Discussions

Something Needs to Change: A Feminist Rant

07:30


I am sick of YA books ignoring feminism. I am sick of YA female protagonists having so much internalised misogyny that it is teaching other girls to be that way. I am sick of the ‘hot abusive bad boy’ trope. I am sick of YA love interests controlling their girlfriends, and teaching younger audiences that this is acceptable, and even something to aspire too! I am sick of sexism being ignored and overlooked, or sometimes even praised. I am sick of anti-feminist YA and I demand change.
I recently read What’s A Girl Gotta Do? By Holly Bourne; it has changed my life, and made me realise just how much books - and the world - need to change. In the book, Lottie sets out to call out every piece of sexism she sees, and it was just so inspirational. We follow her struggles through it - because what she did would have pretty tough! - and it empowered and uplifted me so much that I want to change things. And this starts with YA books.
YA books are pretty progressive in their ideas about social justice. There’s books about race, class, feminism, gender, mental health that I don’t think you would find in any other genre, and I think this is a great thing! It’s one of the reasons why I love YA books so much. Obviously, they are targeted towards teenagers, and what better way to start to change the world than with the next generation? YA readers are often very open minded, so making books more feminist would teach people just how important the political movement is.
It’s pretty hard being a feminist - pretty much everything we do is over-analysed and criticized (which in itself is pretty sexist!). Everyone who added to #IAmAFeminist a few weeks ago got hate and people trolling them, just for sharing their opinion. It’s clear that either people don’t know the true meaning of feminism, or just plainly dislike women (I think it’s a bit of both!).
In addition to this, I point you towards a recent interview with Sarah Jessica Parker. In this, she said that she wasn’t a feminist because she believed that all genders should be equal. (Personally I believe people like this aren’t the biggest problem - we’re all fighting for the same cause, and while their ignorance does annoy me, I think we should be focusing on bigger problems, like FGM and rape culture, as well as actually doing things about it). But I think this shows that she needs to be educated, because I’m sure she isn’t the only one who feels like this. (You can see the interview here). Kim Kardashian has also recently said she isn’t a feminist (which you can see here).

I am so angry because so many books just ignore feminism, even if the authors claim to be feminists. I believe (as controversial as this may be!) that just calling yourself a feminist isn’t enough - ask most women and they will tell you they’re a feminist (I hope!). (Obviously, it’s better to identify as a feminist than not, but I still don’t think it’s enough). I think that to make change, we need to use our voices and not be silenced, and authors can do this through their books.

It doesn’t have to be specifically discussing the feminist movement. I think that just talking about feminist ideas is super helpful and will really go a long way to enlightening people! If all authors chipped in, it would change the world! For example, in Trouble by Non Pratt (yes, yes, I can’t write a discussion without mentioning this book!), feminism isn’t outright discussed, but Hannah talks about how her being ‘easy’ doesn’t denote her self worth. She is proud of who she is! I love the way it talks about slut shaming and misogyny during sex, and it changed the way I thought about feminism slightly. I know it will do the same for so many other people who read it too!
YA books need to show that no always means no. There’s so many romance books (especially in the paranormal genre) where the girl is telling the guy she doesn’t want to kiss/have sex with him, but he keeps persisting, sometimes even to the point of physically grabbing her. The girl finds this hot and irresistible, and it’s so wrong - we should not be teaching people that assault is attractive. This is so toxic and is just adding to rape culture! So many books are guilty of this - Hush Hush, Obsidian, A Court of Mist and Fury, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, and Shatter Me are just some examples.

Something needs to be done, and awareness needs to be spread. I believe feminism is essential for everyone, and the time when the whole world becomes feminist is when sexism might finally be destroyed, and the patriarchy might be taken down. Awareness will help the movement so much and if authors are able to help spread it, they would be doing so much for the feminist movement. Everyone might be able to be made aware, and it would create a generation of feminists!
That’s why What’s A Girl Gotta Do? is so important. It’s empowering, and really inspired me to follow in Lottie’s footsteps to call out sexism! I think I’m already quite aware of modern everyday sexism, so my experiences of the book will be different - for me, it inspired me to do what Lottie did, and I could really relate to her experiences. For others, it will ‘enlighten’ on how much sexism there is everyday, and inspire them to do further research on the feminist campaign. It’s such an important book, and I really hope Holly Bourne inspires authors to do what she’s done so fantastically well.

