12/08/2015 - Top 5 Required Reading

Hello again! Today is Wednesday and is thus Top 5 Wednesday; the topic today is "Top 5 Required Reading", which is rather interesting. I've been forced to read a lot of books, some good, some bad and some ugly... today we shall celebrate the good, and they are as follows:

5. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare - I really enjoyed this play when I read it in Year 9; it is humorous, dramatic and the best Shakespeare play that I have read.
4. Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare - Probably the most famous Shakespeare play today, and I can see why. It is a dramatic masterpiece, laced with humour and intriguing characters, such as my personal favourite, Mercutio.
3. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill - This was studied during our work on gothic literature. This is honestly one of the only books I have read that actually put me on edge; reading assignments that I procrastinated and ended up having to do late at night... not the best idea by me! It is really quite chilling (although I don't much like the ending, but that's besides the point), and I've been to see it on stage twice now.
2. Blood Brothers by Willy Russell - This musical/play is great. The characters were well developed, the storyline was interesting and emotionally raw and the ending is a shocker! If you ever get the chance, go see this in a theatre, it's a brilliant show!
1. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson - I really enjoyed this book when I studied it. As you probably all know well, I love classics, and this is a fantastic Victorian novel! Mysterious, chilling and exciting, it is most definitely worth the read!

Thank you for reading! If you had to read any of these, tell me in the comments if you enjoyed them or not! I would be interested to read your views. Like, comment and follow, and until next time, goodbye!

22/07/2015 - Top 5 Side Characters that Deserve Their Own Series

Hello, oncemore! Today is Wednesday, which means it is time for yet another Top 5 Wednesday! The topic today is Top 5 Side Characters that Deserve Their Own Series. Alas, let us commence:

5. The Marauders from Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling. Let's be real, if you have never wanted to read about the high school lives of the Marauders at any point, you're lying. They are such interesting characters; I am sure it would be hilarious to hear of their exploits, and touching to read the story of James and Lily getting together. Make it happen!

4. Dumbledore from Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling. J.K Rowling creates too many great side characters. I would love to hear about Dumbledore's life: his relationship with Grindelwald, his youth and his dealings with a younger Tom Riddle. It would add depth to his character and prove to be a truly exhilarating series, I'm assured.

3. Sakamoto Satsu from Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Chiyo/Sayuri's sister and her got split up after being taken away from their family. I feel like hearing about Satsu's plight after this would be interesting, especially after the turn of events which takes place later in the novel (which I shan't reveal because you should all read this novel).

2. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Atticus Finch is seen by many as a virtuous man and the archetypal character. It would be interesting, I think, to see his past life and where he got these controversial (for the time) views from. I am rather afraid to read Go Set a Watchman because I may lose this image of Atticus, but I am going to anyway.

1. Erik from The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - I love Erik! And I feel so sorry for him! I want to read about his childhood, even though this will probably be the most heart-wrenching story ever. I want to hear the story from his perspective, so I can hate the end result even more.



Thank you for reading! If you agree, leave a comment below telling me! Like, comment, follow and above all else, happy reading!

15/07/2015 - Top 5 Anticipated Pre-Orders for the Rest of the Year

Hallo Miriam, ich heiße Ben! Yes, welcome back, my dears. Wednesday has once again befallen us, with yet another Top 5 Wednesday following in its wake. The topic this time is 'Top 5 Anticipated Pre-Orders for the Rest of the Year'. A tad bit of a struggle for me considering I have a rather potent affinity to classics, but alas, I have done my best. And here it is:

5. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee - Yes, I am fully aware that this book TECHNICALLY came out yesterday, HOWEVER, I have highly anticipated this book for quite a while, and I felt that this should be an exception. Having read and severely enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird, the news of a sequel (even though it was written before TKAM) was music to my ears. Let's just hope it is good so I don't despair for all things good in this world.

4. The Big Lie by Julie Mayhew - I don't usually get that hyped over YA books; however, after seeing BooksAndQuills talk about the book in her June Book Haul Part I video, and hearing the premise, I was intrigued. Set in a practically dystopian future where Germany won the war and Britain is under Nazi rule, this book tells the story of a woman's dealing with the society, as well as playing out a lesbian romance over the tragic backdrop. An LGBTQ+ novel set in a dystopian world... seriously, what is there not to love?

3. Time and Time Again by Ben Elton - After scrolling through Waterstones, I came across this gem. My sister, Kristi, and I both very much like this author, having already read a few of his books (Past Mortem and Dead Famous) and enjoyed them immensely. The premise for this new novel sounds spectacular, and I am now very excited to read it.


2. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara - The fact that this book is on this list is agitating, because I know in the USA this book has been available for a couple of months now. However, across the Atlantic in good old England, it isn't available for another month, and thus it features on this list. I first saw this book after reading Emily May's review on Goodreads for it. Although she only gave it 3 stars, I was wholly interested by the sounds of the plot and I greatly wish to read it. It was going to be my 'Y' for my A-to-Z, but now with the hitch that IT ISN'T ACTUALLY AVAILABLE YET IN THE UK, I will just have to read it at a later date. Depressing yet bitter sweet... just my cup of tea.

