The Rebel Poetess

Book Review: Sophie Kinsella, What Does it Feel Like? I first stumbled across Sophie Kinsella's books back in 2004, with one of the Shopaholic series, as part of a reading challenge. It's safe to say I fell in love with her books and have kept returning to them over the years. 'What Does it Feel Like' is her most personal novel(its a novella) yet, about her experience of being diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer with no known cure. The book begins before the main character Eve's diagnosis. Eve is a writer and is being interviewed about her writing and family. You get a real sense of someone who appreciates how lucky they are to be living the life they are.  Eve is out walking around the shops in a break from her writing when, reminiscent of a scene from one of her books, she falls in love with a dress in the window of a boutique, which sparks off a new book idea. Next, we see her hitting the ultimate high as her novel is turned into a fil...

  I was quite late to discovering Lewis Capaldi's music, as when he burst onto the music scene- who remembers his first Brits speech, and the contrast between that one and the next?!-I'd been going through quite a difficult time in my personal life and, it's no exaggeration to say, that the songs on 'Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent' really saved me, a light in the dark of a pitch black tunnel I just couldn't see a way out of, metaphorically speaking. So when tickets went on sale for his 2023 tour I was over the moon to be lucky enough to get one. Unsurprisingly the whole tour sold out in one second, although Lewis has now announced new shows in Edinburgh and Chepstow this summer.  I'm not good in crowds at the best of times, so when I realised there would be 15,000 people at Sheffield's Utilita Arena, I'm not gonna lie and tell you my heart wasn't racing with anxiety. The excitement in the Arena was palpable, the only thing I really have ...

Ok, this post isn't really about cucumbers.   I just really like alliteration.   I do like eating them though, when I was a kid I used to walk around eating a cucumber as if it were a banana.   What can I say, I was a weird kid. So unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know about the current Coronavirus pandemic and how much the world has changed since my last post.   The UK is on lockdown, death tolls continue to rise, and people have been stockpiling like there's no tomorrow. It strikes me that before all of this happened, the world seemed to be going slightly mad.   People were obsessed with their phones, the news was filled with people bleating about Brexit, and fixated by celebrity news like Megxit.   I truly believe that the world will be changed forever by Covid19.   People's priorities will shift, and the human race will become less selfish as a result. It's strange, in some ways being in lockdown, the world seems to have...

17th March marks another birthday for me.   I always find things like birthdays and anniversaries make you reflect on the past, what's changed since previous celebrations, and what's to come. So with that in mind, I wanted to write about the lessons I've learnt in the last year.   I wouldn't say it's been an overly eventful year but, as always, there have been some changes.   Here goes. Home is a state of mind, not just a place.   I have relocated in the last year, and I think beforehand I imagined as soon as I moved, all of my problems would go away.  Not the case.  And although living somewhere with beautiful scenery can lift the soul, you have to be at peace in your head first, before you can be content anywhere. It's OK to ask for help if you need it.   Having been through some ups and downs over the last few years, I convinced myself that I had to self-isolate as it were.  I assumed people we...

Today I wanted to write about Valentine's Day.   What does it mean to you?   I was talking to somebody yesterday about Valentine's Day and used the example of the first Sex and the City movie.   Carrie and Miranda go out for dinner, and the restaurant is full of heart shaped balloons and glitter.   One of them asks the other 'is Valentine's Day on steroids this year', the other replies that it was the same the previous year, but they were on the other side, playing for the other team as it were. It's a funny old thing Valentine's Day.   It definitely feels different when you are single to when you are in a couple.   When I've been in relationships, I've always done something for it, not necessarily going out, typically I would cook, then exchanging cards and sometimes presents. I've been thinking recently about the notion of the One that Got Away.   I think everybody has one, whether they're coupled up or not.   Someone where you wo...

Book Review -So Lucky, Dawn O'Porter, Harper Collins, 2019 After the rightful success of Dawn O'Porter's novel 'The Cows', I couldn't wait to read her new novel, and was lucky enough to receive it as a gift for Christmas.   The tag line (Don't judge a woman by her cover) was very apt. So Lucky focuses on three central characters.   On the surface, Beth has what many women dream of.   An attentive husband, a beautiful baby, and a successful career, running her own company.   Ruby is ballsy, funny, and doesn't let anyone tell her who's boss.   Lauren has the perfect body, is about to marry her dream man, and has an Instagram feed to showcase every downward dog, flawless selfie, and a fun, easy relationship with her Mother. But scratch beneath the surface, and things are very different.   Beth's husband refuses to touch her, trying to shame her for her pregnancy weight gain, and shunning any expression of desire, telling her she...