If you want to do more reading on feminism, I would recommend:
Fiction:
  • All the Rage (tw rape)
  • Asking For It (tw rape) and Only Ever Yours
  • Trouble
  • Spinster Trilogy (Am I Normal Yet?, How Hard Can Love Be?, What’s A Girl Gotta Do?)
  • Needlework (I haven’t read this one yet, but I own it, and it’s meant to be amazing!)
  • An Ember in the Ashes (this is fantasy and doesn’t really talk about feminism, but I loved the ideas of gender and women and thought it was so feminist)
Non fiction:
  • I Call Myself A Feminist (I would recommend this if you are looking for more reasons to be a feminist or a recently one - I rated it not too highly because I found the ideas to not be too progressive, but I think that was just me, because I think I’ve become a lot more used to it, and maybe even a little desensitized with the environment I’ve grown up in and the liberal circles I tend to be more active in)
  • Bad Feminist (more on intersectional feminism, and feminism and race)
  • Everyday Sexism and Girl Up (I haven’t read these yet but I really want to, and they’ve been recommended to me so many times!)
  • We Should All Be Feminists

Discussions

Series I Haven't Finished

08:00


One of my absolute worst reading traits is starting series, yet never finishing them. I know I do this so often, and it’s so frustrating! Usually it takes me so long to get to the sequel that I can barely remember what has happened in the first. Recaptians is a life saver! Here are just some of the series that I’ve started, enjoyed, yet haven’t finished, but will one day!
Slated
I always feel really guilty when I think about this book, because sometimes I kind of forget I’ve actually read it! It’s so bad, I know, especially when I really enjoyed the book. I actually have no recollection of writing my review for it either - I only know I have because it’s published! This is pretty ironic, because the main character has her memory slated... (At least I can remember that, haha). I really want to read the rest of the series because I find Teri Terry’s writing so comforting, however the covers for the series are pretty ugly and they’re expensive on Kindle. One day I will come back to this series, I promise!

The Raven Cycle
This one isn’t too bad, because I only read The Dream Thieves in March, and I plan on reading the rest of the series really soon. I’m going to an evening with Maggie Stiefvater at the start of August (I’ll have to learn how to pronounce her name by then!), which I’m super excited about, however, she’s discussing The Raven King. I’ve not read that, or Blue Lily, Lily Blue, yet, so they will be one of my next reads. However, it seems like pretty much everyone has read this series, so I need to quickly catch up with the hype!
Enclave
By far the most shameful book on this list is the Enclave trilogy by Ann Aguirre. I read the first book in March 2015, and enjoyed it so much. I’ve still not bought the rest of the series, however! It’s awful, I know - every time I go to order books, I almost add this series to my cart, but somehow I’ve just never bought them. They’re super underrated too, which means that it would be cool to read them before they get super popular, so maybe someday...

The Wrath and the Dawn

I really enjoyed The Wrath and the Dawn when I read it on holiday last year, and that ending made me so so desperate to read the sequel. So why haven’t I got to it yet? I honestly don’t know - everyone is saying how much they love it, and the cover is stunningly beautiful too. My only excuse is that it’s not published here in the UK yet, but I got the first on Kindle, so that’s not an excuse either...
A Darker Shade of Magic

This one is pretty shameful too, especially because of how much everyone seems to love this series. I read the first book in May 2015, and whilst I enjoyed it, I found it a little hard to get into. I have the second book in the series, but I’m yet to get to it, because I’m scared I won’t enjoy it! It’s really long, and I haven’t been in the mood to read it. Someone please motivate me to read it!

 Grisha Trilogy
Shadow and Bone was the first book I read in 2016, and I liked it so much that I bought the rest of the series the day after finishing. However, they’ve been sitting on my shelf ever since! I always think about picking them up, but I’ve forgotten lots of what happened in Shadow and Bone, and I don’t think it ended in a cliffhanger, so I’m not desperate to find out what happens next. I’ve also read some spoilers (by accident, of course!) which makes me lose enthusiasm for the series.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has so many unfinished series, right...? This list was only a fraction of the series I've not finished yet, too. It's embarrassing, but one day, I will finish them all!

