"Through them I have come to know your great England, and to know her is to love her. I long to go through the crowded streets of your mighty London, to be in the midst of the whirl and rush of humanity, to share its life, its change, its death, and all that makes it what it is."
- Count Dracula, Dracula by Bram Stoker
Thursday, 2 July 2015
Tuesday, 12 May 2015
To Be Read in May...
I have set myself a relatively small amount of books to read this month, considering I have hardly any time to read anymore (what do you mean no time to read? There's always time to read Well, that may be true, but I find it hard to find a spare moment, and when I do I rarely have a book with me).
This month my TBR consists of namely reading for my course at university, but I'm So far they're all quite good. As for the two books I'm reading for my own amusement, one of which I've been reading since February I think, I'm looking forward to getting into those (and finishing the both of them, hopfeully).
My reading list consists of:
- The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula LeGuin
- Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
- Oranges are not the only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson
- This Shattered World - Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
- Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
Have you read any of these books? What are your thoughts? What's on your TBR list this month? Let me know in the comments below!
I know I've said this before, but I really love your feedback and opinions, and I love suggestions. If you've got anything you think I should read, or you just want to talk to me about books, reading, or writing in general, you can find me on twitter, tumblr or instagram.
Enjoy your lit this month!!
-Emy xx
Sunday, 5 April 2015
Quote of the Day...
“When you're in the middle of a story, it isn't a story at all but rather a
confusion, a dark roaring, a blindness, a wreckage of shattered glass and
splintered wood, like a house in a whirlwind or else a boat crushed by the
icebergs or swept over the rapids, and all aboard are powerless to stop it. It's
only afterwards that it becomes anything like a story at all, when you're telling
it to yourself or someone else.”
Narrator, The Stories We Tell.
Narrator, The Stories We Tell.
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Quote of the Day...
"Angel?" I said. "Baby penguins eat a regurgitated mixture of partially digest fish, krill, and an oily substance from their father's stomachs. Are you willing to eat a bunch of raw fish and krill, then barf it back up into a baby penguin's cute cheeping mouth? Like, every hour?"
~ Max, Maximum Ride.
~ Max, Maximum Ride.
Thursday, 19 March 2015
Current Reads
So I've been pretty much MIA for a while, when it come to this blog, due to starting university and a few little meltdowns, but I can tell you this:
So far, university is actually really great. Most of my classes require a whole lot of reading, and I spend a lot of time travelling, so whatever tome I'm not doing homework (6 hours per elective is insane, can I just let you all know?) I spend either reading or sleeping (mainly sleeping), which means I don't have a whole lot of time to update.
I will, however, try my hardest to update as frequently as possible, because if there's one thing I love, it's sharing my thoughts.
As it stands, I am currently reading two very amazing books from completely different genres: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, and This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.
Heart of Darkness, from what I've read at this point, is proving to be a rather illuminating expression of thoughts. It more or less delves straight into an interesting experience -through the character of Marlow- of the colonization of South Africa, and doesn't even assume to hide the racism or imperialism of the times.
In any case, it's a fantastic read so far, and I'm not disappointed. It's interesting, and even though I may have to write an assignment on it later, I'm finding it less challenging than I expected.
So far, university is actually really great. Most of my classes require a whole lot of reading, and I spend a lot of time travelling, so whatever tome I'm not doing homework (6 hours per elective is insane, can I just let you all know?) I spend either reading or sleeping (mainly sleeping), which means I don't have a whole lot of time to update.
I will, however, try my hardest to update as frequently as possible, because if there's one thing I love, it's sharing my thoughts.
As it stands, I am currently reading two very amazing books from completely different genres: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, and This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.
 |
| "Both interesting and thought provoking..." |
In any case, it's a fantastic read so far, and I'm not disappointed. It's interesting, and even though I may have to write an assignment on it later, I'm finding it less challenging than I expected.
 |
| 'Heart of Darkness', by Joseph Conrad |
The second book I'm reading at the moment (and have been reading for weeks), is a part of The Starbound Trilogy, and so far I am loving it. Though it's taken some time, due to having to re-prioritize my reading list, I've finally managed to get halfway through it, and This Shattered World is just as enthralling as the first in the series. Now, I have a hard time reading sci-fi (I don't often understand it, to be quite frank, which makes it hard to stick with) but as soon as I picked up the first in the series I knew I needed to read more of it. I think I'm also kind of just taking it slow so I can get the third as soon as it comes out and get straight into it without having to wait.
 |
| 'This Shattered World', by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner |
All in all, my current reads are both interesting and thought provoking, and it's good to be enjoying them both so immensely.
What is/are your current read/s? Are you reading anything for the purpose of study? Or maybe you've read one of these two lovely novels? Let me know what you think of them in the comments!
