Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts

Tuesday 25 October 2016

5 Spoopy Book-To-Film Adaptations For Halloween

Hello dearest nerdlets! Halloween is coming up (which, if you've spent 5 minutes on social media lately, you've probably noticed,) so I decided to give you a little list of 5 book-to-film adaptations in the Halloween-y spirit!










1. The Crow


The adaptation of James O'Barr's amazing graphic novel is a) violent and b) awesome. Not for kids, this is... rough... but is still, most definitely, worth the watch.

Brandon Lee played the title role of Eric Draven, and, infamously, was sadly killed on set by a freak set of circumstances which resulted in live ammo being used. He was amazing in this film.





Amazon: UK - US







2. Secret Window


This comes from a Stephen King short story/novella-type-thing called Secret Window, Secret Garden, and stars Johnny Depp.

Book nerds will especially love this one (yes guys, I know my audience dammit!) because it follows a writer, and deals with imagination, the power of stories, and characters/plot.

The denouement (fancy words!) is different in the short story - but, to be honest, I love both (but did find it ironic that a plot obsessed with story endings changed the ending of the story.)





Amazon: UK - US







3. Harry Potter (series)


Yes, this counts! There are witches and wizards and sh**!

And not everyone wants things to be too scary on Halloween - so, to them, I give the notion of a Harry Potter marathon. My gift to you. ;)





Amazon: UK - US







4. Interview With The Vampire


My friends, Lestat started my love affair with all things vamp, and to that I will always thank this film (which I saw before I read the book! Shocking! But I actually do that a lot.)

Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt playing two exceptionally sexy vampires - truly, what more could you want?

And yes, the queer aspects of the story are toned down - but there is no denying* the homoeroticism here. (Fans self.)

*although, someone I went to school with did think they were 'just being friendly' - because, y'know, we all stroke our friends' faces lovingly and breathe lustily in their faces every now and then. (Eye rolls.)





Amazon: UK - US








5. Constantine


The Bestie would kill me if this wasn't on the list.

Therefore I give in to the higher power that is my friend's wrath, and give you this comic-book-based tale of hell and damnation. Plus Keanu Reeves. #JobDone.

Oh, and I've actually reviewed this! (I really need to do more bookish film reviews... I just keep forgetting!) You can check out that review here.





Amazon: UK - US








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Saturday 24 September 2016

5 Simple Rules For Reading and Reviewing LGBTQ+ Books

I don't claim to be the expert when it comes to reviewing queer books - far from it.

I'm human, I make mistakes. I may even make mistakes in this post (but I'm damn well gonna try my best not to.)








But, I don't want people to be afraid of reading and reviewing books with LGBTQ+ characters.

So I figured I'd give you some tips which seem common sense, but, as you may have seen this week, clearly need to be spelt out.




So listen up my nerdlets, hopefully this will be helpful (and feel free to correct me if I do make a mistake,):




1. Neither sexuality nor gender are a lifestyle or a preference.


Would you refer to a straight person as having a heterosexual lifestyle? I doubt it.

I know that a lot of the time, referring to LGBTQ+ people as living a certain lifestyle, or having a certain preference, is well-intended.

I may even have done so in the past myself.

Some LGBTQ+ people may not have a problem with it; a lot do.




It gives the wrong impression.

To a lot of LGBTQ+ people, it is offensive. It feeds into the idea that this is something that people could 'choose' not to be - which is just wrong.



It can also give the impression that you find their sexuality too disgusting to even talk about in the open - which is hurtful.

Sexuality is not a lifestyle or a preference. Gender is not a lifestyle or a preference.









I know that what language is acceptable, and what is not, has changed a lot over the course of the 20th, and even 21st, centuries.

(And I will never get elderly relatives to understand that times have changed *face palms.*)

But please understand that a heck of a lot of people do not like it when people refer to their sexuality that way. It's a misconception at best.





2. Sexuality does not require a content warning.


Sexuality is not the same as a sexual act. Sexuality is not in any way explicit or pornographic.

I am sexually fluid - but haven't had sex, with anyone; that doesn't change the fact that I'm sexually fluid (I'm ok with the term queer too, by the by.)

(I know, if a dragon comes I'm going to be the one with my a*s tied to a rock as sacrifice.

But I have too much respect for myself to be with someone who I'm not in love with, and I simply haven't found that person yet. #DealWithIt.)











