- It doesn't matter what you're reading, so long as you're reading: this means, quite simply, that it doesn't matter if you're reading 50 Shades, Twilight, or War and Peace - just keep reading! Never let the shamers get you down. Haters gonna hate. Readers gonna read. Just enjoy it.
- You'll never read everything there is to read - but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try!: this means don't get discouraged by the amount of things people expect you to have read - enjoy the challenge of reading more without stressing over the details. Never stop looking for the next book, but don't worry if you add ten more to your list in the meantime. Tbr lists grow of their own volition.
- Read every day: this one's non-negotiable. If you want to read more you have to get in the habit - so read every day, even if it's only a page or two.
- Read everywhere: On the bus, the train, in the café, in a queue, on a park bench...just read. You never know, you may even encourage someone else! Never be ashamed of reading.
- Develop your own rules: Reading is a deeply personal thing, don't let anyone (including me!) tell you how to do it. Make up your own rules and do what works for you.
Saturday, 11 April 2015
My 5 Rules for Reading More
I figure, as I'm on such a crusade to read more and encourage others to do the same, that I'd share my 5 rules for reading more. Hope it encourages you to get your nose in a book!
Wednesday, 1 April 2015
An update on my goodreads challenge
Hey everyone, just to let you know how my goodreads challenge is going - I'm now up to about 16 books out of my 50! Woo! If I continue at this rate I'll have to up my target! What do you think? 60? 70? More????
Remember though, numbers aren't everything - enjoy what you're reading, and take the opportunity to read more often and read more widely!
Remember though, numbers aren't everything - enjoy what you're reading, and take the opportunity to read more often and read more widely!
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Reviewing the evidence time (Manga Edition!) - Genju No Seiza vol.1
Title: Genju No Seiza vol. 1
Author: Matsuri Akino
Genre: Graphic Novel, Manga, YA (older teens,) Fantasy, Paranormal
A few starting notes:
Genju No Seiza translates to 'Constellation of the Imaginary Beast' (thanks Wikipedia,) and is presented in the format favoured by the publisher (the now sadly diminished, but hopefully will soon rise from the flames, Tokyopop,) of reading right to left to keep the orientation of the artwork. It sounds more complicated than it is, honestly, though sometimes you do read things in the wrong order and have to check yourself.
I picked this up randomly in my last library haul, so didn't really have any preconceptions about what it would be like.
Premise:
Fuuto Kamishina hasn't had the easiest of lives, and it turns out the past few lives have been a bit complicated too. It's not everyday that a birdman attaches himself to you and tells you that you are the reincarnated rightful ruler of a tiny Asian country called Dhalashar. What's a Japanese schoolboy to do when there are paranormal assassins, restless spirits, and premonitions of doom to deal with?
Best bits:
The artwork is competent and engaging. Sometimes it crosses the line into truly beautiful - which is always a good sign going forward in a series. Some of it is brutal and striking - manga rarely shies away from dramatic wounds and blood.
The characters - Fuuto in particular - are believable and interesting. You care what's going to happen to him, what he's going to decide to do with this insane situation that's suddenly landed on him. And he's different, which is a huge thumbs up as far as I'm concerned!
The plot and tone have a gothic and slightly surreal feel that I think actually fits quite well. The castle which Mayu lives in gives the whole thing this sort of other-world anything-is-possible feel that's really entrancing.
There's humour here too - not over-used, but excellent at tempering the seriousness of much of the plot. I particularly enjoy 'Professor Vision' which shows what it looks like to outsiders (this outsider happening to be the Professor, there are always professors in manga,) when Fuuto is arguing with a random bunch of animals.
Not so great bits:
The first chapter (this volume takes in Chapters 1-5) is a little rushed as far as plot is concerned, but it soon settles into it's groove.
Some readers may find some of the themes and artwork difficult to deal with - there's discussion of suicide and abuse here, for example - but I think it's handled with grace. Obviously, if you find this sort of thing distressing, this may not be the book for you.
Verdict:
A promising start to the series that tempers gothic seriousness with the gentle touch of humour. Engaging characters, artwork, premise, what more could you want in a good slab of manga?
