Paperback's Pondering's: It's Ok to be a Social Justice Warrior

I'm sure that due to recent events, you've all read your fair share of empowering, motivating, and uplifting blog posts. But I just wanted to share my thoughts on all of these issues, as well as remind everyone that it's ok to stand up for what you believe in, because I think that a lot of people are afraid of that.

First things first, to my US blog buddies, I am here for you, we are all here for you, and now is the time for you guys to get your voices heard. I'm sure you've heard this all before, but I just wanted to remind you that if you ever need someone to talk to, you've got a whole world of people that want to support you. Now, I want to talk about a growing issue not only in the book community, but in real life as well, and that is being afraid to stand up for the real issues.

I see it in my own school everyday. Feminism is known as the "F" word. You don't mention it, and nobody gets hurt. If someone makes a racist remark, you're kind of afraid, myself included, to speak up because it's "freedom of speech". In my class, being a social justice warrior is something to be ashamed of, something that should be made fun of, because it means that you're sensitive and get offended at everything. A guy in my class actually uses SJW as an insult.

Even in the book community, I've noticed a lot of people saying that when they post about diverse books they are unfollowed, or not followed as much anymore. Diverse books are usually the best books out there, so personally it baffles me that people actually would rather only follow cookie-cutter, white-washed books. Does that not get boring?

So I just wanted to make this post to finally remind myself, and other people, that it's ok to be a social justice warrior. It's not an insult, it doesn't mean that you get offended at everything, and it should be something to be proud of. I've spent a lot of time this year putting up with a lot of crap from other people in my school, but I'm finally ready to not be ashamed of speaking up. Because I know now that by not speaking up, I am apart of the problem and preventing the change from happening. I know that some people may seem so narrow minded that you won't be able to change them, but at least you know that you did the right thing. I keep telling myself that it will be hard, but it's part of the process.

So I will finally wear my SJW badge with pride and I hope that many will accept it as well. Because at the end of the day, an SJW is as simple as being kind. As my good friend Cee @ Diary of a Reading Addict says: just don't be a jerk ;)

Emily @ Paperback Princess

The Start of Me and You by: Emery Lord

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: March 31, 2015 by: Bloomsbury
Pages: 384
Rating: 4/5 stars

When Paige Hancock's boyfriend tragically died in a swimming accident, she thought that she would never love again. Now two years later and back at high school, Paige is determined to convince everyone that she is perfectly fine, so she decides to try and get her long-time crush Ryan to like her. But when Ryan's cute, nerdy cousin Max comes to town, Paige builds up a friendship with him, and she will need to learn whether it's worth holding onto the past, or looking towards the future.

I really, really liked the concept of the book. I'll admit when I first read the synopsis, I was a bit dubious. I thought that Paige would be really annoying and pushy, and that the plot would be boring and unoriginal, but what I got was a really sweet story about love and loss. It was really quite cute.

I actually really liked the characters in this book. I think in contemporaries the characters are usually hit or miss, but here they were definitely very well-rounded and likable. Paige seemed very relatable and not at all flat or boring, and Max was so incredibly cute! He was so kind and fun and really seemed like my dream type of guy. This book is definitely fluffy.

I really liked the concept of this as well. You would think that it would be very sad and dark, but it was actually very uplifting. You don't usually think about how a person gets back into the dating game after the loss of a partner, so I think that this book brought a unique take on a really sad issue. I think it could have been very motivating for people going through the same issue.

I guess the only thing I didn't like about this book was the stereotypical nerd/hot guy trope. I think because Max was nerdy and Ryan was the hot jock, it took Paige a long time to give Max the time of day, which kind of annoyed me. Why is there the stereotype that nerds are less attractive than jocks? this is coming from a fellow nerd.

Overall, I really liked this! It was cute and unique and also very easy to get through. Definitely a great contemporary read. Although watch out for stereotypes.

Have you read The Start of Me and You? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

What I Learnt from NaNoWriMo Last Year

NaNoWriMo. It could be every writer's favourite time of the year, or their worst nightmare. For me it was kind of in the middle, so I decided to make this post offering some (hopefully helpful) tips to all those participating this year, and my overall thoughts on the program.

