Dora Reads is the book blog of a Bookish Rebel, supporting the Diversity Movement, bringing you Queer views and mental health advocacy, slipping in a lot of non-bookish content, and spreading reading to the goddamn world! :) (All posts may contain Amazon links, which are affiliate, unless marked otherwise. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. USA ONLY - please do not make UK purchases with my links)
Showing posts with label everyday life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label everyday life. Show all posts
Sunday 27 May 2018
Nerd Church - Reactive
My new favourite thing* is YouTube reaction videos.
Not of the clickbait-y type. (Y'know, where either the original video or the reaction is like 'you'll never guess what happened next!' or has some sort of cheap/misleading title? Those ain't my thing.)
*Well... one of my favourite things, I'm a complex person dammit!
Sunday 20 May 2018
Nerd Church - The Basics of Self-Care
(Warning: this post includes frank discussions of a variety of mental health problems, including references to suicidal thoughts, and self-harm.)
May is Mental Health Month in the US, and 14th-20th May is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK.
You've probably heard, at some point in the course of your internetage, the phrase 'self-care.'
Hopefully, what you've heard has been positive. Unfortunately, you may have heard others mocking people who practice self-care, or calling it selfish.
Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is vital for everyone.
Just as everyone has both mental and physical health, though not necessarily mental or physical health *problems,* likewise everyone can (and should) practice self-care as a way of keeping yourself as happy and healthy as possible.
Disclaimer time: I am not a medical or mental health professional. I'm a blogger with personal experiences of mental health problems - OK? OK
Wednesday 16 May 2018
I Liked Avengers: Infinity War, But I Didn't LOVE It. Here's Why. (SPOILER FILLED)
Leaving the cinema after watching Avengers: Infinity War, The Bestie turned to me and said:
'Do you get why I said that once you've seen it, you really wanna watch it again, like, straight away?!'
And me, a diehard Marvel fan, who loves the Marvel films 'til the end of the line, said:
'No... not really. It was ok, though.'
Sunday 13 May 2018
Nerd Church - IRL?
We're living in a world where the lines between online and offline have become more wibbly than ever before.
So I've been thinking a lot lately about the difference between online and offline life.
(Yes, this post is probably going to meander quite a lot - you've been warned! 😉)
Thursday 10 May 2018
Comics Wrap-Up - We Really Are Ants Now
I saw Avengers: Infinity War! I'm hoping to post a discussion-type-thing/random fangirlish thoughts next week - assuming I can keep a schedule for once! 😉
'Til then, let's see what I've got for ya this week:
Tuesday 8 May 2018
Month in Review(s) - April 2018
April... ha, so, what's May lookin' like? 😅
April happened. I lived through it *starts singing I'm still standing by Elton John and doing an incredibly embarrassing dance.*
My grandmother is still in hospital - she went in at the beginning of March - but she's definitely improving. We're basically waiting for a social care package in place so that she can go home, because there's no way my 88-year-old grandfather can take care of her.
And on the last day of April my laptop - which had been hanging on on a wing and a prayer, granted - gave up the ghost.
On the plus side, I reached over 3k Twitter followers in April! I love you guys, really! XD
On the plus side, I reached over 3k Twitter followers in April! I love you guys, really! XD
Sunday 6 May 2018
Nerd Church - Viral Reading
Are you ready to be a Bookish Rebel? Cos we're gonna shake sh** up today! 😉
I love my blogging friends - but you weren't originally who I was aiming my brain babbling at (But I still love you!!!! Never leave me!!!! *tugs at your sleeves to stop you going*)
No, when this blog started, it's half-formed, characteristically-vague, ideal was to spread reading like a positive plague across the globe - I wanted, and still want, to make READING go viral.
Monday 30 April 2018
Technical Difficulties - Life/Blogging Update
Hi my nerdlets! This is an impromptu post to let you know that my laptop's broken.
I'm going to be honest, this isn't a surprise. I've literally been sticking it back together with sellotape and model glue for a while now.
What it does mean, though, is that my blogging is going to be limited for a little while until I can get a new one.
At the moment, I have what time I can get on the family desktop, and my mobile phone.
Sunday 29 April 2018
Nerd Church - Please, Shut Up About the Royals
I'm British. But I don't care about the royal family. I don't care about the royal baby. I don't care about Harry marrying Meghan.
What I do care about is that I keep having to hear about them all.
Social and mainstream media are both fawning over all things royal and... *sighs* I don't mind like one news-in-brief report or whatever guys, but everyone seems to have freaking lost it, tbh.
Wednesday 18 April 2018
The Play's The Thing!
I was watching the BBC version of Hamlet starring Andrew Scott the other day (y'know, the Irish guy who plays Moriarty?) and a thought popped into my head:
(My Goodreads account is private. Sorry.)
Plays should count for the Goodreads Challenge!
(My Goodreads account is private. Sorry.)
Sunday 8 April 2018
Nerd Church - Disconnected
This might be one of those times where it turns out I've gotten old. It's highly possible.
Despite the fact that I get ID'd pretty much everywhere, I am actually a grown-a** woman; albeit one that only comes a little over 5ft.
A grown-a** woman who is still as genuinely enthusiastic about the bands and music I love as ever.
At the end of March, I went to see Fall Out Boy for the 4th time (and a year or two ago I completed the Emo Trinity, thank you v. much! 😉 )
I've never quite understood though, why, while I'm bouncing around, screaming my heart out and singing 'til my lungs give out, everybody else HAS THEIR F**KING PHONES OUT!