Whelp, I'm off to finish some sociology homework that I may have forgotten about, and an assignment I have due on Monday. Enjoy your weekend, and if you've got any ideas for what I could read next, feel free to drop me a line on Twitter, Instagram or in the comments; I'm always open to suggestions.
Happy Reading!
-Em x
Quote Of The Day...
"They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force - nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others."
-Marlow, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
-Marlow, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
Sunday, 1 February 2015
A Novel Review: Eleanor and Park
Hey Bookworms!
I know it's been sluggish to update, but I've finally finished reading my novel of the week (although, it did take me two weeks, because of reasons). So grab a cup of tea, sit back, and enjoy the thrilling recount of what my impression of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with this piece of literary genius, Eleanor and Park is a young adult fiction novel which follows the experiences of two teenagers, a girl (Eleanor) and a boy (Park), as they meet and slowly fall in love.
Of course, it's never that simple, and there are many challenges the pair must face, but it's an incredible heart-warming journey (even if it doesn't have a conventional happily ever after).
So, with the basics out of the way, let's move on to my thoughts, and what this novel meant to me.
To be honest, this book didn't speak to me like some of my other favourites, but it was still a really fun and interesting read. It had been suggested to me by multiple people who all held it in high regard, and I was really excited to get my hands on a copy, but I think this excitement and the regard of others lead me to have extremely high expectations, rather than being able to read it and enjoy it for what I myself believed it to be.
So, all in all, while it was still a fantastic piece of literary work, for me it was a little too slow paced and somewhat compared to what I was expecting.
Another reason I may have been underwhelmed by the novel is that, within the first few chapters, I was reminded not only of several books I has to read for school purposes, but also of my own ill experiences at the entertainment of my peers.
So, that was less impartial on my part.
I did, however, enjoy the last several chapters or so, as there was just so much happening and I was probably in a much better mindset for that side of things - rather than the slow build romance of the teens, and their various differences.
So, as it did take me two weeks to complete (and a further few weeks to review), I can't say that it was the greatest book I've ever read, but it really was something special, and to me that's still very important.
I will definitely be reading this particular gem again, because it really is a fantastic piece of fiction, even if I wasn't in the right mind to enjoy it the first time.
Have you ever fallen in love? What is your opinion about 'young love'? Can it withstand the test of time? Let me know in the comments what you think!
I have to apologize again for how long this took me to update, but I've been without a computer and a lot of the time my internet is a little shady. Next review shouldn't be too long, though, as I've finally got a new laptop and a bucket load of inspiration.
Enjoy going back to work and school, for those of you who do. I'll continue to sit here drinking tea and reading whatever comes into my hands next.
-Em xx
I know it's been sluggish to update, but I've finally finished reading my novel of the week (although, it did take me two weeks, because of reasons). So grab a cup of tea, sit back, and enjoy the thrilling recount of what my impression of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with this piece of literary genius, Eleanor and Park is a young adult fiction novel which follows the experiences of two teenagers, a girl (Eleanor) and a boy (Park), as they meet and slowly fall in love.
Of course, it's never that simple, and there are many challenges the pair must face, but it's an incredible heart-warming journey (even if it doesn't have a conventional happily ever after).
So, with the basics out of the way, let's move on to my thoughts, and what this novel meant to me.
To be honest, this book didn't speak to me like some of my other favourites, but it was still a really fun and interesting read. It had been suggested to me by multiple people who all held it in high regard, and I was really excited to get my hands on a copy, but I think this excitement and the regard of others lead me to have extremely high expectations, rather than being able to read it and enjoy it for what I myself believed it to be.
So, all in all, while it was still a fantastic piece of literary work, for me it was a little too slow paced and somewhat compared to what I was expecting.
Another reason I may have been underwhelmed by the novel is that, within the first few chapters, I was reminded not only of several books I has to read for school purposes, but also of my own ill experiences at the entertainment of my peers.
So, that was less impartial on my part.
I did, however, enjoy the last several chapters or so, as there was just so much happening and I was probably in a much better mindset for that side of things - rather than the slow build romance of the teens, and their various differences.
So, as it did take me two weeks to complete (and a further few weeks to review), I can't say that it was the greatest book I've ever read, but it really was something special, and to me that's still very important.
I will definitely be reading this particular gem again, because it really is a fantastic piece of fiction, even if I wasn't in the right mind to enjoy it the first time.
Have you ever fallen in love? What is your opinion about 'young love'? Can it withstand the test of time? Let me know in the comments what you think!
I have to apologize again for how long this took me to update, but I've been without a computer and a lot of the time my internet is a little shady. Next review shouldn't be too long, though, as I've finally got a new laptop and a bucket load of inspiration.