The Wizard of Oz has just finished showing at Storyhouse, Chester, I didn't get around to seeing it, but was thrilled to see it got rave reviews.   I've always had a soft spot for The Wizard of Oz, it's the first musical I remember going to see as a child, I immediately fell in love, though I was terrified by the Wicked Witch of the West. Based on Frank L. Baum's book, there's a reason people keep coming back to The Wizard of Oz, inspiring Wicked-another one on my list of shows to go and see, there are lessons contained within which, though subtle are very effective. Dorothy lives with her family including her little dog Toto, early on in the film a huge storm ensues where - in her world, the house takes off with the force of the wind and lands far from home.   Dorothy wakes up after banging her head to discover she is in another land.   Her family are nowhere to be seen, though Toto is by her side . Before long, we meet the terrifying Wicked Witch of ...

Celebrity Big Brother recently announced its last series.   It's fair to say, like The X-Factor, it is way past its peak.   I haven't watched either for years now(and currently don't have a TV), YouTube is my key to catching up on the visual treats everybody is talking about these days. However, I remember when the first Big Brother -a reference to George Orwell's novel '1984' one of the cleverest books I have ever enjoyed by the way-launched back in the summer of 2000. Me and my friends had finished Sixth Form and were working summer jobs, saving the pennies for starting Uni that autumn, and partying like there was no tomorrow. None of us had real responsibilities, just a long hot summer in front of us, punctuated by this new TV show everybody was talking about, reality TV not at that point even a genre or phrase used in popular culture. Me and my friends had got our A-level results the day the Nasty Nick episode was aired, some thrilled, some disappo...

I've always loved Christmas.  Even though I eventually found out *spoiler alert* that Santa Claus wasn't real(which I subsequently told my school friends straight away, bet their parents hated me), the magic never went away for me.  And it was never really about the 'stuff', I was never the sort of child to ask for lots of expensive presents, I was always happiest in activities which allowed me to engage my imagination, like reading books, going off on adventures with my friends, and writing stories(my mum says when I was about five I wrote a story about a man whose hands were made of saucepans -not surprising given my obsession with food!) I think my Grandparents on my Mum's side both grew up in Children's Homes, they always made such a fuss about Christmas, we never had a lot of money but they taught us that it was most important to all be together, though my Grandad did always forget to take the price off things, which my Granny would made sure to tell him ...

The Gift, Cecilia Ahern, Harper, 2010. With Christmas approaching faster than I can keep track of, I thought I would review a book which is especially poignant to read during the festive season.   Cecilia Ahern is a writer who can do no wrong – there’s not been a book of hers so far I haven’t enjoyed. The Gift features Lou Suffern, a man with plenty of money, but not enough of the greatest commodity which cannot be bought – time.   Gabe is a homeless man who needs warmth and shelter.   When fate throws them into each other’s paths, neither can guess the impact the other will have on their lives and those around them. Lou has a busy job, and an even busier family life, and he cannot give attention to one without affecting the other.   Gabe on the other hand is something of a mystery to him, especially as he seems to be able to be in two places at once. Once Lou finds out Gabe’s secret he takes advantage of it, but is this really the solution? ...

Diagnosed: My Autistic Author’s Life My name is Kristina, and I’ve always loved books. For as long as I can remember. Seriously, in my baby book, my mom recorded my first phrase as being “I want book.” I can’t remember learning how to read because I was always able to, as far as my memory can go back. And I’ve always loved writing. My first-grade teacher told me I was going to write books someday. Now, I’ve so far signed three contracts with the small Canadian publisher Sands Press for my books Slow Echoes, Gold Silence, and Sole Voices, the first three in the Post Worlds series, about an Egyptian-goddess descendant who falls in love with a boxer despite supernatural challenges prying them apart. But for a while, writing was very difficult. I’ve only recently started getting back into the habit again. Severe depression, anxiety, and OCD had been building over many years until one day I had a panic attack right in the middle of my shift as a jewelry salesperson that sent me...

