‘No Big Deal’ by Bethany Rutter

★★★★/5 stars

Published by Macmillan!

Emily is fat. She doesn’t have a problem with it, so why should anyone else? What’s more, there are a billion and one other things that make up who she is besides her body type. For instance, Emily is always wearing something cute, her make-up is killer, with an eclectic music taste to boot. She’s also incredibly smart, well-read, and has a great bunch of friends; Camila, Abi, Ella and Sophia. Unfortunately, everyone else seems to think being fat is a big deal, or, worst still, a problem. And as friendships are put to the test, boys are introduced, and the future is looming, Emily’s fierce and unrelenting body confidence might just be at risk of slipping.

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International Women’s Day 2019: here’s to me

Warning: this post is about to be self-indulgent AF.

It’s International Women’s Day! Or, well, almost at the time of writing this. As a fierce feminist, I find this day to be very empowering and filled with positivity, heralding strong, incredible women from all walks of life, dealing with all kinds of struggles. We shout about the women who inspire us, who, one way or another, paved the way. And I’m about that. I am. But this year I kind of wanted to talk about me, but also us. Acknowledging ourselves as women and what we go through, whether down to our gender, race, sexuality. Whatever. Or those things we go through that everyone suffers with, regardless of any of those extra tags we might use to identify ourselves.

Recent Reads feat. Dolly Alderton & Sara Barnard

What a shocker, I’m here to yell about and review some books for you. I’m a little bit rusty on the whole reviewing thing, so I’ve taken a running jump at my laptop and smashed my hands on the keys in the hopes these mini reviews will compel you to pick up a book and have a read. The first is the gorgeous memoir by Dolly Alderton, ‘Everything I Know About Love’, and the second is Sara Barnard’s recent YA title ‘Fierce Fragile Hearts’. Both were wonderful and have been awarded my elusive 5 star rating, no big deal. If that doesn’t entice you, hopefully what I have to say will!

Rejection

I feel like I’ve been playing a game of Snakes and Ladders and I just landed on that one gigantic snake right at the end — right when you’re about to win — that takes you hurtling back to square one.

Right before Christmas I applied for a couple of jobs in London. I’d told myself the proper search wouldn’t begin until the new year, but this time it was for real. They weren’t going to be anything like the half-hearted searches I’d begun before. This time I was — and am —  100%, truly, get-me-back-right-now-or-so-help-me ready.

January came and I almost surprised myself with how much I stuck to my guns. I was applying to things every day, constantly checking LinkedIn and scouring through Indeed emails to find the jobs that excited me. When you start out your job search, it seems important that you initially go for the ones you want, the ones that get your blood pumping. Not necessarily the dream, end goal jobs, but still the ones that bring your passion right up to the surface — now I’m starting to think I may have to enter that stage applying for anything somewhat related to what I want to do.