Annoying Protagonists

Hi bookbugs!

So, I have a bee in my bonnet; and I would like to talk about it.

Right now, I am reading the second Vampire Academy book, Frostbite. And as I continue on with this series, the more I hate Rose.

OK, I said it. Don't shoot!

I'm sorry, but this girl is so. Fucking. Annoying. Is she supposed to bug me this much?! And while I'm on the subject, Lissa makes me angry as well. The whole "helpless princess trapped in an ivory tower" routine is lost on me.

So, we have a book series with two main characters whom I cannot stand. I can't stand Rose because she is arrogant, self-righteous, stuck-up and obnoxiously vain. She thinks she's the hottest girl at St. Vladimir's, and perhaps she is, but she is way too aware of it and mentions it way too often. I can't stand Lissa because she is a helpless damsel-in-distress and a sooky, prissy little wimp. Man, that looks harsh on the page. But I don't care. I won't take it back! Actually, the whole Moroi-are-precious-dhampirs-are-expendable thing bothers me, too, but that's a story for another blog post.

It's not often that I hate a protagonist or a main character in a book. There have been the obvious ones that everyone is supposed to hate, like Lord Voldemort and Carrie's 'Mama,' but as far as a story's narrator or their best friend goes, it is unusual. So the fact that I could so passionately hate Rose and Lissa came as a surprise to me. I never go into a series wanting to dislike the characters. I wanted to like Rose and Lissa. I just don't.

I haven't hated a protagonist this much since Twilight (sorry, Bella Swan, you were just too angsty for me) and I can only hope that Rose will have her comeuppance and pull her head in, and maybe Lissa will find a way to be less of a wussy princess. Is that too much to hope for? I'm not sure if I will even bother finishing this series. I'm struggling now and it's only book #2. I do like Dimitri, though; and I enjoy the way Richelle Mead describes architecture. So I guess I'll see how I feel at the end of this book.

What do you guys think? Do you agree? Who are some protagonists or major characters that you can't stand?

Happy reading!

Rhi xo

How to Love Poetry

• Write some yourself
  
  
• Read it aloud
  
• Shout it from rooftops
  
• Release all your expectations
  
  
• Let it be what it is
  
  
• Bathe with it
  
• Read it by moonlight
  
  
• Read it with a partner
  
• Read it by candlelight
  
• Read it to music
  
• Sing it
  
• Embrace it
  
  
• Don't try to force it to 'be' anything
  
• Imagine the backstory/context
  
• Say "To hell with rhyme and meter!"
  
  
• Watch the movie Dead Poets Society
  
• Read poetry YOU like
  
• Don't over-analyse

This work is original and my own. All copyright reserved.

Cram-a-thon June 2016

Hey bookbugs!

Inspired by the plethora of read-a-thons in the internet bookish community, I have decided to do a Cram-a-thon. I can't remember who originally coined this phrase, so I'm sorry in advance, but basically a Cram-a-thon is a bit like a reading sprint. You read a bunch of short books or books that are a really quick read, in order to knock off a bunch of numbers from your 2016 Reading Challenge. I thought this sounded like a great idea and I have decided to give myself the span of one week. Partly, this is to allow for general Adulting to get in the way, as it so often does, but it's also partly because a whole week allows for a LOT of books.

Of course, you guys are more than welcome to participate along with me. I will be posting this a few days in advance, the official start date will be: 26/06/2016  and will run until: 3/07/2016.

I'll be posting a wrap-up at the end of the week letting you know how many books I read, which books I read, maybe the amount of pages; and my general thoughts on the process. I hope that some of you will get into it and be reading alongside me!

Rhi xo

Underrated and Overrated Books!

Hey bookbugs!

Today I would like to share with you two lists, one of Underrated Books (in my opinion) and one of Overrated Books (also in my opinion). If any of the books I list as "Overrated" are your favourite books and I offend you, I'm terribly sorry, this is of course only my opinions. If you have any thoughts on these books, feel free to leave me a comment down below and we can discuss them!

Without further ado, the lists!

First off, let's start with Underrated Books:

• The White Rabbit Chronicles by Gena Showalter.
  How is it that I never hear anybody talking about these books? I don't think I know more than one other person who has even read them, which is crazy to me. It's inspired by Alice in Wonderland, it's fast-paced action-packed YA, it has great love stories and wicked-cool, funny characters; and ZOMBIES. Zombies, for goodness' sake! Seriously, everybody needs to go out and buy these books right now. You'll thank me later.
  
