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Said in River Song’s lilting voice: SPOILERS. Stop right now if you haven’t watched the final episodes of season 9. Go watch, cry buckets of tears, re-watch to figure out what in the world is actually happening, then come back and read all about Clara Oswald, the Impossible Girl.

I have to admit, I have been sobbing since Doctor Who forced me to face…[SPOILERS] the death of the empowered, gutsy Clara Oswald. It is always tragic when we lose a companion – be it through memory loss or disappearing into an alternate dimension (I still tear up every time I see the photo of Rose and 9 leaning against the walls, separated for all time). But we haven’t, in the latest reincarnation of the series, been forced to watch a beloved companion die.

It was tragic, in slow motion, and featured a ruthless raven pulling the life right out of Clara. Sniffle. Then I continued to cry through “Heaven Sent,” as the Doctor struggled to face her death in the strange torture chamber that led to his home planet. Why can’t Clara be there? Why is she gone?!

Not all of his female companions have been fully empowered. Their role is to act as an extension of the audience, following the Doctor blindly, being wow-ed at his daring escapes and complicated plans. We’ve seen glimpses of strength, but in the end, the Doctor has the ultimate agency. Just think about poor Donna, who was forced to have her memories of the Doctor erased because her feeble mind couldn’t handle being “DoctorDonna.”

But Clara, our dear Clara, may have saved this entire series by doing the one thing those other companions struggled to do: to make the ultimate choice about her future, all by herself. In choosing to keep her memories even when facing her ultimate death, Clara became more like the Doctor than even the Doctor was in the final series 9 episode, “Hell Bent.” I can’t say that Clara was empowered throughout her time on Doctor Who, but this one last act of agency was enough to redeem her and to place her at the top of the female companion list.

I salute you, Clara Oswald, for ending your time on Doctor Who the same way you began: your way. To commemorate our beloved Clara and to help imagine just where she may be traveling in her own TARDIS-shaped-like-a-diner, I’m sharing my favorite Clara episodes:

The Snowmen

This fun period piece introduces you to Clara Oswald version #2 and features vicious live snowmen. A holiday classic.

The Name of the Doctor

Ignore the fact that Clara states, “I was born to save the Doctor.” She was certainly born for more than that. However, this is the episode where she once again takes control of her past, present, and future by jumping into raw time itself to save the Doctor.

Face the Raven

“Let Me Be Brave.” And Clara truly was.

Hell Bent

As I said, this might be my favorite ending to a companion. Pulled out of time in her last moments of death, Clara is faced with a manic Doctor willing to break time itself to save her. Before he can erase her memories, enabling him to hide her away in some distant corner of the Universe where she will live on and be “safe,” Clara takes her life into her own hands and reclaims it.

Run you clever girl, and be Clara.

Shan

 

Adele is back!

As fans of the U.K. living in the States, we are used to waiting. We wait a little bit longer for Sherlock, Downton Abbey, and even for some of our favorite new artists. However, we shared the world’s pain after LOVING Adele‘s album, 21, only to wait 4 LONG, PAINFUL years for another album. How did we know how to love? How to feel without Adele’s soulful voice to tell us? Somehow, we survived and the wait really was worth it.

After only 5 short weeks on the Billboard charts, Adele has held the #1 spot, selling 7.13 million copies of her much anticipated album, 25. It can be daunting when you first are listening to a new album – which sounds should I listen to first? What will capture all the emotion I’ve felt over the last 4 years without Adele?

Don’t fret, dear friends. We have been listening to 25 on repeat for the last month and want to share some of our favorite songs from the biggest album of 2015. Prepare to feel again…

Rae’s picks:

Adele was really popular when I lived in England in 2009, and I fell in love with her beautiful, raw voice and powerful songs. I’ve listened to 21 more times than I could ever count and I’m thrilled that our girl Adele is back with 25. Here are some of my favorite songs from the album:

Send My Love (To Your New Lover)

This might be my favorite song from Adele’s new album. The sound is a little different for Adele – it’s so catchy, a song that you would perhaps expect to hear Taylor Swift singing with her crew from the “Bad Blood” video. But Adele’s voice has a natural rasp that adds so much to this song. It’s also not your typical breakup song – instead of crying over the guy or getting mad at his new girl, Adele sings of being “set free” and asking her ex to treat his new lover better.

Million Years Ago

THIS IS MY GIRL ADELE, 100% ON POINT. Million Years Ago is stripped-down and raw, influenced by the Spanish flamenco style of music. I can just picture Adele belting this out in a courtyard somewhere with a flowing red dress and flowers in her hair. This is a song of yearning and heartache – if you ever need a good cry, blast this and get all of your emotions out.

