Fifty Shades Of Grey… A Controversy?

Back in 2012 I started reading the Fifty Shades series by E.L James, not really knowing much about it, having no idea what the main themes of the book actually were, because the description was quite vague. I really got hooked on the first parts of the book, then it started to lead to terms and subject matters that I hadn’t ever come across. I spoke to my mum, and she explained about the ‘pain for pleasure’ concept, and I almost stopped reading… but I didn’t. As I read on, I understood more and more about not just the themes in the books but how and why people enjoy engaging in such activity. Personally, I would never think about partaking in any similar goings on, nor would any of my close friends and family, but it intrigued me that this is a real thing.

A few months later, news got around about the book and it was a worldwide sensation, and there was talk about buying the rights for a movie. As is common knowledge now, it has been made into a box office hit about a month ago. Then people really started talking. The point of this post is to discuss what people think about the controversy of the film in particular, and why was it not around when the books were first released.

As many people know, a lot of people fell in love with the books, and didn’t really have any complaints about the taboo subject matter that the books were based on. Then the movie came about, and there was a massive uproar! I could not scroll through my Tumblr or Instagram feed without seeing something about it, and none of it was good. I sat there wondering what was wrong, there have been plenty of films about sex, with far more sexual content than is in the Fifty Shades movie. A lot of accounts were complaining about sexual abuse and glorifying male domination, and that I should donate the money I would have spent on a ticket to a women’s shelter that helped defeat this type of behaviour.

Woah! Hold up for a second! What makes you think this is sexual abuse?!

Before I start going into this, here is the dictionary definition of sexual abuse:

“Sexual abuse is unwanted sexual activity, with perpetrators using force, making threats or taking advantage of victims…” (taken from apa.org)

At no point, in the books or the film, is any activity of a sexual nature carried out without her consent. If she says no, nothing is ever done! He always makes sure he has her utmost compliance before even laying a finger on her. Before people start to complain about the films diverse sexual themes, maybe you should actually check you have the facts.

Furthermore, why has this controversy only started since the film has been released. The film release date was February 13th 2015 (although it was advertised as February 14th to link with Valentines Day) and the books were released in May 2011. Has it really taken almost 4 years to realise your point of sexual abuse? Or has it only started because the film has come out?! In my opinion, people are only starting their complaints due to the fact that the film is moving picture, and suddenly, everything that was safely written down on paper and enclosed within two book covers has been visually exposed to the world. So why does that make a difference. Just because you can see it, does it make it more real. A lot of people who read actually find it more graphic in their minds than when they watched it on the big screen. My mum said that there was more graphic scenes in True Blood than she saw in Fifty Shades.

I am going to write a very short conclusion:

If you don’t agree with the themes presented in the movie, don’t watch it. If you don’t agree with the themes presented in the book, don’t read it, but don’t complain about it promoting sexual abuse when you refuse to see the film; therefore not having a full understanding of everything that is going on.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but this is my point of view and if anybody has any feedback then I am more than happy to hear what you have to say. Just to clarify, I am not, in any way, for sexual abuse, I completely against anything of that nature, but the book and the film present activities that real life people do engage in, and I have no reason to disregard them for having such a hobby. They are their own person and have free will and I am happy to except that.

This is a one of rant on my blog, and I am deeply sorry if any content is found to be upsetting to any readers. Please don’t forget there are a lot of places around the world who can help with sexual abuse, or any relationships of an abusive nature, so do not hesitate to get in contact with someone who will be able to offer you the support you need and deserve.

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Review of ‘Allegiant’ (Divergent Trilogy #3) by Veronica Roth

I read Divergent and Insurgent when the books were first released but when I started Allegiant, I found other books that kind of jumped the queue on my TBR list. I finished ‘The Well‘ and even though I had many books to read, I was stuck. I still had a copy of Allegiant on my bookcase that I had borrowed from my cousin and decided that I should get round to reading it, with Insurgent soon to be released in cinemas. Below is my review, plus a sneaky peak at the front cover and description and places to buy:

Note: please do not read the review section of this page if want to know nothing about the plot line. there are no major spoilers, but some minor plot points may be mentioned!