Which series haven't you finished yet? How come? Which ones should I prioritise from this list?

Discussions

It's okay NOT to read

13:38



Books consume a huge part of my life. This certainly isn’t a bad thing, but for me, sometimes I feel that my life can get too consumed by books, and sometimes I don’t always want that. Being part of the bookish community means people are always talking about how to read more during school time, when you’re tired, when you’ve been in a slump, when you’re with people, when you have a social life... just how to read more in general. And although these tips can be extremely helpful for some, I find them to be counter-productive, and sometimes even damaging. 

 Before I say any more on this topic, I have to admit where I got the inspiration for this post from! I was actually writing a blog post about my tips on how to read more (I know, ironic given the title of this post!), but I could only come up with one piece of advice: read less. After writing about 3 paragraphs just explaining that one piece of advice, I thought I’d justify my opinion in a whole blog post, mainly for myself, but also to try to reassure you that it's okay not to read.

 Everyone reading this post loves books. (If not, seriously, why are you reading my blog? What are you actually here for?). But do we need to read constantly, or at least once a day, to class ourselves as book lovers? I say definitely not. I love books with all of my heart, but even if I don’t pick up a book for a whole week, it doesn’t make me love books any less than someone who reads 3 books a day. I’m not in a reading slump, I’m just doing something else, other than reading. It’s nothing to be upset or ashamed about.

 You don’t need to feel the pressure to read all the time. It can be hard, if you’re talking about books for the majority of your day, but by not reading, you can get ready to be engrossed in a book when you really feel like doing so.

 One of the ways I initially brainstormed for what this post was originally going to be was to force yourself to read, and set page goals. I then completely scrapped that idea. Although if you really just need to get something read, that method can be helpful, I don’t think we should be doing that. I’m a mood reader, so I read what I want, when I want. We shouldn’t be forcing ourselves into reading, because it can take the magic away.

 You don’t have to read all the time to be a valid member of the community. We all love books - there shouldn’t be any competition for who loves books the most. You can take a couple days break from your book for any reason, or no reason at all, and that’s completely okay! Reading doesn’t have to be all consuming, even though sometimes a really good book can be. For me, different books change my reading habits, which is perfectly okay too. I don’t expect to read every book in a few days, and to be completely addicted to it. You shouldn’t go into books expecting to be fully addicted, because it’s just not realistic.

 You are your own person. You don’t need to be like everyone else on Twitter or Instagram. I know it can be toxic or disheartening when your favourite booktubers say they read 20 books a month, but if that’s not you, then you don’t need to aspire to be that way. It’s not about reading all the books - in the case of reading, the quality of the books you read comes over the quantity you read. 

 You don’t need to push yourself to read books you don’t really want to read, or when you don’t feel like reading. I’d much rather read 2 or 3 books I absolutely adored, in a month, than 10 that were just mediocre. I love reading books. For me, that statement means I love to read good books, and I enjoy reading; not that I love reading loads of books, and not that I read lots of books I enjoy. It doesn’t mean you’re any less of a reader.

Discussions

Does the perfect book even exist?

11:15

Does the perfect book actually exist? There’s been many times when I’ve said “this is literally the perfect book for me!” Or “the setting was pure perfection!”, but did I really mean these things when I was saying them, and shouting my meaningless opinions into the void of the internet?


Recently, I was thinking about my favourite books (y’know, just to pass the time... who doesn’t think about their favourite books 24/7?), and it occurred to me that I was never fully satisfied with them, even though I call them my all-time favourites. There was always something that wasn’t quite right, even if it was a very miniscule flaw, and didn’t make much difference to my enjoyment of the book. Sometimes it’s the ending, or at others it can just be one line of dialogue that didn’t sit quite right with me. 


 I know I’m an extremely critical reader and reviewer. When I’m reading a book, I know I’m constantly looking for flaws instead of the positive elements of the book. (Disclaimer: I’m not saying this is the right way to go! Sometimes it doesn’t work for me, and each type of reader is equally valid and a valuable reviewer.) I think this means that even if I’m reading a book I’m absolutely loving, and that it’s becoming one of my favourites, I can’t just read it and enjoy everything as it is. It’s just in my nature to look for the negative instead of the positive! I can’t help being a pessimist and extremely cynical! (dw I hate this about myself... haha... ha...).

