: Advanced screening?

Well readers, I have some pretty exciting news to share! You may, or may not, be aware that Mat and I both have Cineworld Unlimited Cards. This means that we get invited to see certain films a little bit early, and this month's film is 'The Fault In Our Stars'. I am extremely excited, I literally almost jumped through the ceiling when I first found out and Mat booked tickets immediately. The screening is on Monday 16th June so as soon as I've watched it, I'll let you all know my thoughts! Other than that, my day has mainly been headache filled. I have been feeling really tired and not well so I've been doing very little other than driving my Mum to the Garage as promised. I read a bit (though not as much as I hoped. Migraines plus reading books don't make a good concoction). I did also do some puzzles and watch my sister play The Sims 3. I really want to get playing that game a lot this Summer, I love it!  I also wrote my Top Ten Tuesday post which as always was so much fun! It made me really excited for my upcoming reads!

Tomorrow I'll be seeing Mat, reading, I have a Dentist Appointment and then I'm off to London! Again! We're hoping to go looking at a couple of houses, but I'm really looking forward to our Theatre trip on Thursday! 

Daily Shenanigans, 02/06/2014: Reading on the train again!

I'll make this post fairly short, my day hasn't been overly interesting. I had a bit of a lay-in this morning, but couldn't sleep for too long because I had work at 11. As I was without the car today (Mat needed it), I had to catch the train! I was actually quite happy about this though, because obviously reading on the train is a lot safer than reading while driving! Work went pretty quickly, I was mostly left to my own devices which was nice. When my shift finished, I journeyed home and then spent the rest of the evening posting my 'Liebster Blog Award' post. The questions were a lot of fun to answer, thanks again to both blogs that nominated me! I did also see Mat tonight, so that he could drop the car back to me. We were both pretty exhausted though so just relaxed for a few hours.

Tomorrow is another day off for me, though I need to be home because I have to drop my Mum off at some point during the day but we aren't sure when. I'll spend most of it doing some serious reading of 'The Luminaries' and aim to get pretty far into the book tomorrow. Tomorrow is also 'Top Ten Tuesday' day, hooray!