Dora Reads is the book blog of a Bookish Rebel, supporting the Diversity Movement, bringing you Queer views and mental health advocacy, slipping in a lot of non-bookish content, and spreading reading to the goddamn world! :)
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus! (Happy St David's Day!)
I figured that now was the perfect opportunity to celebrate one of Wales' most beloved writers, Roald Dahl.
Born and raised in Cardiff (our capital city,) to a Norwegian family, Roald Dahl would become one of the most loved children's authors of all time. And this September sees the centenary of his birth (in 1916.)
I was a weird and bookish child: obviously then, I adored Matilda - and read it over and over (and over.) It's a fab story aside from the bookish-ness (although that's my favourite part,) and I always adored the sub-plots of Matilda's vengeance on her horrible family.
This is definitely my favourite Roald Dahl book :)
Everyone likes lists, because clearly we're all creatures of habit/neuroses at heart. So the main charm of this book to me, growing up (and still if I'm going to be honest about it,) was the listing of all the weird and wonderful things that George puts into his medicine to punish his horrible grandmother.
Horrible family members seem to be a theme in Roald Dahl books - just don't try any of this stuff at home!
This one is a really sweet story about love, magic (sort of,) and tortoises. Of the same sort of length as George's Marvellous Medicine, but with far less bitterness. The BFG (UK - US)
The story of a runty giant who likes to collect dreams, and his new friend, an orphan girl named Sophie.
This is a great book - full of iconic moments and scenes. And you have to love the BFG - he's just so sweet! And he has gigantic ears that you can sit in! What could be better?
The sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this is one that I really need to re-read because I don't remember an awful lot of it. What I do remember though is how utterly random it is - even for a Roald Dahl book.
And that is probably the reason why a) not many people have read it, and b) I remember it so fondly (I'm a fairly random person myself >.< )
In case you didn't know, St David, or Dewi Sant, is the patron Saint of Wales.
So I figured that I'd give this week's 'Nerd Church' post over to explaining a little bit more about my beautiful country.
A Few Basics
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, also known as Britain, Great Britain, or just the UK or United Kingdom, is made up of four main constituent parts.
These parts are Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. There are smaller territories like the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands - but those four are the largest.
Just to be 100% clear: I am not English. I am British. I am Welsh. I am not English.
The Welsh Flag
A Bit of History
The relations between the constituent parts of the UK has always been uneasy at best.
By which I mean that the non-English nation states resent, to a greater or lesser degree, living under the dominance of English governance and culture.
Wales has been part of the union with England for the longest period - since Medieval times. Unfortunately, we've been an unwilling partner (we were conquered - it doesn't lead to a great working relationship,) from the start - and have been unhappy about the situation for centuries.
Our Native Culture
The Celtic nations - Ireland (both Northern Ireland and ROI,) Scotland, Wales, Cornwall (now a part of England,) and Brittany hold the last strongholds of the remnants of Celtic culture.
This was our culture before the Roman Empire - one that once also covered England, but was driven out of that part of the UK by the Romans and subsequent invaders (the Anglo-Saxons (the word England is derived from 'Angle-land,') the Vikings, the Normans.)
Ethnically, the peoples of the UK are now pretty much a hotchpotch - most Welsh people have a good dab of English in them, as do the other British Celts.
But the culture... well, the culture is still strong here.
The Welsh word for Wales is Cymru - the land of the Cymry; the Cymry being a concept of... tribalism? brotherhood?... that doesn't translate into English particularly well, except maybe as 'Ours' - 'our people,' 'our land,' 'our culture.'
We have a strong connection to the land - 'Y Wlad.'
We have a target of 0% to landfill by 2050, as set by the Welsh Assembly (this is kind of like the State-government, with lots and lots of arguments with the UK parliament over who's in charge of what, and, of course, money.)
We have our own language - Cymraeg (Welsh)- which is basically the ancient language of Albion (Britain.)
So my first language is English (I'm trying to learn Welsh, it's not the easiest of languages.) Because my parents' first language is English - because their parents first language was English.
But my grandmother's parents were Welsh first language. They didn't bring her up speaking Welsh because 'you'll never get on in life that way.' They were worried she would be passed over for jobs and opportunities if she was a Welsh speaker.
Things have changed there (although, sometimes the pro-language lobby are more than a little obnoxious and pushy, and have a penchant for vandalism which I don't approve of) and hopefully that will mean a preservation of yr iaith (the language) in the years to come.
To be honest, I could go on and on -
I could talk about love-spoons and Welsh cakes and bara brith.
I could tell you all about the folklore and legends, the stories of fair folk and warriors and birds and sorcerers and magic.
I could tell you about the rural farms, and the mountains and valleys, and the industrial towns.
I could explain Welsh coal and Welsh slate and the Rebecca Riots and the Labour movement and the rise of Socialism. I could tell you about the Chartists and the Communists and the brave Welshmen who went in secret to fight against the fascists in the Spanish Civil War.
I could try to explain hiraeth - which doesn't translate - and how there are multiple words for rivers and valleys and the dippy bits of landscape that there are no easy words for in English.
I could go on about Owain Glyndŵr, and Llywellyn the Last, and Hywel Dda, and how you can never get an Englishman to say 'Ll' or 'Ch' correctly, and you can never remember how to write 'ŵ' with a standard keyboard, so you end up copy-and-pasting.