When I was reading my all-time favourite book, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, (I know I bang on about this one all the time but stick with me, I actually have something valid and new *gasp* to say about this book), I initially wasn’t happy with the way it ended. I thought it was too ambiguous, and I just wanted more. I thought it wasn’t long enough, and that we didn’t get enough closure.

 Maybe it’s just in our human nature to be greedy with things we’re really liking. I really didn’t want this book to end, so maybe that’s why I wasn’t originally satisfied. I could read about Leonard forever, so of course, I would be sad whenever the book ended, no matter if it was after 200 or 600 pages. 

But, after thinking about the book and everything that happened in it, I decided I was pleased with how it finished. I first thought the ending was just the easy way out, but I thought about the messages and the impact the ending had, and why it was written the way it was. This made me love the book even more, because I was able to appreciate it, as I was thinking about everything that had happened. It’s still definitely my favourite book ever. 

 I chose this to be my example because as of writing, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is my favourite book. But do I think it’s perfect? No! And do I mind? Of course not! It’s still my favourite book, even if I am wishing for a slightly longer ending.

But is there such thing as a perfect book for someone, even if another reader can’t find their perfect book? As I said before, if I had to choose a ‘perfect book’ for me, I would choose FMLP, even if I didn’t find it completely perfect. However, someone else might have found their perfect book, which is awesome!

 However, some books just get you. We read to feel that we’re not alone, and the books that understand you, that write what you’re feeling, that make the world more bearable, can be the most glorious thing to read, and the most perfect feeling to find. Are these books perfect? There may be some minor flaws, but these sorts of books are so important (and are often my favourites, purely because of this). 

One book that completely made me feel so much less lonely was The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It’s a pretty popular book now, but it’s so special to me, and is one of my all time favourites. When I first read it, it was special to me, but it was only when I was re-reading it at the end of 2015 it hit so close to home. I read it at a time when I really needed it, and the way it comforted me and made me feel couldn’t have been better. I can think of flaws within the plot/characters/writing, but the overall message was perfect.
So is The Perks of Being a Wallflower perfect? No - I don’t think so. But the message and what it did to me was, so can a book be half-perfect? Does a half-perfect book exist? (and is ‘half-perfect’ an oxymoron?); if not I think a half-perfect book totally is real. For me, some elements of this book are perfect, even if - in my opinion - other aspects could be improved. 

Another way you could judge perfection in books is: Has the book achieved its purpose? I personally believe that every book is written for a reason, and that the author wants to make us realise something, learn something, or understand something. I think it must be every author’s dream to hear their book has changed someone! In English class, we’re constantly learning about a book’s message, and how the author wanted us to feel. If a book has changed us in some way, is it perfect?

 I can count on one hand the books that have changed me. None of the books featured in that list were perfect, but if I had to choose books that were perfect, I do think these books would be ones I would choose. I didn’t even give one of them 5 stars! However, they all mean so much to me, and have really helped me. They’re perfect because they’ve made my life better, or me a better person.

I think one thing that we can conclude from this is that no book will be perfect for everyone. It’s literally impossible; one book can’t please everyone! The perfect book may exist, but it won’t be perfect for everyone. Does that mean it’s not perfect anymore? Different people will have different opinions on what makes a book perfect, and if a book can be truly perfect, and that’s okay! I think it is subjective to each different reader. 

 Some readers will find their perfect book, yet others won’t. I haven’t found my perfect book, though I’m pretty sure some people will have done. Jennifer wrote a great post on critical reading and I think she sums it up perfectly; some people are much more critical than others. I’m extremely critical, so I haven’t found mine, but other people have/might have done.
I asked Twitter if they've found their perfect book, and it seems the majority of people (within my circles) have! This is interesting, because as I said before, I haven't. Maybe it depends on how critical a reader someone is, or maybe just down to how well you know your own personal tastes!

What about you: do you think the perfect book exists? If so, have you found your perfect book?

Am I Normal Yet?

Nefarious Tales Blog Tour: Do we actually need villains in books?

