Lifestyle: Being a Vegetarian(FAQ)

I remember first asking to become vegetarian and being told, quite firmly, that I would have to wait until I was sixteen. At the time, I must have been eleven or twelve, and after a few days of moving any meat to the side of my plate, eating-habits returned to normal. I'd never had an obsession with meat, and would rarely eat more than chicken nuggets, so it's no surprise that within a week of deciding to try again, I had switched my entire diet to vegetarian. When I first mentioned it, it's safe to say that everyone thought I was experimenting; that it was simply a "phase" I would soon overcome. In fact, along with all of the usual animal welfare reasons, the want to prove some friends wrong has driven me the most to stick to a veggie diet. I realised that I didn't need McDonalds or that bag of Haribo Star Mix sweets, although many people still can't contemplate why. Or how I don't miss the taste of meat. In celebration of being meat-free for a year, I thought I'd address these in a little 'Veggie FAQ'! Getting to include a little chick in the graphic is just a bonus!

 

 

Why did you become vegetarian?

I'll blame this on a poster we had to analyse in English class. I was already considering becoming a veggie, but this gave me a reason to actually join the club. If I had my book at home, I'd probably be able to flick through a few pages and find it, but it's hidden away in a cupboard at school. The poster featured a lamb called Lucky, and I completely understood the irony PETA was trying to imply. The close-up shot making sure you can read his emotion; the false-impression of freedom; the reality of what is really happening. I think, at that point, I realised that being vegetarian is not just what we would expect from a member of the popular cliché on a Disney movie, but rather a way of expressing your opinion on quite a controversial subject. At fourteen, I was old enough to make my own decision on what I wanted to eat and couldn't wait those extra few years. It's been a year!

 

Do you miss the taste of meat?

Nope! I'm at a point when just the aroma of mince cooking will churn my stomach, so I'm definitely not craving it. The likes of Quorn also have such realistic products, with almost the exact texture and taste, that most wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Since my diet mainly comprises of foods like these, I still - to a certain extent - know what meat tastes like. Just not the real thing.

 

Do you eat diary products?

As a veggie, products like milk and eggs are still part of my diet, although I'll admit not as much as before. When I can, I like to substitute yoghurt for the soya alternative - as it's really difficult to find a low-fat gelatine-free yoghurt - and I sometimes drink milk alternatives that are out there instead. Vegan snacks are favourites of mine, especially when there are filled with nuts and fruits, and they tend to have a high amount of Protein in them. Also, I'm obsessed with carob-topped cereal bars or flapjacks at the moment, and these are usually vegan anyway.

 

What do you eat now?

Not eating meat does mean I have to find what I need elsewhere, and it's taken me a while to actually realise this. Living on a diet of Quorn isn't recommended, and I spent quite a while doing so. Now, I eat a lot of salads, sandwiches and wraps along with soups. I love couscous so any meal I can have with that is a bonus and will try to combine chickpeas with everything. If you haven't, you must try chickpea burgers, veggie or not!

I'm an incredibly fussy-eater and go through phases where I will like a food one week and not eat it again. For this reason, I try to stick to pasta dishes as I can always swap some a sauce or the vegetables I have used before to turn it into something I will enjoy.  I eat a healthier than I did before I was a veggie, as there are more fruits and vegetables in what I eat now, and have stopped having takeaways as I can't ask for the people at Subway to change their gloves. I don't feel like they will take me seriously!
 

Would you ever go back to being a meat-eater?

I doubt it. Having read so many articles on the treatment of animals and clicked on links that I've received by email from PETA, I think I'd find it difficult to kick-start with meat again. Switching to a veggie diet happened within a few days, but it would be much harder to begin eating chicken or pork again. I've also spent a huge amount of time talking about the pros of being a vegetarian to friends, so it would be pretty embarrassing to have to admit defeat and try to return to 'normal'. As far as I know, I wouldn't go back to being a meat-eater, but I'm only fifteen at the moment. I've spoken to a lot of people who have said they were once a vegetarian and circumstances changed, so maybe I'll find myself in the same position?

 

What if it was a life/death situation and eating meat was the only option to survive?

This is one of those questions that friend will constantly challenge you with as a veggie. Or , swapping the "eating meat" part, when it comes to any life choice. What happens when you're put into a life/death situation and the only way to survive is go completely against your moral views? Is it just me or do those types of friends just love winning debates? We've had this discussion, in Maths class, countless times. And this question has come in varying different forms. I think people just want to see me say I may try bacon again!

