Blog Hop - October 5-11

This weeks Blog Hop is hosted by Soon Remembered Tales. Question: Banned Books Week ends on the 6th. How do you feel about books being challenged to be banned from libraries or schools? Have you read any banned books?

I actually have quite a large collection of previously banned books. In my opinion the books that have been banned are the ones that are very thought provoking, have important messages and really just worth reading, (also, who doesn't feel rather cool toting around Henry Miller...) In fact when I first got my laptop a few years ago I saved the American Library Association's list of banned or challenged books to my favourites as a "to buy" list! I always find it so amazing looking at the things that were banned less than a hundred years ago, things that people don't bat an eye at in today's society, look at the first 20 titles on the list; 

I've read the majority of these novels and in our time with most of them I'd never guess there had ever been any question about their readability. The idea of censorship in general really rubs me up the wrong way. I don't like the thought of what I see or read being controlled, but apart from being aware there's really not anything we can do about it, everything is controlled, if it's not by the government it's by the media and occasionally a book will come along which doesn't cater to the parameters of what's deemed acceptable; thus banned books!

 So, How do I feel about the banning of books? In a word: Angry! Sex exists, violence exists, drugs exist, you can't change the existence of these things so why try to halt people's awareness of them? It's so backwards for people to believe that just because you can't see or read about something then it just doesn't exist! As far as I'm concerned we should judge for ourselves if we're prepared to read about something, if we're not we can just close the book, the option of picking it up at all is what matters...I think I may have written more than the hop really asked for here so I'll stop my little rant now. I'm really looking forward to reading what everyone else has to say about this subject.

Blog Hop

This weeks prompt is a little different, it's all about highlighting a post you want to promote, and I wasn't quite sure what to write at first as I don't currently have any giveaway's or competitions up, but then I thought, well perhaps now is the time to start one! So first off; this is not a giveaway post, I'm just trying to gauge what you all think on an idea I have for my first one.

I'm thinking about hosting a giveaway to win a SIGNED, hardback copy of John Green's The Fault In Our Stars.

I read a lot of book blogs, so I know John Green is very well known around these parts and that this particular book has gotten a lot of great praise, and I do just happen to have a signed copy so I thought it would make the perfect giveaway.

I don't want to do a huge review on this post so I'll just type up what's on the dust jacket;

"Despite the tumour shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named August Waters suddenly appears at cancer kid support group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten."

I'm not sure what the parameters of the giveaway will be yet, but if this sounds like something you'd be interested in then drop me a comment and let me know.

Blog Hop - 21st-27th

Blogging Question: What is one thing that your blog readers probably do not know about you?

I have no idea how to answer this question! I'm just going to go with something simple that I probably have mentioned before but...as I said I don't know how to answer this! So I'm...a film student! I studied film and media at A-level, which in the UK is what you go on to do after leaving school, before you go to Uni. I absolutely loved my A-levels (I took 3 full ones - English, Film and Media, and one AS - Communication and Culture) but I did really want to study literature at Uni, unfortunately the Uni closest to be didn't offer any English courses and I couldn't afford to move away so...Film it was. 

Blog Hop 14-20

Highlight one of your favourite reviews from the past month?

When I fist saw this weeks prompt I thought it meant a review by someone else that you liked, but most people on the links seem to have done the review of their own they like best, I'm going to do both! I don't know if I have a specific favourite review but Juli's reviews over at Universe in Words are always really well written, recently she's written posts about Persuasion by Jane Austen, Andrew Marvels poetry and Emily Dickinsons poetry that I've really enjoyed reading. I also really like Rory's blog, she reviews quite a mix of genres and just seems like a lovely person in general!
My own favourite review is going to have to be on The Perks of Being a Wallflower which you can read here, purely because I really enjoyed writing it, and it's a great book.

Blog Hop, Sept 7 - 13

What book series do you never want to see end? 

I NEVER want the Song Of Ice And Fire series by George R. R. Martin to end! They are so entirely enthralling and captivating, I love the twists, I love the Characters, I love the writing. There are still 2 books to go and I'm yet to read the prequel books so hopefully it won't end too soon for me! Do you love life in Westeros too? Recommend me some series to tide me over till The Winds Of Winter.

Blog Hop - Aug 31 - Sept 6

What is the one book or series you are dying to see turned into a movie or TV series?
A lot of them have already been done actually! I'm currently really looking forward to The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, The Great Gatsby, On The Road, Man Of Steel, Cosmopolis, Life Of Pi, Les Miserables and Anna Karenina. (The first four especially because they look so well done!) What would I like to see in the future? I think anything adapted from Cormac McCarthy's work would be a winner,  I've always thought Chuck Palahniuks Haunted would be a great adaptation, and I'd love to see a Fiesta reboot because Brett is one of my all time favourite female characters. What adaptations are you looking forward to/would you love to see?

Book Blogger Hop - (Aug 24 - 30)

What is your favourite thing about blogging?
I really like that I'll always have these posts to look back on, it's like a database of my own thoughts on what I've read and it's a lovely reminder of what made the books I've reviewed special to me. I also like feeling creative in a literary way, I really miss writing but don't have much occasion for it on my University course.