Booking Through Thursday: Week 5

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly blogging meme, that asks a question a week, mostly related to books and/or reading.  This weeks question is:

'What do you look for when reading a book blog?  does the blogger have to read the same genre?  Do you like reviews?  Personal posts?  Memes?  Giveaways?  What attracts you to a book blog?'

When reading a book blog, I always look for people who put their own opinions in reviews.  There are some book blogs out there that, when doing reviews, simply write a small summary about the book.  I don't come to book blogs to just read about the book, I go to see what you have to say about the book itself.  I like that sort of rawness to a book blog, than feeling like the blogger is sucking up to the writer when they really don't put their own input into the review.

A book blog doesn't have to like the same genre as I do.  I love reading book blogs that have different genres because it will most likely make me go and pick up a book of that genre to read!  It's so nice to span your book genres.

So all in all, what attracts me to a book blog is someone who is honest with their reviews, and puts heart and soul into what they are writing.  They don't have to be great writers themselves, they don't have to have a snazzy layout, all that matters is that they love books just as much as I do!

Some of my favourite book blogs are:

♥ Alison Can Read

♥ Book Brats

♥ The Teen Bookwarm

♥ Books With Bite

So what do you look for when looking for a book blog?  What are some of your favourite book blog sites?

- Brittany

Booking Through Thursday: Week 4

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly blogging meme, that asks a question a week, mostly related to books an/or reading.  This weeks question is:

'Have you ever written fan-fiction?  If yes, why, and for which book(s)?  If no, would you like to and for which book(s)?  For that matter, do you ever READ fan-fiction?'

Back in the day (and when I mean "back in the day", I actually mean back in 7th grade which was 10 years ago), I used to write TONS of fan-fiction, but not for books.  I'm a huge TV nerd, so that majority of my fan-fiction was written about 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', and 'The X-Files'.  I went to a technology based middle school, where our desks had apple computers on them, so whenever we had free time, we were allowed to browse the internet, do anything we wanted (obviously porn was out of the question), so I would either read my book, create graphics and put together my 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' fan site, and or read/write fan-fiction.  

Was I good at it?  Hell no, and over the years I've read those stories, and literally judge myself for it's badness. Though I still think that one of the stories, that I never finished was pretty amazing, and if I still had the time and effort today, I could rewrite it and make turn it into a novella based off the characters of Buffy, but alas, I'm lazy and it still sits in a folder on my desktop waiting to be open.

10 years ago, fan-fiction wasn't as, I guess, mainstream, as it is today.  I'm not trying to be all elitist and say that I was one of the first people who did fan-fiction, because I'm not, but back in 2002, fan-fiction was one of those things that if you talked about it people would either not know what the heck you were talking about, or judge you for even saying the words "fan" and "fiction" in the same sentence.  I think the majority of fan-fiction was mostly populated for 'Star Wars', 'Star Trek', and those of us in the SCI-FI/Fantasy realm.  I knew people online who would spend days working on a fic.  It was honestly such a close knit circle, that you knew those authors, and they would welcome you into their arms with just as much excitement as you have.  Especially when you told them about your story.

While in the past 10 years, fan-fiction has gone off the charts in countless ways on the internet.  It's not so much for the SCI-FI/Fantasy geeks anymore, as it's for everyone.  People are writing fan-fiction about the latest episode of 'Jersey Shore' nowadays.  

So to answer your question, yes, I've written and read fan-fiction.  Mainly TV shows, but I've dabbled in the 'Harry Potter',  and 'Lord of the Rings' series.  Do I still read fan-fiction, and write it?  No.  I really don't have the time anymore, and frankly there are too many fan-fics out there to even know where to start.  

So do you still read/write fan-fic?  Sound off below!

- Brittany :]

Booking Through Thursday: Week 3

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly book blogging meme, that asks a question a week, mostly related to books and/or reading.  This weeks question is:

'If you had to pick only 5 books to read ever again, what would they be and why?'

These types of questions leave me ripping my hair out, because I always come up with a list, and after posting it I think of another book that should go on there instead.  It's a never ending battle to be honest.  So after much thought, my five books would be:

1. Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

There is something magical about reading this the first time, and there is something even more magical about reading it again and again.

2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This was the first "adult" book that I had ever read.  I was in 4th grade, and after seeing the movie with my dad at the local cinema that plays old movies, I wanted to read the book.  This book is so special to me on many reasons, not only because of the plot behind the book, and it's strong morals about being nice to people, and treating those the way you want to be treated, it was also my first jump into actual literature.  This was the book that lead me on the path of the written word.

3. My Boring-Ass Life by Kevin Smith

Because everyone needs a little humour in their lives, no matter how you feel.  Kevin Smith has a way of turning even the most dullest subject into hilarity, and full of heart.

4. On Writing by Stephen King

It's hard to actually sit down and pick a Stephen King book to put on this list.  Even at his worst, his stories still pull you in, and never let you go.  He's one of those writers that will tell you a story, and you won't ever forget it, even if you don't read the book again.  His memoir, is very telling, and it goes into detail about some of his most interesting stories.  Plus he gives you a few pointers along the way!

5. The Complete Collection of Tales & Poems by Edgar Allen Poe

Yeah, I know technically it's more then one tale, but I have a big giant binded book of all his stories/poems so it counts in my eyes.  The perfect evening for me, would be to curl up with a cup of Earl Grey, and read a tale from Mr. Poe himself.  I don't think I could live without his stories to be honest.

So that's my answers!  What are your five books?

- Brittany :]

Booking Through Thursday: Week 2

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly book blogging meme, that asks a question a week, mostly related to books and/or reading.  This weeks question is:

'What's more important: Good writing?  Or a good story?'

I think it depends.  There are certain books, that I just enjoy the story, no matter how bad the writing may be.  Those are the types of books that I call, "My Quick Reads".  Those are the books that take me only about a day or two to finish.  The books with the good writing, are those that I enjoy probably the most, with a nice cup of tea, the ones that make me think, and question the book itself.

I do love it when an author articulates a character or a plot with certain words though.  So I feel like the most important to me would have to be writing now that I think about it.  Though, like I said, I do enjoy quick reads once in a while!

Booking Through Thursday: Week #1

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly book blogging meme, that asks a question a week, mostly related to books and/or reading.  This weeks question is: 

'Do you skip ahead in a book?  Do you feel badly about it when you do?'

As much as I don't want to admit it, sometimes when I'm reading a book that is either boring, or I'm on a chapter that I find to be boring, I'll skip ahead to the next chapter, see how many pages that chapter is, and then usually read the last sentence of that chapter.  It's a habit I need to stop, because sometimes I end up reading something that I didn't want to read (spoilers will be the death of me, I swear).

It's only books that have caught me from the beginning, and continue to pull me in paragraph after paragraph that I don't look at other chapters/read ahead, because I'm so engrossed in the novel already.