rogueslayer452 | Entries tagged with book meme

Day 19 - Favorite book cover (bonus points for posting an image!)

I chose this specifically because of the controversy surrounding the recently coverart change, as it is seen as racist because it seems Asian-themed covers won't draw a wider audience of readers. Which is ridiculous and utter bullshit, really. You can read more about this outrage here along with seeing the "changed" cover that is deemed more "appropriate" and judge for yourself which one is the better. Personally, I think this cover is gorgeous, and definitely eye-catching and even without reading it I know I would want to pick it up. This is marketing, not trying to turn it into something basic and thinking people will go for it. No, something that pops out to the eye and this cover does that exactly, not some badly photoshopped version. Also, to change the cover from an Asian-based story to something that is clearly non-Asian is not only misleading about what the story is about but also blatant racism whether they admit to it or not.

Someone also pointed out the Indonesian cover, which is also very beautiful.

Current Mood: content
Current Music: Selena Gomez - Intuition

Day 18 - Favorite beginning scene in a book

Hmm, this is a tough one. I don't really have a favorite, but rather a particular kind of beginning scene that definitely draws me into a book. It's hard to explain.

It's sort of like with books like Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden or Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell where there's a certain kind of narration of description going on to grasp your attention to the story, to get you engaged if you will. Something either strange or interesting to pull you in, with Memoirs it's told in first-person like an autobiography -- similar styles to this would be of Foxfire by Joyce Carole Oates and Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen, both which are also favorites of mine -- so you're immediately drawn to the story, and it almost seems like there's something personal about how it's written that you have to continue going to understand fully, because it is written like an autobiography. With books like Nineteen Eight-Four there's a sense of description that I love, you get a sense about what the world is like, something is sort of off and it isn't until a little further into reading that you understand, through the narration, which is being said about this world that fully engages you.

Yeah, like I said it's hard to really place into words what I mean. But I think it's understandable? idk, lol.

Current Mood: tired

Day 16 - Favorite poem or collection of poetry

"Footprints in the Sand" is one that I kind of keep referring back to, and I don't know why. I think that regardless if you're religious or not the message is very nice, and it kind of uplifts you knowing that even during your most difficult moments in life you were never alone even if you think you were. I don't know, I really like that for some reason.

With that being said, I don't really think I've been huge on poetry. I did go through a period in high school where I wrote it though, obviously something to really kind of express myself (very badly, btw), but otherwise it's not something that I kind of pay much attention.

Day 17 - Favorite story or collection of stories (short stories, novellas, novelettes, etc.)

Fairytales. I'm very into fairytales, not just the stories themselves but the history of their origins as well, as many of them were gruesome and had some pretty explicit meanings behind them. Just learning the different interpretations of them is intriguing enough. I have a collection of fairytales (at least some of them anyway) in a huge book that we've had for God knows how long, but it's one of the reasons, along with many other influences, that got me interested in them in the first place. I don't really talk about it that much, but I've always had a fascination with these sort of stories and tales because of their background and history and how it relates to today, and how we've changed the meaning but still keep that fantastical parts of it, you know? Okay, I'm rambling, but yes fairytales are my favorite collection of stories.

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Also, obligatory icon usage because it's so appropriate and it's just too funny that I have use right now, lol! I MISS YOU CARA AND YOUR SEXY SARCASTIC MORD'SITH WAYS! WANT S3 DAMMIT.

Current Mood: awake

( Day 14 - Favorite character in a book (of any sex or gender) )

( Day 15 - Your 'comfort' book )

Okay, this is incredibly random, but did anyone else notice the parallels or connections to BSG and Firefly in Inception? "Cobol" Engineering? Mal and Cobb? I mean I did make these connections when I first saw the film and it might all just be a coincidence, but with my fannish brain there are no coincidences.

I'm actually making my way through creating more appreciation posts of prompting certain shows, like what I did with Haven some while ago, since there are handfuls of shows out there that seriously do need more people watching them or else they are going to suffer the fate of being canceled when they shouldn't be. I'm working on a Caprica one right now, then I'm going to to Warehouse 13 and Nikita, and others as I go along. It's my way of spreading the word about shows many might not know about otherwise.

Current Mood: restless
Current Music: 2NE1 - Can't Nobody

Day 13 - Favorite childhood book and/or current favorite YA book

I really liked Sarah's Unicorn by Bruce and Katherine Coville. I don't know what attracted me to it, I think it was the story in combination of the artwork that drew me in and it's been stuck with me ever since. Though the funny thing? We don't even own it, at the time we kept borrowing it from the library as kids, but we didn't even have a copy. Not even now. This needs to be redeemed, methinks. Although I don't think it's on the market anymore?

I also read the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine quite a bit, too. But I think everyone did. Heh.

Current Mood: bored

Day 12 - A book or series of books you've read more than five times

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Easy answer. *g*

Of course there are plenty of books I've reread over five times over the years. reread V.C. Andrews novels every now and again, I probably have read Flowers in the Attic many times since I first read it years ago. Sometimes, you just have to relive certain books that you love, especially if they made an impact on you. You know what's really interesting, is that there are people out there that think it's weird or pointless to reread books you've already read. Whatever, I say they're missing out on half the fun. Because sometimes you reread a book you read years ago and you get a totally different perspective, or you catch things you didn't before, make certain connections, etc. I mean, rereading Harry Potter was a vital part once the saga was near completion, because there were clues hidden in the previous books. So yeah, rereading books several times is awesome.

And I just rambled, lol.