07:30

There’s no denying that often, villains can be the most interesting and readable character in a book. Although being sometimes frustrating by getting in the hero’s way, I think a well crafted villain can really make or break a book. Specifically in fantasy, there’s often a bad guy who doesn’t want to help our hero in their journey. But are villains critical for every book?

 A boring villain doesn't emotional impact. If they come across as cold and heartless (for pretty much no specific reason), their mere existence in the book can be pointless. Like, if they just hate the ‘right cause’, there seems to be no point in them, and it gets frustrating. Personally, if I’m not able to resonate with the villain, I can’t hate them or understand them, as they’re just too dull.

 However, this tends to just be in fantasy or sci-fi books. In fantasy especially, the hero has to go on a journey, and the bad guy is standing in their way. In these genres, I think we definitely do need something to hinder them on their journey. If it was easy with no one standing in their, it would make a pretty boring book!

 Could a mental hurdle work too? I haven’t read any books like this, but I’m thinking that the character could have something else that gets in their way - not a specific person or group of people. The hero could have a mental illness which they need to overcome (yay diversity ideas!), which would make a very interesting fantasy novel. Maybe depression could be the villain?

 This is explored a lot more in contemporary novels. Although there can be someone who is getting in the way of the protagonist, mental boundaries are explored a lot more. One of my favourite books exploring these themes is Am I Normal Yet? By Holly Bourne. The protagonist, Evie, is recovering from OCD, and just starting college. Her mental illnesses are great boundaries for her, because she it restricts her and can’t live her life ‘normally’. This book is so important because it’s about overcoming mental struggles. In this book, there is no villain, except her OCD.

 This leads on to saying: instead of a physical villain, could the protagonist be their own villain. There’s the saying “you’re your own worst enemy”, and maybe that could be the case (and in more books than we think) for some books. At some point in their life, everyone suffers from low self esteem, which can be so much worse than any villain from any book.

 So overall, it seems like many fantasy books do have villains, even if they’re not necessarily needed. I think maybe we do need some sort of bad thing/person the protagonist has to overcome, but it doesn’t have to be a physical person, even though that’s what it tends to be. It would make interesting variety for the protagonist to be facing mental demons though! 


To celebrate this blog tour, Mishma is hosting an international giveaway! Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Don't forget to check out all the other stops on the blog tour! Today, you can visit:
Quality Fangirls
Paging Serenity
Chasing Faerytales to check out the other posts on the tour from today!!

Don't forget to join in the twitter chat tonight (7pm EST) about villains too.


Thank you to Mishma for hosting this blog tour! So, it's your turn: do you think we actually need villains in books?

Conversations

Do you Read More of a Particular Diverse Theme?

08:00

Conversations is a brand new, discussion based meme hosted at Corralling Books and Fiddler Blue, which aims to provoke discussion posts on various themes. This month’s theme is Popular Issues, and today’s topic is on reading more of a certain intersection of diverse books.


Are there any particular diverse books you read more and why?

As soon as I saw today’s question, I immediately knew the answer: LGBT+ books. I find all aspects of diversity equally important and interesting, but I find having LGBT+ characters make the book feel loads more original (to me, anyway). Romance features in pretty much every (popular) YA book, so when the romance is different, it sets book apart from the crowd.

I find the dynamics of a gay couple a lot more interesting. Because of the prejudice faced for being queer (and potentially even more for the gender of the characters e.g. a lesbian relationship, or non-binary people), it’s a very different relationship to a heterosexual one. There’s literally an abundance of heterosexual romances, and you can literally find every type of m/f romance - if you’re willing to have a little dig - but that’s certainly not the case for gay romance. Every gay romance is different, so I read more of it because I know it will be completely original, as the dynamics of the relationship changes everything.

However, I find books about POC and different cultures extremely interesting too, and I’m trying to branch out to read more of these. I think I have the least experience in this field (I’m white British, from a town where the majority of people are the same), so I’m learning more about all the other cultures. It’s very interesting to me because I have no idea about all of the customs and traditions, so although I don’t read these books the most, I am trying to!

Are there any diverse books you read more of? What are some recommendations for books with POC and different cultures?

Discussions

Do you change your ratings of books?

