Re-discovering Your Love of Books

Many people who enjoy reading books may sometimes find themselves in a reading slump. Quite often the reading slump is caused by struggling to get into a book or having a frantic busy period where it seems difficult to find time to read. I hope that these tips will help those who want to become more frequent readers.

1. Read something light to get back in the habit. Many times I have turned to children's books to get back in the habit of reading. Harry Potter or the Hobbit are my most frequent books I turn to to; when one is fulling out of love with reading. 
2. Read something funny. Choosing to read a book that is funny can make oneself feel more positive and may promote a love for books. The best bit about reading for pleasure is that you can read anything you want. Good writing is subjective so do not feel ashamed to read a book which may seem childish or silly, because no one should judge you. One of my favourite authors is Terry Pratchett, a writer of satirical fantasy. The basic idea is try to make reading fun to start with before tackling a more serious read.
3. Read when you can. Even if you only can read in twenty minute bursts, it still is time well spent reading. On other days you may have a spare hour to read and on other days you may only find ten minutes. However, to keep the habit going it is worth trying to read a little every day. My advice also is that if you are not enjoying a specific book, then stop and read another book which you will enjoy and read the abandoned read another time. The first time I tried to read the Lord of the Rings I could not get into it, but on my second attempt after reading other books, I found myself addicted to the book.
4. Expand your reading tastes. For example, if you are growing tired of fantasy novels then try darker fantasy or horror. Reading more genres enables you to discover new authors which will hopefully promote a greater love for books. I used to read mostly fantasy, but now will read books like Dracula and World War Z, which I loved. Treat books like films, read action packed books as well as more methodical emotional reads like Frankenstein. Some books like the Hunger Games, are both emotional and action packed. 

World War Z - Max Brooks. Book Review

This book completely exceeded my expectations. I usually do worry when reading a book hyped up to be good and then it turns out it is not, with this book that was not the case. World War Z is a well thought out novel about how humanity would deal with a zombie apocalypse.

The novel is written in the style of a news reporter interviewing different people around the world about their experiences during the zombie war. Reading the different stories about the zombie war made the story about largely the human condition. Max Brooks is trying to get the reader to imagine themselves in a position where it is you who has to kill what was once a person. The use of different ethical dilemmas make this novel more than simply a novel about a war involving humans and zombies killing each other.

Unlike novels focusing on a select number of characters, World War Z is about the human experience and how different people experienced World War Z. It could be described as a documentary about World War Z in book form. I would hugely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in zombies and a like for dystopian novels.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Doctor Who Series 8 - Episode One - A Deep Breath. Review

The first episode for Peter Capaldi to feature as the Doctor. Peter's Scottish accent may take time getting used to, but my first impression is that Peter will play the role of the Doctor well. Similar to past re-generations, the Doctor struggles to get used to his new body. This episode was always going to be more of an introduction to Peter Calpaldi's Doctor almost comparable with David Tennant's first episode as the Doctor.

Like every episode of Doctor Who, random things happen. Deep Breath has everything from a dinosaur to killer cyborgs. Moreover, this episode deals with the a change in dynamic of the relationship between Clara and the Doctor. The cheery energetic Doctor of Matt Smith is very much gone, to replaced by a Doctor who is eccentric but yet not as flamboyant as before. I have done my best to keep this review spoiler free for those yet to watch this episode. I intend to post short reviews on every episode of this series of Doctor Who, so stayed tuned for more next week.

In Defence of Reading

Reading is fun. Reading is a cheap hobby. If one feels stressed then one can rely on a good book to read. Fed up with the humdrum of riding a bus, then read a fantasy novel and imagine you are riding a dragon. Reality is about perception but how we change reality depends on the imagination.

The written word is an art form capable of inspiring happiness as well as making oneself sad. Be warned words have the power to inspire revolutions and radical political movements. However, books do have a lighter side. Through the power of books, one can read the musings of a person who lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Everyone has their own opinion and books preserve that opinion for future generations to read. One could argue that the opinions of Charles Dickens are still relevant when talking about social issues in the UK.

The future brings new problems, new technology but human nature has changed little over time. Greed has always existed and conflict is nothing new. In a world full of negativity one needs joy. In my opinion, books bring joy to millions of people. Reading allows oneself to think deeply about the world in the mind and the real world. Books can offer an escape, but they also help change one's perspective on life itself.

What I am Reading Now.

Currently I am reading World War Z by Max Brooks. A book giving a detailed account of a zombie apocalypse. I am enjoying the book so far, as it is clear that the author has really thought long and hard about what would happen in the event of a war against zombies for the survival of humanity.

This book is my first zombie novel and it will not be my last. I am only halfway through the book and I already rate it highly. World War Z can easily be classified as a  dystopian novel about a zombie outbreak. The dystopian genre is interesting as it allows the reader to create a world in their head of an earth where humanity is fighting to survive. I may talk further about the dystopian book genre in a future post. A full review of this book should be up some point next week.

Have a good week and keep reading.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower By Stephen Chosky. My Thoughts.

This book is about a 15 year old boy called Charlie. Charlie is an introverted teenager who has just started his first year at High School. Having no friends at first he writes letters about his life at High School. The key story in the letters being how Charlie became friends with Sam and Patrick.

The letters form the basis of the novel, which deals with a number of teenage issues. The issues include sex and sexuality, drugs, relationships and emotions. Charlies is a bookish teenager who is trying to learn to survive in social situations for the first time.

Personally as the reader I can relate to Charlie and how he finds the extroverted world of partying and drug taking alien. I connected well with the main character and enjoyed the style of Chosky's writing. It is similar to the Catcher in the Rye but much more focused on the emotions of a person considered as a social outcast my most of his peers.

I would recommend this book to anybody who likes to read YA fiction and is understanding of the challenges of being an introvert in a world dominated by extroverts.