• The Dark Tower series by Stephen King.
  I know this series has an underground cult following, but I can't for the life of me figure out how it has stayed underground for so long. These books hooked me back in 2006-2007 and refused to let go of me until I had finished them all. I have literally been talking about these books for nine years but nobody I know has read them. What the eff.
  
• The Syrena Legacy by Anna Banks.
  Again, this series should literally have a fandom as big as the fandom for Supernatural, but for some reason unbeknownst to me, it doesn't. I don't get it. Nothing is cooler than mermaids (I repeat: NOTHING) and this one has sexy mer-princes, a badass lead female character, witty banter, snappy comebacks, literal LOL moments and a beautiful romance. I really don't understand why more people aren't fan-flailing over this series.
  
• Lonesome Traveler by Jack Kerouac.
  Most people in this world only know Kerouac for one book- On the Road. And while On the Road is undoubtedly an American classic, it baffles me that more attention is not paid to his other, equally amazing, books. I could have named any of his other works for this list, but I think this is his best work and not enough people have read it. I could write a million words about my love for Jack Kerouac and his writing, but I will leave it at this: Read this goddamn book. Please.
  
• The Wicca/Sweep series by Cate Tiernan.
  Now, depending on where you live in the world, you might have heard of the series Wicca, or Sweep. Here in Australia, it was published as Wicca, but in the US and UK and much of the northern hemisphere, it was published as Sweep. I don't know why. I also don't know why I'm seemingly the only person on the Internet who has ever read or heard of these books. I started reading these books in 2002, when I was twelve and since then I have read and re-read the series at least fifty times. They are addictive. I wish I had somebody with whom I could discuss this series, so if you have read them, even just one of them, please write me so we can talk about them together!

Now, for the Overrated Books:

• To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han.
  I had really high expectations for this book, after hearing glowing reviews from all my favourite BookTubers, but I should have known that I would have this sort of reaction to it. I wish I had listened to my gut and saved myself the money, honestly, because while I could appreciate some aspects of the story were 'cute' (the main adjective most reviews used to describe the book), it really wasn't my thing. I found the voice juvenile, the story preposterous and the romance quite forced. I wanted to like this book, I really did, but I just didn't.
  
• Adorkable by Sarra Manning.
  This is another case of "BookTube Made Me Do It." A few years ago, I saw SnugglyOranges post a review of this book and she could not stop raving about it. I read a number of great reviews and the story sounded good so I ordered it from the Book Depository and read it and, well... Here we are. It's not that I didn't like the book, it's just that I expected it to be better than it was. This is one of those books that I have since donated to charity and really not missed. Sorry.
  
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
  Right, now I have a bit of a bone to pick with English Literature teachers around the globe. This book is, pardon my language, fucking garbage. It is complete trash and yet it is taught to high school kids around the globe as some kind of revolutionary feminist text. It couldn't be anything further from a feminist text. I really could have put ANYTHING written by Jane Austen down on this list, because frankly I find her to be terrible. Why people praise this book is beyond me. I'm actually getting angry just thinking about it; and it's been an entire decade since I was forced to suffer through it. Nope, not for me, thank you kindly.
  
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
  My greatest criticism of this novel is that it is boring. It should be an exciting read but in fact I couldn't even finish it. Again, this was assigned reading for English Lit when I was in high school; and I once described it quite eloquently as "drivel." I could not stand it. Page after page of angsty whining that I would expect from a young teenager going through their first broken heart, not a "literary classic." This book had the potential to be so much, but it fell so far short. 10/10 do not recommend.

So there you have it, a compilation of Underrated and Overrated Books. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments, and until next time, happy reading!


Rhi xo

Books I Binge-Read

Hey bookbugs!

Today I'm going to be sharing with you a list of books and series that I have "binge read." Basically that means either I read the book(s) in one sitting, or I read them in a short space of time.

• Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
• The Green Mile by Stephen King
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Wicca series by Cate Tiernan
• The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
• A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin
• The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater
• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
• Carrie by Stephen King
• Cujo by Stephen King (I'm sensing a theme here, lol!)
• White Rabbit Chronicles by Gena Showalter
• Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer

What are some books that you guys have read in one sitting, or series that you binge-read? Let me know in the comments!

Rhi xo

GENRE DISCUSSION: "Chick Lit"

Hello bookbugs!

Today I am going to begin a Genre Discussion; and the genre at hand is "Chick Lit," a rather derogatory term for a sub-genre of fiction which does not get a great deal of press, but does comprise a large section of many bookshops. I am going to explore some of the devices and storylines that frequently populate books of this genre, as well as generally discussing the genre as a whole. I hope that you will join in the discussion with me in the comments section.

