Monthly Wrap Up: August 2017

Me in August

I didn’t think my life could get any busier than it was in June and July, but apparently I was wrong! August was incredibly hectic, but despite that I came out of it really happy and quite relaxed.

I started off the month in Birmingham. Quill and I went for the weekend, and we spent some time walking around the city and seeing the turtles at the aquarium. We tried to find Tatum’s brother, who works there, but we were unsuccessful. We went out for dinner one evening and it was SO AMAZING to see her *cries* It was really brief though so I feel like I need to bully her into coming to see me soon.

I went to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child with three of my friends from work and I absolutely loved it! I went into it expecting nothing, but it was incredible. I was hooked from the beginning. The music was brilliant, the cast (mostly) was fantastic, and the story felt just like another Harry Potter story instead of the terrible fanfic that I was scared of. I want to go back and sit a bit further down next time so I can see all of the stage magic from another angle.

Work-wise, it was another month of training someone new and covering for someone else. It was busy and stressful, but it kept me from getting bored, I guess! 

Then, right at the end of the month, Quill and I went off to Somerset for a long weekend. It was one of the best holidays I have been on! I’m going to do a full recap of the trip at some point because I have so much to talk about. We spent a lot of time hiking and walking around Cheddar Gorge and the surrounding countryside, we went to Longleat Safari Park and saw tonnes of animals, we went caving, and I got really sunburnt. I got back feeling really relaxed and chill, so I think Somerset was possibly my best idea this year.

Books Read

1. These Things I’ve Done by Rebecca Phillips ★★★★
2. A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena ★★★
3. Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross by Katie Finn ★

This wasn’t my best reading month by any means. I did start two books on top of the ones that I finished – Nyxia by Scott Reintgen, which isn’t great, and Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie, which I’m enjoying a lot more than The Blade Itself already.

Book of the Month

Movies & TV

GAME OF THRONES!!! By the end of the season I was so into the show again it was like I’d never ditched it. I loved the whole thing, although admittedly it did have some flaws. I’m really excited for the next season already, and I’m planning on passing the time by reading The World of Ice and Fire, and rewatching all of the previous seasons.

I’m still watching Vikings in the hope that it’ll get better. I fell asleep during the last episode though, which isn’t the best sign. Oops.

Quill got me to watch A Knight’s Tale while we were in Somerset, which didn’t turn out to be what I expected. Like, at all. I thought it was a war movie but instead it was a comedy about jousting. With instalove. I really enjoyed it though.

And we went to see The War for the Planet of the Apes in the cinema, which made me sob. I wasn’t prepared. Then we went to see Atomic Blonde, mostly because of Charlize Theron. I liked it, but it wasn’t the best movie. The action scenes were fantastic though.

Looking Forward

September is going to be a little bit quieter because I’m trying to save money. Why, you ask? Because Quill and I are moving in together at the end of the month! We started looking at places at the beginning of August, and we found somewhere fairly quickly. We signed for the flat yesterday, so it’s all official and we’re actually doing it! It’s been a bit stressful for me because I’ve never rented before, but I’m looking forward to it. We’ve been slowly gathering furniture for the new place and we’ve got almost all of the main bits.

I’m going to the zoo next weekend with some friends, which I’m really looking forward to as well. It’s been a while since we’ve done a day trip together so it’ll be great to get out of our town and do something different.

I’m also off to Thorpe Park for a friend’s birthday. We were given two priority passes because we were messed around a bit, which is great because I don’t feel like spending ages in the queues! We’ve picked a weekday to go for exactly that reason.

Other than that, I’m planning on having a quiet one. I’m having a few dinners with friends, and there are more birthdays coming up, but other than that, I’m going to read and focus on the blog. And moving, of course!