ALN Update

Ok, am going to write this tiny post to say ALN isn't going the way I hoped.

Due to a huge reading slump (thank you Goldenhand by Garth Nix) and the events of the past few weeks (I have now banned myself from watching the news because it upsets/angers me to no end!), am calling time of ALN.

I am going to do an adult literature month in the future. I am not giving up on it, but because the world has gone dark, I decide to read things that make me happy. We need some light in the world. Some humour. Some fun. And I can only do that if I get a little selfish and read books/listen to audiobooks that make me happy.

Mental health is important so I want to make me happy.

Life is too short for crap books and I am going to read what makes me happy. Once I do, I will fight for the things I am passionate about and for things I believe in.

So... yes. Writing this to keep you up to speed.

Hope you all are safe and are reading stories that are making you happy. I hope you and your loved ones are happy (physically, mentally and emotional) and this blog will be getting its smile on in the coming few days.

Now, before I leave you, let me leave you with this Vine that made me howl with laughter when I saw it at the weekend!

ALN - Bridget Jones's Diary (Audiobook)

Confession to make time: I asked to review this back in September and the lovely people at Midas PR and Audible happily said yes. I asked if I could listen to this to celebrate the move release of Bridget Jones's Baby, but when I thought of my "Adult Literature Month", I knew I had to push this back and talk about it here.

This is Bridget Jones's diary. We see inside her head as she tackles modern day London, being a modern woman, her parents, relationships, career and everything else.

I have seen the movie (and from what I remembered, I enjoyed it) and I have audiobook Pride and Prejudice at the beginning of this year (Bridget could be seen as a modern-day reimagining of P&P) so going into this was interesting as I knew vaguely where the plot would go but wasn't sure where...

It is my honest belief (and I know this because I have tried to read a sampler of this and the sequel, Edge of Reason) that I couldn't and wouldn't have read this book and audiobooking it was a great help. I couldn't get my head round the writing style (I am not the biggest fan of books told in diary entries), but while it did take a while for me to warm to this style in audiobook form, once I got it, I got it. I think this is because of the reader, Imogen Church. She made Bridget seem more real to me and, even at times when I was frustrated with Bridget (will get there, hang on), Imogen made her likeable.

I liked the story. I liked how Bridget tried to figure out her life. I could relate to one or two things in it. And Bridget's entries made me smile. I didn't laugh at them, but I thought "I had something similar, but this is so heightened!"

However, while I liked the story (fun, fluffy read), Bridget frustrated me to no end. She would write or say one thing then completely contradict herself a entry or two later. It annoyed me endlessly! For example, there was one point she talked about her weight and how she will never count calories again and enjoy life because after so many years of trying to get to the perfect size, she applies ill. And yet, she still carried on counting her calories. She talks about her being single is wonderful and great, only to whine about being single a few hours later. There were occasions I would question Bridget's stance on her feminism as she would say one thing, only to do something which contract it. And, at times, she comes across completely unlikable (the reader, Imogen Church, does a lot to save this character for me).

She's flawed and, while this is refreshing (how many times have we read characters that seem too perfect or have one tiny flaw?), there are other times I couldn't help but get angry at her.

While I liked this audiobook, I'm not sure if I want to continue with series (unless I get audiobook for Edge of Reason and have the same reader). But not sure if I would read it. This sits in the middle of the fence for me as some of you will enjoy and love Bridget, others not so much.

ALN - We Should All Be Feminists

Let's start this themed month of reading (well, for me, anyway) as I try to go on and read something that will make me think. And this essay from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's speech about feminism is a perfect place for me and this month to start.

There is very little to say on this essay's description, expect this is an essay based on a talk Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave in 2012 for the TEDxEuston. She talks about feminism but touches on other things: how society shapes both genders from sure a young age, all with a hint of humour.

Now, I know some of you will have read and watched this (I will put the video down below as I think we should all watch it) and go "This isn't anything new. This has been discussed a hundred times over by different people" and I agree with you. But I think this makes the scary subject of feminism easier for some people to understand, because it tackles the idea of feminism and how the world sees feminism and inequality.

I think I have talked about my feelings of feminism on here and on Twitter but reading and watching this pointed things out that I missed. It made me more aware of the world around me. That this is so deeply engrained into us, it will take years/decades/centuries to unlearn.

There was a section in the essay (In the video below, the section starts around 17 minutes and 30 seconds in) where a paragraph stuck me. It made me stopped reading, made me put down and kindle and think. Because I realised that this does happen. This happens. Let me quote it (sorry if I get it wrong. Using video and my Twitter as, at time of writing, Kindle is on charge):

We teach girls shame. Close your legs. Cover yourselves. We make them feel as though by being born female, they are already guilty of something. And so girls grow up to be women who cannot say that they have desire. Who silence themselves. Who cannot say what they truly think. Who have turned pretence into an art form. 

This is an important subject and we must keep talking about it. And I think this is a really good way to start or continue the conversation. (Sorry if this isn't much of a review but highly important essay. Go out and read it)

ALN

So... if this all goes to plan and I haven't been an awful blog planner like I normally am, I am welcoming you to ALN.

ALN is Adult Literature November. Which, basically, I am going to try and spend the whole month reading "grown up" books.

I chatted about this back in "My Reading Identity" blog post back in September, that I wanted to reading more adult fiction and, back in September, I thought I would do a month reading (and reviewing on the blog) adult fiction. But the more I thought about it, the more I went "Hang on, I want to try and read other things. Non fiction. Short stories. Essays." and I saw that there were books I wanted to read that wasn't called "fiction".

So this changed to Adult Literature. And because I wanted this is last for a whole month (have you seen the sizes of some of these books?! THE SIZE OF HOUSE BRICKS!!!), I decided to call it "Adult Literature Month" or ALM for short (much easier as a hashtag, I think you'll agree).

So, I hear you ask, what am I going to read? Hopefully, a good mix of things. And because I have been thinking about this since early September, I should have a good few reviews and discussion blog posts all scheduled and ready to go (hence why I took an extra few days in last month's RSM. I wanted to read a few of these without people going "Why are you doing that?")

I'm not going to say what I have read or I hope to read now (I did that in my Murder Month - and I did that because I knew I would have them read and reviewed in time and as am writing this a little ahead of time, I don't wanna jinx myself). However, I will be creating a ALN board/s on my Pinterest that you can check out. And I will create a shelf on my Goodreads so you can have a look there also (it should have been created a few days ago. If not, shout at me and I will get myself in order). If you are not friends with me on Goodreads or Pinterest, go check me out at goodreads.com/PewterWolf or visit me on Pinterest at uk.pinterest.com/pewterwolf.

There are other social media you can check me out on. All on the side or on my "Find Me" page, but yes! Am going to try and read more "adult" and pretend to be an adult for the next month... I doubt this will last, but it's going to be an interesting reading experience for me!