Likewise, you can be involved in a sexual act which doesn't conform to your sexuality.

See the difference?





So, unless you are planning on putting a warning in for cis-het characters too, please do not put one in for an LGBTQ+ character.

If there are sexual acts in the book, then you can point out that the book is sexually explicit in your review. No problem.

Otherwise, in order to convince me you're not being prejudicial, you're going to have to point out when straight characters kiss or fancy each other. #JustSaying






3. Gender and sexuality are not the same thing.


Yes, they are inter-linked. No, they are not the same. Just remember that. Please.





4. Refusing to allow genuine criticism is not acceptable.




People are allowed to question you. Take their feedback in. Apologise and correct your statement if necessary.

Under no circumstances act like a jerk and become aggressively defensive (yes, that's a thing that happens.)

Do not follow-up legitimate concerns by claiming that they are not legitimate concerns. Do not get personal in your response.





In case you need more, here's an example of a good response to criticism (albeit on a different representation issue):

I pointed out to a blogger that they had called a fictional character weak next to a gif of them literally committing suicide.

Their response was to apologise for the mistake (and I believe it was a genuine mistake,) profusely, and change the wording immediately.

This blogger's grace and acceptance (not to mention their genuine remorse,) actually made me think better of them than I had before.






5. Not all LGBTQ+ people are the same.



So your gay best friend read your review of a book about a gay person, and said it was fine.

Someone else read it, and was offended. But they must be making it up, mustn't they? After all, you got a gay person to look it over, so it must be fine. NOPE. Guess what? People are all different.

I - and a lot of LGBTQ+ people - don't like it when my sexuality is referred to as a lifestyle. There are people who are fine with this. That doesn't mean that no-one can be offended by it.



People's concerns are relevant. Please at least take the time to really think about what they're saying.








Doubtless, there are a million other things I could've said in this post.

But I just wanted to point out a few key things about how to approach LGBTQ+ book reviews.

Mistakes happen. It's how you react to them, it's how you learn and move forward, that matters.





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Saturday 10 September 2016

5 Diversity Myths Debunked

In case you aren't aware, there's been a lot of discussion about diversity in the online bookish community this past week.

Now, the purpose of this post is not to get into the who-said-what's or the intricacies of the (fairly heated) words which were exchanged on all sides.









No, the purpose of this blogpost is to debunk some of the misconceptions about diversity that seem to be floating around.

I figured it was time to set some things straight. (Particularly since the video at the centre of all this seems to have perpetuated a lot of these misconceptions.)





I'd like to point out that it's ok to disagree with what I'm saying. Just don't act like a jerk. (Great motto for life, actually.)










Myth 1 - If I read diversely, I won't be 'allowed' to read books by white, cis-gendered, heterosexual, able-bodied, neuro-typical, authors with no mental health problems.

No-one is telling you to stop reading the books you would normally read. THE POINT IS TO ADD VOICES, NOT TAKE THEM AWAY.

This means you'll get a varied outlook on life, and a chance to look at things from a different perspective.

Think of it this way - if the only song you ever heard was 'row, row, row your boat,' then you'd think it was the only song in existence. There's nothing wrong with 'row, row, row your boat.' But you'd miss out on so many other great songs.

That's what you're doing when you don't read diversely - you're hearing the same song over and over without realising there are other songs out there.













Myth 2 - This is all a conspiracy against white, cis-gendered, heterosexual, neurot-typical, able-bodied people with no mental health problems.

Are you hearing yourself right now?

I know this might be difficult to understand but THIS IS NOT ABOUT WHITE, CIS-GENDERED, HETEROSEXUAL, NEURO-TYPICAL, ABLE-BODIED PEOPLE WITH NO MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS.

IT IS NOT A PERSONAL ATTACK AGAINST YOU.

This is about the other billions of people on this planet (yes, I mean billions - there are over 1 billion Han Chinese people alone.)

How we got to the point where such a specific set of identifying characteristics was deemed the 'norm,' and dominated the global culture, (certainly Western culture,) is really beyond me.

It's about representation for other people. It's about the world not being geared to a 'select' group of people.

Sorry, but it's not about you. It's about everyone else.













Myth 3 - Diverse books aren't of the best quality. That's why they're less popular.

Think about this. It's ok to dislike a particular book, or dislike the way a particular author writes.

But if you can't find quality among any diverse books, then the problem isn't with the authors, it's with you.

