Up and down.

Source: Unknown. If this image is yours, please contact me so I can credit/remove it.

This week has been rather up and down for me. Some parts of it have been brilliant but others? Not so much. It started off horribly, got better then went down and stopped in the middle. I waited to see if it changed either way but... nothing. It's stayed there ever since. I wish I could give a better description.

I have a busy week coming up so I'm looking forward to seeing how it pans out. I'm just hoping the upcoming storm doesn't affect my plans for tomorrow.

While we're on the subject on the storm, if you live in the UK, please stay safe.

Ill.

I'm sick at the moment and didn't get out of bed until 5pm so this is what my evening is mainly consisting of. I have a feeling tomorrow will be the same. I'd send my dad out to get me some Beechams Hot Berry Fruits sachets and/or Night Nurse capsules (the liquid tastes disgusting) but he's sick as well so he can't.

I'm hoping this cold goes away by Monday as I have a busy week ahead of me. I hope you're all having a good weekend!

Update about my grandad.

He went to the hospital this afternoon and we now know what's wrong. I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is that he has terminal prostate cancer and hip cancer. The good news, however, is he's already started treatment and has been given two - ten years to live which at the age of 82, means he'll have an almost normal - normal lifespan.

The good news outweighs the bad by far. I can't put how happy I am into words. Obviously not about the cancer obviously but about the fact he's already started treatment. He was terrified about the prospect of not being able to get it it because of his age and is delighted he is. Him, my mum, dad, grandma and I were expecting the results to be bleak so we're all overcome with joy.

I'm actually crying with joy. I feel so much lighter.

Week in photographs.

It's been an extremely difficult week for me, especially of my grandad being sick. He's made progress but I don't want to get my hopes up.

Still, time for a week in photographs post!

I had been debating on getting a ticket to see Paradise Lost (+ Lacuna Coil and Katatonia) since going on sale in May but I ended up caving last month and bought one. I know several people who are going so it should be a good night and I'm especially looking forward to seeing Lacuna Coil again.

I started reading Neverwhere on Monday after spending a while meaning to do so. I've only read two chapters due to poor concentration but so far, I love it.

When I was in Sainsbury's last week, I saw the Christmas penguin pyjamas. I'm not usually a fan of Christmas clothing but I had to have them mainly because of the penguins. I adore penguins. My mum went there Tuesday and bought them for me! I love how comfortable they are which is an absolute must for me as I live in pyjamas when I'm at home.

My mum and dad had to return some books to the library yesterday. Our library frequently puts up items for sale at a significantly reduced price from the RRP and every so often, you'll find something you want. They brought me back the Where's Hello Kitty? book along with three relaxation CDs.

I need to go back to the library soon. I haven't been in a while.

Now to start watching series two of Borgen. I think the rest of my weekend will be spent reading and watching television shows. I hope you've all had a good week and having a good weekend!

Update about my grandad.

The results came in this morning.

The doctors still don't know what's wrong with him, though, so they'll be running more tests along with a biopsy next week but whatever it is, it's serious.

He's eating again but either way, it's not looking good for him.

I'm going through enough as it is. I can feel my heart breaking.

I actually feel sick.

In which I talk about my love of books.

When I was three years old, my mum and dad were told by the doctors I'd never be able to talk, write or read which left them heartbroken because they desperately wanted to share their love of reading with me. Obviously, I can now do all of those things.

I can't remember what age I began reading but I still own the majority of my favourite childhood books and have no plans to get rid of them.

I was at boarding school from January 2005 until July 2009 and it was horrible. I was bullied and none of the staff members there did anything about it and we weren't allowed music devices (they relented with me and let me have my mp3 player in 2008 when I became persistent but that's another story altogether) so I spent a lot of money on books. I devoured them. They allowed me to escape reality and get lost in another world.

Things went from bad to worse during my last year there. It was around that time I heard of My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult and mentioned it to my mum briefly. The next time I was at home, she said she had bought something for me and it turned out to be that book. I finished it within two days and she bought me The Pact which I also finished quickly.

I was strongly against Kindles and eBook devices for years in preference to physical books. My mum and dad have them, though, and I eventually came round to the idea of owning one. I mentioned it in passing one day and never brought it up again.

For my birthday this year, there was an oddly-shaped looking present my mum and dad told me to unwrap last. I did and when I finally unwrapped it, I saw that I had a Kindle. For several minutes, all I could do was stare at it in shock and awe. I was speechless. I fell in love with it before I even started using it.

