Review: The Little Prince

 Description:

The Little Prince is a classic of equal appeal to children and adults. On one level it is the story of an airman's discovery in the desert of a mall boy from another planet - the Little Prince of the title - and his stories of intergalactic travel, while on the other hand it is a thought-provoking allegory of the human condition. First published in 1943, the year before the author's death in action, this new translation contains Saint-Exupery's delightful illustrations.

Rating:

9

Review:

The Little Prince has been one of my favourite stories for a long time now. Full of childhood innocence and the consequences of leaving that innocence behind, it is a lovely story of a young prince and his responsibilities -or, if you'd rather, it is a tale of a man stranded in the desert who finds himself enamoured with the innocence of a small boy. The Little Prince speaks of his journeys across the galaxy, and of his dear flower. His meetings with all the pomp and circumstance of the lonely King; the Businessman that owned it all in his numbers; and a whole slew of other characters that both intrigue and frustrate by turns.

The reason I enjoy The Little Prince so much, I think, is because it's written with such care, so as to be easily understood by its younger readers, while holding a deeper meaning for those more mature. An interesting and highly delightful piece of literature.

Quote:

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” 

― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

What's on my Shelves?

Top 5 Kick-ass Female Protagonists (series Edition)

When we read, we sometimes find inspiration in the characters we read about, whether they're good or bad, male or female. This post is dedicated to the female series protagonists that have inspired me the most during my reading career. These ladies are far from ordinary, and have been a source of both entertainment and exhaustion as throughout their various stories. 

            So, without further ado, I would like to introduce to my Top 5 Kickass Female Protagonists!

#5. Katniss Everdeen

Now, some of you might be thinking that the sheer idea of Katniss Everdeen being placed 5^th is absurd, and I somewhat agree with you. While I’m not disputing the fact that she is indeed quite awesome, I’ve actually only read the first of the Hunger Games series, and so can’t make any final decision on her placement as of yet.

Katniss Everdeen, leading lady in the crowd favourite dystopian series The Hunger Games, is considered quite the inspiration to many, and as a female protagonist is extremely likeable. She survives in a society that does more to hinder than to help the people, and is considered a hero in her own rights. It is not surprising that she has such an impact on the audience, as she represents many positive traits, despite her own series of shortcomings and faults.

To me, Katniss represents perseverance, strength, determination, ambition, and sacrifice. She is willing to do what she thinks has to be done for the betterment of those around her, and while she is not always stable (who would be, under those circumstances?) she is still a valuable role model.

#4. Rose Hathaway

Rose Hathaway is the main protagonist in Rochelle Mead’s stellar Vampire series, Vampire Academy, and it a seriously badass one at that. Rose is a dhampir in a school full of others just like herself, as well as the young moroi.

She is taking the 4^th place in my list of kickass ladies because, while she is really very kickass, she is also easily distracted by a certain Gaurdian (*ahem* Dimitri *ahem*). She can be a little careless, at times, and very reckless at others, but that does not make her any less of a badass. Even through her flaws, however, Rose proves to be loyal and strong-willed, often leading her to face challenges and obstacles that help her become who she was meant to be.

#3. Clarissa Fray

            In a world of magic and monsters, shadows and those that hunt them, Clarissa Fray finds out the startling truth of who she really is –or rather, what. She is curious –a trait that is one of the best and worst for a young woman to possess, especially when dealing with demons and treachery– and that curiosity leads her to discover the world of angels and demons, and all the things that go bump in the night.

            Clary, the protagonist of the Mortal Instruments series, by Cassandra Clare, takes 3^rd place due to her curiosity, her determination. She is strong-willed, like Rose, but hers is a quieter sort. She was not raised to be what she is, and she takes to it all without bravado. Rolling with the punches, as it were.

#2. Zoe Redbird

            I am personally quite fond of the odd vampire tale, here or there, but it wasn’t Twilight that solidified my love. That title goes to the House of Night series, by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast, and absolutely wonderful character, Zoe Redbird.

Zoe is thrust into a situation that turns her entire world on its head, but she takes it in her stride. To me, she represents the bonds of friendship and the importance of faith, as she and her circle of friends do what they have to in order to protect one another and serve the Goddess.

            She also represents strength of character, and an intense loyalty, both of which I consider important traits within female role models.