Starting off, what is "Chick Lit"? A simple and frequently used definition of this term is "literature which appeals to young women," which I personally find sexist and a grand generalisation which assumes that all young women enjoy lighthearted, often stereotypical stories and frequently mindless romance. It's a definition which has been used for a number of years and apparently is here to stay. Sexist internet definitions aside, "Chick Lit" is a term generally used to describe books which follow female protagonists through the 'trials' of modern womanhood, i.e: Sex and relationships with men.

The problems with this sort of label are numerous, and altogether a rant for another day. While there is nothing inherently wrong with books that follow romantic and sexual relationships, the stereotypes which frequently populate books in this genre (if you believe it is a legitimate term) are problematic. For example, the vast majority of books in this genre involve at least one woman giving up her entire life and often her identity, in pursuit and containment of a man. Don't even get me started on this one, because it will not end well.

One could argue that the very nature of "Chick Lit" is anti-feminist. While there are certainly exceptions to the rule (the books of Candace Bushnell come to mind), the generally-held conceptions about this genre are that there is a simple formula to follow: Woman has life of her own until world is tipped upside-down by a man and then her life revolves instead around him.

The literary devices often employed in "Chick Lit" novels are strong use of metaphor, analogy and hyperbole. The man is not 'handsome,' he is 'a burning star in the dark skies of love.' He is 'the sexiest and most attractive man on the entire planet.' This type of writing leaves little to the imagination and constructs a larger-than-life view of a single person. It is easy to get lost in the descriptions in "Chick Lit" novels, because they often take up entire pages.

Some examples of "Chick Lit" novels are:

• Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (which I actually found to be quite funny and a good read)
• Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell
• One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
• I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
• The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
• Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
• Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger

While these books are not inherently bad, one has to wonder what the effects of perpetuating such strong female stereotypes could be on the social climate. By depicting humorous, dorky or 'weaker' women who have things going for them but blow off all said things when the opportunity for a relationship with a man comes around, that is sending a message to millions of readers that it's okay to be your own woman, until you find a man.

There is nothing wrong with a lighthearted romance novel. I'm not suggesting that all self-aware women should boycott this section of the bookshop or even that these books don't have their place in literature. What I am suggesting, though, is that perhaps there is room for change.

Rhi xo

Thoughts on Book Hauls

Personally, book hauls are my favourite kind of BookTube videos to watch. I love seeing which books people are buying/reading/reviewing/adding to their collections and I get excited when I see my favourite BookTubers posting new haul videos. It's like I'm vicariously living through their experiences of acquiring new books. It's fun!

This can be a double-edged sword, though, because you could argue that these type of videos promote binge-buying and excess. Which is fine, but I can see why some people would find that problematic. It does seem excessive to haul 20 + books at a time, but it's important to keep in mind that many BookTubers receive books free in exchange for review; and also that they make a bit of money from the videos themselves. They definitely have an advantage that most people don't have when it comes to obtaining new books.

One of the downsides for me watching these videos, unfortunately, is that I have very different tastes in books than most of the BookTubers that I watch. This might be because I'm significantly older than most of them, but it can also be attributed to the fact that I have been reading "adult" fiction since I was about eight or nine years old. I sort of missed the "YA window," so to speak; and while I do enjoy some YA fiction, the majority of it tends to leave something to be desired. I am not saying that in a manner of snobbery, of course, there are plenty of middle-grade and YA books that I absolutely adore (Harry Potter, anyone?) but I have to be careful when watching book hauls because I know my tastes lean slightly away from 'light, easy romance.'

What usually happens when I watch book hauls and reviews is that I hear amazing things about a book, series or author; and I rush to find the books only to discover upon reading that I find the book juvenile or lacking (I'm looking at you, To All the Boys I've Loved Before). Whenever this happens, I feel silly and usually end up donating the books to charity because I know I won't reach for them and I don't like to be reminded of the times I let great reviews cloud my better judgement. I have given away books by Gayle Forman, David Levithan and even Rainbow Rowell because I just didn't enjoy them- Which to most YA lovers probably sounds blasphemous, but I can't jump onto bandwagons and put out great reviews on books I didn't like; and I won't.

I guess what I take away from all this is that I need to trust my own tastes before I listen to anybody else's recommendations and really be more critical with myself about whether or not I am going to like a book. A great way to do this while you're out shopping in a bookshop is to open the book and read the first couple of pages. You can feel out the story, writing style and language before you decide to take the book home with you. You can also borrow the book from your local library, or even read an excerpt from the book on Amazon.

All that aside, I still love book haul videos and I shall continue to binge-watch them because they are lots of fun- just being a touch more discerning.


