University is over.

I am back in Dorset. Redwood G.01 has been packed up, scrubbed and polished for the last time and my time at Bath Spa has come to an end. I have completed my degree. It’s taking a bit of time to sink in and honestly; I don’t think it will until next September when my sister goes back to school, and I don’t go back to education.

There’s  a lot to think about regarding what the next step for me is, as is fairly common knowledge I would love a career in publishing. However, there’s a lot of things that I need to work on and grow in confidence in before I can realistically start thinking about managing that, especially as it would require me moving and most likely living on my own. I need to increase my confidence and gain some more experience in the real world; I have been in education for the past 17 years, and I need to improve my understanding of working and responsibility before I feel able to consider a ‘career’, especially in one as competitive as publishing. This will be the focus of the summer, and serendipitously I have got a number of very exciting things happening this summer that will allow me to work on one of the biggest things: trains! I have never taken the train by myself before, and the idea makes me a little anxious – what if the ramp doesn’t get put down? However, I’m excited to give it go as it will mean that I am on my way to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (July) and Hamilton (December).

I am excited about the future, but for now, my primary focus is relaxing, decompressing, and processing. Relaxing, enjoying the sun and, of course, reading. My last exam was on the 1^st June, and since then I have bought:

• Faceless by Alysa Sheinmel;
• History is all you left me by Adam Silvera;
• Our Numbered Days by Neil Hilborn;
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman;
• When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi;
• Death by Julian Barnes; and
• Animal Farm by George Orwell

These have found a welcome home in my already pretty substantial TBR, still containing books from my Christmas Book Haul and those kindly gifted to me by HarperCollins Publishers last year! However, I don’t anticipate it taking too long to read them all. Since June 1^st, I have read 5 1/2 books, and before the packing madness began, I was averaging one book every 1 – 2 days … I am really hoping I can get back to that as my Goodreads is informing me that I am 14 books behind schedule.

Anyway, apologies that this was a bit of a nothing post, but I’m back, I’m blogging, reading and enjoying life. Hope everyone’s enjoying the weather and not melting too badly. What have you been reading in the sun? Are there any books that I really need to read? Let me know in the comments.