About The Book

‘Allegiant’ by Veronica Roth

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?
The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth’s #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

My Review

This book was incredible. I finished it within days, despite it being over 500 pages. I never expected the plot line to turn out like it did, with ‘the city’ being an experiment for genetic damage. The story was carefully crafted around the characters, both dead and alive, and were used very effectively to explain the plot. Tobias/Four I found to be a particularly strong character in this book, as we find out in that he is not actually Divergent, but rather a special GD (Genetically Damaged), with the ability to resist the serums given by the government. It was also a enjoyable to read the story from both Tris’ and Tobias’ perspective, getting two points of view and thus introducing two plot lines in one if you like. While Tobias was connecting with one group of people rebelling against the Bureau, Tris was finding out more about her mother and the experiments. The two stories then come closer knit together and the main personas of the story work together for the same cause. Their relationship also seemed to flurry a lot more than I felt it did in the previous books, getting more of an insight into their feelings for each other. This was especially highlighted in the separate POV chapters. Of course I will not spoil the heart wrenching ending for those you who haven’t read it, but I will say that I was curled up on my sofa in floods (and I really do mean floods!) of tears and I still have not recovered from this read, even after almost 3 days since I reached the end.

I found this was one of those books that you would throw at your friends and shout ‘READ IT!’

My Rating: 5 Muffins out of 5

Where To Buy

If you like the sound of the book, here is where you can buy the book (including, but not limited to):

Amazon

Waterstones

Kobo (eBook)

Alibris

Barnes and Noble

Cover photo and description taken from Goodreads (view book profile here)

Weekly Wednesday Update #1

So I’m gonna see if people like this kind of post, and if it is a success then I will continue to do a small weekly update every Wednesday about what I am currently reading, book buys, bookish trips, etc.

Currently Reading:

To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

I am absolutely loving this book! I cannot believe it has taken me this long to pick it up. It’s a shame I have been quite busy recently and haven’t much time to sit and gt a lot read, because when I am reading it I am completely transported to South Alabama to join the goings on in the Finch household. It is immensely well written book and I cannot wait to write my review!

Fifty Shaded Freed (E.L James)

This is more of an ongoing book for me. I was reading the series when they first got released a few years ago but got bored half way through the final book. When the film came out this year, I decided I wanted to pick it back up. It is not really part of my TBR list, so I kind of just pick it up now and then. I have the book on my Kindle Paperwhite, so if I am reading a paperback at the time and it gets too dark to read I will switch to reading my Kindle.

New Additions to Goodreads Shelves:

To Be Read

Keeper- A Book About Memory, Identity, Isolation, Wordsworth And Cake by Andrea Gillies

I found this whilst browsing the memoir section of Goodreads, as I am trying to do a 50 book reading challenge, and have to read a memoir as part of this. ‘Keeper’ sounded absolutely amazing and incredibly interesting, so we shall how it is when I finally get round to reading it.

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone 

I entered a giveaway to win this book on Goodreads but even if I’m not lucky enough to wind a copy, I am definitely still going to read this. A YA novel focusing on, but in no ways glorifying, the effects OCD has on a young girl. not yet released but will be out just before I away on my two week holiday, so might be a summer read for me.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

I have had an email from Amazon sitting in my inbox for ages, giving me a free book to claim for my Kindle. I did not completely understand the terms, but soon realised I only had a choice of 6 books. The book immediately caught my eye and after reading the description it sounds like something I will enjoy. If I don’t, hey, at least it’s free! Another YA novel, sounds like a typical love story but I am sure there is a lot more too it than that, but we shall see.

The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

I was browsing Goodreads last night (as I quite often do when I can’t sleep) and found this on the ‘New Releases This Year’ page. The description alone captured me, I cannot wait to read the book itself. A mystery thriller new to the world of books, I am looking forward to reading such an encapsulating plotline.