River Lea

“River Lea” is an example of an excellent Adele power ballad. This song just gets me, too – sometimes it’s hard to move on, even when you know it’s best for you. I also love how Adele uses the example of a real river to metaphorically talk about love (“it’s in my roots, it’s in my veins”).

Shan’s Picks

Per the usual, I fell in love with Adele before she hit global stardom, back to the days when she was just 19 and her music was only playing on radios in the U.K. I even had her song, “Chasing Pavements” on my music playlist when I first visited England in the summer of 2009. While all of these new songs speak to me, I do happen to have a few favorites from 25: 

When We Were Young

I especially love this live version of “When We Were Young.” I appreciate the lost youth theme of this album, as I am about to turn 27 (just like Adele!), I feel those early 20’s fading away and am not sure I’m ready for my looming 30’s. This song will make you ache for those youthful times when things seemed just a little bit easier.

Water Under the Bridge

The plunky guitar beat and background clapping makes this a more playful tune. As one of the more upbeat songs on the album, it instantly makes me smile, even if it is about ending a relationship.

All I Ask

This song is most reminiscent of the 21 era. Beautifully sung, it is one of those that you can’t help but curl up and cry to every time you hear it. Her heartbreak is palpable. You can see her perform this little gem on her NBC special, which premiered this December.

We can’t ever find someone like you, Adele. You are the singer of our generation and we salute you.

Happy year of Adele,
Shan & Rae

 

Girl Power!: The Best Female Brit Lit in 2015

2015 was a great year for books by British authors. There were new novels that captured our hearts, sequels to beloved past stories, and everything in between. The 2015 literary scene was also dominated by women – in fact, on Kobo, an ebook retailer, the top 10 bestselling books of 2015 were all written by women. I am going to outline my top three favorite books written by female British authors this year (and give you a head start on creating your 2016 reading list!). In no particular order:

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

 I can honestly say that The Girl on the Train is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I’m not usually interested in mystery novels but after hearing rave reviews of this book, I decided to get a copy from my local library. I finished the book in 12 hours. The Girl on the Train is one of those books that you LITERALLY cannot put down. Author Paula Hawkins does a fantastic job with creating well-rounded characters, flawlessly weaving the life of protagonist Rachel, an average English women, into a mystery for the ages. The ending was twisted, offering both shock and relief, a feat not easily achieved by a writer. The film version of this book, with an all-star cast of Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Lisa Kudrow, Allison Janey, and Luke Evans, is set to be released on October 7, 2016 – make sure you read the book before you hit the theater!

After You by Jojo Moyes
After You is the sequel to the beloved novel Me Before You. Me Before You told the story of Will
Traynor, a man who seemingly “had it all” before an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, and Louisa Clark, his caretaker. Will and Louisa’s lives intertwined, creating an intricate and emotional story with an unexpected ending. You can read our review of the book here. Jojo Moyes returns to the world of Louisa and Will in After You, giving readers the rare opportunity to see what happens after the story seemingly ends. Raw, emotional, and beautifully written, Moyes tackles the very real issues of love, loss, and redemption through her unique writing style. Me Before You will be released as a film on March 4, 2016 and stars Sam Claflin, Emilia Clarke, Jenna Coleman, and Neville Longbottom himself, Matthew Lewis.

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy is a companion to Rachel Joyce’s wildly popular The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. What makes these two books so interesting is the fact that they are not prequel and sequel, but rather happen in the same space of time. Harold Fry tells the tale of a retiree named Harold who travels across England by foot to visit a co-worker (Queenie Hennessy) who has cancer. Along the way, we learn more about Harold’s past, including the secrets surrounding his mysterious family life and his relationship to Queenie. However, it’s not until Queenie Hennessy, written from Queenie’s perspective, that we learn about her life and connections to Harold’s past. I was unsure how I would feel about Queenie Hennessy at first, as many authors have had difficulty in publishing the same story from a different perspective. However, Joyce gives us new characters, new information, and a completely new perspective, offering an entirely different story built from a familiar tale. There are no talks of a film adaption yet, but I have to believe that a story this good will be snatched up soon!

What were your favorite British books of 2015? Leave a comment below or let us know on Twitter!

Happy reading,
Rae

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I’ve followed the musical careers of a number of X Factor U.K. stars, but have never been able to enjoy their journey through the show…until just a few weeks ago! I stumbled upon the TV channel, axsTV, and found that they play the latest episodes only a few days after they originally air in the U.K.! I’m completely engrossed in this season and have sorely missed the curmudgeon-y Simon Cowell.

