October Favourites ❤

This month has come to an end which means it's time for me

to write another blogpost on my favourite things from October.

October has been a great month for me as so much has happened.

I hope you've had a good month too, if not, I hope November is better. 

'Shoutout To My Ex' - Little Mix

Little Mix's latest single, 'Shoutout To My Ex', is probably one of their best yet. Despite only being released over two weeks ago, it's already sitting in the number one spot in the Official Charts. It's an feel good anthem for those who have gone through a break up and are need of cheering up. This is definitely a confident come back for Little Mix who are about to release their fourth album, Glory Days, next month. In this song, the foursome prove that there's no point wallowing in sadness after going through a break-up as they sing about how they're 'all the way up' and that their ex 'will never bring me down'. After the girls performed this hit on The X Factor (the show that they won almost five years ago), they, unfortunately, received criticism on their choice of costume and were branded too 'slutty' for the show. However, these negative comments didn't bring them down as they stated that there's a double standard and that if a male singer were to perform topless, they would be praised but if a female were to show any bit of skin they'd be shamed. I think that Little Mix looked amazing and their performance on the show was brilliant. I'm so proud of these four girls because they've come so far and made so many achievements since winning The X Factor in 2011.

'Our World' by Little Mix

Not only have Little Mix released a single, announced a new album and tour but they've also published a new book, 'Our World'. In this, their hugely anticipated second book (the first being Ready To Fly published in 2012), the girls provide an insight into life as the world's hottest girl group. Sharing their most personal experiences, they talk about friendship, reveal the truth about their relationships and all the lessons they've learned on their incredible journey to superstardom. So far, I've really enjoyed reading this. The book consists of nine different chapters including: The Beginning; A Little Dream, A Lot Of Love; DNA; We Are Who We Are; Little Me; About The Boy; Different Beat; Change Your Life and The End. In each chapter, the girls talk about different aspects of their life including growing up, personal issues, their first relationships, their experience on The X Factor and the success they've received since. Most people would think that those who are in the spotlight have a perfect life but, in Our World, the girls prove that it isn't all glitz and glamour. For example, after Little Mix won the show, Jesy Nelson received a lot of cyber bullying about her weight and appearance. She explains that this made her feel incredibly insecure but, fortunately, with the help of her fellow bandmates and fans, she has now grown into a confident and happy young woman. I'd definitely recommend this book even if you're not a fan of Little Mix as you see a whole other side to them and a deep insight into what it's really like being in one of the biggest girl groups in the world.

'Where Am I Now?' by Mara Wilson

If, like me, you watched Matilda as a child then you may recognise the little girl on the front cover of this book. Her name is Mara Wilson and she portrayed the title character in 1996 adaptation of Roald Dahl's book. It's still one of my favourite films to this day and I've wondered for a long time what happened to the young actress who played her. Not only did she play Matilda but she also appeared in other films as well: in 1993, she appeared in Mrs. Doubtfire alongside Robin Williams as his daughter, Natalie; a year later, in 1994, she played Susan in Miracle On 34th Street alongside Richard Attenborough; in 1997, she portrayed Anabel in A Simple Wish with Martin Short and, in 2000, she appeared as Lily in Thomas and the Magic Railroad which also starred Alec Baldwin. These were some of my favourite films as a child and, it was after making The Magic Railroad, that Mara decided to quit acting at the age of 13 and focus on writing. In this book, she describes that there was a lot of pressure to remain the cute actress that she was known as in the 1990s. Mara also talks about what it was like working alongside great actors such as the late Robin Williams and how the two ended up meeting almost a decade after working on Mrs. Doubtfire. Many people may remember her for playing the title character in Matilda and Mara also gives in an insight to what it was like working on that film and alongside Danny DeVito. Of course, these are all the positive aspects of her life but she has also had some struggles along the way too. Whilst working on Matilda, she, sadly, lost her mother to breast cancer when she was only nine years old. Mara also bravely opens up about her experience with anxiety and depression. Even if you've never seen any of Mara's films, it's definitely worth a read. As a child, I wanted Mara to be in more films because I liked all of her other films, especially Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire but, now that we're both adults, I respect in her decision in quitting acting and focusing on what she really wanted to do which was to write.

The Girl On The Train

I recently read the book last month and thought it was a thrilling read so I was very much looking forward to the film which starred Emily Blunt as the title character, Rachel. Fortunately, it didn't disappoint. However, shortly after its release, it received a lot of criticism. I think that this was because most people were expecting something among the lines of Gone Girl which was a thriller adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel released in 2014. I didn't think that The Girl On The Train would be like Gone Girl because the only thing they have in common is that they're both dramatic films about mysteries. I think that this is a great adaptation of Paula Hawkin's bestseller novel, which was published in early 2015. Blunt's performance was spot-on as Rachel who is an alcoholic and is obsessed with riding the same train just to see two houses, one of which is her old home which she used to share with her, now ex, husband, Tom who is now married and has a daughter with Anna. The second home is owned by a couple, Megan and Scott, who Rachel thinks are the 'embodiment of true love'. However, after riding the same train on Friday morning, Rachel sees something that she wasn't expecting to see and is filled with anger. Suddenly, it's Saturday morning and she has woken up with a hangover and no recollection of the previous night and she soon learns that Megan is missing. Now, Rachel becomes caught up in this shocking mystery and is determined to find out what happened to Megan. I think that this is one of the most original films we've had this year. It's not a sequel or a remake (not that they are bad, we've just had too many of them) and features strong performances from the whole cast and a great twist. If you'd like to read my full review, click here.

Highlight of the Month - Meeting Emma Blackery (24/10/16)

If you know me, you'll know that I'm a fan of Emma Blackery's and have been watching her videos since 2013. I thought that her videos were really funny, creative and original. I liked how her videos were more focused on entertaining her viewers. I immediately subscribed and I soon discovered that she wrote and sung her own songs. Her most popular song, The Promise, really made me emotional and I respected her a lot for writing a song aimed at those who suffer from urges to self-harm, suicidal thoughts and depression. I do think that if you are currently struggling you should listen to The Promise. Despite it being a slow and sad ballad, the lyrics are incredibly uplifting including 'I promise that you are so beautiful' and 'just believe in yourself when nobody is listening'. I was fortunate enough to see Emma on Busted's 'Pigs Can Fly' tour in June and, despite suffering from a cold, she was still amazing. I bought myself a general admission ticket and a VIP Upgrade to Emma's gig at Sound Control in Manchester. I was so excited because I was finally meeting Emma after supporting her for over three years. I met Emma at about 7pm and she greeted me with a hug and was just as nice as you'd expect her to be. I've written a blogpost on this day, if you'd like to read it, click here.

So those were my highlights from October.

I really hoped you enjoyed reading it.

Every view does mean a lot to me so thank you for reading it.

❤