Now I am no NaNo veteran, I only participated last year, but my experience is still pretty vivid that I thought it was worth telling. For starters, it was not as easy as I thought it was going to be. For me, I just thought that I would definitely be able to finish way before November ended and that I wouldn't need to prepare. Boy was I wrong! I went in with no rhyme or reason to my story whatsoever, that I suffered about five boughts of writer's block and left so many plot holes. I would advise, DO SOME PLANNING! Definitely sort your story out.

I also was kind of intimidated by it? I saw all of these older 20-something people on the website that were on their fourth year participating, all with published books and projects, and I just missed my teen blog buddies more than ever. I didn't really find any YA writers to connect with, which left me kind of overwhelmed, so I would say to definitely go out of your way to find other people participating that you're comfortable with talking to, it makes the experience a whole lot more enjoyable.

It seems like I'm making it out to look like I hated most of it, but I actually really took a lot of positive things from it! It's such a great motivator to look at your word count, update your progress, and meet your goal. If you're someone like me who is completely unmotivated all the time, setting a goal on a website like this really helps you to sit your ass down and write!

Once you complete your goal, you also get a lot of cool perks that make the hard work really worth it. You get all of these discounts on publishing websites, plus t-shirts, a certificate and more! Again, if you like the idea of rewards for your accomplishments, this really keeps you going.

Overall NaNoWriMo is a great way for you to practice your writing. It's an amazing tool for aspiring writers to complete a challenge, and kickstart their careers through publishing perks. However it was very overwhelming for me and also quite stressful, that for me, I definitely needed a year's break. However if you're up for the challenge, it can really pay off.

Have you participated in NaNoWriMo? What did you think about it?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Since You've Been Gone by: Morgan Matson

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: May 6, 2014 by: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 449
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Emily's best friend Sloane brought her out of her shell and into the light. However what was supposed to be the summer of a lifetime for the girls turns sour when Sloane mysteriously disappears. The weird thing is, Sloane left Emily a list of things to do while Sloane was gone. Determined to find her friend, Emily embarks on the journey of a lifetime, finally surviving life without Sloane, and going after her longtime crush Frank Porter.

This was a very good summer read. I guess this review comes a bit late since it's November, but hopefully you'll get the summer vibes from it. Overall this book was a good, easy read for on the beach or something, but I wouldn't say that it was anything special.

I really liked the vibes from this book. The atmosphere was really nice, and while reading this in the summertime, I could really imagine that I was in the character's place. This book was very bright and happy and definitely puts you in a good mood.

I would say that this book is easy to get through. It is kind of long for a contemporary book, but it's still very easy to read and understand and the story is interesting. It will keep you entertained on a beach or on a long road trip, that's for sure.

I guess this book just didn't "wow" me. It was nothing that I hadn't seen before, and the character's weren't really that exciting or diverse. They were just your typical white teenage girls, which kind of bothered me. I would have liked a POC in there or something.

So I guess if you want to read this book, read this in the summertime when you just want something to get you through the hot days, but don't really expect to be amazed. And definitely don't read this if you're expecting something diverse.

Have you read Since You've Been Gone? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: October

Hello everyone, and Happy Halloween! Hope you all have a spooky day! Here's my monthly recap for October:

What I Read: 

This is What Happy Looks Like by: Jennifer E. Smith: 3/5 stars
The Shawl by: Cynthia Ozick: 4/5 stars
The Last Boy and Girl in the World by: Siobhan Vivian: 1/5 stars
The Radius of Us by: Marie Marquarot
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by: Benjamin Alire Saenez: 5/5 stars
Learning to Swear in America by: Katie Kennedy: 3/5 stars
Tales of the Peculiar by: Ransom Riggs: 4/5 stars
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: 3/5 stars

Favourite Book of the Month: 

Definitely, fully and whole-heartedly Ari and Dante!! It was my first audiobook I've ever read, and the story, mixed with Lin-Manuel's narration made this book possibly my favourite book of 2016.

What I Blogged: 

My favourite blog post this month was my post on the Lack of Diversity in YA Romance. I've been wanting to talk about this issue since FOREVER , and I got a lot of great rec's.