I am certainly emotionally invested in the show (I will be DEVASTATED if Ché doesn’t win the whole thing). However, even those who didn’t win have made it big, sometimes bigger than the winners, after the show concluded. In honor of this weekend’s finale,  this post features a few of my favorite singers who got their start on the X Factor.

Ella Henderson

Ella appeared on the X Factor in 2012 at the tender age of 16 and blew the judges away with her rich, soulful voice. She launched her solo career in 2014 with the album, Chapter One, and has become an international star in her own right.

Sounds like: Adele meets Emeli Sande

Mirror Man

One of her sassier songs, this has a wonderful blues sound and is a nice tell-off song.

Yours

I love this raw, emotional side of Ella.

Olly Murs

Olly was the runner up on the 2009 series and is now a co-host this year. Known for his playful, upbeat pop stylings, he has had some fun collaborations and catchy albums over the years.

Sounds like: Maroon 5 meets Ed Sheeran

Up

My favorite Olly Murs song is off his 2014 album, Never Been Better, and is this soaring breakup/makeup song featuring Demi Lovato. 

Rebecca Ferguson

Runner up on the 2010 series, blues singer, Rebecca Ferguson has a raw, raspy voice and soulful style. Her 2015 album, Lady Sings the Blues, is a fantastic re-envisioning of Billie Holliday classics. Check out the lead single:

Sounds like: Amy Winehouse meets Duffy

I Hope

I can already see a number of this season’s contestants making it big after the finale!

Shan

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The suspense is killing me. Who will take the title in this year’s X Factor? Get to know the finalists before tuning into axsTV on Sunday, December 13 (and do your best to avoid Twitter until the results show on Monday, December 14). I have to admit, this is not going to be an unbiased post. I certainly have my favorites.

1. Louisa Johnson

I have to admit it, Louisa has one of the most phenomenal voices I’ve heard in a long time. The steady performer is the youngest in the competition at only 17 years-old and belts out covers like they were made for her. Her powerhouse vocals have kept her out of the bottom two for the entire season and she continues to gain standing ovations for her flawless sets. Take a look at last week’s phenomenal cover of James Brown’s “Man’s World” and tell me she doesn’t have champion written all over her:

2. Ché Chestermann

While I do feel that Louisa is going to win it all, my heart is with Ché. He has a unique voice and a clear vision for his musical style. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy his debut album – even without listening to a single song in advance. He has a rawness about him that reminds me of Amy Winehouse. He may have had a few ups and downs this season, but I would LOVE it if this underdog took the crown. Here is his rendition of “Yesterday” that brought me to tears:

3. Reggie ‘n’ Bollie

This lovable duo may not have the vocal chops of the other two performers, but they do have charisma and are fun performers to watch. They really seem like nice guys, but their yelling, party style (without much harmonizing or real singing) makes it hard for me to truly enjoy their songs.  I was heartbroken when they took a top 3 spot that really should’ve gone to the amazing Lauren Murray. Take a look at their latest performance and maybe you can give me some insight into what I’m missing:

What do you think? Who is the next X Factor star?

Shan

U.K. Workout Playlist: Little Mix

Ever since I wrote our first blog post, “The Saturdays: the U.K. Girl Group Your Workout Playlist Needs“, I realized that my most heart-pounding, get up and move workout playlists feature U.K.-based artists. In an effort to share some of my other gym favorites, I’d like to introduce you to another U.K. girl group with mad vocals and contagious pop beats: Little Mix.

When I first discovered Little Mix, the first group winner of the U.K.’s The X Factor, their album had just debuted in the U.K. but was not yet out in the States. I waited a whole year before their debut, “DNA”, hit U.S. iTunes. Today, they are an international pop group known for their playful lyrics and girl power attitude.

Here is a comprehensive list of my favorite Little Mix songs (that are perfect for your next workout) including brand new tracks from their just released 3rd studio album, Get Weird. 

From the album DNA (2012)

• “DNA“ 

I first discovered this song on YouTube and was instantly hooked. One of their more traditional pop songs, it makes me want to dance every time I hear it.

•  “Madhouse“

We all feel a little crazy some days and I love a song with a beat (and lyrics) that are telling you to run (literally and figuratively).

Lyric sampling: “Running from the madhouse\ they won’t take me back,\ you got the medicine to give me what I need!”

From the album Salute (2013)

• “Move“

This was a new sound for them, pairing heavy drums with a partial rap style. Again, I love a song that makes my workout easy: if Little Mix tells me to “Move” then I must move.

• “Salute“

Another example of their girl power attitude paired with heavy beats moving along to an army-march style song.

From the album, Get Weird (2015)

• “Love Me Like You Do”

This playful tune from their newest album has a fun ’80s vibe – very different from their previous music.

Happy Workout!

Shan