I still adore physical books and continue to purchase them. I always will but I love how light my Kindle is and that it doesn't take up much space in my bag. What I also love is how it stores so many books it feels like I'm carrying a small bit of my own personal library with me.

I don't have a favourite genre. I like what I like. There are genres I'm not into of course but I don't stick to only one. To give you an idea, though, I'll list some of my favourite books.

In no order:

The Noughts & Crosses trilogy by Malorie Blackman
Blood And Gold by Anne Rice
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

If you're interested in seeing more of what I read and loved, didn't like and plan to read, my Goodreads profile is at the bottom.

Profile.

Something I haven't wanted to talk about.

My grandad is sick. He was taken to hospital last week for tests and the results are due to come in tomorrow morning so we should hopefully know what's wrong. According to my dad, he's lost a lot of weight due to being too sick to eat anything. He was already thin so I dread to think how thin he is now.

Scared doesn't even begin to cover how I feel. Drinking myself to sleep is sorely tempting.

Week and weekend in photographs.

The reason I haven't done a week in photographs post for the last two weeks is because there wasn't much happening for one to be worth doing. Not enough happened this week to justify a week in photographs post and I had a brilliant day yesterday so I thought I may as well combine the two and post about it!

On Monday, my mum and I saw Danny Elfman's music from the films of Tim Burton performed at the Royal Albert Hall. Before the event, we had dinner at Prezzo. I chose to have a margarita pizza with seasoned chicken and pacetta bacon which was lovely. The chicken pieces are huge, though! I only ate just over half of it as I wanted to have the honeycomb smash cheesecake.

They usually have offers on their website so you can get some money off your meal. Make sure you check which restaurants aren't participating, though.

Afterwards, we made our way to the Royal Albert Hall, bought a programme each and found our seats. I'm so glad I asked for a corner seat. I get claustrophobic otherwise. Having to get up to let people through can get annoying but I can deal with that.

The show was incredible. I'm still working on my post about it so I won't say much right now. My highlight, however, was Helena Bonham Carter making a surprise appearance to sing Sally's Song. You can watch the video for it at this link if you're interested.

I was hesitant to pay so much money for one ticket but I'm so glad I did. It was worth every single penny.

On Tuesday, I went to the Apple Store in Regent Street to witness Ed Speelers and Joanne Froggatt be interviewed about the current series of Downton Abbey. I've already written about it so if you haven't read about it already, you can do so here.

I saw Bitter Ruin at a house gig someone pledged for during their Kickstarter campaign and they were brilliant as always. They held a little Q & A session during their performance which made the whole experience even more special.

I can't not talk about the hosts who were nothing but wonderful. I couldn't praise them more. The food was absolutely wonderful, too. If I could've eaten all the barbecue chicken, I would've.

Everyone there was lovely. I got to catch up with a few people I hadn't seen for a while and met some people I hadn't met before.

I hope you've all had a good week!

Bonus pictures:

Out of all the pictures I have with Bitter Ruin, these are my favourite ones by far.

Nightwish have a new singer!

Nightwish announced this morning that Floor Jansen (ReVamp, After Forever) has joined the band permanently which won't come as a surprise to many fans. Her joining was a given really.

I saw them live with her twice last year and thought she was brilliant. It took time to adjust to her after Anette Olzon left last year and I still prefer Anette but I can't wait to hear the new album with her!

Not only that, Troy Donockley is no longer a guest member. He's joined the band officially. As much as I love Floor, I'm overjoyed about him being a permanent member. I thought he was a perfect addition as soon as I listened to Dark Passion play and desperately wanted him to become a permanent member and now he has.

I was lucky enough to meet Floor and Troy after Nightwish's show at Brixton Academy, London on 5th November last year. The venue security attempted to stop a few of us from going up to him as he was by the tour bus but we managed to get past them and he was more than happy to chat, pose for photos and sign stuff. He was extremely flattered when I asked him if he could sign my Imaginaerum album booklet and told him he should join the band permanently.

Afterwards, I met Floor and as expected, she was swarmed. Despite that, though, she posed for photos and signed items and wouldn't leave until she knew everyone was happy. Her joy at being chosen to fill in for the rest of the Imaginaerum World Tour was obvious.

I'm so happy for Floor and Troy. They deserve this.

Showtime, Storytime is released on 29th November 2013. Pre-order your copy at this link if you haven't done so already. I can't wait to get mine!

I'm also working on a blog post about Nightwish so keep an eye out for it.

Inspirational People #4.

Cristina Scabbia

Source: Cristina's instagram account.