Rhi xo

REVIEW: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

“Sometimes the world is so much sicker than the inmates of its institutions.” 

Hi bookbugs!

Today I am (finally) getting around to publishing my review of I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg!

This book was published in 1964 and it is a semi-autobiographical novel. It follows the struggle of a sixteen-year-old girl named Deborah who is committed to a mental institution for schizophrenia. Over the coming years, the reader is drawn into the terrifying and all-consuming world of Deborah's mind, the fictional world of Yr she has created; and the war she is waging against herself. She works with a gifted psychiatrist who helps her to understand that she gave the gods of Yr power over her and she can certainly take it away.

From the first page of this novel, I was hooked. I was hanging on every word and could not put it down. Consequently, I flew through it very quickly. It is by no means an easy read, however, it is gripping and gut-wrenching and heartbreaking but it also inspires a kind of hope.

There are no false happy endings or happily-ever-afters, but there is a sense by the end of the story that Deborah can in fact squash her demons in such a way that will allow her to return to the outside world.

My favourite parts of I Never Promised You a Rose Garden are the unexpected moments of humour, of real, laugh-out-loud almost slapstick comedy. With quotes like, 

    “Can you read my thoughts?" she asked them.
"Are you talking to me?" Lee said.
"To all of you. Can you read my thoughts?"
"What are you trying to do—get me sent to seclusion?"
"Go to hell," Helene said pleasantly.
"Don't look at me," Miss Coral said, with the genteel horror of a countess visiting an abattoir, "I can't even read my own.”

and "[She] was as crazy as a bedbug," there are flashes of humour to remind the reader that 'mental patients' are not so far removed from the 'sane.' It is a wonderful way to punctuate the story and bridge the gap between the outside world and the inside world of the hospital.

Altogether, I found this book to be an incredible read, I absolutely adored it and would 10/10 recommend it to everybody and anybody. I give this book 5 stars.

- Rhi xo

Copyright Disclaimer: Photograph is mine, cover art does not belong to me. All quotes used copyright of Joanne Greenberg, 1964.

Winter is Coming: Books for Wintertime

Hey lovelies!

Winter is in full swing here in Australia. The temperature in my house right now is so low that I can actually see my breath, so in between shuffling around pretending to be a dragon, I have been snuggling up on my couch and reading. Today, I have for you a list of books that I feel are good to curl up with and read in winter!

In no particular order, we have:

1. Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling. Obviously, the Harry Potter series is where I go whenever I want to curl up for a comfort read; and literally any of these books is perfect to read in winter.
   
   
   
   
2. The Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. Winter = snow = Russia, obviously, so what better than the Grisha trilogy to read when it's cold and frosty? That's what I thought.
   
   
   
   
3. Let it Snow, a collection of short stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. This is a collection of holiday romances, which means it's a Christmas book, but as it was written and published in the northern hemisphere, that also makes it a winter book. Let it snow!
   
   
   
   
4. The Snow Pony by Alison Lester. This is a middle-grade novel set in rural Victoria, which makes it very close to my heart. I read this book in primary school and absolutely loved it; and almost twenty years later, nothing has changed. This is set mostly in the winter and the story of Dusty and her snowy white brumby is one that will warm your heart no matter how cold it is outside.
   
   
   
   
   
5. The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. Okay, so even if you don't like the story of Twilight, you cannot deny that a series set in "the coldest and wettest part of the Continental US" is undeniably a book for wintertime.
   
   
   
   
   
6. The Shining by Stephen King. Horror stories lend themselves so well to cold weather, dark skies and rain. How could you not love that?
   
   
   
   
7. A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Any of the books in the Song of Ice and Fire series would be perfect for a winter read, especially a marathon binge-read that would probably take most people the entire winter to finish. I had to finish off this list with a book from the series which coined the phrase, "Winter is Coming." It's only fitting.

So there you have it, seven great books/series to curl up with this winter. Pick up one of these books, make yourself a nice cup of hot tea or coffee, snuggle under a blankie and enjoy!

Happy reading!

Rhi xo







Copyright Disclaimer: All photographs are mine, but cover art does not belong to me. Cover of 'Let it Snow' found on Google Images.

The Raven King- An Initial Reaction (Spoilers Ahead)

Or, 'I Have A Lot of Feelings Right Now and I Need to Vent.'

"Hello, lover," I whispered when I picked up this book.

In theory, I read this book in two days. Two sittings. But in reality, I read this book over the course of a week- I started it on Tuesday night, put it down, picked it back up again on Saturday morning and was finished by the time dusk fell. So, I'm calling that "two days." Shut up.