Enjoy going back to work and school, for those of you who do. I'll continue to sit here drinking tea and reading whatever comes into my hands next.
-Em xx
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Quote of the Day...
“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”
| — | Ray Bradbury (via realizes) |
Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Quote of the day...
“After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,
And you learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn…
That even sunshine burns if you get too much.
So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure…
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth…
And you learn and learn…
With every good-bye you learn.”
Jorge Luis Borges, “You Learn” (via styleshire)
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Quote of the day...
“My rule has been, so far as I could have any rule (I could have no cast-iron rule) – my rule has been, to write what I have to say the best way I can – then lay it aside – taking it up again after some time and reading it afresh – the mind new to it. If there’s no jar in the new reading, well and good – that’s sufficient for me.”
-Walt Whitman (via writingquotes)
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Film Adaptions and Fan-Fiction
Have you ever read a novel and been so in love with the concept, or the characters, that you can't help but try to imagine it in your own form; recreate it in a new light, play with the characters or the plot?
Often enough, we don't even realize we're doing it. We create scenario's in our head imagining what might come next, or what could happen if things were different. We add things, and erase things, perhaps even recreating the concept completely in an alternate universe.
Fan-fiction is an example of what happens when an imaginative mind is inspired by another, and gives the reader the opportunity to become the writer. It allows the recreation of a plot-line or character using the blueprints of the original, and is growing more and more popular, with readers both young and old.
Much like fan-fiction, film adaptions (or television adaptions) are a re-imagining of the novel, as seen through the eyes of the producer, director, script writer, and even the actors cast to interpret the beloved fictional (or non-fictional) characters.
Film adaptions are just fan-fiction on a much larger -more expensive- scale.
Take Peter Jackson's exploration of The Hobbit, for example.
Like with many film adaptions, The Hobbit was riddled with small -and in some cases large- differences when compared to the children's book by J.R.R Tolkien. Dialogue was added or scrapped, changed or contextualized in a manner different to the original storytelling, to engage the audience. Plot-lines non-existent in the novel were introduced to create a more riveting cinematic experience, and the film grew in length from the size of one small book to three feature length adventures.
Or, for instance, we could also review Steven Moffat and BBC's remastering of the classic detective series, Sherlock Holmes. Moffat bring new life to the classic through a modern retelling or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery masterpiece. Sherlock is a 'modern au', whereby the characters and the basic concept is the same, only it is set in the modern day, allowing a more personalized and relatable experience.
So why is it that this form of creative invention (or, plagiarism, but who's really going to call it that?) more accepted and appreciated than the more taboo concept of 'fan-fiction'?
Fan-fiction is just as relevant, and in many ways could match -or even surpass- the original concept (remember 50 Shades of Grey, anyone?).
Of course, I could always mention parody films, but then I'd be here all night.
So I guess what I'm trying to say with this post is that fan-fiction is a great way for writers to explore concepts and characters, while also expressing their admiration and support of the original work, just as film adaptions do exactly the same thing.
Though, while film adaptions leave a little less to the imagination, much like fan-art, fan-fiction allows the reader to keep exploring the same concept and characters they fell in love with, only from a new perspective.
Sometimes it's good to appreciate the talented writers who find more enjoyment playing with someone else's concepts and characters. We find enjoyment in film adaptions, and the only real difference is cost and reward.
What's your favorite film adaption? How about fan-fiction? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Keep reading -and watching!
-Em xx
Often enough, we don't even realize we're doing it. We create scenario's in our head imagining what might come next, or what could happen if things were different. We add things, and erase things, perhaps even recreating the concept completely in an alternate universe.
Fan-fiction is an example of what happens when an imaginative mind is inspired by another, and gives the reader the opportunity to become the writer. It allows the recreation of a plot-line or character using the blueprints of the original, and is growing more and more popular, with readers both young and old.
Much like fan-fiction, film adaptions (or television adaptions) are a re-imagining of the novel, as seen through the eyes of the producer, director, script writer, and even the actors cast to interpret the beloved fictional (or non-fictional) characters.
Film adaptions are just fan-fiction on a much larger -more expensive- scale.
Take Peter Jackson's exploration of The Hobbit, for example.
Like with many film adaptions, The Hobbit was riddled with small -and in some cases large- differences when compared to the children's book by J.R.R Tolkien. Dialogue was added or scrapped, changed or contextualized in a manner different to the original storytelling, to engage the audience. Plot-lines non-existent in the novel were introduced to create a more riveting cinematic experience, and the film grew in length from the size of one small book to three feature length adventures.
