Paperback's Pondering's: The Reader vs. The Non-Reader (Non-Reader's Point of View)

Well this is new. Hello there! My name’s Claudia and my sister Emily asked me if I wanted to write a post for her blog, and to be honest with you, I was kind of apprehensive about it. I’m absolutely terrible at putting my thoughts to paper, and I’d rather have a rant face to face with someone then through the Internet. But, I’ll give it a go. Please bear with me, like I said this is probably going to be very informal and contain many grammatical errors, but hey, we all learn differently, right?             

I’d like to start off this post by saying that a lot of the things I’m going to be talking about are my personal opinions and beliefs. Now you may not agree with my opinion, and that’s totally fine. However, please do recognise that my opinion is not meant to offend of hurt anyone else, and if you respect mine, I’ll respect yours. After all, a little debate is always healthy. Anyways, as you may have guessed by the title, I’m not exactly an avid reader. And when I say this, I mean that I’ve basically only read John Green. A lot of the reviews I see my sister write, I have never even heard of the books, or authors. So this kind of gives you an idea on how many books I’ve actually read.

Now here’s the thing, I don’t actually hate reading or hate books. In fact, I hope that in the coming year I can get a lot more into books. The thing is, it takes A LOT to impress me. Some books I’ve attempted to read are just so boring and so dry and so un-intelligent (in my opinion) that I just can’t get through them. Now here’s a secret, I skipped pages all throughout attempting to read the Harry Potter series, and ended up giving up by the third book because I couldn’t understand what the hell was going on. Now this may be because I don’t have an active imagination, and fantasy books just do not appeal to me at all. 

 Now don’t get me wrong, JK Rowling is an amazing person/author, and I can’t even imagine how she came up with this whole series. But for me, I didn’t enjoy it at all. Some might say that it is just because I'm not an avid reader, but at the time I read it, I was pretty much at the same level as my sister. I just could not get through this series. 

Most books that I see my sister reading do not appeal to me at all. I always wonder why there are so many post apocalyptic books nowadays, it just seems so repetitive. I would personally prefer to read more realistic, dark books.  For example, Perks of Being a Wallflower completely knocked it out if the park for me. It left me with amazing lessons and life questions for anyone out there. However it's the more mythical or futuristic books that leave me uninterested. 

Another huge issue: films. Now I don’t understand why book worms get so defensive when a book becomes a movie and non-book readers obsess over it.  You didn’t write the book, you have no control over what people can and cannot see when they go to the movies, and it’s a free freaking country!!!!! If I want to go see every single Harry Potter movie in the theatre, but haven’t read single book, guess what? I’M GOING TO. If I want to buy a Hogwarts sweater and haven’t read a single book but seen the movie, I’M GOING TO. AND WHAT SHOULD IT MATTER TO YOU?! Movies are simply meant to attract more fans. If you've become a fan of a movie, that's great! If that movie happened to be a book first, that's great too! But what does it matter if you haven't read the book? You've seen a movie, and you like that movie, and now you've become a fan. Why.Should.It.Matter? 

 Movies are meant to bring words to life. Movies are meant to inspire more viewers and more people to engage on what was once a novel. After all, the author gave permission for their book to be made into a movie, so I’m not exactly sure why some become so offended. Taking the Harry Potter series for example, great movies. The special effects and acting was amazing. Now I absolutely love movies as well as acting, so yes I do prefer the film rather than the book. The opportunity for an actor to forget their lives and put themselves in another person’s shoes, I just find so incredible.

Well, that was a long post. I don’t know how many of you actually made it to the end, but if you did, thank you. Thank you for hearing my side of the story and actually giving us non-readers some attention. In the end, we’re all the same people in this crazy messed up world, and if we start worrying about ourselves and less about other people, life would be amazing. Well that’s all for me today, thank you for reading to the end if you did, and if you want to comment anything to me/about what I said, negative or positive, please do. My sister said she’d tell me if this got any comments, and I would be happy to reply. Again, I don’t care if you don’t like my opinion, but as long as you respect mine, I’ll respect yours. Thanks again!

-         

      Claudia

The Unpopular Opinions Tag!

Thanks to the amazing Ranu @ The Araliya Bookshelf for tagging me! Boy am I going to have fun with this post. *deep breaths*.

A Popular Book or Series you didn't like?

I would be mad not to say The Throne of Glass series! Sorry not sorry, but I found the last 3 of these books to be boring, dreadful and just plain annoying.

A Popular Book or Series that everyone seems to hate but you like? 