PLEASE tell me I'm not alone in this: I am full of feelings, to the point of bursting.

I read the first three Raven Cycle books and loved them, obviously. I fell upon them, ravenous (see what I did there?) and devoured them in a manner of days, if you string the month together. I spaced them out so I could savor them, but essentially each one was read in the span of forty-eight hours. I just wanted to enjoy them over a period of time because I knew I would have to wait a while for TRK.

I am still in the process of drafting a proper review of the series (It was only last night that I finished TRK and I'm not emotionally ready to review it yet), but I just want to talk about my feelings for a minute.

FIRST OF ALL, is anybody except me disappointed in the way that Noah went in the end? I saw it coming from Book One, but I was really hoping that he might at least get to say goodbye! I adored the relationship between Noah and Blue from the very beginning, I loved the way he adored her, I loved the way she adored him, for a brief period of time I was shipping them way hard; and yet he 'slipped from time' without a single goodbye. No, I'm sorry, but my heart is broken and will never fully heal from that one. Just no.

In saying all of that, I spent a lot of time squealing, sighing and holding the book against my heart during the Ronan-and-Adam parts. My ship sailed at last; and I could not have been more of a typical fangirl if I'd tried. I loved the tenderness, the passion, the unrelenting fire that burned between the two of them and I loved how effortless it was. Oh my god, oh my god, oh. My. God.

Blue and Gansey, well, we all knew that one was coming, but at the end of the book I bawled like a baby and cradled the book in my arms like it was the most precious child in the world. I just couldn't. It was too good.

Anyway, I feel a little better now that I've blurted all of my thoughts onto the page. Stay tuned for a full-series review soon (it's coming, I promise!) and let me know in the comments if you've read this book and what you thought of it!

Rhi xo

Books I Want to Read

Hi guys!

Today I am making a list of books I want to read (not that the title would have tipped you off, right?). I guess it's kind of a TBR for books that I don't own. Let's get into the list!

In no particular order:

* Frostfire by Amanda Hocking. Admittedly, this is a bit of cover-lust. All of the covers for this series are gorgeous, but I don't know much about the story.

* White Fang by Jack London. I am a huge lover of anything to do with wolves and the wilderness, so this is a no-brainer. I really want to read this!

* A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. I'm a bit behind, honestly, the sequel has just come out and is getting some amazing reviews, so I would like to see if this book is worth the hype!

* Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes. I am obsessed beyond obsession, with Alice in Wonderland. I collect anything and everything Wonderland-related. It's more than love. So when I heard about this book, a re-telling/backstory of the Queen of Hearts, I knew I had to acquire it and read it. This is high on my wishlist right now.

* American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. I haven't seen the movie for this... I know right? Sacrilege. But I would like to see the movie, as well as read the book.

* Heartless by Marissa Meyer. Um, ANOTHER Alice in Wonderland retelling/Queen of Hearts story? Sign me up, like, yesterday.

* Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. I love mental illness books; and I read an excerpt of this on Amazon and thought it sounded great.

* Made You Up by Francesca Zappia. Schizophrenia stories are close to my heart and some of my favourites, so this is another no-brainer.

*Animal Farm by George Orwell. Somehow I have gone 26 years and an Arts degree without ever reading a book by George Orwell. Don't ask me how, because I don't know.


So that's my list for today, I've got a few book reviews coming soon so stay tuned for those; and in the meantime let me know in the comments if you have read any of these books and what you thought of them!

Rhi xo



















I do not own any of these photographs. (Sourced from Google Images)

~*~* June TBR! *~*~

Hi guys!

So as promised, here is my June TBR!

1) The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
Of course, my most-anticipated book of 2016. I won't lie, I did read the first two chapters last night (May 31), but shhh! Lol. I was too excited, I couldn't help myself.

2) City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
OK, so I'm a little (lot) late to the Mortal Instruments party, but I'm here now!

3) Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Again, I know, I'm very late to the party, but that's okay. After Twilight I said I would never again read another book about vampires; and I clearly jinxed myself so here we are.

4) Lisey's Story by Stephen King
I have had this book in my possession for years and years and I did start it once, but I never finished it. This book isn't even mine- it was lent to me. I WILL read it and give it back! I will!

5) My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
I'm pretty excited to read this book, I've read some really great reviews of it so hopefully it will live up to my expectations. I'm not expecting to love it more than All the Bright Places (I have yet to find a YA book that deals with suicide that I love more than ATBP), but I do think it sounds good and I'm looking forward to picking it up.

What are you all reading this month? Leave me a comment and tell me if you have read any of these books, or some recommendations maybe. :)

Happy reading!

Rhi xo