1. And finally, at Number 1 is *drum roll* Selp Helf by Miranda Sings! No surprises here, really. She is one of my absolute favourite YouTubers (her AND her creator, Colleen Ballinger), and I have met her, so I am absolutely obsessed! Her book, due to be released later this month, will surely be hysterical and it will do her comedic presence proud. I am assured of it.



And thus, there ends my Top 5 Wednesday for this week! Are you excited for these titles too, (or do you have the privilege of being American and already owning some of these titles?) If the answer is yes, tell me in the comments below! If you enjoyed it, like, comment and follow, and until next time, farvel!

08/07/2015 - Top 5 Things on Your Bookshelf That Aren't Books

Salut! Today is Wednesday, and you know what that means! Top 5 Wednesdays are back! This week the topic is 'Top 5 Things on Your Bookshelf That Aren't Books'; this is going to be embarrassing, but whatever. The sacrifice is a worthy one.

5. My DVD Collection, comprised of every episode of Family Guy, ever; American Dad boxsets, American Horror Story, Doctor Who, Anime and a whole host of other motion pictures and television programmes which I enjoy.

4. This cool and surprisingly effective panda fan which I got for free at HyperJapan London last year. The details of the company that were giving them out is on the back, which I have shown below:

 

3. My photo albums! The one on the left is, obviously, Winnie the Pooh themed, and has photos from around 2007 I think? I can't remember, but nevertheless, my spelling was shocking, as was my photography apparently. The one on the right was given to me on my First Holy Communion, and it has a few photos from that celebration in it, but the rest are terrible quality snapshots from my Year 6 French trip from a disposable camera. Like, I think I should become one of the paparazzi, I am just that artistic and skilled at photography.

 

2. The Boy With The Frilly Knickers by Ben Sawyer, Age 11. This was a short story written by me in Year 6 during a task for Book Week, where we had to compose a story and read it to someone in younger years. Evidently, being the literary prodigy that I am, I created this masterpiece: an epic narrative of love, loss and humiliation that truly pushes the boundaries of society and the human condition. I am, of course, joking: it is actually about a boy who receives frilly knickers from his grandmother for Christmas that happen to haunt him ever after. You may laugh at my expense, but it went down well, from what I remember. Also, move over Quentin Blake, the new illustrations king is here.

1. The Bobblyfaces Comic Series by Ben Sawyer, Age 11. These are some of my best work. In Year 6, I spent my time at the end of the year making these comics about the melodramatic saga of these yellow balls with faces and all the "hilarious" banter that follows in their wake. I actually had an audience for these compositions, small as it may have been. However, I'm not entirely sure it was because they pitied me or were being sarcastic, but the results of it were me creating these comic books which make me laugh from the sheer embarrassment, let alone the hysterical jokes that I told. Honestly, these will be published one day: mark my words.

Well then, that was far more humiliating than I first envisaged. I hoped you all laughed at my expense as much as I cried! If you enjoyed it, like, comment and follow, and until next time, paalam na!

01/07/2015 - Top 5 Favourite Chapter Headings

Pinch, punch, first day of the month! Happy July, and welcome to my blog once again! This is another Top 5 Wednesday and the topic today is 'Top 5 Favourite Chapter Headings'. This is hard for me because the vast majority of the books I read have boring chapter headings or just have normal numbering. However, I have found some books with chapter headings which I like. I also apologise for the very likely appearance of English Literature analysis, I still haven't quite shaken off the effect the subject had on me. I shall digress:

5. In at number 5 is every chapter from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Although not having any actual named chapter headings itself, the chapters are numbered as prime numbers. This displays Christopher's condition poignantly, as it shows how general numbering does not suit him. In this way, Mark Haddon has made the chapter headings an instrument with which he develops the story, which I think is indicative of good chapter heading.



4. Number 4 is held by the chapters from We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. The chapters in this novel are set out as Records with Keywords underneath it. An example which I particularly like is as follows:

Record Thirty-One

Keywords:

The Great Operation. I Forgave Everything. The Crashing of Trains.

I think the keywords give an ominous and tense feel to the chapter as you await the plot point which satisfies each keyword. It also shows the kind of precision which comprises life in this dystopia, which helps to develop the idea of the setting and ideals in the OneState. 

3. Burning at number 3 is Fahrenheit 451 by Rad Bradbury with the following chapter heading:

The Hearth and the Salamander

This fiery imagery is great for setting the scene of the novel, where books are forbidden and are burned, the temperature of this burning being Fahrenheit 451. As well as this, the salamander gives an almost malicious idea, which suits the dystopian setting. The S sound also starkly contrasts with the sound of the word 'hearth', overall creating a wholly interesting chapter name which is magnificent to begin this novel with.