Author: Matsuri Akino
Genre: Graphic Novel, Manga, YA (older teens,) Fantasy, Paranormal
Genju No Seiza translates to 'Constellation of the Imaginary Beast' (thanks Wikipedia,) and is presented in the format favoured by the publisher (the now sadly diminished, but hopefully will soon rise from the flames, Tokyopop,) of reading right to left to keep the orientation of the artwork. It sounds more complicated than it is, honestly, though sometimes you do read things in the wrong order and have to check yourself.
I picked this up randomly in my last library haul, so didn't really have any preconceptions about what it would be like.
Premise:
Fuuto Kamishina hasn't had the easiest of lives, and it turns out the past few lives have been a bit complicated too. It's not everyday that a birdman attaches himself to you and tells you that you are the reincarnated rightful ruler of a tiny Asian country called Dhalashar. What's a Japanese schoolboy to do when there are paranormal assassins, restless spirits, and premonitions of doom to deal with?
Best bits:
The artwork is competent and engaging. Sometimes it crosses the line into truly beautiful - which is always a good sign going forward in a series. Some of it is brutal and striking - manga rarely shies away from dramatic wounds and blood.
The characters - Fuuto in particular - are believable and interesting. You care what's going to happen to him, what he's going to decide to do with this insane situation that's suddenly landed on him. And he's different, which is a huge thumbs up as far as I'm concerned!
The plot and tone have a gothic and slightly surreal feel that I think actually fits quite well. The castle which Mayu lives in gives the whole thing this sort of other-world anything-is-possible feel that's really entrancing.
There's humour here too - not over-used, but excellent at tempering the seriousness of much of the plot. I particularly enjoy 'Professor Vision' which shows what it looks like to outsiders (this outsider happening to be the Professor, there are always professors in manga,) when Fuuto is arguing with a random bunch of animals.
Not so great bits:
The first chapter (this volume takes in Chapters 1-5) is a little rushed as far as plot is concerned, but it soon settles into it's groove.
Some readers may find some of the themes and artwork difficult to deal with - there's discussion of suicide and abuse here, for example - but I think it's handled with grace. Obviously, if you find this sort of thing distressing, this may not be the book for you.
Verdict:
A promising start to the series that tempers gothic seriousness with the gentle touch of humour. Engaging characters, artwork, premise, what more could you want in a good slab of manga?
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Book or Film? The debate continues!
People will think I've taken something a little bit unusual with my morning coffee but I (yes, me, the reading addict,) don't always think that the book is better than the film. I realise that I now need to go into hiding before my fellow bibliophiles hunt me down and force me to read the entirety of a song of ice and fire (up to the current volume) in one sitting (I realise that's a TV series not a film, but let's not be overly pedantic about this.)
Please though, listen to my point before you bind my hands with fabric bookmarks and march me out of the library in disgust! We should not be asking which is 'better' (and I would certainly never watch the film instead of reading the book - blasphemy!) - it's simply which we prefer.
In some cases, no matter how radically different the book and the film are, I like them both equally. Because they are different. Because directors, producers, and actors, can read the same book I do and see something completely different in it's pages - and sometimes their ability to show us that is simply beautiful. No one can argue that Alan Rickman does not perfectly embody Severus Snape, and also completely steals the show in the last film despite having minimum screen time. If it wasn't Harry Potter he would've won an Oscar (After all this time? Always.) Shutter Island has a different vibe, and several different points, to the original book by Dennis Lehane. I love both book and film equally - they're simply beautiful; the same with An Interview with the Vampire.
This leads me to my next point - the film encourages people to read the book; to date, (and off the top of my head,) films (or TV series) which I have seen and then been inspired to seek out the book are: Shutter Island, An Interview with the Vampire, The Crow, Let the Right One In, The Man with the Iron Mask, The Vampire's Assistant, Tanya Huff's Blood books, A Game of Thrones, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and A Tale of Two Cities. All of which I now adore to varying degrees; I don't love the film any less for reading the book, nor the book any less for seeing the film. And if films are encouraging people to think about their literary predecessors, shouldn't we be encouraging that?
