My Little Corner of the Internet

So after posting about PLL yesterday I have decided to rewatch all five seasons.
Not only that but I am going to note down every observation possible that might give us hints as to who A is.
Now I know in seasons 1 and 2 A is Mona...but I never actually went back to see if I could figure that out from watching the episodes.
After seasons 1 and 2 I know I am going to be nitpicking every tiny thing because if there are clues as to who A is after Mona in seasons 3-5 I have to find them...
I mean this really is my taking things to the extreme haha.
So far I have already rewatched the first episode and created two word documents to write notes in. The first one is on all the characters and the second document is just for the messages A sends.
Like I said I'm taking things to the extreme.
To be honest this is probably not healthy. But I don't have anything better to do with my free time and so this is what I'm doing. I've been debating on whether or not I should create a blog specifically for all my PLL findings but I don't know...I guess it depends on what I find.
I mean I can always post here but then I don't want this to be an overrun PLL blog...
Let me know if you'd be interested? Let me know if you think I'm crazy? Haha...
Here's sort of what I have so far...

Oh my God.
I have no words.
Well I do have words. Just not coherent ones. If you guys would like to see my initial reaction to the big A reveal then please watch the video below...
*WARNING SPOILERS FROM BELOW THIS POINT*

So it's been a few days since I watched the episode and tonight I decided I would watch it again to talk about it.
I'm still pretty unsure of everything.
I mean I'm not actually one of those people that comes up with PLL theories. Which seems weird when you watch the show because I think everyone has their own theories from time to time about this show. I think it's gotten to the point where I just don't anymore because there's so many things in the show to consider when coming up with a half decent theory.
But I think it'll be a project for me over summer - rewatch PLL and try to connect the dots.
They say there are major hints in seasons 3-5 to the identity of A and I have yet to really pick up on any but I am seriously set on going through every episode again and trying to come up with a solution.
I'll probably blog about it.
Anyway...onto the actual episode.
On a whole I would say this is probably one of the best PLL episodes to date. I mean it was amazing and it was intense and it was just so...everything. I mean I don't really know how else to describe it I just loved it so much.
The big reveal was of course disappointing. I mean Charles DiLaurentis was worked out from the previous episodes when we discovered that Mona's random sentences were anagrams of Charles DiLaurentis. And when I say "we" I mean hardcore fans because I definitely didn't get Charles from those sentences haha.
However I feel like he's A.
I mean I like to believe he is because then we have a person who A could be. Plus he's keeping the girls in this house for a reason.
Yes there is always the chance he is doing this for someone of a higher power a.k.a Black Widow who is supposed to be Uber A. Like I really don't know how many of these people there can be.
But I did do a search and Big A - Charles - is different from Uber A.
Which means...Charles is like second in command.
I mean they said they'd reveal Big A. And they said at the end of the episode #CharlesIsA. Like I kind of take that to mean Charles is A.
People tend to think different but this is what I'm going with for now.
The real question is though who is Charles? We don't see his face but from the build of him and his height it is only assumed he is a male. However I have seen several posts who think it's actually a woman. I have no idea where that comes from.
I mean after I watched the episode the first time I went online to find out what everyone else's reactions were and not a lot of people were happy about this reveal. And every so often on Tumblr you would scroll past a post that said "WHO THE FUCK IS CHARLES?!" which I found quite funny because everyone else was posting serious theories and then you'd get one confused person haha.
A lot of people seemed to think Charles is a brand new person but I don't know why? I think because we haven't heard the name before everyone assumes it's a new person but apparently it is someone we've seen on the show before.
Which leads into this idea that Andrew is Charles. I don't believe this. I mean I believe Andrew is part of it but I don't think he's Charles. I mean clearly Andrew is part of it he was listening to Melissa's phone call to her parents. Which leads you to wonder why Melissa was calling...
I have also read theories that Charles wanted to be a girl but the DiLaurentis family wouldn't let him and so sent him to Radley and that would explain his obsession with dolls...
Some people don't think Charles is Jason's twin and that he's someone else entirely...
I kind of go along with the Jason twin thing. I mean that video shown in the nursery room place where Spencer gets approached with Charles suggests that Jason has a twin as these two boys are seen with Mrs D and a baby which we assume is Alison and her two brothers.
However watching it back I realised only one of the boys kisses the baby and the other one sort of stands by so maybe it's not what we think?
I mean all Mrs D says is "come over here and kiss your sister.."
OMG I just had this idea...
What if the baby Mrs D is holding is not Alison? What if it is BETHANY. What if one of the boys is Charles but it is Bethany's brother?! Who is to say that Mrs D and her family were there alone? What if they were with the Young family?!
Mind blown.
Not even kidding I kind of think that.
But then the pictures Mona is looking at in the room focus on the two boys...there is a connection. But I don't know what and it's driving me insane.
Like if they aren't twins what are they? Because they look extremely similar.
Also during the episode I had this idea that maybe Charles is someone's twin but it's not Jason and it's someone else like a girl. I kind of got this because there were two puppets in the room one a boy and one a girl so it's a bit far fetched but what if someone random like CeCe had a twin. I mean they said there was going to be a twin thing but not like the books and it's not 100% clear that it's Jason...
My head is hurting trying to think this through haha.
There are so many theories.
But the main focus is definitely on Charles.
However when I was searching for information on Charles people also suggested that the name is actually Rachel S and not Charles at all. But I definitely think it's Charles because the figure in the episode is male.
Out of all the characters on the show we have seen so far I have no idea who could be Charles. I mean I guess we have to start looking for characters of a similar height compared to Spencer...
Plus I was even trying to tell who it was by their hair? Like their hair was bothering me but then I was reading that it could have been a wig so that kind of rules that out.
I mean it's safe to say this whole thing is just a really big mystery. And if the show doesn't have a wonderful explanation of it I know everyone's going to be mad. Including me.
I mean I can't have this show turn into How I Met Your Mother...when we found out who the mother was but then found out she dies...and Robin goes AWOL and so does Barney and they don't even stay together...
Like that can't happen to this show.
I can't have a random person be A they have to be tied to the girls in some way...
There's just so much going on right now...
I don't even think this blog post makes sense.
So I think I'll leave it here haha. I mean I think I'm just typing whatever comes into my head and that doesn't always make sense and can seem disjointed. So yeah...
What do you guys think? Who is Charles? Is he the twin of Jason? Do you think someone else is A? What are your theories?
I am very interested to know.
Also if you want to find out who I thought was going to be revealed as A before the episode ended you can watch the video below...it's quite long but there was a lot of people to consider...


