Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop (6)

Follow Friday will be updated here when it pops up later, so this week starts with Book Blogger Hop from Crazy for Books!

“In honor of Banned Books Week, what is your favorite “banned or frequently challenged book”?”

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. According to the ALA website: A parent had complained that the book has a “high volume of racially offensive derogatory language and misinformation on Native Americans. In addition to the inaccurate imagery, and stereotype views, the text lacks literary value which is relevant to today’s contemporary multicultural society."

Does it contain racial slurs? Yes, and the book was originally published in the thirties; racial slurs and comments in books that are deplorable today were perfectly normal in an older era, though that is no reason to ban a book. Any teens reading this, assuming that they are mature enough to read the book, should recognize that much.

Also, what is this about lacking value in today's society? I'm pretty sure that the person who made the complaint has never read one page of any edition of Brave New World ever published, ever. Between test-tube babies, a disregard for those who reject technology/ live "off the grid", recreational drug use, and little to no concern within society regarding one-night stands, Brave New World is an eerie portrait of the twenty-first century (at least, the Western world), and definitely a book that changed my life when I read it. 

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop (5?)

I'm losing count, my days have been so busy recently D;

First is Follow Friday, from Allison Can Read and Parajunkee:

Q. Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?

The only novel series that I constantly go back to is the Artemis Fowl series, which for many reasons I continue to mention here on Follow Friday. In my eyes, the series has a great plot, awesomely snarky humor, characters that I've grown to love/ loved since the first page, and is long enough to be satisfactory without feeling ripped off (final book, #8, is scheduled for next year.) I know that many times it's humor is seen as childish (and rightly so), and that the books are in both the childrens' room and YA section of my public library, but I swear I will go and see the movie even if I am forty when it comes out. 

Also, I put the graphic novel on a display stand in the childrens' graphic novel section while I was working last week, and had a happy-dance moment when I came in this week to find it gone. Another soul converted!

Next (as usual) is Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy for Books!

“As a blog reader, what information (besides the book review) do you like to see in other bloggers’ reviews of books? (For example – Author bio, social media links, book synopsis from Amazon/Goodreads or one written by the blogger, page count, ISBN number, link to purchase, etc.)”

I'm actually not that picky about it. I like seeing the publication date (and subsequently forget to put them in my own reviews), and the Goodreads link for the book. I'm on GR a lot, so I like to be able to click on a link at the bottom of an interesting review and be taken to the page so I can mark it to be read. Personally, I find author bio to be a bit unnecessary in a book review, and I'd rather those go on a separate post (about new and upcoming author posts, NYT bestseller posts, etc.)

As for which synopsis that I like, for a while I would write them on my own but recently switched to writing down the ones from the inside/ back cover of the books. That's obviously easier on my part, and I can then devote more time to writing the review itself. I see a lot of other book bloggers do it too.

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop 4

Hello! If you are new here I am Emily, and this is my fourth Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday! Huzzah!

First up is Follow Friday by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read:


                                 

Q. It's that pesky magic book fairy again! She has another wish: What imaginary book world would you like to make a reality?

I really like fantasy series, and would love nothing more than to be able to trek out on my own magical, world-saving adventure. Something along the lines of The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan or The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (both of which I will get through some day!)

Pulling inspiration from 

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books. This week's question is:

As a book blogger, how do you introduce yourself in your profile?

The first thing that I try to do is not to be misleading; everything in my profile is the truth, and the last thing that I want from people who read my profile is for them to think that I'm something that I'm not. 

Second, alongside the average such as name and the fact that I'm a student, is a few non-book-related things that I like to do. Obviously I read, and I figured that those who stumble across this blog would think as much, but I want people to see that I have other passions too. I've had people comment before on my love of geocaching and LEGO Star Wars, and it makes me happy to know that I have more in common with my readers than just reading and blogging.

And... That's it for this week! See you next Friday!

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop (3)

 It's Friday! (Friday, gotta get down- okay, I'll stop) so that means two new memes for this week! For starters, sorry if I don't comment/ follow you as quikcly as I can, I have school tomorrow, but I promise to get back to you as soon as I could! Thanks for visiting!

First up, Follow Friday, hosted by Allison Can Read and Parajunkee.

Q. Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one?

