Alive and Kicking!!

I've been away for a while..just generally being kept rather busy! I went away to North Yorkshire with my sister, Gran and Mum last week - the weather was mostly wet and miserable but we managed to have quite a nice break. We spent a day in York (it was bizarre to be there when I don't actually live there anymore!) and we also went to Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay. Robin Hoods Bay was rather lovely - a proper bay and a nice beach even tho the sky was overcast and the tide was coming in when we were there. I really love going to beaches when it's overcast because it seems more refreshing and moody. North Yorkshire really is one of my favourite places - the moody atmospheric moors, the seaside (despite the tourist trappings!) and the general friendliness of most of the people. It was nice to get away from it all if only for a few days! We were in the middle of the rolling Yorkshire Wolds staying in a rented cottage. If I manage to figure out how to put pics up I will one day!

I also went to Edinburgh to see my partner at the weekend and stayed til yesterday. The festival was in full swing, kind of annoying since there were so many people crowding up the streets! But the atmosphere is usually quite cool during the festival - last year it was buzzing. I didn't really do anything as both of us are hard up saving our money for Nice (we go away on 2nd September for two weeks). I did however go to the Ron Mueck exhibition that everyone's been raving about. It was okay..the concepts were interesting - crossroads within life, things that are familiar to us, that we all share as human beings and so on. I suppose I'm a little bit of a snob when it comes to art, I know what I like (Frida Kahlo, Van Gogh, etc). It was interesting nevertheless!

My sister got her GCSE results today (Thursday 24th), and seems much happier, we are all very proud of her. She got a B for everything (English lit+lang, maths, RS, ICT) except two C's for Double Science and a C for Art. She's been quite low recently so hopefully she feels more confident now she knows what she's got. She's also going to the Reading Festival tomorrow for the day, it sounds like fun! :)

Anyway..I've been tagged by LonerGrrl:

1. One book that changed your life? Beauty and Misogyny By Sheila Jeffreys. I think this book introduced and validated my concerns about patriarchy and the problems with our society. I think I owe Sheila a big thanks for making me think deeply about the importance of feminism.
2. One book you have read more than once? Wow, loads! I'm a real bookworm/booklover and I've read a lot of books more than once. I suppose if I was going to pick one then I would pick either Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy or Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
3. One book you would want on a desert island? Hmm..something really big! Perhaps Les Miserables by Victor Hugo or Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Or I could re-read Lord of the Rings again...
4. One book that made you laugh? Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett. All Pratchett's Discworld books make me laugh..it's real comedy! Definitely read one of his books if you want something to make you laugh.
5. One book that made you cry? The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier. Such a sad book :-*(
6. One book you wish had been written? "The Truth about Patriarchy". Lol!
7. One book you wish had never been written? The Bible...not very original, am I! 8. One book you are currently reading? I'm between books at the moment! I'm likely to read one of the following next: Sex Wars (Marge Piercy) or The Green Dwarf (Early Charlotte Bronte).
9. One book you have been meaning to read? Anything by Andrea Dworkin, particularly Pornography. I need to catch up on my feminist reading! There are lots of books I've been meaning to read because reading is my life-buoy.
10. Now tag five people. Most people have been tagged but I'll just tag everyone who hasn't been tagged already. Also, I tag Rambo :-)


There's plenty for me to do at the moment, so I'll likely be busy for the next week with packing and so on, although I may blog before I go off to Nice. I'm still thinking of feminist matters but at the moment I feel as though I need to read more about it and figure out how I'm feeling and what I can do about it. I'm definitely thinking of going to Reclaim the Night this year and dragging my sis and mum along with me! I also need to think about what I'm going to do about doing an MA and working etc. I'll probably volunteer until my MA comes up next September but obviously I need to get some funding. I'm in two minds whether to do Sociology or Women's Studies!

Anyway..until next time!