Current Mood: busy

Day 11 - A book that disappointed you

Run No More by Catherine Mulvany.

I'll be honest that I loved the story from the beginning, it was intriguing, the setup was interesting, and it had a mystical element mixed with crime and espionage that sparked my interest. I liked the relationships between the two main characters. However, almost towards the end at one of the pivotal moments of the story, there was a horribly written sex scene. I didn't even finish reading the book it was so awkward, it took me out of the story completely and I haven't picked it up since. That was a huge disappointment because I was really enjoying the story up until that point. This goes back to the discussion about contrived romances as a least favorite plot device, or rather in this case authors who simply cannot write romance scenes to save their lives and end up cheapening the story that actually had potential of going somewhere good. I find this happens a lot in certain cases, authors need to focus on their stronger points in writing, sometimes sex scenes shouldn't be written to say that hey, two characters are being intimate with one another.

Another one isn't much of a disappointment, but more something I just couldn't get into: the Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey. They are a really good series, I am certainly not denying that at all, but the writing style just didn't pull me in. I guess I'm more disappointed in myself that I couldn't get into it like I thought I would, since it was recommended to me. Those kinds of fantasy-style books just aren't for me, I suppose.

Current Mood: blank

Day 09 - Best scene ever

Really can't say because there are so many scenes from books I've read that I love/are the best. So, yeah.

Day 10 - A book you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving

Lord of the Flies by William Golding. It was required reading in high school and I didn't really think I would enjoy it because come on, nobody really likes required reading anyway. However once I started reading it I got so into it that I read chapters ahead to get to what happens next. In fact I loved the book so much that later, during my senior year, I wrote a compare/contrast paper between it and Battle Royale by Koushun Takami (another book I highly recommend, actually) which had similar themes about kids in dire situations and trying to survive. What I loved about it was the controversial topics it covered, and we actually talked about them in class and did projects and mini assignments, something that not many English classes did. I find it to be more engaging to talk about what happened and do something entertaining for each chapter.

What I loved most about Lord of the Flies was the grotesque look at the darkness of human nature, where there's not civilization, no structure of society rules, just pure and utter chaos and the loss of innocence. I love the allegory and symbolism with the story of these boys and how they interpret the world without adults around them. Needless to say, it's one of my top favorites amongst the classics.

Current Mood: bored

Day 08 - A book everyone should read at least once

Oh God, I don't know. There are many books out there everyone needs to read at least once, it's hard to recommend just one. I think I'll have to say to two that immediately came to mind was Matilda by Roald Dahl and The Giver by Lois Lowry, mostly because I think everyone can benefit from both books. Matilda is that story everyone should read because it's about the positive empowerment for young girls, and The Giver was one book that I read in junior high that had a very interesting concept that makes one think. It also has relations to the theme that Nineteen Eighty-Four had, if that's helpful.

Yeah, this is really not my area of recommending one book for everyone to read at least once, since I can recommend my entire bookshelf or all my favorites, lol.

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On another matter, unfortunately my cousin didn't win the competition. Thanks to everyone who voted anyway, it means a lot that you guys participated when you didn't have to. And the dealio with my sister's car accident thing, apparently the insurance people deemed her 100% responsible for the accident even though she was the one who'd gotten hit, which led her to having her car totaled indefinitely. My sister called her insurance to see what happened and how that was determined and if that can get straightened up, but the likelihood that it will seems very slim. Life currently is being unfair, and I'm not happy with it. It's such a strange thing when you're upset when bad things happen to other people, especially when it's your family. I feel kinda helpless.

And now I feel like I'm spamming you guys today, heh.

Current Mood: apathetic

Day 07 - Least favorite plot device employed by way too many books you actually enjoyed otherwise

( Sometimes plot devices can be so contrived... )

There's a discussion going on right now over on

hp_commonroom regarding the Hogwarts Houses, and topic of discussion that I have always been intrigued by because I have very strong opinions on the matter. As much fun as it is deciphering which House you'd belong to, there's an inherit flaw in the entire Housing system as a whole. Many people at the post believe, and agree, that Slytherin House has been massively sidelined at being given any kind of redeeming qualities in the books despite the lessons about inter-House unity instead of the blatant House segregation. This is something I still have problems with how that message was contradicted and how JKR didn't show both sides of Slytherin, aside from humanizing and sympathizing with Malfoys in the last two books and especially with Snape in the last book. Of course, there's loads of issues with the Wizarding World in general which is half of the reason for such an overgeneralization, but the problem still remain nonetheless. There's very interesting opinions over there if you want to take a look. Of course, I'm being reminded why debating with HP fans is so much fun, especially when opinionated thoughts get in the way. /sarcasm noted

I still maintain the belief that had the books not allowed Harry to know of the representation of the Houses and had he been sorted into Slytherin and fought against the stereotypes gone with it, the results would have been far more interesting, don'tcha think? As much as I love the series, I think that would have been fascinating to see that struggle with needing to break that mold.

Someone met Sendhil Ramamurthy in person at the FanExpo 2010 recently, which aside from Misha Collins I would end up becoming a bumbling idiot around him because asdflaskflsfdk gorgeous man. Anyway, the writeup of this person's encounter is perhaps the best writeup I've seen, because it shows how adorable Sendhil is and his polite honesty regarding Heroes and what went wrong, which is something I had been curious about since I know many of the actors weren't happy with what was happening on the show. But it's nice to hear him say things in his own words. Oh, and he signed an autograph to the community. D'awww. ♥

Oh, and who wants to spend an evening with Tricia Helfer? *_________*