Apart from that I hope you liked this blog post, even if it was a bit unstructured and I will hopefully be back soon with more PLL theories...as we still have two more seasons to go and it can only start to make more sense from here...right?
~ Courtney x

Hey guys, so I'm here with another YouTuber book review. These books seem to be all I'm reading lately but I promise I will have some reviews of non-YouTuber books soon.

So I just watched the last ever episode of Glee and I cried...
I didn't really think I would get this emotional about it. But when I look back I realise Glee has been a big part of my life. I haven't been around since the pilot episode, I got introduced to it about halfway through the first season and since then I've been in love with it.
I know the show has had it's ups and downs...there were times when the seasons weren't going so well and you kind of just wanted to give up with it all together but I am so glad I stuck with it. In the end it redeemed itself and made you remember why you loved Glee in the first place.
To be honest...I'm not really sure how to describe how I'm feeling, I'm just sort of all over the place. I mean I have literally grown up along side this show since it began in 2009 and I was about 12...it's been a long journey since then. And I think the show had a lot of important messages about equality and being who you are and I think that was one of the most important things to have when you are growing up...especially as a teenager.
I think having the show around definitely helped me become who I am and be more open minded to things because not everyone is going to be like you.
With so much diversity on the show there's at least one person you can relate to and that's really important especially if you are feeling alone. Glee was always a place where you felt like you belonged and I feel like I needed that sometimes because not everyone understands what you're going through.
So I guess this blog post is just my Thank You to the show. A thank you for everything because it's been such an amazing show to watch and I can't have imagined it being any better than it was.
It's been an incredible journey to watch and I know I'll never forget it. I know I'll still 9 times out of 10 choose the Glee version of a song over the original and I know I'll still think about Cory Monteith from time to time...I know that this is a show that will never get old for me. And I just hope it never gets old for anyone else either.
I mean I feel like there is so much more that I could say but I honestly don't know how to put it into words. I just think it's been an amazing show and that if you've ever felt like you didn't belong or that you were different it's the perfect show for you.
So goodbye Glee, thank you for everything, you made us laugh, you made us cry, you taught us some valuable life lessons and you will forever live on our hearts <3
~ Courtney x

I'm a little bit late with this since International Women's Day was yesterday and the YouTube campaign has stopped and everything but I have decided to take part anyway because it seems like such a great concept to me and it not only helps yourself but also helps many other people too. :)