            While it’s been years since I’ve read the series, I can still remember exactly why I became enamoured with it. Zoe isn’t an annoying or frustrating character to follow. Sure, like every protagonist, there are some cringe-worthy moments, and even a face palm or two, but I never wanted to cry in sheer frustration at her exploits. It’s was rather refreshing, to be honest.

#1. Maximum Ride

            As one of my all-time favourite series, Maximum Ride has been one of the most influential books I’ve ever picked up. The series protagonist, Max (a.k.a. Maximum Ride), is such a good point of inspiration to look up to, despite her being a fictional character and her own situation being mildly different from that of reality.

            Max is the leader of a flock (not in a religious sense, but a flock of actual mutant bird-kids), and she does everything within her power to keep them together, and as safe as they can possibly be within their particularly troubling circumstances.

            She is loyal to a fault, and always has a plan (even when she really doesn’t). Max, despite being only a child herself, cares for her flock as best she can, despite being faced with mad scientists (sometimes literally), mutant creatures, and the forces of nature. She is an interesting character, not least of all because of her ability to FLY!

            I felt a connection to Max, being around the same age, and facing my own set of challenges, though very different to hers. In a period where I felt like giving up everything, Maximum Ride gave me a reason to keep going, and to be exactly who I was despite everything. The series is the reason I still keep relatively good reading habits, and I’m incredibly thankful for the confidence and assurance Max and her flock offered me. It was like being a part of the flock myself, and that made the biggest difference for me at the time; it still does now, even!

            There we go, ladies and gentlemen. My top 5 kickass female protagonists. Who’s your #1?

A.N.

Hey there!

So, considering my utter failure last year to keep this updated regularly, I’ve decided that, instead of making promises I probably won’t keep, I’ll instead make a reasonable attempt.

            I’m no longer going to be jumping into this head first, with hardly any idea what it is I’m actually posting (awkward). Instead, I’m going to be pacing myself, drafting a little more beforehand, and being especially mindful while editing. This, of course, means that I may not be posting on a regularly basis, or at most that I would be posting this kind of content on a regular monthly basis.

            I thank you for your patience and support, while I try to sort myself out, and I apologize that it’s taken so long for me to do so (only 20 odd years, I’m sure I’ll figure life out eventually).

            Stay posted!

            Em xx

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.

"Both interesting and thought provoking..."

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.

'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

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

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

Quote of the day...

"She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something." 

- Park, Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell.

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

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

A Good Book is Hard to Find... or is it?

I've often heard it said that a good book is hard to find. Personally, this has always just sounded like an excuse to not read, or not look, for fear of being underwhelmed. In my humble opinion, this is the backwards way of looking at it; it's never hard to find a good book, for no book is inherently good or bad, but rather it is far more difficult to find the right reader.

Just like books come in different genres, people have different tastes. While some enjoy reading of fantasy realms -tales of knights and princesses, of floating palaces and underwater kingdoms, mermaids and pirates and perhaps even an ogre or two- others might prefer a more realistic retelling or adventure -of spies and sabotage, detectives and deadlines.

From Murder and Mystery to Horror or History, each person approaches reading with their own, unique, perspectives; just as every author approaches writing with their own unique set of parameters.
I have often found, in my -admittedly few- years as an avid reader (though I cannot be faulted for my four year old self's inability to read, and I have long since surpassed that unfortunate setback) that finding just the right book for any specific taste relies both on the reader and the author, as the author relies on the reader to read just as much as the reader relies on the author to write. (that may not make sense now, or at all, but it does to me and I'm the one writing so shh).

I myself have more of an eclectic taste, when it come to choosing what I read next, and am guilty of judging a book by it's cover more times than I would personally care to admit. Though it is not the preferred method of finding a book, it has not steered me wrong as of yet (and neither has my tendency to always always read the blurb before making any kind of solid decision). As it so happens, my personal library has benefited from this, and it has been suggested that I make use of the few talents I have to share with the world (or, well, perhaps not that far) my opinions as I go.

As it so happens, with both school Christmas freshly passed, I have added to my collection and now find myself with ample time to enjoy the finer things in life, such as a good cup of tea, beautifully scented candles, a relaxing bubble bath, and a good book.

So, in lieu of anything better to do with my time, this blog is dedicated to books and the endless stories we fall in love with, as well as the appreciation of both the art of writing and of reading, because you can't have one without the other.

Happy Reading,
- Em x