 

If it was a life/death situation, I think the choice would be out of my hands. Answering "Of course not!" to this would only be me trying to be a martyr. Which I'm never going to be. I don't think I could sit there, knowing there was a way to survive, completely ignoring the fact I could avoid a now imminent death. And, if I was thrown into the Hunger Games, I wouldn't have another option!

 

So, are you a fellow vegetarian?

Would you like to see more lifestyle posts?

 

Tell me in the comments!

 

Sophie

x

A Morning at Buckingham Palace

After three months of waiting, last Monday I was approaching Buckingham Palace in a taxi, trying to make myself look presentable after less than three hours sleep the previous night. The train had left at just before four in the morning, and I had been up since half-past two re-checking my bag - making sure I had packed the invitation(which I was very likely to forget) - and working out the best way to keep a shirt from creasing during the journey. After winning a Journalism Award in June(blog post here!), having written an article on our obsession with technology, I thought I would talk about if for a few weeks before it would almost be forgotten. Instead, we received an email with information about a Prize Giving hosted for the winners by the Duke of York, followed by the itinerary for the day and invitations detailing the dress code in the months after. The idea of walking through those gates was one I couldn't contemplate, as I had only just seen the Palace from the outside.

Even before I walked through the gates, the morning had proved to be eventful. Arriving a few hours early - not willing to take another risk after we were two hours late for the finals - the time was spent at a cafe inside Paddington Station, overlooking the platforms as they became packed with commuters. London must be the most interesting place to people-watch! I tried to calm my nerves, phoning a friend to tell them I had just met Prince Harry as a distraction, but this failed to work. The tube lines had closed and we were a half-an-hour tube journey away. Every time there was an announcement I froze. We did - when London's tubes must have been at their slowest - arrive on time, with about ten minutes to spare. 

During the prize-giving

Inside, what I loved the most was how 'at home' each of us there was made to feel; encouraged to talk as we took our seats ready for the ceremony and the room descended into silence. We were able to draw back the curtains and look out at the gardens, where I noticed a lamp with a crown on top, and I may have left some fingerprints on the glass! Even when the Duke of York was stuck in traffic, they simply played a video about the Judging Day to fill the time. I was surprised at how relaxed the whole morning was! My teacher and I were in the first row of seats, where I couldn't help but be thankful for the short walk up to collect the award, convinced that I would have fallen if it was any further away. What we both agreed on was that it didn't feel like we were actually inside Buckingham Palace, all of us there talking like we were having a conversation on the street rather than at the Queen's house. It was so great, though, to see the sense of camaraderie we all seemed to have, where the teachers were sharing perfume in the toilets whilst I tried out all the different hand soaps.

I'm the one with the ponytail!

Since my piece was about technology, when it came to collecting my award, I spoke about how journalism gives scientists a voice and the importance of this to the public. When I had realised I was next, a few minutes had been spent rubbing my palms into my trousers, knowing I would have to shake Prince Andrew's hand. I don't think he noticed how sweaty they were! Instead, I was handed the framed certificate ready for the pictures, certain that they wouldn't be the best when printed. I couldn't help but be a little scared when, as I returned to the safety of my seat, he pointed to me and said he was going to ask some "very tough questions" afterwards. And, as he spoke to all of us there individually, I'll admit I struggled to answer! I had to question what our lives had become when we finally went to find some food. I'm convinced I almost committed a crime by spilling some of the tea I had over the edge and onto the plain-white table cloth. After that I kept to orange juice. I'd noticed that BBC Presenters Dallas Campbell and Liz Bonin, and before we all had to leave the Palace I was able to sneak a picture with them in the courtyard. Or ten pictures, as this was the time my teacher's camera decided not to work properly.

I'm not the type of girl that finds herself in Palaces every day. Or one that belongs at any sort of event that involves public-speaking and photographers. Between the walking to the men's toilets rather than the women's and the not being able to hold a china cup, I probably did appear a little vulnerable. But, I can't say I'll ever forget it.

***

This is the part where I thank you for all of the support over the past two years of running this blog! Knowing that people are taking the time to read what I've written and to post comments continues to make my day. What is said in comments and on Twitter has given my the boost to continue writing and to fall in love with blogging/journalism. Thank you so much for helping me get there!

Sophie
x

UKYA Authors I Haven't Read Yet(But Want To)!

Earlier, notepad and pen in-hand, I sat down with the intent of writing a short-list of those authors I haven't read yet. Unlike those whose books I buy instantly, the moment they reach bookstores, these I have never picked up. Not once. I've read reviews of their novels, added them to a wishlist, admired shelves dedicated to them in a bookstore. As the list soon became two pages long, rather than the few bullet-points I was expecting, I decided to split it in two: the first being about UKYA authors, who I love supporting. We have some brilliant writers in YA, and I would love to spend more time reading what they have written, as - admittedly - most of my bookshelf features novels from American writers.

