2019 is over, and 2020 is here! Last year definitely had its ups and downs, but one thing I can’t complain about is all the cool things that came out over the past twelve months. I’m a little late to the party – my third year of uni is keeping me on my toes! – but I wanted to show a little love for last year. Better late than never – it’s time for my Best of The Year.
BEST BOOK OF 2019
ON THE COME-UP (ANGIE THOMAS)
If you’ve ever checked out my Youtube channel, you'll know that I’m a bookworm to the core – and while I’ll have a video on my channel dedicated to discussing the best books of the year, it would be remiss of me not to mention the book that made the top spot. If you’re a reader – or maybe even if you’re not – you’ve probably heard of The Hate You Give, the poignant and painfully relevant story of a girl named Starr Andrews whose best friend is a victim of police brutality. It was an incredible debut, and this year Thomas has done it again with her new book, On The Come Up. The book follows an aspiring teen rapper who is keen to prove herself by stepping out of her dead father’s shadow and proving she’s a powerful artist in her own right – a journey made all the more difficult by her family’s struggle with poverty. It’s a raw, brilliant read; Angie Thomas’ character work is impeccable, her use of voice is amazing and she crafts truly unforgettable stories. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and I’m so excited to see what this author does next. BEST MOVIE OF 2019
ABOMINABLE
What is it about animated movies that makes them hit so hard? Is it because they offer a safe, comfortable escape from the harshness of daily life with beautiful visuals, feel-good vibes and a guaranteed happy ending, or because I’m just a big kid on the inside? Who knows, but either way, Abominable was definitely my favourite movie of 2019 (even better than Avengers: Endgame.) The film follows grieving teenager Yi who is determined to save up enough money to go on a trip she had planned with her late father. Unfortunately, her plans are disrupted by the unexpected arrival of a Yeti on her rooftop. Everest is a long way from home, and it’s up to Yi and her friends, social media-obsessed Jin and basketballer Peng, to get him back to the Himalayas and out of the hands of disgraced ex-explorer Burnish. This movie has a little bit of everything – it’s like Ice Age meets Big Hero 6 with hints of Up and the aesthetic of Frozen – and it’s one of the most touching and beautiful films I’ve seen in recent living memory. I started tearing up within the first five minutes and was close to tears from beginning to end. It’s difficult to vocalise exactly what made this movie so special, but the best way to describe it is ‘beautiful.’ Both visually stunning and highly emotional, Abominable has easily made the list of my favourite movies of all time, and if you haven’t seen it already then you need to add it to your list. BEST TV SHOW OF 2019
SEX EDUCATION
2019 was a great year for TV, bringing us shows such as Umbrella Academy and Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK. It was also the year that, two decades late to the party, I finally watched Buffy The Vampire Slayer. (Well, most of it. They lost me at season six; I don’t need that kind of energy in my life.) With so many awesome shows to choose from, I was pretty conflicted about my best pick… but in the end I had to choose Sex Education, whose main character Otis is totally turned off by sex, but surrounded by people who are obsessed with it – including his mother, a renowned sex therapist who is determined to get to the root of his repulsion. Sex Education is funny, gritty and smart, and it was exciting to see the world get so on board for a British show, even one with somewhat questionable Briticisms. Despite being a weird Australian/English/American hybrid (that’s completely intentional, apparently) there’s something quintessentially English about the show, with its dry humour and moments of painful embarrassment for the protagonist, not helped by the fact that my last memory of its lead actor Asa Butterfield was as a seven year old druid boy in BBC’s Merlin. Seeing him thrust into the role of a teenage sex guru was an adjustment, to say the least. The show isn’t perfect, and I had some issues with it – namely that they had a perfect opportunity for some on-screen asexual representation that was totally thrown away at the last minute – but it was warm, funny and compulsively watchable, and the second season just landed on Netflix. If you somehow haven’t seen it (which I sincerely doubt) then plonk yourself down on the couch and prepare to cringe… but in a good way. BEST ALBUM OF 2019
IT'S STILL NOTHING PERSONAL
Last but not least, we’re going to talk about music. Ten years on from the release of their third album, All Time Low decided to mark the occasion by rerecording and rereleasing Nothing Personal, in a way that’s both true to the original album but manages to incorporate the skill and nuance they’ve gained over the past decade as a band… and has somewhat better sound quality than the version released in 2009. Listening to this album was an incredible nostalgia kick; it’s truly stood the test of time, and it feels like an older and wiser version of itself with the same mid-2000s pop-punk vibes we know and love, but with some killer riffs and a couple of twists to keep things new. I’ve had it on repeat since the day it was released, and I’m happy to say that nine years later, listening to Weightless still gives me hope that maybe it’s not my weekend, but it’s gonna be my year. That’s a wrap on some of my favourites of 2019. What books, movies and music stood out to you last year, and what are you excited to see, read or listen to in 2020? Don’t forget to let me know!