But, what I'll leave you with is our love of music - and our national anthem 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau' ('(Old) Land of My Fathers.')
This is sung by the most striking of Welsh musical traditions, the male voice choir - from Pontypridd, the town where the anthem was written.
The video quality isn't brilliant - but just listen...
Nerd Church is a weekly post where I talk about issues of various sorts. As always, feel free to continue the discussion, but please link back here. Like This Post? Try These:
Since I'm aiming to write this year - and write a lot - I figure it's OK to put some of my wackier ideas down on paper (or... y'know, screen,) for all to (hopefully) laugh at.
So I came up with the idea of 'Cracked Glass Slipper' posts.
Let me explain:
I've been toying for a while with the idea of retelling fairy tales in my own way - basically, as if I'm writing crack fanfiction. Only, this will be suitable for under 18s, unlike most crack fiction.
I'm under no illusions - this may go horrifically wrong pretty damn quickly. In which case I'll abandon it and pretend that it never happened *nods, smiles, laughs nervously.*
At the moment, what I have is random at best - it's demented, to be honest. I worry about myself sometimes.
And I have no idea whether it's any good - but then, I suppose I'll never know unless I share it with you all.
I apologise in advance if I scar you all for life. (It's a possibility at this point.)
Each story will be about made up of multiple parts (I think - not an awful lot of organisation happens in my head, so I'm not all that sure yet.) So each one will be serialised on Diary of a Reading Addict over several weeks/months (dependant on how long they are, and how quickly I write them.)
Hopefully this will be fun - and hopefully you'll all come along for the ride.
Update 24th September 2017: This fic is no longer available.
I haven't read all that much fanfiction this week - must be in a fic-slump of some sort again.
But, I do have a fic rec ready for you:
A mark of mine by xlypses
This is Stucky (Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes in a romantic relationship) and is quite sweet - all about past hurt and making things better for the future.
This is a short fic of less than 500 words, so it'll be easy to fit in in your coffee break or whatever - hope you like it, and I'll be back with more fanfiction-y goodness next week.
The Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice final trailer hit - still slightly concerned about this one. Ah, DC man... DC. Still, we can but hope for the best.
Single Issues
This week, I read Black Widow #1 (UK - US) from the 2010 onwards run.
I love this comic - it's one of the best that I've ever read. And I've read a ridiculously large amount of comics.
A heroine who kicks a** and is permitted to wear practical clothing and not be over-sexualised in panel after panel? I must be dreaming. I must!
Not to mention a butt-kicking storyline, smooth and noir-ish artwork, mortal peril, a bunch of gore and violence, and a romantic relationship with Bucky Barnes! Seriously, I need to get my hands on more of this series. Pronto.
But then, I should've expected it to be tippity-top-notch - Marjorie Liu's name doesn't appear on just any old cr*p (she rocks, so much!)
Other Stuff
Turkish Airlines. Apparently you can now fly to Gotham and Metropolis. I know. I don't know how to feel about it either...
[links removed - no longer at source]
I'll give them credit for originality, that's for sure.
It's a fab post and you should check it out if you can.
So, anywho, it got me thinking about my own blogging insecurities, and, well - I can't be letting you guys have all the fun/crippling anxiety, can I?
Here they are then, my own blogging insecurities:
No-one will care what I have to say: who am I after all? Just some random Welsh chick with a laptop. Who would care about my opinion?
I'm socially awkward: have you noticed my comments are a little... stilted sometimes? I have no idea what to say, or even whether I need to say anything. I resort to short answers and smiley faces in an attempt to let you know that I do appreciate you taking the time to talk to me - I just have no idea what to say to you.
The quality of my writing is no good: I know that this isn't true - but sometimes, I can't help wondering... do people like reading my blogposts? Are my reviews any good?
ARCs - specifically, getting round to reading everything I said I would: I have a habit of underestimating myself, and stressing the small stuff unnecessarily - it's all linked in with my depression and anxiety issues. So if I request a lot of ARCs, and somehow manage time and again to get approved, I have a small freak-out about how quickly I'm supposed to read them. I keep forgetting that there's no supposed to about it. After all, I purposefully avoid blog tours so that I don't have to deal with deadlines.
Being overly-unique: this makes no sense. I know this makes no sense. But I've noticed that the majority of book bloggers either have kids, a job, a spouse, etc., or are teenagers. I'm neither of these things. And while I know that that gives me a unique spin on life, the universe, and everything, sometimes it feels like you won't be able to relate to me and my opinions because you're just at a completely different place in your life to where I am in mine. Plus, I'm weird - you know this, I know this, we all know this ;)
Not making money/being judged for trying to make money: I know this is a touchy subject blogging-wise, but I need income. I'm self-employed, and it's important to me that I get income wherever I can so that eventually I can be financially separate from my parents, just for a start. So, yeah, I have Amazon associate links for the UK and US - not because I'm a sell-out, but because I damn-well need the small amount of commission they provide if people buy things.
So, there you have it. Hopefully I didn't sound overly-neurotic, and you all still like me ;) You know I try to be truthful and open wherever possible (it's even one of my New Year's resolutions,) so, y'know, all that jazz...
This is a great book - full of iconic moments and scenes. And you have to love the BFG - he's just so sweet! And he has gigantic ears that you can sit in! What could be better?