2. Number 2 is occupied by Dead Babies. Sounds macabre, but this is actually a novel by Martin Amis. I thought the following chapter heading was rather poignant:

The Lugubrious Boogie

This is oxymoronic in the fact that 'lugubrious' means mournful, while 'boogie' suggests jollity and energetic movement. This is very much a reflection of the nature of this novel. It is full of hedonistic and morally-inept people doing and saying things which shock the reader. Despite tragedies occurring, they still manage to guzzle alcohol and take drugs and have a 'boogie' with each other, if you catch my drift there. I feel that this chapter heading perfectly demonstrates the novel and the behaviours displayed in it.

Honourable Mentions

'Part I, Chapter III' - The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins

'Second Period, First Narrative' - The Moonstone, Wilkie Collins

'Letter the Second' - Fanny Hill, John Cleland

'Part IV, Chapter IV' - Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky

These chapter headings, I feel, are very inspirational and definitely deserved to be showcased here. 

1. And finally, here is the chapter heading that I felt to be the best. It is from The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. It is as follows:

The Groping City

I feel this chapter heading really encapsulates what this story is about. It shows the desperation felt by the human race in this post-apocalyptic setting. The idea of an entire city 'groping' is really powerful to me, as well as inspiring strong imagery from the reader. Not least from one of my favourite books, this chapter heading perfectly demonstrates the state of the human race as they try to cope with almost universal blindness and the rise of the horrifying species of plant, the triffids. (Aside from the chapter heading, I strongly recommend this book in general).

Alas, that is it! I hope you enjoyed this week's Top 5 Wednesday! If you did: like, comment and follow my blog! I would really appreciate it! If you have read any of these books, comment below and tell me! Until next time, arrivederci!

24/06/2015 - Top 5 Characters You Wish You Could Drown

To kick off my blog, I am doing my first Top 5 Wednesday! This time it is rather macabre - Top 5 Characters You Wish You Could Drown! I took me a while to think of these, but once I thought of one, they all came flowing through - just as the water would into these detestable characters!
Anyway, let the metaphorical murder commence:
5. Starting the list at number 5 is Lord Henry from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. However much you may dislike the eponymous character for being self-absorbed, decadent and deranged, for me, the dislike was nothing when put next to that of Lord Henry. Although not actually doing anything particular which deserved the death that I hope befalls him, it was what he said that was the issue. His philosophical musings were enough to make me want to drown myself. He apparently thinks he has the secret meaning of the universe or the human condition contained within his mind, which is very untrue. His pure arrogance and pomp were what made me hate him as a character, and thus led to him being on death's row in this line-up.

4. At Number 4 is Patrick Bateman from American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. This had to be done, to do the world a favour. Patrick is a psychopathic, misogynistic, homophobic, murderous stockbroker with way too much power for his own good. Not only does he describe sexual and violent scenes in graphic detail, making him and his actions disgusting enough, but he interweaves this with dense, pointless descriptions of musicians and their works. There are multiple layers of hatred you can have for this man, and I have many of them.

3. Number 3 is Lord Percival Glyde from The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. This is my favourite book, so its villain had to feature. This will probably contain massive spoilers so I would skip onto Number 2 if you want to read this. Lord Percival is a downright scoundrel, going to extreme lengths to deceive Laura Fairlie, the girl he had recently courted by pretending to love her, in order to take her riches. Count Fosco is another who you learn to despise, but he at least has a level-head. Lord Percival is a villain, and his actions and the conspiracy he is instrumental in forging drove me to insanity. If I could save Laura the misery by drowning this vile human, I would.

2. This was a strong contender for the number 1 spot: Hatsumomo from Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. She is one of the most evil characters I have ever read about in my experiences. She sets about to make Sayuri's life a misery from the moment she set eyes on her, simply from jealousy and fear that she would contend with her in the geisha community. She almost stamps out any chance of Sayuri ever becoming a geisha at all, and she would have succeeded if it weren't for another friendly and successful geisha (who also happened to have a deep enmity for Hatsumomo, for which I cannot blame her) intervening. There is a reason I like to refer to her as the Raging Bitch of Gion, and I would happily take her on a trip to the East Coast of Japan so I can push her into the Pacific Ocean.

1. This is it: the character who I want to drown the most, and he is the supposed hero of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dr. Frankenstein. He is the worst kind of human. He made a creature from his own scientific curiosity and was instantly disgusted with it and basically tried to exile it from humans forever. I felt deep sympathy and empathy for Frankenstein's monster, because he wasn't a monster at all, but was as human as every one of us in his mind. And yet, this despicable character turned his back on him: I could parallel this with abandoning your own children. Not only does he turn his back on the monster, but he also crushes his dreams in the most brutal manner. The worst part was that the book tried to fabricate some kind of sympathy for this vile man. I do not and shall never feel sorry for this man, because he was the true monster, and he should settle in depths as black as his heart.

So, that was my top 5 list! Comment below and tell me if you agree or disagree with my choices, or if you have read the books I have listed! Until next time, adios :)