This playlist is in part inspired by and taken from the soundtracks of two of my favourite Korean dramas Something in the Rain and One Spring Night (both on Netflix 😉), and intermingled with melancholy or heartwarming tracks that I’ve been loving recently.
The beginning of September is the best time of the year to stock up on books that will get you through the chiller months ahead, as who doesn't love a cosy day in reading snuggled up in blankets with a warm cup of coffee or cocoa.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan: https://amzn.to/2HPIpYr
The Murder of Harriet Monckton by Elizabeth Haynes: https://amzn.to/2ZYwaPt
The Frolic of the Beasts by Yukio Mishima: https://amzn.to/34x6KvO
Opposite of Always by Justin Reynolds: https://amzn.to/316tjp2
The Complete Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino: https://amzn.to/318KDKa
Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell: https://amzn.to/2HUY6xD
The Nine Cloud Dream by Kim Man-jung: https://amzn.to/2ZKApD4
Yoko Ogawa’s latest novel to be translated into English is The Memory Police, Originally published in 1994, it is quite perplexing as to why it’s taken 25 years to get this story to us considering that Ogawa is one of the most popular authors in Japan. However, just like how Atwood’s The Handmaids Tale feels arguably more relevant now than when it was published, The Memory Police is an important piece of literature that feels very current.
The Memory Police follows an unnamed woman as she navigates life on an unnamed island, she is a writer whose only friends are an Old Man (also without a name) and her editor R. She leads a simple life under a totalitarian regime where things disappear: people, flowers, food - nothing is permanent and can be erased from existence and memory.
Evocative of Orwell’s 1984, but pretty much any piece of literature that has any modicum of paranoia gets dubbed as Orwellian. However, I do feel that The Memory Police goes a step further than standard dystopian novels, it explores the idea of how Memory is so integral to our existence and that without it our identity is compromised. It’s allegorical quality also means that the novel can have multiple different meanings, one person could read it as purely a political novel, another could see it as meditation on life itself, as how we get older things disappear, our memories get tarnished or lost completely. The disappearances could also become a metaphor for climate change, Mother Nature succumbs to the will of man and her bounty depletes after the greed of humanity squanders what she has given us.
As I worked my way through the novel it made my heart feel tender and with each disappearance I felt the novel become a little more tragic and by the last page I was in tears. It is an emotional read and I feel like it has left me thinking upon is contents long after I finished it. But I feel like its power to move the reader is exactly what makes it an enjoyable (if somewhat melancholy) read.
Disclaimer: I received a e-copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Come join me and my sister Charlotte as we thrift shop in Brighton! We had so much fun sifting through all the weird and wonderful clothes from years gone by and the immense challenge of trying to find treasures and not trash!
Also, check out my dancing...girls got moves...questionable moves but moves nonetheless!
Beyond Retro: Well curated, a little pricey and is basically Urban Outfitters just with Vintage wears. BR is hidden a few streets away from the heart of Brighton's North Laine (which is the Bohemian & Cultural Quarter, so expect cool little indie shops galore). Oh, and the soundtrack in-store is eclectic and amazing.
To Be Worn Again: Smaller than BR but cheaper, however as it is right in the heart of North Laine it gets a little cramped.
Fashion trends don’t last very long but they have a habit of repeating themselves. Right now it’s all about the 90’s aesthetic. So rather than buying something new and cheap that is of rather poor quality, shopping vintage allows you to access trends for less and all the pieces have proved just by their continued existence that they can stand the test of time (and your washing machine). It’s a win for your wallet and a win for the world!
As the Summer draws to a close and September beckons it is time to go back to School. And it is with that realisation that every stationery lover rejoices as Back to School Season is an acceptable time to go out and buy reams and reams of notebooks, planners, stickers, pens and anything else under the umbrella of stationery.
1. Iconic Cottage A6 Weekly Planner https://www.thefoxandstar.co.uk/colle...
2. Iconic Train A6 Weekly Planner https://www.thefoxandstar.co.uk/colle...
3. Iconic Dream Line Pocket Notebook https://www.thefoxandstar.co.uk/produ...
4. Iconic Evening Plain Pocket Notebook https://www.thefoxandstar.co.uk/produ...
5. Iconic Diary Deco Sticker Pack v.8 - Out of Stock on F+S but available on The Journal Shop https://www.thejournalshop.com/iconic...
6. MT Border and Circle Orange Washi Tape https://www.thefoxandstar.co.uk/colle...
7. Nejiriume-Haru Wamon Washi Masking Tape - out of stock on F+S but available directly from MT Masking Tape https://www.mtmaskingtape.co.uk/nejir...
8. Livework Cherry Blossom Washi Tape - out of Stock on F+S but available on Fallndesign https://www.fallindesign.com/proust-p...