Or, for instance, we could also review Steven Moffat and BBC's remastering of the classic detective series, Sherlock Holmes. Moffat bring new life to the classic through a modern retelling or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery masterpiece. Sherlock is a 'modern au', whereby the characters and the basic concept is the same, only it is set in the modern day, allowing a more personalized and relatable experience.
So why is it that this form of creative invention (or, plagiarism, but who's really going to call it that?) more accepted and appreciated than the more taboo concept of 'fan-fiction'?
Fan-fiction is just as relevant, and in many ways could match -or even surpass- the original concept (remember 50 Shades of Grey, anyone?).
Of course, I could always mention parody films, but then I'd be here all night.
So I guess what I'm trying to say with this post is that fan-fiction is a great way for writers to explore concepts and characters, while also expressing their admiration and support of the original work, just as film adaptions do exactly the same thing.
Though, while film adaptions leave a little less to the imagination, much like fan-art, fan-fiction allows the reader to keep exploring the same concept and characters they fell in love with, only from a new perspective.
Sometimes it's good to appreciate the talented writers who find more enjoyment playing with someone else's concepts and characters. We find enjoyment in film adaptions, and the only real difference is cost and reward.
What's your favorite film adaption? How about fan-fiction? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Keep reading -and watching!
-Em xx
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
Quote of the day...
"She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something."
Monday, 5 January 2015
Quote of the Day...
“Writers of novels live in a strange world where what’s made up is as important as what’s real.”
- Sara Sheridan (via writingquotes)
- Sara Sheridan (via writingquotes)
Sunday, 4 January 2015
Op-shopping Adventures and Literary Rescue
Some days I find myself wandering down to the local op-shops (thrift shop?) in search of something new, and I've often found some really affordable -and interesting- books in this way. Whenever I do purchase second hand books, I feel as though I'm rescuing them; giving them a second chance where they may have been dismissed, given up for something else, perhaps. Giving old books a new home is extremely satisfying, for me.
It's a hobby of mine, really. Even if I don't really have the room for it...
What's the best thing you've picked up from an op-shopping adventure? A tale of love and woe? Or maybe an antique record player, a real piece of history. Whatever it is, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!
Come talk to me, I promise I don't bite.
-Em xx
Saturday, 3 January 2015
Thursday, 1 January 2015
Love, Anxiety, and Girl Online
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
How did you celebrate the end of 2014/beginning of 2015? Was there food? Fireworks? Friends and family?
I myself wasn't lucky enough to participate in any such event or 'celebration', if you will, but I can't say I'm all to disappointed by how I spent my evening/morning.
I spent my night finishing the last several chapters of Zoe Sugg's debut novel, Girl Online.
Girl Online follows the life (and embarrassment) of a sixteen-year-old UK blogger by the name of Penny Porter (A.K.A. Girl Online), and her incredible and romantic adventure in New York over Christmas and the New Year.
It was an easy book to fall in love with, as both the layout and the plot of the novel are fabulous. The text size is easily readable and not migraine inducing, as I have found with smaller font sizes. The chapters are short and perfect for reading before work, during lunch-breaks, or before bed without having to worry about leaving halfway through a chapter (which is always super annoying). I'm in love with the cover art, as it's both simple and aesthetically pleasing, which is always a nice addition to any bookshelf.
It's easy to fall in love with the characters in this novel, and to feel inspired by their different experiences and personalities. Penny, especially, inspires a sense of understanding, and is generally a very relatable character. As somebody who once suffered from panic attacks, and now has friends who suffer similar, if not the same, anxieties, I find Penny's story to be quite relevant and even helpful in the case of dealing with the fears and stress anxiety causes.
On that note, of course, I'd like to just give a general trigger warning for Girl Online, because there are mentions of panic attacks and even brief descriptions of the experience (as well as various ways to help with calming down after or during an attack). I know for a fact that this kind of mention is a trigger for some, and so just a warning if you do choose to read and you're affected by the mention of panic attacks then you may want to proceed with caution. It's a truly inspiring journey through anxiety, facing fears, and falling in love, so even though there are a few triggers throughout, as well as a generous serve of secondhand embarrassment, Girl Online is ultimately a very helpful and fun novel to read.
As always, of course, this work of fiction would not be at all possible without the lovely author, Zoe Sugg, a.k.a Zoella (popular YouTube personality and Beauty blogger). A four year work in progress, Girl Online is a fun-romantic-exciting-dramatic work and was a pleasure to read, and I sincerely suggest it for readers who also liked The Fault in our Stars (John Green) or Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell).
I hope 2015 brings you some kind of happiness, and that you stick to at least one of your New Years Resolutions.
Keep Reading!
Girl Online, Going Offline xx
[ See what I did there? You'll get it if you read the book ;) ]
-Em xx
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