I've found that it is actually very hard to find someone in the blogisphere who actually loves The Fault in Our Stars, or even John Green's writing in general. I absolutely LOVED this book, and I found it to be so meaningful and well written.  

A Love Triangle Where you didn't like who the main character ended up with? 

UHM, GALE AND KATNISS ANYONE?! Peeta was annoying, whiny, a traitor, the list goes on. Gale was with Katniss SINCE THE BEGINNING, and she threw him away like trash.

A Popular Genre you hardly ever read

Obviously fantasy. For many reasons, but mostly because it bores me.

A Beloved Character you Hate? 

Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss. He was not a swoony, hot lead. He was clingy, a cheater, so cliche and just so damn annoying.

A Popular Author you can't seem to get into

James Dashner. The Maze Runner was ok. The Scorch Trials was painful, I've tried over and over again to make me love his books but I just can't.

A Popular Trope you're tired of reading? 

It is just expected now that when a guy meets a girl, they're going to fall in love. Why can't they just become best friends and conquer the world together?! Not every male and female lead always have to fall in love.

A Popular series you have no interest in reading? 

Game of Thrones by: George R.R. Martin. Both show and books receive so much praise, and I've been told multiple times that it's amazing for fans of Harry Potter. (not sure why) I just would never be able to deal with such heavy a fantasy.

A Movie you liked better than the book 

The Hunger Games movies. Books were boring, movies had an amazing cast and incredible acting.

Glad to have gotten those off my chest! I'd like to Tag:

Geraldine, Bryce and Sierra to post if they're interested :)

Six of Crows ( Six of Crows #1) by: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Published: September 29, 2015 by: Henry Holt and Company
Pages: 465
Rating: 5/5 stars

Ketterdam is the centre of international trade and a place where you want to go if you want to get rich. When notorious thief Kaz Brekker is offered the chance to complete a difficult heist that could get him rich, it is no secret that he agrees. However he will need the help of a few other outcasts of Ketterdam to complete this mission, and make it out alive.

WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH!! Nobody told me that this book would be this intense. Actually a lot of people did, this being probably one of the most HIGHLY RECCOMMENED BOOKS OF ALL TIME! Now fantasy and I do not always get along, however this book was more than that. It was mystical, adventurous, a bit steamy, and all very mysterious. All I can say is, that this book would make a great movie because the cinematography would be wonderful!

I loved the settings of this book. It seemed a bit old fashioned, but also had a very mystical and futuristic vibe. I can only imagine how cool it would be to live in such a place! Bardugo did a great job at using descriptive diction to draw the reader into the setting, make them latch on, and never let go.

The characters in this book were out of this world amazing! We have the fearless leader, Kaz, but he has a band of misfits behind him who are all the more interesting as well. Inej was by far my favourite character, as she was cunning and kind and the definition of a strong woman. Each character had their own unique characterisitics, and none took away from others. Everybody had their moment to shine.

This book was a fantasy, but it goes much deeper into a mystery and adventure, with fast paced thrills and even some comic relief. There is truly something for everyone, and I didn't find it heavy at all. In fact, I kept reading more and more because every page was a new thrill! And let's not forget that the book has black rimmed pages, WHAT OTHER BOOK HAS BLACK RIMMED PAGES?!

Overall, you need to read this book. Like right now. Put whatever book you're reading down and just pick up this one, because it was nothing short of amazing.

Have you read Six of Crows? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Paperback's Pondering's: The Reader Vs. The Non Reader (The Reader's Point of View)

Paperback's Pondering's is a weekly discussion when I take a topic and well, ponder about it! This week's topic is more of a debate, and will be in two parts. This is all about the arguments of a reader vs. a non-reader. Let's get started:

I know I've mentioned this many times before, and that is that there aren't many people in my life who love to read. I have one cousin who reads, and that's it. Now even though my other family members don't read, they are active in watching book to movie adaptions, enjoying quotes from famous authors, and other various pop culture activities that could be linked back to reading. Now we all know that this can really grind a bookworm's gears. Who are these imposter's sweeping in and becoming big fans of a book they haven't read?! But we've never really heard what the non-reader's point of view is. That is why in this two-part debate, I will talk from a reader's POV, and then next week my twin sister will guest post on the non-reader's POV. This won't be a place to fight, just an honest confession of utmost feelings.

I can't help but be jealous when  non-readers start obsessing over a book when the movie comes out. I've noticed this especially with John Green's novels, when all of these teenage girls will suddenly come down to earth and start wearing Okay? Okay. t-shirts because Augustus Waters is just oh-so-hot. I'm not going to lie and pretend like I'm just a non-judgemental person and that this stuff doesn't bother me. It does, a lot. But is it the right thing to do?