Favourite Blog Posts of the Month: 

Cee reminds victims of rape that They Are Not on Trial 

Brooklyn writes A Letter to Hazel Grace 

Charlotte reflects On Turning 20 

Ruzaika shares tips for how to survive Being a Chicken during Halloween Season 

Blogger of the Month: 

This month's shoutout goes to the lovely bloggers over at The Regal Critiques, Veronika and Ruzaika! I've known these two amazing ladies for a while, and they never fail to leave the most insightful, thoughtful and kind comments. Plus, their blog is so incredibly creative and they make the best events, such as their Spooky October series! Go check them out :) 

Personal Stuff of this Month: 

Nothing really happened much in my life this month. I'm actually somewhat enjoying school, except for my history class, but that's another story. Overall I've been writing a lot this month thanks to Writer's Craft, and I'm looking forward to November! Plus, this is a friendly reminder that Christmas is just around the corner :)))

How was your October? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by: Sara Raasch

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Published: October 14, 2014 by: Balzer and Bray
Pages: 416
Rating: 4/5 stars

For her entire life, Meira has lived as a Winterian refugee, after The Kingdom of Winter was raided and their power overthrown. Meira lives with the other eight surviving members of Winter, as they prepare for finally being able to take back their kingdom. When Meira finds out of a mysterious locket that could help reclaim the kingdom, she goes after it, battling with evil forces and her own destiny. However there may be more to this mission than she thought, and it could put her, and Winter, in danger.

To be honest, I did not think that I would enjoy this book at all. It looked like a heavy fantasy that I would just find boring and lacking. However I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book, and I think I may have found a new fantasy series to love!

I really loved all of the characters in this book. I loved how Meira wasn't your typical heroine who is ruthless and an avid fighter. I liked how she was kind of timid and had to work up to being a fighter, it was a good change of pace. I also loved the other Winterians, I even thought that the villains were written well!

I enjoyed the pacing of this novel. It wasn't too boring at all, I thought that the language really built up intensity and I found myself fully entertained. There wasn't a huge influx of information being thrown at me that I couldn't handle, I thought that the book had a perfect balance of showing vs. telling.

I guess the one complaint I had was I thought the ending was a bit rushed. It seemed like all of this new information is being thrown at you at the end, as opposed to the steady pace in the beginning and middle. The ending made things kind of confusing.

Overall though, a great fantasy book for people who don't like fantasy!

Have you read Snow Like Ashes? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

The Hamilton Book Tag

I saw this tag going around a longg time ago, before I gave into the hype and listened to Hamilton. Now I am fully and completely obsessed and am finally doing this tag!

The Room Where it Happens- Book World You Would Put Yourself In: 

Besides Hogwarts of course, I would definitely put myself in Henrietta from The Raven Cycle. The mystical forest would be amazing!

The Schuyler Sisters- Underrated Female Character: 

I would definitely say Reyna from The Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series. She's so precious.

My Shot- A Character That Goes After What They Want: 

Obviously Kaz from Six of Crows! That's dedication!!

Stay Alive- A Character That You Wish Was Still Alive: 

Noah freaking Czerny. *sniff sniff*

Burn- The Most Heartbreaking End to a Relationship: 

Gale and Katniss forever and always. I will always be bitter about this.

You'll Be Back- Most Sassiest Villain: 

Lucius Malfoy could bring the sass when he wanted to!

The Reynolds Pamphlet- A Book With a Twist that You Didn't See Coming: 

A Monster Calls! That entire book was like: whaatttt

Non Stop- A Series You Marathoned: 

The only time I've ever really marathoned a series was Harry Potter, for obvious reasons.

Satisfied- Favourite Book with Multiple POV's: 

I feel like most books I read have mutiple POV's, but if I had to pick one, maybe An Ember in the Ashes! It was amazingly done!

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story- Book That Will Be Remembered Throughout History: 

Again, *besides* Harry Potter, I would say that classic books such as Jane Eyre and To Kill a Mockingbird will, and already have, been remembered through history.

That's it! I'd like to tag any Hamilton fans out there, although I think most of you have done this already, I'm pretty late to the party haha!

Emily @ Paperback Princess