Sometimes though, filmmakers miss something vital - something of the magic and the majesty of the original. There's always something to prose that it's almost impossible to convey on screen. Sometimes the film is just down-right disappointing (I really wasn't fond of the Picture of Dorian Gray adaptation starring Ben Barnes, despite my usual love for his work.) But the best of stories, novels, etc., can withstand even the most haphazard of adaptations. They survive. They continue. Everybody forgets the crappy film, and goes on loving the book.
So watch the film, read the book, or do both. And hopefully my fellow book lovers will understand what I mean, and I won't have to change my name and flee the country!
Please though, listen to my point before you bind my hands with fabric bookmarks and march me out of the library in disgust! We should not be asking which is 'better' (and I would certainly never watch the film instead of reading the book - blasphemy!) - it's simply which we prefer.
In some cases, no matter how radically different the book and the film are, I like them both equally. Because they are different. Because directors, producers, and actors, can read the same book I do and see something completely different in it's pages - and sometimes their ability to show us that is simply beautiful. No one can argue that Alan Rickman does not perfectly embody Severus Snape, and also completely steals the show in the last film despite having minimum screen time. If it wasn't Harry Potter he would've won an Oscar (After all this time? Always.) Shutter Island has a different vibe, and several different points, to the original book by Dennis Lehane. I love both book and film equally - they're simply beautiful; the same with An Interview with the Vampire.
This leads me to my next point - the film encourages people to read the book; to date, (and off the top of my head,) films (or TV series) which I have seen and then been inspired to seek out the book are: Shutter Island, An Interview with the Vampire, The Crow, Let the Right One In, The Man with the Iron Mask, The Vampire's Assistant, Tanya Huff's Blood books, A Game of Thrones, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and A Tale of Two Cities. All of which I now adore to varying degrees; I don't love the film any less for reading the book, nor the book any less for seeing the film. And if films are encouraging people to think about their literary predecessors, shouldn't we be encouraging that?
Sometimes though, filmmakers miss something vital - something of the magic and the majesty of the original. There's always something to prose that it's almost impossible to convey on screen. Sometimes the film is just down-right disappointing (I really wasn't fond of the Picture of Dorian Gray adaptation starring Ben Barnes, despite my usual love for his work.) But the best of stories, novels, etc., can withstand even the most haphazard of adaptations. They survive. They continue. Everybody forgets the crappy film, and goes on loving the book.
So watch the film, read the book, or do both. And hopefully my fellow book lovers will understand what I mean, and I won't have to change my name and flee the country!
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Shame the Shamers
I don't know whether you've seen a particular meme - it's been hanging around on my various feeds for months and now I can't even find it to show you, typical - but I'll describe it for you and why I don't like it.
It features a fictional conversation between two people, the first person is excited that they've finished a 150 page (or around about) book, and it's taken them a long time to read. The second person asks (as Captain Barbossa from PoTC) "how stupid are you?" (or words to that affect.)
The thing is: this isn't what our online reading community should be like. There's a vibrant and thriving group of bibliophiles on the web - so much so that we can rarely even keep track of each other - and instead of encouraging people who wouldn't normally read, some of us ridicule them. Not cool guys. If someone who struggles to read, or even just struggles to find time to read, has made the effort, then they should be applauded. If I struggled to do a bean bag race, only to find a champion runner making fun of me at the end, then I doubt I would ever run again.
Let's keep it friendly and encouraging guys - the more the merrier after all!
It features a fictional conversation between two people, the first person is excited that they've finished a 150 page (or around about) book, and it's taken them a long time to read. The second person asks (as Captain Barbossa from PoTC) "how stupid are you?" (or words to that affect.)
The thing is: this isn't what our online reading community should be like. There's a vibrant and thriving group of bibliophiles on the web - so much so that we can rarely even keep track of each other - and instead of encouraging people who wouldn't normally read, some of us ridicule them. Not cool guys. If someone who struggles to read, or even just struggles to find time to read, has made the effort, then they should be applauded. If I struggled to do a bean bag race, only to find a champion runner making fun of me at the end, then I doubt I would ever run again.