I know, I know, I need to stop talking about Dystopian Societies sooner or later, but this question is just too perfect to pass up! I love stories like 1984 and Brave New World; the older dystopians. In those, the negative/ evil/ bad society often wins, and quite frankly that's how I think it should be (more often than not.) When it comes to modern, teen dystopians, it seems like in the end the dystopian part of society is always crushed, no matter how little the protagonist/ their band of merry rebels does. Not every rebellion is met with change, and it takes a lot more to fall a corrupt government than a lot of current books would have us believe (but Libya knows all too well.)

EDIT: Okay, a little attachment because I didn't feel that my earlier answer was clear enough. I don't root for villains because I like evil deeds, or smile when people are hurt. I like to see villains succeed, at least sometimes, because I think it makes a story more realistic. Good doesn't always come out on top in real life, so why should it in books? I think books need to have at least a realistic element to be relatable and believable.

And now onto this week's Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy for books.

“Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?”

I've wanted to dabble in fantasy for a while, and it's been a while since I had. No, I probably wouldn't give up reading, I'm sure that I'd find something to read. After all, I always have whatever that "others sprinkled in" constitutes, right? :)

See you next Friday!

Feature & Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop (3)

I'll be participating in Book Blogger Hop and Feature & Follow Friday once again! Welcome, and feel free to leave a comment! And I hope that you're joining in the fun!

Feature & Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read:

First question:

If you could change the ending to any book (or series), which book would you choose? Why and to what?

CAUTION: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE HUNGER GAMES SERIES ENDING BELOW!

In case you didn't catch my warning up above, The Hunger Games. I wouldn't say I hated the ending, but I severely disliked it, and not because of Prim's fate. First, I disliked how quickly it went. After Katniss shoots Coin (why do I want to keep calling her "Acorn," again?) there basically is no ending. Katniss walks around in a daze, and we really don't see what happens to the world. I mean, no riots in the Capitol? District 2? And what happened to Haymitch? Quite frankly, he was my favorite character. I reread the last part we see him and I THINK there's an allusion to him dying, but then again maybe he just left ("Haymitch drinks until the liquor runs out, and then raises geese until the next train arrives. Fortunately, the geese can take pretty good care of themselves."- page 387) And Gale too, what about him? Honestly, if any epilogue were to be written, I want to hear about Panem one hundred years later, to see if things really did change for the better. After all, I'm pretty sure they didn't host another Hunger Games after Katniss's last, but it isn't explicitly stated, and who knows, maybe things got so bad again that the Hunger Games returned, or something worse took their place.

END HUNGER GAMES SPOILERS. (P.S. That was the first time I've cracked open Mockingjay since I finished it on, like, the second of January. It still smells like it's new...)

And now, onto the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy for Books:

“What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season – A particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation? (If your next season is other than fall/autumn, tell us about it and what you are most looking forward to in your part of the world!)”

Three Things:

1) National Novel Writing Month (Nov. 1st)

2) The release of Legend by Marie Lu (Nov. 29)

3) The start of my SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL!!! (Sept. 7)

Again, I welcome all newcomers!

Feature & Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop

Another Friday come and gone. School will be starting for me soon, senior year! Until then, here are my answers to this week's Feature and Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop:

Feature and Follow Friday is first, though I'm afraid I couldn't get the button to work this week :(

Q. In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in quesiton "comes out of the closet" and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real?

I  like people that can transform into some sort of animal, like a werewolf. I think it's a cool ability and really admire it. Monsters and those that wish to do non-changing humans harm need not apply.

Next, Book Blogger Hop:

“Non-book-related this week!! Do you have pets?”

I have Whiskers, my cat. Cut me some slack on the name, I was five and put in charge of that position. The second is Spike, a beaded dragon, and you can see her in all of her glory in my icon. She is sitting very patiently on her rock, which is what she spends many of her days doing. I've had her for about eight or so years now.

So, if you are here from either of these memes, I welcome you :)

Book Blogger Hop #1

I recently discovered Book Blogger Hop and decided to give it a try this week! It is hosted at Crazy for Books and is a place for book bloggers to get together and connect with one another.

Prompt: What is the longest book you've ever read? 

I'm pretty sure it's Twilight by Stephanie Meyer at about 500 pages. It's held that record for a couple of years, too; I like to read quick books more than books that take longer to read. Divergent by Veronica Roth comes in at second place.