What mostly pisses me off about this whole situation is just that I feel that people are so quick to judge bookworms: we're nerds, who the hell likes reading anyways?! Or loners with nothing else better to do with our time. However enter a popular teen movie featuring a drop dead gorgeous star, and suddenly these book quotes are spreading on tumblr like wildfire. It almost seems like these people are being hypocritical.

We all know that most of the time, the book's are better. So when people start obsessing over a movie adaption, us bookworms are sitting here in a corner critiquing the entire thing for what was left out, while everyone else just thinks that it's the best damn movie of all time. I think another reason why us bookworms get very protective over books is because we feel like people are missing out if they haven't read the book. It might seem like that people aren't seeing the true beauty and meaning of the book, because they are too focused on the flashy aspects.

What I'm trying to say is, that it's no secret that readers and non-readers of pop culture do not always get along. Speaking from a bookworm's point of view, and I can't speak for all bookworms here, but personally I just don't like the idea of someone not seeing the true message behind a book. Books are truly a work of art, and it is frustrating sometimes when this full beauty is sometimes commercialised to just show what society wants to see, and not what it means to the beholder.

So that's my rant on the subject! Stay tuned next week for part two in which my twin sister will talk about what it's like to enjoy book related topics as a non-reader, and about some of the things she wishes would change.

What's your opinion? Do you get easily annoyed at book pop culture, or do you not mind either way? Join the debate!

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: January

One of the things I decided I wanted to start this year were monthly recaps. I love reading them, I love watching them, so might as well do them! January was a whirlwind of resolutions, studying, and new things to look forward to in the year. Let's see what went down!

What I Read: 

I read a total of 9 books to kickstart my goodreads challenge of 60 books:

The Infinite Sea by: Rick Yancey: 3/5 stars
Six of Crows by: Leigh Bardugo: 5/5 stars
Everything, Everything by: Nicola Yoon: 4/5 stars
A Work in Progress by: Connor Franta: 5/5 stars
Carry On by: Rainbow Rowell: 3/5 stars
We Are All Made of Molecules by: Susin Nielsen: 4/5 stars
Vanishing Girls by: Lauren Oliver: 4.5/5 stars
Love Letters to the Dead by: Ava Dellaira: 3.5/5 stars
In Place of Never by: Julie Anne Lindsey: 5/5 stars

Favourite book of the month: Definitely A Work in Progress! I think what made this book so special was the fact that I was able to get a signed copy, and this is actually the first signed book I own! I've loved Connor Franta's Youtube videos for years, and this book was inspiring, heartwarming, and also very aesthetically pleasing.

What I Blogged: 

A total of 9 posts were put up this month! My favourite post I put up was on Blog Development and Growth, and how it's important to not compare yourself to perhaps bigger and more popular blogs. I appreciated all of the feedback on that post!

My Favourite Blog Posts of the Month: 

I really wanted to shed light on some very insightful and enjoyable posts that I read this month:

Cee Arr of Diary of a Reading Addict talks about depression and staying strong: Look for the Light

In wake of recent drama, Ranu of The Araliya Bookshelf writes an open letter to the book blogging community: An Open Letter to the Book Blogging Community

Erin of the Hardcover Lover discusses why teens like reading dark themes in YA: Dark Themes in YA Literature

Sierra of the Nerdgirl Review shares a personal story and discusses asexuality in media. My Need for More Asexual Characters

Blogger of the Month: 

As a way of showing my appreciation for the many lovely people on the internet, I decided to feature a Blogger of the Month, to showcase one of the amazing people in the community :)

This month's blogger is...

GERALDINE OF CORRALLING BOOKS!!! 

I became blog buddies with Geraldine last month, and she constantly is so friendly, funny and genuinely a lovely person to talk to. Thank you for being so kind, Geraldine!

Personally of This Month: 

I just finished exams, which wasn't as stressful as I thought it would be. Most of my classes were pretty easy, and it's 2nd semester which will be demanding. However I'm excited to start fresh and learn new things!

I REACHED 10K PAGEVIEWS!!! Seriously, this meant so much to me and I am so happy and thankful for every single one of those views. *hugs you all*.

I entered a writing competition! My school board is hosting a Young Author's competition, with all ages being able to submit short stories. Winners will be announced in June. *fingers crossed*.

I started journal writing! Recently I've been writing down thoughts, feelings and emotions, which have really helped me to de-stress and stop worrying. Getting things out of my head and onto a page makes me feel so less cluttered inside!

And that was my month! I'm excited to being new things in February and hopefully I enjoy the first few bits of 2nd semester! Halfway to summer. *sighs*.

