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May & June: What I've Read & Watched
Like most people, I've been making use of this extra time at home to fly through my TBR pile so let's talk books first. Because boy have I been reading fast.
What I've Read:
- Jog On by Bella Mackie - This one's been sat on my shelf since last year and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it because not only did it resonate so much with me, but it was the push I needed to get out running. My mental health has been a rollercoaster in lockdown but running has been quite the saviour!
- Normal People by Sally Rooney - This has been scrawled on the Notes app in my phone to buy for months and I finally ordered it in May so I could read it before watching the newly released Series. Oh my God, I don't think I've loved a book this much in a long long time. It follows the story of Connel and Marianne, two seemingly mismatched teenagers who keep coming together. The writing style, the characters, just everything!
- Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo - Another book that I absolutely adored. This was such a different style in telling the stories of 12 different women across the UK and how they interlink, covering such real and raw topics around race, gender and class. Evaristos writing is delightful and I've already added her other work to my list.
- Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins-Reid - Telling the fictional story of a 70's rock band, this was the fun, light-hearted read that lockdown needed. I loved the interview style and the twist in revealing the interviewer at the end. It's a book that really transports you to the era in which it's set.
- Validate Me by Charly Cox - Besides the dreaded Anthology at school, I've not read all that much poetry before. But I've been following Charly on Instagram for a couple of years now and love her work. After I read 'She Must Be Mad' last year and loved it, I knew 'Validate Me' would be the same. It's a nice break from the fiction/non-fiction cycle!
- Us by David Nicholls - As a big fan of One Day, I've been meaning to read more of Nicholls work for a while now, so finding Us for 99p in a Charity shop back in February seemed like fate. After Douglas' wife Connie announces she plans to leave him and the family home after their son leaves for University, this book follows their final summer as they go all out on a long-anticipated roadtrip across Europe. It was kind of heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time and just a really wonderful read.
- Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams - One you've probably seen all over social media recently! Queenie is a 20-something Black woman navigating life after taking a break from her relationship. It covers mental health, race, class and consent while remaining to be a laugh out loud read. I rated this 5 stars on GoodReads and, I don't regret that because I did enjoy it, but it was also a very basic writing-style and some of the issues I don't think were dealt with as deeply as they could've been. A nice quick read!
- Emma by Jane Austen - I mentioned in my last round-up post that I'm trying to read more classics this year and Emma was number 2 on that list. I love the story, but it's in parts quite lengthy where it doesn't need to be and with the old language, I sometimes had to read sentences twice through. It's still one I'd recommend as I do love the characterisation and the plot.
- Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Renni Eddo-Lodge - Embarassingly, this was on my list to buy when it first came out but I never got around to picking it up because I wanted to read fiction more. So with the latest BLM movement this was always going to be the first book I picked up. And there's a reason it is so highly recommended. Covering history of race issues in the UK, whitewashed feminism and the link between race and class this is an absolute essential read for everyone about what it's like to be Black in the UK today.
- Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney - After how much I loved Normal People, I knew I had to read this ASAP. It's the tale of a complex menage-a-quatre with 21-year-old Frances at the centre and initially, I wasn't all that sold from the blurb. I absolutely loved it though because Sally Rooney is a genius.
- I Will Not Be Erased by gal-dem - A book that was brought to mention in the wave of resources being shared alongside the BLM movement. Gal-dem is an online and print publication by women of colour and non-binary people of colour. The book shares stories of different members often in the style of diary entries to their younger selves. It was a great eye-opening read that I'm strongly recommending.
- The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris - I am very late to the party with this I know, but it's been falling to the bottom of my TBR pile for the past year until I decided it was time to pull it out. Based on a true story, I found this such a harrowing read but also an essential read. I'm now reading the sequel, Cilka's journey...
In terms of what I've been watching lately, I've made a conscious effort to watch a wider variety of things, whether that be documentaries/films/TV series. A mixture of topics to educate and enjoy!
What I've Watched:
- Manifest Season 2 - It's such a bizarre yet gripping series about the return of a missing plane. At times it seems very predictable but I still love to get lost in it.
- Moonlight - A film I've been wanting to see for a long time, but if I can't add it to my list on Netflix and I don't catch it whilst it's on SkyMovies, then things slip under the radar. I paid to rent it on Prime a few weeks back and it was a really powerful watch.