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All my previous or forthcoming publication credits, in order of acceptance:
PROSE: Buzzwords, Lucent Dreaming, 2020 **Forthcoming** POETRY: Jaws, Agenda Magazine, 2019 New Engine Desperado, Barren Press Poetry Contest, 2019 (Shortlisted) Three poems, Scrittura Magazine, 2018 Bells, Poetry Space Competition, 2018 (Shortlisted) Higher Education, Honey Machine Magazine, 2018 Night Terror, Popshot Magazine, 2018 Hey everyone, it’s Helen, and I’m here with my first ever blog post! I thought I’d start with something a little more interesting than my every-day routine, so today I’m going to be talking about my recent trip to Edinburgh. I’m not much of a holiday person; sun, sea and sand aren’t really my thing – but I do love a good city break. My boyfriend and I like to head out and explore random cities, and this time we picked Edinburgh, for reasons I honestly can’t remember. What I do know is that it was an amazing decision. We had such a great time and I’d wholly recommend it as a place to visit. We began our trip with a trek up the Royal Mile, the road which leads to Edinburgh Castle. Having been promised an amazing view, we crossed the cobbles, passing ghostly tour buses, human statues, and dozens of gift shops as we made our way to the top of the hill… only to find that some genius had erected a huge stadium right in front of the castle forecourt, totally blocking every inch of the city from sight. Typical. If I’m honest, that entire first day was kind of a catastrophe. That evening, we went out for a meal at a Mexican restaurant called The Basement. It was the coolest place to eat – not only was the food amazing, but the décor was so cool. I ate nachos and chilli whilst sitting against a background of orange flowers and fairy-lights, surrounded by cosy chairs and conversation. Unfortunately, my boyfriend ended up getting really sick – which sucked, because I felt kind of bad about how much I’d enjoyed the night when he spent most of it projectile vomiting in our hotel bathroom. Day two, though, was definitely a lot better for both of us. We started our day with a trip to Maison de Moggy, Scotland’s first – and only – cat café. I’m a huge cat lover, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. The entire café was filled with cats, all huge and fluffy and wonderful. My favourites were a Chinchilla Persian named Guillaume, and a hairless Sphinx named Elodie - two polar opposites, basically! Guillaume was the fluffiest cat I’ve ever met in my life, and he was so chill; he just ambled around without a care in the world. Elodie, though, was a total minx. We were all warned to hold on to our cakes and keep them way out of her reach, and it was no idle threat – I watched her try to steal from at least three people while I was there. The café was such a relaxing place to be. Cats wandered in and out, lounged on chairs and in their huge wooden house, whilst I drank my hot chocolate and basically wondered if this was what heaven was like. I enjoyed the experience so much that I’ve actually decided to make it my mission to visit every single cat café in the UK. Whether that’s doable remains to be seen, but it’s something I’d love to try! After that, we went for another wander around the streets of Edinburgh, stopping for lunch at a pub called the Greyfriars Bobby. Then came my second most anticipated activity of the day: the Potter Trail! The Potter Trail is a walking tour of Edinburgh, exploring locations which inspired the Harry Potter series. We visited so many cool locations, from the graveyard where JK Rowling found the names of some of her most well-known characters, to the cafés where she wrote parts of books one to four. The tour was incredibly interesting and I learned so many new things about the series – including a lot of well-perpetuated myths which were debunked by the guide. Running around Edinburgh shouting ‘ROSIO LUMOS!’ at traffic lights with a bunch of Potter fans from all over the world was a ridiculous way to spend an afternoon, but it was also super fun! Our third day in Edinburgh was the shortest, and also, typically, the day with the nicest weather. We couldn’t wander too far because we had a train to catch home, but we did get the chance to finally see some of the views we’d been promised, and they were definitely worth the wait! After that, we caught our (delayed) train home, and our trip was over – but we’re super excited to plan the next one. We’re thinking that we might try Newcastle soon, and though my boyfriend doesn’t know it yet, Newcastle happens to have a cat café of its own… That’s all for today! I might write a more in-depth post about my visit to Maison de Moggy if that’s of interest to anyone, but for now, I hope you have a fantastic day, and thanks for reading! |
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AuthorHelen is a writer, booktuber, and all-round lover of words! Archives
January 2020
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