Attempting University (2)

It's been over five months since I checked in with how University has been going for me. and that is because it's been going well.

I have now finished my first two modules and over Christmas I really wanted to update you on how those had been for me, but I was still waiting for my grades back and didn't want to say how whilst I'd found it challenging at times, I felt I'd done well and then get a rubbish grade as I'd be pretty pooped out to then  have to announce I didn't do well.

However, that is not the case!

I think its safe to say I did pretty damn great on both modules.

Living alone, well with four other students, is odd at times. I can have a week pass smoothly and its great, but then others I just can't wait to move out. at this moment you wouldn't even want to cook in the kitchen if you could see what it looked like.

I've already sorted out accommodation for next year and it'll be with a friend who I'll have known for almost five years by the time we move in, and one of her current flat mates too.

I think I'll enjoy living there a lot more, knowing I'll be comfortable around them.

As I promised last time, I'll share some of my work.

The first module title was Creative Narrative, we had to explore the city visually and eventually create a final outcome that related to both the city and a certain aspect of it, mine being nature.

One of the initial drawing exercises given was to draw ten aesthetically pleasing buildings, signs, statues or details of building. From the ten I drew my favourite are these Winged Lion statues, it was only a quick scribbley drawing but I was still really pleased with the outcome.

These next three are all from the same drawing exercise which I thought I'd hate but turned out to be pretty fun, first we had to spend an hour people watching and drawing them on squared paper, followed by using only 10 and then 5 lines to draw others, and lastly we had to enlarge a few and work into them.

These next five images are just my own exploration of the city with different materials and techniques, I've tried to share some of them that I had most fun with or found most visually pleasing.

Another given exercise, the opposite to drawing building we found aesthetically pleasing. Here we had to look at creating type we found ugly, though honestly, by the end of it I ended up enjoying most of the outcomes because I had a lot of fun getting messy and exploring with inks.

Okay, I'll stop here as I'm worried about over loading those of you with bad interwebs because these are fairly high quality images. I know I shouldn't have saved them so large but ah too pretty and I don't know what else I may use them for yet.

Anyway, I hope you liked seeing my work that you requested and there will be more next time I write a post like this.

The wait wont be as long next time!

Bought, Borrowed & Bagged (62)

Bought, Borrowed and Bagged hosted by Talk Supe and Sunday Post hosted byCaffeinated Book Reviewer are both weekly memes where you can share your book haul, ongoing events and news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. I take part with both of these hops fortnightly so I can be introduced to a range of blogs on the atmosphere. Please Note: All images link back to their GR pages.

New Books

So I slipped up a little and missed getting this post up this weekend as I spent it at my friends having a massive work session, which ties in nicely with the books I'm going to be sharing with you this week because they're all ones I forgot to add on to last weeks. 

I bought Uzumaki by Junji Ito, the deluxe edition, which is a hardcover of all three issues of the manga. It's such a pretty book to have on my shelf even if the inside is far from pretty. I read it all days after opening the package and its such an amazing horror/gore manga - totally worth checking out.
During the same purchase I grabbed Chameleon by Kelly Oram as she had the eBook version on sale but opted to spend a little more on the paperback seeing as though I loved her Jamie Baker series so much, and Origins: Zombie Games by Kristen Middleton is an amazon freebie!

Last but not least is Soulless by Gail Carriger, I've been dying to read this book for ages and ever since she wished me a happy birthday its been on the top of my "to buy" pile, luckily a friend heard this story and a few days later it was in my mailbox - thank you so much!

Recently on Northern Plunder

February Wrap Up
Review: Awakening Foster Kelly by Cara Rosalie Olsen

Upcoming Northern Plunder

Attempting University

Review: Shattered Veil by Tracy E Banghart
Review: Total Blueprint for World Domination by Jolene Stockman

Lauren's Progress

Read in 2014: 7 / 70
Uzumaki Volume 2 by Junji Ito
Uzumaki Volume 3 by Junji Ito

Currently Reading:
Memory's Wake by Selena Fenech

News from Lauren

I can't wait for my Attempting University post to go live in a few days, and finally be able to share some of my work with you. I spent so long crafting that post, selecting what to share, photographing the pages, editing, and finally drafting the post. I've already had to keep half the photo's back! I'm currently in the middle of another deadline too so I've been very busy doing a lot of illustration work, which I'll share in the upcoming months too!

Review: Awakening Foster Kelly by Cara Rosalie Olsen

Awakening Foster Kelly by Cara Rosalie Olsen

Published: 26th June 2013 by CreateSpace

Genre: Young Adult / RomancePage Count: 702Format: eBookSource: Author

Synopsis: If only a pile of wayward curls and the inability to stay on her feet were seventeen year-old Foster Kelly’s most pressing concerns. Unfortunately, stubborn hair and clumsiness are just the tip of it. At the age of five when Foster is told, “You don’t belong here,” it was only a mistake, but the result is one broken heart. These four carelessly spoken words have shaped and shadowed Foster, and now—a senior at Shorecliffs High-school—she seeks the wallflower’s existence, denying herself the most casual of friendships, much too afraid that someone will see what she believes is certain: she does not belong anywhere—or with anyone. 

This reality would continue to suit her just fine; however . . . Love has a long-standing history of undoing broken hearts.