The reason non-diverse books (for want of a better phrase,) are more likely to be bestsellers is down to marketing, opportunities, and the fact that biases - conscious or sub-conscious - will mean that people head for what has been established as the 'norm.'

Publishers are more likely to look favourably on white authors. Maybe they don't ask outright what your background is, but there are ways of telling.

An author named Mr Mohammed is more likely to be either a person of colour (PoC,) a Muslim, or both, than an author named Mr Jones. Of course Mr Jones could be a PoC and/or Muslim, and Mr Mohammed could be a white atheist.

But in one snap second, the person reading your manuscript will make a judgement.

And many agents and publishers ask for a biography.

You shouldn't have to hide who you are, but every word you write - from 'I was born in place with a high percentage of PoC...' to 'I and my same-sex spouse or partner live in...' - will form a picture of who you are in the mind of the person reviewing the application.

And people, unfortunately, are biased.















Myth 4 - There are no biases in stories.

Honestly, I would love it if this were true. It's not.

When the hero is almost always the white, straight, cis-gendered, able-bodied, neuro-typical person with no mental health issues, it gives a skewed view of the world.

How many PoC heroes can you name? A lot less, probably.

How many LGBTQ+ heroes can you think of? How many of those are queer women?

How about disabled heroes who don't get magically cured within a chapter or two?

How many confirmed autistic-spectrum characters can you name? How about characters with mental health problems who aren't walking stereotypes?

Where diverse characters are included, all too often they are either villain or victim. They are the people who either need protecting, or that the 'normal' people need to be protected from.

The other day, a book made me feel physically sick. The subtext confused gay men with paedophiles, then quickly threw a smoke-screen by having those same characters also be homophobic.

Yes, the only gay characters in this book were homophobic paedophiles.

This was not a self-published book, neither was it a book from decades ago.

It was published by an imprint of a major publishing house. It was published last year.

How many hands must this book have passed through without the clear issues being brought up? How did the editor let all this slide? WHY ARE THERE PEOPLE ONLINE GIVING THIS BOOK A RANKING OF 5/5????













Myth 5 - I shouldn't read stories about diverse characters, because they're not 'for' me.

I'm going to point out two things to you.

Firstly, even if a book wasn't written with you in mind, or about people like you, then you can still read it. You can still enjoy it. You can still love it.

Would you stop a queer girl reading Harry Potter because there aren't any queer female characters in it? Would you stop a deaf kid reading about Narnia because the Pevensie kids can hear?

Secondly, if you are able to read about, and relate to, historical characters from a time you'll never visit, or future characters from a time you'll never see, then why can't you relate to characters who are actually like the people around you?

People are people. (Even when they're aliens, vampires, werewolves, etc.)

If you can accept a human kissing a lizard-person in a TV show, then why is the issue that they're both female??????

(Yes, I know books and TV shows are different. But you get my point.)












Shall I sum-up for you lovely people?




Don't be afraid to read diversely.

Diversity is not a threat. It's a way of hearing different voices. It's a way of listening to each other. It's a way of beginning to understand each other.

Diversity is not a threat. It's a gift.







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Saturday 6 August 2016

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

Thanks to the lovely Imogen @ Wandered Souls for the tag! :)








Right, this is going to be fun because I notoriously have trouble picking my favourite anything - which is essentially what this entire tag is about, by the looks of things.

OK, let's give this a shot...










Best Book You’ve Read in 2016:






Argh! I don't know! I've read so many awesome books...

OK, since I need to pick one (instead of, like, 50, or 100...) I'll go with Swan Boy by Nikki Sheehan (UK - US,) because it really is a work of art.


Best Sequel You’ve Read so far in 2016:


I'm going to go with Dead Ice by Laurell K Hamilton (UK - US) which is actually Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, number 24!

If I ever write a series that is still this good after 24 novels I'll have lived the dream guys; 24 books in this series.

(You can check out my review of Dead Ice here.)






New Release That You Haven’t Read Yet But You Want To:


The Fireman by Joe Hill (UK - US.)



Dudes, I need this book - I'm a total Joe Hill junkie and I had the preview (1st 100 pages) of this from the publisher and it's so good!

I NEED IT! SO MUCH!!!!!!!






Most Anticipated Release For The Second Half Of The Year:


OK, I'm cheating here because I've already read this (the perks of book-blogging!) but it's not released until early September so I'm saying that it counts ;P

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova (UK - US) is a really interesting and uber-absorbing YA about a bruja (Latina witch,) struggling to come to terms with her family's legacy, and her own power.