- For Sama - A documentary available on 4 On Demand in which Waad Al-Kateab films across 5 years of her life during the uprising in Aleppo. It's a harrowing look into the female experience of war, but one I would recommend everyone watch immediately.
- Afterlife Season 2 - This show perfectly balances the line between heartbreakingly sad and laugh-out-loud funny. It's widely popular for a reason and a great watch whether you've dealt with grief or not.
- Normal People - After loving the book as much as I did I was kinda scared this wouldn't live up to it. But OMG! It was everything I could've dreamt of and more, it's clear that Sally Rooney had a hand in the writing of the show because it resembles the book so closely.
- Booksmart - I wanted to see this at the cinema when it was first released but it wasn't at all locations and there were few showings near me. It's then taken me far too long to get round to watching it, and I didn't love it, but I enjoyed it. There were too many toe-curling moments and too many lucky coincidences that I couldn't see past but it was still a heart-warming coming of age.
- BlacKKKlansman - An old work colleague recommended this to me a few months back so when I saw it was on SkyMovies I set it to record immediately. It was quite a shocking watch, especially knowing that the racism, the police brutality and the presence of the KKK are still rife in 2020.
- Once Upon A Time In Hollywood - I'd seen a lot of hype around this last year and after watching it, I don't really get it?? The end especially was pretty horrific, but the whole film didn't seem to have much of a plot?
- American Son - Based on a Broadway play of the same name, this sees an enstranged couple reunite at a Chicago police station when their son goes missing. It shows the intrinsic racism within the police force and is a must-see for all.
- 13th - A Netflix Original Documentary that looks at the history of race and the criminal justice system in America. There are some pretty shocking statistics that I wasn't previously aware of, so is quite the essential viewing the educate yourselves on mass incarceration and how it is deemed an extension of slavery.
- The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson - As I write this post, I've just watched this today and it was a very emotional look at such a leading force in the Stonewall uprising and how trans women are failed so often.
What's your favourite thing you've read/watched recently?
Loves. Emma.
Always Learning
I've always loved to learn. I would do extra homework at school and fill in additional workbooks simply for fun, because I hated the idea of not having more to learn. Whether it's coding techniques to better improve this website, how to embroider the best patterns or all the financial knowledge nobody teaches you, I'm constantly learning more everyday. And in the past 2 weeks I've learnt SO much more about oppression and race issues across the globe, the history of colonialism and slavery in the United Kingdom and how being non-racist is simply not enough. Things that I knew of, but didn't know enough about, simply because my white privilege allowed for such ignorance. Learning should never finish when you leave formal education and this latest wave in the BLM movement has been a prime example of why.
Simply logging onto Facebook and seeing people posting vitriol about what Anthony Joshua has (rightly) said and proceeding it with 'I just hate racism' is exactly why we all must continue learning. Because newsflash! Reverse racism is not a thing. It has never been a thing. And if you still can't acknowledge that at 27 years old, PLEASE pick up a book.
Some things to acknowledge!
- Social Media truly is one of the most powerful tools we have access to right now. Without it, we wouldn't be seeing the truth in the #BlackLivesMatter protests (because we all know traditional media only shows an edited fraction), heck these protests wouldn't even be happening on such a large scale without it. Without the ability to share videos around the world instantly, get petitions pushed to reach millions and have a simple and direct way to donate to the cause. It gives us the ability to educate both each other and ourselves, to share resources and organise protests in solidarity from various other countries.
- Resources are there are if you just take the time to look. Fiction and non-fiction books will teach you a lot, but there are podcasts we need to be listening to and movies/TV shows that make for hard-hitting learning too. They've always been there, we just haven't always made the effort to look. Everyone and their mum has been compiling lists of where you can start and I'll share some at the end of this post.
- It's not just the educational resources we need to be paying attention to. It might be unconscious, but the majority of the shows you watch, the books you read and the businesses you support will have white people at the centre. Be aware of this! Support Black-owned businesses, read the work of Black authors simply because the story sounds interesting, watch TV shows with Black actors/writers/directors because they look damn good. Don't only seek out the work of Black people when you want educating on race. That isn't on them, it's on us.
- Diversifying your social media feeds is essential. This not only stands for Black people, but all POC, plus-size people, trans and non-binary people, disabled people and those simply from different backgrounds. I like to think my following list has been diverse for a long while but there's always more we can be doing, to listen to their voices and uplift them. If you only follow people who look like you, you'll be existing in a bubble unaware of what others are facing.