Moira Young

Moira Young's Blood Red Road - the first in the Dustlands trilogy - has been waiting on my shelf, in a space between my favourite dystopias, to be read for almost a year. In desperate attempts to find time to read it, I've taken it on road trips, becoming caught up in conversation rather than in the  characters and plot. Since the copy I own is covered in reviews on the inside cover comparing it to The Hunger Games, it's no surprise that I snatched this up. Teamed with the raving-reviews, book-award wins and intriguing synopsis, I knew this was a must-read. Already, I love the aspects Young has drawn into one novel, including a life or death scenario, and can't wait to read the first book by this author. With the three novels already published, I have no excuse not to pick them all up, especially since I've wanted to see whether Moira Young's writing lives up to they hype.

Annabel Pitcher

At the beginning of this year, Ketchup Clouds was at the top of my must-read list after receiving it for Christmas, picked up after I read about the novel on Amber's blog. I admired - and continue to - Pitcher's idea for the novel, that seemed so bold, the choice to write about a child sending letters to a criminal on Death Row. There is such a contrast between an 'innocent' child and somebody in an American prison. When I bought Ketchup Clouds, I also saw Pitcher's debut - My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece - on the shelves, but decided not to pick it up; wanting to try one before buying the entire collection. I've passed it during almost every trip to a bookstore since, but with one of her books still unread, I know I can't add it to my shelf. I'm really excited to read both of Pitcher's novels; expecting for them to be two of my favourite reads this year. I'll love the covers - and spine decoration - regardless, though! 

Holly Bourne

Whilst writing a post about the lack of books about mental illness, and how important it is for more to be published, Holly Bourne announced that her next novel would be about OCD. And I couldn't have been happier. After reading more about the book - which will be published in 2015 - I found out it was exactly what I had been waiting for. A novel, not with a friend or parent - a secondary character - suffering, but the main character struggling with illness. With recent events, it's crystal-clear that disorders like OCD and Depression do need to be covered more in novels, to raise awareness. The more they are written about, the less stigma surrounds the subject. 

Before it's released, though, I'd love to be able to read her previous novels - Soulmates and The Manifesto and How To Be Interesting - as both have been praised endlessly in reviews. Already, I love how both her published novels are completely different genres; hopefully, I'll love how Bourne tackles them.

CJ Daugherty

Outside of blogging only a few of my friends love to read and, mostly, I recommend novels to them - and then am forced to pick up double the amount of merchandise from book events to share. It's a small price to pay. When discussing reading in class once - amidst the release of The Fault in Our Stars - I was asked if I had read the Night School series. I hadn't. Since, we've had a few conversations about the series, and I've become really interested in the Bullingdon Club - a secret society in Oxford University that the likes of David Cameron have been members of - that the book is based around. From what I had read about the series before, I had always assumed that it was a fantasy series, following in the footsteps of The Twilight Saga. Now I know more about the inspiration behind the series, I'm looking forward to reading them, and discovering CJ Daugherty's world.     

So, what UKYA authors haven't you read that you want to?

Any from the list above?

Tell me in the comments!

Book Blogging Truths

Recently, I've come across multiple articles criticising book bloggers; which is quite ironic since teenagers are called-upon for being unproductive repeatedly in the media. But, that is a different discussion entirely. It's what is written in these articles - and what is thought offline - that I want to talk about. It may be time that some of these myths, for those of you standing on the vicinity of book blogging, are addressed.

 

• We are paid to write positive reviews by publishers and/or authors.
• We only discuss popular books to increase our own pageviews.
• We discriminate against self published - or 'indie' authors.
• We don't actually read all of the books we review.
• We only set up our blogs to receive free books
• All book bloggers work in publishing or the media

When I began book blogging I simply joined Blogger, and, after a few hours of deliberating over the blog name, wrote my first post. It was then, after a few weeks, that I realised I wasn't the only one posting reviews. At the time I was thirteen, with no previous writing-experience apart from short stories scrawled in my English book, and I had only read one review before. Though, I soon found that some of those blogging, who were reading my posts, had started their blogs when they were eight. Admittedly, I was slightly older, but I had never been trained or taught how to contact publishers or promote my work. Why? We are not professionals. We are not seasoned journalists. We are not even all part of the publishing industry. Instead, most of us are teenagers typing in our bedrooms with a mug of tea and cramped backs.