As you may know, this year I moved three times in six months.   Moving in itself is stressful enough, when you're going through the trauma of the break up of   a ten year relationship, and major health issues- well to use a cliché the straw that breaks the camel's back. With all three moves, I had very little time to prepare.   In a weird way, this was the best approach for me.   When you have anxiety, the slightest thing can cause your heart rate to rocket.   An invitation to a party, giving a presentation at work, even a car backfiring can make you leap out of your skin. The first move was...for a writer I'm lost for words.   Chaotic.   I had made the decision to move but only had three hours to pack up what was most precious to me, and run for the hills, metaphorically speaking.   The second was super easy and practically stress free. The third move, however, has been extremely stressful.   I didn't move very far, but I have ...

I’m going to put my hands up and confess I didn’t read this book when it first came out, due to bad reviews.   Actually, I got it from my local library - definitely saves me £££ on my reading habit! – read a few pages, put it down and forgot about it for a while. Now I have to tell you the reason the reviews put me off.   Having read Moran’s iconic How to Be a Woman and discovering a book that was actually my bible.   Anyone who wants to understand me just has to read that book.   The reviews gave the impression that this was pretty much a fictional copy of How to Be a Woman, at first I didn’t see the point of reading what many critics had lambasted as a copy of a copy. Curiosity got the better of me though, and I am so glad it did!   Having grown up in West Somerset, always dreaming of escaping from a small town where everyone knows your name and your business – not always a good thing – I could totally relate to Caitlin Moran’s fictionalized version ...

I attended a mindfulness session at work yesterday, as part of World Mental Health Day.   One focal point was how our current world is at such a frantic pace.   We rarely take time to stop and just be.   I used to live life at a million miles a minute.  Fast paced workouts. Fast paced pacing around. My ex-boyfriend always wanted to eat while watching TV . I like films, but I like to focus on my food, to have a conversation over dinner. To talk about your day.  He used to put his hand up to silence me if I spoke while we were eating. I used to laugh it off, but now I see how condescending that was. You can practice mindfulness in many different ways. One of these is The Body Scan, see below  The Body Scan, by Jon Kabat Zinn This really helped me when I was in the grip of severe depression and anxiety.  His book,  Full Catastrophe Living, recommended to me by  a fellow Depression Warrior and all round awesome person,  really ...

So You’ve been Publicly Shamed, Jon Ronson, Picador 2015. Public shaming is not a new concept.   This is an act which has gone on for hundreds of years, but it is in recent years, partly due to social media, that it has brought increasing levels of vitriol.   For his research, Jon Ronson travelled the country for three years, meeting people who had been publicly shamed, and shows a great deal of sensitivity and understanding of his subjects.   This is hardly surprising, as Ronson has been publicly shamed too. When Ronson realized somebody was tweeting as him, he contacted them to ask them to take the Twitter account down.   At first, they refused to do so, eventually met up, and due to pressure from others, the page was eventually taken down.   A particularly interesting part of the book was when Ronson spoke to Max Mosley, who the News of the World suggested had been part of a Nazi themed sex party.   The facts emerged that although there was an ...

Hey guys, just sharing some links to my YouTube videos.  Check em out! The Rebel Poetess First Vlog How To Get a Bikini Body The Rebel Poetess reads her [poem 'Daddy's Girl'

Hello.  How are you doing?  I'm goooood.  A little deprived of the D, but ya know #firstworldproblems. My ex-Boyfriend was obsessed with size. The size of his bank balance(and mine.)  The size of the food packets, from the ridiculously large food packages we used to get from Costco(he used to call himself a Butcher cutting up our supply of meat; ironic seeing that he butchered my heart for a time.) But he was most preoccupied with the size of his dick.  Are most guys?  Just like girls are obsessed with the size of their boobs.  I know I am.  Because as I've said before, one element of sex is biology.  We are pre-programmed to want to find a mate, to be attracted to the pheromones of others, to procreate. But it's when we deviate from these desires that things can get a little fucked up.  People cheat, they have affairs, they act in the heat of the moment, and the consequences have repercussions; a domino effect on the ...