- There's always something you can do to help. Even if you think you can't make a difference, even if you're not able to go to protests or donate financially, you can still help. You can sign and share petitions, you can educate yourself further and challenge those around you, you can support and uplift Black voices. Because together we're stronger.
- There is no excuse for ignorance. This is a lifetime commitment for me to not only make sure I'm as fully educated as I can be, but to use that knowledge and my white privilege to make a difference where possible. To speak up, to show up, to stand up. If you're not making the same commitment, why?
And some resources for further education?
- Books: (FYI these aren't all anti-racism books, some are simply fiction books by Black and POC authors which cover the subject of race)
- Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Renni Eddo-Lodge
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad
- Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch
- The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla
- Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
- Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
- White Teeth by Zadie Smith
- The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- I Will Not Be Erased by gal-dem
- TV Shows/Movies:
- 13th (Netflix)
- When They See Us (Netflix)
- Dear White People (Netflix)
- Moonlight
- Get Out
- American Son (Netflix)
- The Color Purple
- I Am Not Your Negro
- Who Killed Macolm X? (Netflix)
- The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson (Netflix)
- Podcasts:
- 1619 by New York Times
- About Race with Renni Eddo-Lodge
- Intersectionality Matters! hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw
- Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast
- Yikes with Mikaela Loach & Jo Becker
- Other resources:
- Gal-dem magazine - a platform committed to telling the stories of women and non-binary people of colour.
- A running list of anti-racism resources via Dazed
- Why You Need To Stop Saying "All Lives Matter" by Rachel Cargle for Harpers Bazaar
- Racism, Police Violence and The Climate Are Not Seperate Issues via The New Yorker
- Dear White Women, written and curated by Rachel Cargle
- 43 of the Best Books by Black Authors You Should Read In Your Lifetime by Oprah Magazine
Loves. Emma.
Why You Should Get Involved In Slow Fashion Season
So if you're starting to take similar steps or just need a push in the right direction, then let me point you in the direction of Slow Fashion Season. Running from June 21st to September 21st, it's the perfect 3 month period to vow not to buy any new clothes.
Of course, you can still buy if you want/need certain pieces but there are 4 key rules:
- You can trade clothes! Swap pieces with your friends or participate in a wardrobe swap with like-minded people on the internet (I've seen a few people on Instagram doing this just lately since vintage/charity shops have been closed)
- Upcycle or DIY your own clothing. So get creative! The other week I bleached some old jeans (yes, I was influenced by TikTok) and it's given them a new lease of life. I also love a good DIY tie-dye and who doesn't love some unique embroidery on their tee?
- Buy second-hand or vintage. One thing I'm really missing right now is being able to rummage around charity shops and vintage stores. there are some real gems to be found and it's so much more rewarding than going into Topshop and buying the very same top you've seen all over Instagram.
- Support sustainable, local, small fashion labels. A new rule added for this year because independents are suffering hard right now!
What are the benefits, you ask?
Well, I've written previously about how my wardrobe and my style as a whole is much more adventurous and truly ~me since I stopped buying fast fashion. I've become more creative in styling what I've got in a variety of ways; and picking up vintage pieces in unique prints and styles has got me piecing things together that I would never have thought to previously. So you might find a revitalised love for your wardrobe and give a fresh lease of life to your personal style.
You'll save money! You don't always realise how much money you're spending on clothes when it's a couple of t-shirts here and a pair of jeans there, but it all adds up. Second-hand pieces are much more purse-friendly and even better still if you do a like-for-like swap with friends! So going 3 months without buying new will give you some nice little savings; unless, like me, you switch to spending all your money on books!
But most importantly, you will be helping the planet. The fashion industry is one of the worst polluters. As Slow Fashion Season sum it up "The fashion industry is responsible for enormous amounts of water consumption (32 million Olympic sized swimming pools per year) and CO2 emissions (8% of global greenhouse emissions - and growing fast." Not only that, there is the sheer amount of clothing thats end up in landfill every single day. Whether it be old stock from fast fashion companies that gets dumped, or the clothes that get donated to charity shops with good intentions and they're unable to sell (because sadly they can only sell a small portion of what they receive!).
So who's joining me?
Loves. Emma.