In other news, we do read all of the books that we review. I spend hours reading; and this seems to be a surprise for some. Online, in the blogging community, our conversations are based around the books we read; whether they are borrowed from the library or sent to us by publishers for review. Those books from publishers - referred to as ARCs are sent to us in exchange for an honest review. What we write is our unbiased opinion. You could say the book itself is our 'payment', as we don't get compensated for writing a five-star review. And, most of the time, we chose what books we want to read, based on reading preferences; meaning that reviews are positive as we read what we want to.

Book bloggers don't spend hours writing posts, taking notes for the review and then piecing it together just to receive free books. Receiving the occasional upcoming-sequel, or just-published debut, is a treat, as you still have to control what you do and don't accept. Why? Running the blog itself is time-consuming, so balancing reading and writing is a huge part of our 'job'. And, our letter-boxes are not crammed to the brim with hotly-anticipated sequels every day either.  I have one neatly organised pile, waiting in the corner of my room.

My last point? We do not ignore self-published authors! We have been called upon, as mentioned briefly above, for choosing more popular authors and books to feature on our blogs for better pageviews. In review-policies, it is true that a lot of bloggers - including myself - state that they don't accept self-published books, and this is for very different reasons than what has been said lately. I love 'indie' authors but, I don't love my e-reader; and this is the same for a lot of bloggers. There are problems when it comes to reading the novel. Self-published authors very rarely - and understandably - send out paperback copies, and for those who can't access a Kindle, it makes reviewing them difficult. I do a lot of reading outside during the summer, and that means I can't accept online copies instead.

Most bloggers communicate with self-published authors online using social-media. When it comes to new-releases, these are the authors that we are going to accept books from, because we want to support those who we know. From past experience, I've learnt those writers I've spoken to before have been more understanding if I have a problem or there's schoolwork that needs to be completed before I read their book. If I have some emails from a few self-published authors, and one is from an author I've gotten to know, it's only fair that I chose them. All bloggers do.

Have you read any myths about book blogging?

Any of the above?

Tell me in the comments!



Book Review: 'This Song Will Save Your Life' by Leila Sales

For months, This Song Will Save Your Life has been waiting on my shelf, lost amongst the other contemporary titles that are also unread. Desperate for a quick-read, during a break from A Song of Ice and Fire, I decided to pick this up. I loved it.

"You think it's so easy to change yourself.

You think it's so easy, but it's not."

All her life Elise Dembowski has been an outsider.

Starting a new school, she drams of fitting in at last - but when her best attempts at popularity fail, she almost gives up. Then she stumbles upon a secret warehouse party. There, at night, Elise can be a different person, making real friends, falling in love for the first time and finding her true passion - DJing.

But when her real and secret lives collide, she has to make a decision once and for all: just who is the real Elise?

Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Website

It's difficult to do a book like This Song Will Save Your Life justice. This novel is both powerful and poignant; the author tackling issues including self harm and suicide with ease throughout. Sales is able to create an honest and heart-wrenching novel, one that is a must-read for those struggling on the sidelines, written with an understanding of teenagers - and how we really feel - that I have never read before in YA. Whilst challenging us to accept ourselves, this also has hints of humour, creating light-hearted moments amidst the serious topics that are dealt with in Leila Sales' most recent release.

Elise, the protagonist, is desperate to be someone else. She wants to have a friend to eat lunch with; somebody to talk to; a seat in the middle of the bus. Simply, she doesn't want to be alone. And I could recognise these feelings as being similar to my own. This Song Will Save Your Life begins a few days before schools starts, with Elise studying how to become popular, having never been able to fit in. And, as she took notes on how smiling at a person will make them like you, I realised how relatable character; one whose problems are not sugar-coated. I loved her character; the conflicting personalities she had, from how she felt in school compared to Start(the warehouse nightclub she stumbles across). Her character's voice is smart and sharp, with added wit, her story capturing what it feels like to find somewhere you belong.

"Popularity rewards the uninteresting."

Start is introduced a few chapters into the novel; and this saw the addition of vibrant and fun characters to the plot. The rock star outfits, rhinestone pumps and packed dance-floor create Start, the crowd inside it made up of DJs, singers and band members. With this came Vicky, Pippa and Char, and Sales was able to show us that they were human. Just like Elise. Away from Start, I really liked how Elise's parents and siblings were written-into the novel; especially when I was reading about how they reacted to her giving up. It was great to see that how parents are affected in these situations wasn't avoided.

Leila Sales' writing is unflinching; the author handling current issues, such as bullying, that affect many young people, honestly. There was no glamourising, and as a reader, I really appreciated that. In some YA novels, it can feel like tough-topics are thrown in, but This Song Will Save Your Life could challenge multiple self-help guides instead. I cannot praise Leila Sales enough. Whether Elise is feeling angry or frustrated, upset or uneasy, Sales is able to execute it, and I loved how 'real' her characters felt. There are life lessons to be learnt in this novel, with quotes from the characters written down amongst those from other favourites.