08:00

Is it bad to change your original rating of a book? I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely guilty of this. When I come to review a book a couple of months later, my opinions have often changed, so I would change my original rating on Goodreads. This usually happens if it was book I didn’t love, or didn’t feel very strongly about - I know when I love a book!
This happened today (as of writing). I came to write my review of a book that I didn’t love (but didn’t hate either) - I didn’t have very strong opinions on it, so I didn’t think about it at all in the period of time from finishing it, and writing my review. I come to rate it, but I deduct a start from what I originally rated it on Goodreads. Is this bad? *whispers* Especially if it’s an ARC?

 On the one hand, it can be really unfair to the book to lower the rating months after initially reading. If I’d just stopped being so lazy (and written my review when I should have!), it would have been rated higher! It doesn’t seem right to me - I can’t remember the book as much as I could, so I’m not in a position to change my opinion. 

 Though, I have had longer to think about my opinions. I always rate the book almost immediately after finishing (who doesn’t head straight to Goodreads after finishing a book?), so my judgement will always be pretty rash. After having a while to muse over my thoughts, wouldn’t my opinions be more truthful, anyway?

 We’ve got to take the other end of the spectrum into account too. Sometimes I add a star to my original rating! Is that better? After having time to think about the qualities of the book, I often realise more of the good things. My rating is mainly influenced by the ending, so after having time to consider the whole book, I often realise that I enjoyed it more than I thought.





I think the main reason changing ratings is unfair is because I don’t do it for all books. Some I review straight away, and my rating stays the same forever *gasp*, whereas in others it takes me months to finally write a review (let’s just ignore this fact, okay? I’m not a bad blogger, I swear...).

 If I reviewed them all immediately, there wouldn’t be any rating changes, and all my reviews would be exactly how I thought about the book. It would be a lot more of how the book made me feel! If I waited a couple of months to review them all, I think a lot more ratings would be changed. My reviews would be much more balanced too!

 But, I like the balance of reviews on my blog! (Or I like being lazy!) I like the way that some of my reviews are my immediate reactions, and are buzzing with exactly how I felt about the book. The others are more reasonable and logical, and I like that too!

 The thing I need to do to make my ratings fairer is to not rate books straight away, unless I’m completely sure (ie a definite favourite). It’s hard to resist Goodreads though! I think I’ll still be feeling a little guilty (I always do if I rate a book badly) for changing the rating, but I am entitled to my own opinions - that includes changing what I think, too!
Do you ever change your ratings? Do you think it's bad to change the ratings of books after you've read them?

Anna and the French Kiss

Popular Books I Don't Want to Read

07:30

Hype can be a good thing in the book blogging community, or it can be really off-putting for *poor souls* like me, who just don’t want to read some books! It can be scary to not like a book, but something that can be even scarier is outright saying: "I don't want to read this!". So, here are the books I just don’t want to read anymore: **Sorry if I offend you, or your favourite book! These are just my opinions... it doesn't mean they're the right ideas!**

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
There’s been so much love for these books going around recently, it’s been almost impossible for me to hide away from them. It seems like everyone has read them, and everyone has loved them! I’m not a huge fan of retellings as it is, and there’s just something about them is a real turn-off. Not to mention those ugly (!!) covers.

 A few years ago, I attempted to read the first, but I got about 50 pages in and had to put it down. I think I might have enjoyed them if I'd managed to persevere more, but now, they don't appeal to me at all. If a film is made, I might give that a go though!
Love Letters to the Dead
Again, this sounds awfully dull, dreary, and cliched. I honestly don’t think there’s any element of this book that makes me want to read it. I don’t think I would be able to stand the protagonist for a whole book, and the plot sounds practically non existent. I understand that some may find this a “beautiful book”, but a lot of reviews I trust haven’t rated this one highly.
Everything Everything
This will probably be a pretty unpopular opinion because it’s a relatively new release, but this book sounds awful (imo), and I know I would hate it. It’s good that it has the racial diversity and mental illness aspects, but that seems to be where the desirable points end (apart from that cover, ahh it’s so beautiful!). The characters and romance sound like they would irritate me, and my sister DNFed it. I do like the look of the illustrations though!