How was your month?! Did you do anything exciting? What are you looking forward to in February?!

Emily @ Paperback Princess

In Place of Never by: Julie Anne Lindsey (ARC Review)

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery
Published: February 2, 2016 by: Kensington Books
Pages: 269
Rating: 5/5 stars

*Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to receive this book in exchange for a honest review.*

Mercy Porter has been living in darkness ever since her sister Faith tragically drowned. Now three years later, Mercy wants to piece together what happened that fateful night, by interviewing a travelling band of gypsies who were accused of being involved in the death. However when Faith develops a love for one of the travellers Cross, she must find a way to hide from her strict pastor father who wants to drive the gypsies out of town, all while protecting herself and her younger sister Pru from Faith's bitter and alcoholic ex boyfriend, who will stop at nothing to torment the Porter girls for his girlfriend's fate.

This book was incredibly emotional and unique!! I absolutely love reading about travellers and gypsies, specifically in YA. I feel like their culture is so interesting, and it is something that never fails to spark my curiosity. This book contained heavy themes such as self-harm, family and abuse, but it also handled forbidden love in a perfect/non cheesy way.

Each character had their own special characteristics that added something to the book. I loved Mercy's determination, Pru's humour and confidence, and of course, Cross's kind and caring heart. Mercy broke my heart, the poor girl had been through so much, but she never failed to bring herself some closure. Strangely enough, I even had a great respect for her father by the end of the book. He cared for his daughters so much, and I loved how the author made him develop for the better.

The romance in this book was executed perfectly. Even though it revolves around a strong theme of forbidden love, it was handled in a way that wasn't unrealistic or even predictable. Cross and Mercy seemed like a real couple, they had their differences and their love developed slowly. Ugh, I could not handle Cross in this book, he was such a cutie.

I feel like this book also handled strong themes of diversity. Mercy's small Virginia town did not like the idea of the gypsies who came every summer. They called them slurs, and had prejudice towards them. However on the other side, the gypsies weren't too fond of the "settled" people either. I loved in the end how the two communities were able to join together and at least have some closure.

Overall, this book was so interesting, it was unpredictable, and the ending will put a smile on your face. It was filled with things that you would never expect, and the writing kept me wanting to read on. An amazing book!

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Paperback's Pondering's: That One Book...

Paperback's Pondering's is a weekly discussion when I take a topic and well, ponder about it! This week's topic is all about that one book... the book that changed you forever.

We all have that one book. The book that we either picked up on a whim one day, or the book that we've heard everyone fuss over and wanted to see for ourselves. This book is usually a standalone, meaning that it stole your heart in just one moment, it didn't take long to get through, and you will love it forever. Allow me to explain:

Choosing my one book did not prove to be an easy task for this post. There were many books that effected me in many ways. Some I laughed, some I cried, But all left an impact for me. Finally, I settled on Paper Towns by: John Green. I chose this book because the first time I read it I knew that it would be a favourite. I was in Grade 8, fresh off of reading The Fault in Our Stars and swooning over Gus, and so I picked up this one because I just KNEW that it would be great. Looking back on it now, I wonder if I was in the right mindset back then to make such a bold assumption, but after re reading it last year I confirmed that to be true.

The reason I loved this book so much was because it goes deeper than a cheesy contemporary. This book tells of a journey, a mystery, and friendship. It taught me what it feels like to be so dedicated to someone you love (or think) you love. But it didn't give me unrealistic forms of romance, in fact, it dives deeper into friendship more than romantic relationships. This book left me laughing and with a smile on my face, and I will never forget how much I enjoyed it. It was my one book. The book that I can never get tired of.

I think it's very important to have a one book. I say "one" instead of favourite because I simply cannot pick a favourite book. I would consider HP and the Deathly Hallows as one of my favourite books, or even The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The point I'm trying to make is, that favourite books and that "one" book is different. While both books are parts of you, bring smiles to you, I would consider my favourite books to be more parts of series that I read over my childhood. Books that make me nostalgic. However my "one" book would have to be read when I was in a significant point in my life, when I needed it most.

I think the reason I chose Paper Towns was because I read it at a turning point in my life. I was graduating from elementary school, going to a high school different from all of my friends, and I would have to start fresh. I wondered if I would ever see them again. Like Q and his friends graduating from high school, they wondered if they'd ever keep in touch. Would they want to keep in touch? And THAT'S why this book meant so much to me. I helped me to go into high school with some memories to hold onto.

So what's your One book? Did it take you long to pick it? Why does it mean so much to you? I want to know!!

Emily @ Paperback Princess