Music plays a huge part in this novel, the author introducing me to Blur and Oases, the novel filled with songs from most decades on the set-list at Start. Elise's knowledge of DJing, and how it was written, was never over-complicated, so amateurs - like myself - could understand, and the novel still be believable.

Overall, I cannot praise this novel enough. It's honest, heart-wrenching and has the right amount of humour, making this a novel I loved.

5 Stars

So, have you read 'This Song Will Save Your Life'?
Have you heard a Blur song before(unlike myself)?

Tell me in the comments!

Series' I Haven't Finished Yet!

Half-way through a series - one that I've read back-to-back to that point - I walk past a bookstore. The latest YA releases are inside, including a standalone that is on my must-read list, and after a few minutes of pleading, I convince my parents that I do, in fact, need enough book. I arrive home and, instead of reaching for that final book in the series, I grab my newly-bought read instead, promising to return to the other set of books later. I never do. In fact, I've not reached the end of multiple series' - including Harry Potter(Yes, I'm ashamed to admit that!).

 

Harry Potter(J.K Rowling)

Would you forgive me if I told you that I have read the first two books, at least? That I've been sorted into Gryffindor with Harry Potter and played a giant chess-game with Ron Weasley? Maybe? It is likely, though, that I would have never discovered J.K. Rowling's writing if I hadn't studied it in English. My teacher made them the most magical two years. Time was spent designing our own Hogwarts professors; reading the novel out-loud; watching Harry Potter parodies on TouTube at the end of the lesson. I still have my battered blue Year Seven English exercise book, with red-pen marking my spelling mistakes, which I read through every few months. In those lessons, we all participated. Where, in some schools, you'll find the class reading from textbooks, we spent the time listening to classmates attempt Hagrid's accent.

Every Summer I promise to read the series. Sometimes, I have the books - borrowed from the library - stacked in a corner, and still choose to read other novels instesd. One of the reasons why is the length of the series; in particular, the final novel, which could challenge that of A Game of Thrones. Reading seven novels takes time, and as a book blogger, I'd struggle to read them and books to review. And, if I ever was to complete J.K. Rowling's novels, I would want to read them back-to-back, spending months with Harry, Hermoine and Ron without worrying about the pile of shiny new YA debuts waiting to be read. When discussing Harry Potter with friends they always comment on the impact it had on their childhood; the world it opened up to them. Now I'm fifteen, I worry that I'm past the age that Rowling's books were for, and that I would be disappointed. I hope that I'm wrong.

Matched(Ally Condie)

I absolutely loved the first two books in the Matched trilogy. The idea that everything is chosen for you, such as who you should love, was really believable; the Officials seemingly striving for perfection in society.  I was cheering-on the characters, falling in love with Condie's writing style and choosing who to support in terms of the love-triangle(Xander!). But, mainly, I really enjoyed how this novel highlighted how important words are. Cassia can't write - only type - and this opened-my-eyes to our obsession with technology.

I've been waiting to read the final instalment for months; long enough to forget the details from Matched and Crossed.  I would reach for the final book and start reading it this moment, but I wouldn't know who most of the characters were, or what was happening in the plot. If I do decide to read Reached, which I'm highly-anticipating, it will also mean re-reading the previous books beforehand. I want to know I have the time to read them all in a few days, before I start again.

The Mortal Instruments(Cassandra Clare)

There has been a huge amount of hype surrounding these novels recently, especially during the City of Heavenly Fire(The Mortal Instruments #6) release a few months ago, discussion continuing about the next movie instalment. I read the first novel in the series last year and liked it. But, I didn't fall-in-love with Clare's novel as I expected to. Though the Shadowhunter world was intriguing, I struggled to understand some key plot-points, continuing to read because I wanted to rate it five stars. I really did. And, whilst most readers have swooned over Jace - the love interest - I could only think of him as being too sarcastic. We didn't have a good relationship.

I'm not desperate to continue with Clary and Jace's story. I did purchase the next two books in the series, in an attempt to have the full collection on my shelves, but I'm yet to read the first few pages. I've heard that Clare's prequel series, The Infernal Devices, is better than The Mortal Instruments, and as it is set in Victorian London, I'm definitely interested in picking these up soon. I'm excited to see how Clare combines fantasy and historical fiction, whilst winning me over to her Shadowhunter world.

What series' are you yet to finish?

Any of the above?

 

Tell me in the comments!