Never Never (Never Never, #1) by Colleen Hoover

As with ‘The Girl On The Train, I found this in ‘New Releases This Year’ on Goodreads. I already have ‘Confess’ by Colleen Hoover on my TBR list and I have heard great thing about her, and this book does not sound like an exception. It is also a first in a series of who knows how many, so I am excited to go on a journey through many books with the characters.

*One-Off* Publicity Post:

Endless Tides

This is a one off publicity post for a book written by an author in my hometown, who used to work with a friend of mine. I thought I would do a short announcement to let everyone know that the book is out there, and if anybody is interested then click on the book cover above to find the Goodreads profile and information on where to buy.

Upcoming Reviews

Later today I will be posting my review of Allegiant (Divergent, #3) by Veronica Roth, so watch this space!

All cover photos taken from Goodreads. Click on a book cover to see its Goodreads profile.

Review of ‘The Rabbit Back Literature Society’ by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen

I saw this book in the window of Waterstones and was immediately captured. Obviously I went inside to look at it a bit more and to find out all about it. I then put it back and decided not to buy it. Next time I saw it I looked again, and I kept repeating this process until I finally decided that I had lokoed at it so much it was probably worth a read, and if I didn’t like then it’s not a complete waste. I bought it on my Kindle and it was my first read of the year and I LOVED IT! I cannot believe I put of reading this book for so long! Below is my review, plus a sneaky peak at the front cover and description and places to buy:

About The Book

‘The Rabbit Back Literature Society’ by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen (Translated by Lola Rogers)

Only nine people have ever been chosen by renowned children’s author Laura White to join “The Rabbit Back Literature Society,” an elite group of writers in the small town of Rabbit Back. Now a tenth member has been selected: Ella, a young literature teacher. Soon Ella discovers that the Society is not what it seems. What is its mysterious ritual known as “The Game”? What explains the strange disappearance that occurs at Laura White’s winter party? Why are the words inside books starting to rearrange themselves? Was there once another tenth member, before her? Slowly, as Ella explores the Society and its history, disturbing secrets that had been buried start to come to light…

My Review

As I mentioned previously in this post, it took some convincing to buy the book and actually read it, but I am so glad that I did! The reader is first introduced to Ella Milana, the main character who is written about in the story. The book is in third person, so it was great to read something that wasn’t biased by the character’s opinion, and I really got to know all of the characters equally. I think the plot of the story was very well planned out, capturing Ella’s if and feelings without making so personal with her as the narrator. There were a lot of twists and turns, and I never knew what to expect as I meandered through the maze of chapters. The ‘set the scene’ parts of the book were not too long winded to get bored, but there was still plenty for me to get a nice picture in my head of what exactly was going on. There were some light hearted aspects, which brightened the otherwise very dark and mysterious story, and they eventually all tied into one main subplot, which I think was very well done by the author. The book tackles many issues, a lot of them subject to one or two characters, which I think is hat makes them so unique. I loved seeing the characters develop relationships of love, hate and admiration, but the best part was the heroin of the story loved to read and I think that any book with a book-obsessed female protagonist is gonna be good, but maybe that’s just me?!

My Rating: 5 Muffins out of 5

Where To Buy

So I immensely enjoyed this book! If you like the sound of the book, here is where you can buy the book (including, but not limited to):

Amazon

Waterstones

Kobo (eBook)

Alibris

Barnes and Noble

Cover photo and description taken from Goodreads (view book profile here)

 

Top Ten Tuesday for 17/03/15

This is my first Top Ten Tuesday, originally started by The Broke And The Bookish. They ask you to put your name in the ‘Linky Widget’ but I’m not quite sure what they mean by that so for now I will just post my list and link to the blog above! The topic this week is ‘Top Ten on my Spring TBR’ so here it is:

1. Me Before You- Jojo Moyes (Kindle)

I’ve heard really good things about this book and I am eager to start it as soon as I have finished To Kill A Mockingbird!

2. The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald (Kindle)

Just a short classic to tie me over between two slightly more contemporary reads. Heard good things about the movie adaptation, but I always like to read any book before I see the film (if there is one!)

3. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves- Karen Joy Fowler (Kindle)

I found this book in Waterstones a while back, as it was advertised in the Waterstones Book Club section, but I haven’t quite yet got round to reading it.

4. The Age Of Miracles- Karen Walker Thompson (Kindle)

Again, I saw this a while ago when it was first published and kept on trying to decide if I wanted to read it. Thought I would go with my instincts and I have read some good reviews, so I’m hoping I am going to enjoy it.

5. Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn (Kindle)

I have wanted to read this since it got all of the publicity just before the movie release. I had seen it about, but once I found out more about it I knew I had to put in on my TBR list.

6. Left Neglected- Lisa Genova (Kindle)

A few years back, I read the blurb of this book when my friend got given it as a birthday gift. I have had it on my TBR list for a long time, but other books keep on jumping in front of it!

7. Severed Heads and Broken Hearts- Robyn Schneider (Kindle)

I started reading this book just after The Fault In Our Stars, but after reading such an amazing book, I really struggled to find anything as good as what I had just read. This book (also known as The Beginning of Everything) has been lingering on my Kindler a while, and I think it is high time I actually read the rest of it!

8. The Book Of You- Claire Kendal (Kindle)

This book came up on my Amazon Recommendations list as a must read for those who enjoyed Before I Go To Sleep so I read through the description and knew that I just had to read it! My nan bought it at around the same time as me so we are going to try and read it together, as kind of like a ‘mini book club’.

9. The Catcher In The Rye- J.D. Salinger (Paperback)

Another classic piece of American literature that I have umm-ed and ahh-ed about, wondering whether I will be able to enjoy it, but the plot sounds good and I saved a poor second hand book from being thrown away so hopefully this will be a good read.

10. All The Bright Places- Jennifer Niven (Paperback)

I found this on my Recommendations page on Goodreads, and after reading some reviews, it looks like it will be a cross between Eleanor and Park and The Fault In Our Stars. I haven’t read Eleanor and Park but I have read TFIOS so if I enjoy this YA novel then I might see if I can get my hands on E & P to have a read of that as well. I don’t care if people think I am too old for YA fiction, but in my eyes, you are never too old for YA fiction!

All cover photos taken from Goodreads. Click on a book cover to see its Goodreads profile.

Review of ‘The Shock Of The Fall’ by Nathan Filer

I take frequent trips to bookshops, Waterstones in my home town mainly, to have look around, even though I am probably completely out of money! I like to look about and add books to my ‘To-Read’ list and sometimes buy them on my Kindle, which is exactly what I did with ‘The Shock Of The Fall’. It caught my eye in the recommended section as I was very badly judging books by their covers (which I know I shouldn’t do, but the cover caught my eye) and saw it had won a Costa award. I read the description and was immediately intrigues, so I went ahead and purchased it to read on my Kindle. Below is my review, plus a sneaky peak at the front cover and description and places to buy:

About The Book

‘The Shock Of The Fall’ by Nathan Filer

‘I’ll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.’

There are books you can’t stop reading, which keep you up all night.

There are books which let us into the hidden parts of life and make them vividly real.

There are books which, because of the sheer skill with which every word is chosen, linger in your mind for days.

The Shock of the Fall is all of these books.

The Shock of the Fall is an extraordinary portrait of one man’s descent into mental illness. It is a brave and groundbreaking novel from one of the most exciting new voices in fiction.

My Review

As soon as I picked up this book I was hooked. I loved how the book started with a simple explanation of a girl with her doll, which then leaves you wondering why she was introduced into the book. The book takes you on a journey, written through the eyes of a young man called Matt, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I found the book to be an amazing insight into what it is like to live with such a terrible disorder and how this character, in particular, dealt with this. He did not see it as an obstacle in his life, but rather embraced it as a way to see his brother, who had unfortunately passed away. Sometimes this was a danger to him, but other times, the way Filer had written the character, was such a beautiful way of remembering his brother without overwhelming the reader with the fact that he was dead. In my opinion, I really felt as though Simon (the brother) was still alive. There were also points were I felt anger toward characters who didn’t respect Matt the way they should have. Some aspects of the book did annoy me just a tad; it seemed to sometimes be padded out with small amounts of unnecessary information, but apart from that I really felt the main character especially was extremely well written, portraying the mental disorder in a very sensitive yet intriguing way.

