Album Review: BENEATH THE SKIN by Of Monsters and Men

Icelandic five-piece band, Of Monsters and Men, unleashed their second album today named Beneath the Skin. Following their highly successful debut album, My Head Is An Animal, the band had a lot to live up to. This successor does not disappoint at all, sounding like a loyal sequel to their first album whilst still bringing something powerfully individual to the table.

A Fortnight in Photos [From May to June]

Since the end of exams, I've been trying to make the most of the time I have left at university. That means jam-packing every day with outings, food and shopping. These past couple of weeks have been blissful; that is partly because of the recent appearance of some beautiful weather, as well as spending all these moments with the people I love. I managed to capture some lovely photos whilst all this was happening to feast your eyes on. May you all be enjoying wonderful summers!

Blind date with a book, a spontaneous pick from Waterstones with a flat white and a good friend // Loving the 

colourful interior of Scribble in London

Tea and lemon cupcake in Crumbs Cupcakery in York whilst visiting a friend // Found a lovely mason jar in a bespoke shop, 

perfect for throwing in some lemon slices and ice cubes with plain water // Seeing wild bunny rabbits all over campus!

In Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon // A five-hour picnic on the first day of real summer weather

Some greenery surrounding campus // Started my first Vonnegut novel // Beautiful stained 

glass windows in a National Trust property

(Inspired by the "Week in Photos" posts by the lovely Rhiannon Ashlee)

Top University Reads: First Year

Behold, my first year as an English Literature student has ended. Although this means hours slaving over essays are over, and cramming for exam season is a thing of the past (for now), I have read some absolutely amazing texts this year that I would have never touched before doing this degree. If there's one thing that is invaluable about an English Lit degree, it's that I've become so much more open-minded literarily, and some of these new favourites have truly revolutionised the way I think about the world around me (which is what you would like literature to do really).

So below is a list of the favourite texts I've studied this year and why you should read them too:

1. The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter

One of the first books I studied this year and tells the story of young teenager Melanie who unexpectedly becomes orphaned and must move in with her uncle and his new, strange family in the countryside. The novel is fantastical, feminist and outrageous. If you've read Carter before, you might have an idea what kind of tone this novel is, but it retains a sense of reality whilst intermixing just the right amount of Magical Realism. The narrative presents a beautifully raw coming-of-age where the ambiguous ending forces you to question today's society; especially for a young woman.