I discovered her when I came across Lacuna Coil on a forum back in 2004. I was immediately in awe of her voice and rushed to check out the rest of Lacuna Coil's material. I bought Comalies not long after and in a short space of time, I had all of the albums that were released at the time. They quickly made their way into my top five bands.

I saw them live for the first time on 30th July 2009 at The Forum after begging my dad to buy me tickets for it the week before and he did as a "Congratulations for leaving school" present. They were fantastic. I was also at the front row for the first time ever.

I saw them again on 5th February 2010 and was lucky enough to meet them afterwards. I was so shy and nervous that asking if I could get a picture was a miracle.

Anyway...

A few reasons I love her apart from her voice:

1) She cares about her fans. A lot, in fact. She goes out of her way to make sure that they know she cares. She keeps in touch by updating her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts on a regular basis and sometimes replies if she has the time to do so. She doesn't have to but she does because she genuinely loves her fans.

2) She's positive and gives her fans hope and courage. She regularly posts words of wisdom on her official Facebook page and they inspire me to not give up and keep pushing forward.

"Don't ever be afraid of the deepest dark because without it there would not be the brightest light." 

She constantly tells us to believe in ourselves and to never give up.

I've been fortunate enough to meet her on a number of occasions. I first met her on 5th February 2010 but like I said earlier on, I was so shy and nervous that I couldn't say much other than ask if I could have a photo with her which she was more than happy to say yes to.

I met her for the second time on 22nd November 2011 after waiting for about two hours for her with a few other fans to emerge. She was on her way to the venue for the soundcheck but stopped and spent ten minutes talking to us and posing for photos. She gave up time she technically didn't have and ended up severely annoying the band's manager.

On 28th October 2012, I met her again. After my photo with her was taken, I thanked her for making me feel beautiful that night and she said "You are." and started talking about how everyone's bodies are built differently. I nearly started crying.

Clockwise: 5th February 2010, 22nd November 2011 and 28th October 2012.

3) She's a hard worker and puts 100% into everything she does. She didn't take the easiest route she could find unlike so many aspiring musicians do these days but worked extremely hard to get to where she is now.

Bonus reason: She stands up for herself. Unfortunately, she gets a lot of trolls on her Facebook but she refuses to sit there and keep quiet.

People may say that fame has gotten to her head but I can safely say that it hasn't in the slightest. I'm so fortunate to have her to look up to and so proud to call myself a fan.

Links

Official Facebook account

Twitter account

Instagram

Interview with Ed Speelers and Joanne Froggatt at Apple Store Regent Street 8th October 2013.

Last week, the official Downton Abbey page announced that Ed Speelers (Jimmy Kent) and Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates) would be doing an interview at the Apple Store in Regent Street. I knew it was going to be popular so I immediately reserved my place.

I arrived at 7pm and there were no seats left but I had a good spot in the standing area thanks to someone being kind enough to give me theirs so I could see well without me asking. It was being recorded for a podcast which will hopefully be on the iTunes Store later this week so be sure to keep an eye out if you're interested!

Before Joanna and Ed walked on the stage, we were shown the trailer of the current series of the show. The first thing that was spoken about of course was Anna's scenes in the last episode. Joanna said that she had researched it and was concerned about getting it right which I think she spent ten minutes talking about the preparations for it and filming it.

We were shown two clips from the next episode. I won't spoil anything but I will say that I'm looking forward to seeing how the scene with Jimmy turns out.

After a while, there were some questions from the audience. I wanted to ask one but I got so nervous I didn't. All the questions were extremely interesting with equally interesting answers.

The interview ended after 45 minutes and I headed straight home overjoyed that I was able to attend. I have a love/hate relationship with London but something I love about it is being able to attend a lot of events with ease.

Happy October!

Source: Found on Google. If this is yours, please contact me so I can credit you or remove it.

It's started well for me. I managed to achieve getting out of bed at a reasonable time (AKA not 7pm like I've done during the last week or so) and cleaned a birt. I didn't do as much as I would've liked but I got some done so that's what counts.

I watched the second episode of The Wrong Mans tonight and my mum and I couldn't stop laughing. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend you do. It's on BBC Two on Tuesday nights at 9pm so make sure you watch it then or record it as each episode is only on BBC iPlayer for a week until the newest one airs.

I made the mistake of eating white bread again last month but cut it out again under a week ago. I tried on my jeans tonight and not only do they fit again, they have space. This comes at a brilliant time as I'm going to see Danny Elfman performing the music from Tim Burton's films at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday. Now that I've almost sorted out my outfit for it, I can start getting excited about it again!

Today's definitely been a good start to the month. I don't want to speculate on the rest of it but it's started well which is what I needed after last month being horrendous.