Don't get me wrong - a few photos, a video or two: there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Nice memories and all that jazz.
But if your entire night consisted of FILMING the concert, instead of WATCHING the concert, then - and this is a genuine question - why did you bother to GO to the concert?
Sunday 25 March 2018
Nerd Church - Pressure, Obligations, and 'Good Enough'
Sometimes, you need to accept things for what they are.
Not always! No way! Sometimes what you need is to dig your heels in and kick and scream.
But there are many situations where we simply have to accept things and move on.
I'm terrible at this.
Not always! No way! Sometimes what you need is to dig your heels in and kick and scream.
But there are many situations where we simply have to accept things and move on.
I'm terrible at this.
Friday 23 March 2018
Friday Fics Fix - Overloaded
Sensory overload can occur with several different disabilities.
Most commonly, it occurs with ADHD, Autism, Fibromyalgia, and Anxiety Disorders. It can also occur with migraines and many other conditions.
I get it with migraines (and I'm going to be honest, the Anxiety and the synaesthesia probably don't help with this.) It is a freaking b**ch.
Sunday 11 March 2018
Nerd Church - The Women Who Made Me
Since it was International Women's Day on Thursday, and it's Mother's Day today in the UK* t'boot, I figured I'd talk just a little bit about the amazing women that came before me :)
*I didn't mean to rhyme, but am childishly pleased that I did! Lol.
*I didn't mean to rhyme, but am childishly pleased that I did! Lol.
Friday 9 March 2018
Friday Fics Fix - On Witches and B**ches
Yesterday was International Women's Day, so why don't we get feminist for this week's Fics Fix?
Too often, we dislike female characters - not least because their authors and/or creators make them unlikable.
Too often, we dislike female characters - not least because their authors and/or creators make them unlikable.
Wednesday 7 March 2018
Month in Review(s) - February 2018
You remember, in January, when I said I was getting the hang of the whole life-balance deal-y?
Yeah... well, regular service has resumed. My life is back to Milo-Murphy's-Law-levels of randomness.
If you haven't seen Milo Murphy's Law, this is what I'm talking about:
(Warning: flashing images)
...I relate so hard it scares me.
Typical example: I had a scratch on my hand. Not unusual?
It was from the cat. Still not that odd?
It was because the cat was squirming, trying to stop me, from stopping him, from climbing into my big brother's sling (which he was wearing at the time,) which he has because he broke his arm roller-skating.
This is my life.
Yeah... well, regular service has resumed. My life is back to Milo-Murphy's-Law-levels of randomness.
If you haven't seen Milo Murphy's Law, this is what I'm talking about:
(Warning: flashing images)
...I relate so hard it scares me.
Typical example: I had a scratch on my hand. Not unusual?
It was from the cat. Still not that odd?
It was because the cat was squirming, trying to stop me, from stopping him, from climbing into my big brother's sling (which he was wearing at the time,) which he has because he broke his arm roller-skating.
This is my life.
Sunday 4 March 2018
Nerd Church - The Value of Reading
Why should we value reading?
Because it's important. Because the literacy of teenagers in the UK is Not Good. Because reading opens the mind to new ideas, new perspectives, other cultures.
Tuesday 27 February 2018
Anxiety vs Blogger
(Warning: This post is about depression and Anxiety, and the demonstration of a negative thought spiral.)
First off: I'm OK. I've had a rough-ish few days (not too bad, but bad enough,) but I'm OK.
There is no need to worry about me.
Sometimes, much as blogging has saved my life, it can contribute negatively to my mental health.
I don't need to take an extended break - honestly, I'm fine. I love blogging just as much as I ever have, and, overall, it's good for me.
And the problem wasn't really blogging - it was the Anxiety.
But I did need to 'write it out.' This is the result of that.
Sunday 25 February 2018
Nerd Church - Some of My Favourite Welsh-Language Music
It's St. David's Day/Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant on Thursday, so I figured I'd give you guys some of my favourite Welsh-language music to listen to :)
I originally wrote this list on Twitter, for Welsh Language Music Day/Dydd Miwsig Cymru, on 9th February/Chwefror - but it's a pretty good list, if I do say so myself, so I thought I'd share it here too.
(And yes, I love Yws Gwynedd - they are most definitely Roc a Rôl as far as I'm concerned 😎)
...in case you hadn't noticed! Lol.
(Via Giphy)
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Sunday 11 February 2018
Nerd Church - Rebel Valentine 2: Return of the Candy Hearts
(Yeah, no, I don't know where that post-title came from either! 😅)
Welcome to this year's coffee-fuelled, rule-breaking, kick-a** Valentine's Day* Nerd Church post!
(Those who read last year's post will know (sort of) what's ahead - those who didn't, hold on darlings, Cee's about to get on her soapbox, and possibly end up sharing TMI. But that's what she does.)
*Yes, I'm aware that it's not Valentine's Day until Wednesday. I'm doing my post now. Because I'm a rebel.
Welcome to this year's coffee-fuelled, rule-breaking, kick-a** Valentine's Day* Nerd Church post!
(Those who read last year's post will know (sort of) what's ahead - those who didn't, hold on darlings, Cee's about to get on her soapbox, and possibly end up sharing TMI. But that's what she does.)
*Yes, I'm aware that it's not Valentine's Day until Wednesday. I'm doing my post now. Because I'm a rebel.
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