It's super-good!!!!!






 Newest Fictional Crush:


Don't really have any new fictional crushes *shrugs* - c'est la vie.





Newest Favourite Character:






For this one I'm going with Nina from Nina Is Not OK by Shappi Khorsandi (UK.) Because I love her. She rocks.


A Book That Made You Cry:


I don't cry much at books (because I'm a hard-a*s,) but I will consent that I teared-up a little at Mojo from Swan Boy (UK - US.)

Because that little boy is heart-breaking dammit!






Favourite Book To Film Adaptation:


Erk! Um... I guess Alice Through The Looking Glass or whatever it's official title is - Alice 2. You all know what I mean.

Anyhow, it rocked :) and was a bunch of fun.

(But Goosebumps was also great. And Captain America: Civil War, and X-Men: Apocalypse. Lots of great movies this year, let's be honest!)





Favourite Post You Have Done This Year:


Urk, I don't know! I've literally written over 200 posts in 2016. That makes it kind of difficult to pick.

I'm not saying this to brag, honestly - I just have no freaking clue how to pick a favourite post. So I'm just going to move on to the next question...






What Book You Need To Read By The End of the Year:








Umm... too many! Apart from The Fireman (UK - US,) obv., I'm going to go with Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (UK - US.)

I really want to read this, but I've been having a butt-load of trouble finding a copy in the local library system, and I don't always have the money I'd like to have to spend on books.

But yeah, I need to read this.











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Tuesday 19 July 2016

The Diverse Books Tag

This tag was invented by Naz, who wants to get everyone reading diverse books.

And you guys all know that I want to get everyone reading books of any type. So there's a lot of crossover space there ;)




The Diverse Books Tag






Naz also has a master list of these tag-posts. Check it out because there are links to loads of awesome book-lists :) (I'm never going to escape my TBR... it's too late for me!)

(Plus Naz is cool enough to let me stumble awkwardly in and out of his blog's comments section ;) so you can pretty much guarantee that he rocks.)






The Rules

  1. Credit the original creator, Read Diverse Books.
  2. The Diverse Books Tag is a bit like a scavenger hunt. I will task you to find a book that fits a specific criteria and you will have to show us a book you have read or want to read. 
  3. If you can’t think of a book that fits the specific category, then I encourage you to go look for one. A quick Google search will provide you with many books that will fit the bill. (Also, Goodreads lists are your friends.) Find one you are genuinely interested in reading and move on to the next category.

Everyone can do this tag, even people who don’t own or haven’t read any books that fit the descriptions below. So there’s no excuse! The purpose of the tag is to promote the kinds of books that may not get a lot of attention in the book blogging community. 







I'm going to add some 'bonus books' into a couple of categories - because I'm nice like that ;) and because I can't let the opportunity to recommend books pass me by XD








Find a book starring a lesbian character.



Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson






Amazon: UK - US


This is a book that I'm reading at the moment, and, despite being generally held up as a modern classic here in the UK, it doesn't get read/talked about, a lot.

This is possibly because people know that this book is about *whispers* lesbians, and that still makes people edgy (see? this is why we all need to make lists like this.)

It's actually a very interesting, semi-autobiographical, bildungsroman (from childhood, and growing-up, type deal-y) about the fictional Jeanette (not to be overly confused with the factual Jeanette,) and her evangelical upbringing.

It's also a lot less graphic (so far anyway,) than all of the funny looks when you mention this book would suggest.

Bonus Book: Hollow Pike by Juno Dawson (UK - US) a YA book with lesbian character(s). And it rocks.





Find a book with a Muslim protagonist.



Ms Marvel Vol 1: No Normal






Amazon: UK - US



This is on my TBR, and I really want to read it because it just seems so awesome!

A lot of people have said it's really good. And of the legacy characters (superheroes taking on the mantel of previous superheroes,) we've had lately, this is the one that seems to be almost universally praised.

The previous Ms Marvel, Carol Danvers, (who I love!) graduated to being Captain Marvel when she finally decided that women can hold a rank, she then passed her title to Kamala Khan, who has to find her own way to inhabit the role. :)

Bonus Book: Lost For Words by Elizabeth Lutzeier (UK - US) - I'm not 100% on whether the protagonist here is Muslim because I read it so long ago and really can't remember. I've looked on the Internet, but can't find whether Aysha is Muslim or not.