My Rating: 4 Muffins out of 5

Where To Buy

If you like the sound of the book, here is where you can buy the book (including, but not limited to):

Amazon

Waterstones

Kobo (eBook)

Alibris

Barnes and Noble

 Cover photo and description taken from Goodreads (view book profile here)

Review of ‘The Well’ by Catherine Chanter

I recently received a mysterious parcel containing a book (not that I was complaining)! I had received my first book in exchange for an honest review, which is one of the main reasons I started this blog; I wanted to share my reviews with a lot more people. Below is the review I submitted, plus a sneaky peak at the front cover and description and places to buy:

About The Book

‘The Well’ by Catherine Chanter

When Ruth Ardingly and her family first drive up from London in their grime-encrusted car and view The Well, they are enchanted by a jewel of a place, a farm that appears to offer everything the family are searching for. An opportunity for Ruth. An escape for Mark. A home for their grandson Lucien.

But The Well’s unique glory comes at a terrible price. The locals suspect foul play in its verdant fields and drooping fruit trees, and Ruth becomes increasingly isolated as she struggles to explain why her land flourishes whilst her neighbours’ produce withers and dies. Fearful of envious locals and suspicious of those who seem to be offering help, Ruth is less and less sure who she can trust.

As The Well envelops them, Ruth’s paradise becomes a prison, Mark’s dream a recurring nightmare, and Lucien’s playground a grave.

My Review

I ploughed through this book in a week, but I found myself having to put a lot of effort and time into finishing this book, and I struggled a bit in the beginning to get into the story line. When I say ‘in the beginning’ I mean the first two thirds of the book. The final hundred pages were quite gripping, however, but I feel like everything that happened was a bit squished into very few pages when it could have been spread over the whole book. I also found that character representations were quite unevenly spread over the ‘cast’ of the book, with some characters having quite a heavy account of their backgrounds and personality traits description, which really allowed me to connect and fall in love with them. The other characters, however, had a flimsy story behind them and didn’t really allow the reader to know them much as a person. I managed to feel a lot of different emotions throughout this book: confusion, anger, sympathy, love, but all of those emotions were centered on the main character, and two supporting characters. The concept of the plot was OK, but the ending was quite predictable, I even saw the culprit of the main plot point as soon as the character was introduced to me.
I wouldn’t say this book was a disappointing read, as I did enjoy the story towards the end, but I just felt the beginning dragged on, but necessary to read to support the ending, and some characters could have had a bit more ‘oomph’ to them to make the book a more exciting read through the boring plot points.

My Rating: 3 Muffins out of 5

Where To Buy

OK, so I know I wasn’t a massive fan, but doesn’t mean that you won’t be too! If you like the sound of the book, here is where you can buy the book (including, but not limited to):

Amazon

Waterstones

Kobo (eBook)

Alibris

Barnes and Noble

If you would like me to include more links to places to buy, please comment below so I can incorporate them into my next review!

 Cover photo and description taken from Goodreads (view book profile here)

Book Haul

This is my first ever post on my blog so I thought I would start off with a ‘Book Haul’ list to let my readers know my most recent purchases, and what reviews to expect in the near future. I’m reading a lot more classics now I’m not being forced to read them for school, and I am enjoying them so far, the American literature more than the British lit, which is ironic I guess. I will be reviewing these as soon as I read them, so you might come across something that catches your eye:

• To Kill A Mockingbird
• The Catcher In The Rye
• The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (finally got round to buying this!)
• The Time Traveler’s Wife
• All the Bright Places
• Still Alice
• Daughter

I have just had my first book in exchange for an honest review which I shall be posting very soon, along some other recent, and some very good, reads.