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

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

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