Like a comet, an unexpected arrival knocks Foster out of the crowded, starry sky, sending her directly into the limelight. Exposed and afraid, she will attempt to regain anonymity; but it isn’t so easy now that someone is watching. He pursues this shy enigma, confronting Foster’s deepest fears head-on, and in the process falls wholly and completely in love with her. But there is something he is not saying . . . a secret capable of certain ruin. Either he will break her heart once and for all, or he will heal it.

In the end, though, it is Foster who must decide if she is worth mending.

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon UK* / Amazon US / B&N

Cara Rosalie Olsen: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

*When purchasing through this link, I will receive a small amount, once I have enough saved up I will put it towards a giveaway.

Review: 

3 / 5 stars

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of Awakening Foster Kelly after being contacted by the author to read and give an honest review, from the start Cara mentioned that it was a long a book and was very understanding with the time it took me to read, which is great because being pressured is no fun. This will in no way effect my opinion of the book.

Awakening Foster Kelly did take me a long time to read, normally lengths of books aren't off putting to me, but I was reading this during finishing up my first semester at university and then over Christmas, timing just wasn't on my side. 

For me, Awakening Foster Kelly has to be reviewed in three different sections, the beginning, middle and the end. That is how my review will be structured and whilst I will keep it as spoiler free as possible, I believe my review for the ending will give a lot away so don't read that if you don't want spoilers.

Beginning
The introduction to Foster's life is interesting, very descriptive and made Foster come to life, it was perfect to make her come too life.
However, for me this part was too long, it felt like it took forever to get here.

Again though, it is worth mentioning that this could be partly due to my busy schedule when I was reading it.

Middle
I think I'd class this from when Foster and Dominic meet for the first time, from here is where the story grabbed my attention because I wanted to know why he was acting so rude for no reason, I wanted to know his secrets, I wanted Foster to get to know him.

We got this. 

But slowly.

Because of how Foster is, she's shy, she's awkward and she's not willing to push for answers she fears may effect her, but also because her thought process and dream scenes are long, well thought out, like she's constantly writing poetry and music. 

It makes sense because it fits her character. It's who she is.

However, once I got to understand her, and know what to expect, I kind of started to skim these scenes. 

I was impatient. I wanted to know now, unlike Foster.

But its strange because whilst I was getting impatient, I wouldn't want the book to be altered because then we'd be missing a vital part of who Foster is, and who she needs to become. 

Its her journey and it makes sense. 

So whilst I was skim reading. I was still gripped!

End

I'm not sure how to review this part.

This is where the spoilers will be.

Up until this point the book was pretty firmly a four star read.

The explanation of why Dominic had acted oddly with Foster was fine, it sat well with me and I was happy to expect to read the rest of the story.

But when the "dead" girlfriend showed back up, I felt betrayed and uncomfortable.

Mostly because it only clicked then that Foster wasn't aware they looked similar, though to me he practically screamed it at her.

The uncomfortable feelings though came from worrying how Dominic would handle it, to me he handled it wrong.

Granted confusion was on his side to act wrong, but I felt as hurt as Foster did.

To have it ended here would have sat much better with myself.

But no.

It carried on.

I now felt betrayed by the author, sorry Cara.

Why is that I hear you asking?

Well its simple, it was a dream that Kelly Foster had whilst in a coma.

She was the dead girlfriend, only she was in a coma, so in a way it was her body leading her mind to the truth to help her wake up.

Which don't get me wrong, the symbolism is great. I love that.

Its Dominic that upset me.

I was upset but content to let him go, be part of her magical journey to finding herself, but no he's real.

Not only is he real, he dreamt of her too.

The music they wrote together in the dream is what they choose to work on and so forth and happily ever after.

Its odd that this made me like the book less, because in a way I should be super stoked as I love supernatural books, but I think that there was no explanation and it was a seemingly normal Earth other than their shared dream that bothered me.

That and the fact I kind of felt like I'd, in a way, wasted the time reading it, if none of it happened.

Maybe that is because I preferred dream Dominic, or I was too hurt to give real Dominic a chance.

*sigh* 

I'm bummed out that I didn't like the ending but otherwise, I really enjoyed the story.

February Wrap Up

February Wrap Up

Challenges:

So far 6 books read which means unfortunately I'm currently five books behind, but I have a long Summer to catch up with reading and I've started playing Smite less and reading more, I've almost finished book number seven already too. Shattered Veil and Uzumaki are amazing, both totally worth checking out, I can't wait to finish up my reviews for them to share how awesome they are even more.

Women Author Challenge

3. Shattered Veil by Tracy E Banghart

4. Total Blueprint for World Domination by Jolene Stockman

Total: 4 / 20

Indie Fever Challenge

3. Shattered Veil by Tracy E Banghart

4. Total Blueprint for World Domination by Jolene Stockman

Total: 4 / 24

TBR Pile Challenge

2. Total Blueprint for World Domination by Jolene Stockman

Total: 2 / 24

(Ongoing) Millionaire Challenge

29,635 (+ 11 unknowns) / 1,000,000 pages

Shelf Stacking:

So as you can see I finally went home and got my hands on my books I bought in January, so happy to finally see them! The middle row are all amazon freebies and the top I won from the Author, such pretty set. Trying so hard to not grow my TBR pile but -sigh- I can't resist haha.