Dear Me,
I have never been the best at giving advice but I think if I was going to advise anyone I think the best person would be to advise myself. So that's what I'm going to do.
The first thing I'd like to say to my younger self is that it's okay to want to spend time on your own. You might think it's weird when you get days when you don't want to talk to anyone and just want to shut yourself away and be invisible and that is okay. You are just not a people person. It's not anything to feel bad about and it is okay to turn down plans if you aren't feeling up to them. Your friends will understand, it's just that sometimes you just need to take the day to yourself and just be.
On the other side of that it is also okay to want to be heard. If you have an opinion don't be afraid to speak up and share it. Even if you are worried about people getting offended you have a right to say how you feel. Almost 99% of the time you say something someone is going to disagree but you just have to stand your ground and stay true to what you believe in. It is also important to be careful with the way you word things, while it's important to be heard it is also important to be mindful of other people. Don't go out of your way to purposely hurt someone with your words. Respect that they have a different opinion from yours.
Also stay away from the internet when you are angry. It is okay to rant when you are angry, it is okay to have negative thoughts from time to time but try not to share them with the world. I know I've always found comfort in sharing my thoughts online but if they are hurtful and rude I would keep them to myself. Spreading hatred online can only lead to trouble and you have no idea how the person you are aiming these things toward feels on the other side. 
It is also best not to indirect post about other people. You might be angry with someone about something and you think the best way to let them know you're angry is to talk about them indirectly. That's the opposite of what you should do. I know I've never liked confrontation but it is better to talk directly to the person you have an issue with rather than tell everyone else but that person. Having open communication with people can make relationships a lot easier and save a ton of drama.
I would also advise my younger self not to worry so much about other people. It is okay to care about your friends and worry about them from time to time but you can't force them to get help or change. So don't worry so much you put their needs before your own because this can have a negative effect on you too. All you can do is be there for your friends and give them advice but it is their choice whether to take the advice you give. The most you can do is do your best to help them but  you can't control what they do with their lives. So while you may not agree with everything they do, you should accept them for who they are and hope they will make the right choices for themselves.
It is also okay to let go of the past and the people in it. I know it's hard to let people out of your life but sometimes it's for the best. You shouldn't be holding onto people in your past if it is stopping you from living in the present. While yes, you have great memories with these people you have to accept that that's what they are, memories. You can always look back and enjoy the time you had with them but at the end of the day if things didn't work out it's okay to move on. It just takes time.
And the last piece of advice I would give to my younger self is be yourself. Don't be discouraged by people around you that don't like who you are. Don't let them influence how you live your life because they aren't the ones living it. Find what you love and do it. It is always best to stand out on your own rather than follow the crowd. Be proud to be different and embrace it. Because it's your life and you have to live it, no one else. So don't be ashamed of doing what you love, don't be embarrassed if you don't like what everyone else likes. As long as you're happy with your life, that's all that matters.
Love, Courtney x

And so there's my letter to my younger self. I am sure I would have so many more things to add but I think this covers a lot of it.
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this advice I'd give to my younger self and that you can relate to it and it helps you in some way. I'd also love to know if you have any advice you would give to your younger self because I think even when we are older we still forget basic advice like this. Especially when you are still growing up like me...
Thanks so much for reading. :)
~ Courtney x

It took me a long time to get around to reading it but I finally finished Girl Online!
Girl Online is a fictional book written by British YouTuber Zoella and I have to say I was so excited when I heard she was writing a book! I mean I have been excited for every YouTuber book coming out but I was very excited to learn that Zoe's was a fictional book. Almost every other YouTuber is writing an autobiography/lifestyle type book so I was interested in seeing how Zoe's was different from everyone else's.
And before I get into the review of the actual book I just want to say that the cover of this book is stunning. The cover of the book is actually the whole reason I bought my own physical copy. I was originally going to buy a kindle version of the book because it was cheaper at the time but once I saw the cover I changed my mind and when I went to change my preorder the physical copy had went down in price so it was close to the kindle version's price so I was very happy about that.

So I know that a lot of people were upset to learn that Zoe's book had a ghost writer...and I just want to address my thoughts on that. I don't really have a problem with the fact that she had one. I mean if she had help to make her novel she had help, there's no shame in admitting that. Plus I think it's a bit much to have high expectations for someone who has little writing experience to be a best-selling author right off the bat. Besides she's not the first person to have a ghost writer...
However I do understand why people would get upset about the fact she didn't write it on her own. I have to admit I was a little upset about this but only because other YouTubers that are writing books have done it on their own. The difference being that their genre of book is different from Zoe's. Other YouTubers are writing about themselves which is easy to do but Zoe is writing fiction so it's understandable why she would turn for help.
At least that's just what I think about the whole thing. While I wish she hadn't used a ghost writer there's nothing I can do about it. I mean I know if I was in her position I'd probably do the same thing. So yeah...moving on to the actual story...

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias Girl Online, Penny blogs her hidden feelings about friendship, boys, high school drama, her crazy family, and the panic attacks that have begun to take over her life. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets Noah, a gorgeous, guitar-strumming American. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret, too, one that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever. 