 Any more Jennifer L. Armentrout books
I read Don’t Look Back in May (review here), and actually quite enjoyed it, but when I read Obsidian in June, I hated it with every inch of my being (review here), which made me vow to never read one of her books again. By reading the synopses of her other books, they seem to be pretty similar, and carry some of the same messages that I hated in Obsidian. She also seems to be pretty much a paranormal/urban fantasy writer, and I’ve gone off those genres a bit, recently!

The Maze Runner series
I tried to read the first one, but I just couldn’t. I thought it was terribly dull, and got about 70 pages in before I just had to DNF. There’s been so much love for these (what with the film and everything!), but I know they just won’t be for me. I know everything that happens anyway (seriously, what’s with all the spoilers floating around?), so I just think: what would be the point in reading them, for me?

The 5th Wave

This just seems way too confusing! I do love sci-fi and aliens, but I think I wouldn’t like the (apparent) switching of POVs. I’m not too keen on reading it now anyway, because the film’s been released, and I wouldn’t be able to imagine the characters the way I want. (Does anyone else get this?). I might have enjoyed it a few years ago, but I don’t want to read the series now.

Anna and the French Kiss (and companion novels) by Stephanie Perkins
I’ve got nothing against this book, except I just don’t think it will be for me. I think the market for cisgendered m/f romances is much oversaturated, so I don't think this will be interesting to me at all. From what I've seen, it seems pretty generic, but I can see how some will love them! I just don't think I will enjoy this series (I might be a little late to the party too!)

 The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
I’ve read the first Harry Potter book, and I didn’t like it. I started reading the second, and I couldn’t get through it. I’ve seen all the films, and I didn’t really like them either. It’s fair to say this world isn’t for me! Harry Potter is probably the most loved series ever, so I do feel a little bad for saying this... though not really! (Unpopular opinion time) I don’t want to read this series, and I wish everyone would stop talking about them, and assuming that everyone loved the series. I know they just aren't for me!

What are the books you don't want to read? Which popular series didn't you enjoy?

Books That Have Changed Me

Books That Have Changed Me

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We all know books have the power to change us, but it's definitely true that some books affect us more than others. I know many books have influenced me, but here are a few that I think have changed me the most:

How to Build a Girl
Although this book wasn’t heartbreakingly beautiful like some of the other books mentioned, I think it has changed me. Before this, I had never (and still haven’t) read a book that’s so outrageously and unapologetically feminist. It gets a little graphic in places, but that’s one of the reasons why I love it so much - it taught me things that no other book has yet been brave enough to explore. It’s changed my feminism, and I think it has changed me as a person too, even if not much!

 The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I first read this book in one sitting back in 2014, and I really enjoyed it, but it didn’t really move me. I revisited it over the new year (I knew there was something completely special about it, that I would benefit much more from now), and it instantly became one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read.

 The thing that struck me the most about this book was the protagonist, Charlie. There was something about him that I know is in myself, and in some ways it hit too close to home for me. The story is told entirely through Charlie’s POV, but because there were elements of Charlie that were me, I utterly lived in the story too. 

 It was so heartbreaking, and only the second book ever to make my cry. I was thinking about it for so long after (I’ve come up with so many analyses and interpretations of the ending!), and I think the poignant messages are with me now. This book has taught me things that I will take away forever.

Divergent
I’ve loved reading ever since I learnt to, but the Divergent series were the ones that introduced me to YA. I got hooked on them, and wanted to continue my addiction onto other books. I gradually discovered the YA genre, and look at me now... I’m addicted! Looking back, they’re far from my favourite series, but they’ve definitely changed me. If I didn’t read them, I don’t know if I’d be here! Hopefully, I would have discovered the YA genre and community another way, but who knows...

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
If I was to be asked to only pick one book to be my favourite, this would be the one I would choose, without a shadow of a doubt. It’s fair to say that I absolutely adore this book with all of my heart. When I first read it, I found it deeply moving, but it didn’t touch me in the way it did the second time round. The character of Leonard struck a chord with me, so it will always be extremely special.

Suicide is an issue that has become very important and poignant to me, so I don’t usually enjoy reading books about depression - recently I have been avoiding them for this reason. But, it is handled so well in here. This has really helped me, and I know will continue to help so many other people. I’m sure this is the book that has changed me the most, because I think I look at the world - and the people around me - differently. It was also the first book ever to make me cry!

What are the books that have changed you? Are there any books that have really impacted on your life?