What Sophie Said

I have always been an avid reader, and a fast one, meaning I have always waded through huge piles of novels. Unfortunately, my degree called a temporary halt to that. Yes, I was doing an English literature degree, but there was so much course reading that reading for pleasure just wasn’t an appealing option once I had finished my work each day. Some of the things I read for my course were fantastic, but reading to a deadline, in the knowledge you will have to discuss it in a seminar, changes the reading experience completely. Now I have graduated, I finally have the hours to get back to reading properly, and so have decided to do mini-reviews on here each time I’ve completed about 4 books. There will be a complete range of novels, from romance to science fiction to award-winners to classics; there is never much logic in my reading lists! I’m always looking for new things to read, so do let me know any suggestions! Harvesting the Heart, Jodi Picoult I’m a huge Jodi Pi...

At the beginning of our second year of university, Andy (my boyfriend) and I made the decision to move in together and commute to and from university. We settled on Darlington – a half hour train from each of our universities – and moved in at the beginning of September 2 years ago. Now, university is complete and we have temporarily moved home whilst we start to find our feet in the world of jobs, but two years of private renting has taught me a good few lessons. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, but I’ve definitely learned some things for next time I leave home… British Gas and Sky will never, ever be on your side This was obviously the first time I’ve had to deal with bills, utilities and the like, and I was a bit unprepared for just how unhelpful the customer service departments at big companies can be. British Gas regularly tried to overcharge us, and when we moved out demanded an extra £200 that I knew we didn’t owe. Sure enough, about a month ago,...

I know it's taken me far too long to get around to it, but I've finally registered with Bloglovin! If you'd like to follow my little blog, head to  http://www.bloglovin.com/whatsophiesaid  to be updated when I post. Love Sophie xxx

I finally got my act together and joined bloglovin! <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10311141/?claim=jrsjwjtqg6s">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a> Sophie xxx

In the first half of this month I passed two huge milestones: I turned 21, and I graduated from university. I expected both of these things to leave me with a sense of pride, of having achieved something, and to provide me with a chance to reflect back on all the experiences I have had thus far.  Of course, the pride has come, but it has been mixed in with a lot of very strange emotions that nobody warns you about.   Happy birthday to me My sister, dad, me and mum at my birthday party My birthday was significant in that, as with any birthday but especially with the ‘big ones’, it gave me a chance to reflect. It has obviously come at a point in my life where everything is changing, having finished formal education for good, so some of the reflections have been even more poignant. The main thing my birthday provided was a chance to think about my friendships. At my party were the friends I currently hold close, and whom I feel sum up the past 21 years. There’s Ali...

On 7 th July, I turned 21, and the night before we had planned a big party at a local lounge bar. Of course, this was an occasion that called for a new dress, so my mum and I set off for a day at The Trafford Centre. I didn’t really have a set idea in my mind of what I wanted, only that I wanted something different from all of the other dresses I own, and something a bit special. The Trafford Centre is a great place to shop, especially when you arrive as soon as it opens on a weekday. It is spacious, beautifully decorated, and really offers a bit of everything. Mum and I weaved in and out of plenty of shops, and fairly early on in the day approached Miss Selfridge. At the door, we were greeted by one of the sales assistants, who handed us a card for the new, free, personal shopping service, The Dressing Room. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to try on some things I wouldn’t usually pick up, and get some advice from someone that knows all the dresse...

After a pretty boring lunch of ham sandwiches today, I remembered a few snaps I took at a recent Pizza Express lunch. The setting was Darlington, the occasion was UNIVERSITY IS COMPLETE, and I needed a simple, relaxing lunch with Andy (the boyfriend). Pizza Express is one of those restaurants you can always rely on: everyone has their favourite dish, and the restaurants and relaxed and friendly. I lived in Darlington for 2 years before recently returning to Manchester, and visited the Darlington Pizza Express a fair few times, with various friends and family members. Twitter has been busy recently with news of the summer and gluten-free Pizza Express menus, so we were tempted back for a relaxed and yummy lunchtime. The Darlington Pizza Express is right in the centre of town, and is a big space with high ceilings. It never seems too crowded, and the service is usually friendly and fast. On this particular day, it did take 10 minutes of standing being ignored at the d...