Today I sat my last management level case study exam and, all being well and I pass it, that means I get the summer off exams and college! I can't remember the last time I had this long off studying. But a summer off means I get to make summer plans. Here's what I hope to do:
Pointe
As a dancer it's always been a dream of mine to go on pointe, to own a pair of those beautiful shoes. This year I get the chance. I'm booked onto my first ever pointe class, and now just need to arrange my pointe shoe fitting. I'm so excited.
France
This year I get a proper holiday. Two weeks relaxing by the Pool in France. I haven't been abroad since 2007, and after the busyness that has been the last few years a fortnight doing very little is exactly what I need. We've booked two beautiful cottages, one right near the beach, another further in land and I can't wait to get away from home for a while.
Birthday Celebrations
The summer is always a good time of year for me as it's my birthday! This year it's even better because it's the Sunday of bank holiday weekend, meaning I get a long weekend off work. No concrete plans yet, but I foresee plenty of meals out, cocktails and quality time with loved ones. Exciting!
Boulevard
Boulevard is a burlesque show in Newcastle that I've been longing to go to for a few years now. When debating where to go for our last work's night, one of the girls and I suggested here but then decided that we'd save this for a girls only summer night out. Drinks, dancing and laughter is sure to be fun.
Reading
I started the year with a list of books I wanted to read. I think I've managed to read only one. I'm very disappointed in myself, but college unfortunately took over my life. I want to fall back in love with my Kindle and start to make a dint in my reading list.
TV/Film
Again, my TV shows have been neglected whilst I've been at college. I can't wait to continue working my way through Pretty Little Liars, and getting up to speed on Vikings. There's also a few good films out this summer I can't wait to see, and my Now TV box that's feeling very unloved.
Health and Fitness
With a summer of no college, I have no excuses not to focus my attention on getting fit and healthy. I can get back to the gym, get back on track with loosing my winter weight and improve my flexibility and strength a lot more.
Blogging
I have a list of blog posts that I keep adding to quicker than I write them, and a new camera that's dying to be used for some new photos. I'm going to do as much as I can over the summer, and plan ahead for the rest of the year.
So far I have only a few definite plans, but I'm sure there'll be a lot more adventures with my friends and family to come. Here's to a brilliant summer! (And fingers crossed I passed my exam so I can enjoy it all)
Sarah x
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Book Review - My Side of Life
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
My Side of Life
by Shane Filan
Having been a massive Westlife fan since I was little, when Shane Filan announced his first solo UK tour I had to get tickets. It was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. When he announced his book I had to read it. It was a Christmas present from my Mum, and I've finally finished it. So here's my book review.
I was only 7 or 8 when Westlife started to get noticed, at that point I was never particularly interested in how they got to be famous, and I've never really thought about it since. This book gave a great insight into how the band got to where they are and the difficulties they faced. I never knew about the original band members who were kicked, and how close Shane was to being kicked out. I was really interesting to read and finally understand the history behind a band who'd played a big part in my life.
Compared to other autobiographies I've read, I didn't think this was written as well, but he's a singer not a writer so I'm not going to dwell on that too much. He's given everyone access into his life and thoughts, and I respect him for that. After what he's been through, it was a very brave thing to release.
The book opened my eyes to not only how life was in Westlife, the struggles they faced at different points in their careers, and their relationships with each other, but how the business world was working just before and during the financial crash.
I've studied the economic crisis of 2008/2009 as part of my degree, and I've understood how it happened, the effect etc. But it wasn't until I read this I realised how bad it got for some people. To work hard to get the life you want for your family, and see it all pulled away from you must have been heartbreaking for Shane.
I felt very sorry for the whole family towards the end of the book. They hadn't been stupid and wasted their money away on flash holidays, drugs etc. They'd tried to be sensible and invest but everything came down around them. They lost the castle they'd built in seconds. No one should have to go through that.
At the end of the book Shane talks about his solo career, and how loosing everything actually was good in some ways. It was great to see that despite everything, he's seeing the positives and using his own experiences to build a new career.
A brilliant read if you're a Westlife/Shane fan, but I think it would be interesting to hear from the other boys and compare stories to see what everyone thought of their time together.