- Girl Online Blurb (source)

As soon as I read the blurb I was interested in this story... and I was so excited to finally begin reading it and while I did enjoy the story I didn't like it as much as I thought I was going to.
To me it felt like this book was written for a younger age group. The style of the writing is simple and the whole storyline turned out to be a tiny bit anti-climactic for me.
I thought that the beginning of the book was good, I liked the style of writing for Penny's blogs and I found this aspect of Penny very relatable. As someone who also enjoys blogging and understands the need to put your thoughts out there for even one person to read I did enjoy this part of the book. I also found the reason for Penny going to New York understandable...
I have never had a video of me go viral before but if it did I'd probably flee the country too. Especially if it was that embarrassing.
Another thing I found relatable about Penny is her struggle with friendships. I'm sure we've all been there. When we have to decide when it's time to stop being friends with someone or you've "outgrown" them. It's something everyone has to do in their lives and I liked the way this is handled in the book. However not all fake friends are as easy to spot in real life as they are in the book.
Something that I wasn't able to relate to is Penny suffering from panic attacks. I don't suffer from a lot of anxiety but I do understand that a lot of people do. This book gave me an insight into what it's like for someone who might be dealing with anxiety and I found this really interesting. I also liked that there was advice on how to deal with anxiety in the book. I thought this was important especially since Zoe has suffered from anxiety and panic attacks her whole life.
As the book goes on and Penny and Noah spend more and more time together I found the book was getting a little bit boring. I just thought that nothing really happened in that time she spent Christmas and New Year's with him. And I know not every part of a book has to be exciting but I was just waiting for the time when Penny would finally learn about Noah's secret...
Throughout the book I had my own ideas about what his secret might be. I think I was thinking too outside the box and have been reading/watching too many vampire things because I thought he was going to be a vampire or some other supernatural being....Or I thought he was going to find out about Penny's blog or that he was actually a criminal or something really crazy and unexpected.
My friend Bryce actually came up with the idea that Noah was really gay and was going to end up with Penny's gay best friend Elliot which would have been quite funny but also kind of mean.
But none of those things were Noah's big secret.
I do have to say when I found out what his secret was I was a little bit sad. I mean I wasn't expecting his secret to be what it was but I was expecting something a lot bigger. Which is why I felt like it was a little anti-climactic.
I was also surprised that we only find this out about 3/4s of the way through the book...I thought we'd find out sooner than that.
After that I felt like everything just happened in a blur. Which I guess is how it's meant to feel but to me everything just seemed to be happening too fast. Faster than the rest of the book and I feel like it caused them to brush past some more important issues.
For example what Elliot was going through with his father. I feel like it should have been something that was put into more detail. I know that he's not the main character in this book but if he is dealing with a serious problem like that I think maybe there should have been more about it...I feel like it was a little bit random to have in the midst of everything else towards the end.
However I did like the way that Penny took control of her situation and dealt with the cyber bullying. It also teaches you the lesson that while anyone can make up a rumour about you only you know the truth and that's all that really matters. As long as you and the people you're close to know the truth it doesn't really matter what other people think and I think that's a really important message to have. Especially if you are someone who does put themselves out there, on the internet or in real life.
As for the ending of the book...it was predictable. Which I didn't mind because I do prefer happy endings more than sad ones. And for a book like this I didn't expect there to be a sad ending. I also know that when two people go through so much together it does seem like a waste for them not to end up together. However sometimes that's for the better but not in this case.
Overall I'd say the book was okay. I didn't really hate it but I didn't love it either...like I said before I really felt like the book was aimed at a younger audience just because of the style of writing and the way the story played out...I did however think the love story between Noah and Penny was quite cute but I'm a sucker for any type of love story.
Now the real question is...will I be buying the sequel? I wasn't actually aware of the sequel until one day I was on Amazon and it came up as a recommended item for me. But I think I'll have to wait to find out what the sequel is about before I consider buying it. Considering how I felt about this book I'm not sure if I will immediately jump at the chance to get the sequel but I guess we shall see when the time comes.
If you guys have read Girl Online please leave me a comment letting me know what you thought and also let me know if you will be buying the sequel when it comes out because I'd be interested to know.
And until the next blog post I bid you adieu :)
~ Courtney x

This is my first Pointless Book blog post for this blog!
If you want to see my previous Pointless Book blog posts click here.
So with this Pointless Book video I took my book into school and asked my friends to fill in some things and it got a little weird...
The first page I asked them to fill in was the one where you ask a friend to describe you in 3 words. I didn't ask just one of my friends, I asked three so I have three phrases below which are supposed to describe me:

The next photo is a really old photo of me from when I was younger haha. I don't remember anything about this photo, I just know it's me and my sister found it a while back and posted it on Facebook and I thought I would share it with you guys. At least it's not too embarrassing.


And this concludes my first Pointless Book blog post for this blog! Woo!
Like always I did make a YouTube video of me talking about these pages so if you would like to see that you can click below - I say the same things in my blog posts as I do in my videos but I feel like if I do both then the event is documented very efficiently. There's no need for both but I feel like I should have them both haha.
~ Courtney x