Find a book set in Latin America.



Born of the Sun by Gillian Cross





Amazon: UK - US


This is kids/MG, bordering on YA. It's about a girl on an expedition with her father in Bolivia, trying to find an Incan city.

I remember there being a bunch of rainforest-y-ness  (shhh, it's a word!) which was pretty cool :)






Find a book about a person with a disability.



Hawkeye, Vol 4: Rio Bravo





Amazon: UK - US


What most people don't know, because unfortunately it's not in the movies, is that Clint Barton - Marvel's Hawkeye, is deaf. He uses hearing aids, lip-reading, and sign-language. He's also had sight problems in the past.

Now, I'm not 100% on the timeline (because he was also dead at one point, and now he's not again, this is Marvel folks,) and the entire modern Hawkeye series is sitting pretty on my TBR, so I've picked Volume 4.

Why Volume 4? Because Hawkeye #19 (which this volume includes) is supposed to be excellent and focusses on Clint's experiences in a world he can't hear. It has speech bubbles with no speech, and ASL diagrams.

Bonus Books: Nina Is Not OK by Shappi Khorsandi (UK) is an NA/New Adult book which deals with mental health problems and addiction, and is out later this month. It's incredible, I'm going to shove it in people's faces until they read it.

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King (UK - US) also includes main characters with mental health problems. Holly is my hero. (My review.)





Find a Science-Fiction or Fantasy book with a POC protagonist.



Monstress, Vol 1: The Awakening



Amazon: UK - US



This is one of those books that I could fangirl over forever and ever :)

Maika Halfwolf is an Asian teenager (we're never told where exactly she's from - but this is an alternative Asia, so doesn't have the same countries anyway,) and also an Arcanic - someone the humans consider to be a monster.

It's an incredible book and the artwork is so awesome and I love, love, love this book and-

I'm going to stop now, because if I get going about Monstress, we're going to be here all day. It's such an awesome book.











Find a book set in (or about) any country in Africa.



Beneath the Lion's Gaze by Maaza Mengiste




Amazon: UK - US


Another from my TBR, this book is a novel about Ethiopia and the revolution of the 1970s. It looked quite unique and interesting.








Find a book written by an Indigenous or Native author.



The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie






Amazon: UK - US


OK, OK, I know that this is the book that everyone goes for in this category - but it's on my TBR, and is going to be most people's introduction to books by indigenous/native authors.

And who am I to deny people a perfectly good starting point?








Find a book set in South Asia (Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc.).


The Bookseller of Kabul by Ã…sne Seierstad






Amazon: UK - US


This is another book from my TBR, written by a Norwegian journalist about her experiences living for four months with the family of an Afghan man, Sultan Khan, who defied the authorities for over twenty years by continuing to sell books from his shop in Kabul.

It looks uber-interesting, and I'm really looking forward to reading it.







Find a book with a biracial protagonist. 


Dark Wolverine, Vol 1: The Prince





Amazon: UK - US


Daken, the Dark Wolverine, is the bisexual son of Marvel's Wolverine. He's half-white-Canadian, half-Japanese, and somewhat of a psychopath.

He's an anti-hero who you can't help but root for, partly because you can totally see why he's so bitter - Daken's life hasn't exactly been sunshine and flowers.

It probably helps that Marjorie Liu is such an excellent judge of character (she's also one half of the team responsible for Monstress - you have to love Marjorie Liu, it's the rules.)

Bonus Books: The 'Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter' series by Laurell K Hamilton features our eponymous (title-character) heroine, Anita, who is half-white-German, half-Mexican.

The Broken Bridge by Philip Pullman (UK - US) is a YA book about Ginny, the only mixed-race (half-white-British, half-Haitian,) teen in the Welsh village where she lives.






Find a book starring a transgender character or about transgender issues. 




The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson



Amazon: UK - US

(My review.)


For this category, it had to be Lisa Williamson's excellent YA novel about David and Leo.

This book is just wonderfully beautiful, and beautifully wonderful :)

Bonus Book: Orlando by Virginia Woolf (UK - US), while transgender through magical/mystical means, is a great book where Orlando is, indeed, a man who transforms into a woman. (My review.)











I'm tagging:

Imogen @ Wandered Souls

Let Naz know when you're done so that he can add you to the master list! :)

And anyone else who wants to do this tag - you're very welcome to :)






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