Sarah x
I was only 7 or 8 when Westlife started to get noticed, at that point I was never particularly interested in how they got to be famous, and I've never really thought about it since. This book gave a great insight into how the band got to where they are and the difficulties they faced. I never knew about the original band members who were kicked, and how close Shane was to being kicked out. I was really interesting to read and finally understand the history behind a band who'd played a big part in my life.
Compared to other autobiographies I've read, I didn't think this was written as well, but he's a singer not a writer so I'm not going to dwell on that too much. He's given everyone access into his life and thoughts, and I respect him for that. After what he's been through, it was a very brave thing to release.
The book opened my eyes to not only how life was in Westlife, the struggles they faced at different points in their careers, and their relationships with each other, but how the business world was working just before and during the financial crash.
I've studied the economic crisis of 2008/2009 as part of my degree, and I've understood how it happened, the effect etc. But it wasn't until I read this I realised how bad it got for some people. To work hard to get the life you want for your family, and see it all pulled away from you must have been heartbreaking for Shane.
I felt very sorry for the whole family towards the end of the book. They hadn't been stupid and wasted their money away on flash holidays, drugs etc. They'd tried to be sensible and invest but everything came down around them. They lost the castle they'd built in seconds. No one should have to go through that.
At the end of the book Shane talks about his solo career, and how loosing everything actually was good in some ways. It was great to see that despite everything, he's seeing the positives and using his own experiences to build a new career.
A brilliant read if you're a Westlife/Shane fan, but I think it would be interesting to hear from the other boys and compare stories to see what everyone thought of their time together.
Sarah x
My 2015 Reading List
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
A resolution for 2015 is to read more, and this year I want to read at least 12 books. This may not seem much but in between work, college and seeing my friends/family there's not much time left for fun reading.
My Goodreads want to read list (you can see it here) gets longer and longer every few week as my friend's recommend more amazing books, but here's what I'd to read and review in 2015.
1. My Side of Life: The Autobiography - Shane Filan
2. City of Bones (Mortal Instruments) - Cassandra Clare
3. Cruel Beauty - Rosamund Hodge
4. Stranger - Megan Hart
5. Since You've Been Gone - Morgan Matson
6. Angel of Storms (Millennium's Rule Trilogy) - Trudi Canvan
7. Sweet Addiction - Jessica Daniels
8. Dinner with a Vampire (The Dark Heroine) - Abigail Gibbs
9. Dorothy Must Die - Danielle Paige
10. City of Stairs - Robert Jackson Bennett
11. Famous in Love - Rebecca Serle
12. The Paper Magician (The Paper Magician Trilogy) - Charlie N. Holmberg
My list isn't in order, and isn't set in stone. I know that if I fall in love with a series I'll probably read all of those before moving onto something new, but I'm optimistic that the reading bug will get me this year and I'll read a lot more than previous years.
If you have any suggestions you think I may like comment below, I'd love to hear what you're reading!
Sarah x
100 Happy Days...Day 31
Thursday, 27 March 2014
Day 31 - My Kindle
Ever since I was a child, I've loved to read. I have hundreds of books in my room that I've read over the years and still enjoy reading. Since I've now run out of space to store my collection I was bought a kindle last year for my birthday, and it's probably one of the best things I've even being given. Thousands of books available within the palms of my hands, with no need to venture into town to buy something new. I just wish I had a bit more time to cuddle up and drift away into a fantasy world.
I'm currently reading The Night Circus, which I've been promised is amazing. It's taken some getting into but I am enjoying it and intrigued to see how it goes.
Ever since I was a child, I've loved to read. I have hundreds of books in my room that I've read over the years and still enjoy reading. Since I've now run out of space to store my collection I was bought a kindle last year for my birthday, and it's probably one of the best things I've even being given. Thousands of books available within the palms of my hands, with no need to venture into town to buy something new. I just wish I had a bit more time to cuddle up and drift away into a fantasy world.
I'm currently reading The Night Circus, which I've been promised is amazing. It's taken some getting into but I am enjoying it and intrigued to see how it goes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)