Let's keep it friendly and encouraging guys - the more the merrier after all!
Thursday, 12 March 2015
Goodbye to a great writer
I just heard the news about Sir Terry Pratchett who has passed away at the age of 66. A fantastic and funny writer, and someone who raised the profile of Alzheimer's, I will miss waiting to buy his new books. My thoughts are with his family.
Some Days...
Ok, I'm going to level with you, completely and utterly. I am having a bad day. Nothing bad has particularly happened, no one has said anything to upset me, nothing has broken, nothing has really gone wrong. But I'm still having a bad day, the kind of day where you don't want to get up, face the world, and pretend everything's Ok. This is the kind of day when I want to do nothing at all, and hate myself for it, and then hate myself for hating myself, and then hate myself for hating myself for hating myself...you get the idea.
In short, I'm having one of those days where my depression has decided to sink it's teeth in and not let go. . Luckily, they are less frequent these days, and aren't quite as dramatic as they were. But I'm not Ok. I don't mean I'm a bit down; I have depression But somehow, here I am sitting on the sofa with my laptop across my knees attempting to do things, struggling on when all I want to do is go back to bed. And if that's not strong, I really don't know what is. To anyone in the same situation - I really do applaud you; this is some tough s**t. To anyone who's not been through it - imagine the worst hangover you've ever had, then add the start of a cold or flu, and the feeling you get when you remember a recently deceased loved one, and you'll have something similar though not the same.
So I'm having one of those unspeakable days where I don't even feel like reading (I know, almost sacrilegious to say it) but I will anyway. Because it'll make me feel better - and the weirdest thing about depression is that it's the stuff you lose interest in will drag you out of it; if you don't feel like eating you need to nibble breakfast, don't feel like writing then you need to let it all out; don't feel like wearing nice clothes and accessories and you damn well need to, don't feel like doing your favourite hobbies then you damn well should. Because your favourite necklace, shirt, book, DVD, is for you; not anyone else. And you're important, even if you feel like you belong on the bottom of the proverbial shoe. So excuse me while I battle on, try to smile, try not to hide, try to stay positive, while all the while I'm fighting my own brain. Good luck to anyone and everyone dealing with this or anything similar - and please remember, it will pass, and the moments when it does are totally worth it. Now I'm going to go find something enjoyable to read, and I think I can manage a small smile already...:)
In short, I'm having one of those days where my depression has decided to sink it's teeth in and not let go. . Luckily, they are less frequent these days, and aren't quite as dramatic as they were. But I'm not Ok. I don't mean I'm a bit down; I have depression But somehow, here I am sitting on the sofa with my laptop across my knees attempting to do things, struggling on when all I want to do is go back to bed. And if that's not strong, I really don't know what is. To anyone in the same situation - I really do applaud you; this is some tough s**t. To anyone who's not been through it - imagine the worst hangover you've ever had, then add the start of a cold or flu, and the feeling you get when you remember a recently deceased loved one, and you'll have something similar though not the same.
So I'm having one of those unspeakable days where I don't even feel like reading (I know, almost sacrilegious to say it) but I will anyway. Because it'll make me feel better - and the weirdest thing about depression is that it's the stuff you lose interest in will drag you out of it; if you don't feel like eating you need to nibble breakfast, don't feel like writing then you need to let it all out; don't feel like wearing nice clothes and accessories and you damn well need to, don't feel like doing your favourite hobbies then you damn well should. Because your favourite necklace, shirt, book, DVD, is for you; not anyone else. And you're important, even if you feel like you belong on the bottom of the proverbial shoe. So excuse me while I battle on, try to smile, try not to hide, try to stay positive, while all the while I'm fighting my own brain. Good luck to anyone and everyone dealing with this or anything similar - and please remember, it will pass, and the moments when it does are totally worth it. Now I'm going to go find something enjoyable to read, and I think I can manage a small smile already...:)
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