Prolonged absence and some useful links~

Saturday, April 30, 2016
Regular readers may notice that I haven't been super active on my blog for some time. Many of those regular readers will also know why that is - March and April were pretty busy for me! I turned 26 on March 2nd (I am still thinking about having more celebration around this as it was with little fanfare at the time) and then Xin and I got married later in the month :D The end of March and half of April was taken up with our honeymoon to Japan and South Korea!



When we got back there was a lot of time spent trying to organise my brain and life again, and when I finally felt like things were starting to move forward, I encountered a little block. So I turned and tried a different way, and I encountered another block. I tried doing something else - found a block there, too. And then, in the past week, I have gotten more and more exhausted with each passing day. Earlier in the week I figured this was just a little 'symptom tantrum' from having done so much in the past two months.

And then when it didn't get better, I realised that I was not feeling joyful about some things that usually light me up, and that I was putting off a lot of stuff that I would normally just get done. And I realised, just yesterday, that I recognised these things, these feelings, because I had had them before. And they had been going on since I finished my recent degree at the end of last year.

Burnout, how are you doing? It is interesting to see you again.

Yesterday I decided that I needed to employ some serious self-love tactics for a while until I feel more excited and joyful, and more capable of taking things on. And then I began to remember a few things that I often read when I am feeling this way, so I thought I would share them with you in case you need some self-love nudges at the moment. 

[by the way, there is a strong chance I have shared these links before. if so, I am not going to apologise because, honestly, sometimes things are so valuable that you just need to reread them and be reminded!]

Leonie Dawson's exploration of burnout in this post is just fantastic. It makes me sigh with relief and feel like 'hey, I'm not the only person that deals with this!' and reminds me of things I can do to heal myself.

Havi Bell is someone I turn to so regularly for permission to just be me, and she always reminds me with her gentle 'interior decorating' that everyone has their own stuff to work on, and wouldn't it be great if we worked on our own stuff and supported each other instead of throwing "shoes"? (ie. throwing our stuff at other people under the guise of anger or betrayal). This is her most recent post and it really touched me when I read it. Crown On/Do Less - yes.

This post was recently shared with me by a dear friend and, while it addresses chronic illness and the mystery through which it acts, I think it is worth looking at for the gorgeous dog and book pictures alone.

I hope these links connect with you. Love to all who read.

Book Review: Gotham by NIck Earls

Friday, April 29, 2016
I love reading. Books are amazing. They are a form of escapism, yes, but they are also inspiration, joy, and... well. Goodness. I think in some ways I have used my appetite for reading to define parts of my personality, so it made sense for me to review some of what I read! Here we go...


Title: Gotham
Author: Nick Earls
Series: Wisdom Tree: Novella 1
Publication Date: May 1st 2016

Synopsis: "About Gotham: Bloomingdales, Na$ti Boy, his mother's purse, the drugs, sex, and rock and roll of fast, abrupt celebrity. Jeff Foster is on a mission in New York. His daughter is ill and he has to make this interview pay for her treatment. He's ushered into a private shopping spree, spends the night driving around with rap celebrity Na$ti Boy and his keeper Smokey. Gotham delves into the tensions of making it, and missing out, of fame and its cost to family life. This quietly told, intelligent story rubs into the soul and causes reflection on some of the moral issues of our time."

My thoughts: I honestly didn't initially expect to like this - Na$ti Boy? really? - but was intrigued enough to want to give it a go. And I am so glad I did. What Earls has weaved here is a snapshot into one life and, through that life, the lives of others in very different situations. Earls cleverly shows different sides to each character instead of one-toned, one-sided creatures who we are either supposed to love or hate. His characters are here to demonstrate a point - that everyone has different sides, almost different people within them - we can't judge them based on one aspect (perhaps their rapper name?).

I had a particular interest and appreciation for Smokey - Na$ti Boy's 'keeper'. He gives every impression of being, on the outside, one specific thing, but as the night wears on we see different sides to him, even a softness when normally we would expect to see just the hard.

This novella is the first of five in the Wisdom Tree series - the next being 'Venice', I believe - that are being released on the first of the month for five months starting May 1st. And I love this project already - it feels unique and fresh, and the novella format is perfect for providing these snapshots of life and story.

You would like this book if: I can't find reasonable things to say here - I think just give it a go if you are willing!

Tea to drink while reading this book: Probably a small cup of Earl Grey so you can enjoy the flavours while you enjoy the characters.

Rating:  10/10

If you'd like to keep up to date with what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads here!
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