Readathon Wrap Up - Seasons of Reading 'Winter's Respite'

I did the Seasons of Reading readathon - this one was the Winter's Respite which runs from 18 - 24 Jan. Actually managed to make another video, so this is my wrap up - you can see what I read and how I did!

My links:
-Goodreads
-Youtube
-Twitter
-Instagram

Seasons of Reading Links:
-Blog
-Facebook group
-Twitter

Books mentioned:
'The Road' - Cormac McCarthy
'On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft' - Stephen King
'Wuthering Heights' - Emily Bronte
'The Bone Clocks' - David Mitchell

My Reading List - Seasons of Reading Readathon 'WintersRespite'

I'm trying to do the 50 book challenge this year, so I'm taking part in several readathons throughout the year. I didn't manage to complete the January AYearAThon as I started so late. But, I managed to blast through The Road by Cormac McCarthy - which may not be such a good thing as it's pretty depressing to say the least.

Seasons of Reading hold four readathons throughout the year (one for each season) and I believe they do an extra one at Christmas. I'm taking part in the Winter's Respite which runs from 18 - 24 Jan. If you want to see how your fellow participants are doing, the hastag on twitter is #WintersRespite.

The rules are very relaxed and there isn't a theme for this season. They have a big giveaway at the end of the readathons but you have to sign up on the site and link your wrap-up at the end, as winners are chosen from that.

I'm still busy getting back into university, finding motivation in this miserably cold month and I'm travelling across the country this week to visit friends, so it's hectic but train journeys are perfect for reading. Also, this is why I'm writing a blog post rather than trying to plan, film, edit and upload a book video. I might do a wrap up video, but we'll see.

My list consists of:
- On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. This is a rollover from the AYearAThon, as I could only get halfway through.
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. It's a classic that my friends are obsessed with, and it's been so cold and windy recently that it's perfect.
- The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. I only got halfway through when I first read it, so this is a great excuse to finish it.

If you want to follow my progress, I'm here on GoodReads.

Anyone else taking part? Let me know what you're reading!

AYearAThon #1 & New On Booktube

YouTubing has begun. No more am I just a viewer, I make things now. I've been on YouTube as a viewer for five years now and want to feel like I'm actually part of it, rather than just taking it other people's work.

The booktube community is very small which I like. People say they miss the old YouTube, how it was back in 2009-2011 when it felt like a shared secret. I like how the smallness of it means we all have to work together because we need each other, and it's interesting to engage with that.

Also none of my friends are that into YouTube culture so I'm hoping to find other people who are.

My links:
-Goodreads
-Youtube
-Twitter
-Instagram

A Lil' Bookish Christmas

I'm finally starting to feel festive - went food shopping with the family today. I volunteered to help cook and then realised I have no idea how to roast a chicken (but that's what the internet's for).

Anyway, it's cold and grey outside and everyone's tired because it's the end of the year. So, it's perfect to sit and read whilst fighting off food comas and "do you have a job yet" lectures from relatives.

'Dash and Lily's Book of Dares' - Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

This is my all-time favourite Christmassy book. I've started reading it every year since my younger sibling got it for me as a gift. Sixteen-year-old Lily adores Christmas - but this year her family have left her alone. Encouraged by her brother, she hides a red notebook full of dares in her favourite bookshop, waiting for the right guy to accept. Cynical and uber-snarky Dash isn't one to step down from a challenge and they send each other on a scavenger hunt across Manhattan.

'The Bosch Deception' - Alex Connor (Book Review)

In 1473, a brotherhood hides a secret within the work of the visionary Hieronymus Bosch. In modern day England Nicholas Laverne, a disgraced priest, returns with an artefact that could destroy the Church and the art world. However, secrets like that could kill.

Art, murder and the Catholic Church. No, it isn’t the Da Vinci Code. The Bosch Deception by Alex Connor has a lot of potential to be interesting; however I wished I didn’t have to read through to the end of this book.

Classics I Haven't Read But Probably Should

I've been in education for 16 years, and studying English Lit at university for two years. I confess - there's a lot of big titles I haven't read. Try not to explode from indignation.

I based most of this list on the standard Western canon - so lots of books by old dead white men. If you have recommendations please let me know!

The Student Journal, Review: 'The Honeymoon Hotel' by Hester Browne

Originally published on The Student Journal, November 2014.

Christy Ku reviews The Honeymoon Hotel by Hester Browne: 'predictable but fabulous'.

Welcome to the Bonneville Hotel, a former refuge for royalty and movie stars. Full of beautiful suites, ballrooms and a glamorous history, the hotel is being transformed into the wedding venue with the work of Events Manager, Rosie. Focused and ambitious, she tries to live her ideal London life. She has a respected food critic, Dominic, as a boyfriend and is in charge of the biggest, high-profile wedding the hotel has ever seen; there's nothing to stop her. Until, of course, she stumbles across a half-naked man in the honeymoon suite; Joe, the eccentric and outspoken son of the hotel owner...

The Honeymoon Hotel was the perfect book to be reading on the train home after attending a London wedding show with my sisters (the eldest is to be married, Miss Austen). Upon reading the blurb, I was worried that it would have a generic business-woman chick-lit plot. We know what that is: the typical ‘I-have-no-time-my-for-own-love-life’ female protagonist suddenly meets the gorgeous (but annoying) guy and they argue for every chapter...until they ultimately end up together. The plot was exactly that, and entirely predictable. And it was utterly fabulous.

We know what’s going to happen in the story. Browne addresses the problem of this clichéd plot commonly found in so many similar books by challenging it in the very first paragraph of chapter one; “People make a lot of assumptions about wedding planners. Either we’re hopeless romantics (I’m not). Or we’re terminal singletons (I live with my boyfriend)”. She sets the story up to be different, but ultimately it falls back into the typical plot line anyway. But, everything is written and created so amusingly that it makes the book such a fun read.

Exeposé Books, Interview - Rapper’s Delight: The Hip Hop Cookbook

Originally published on Exeposé Online, 18 Nov 2014. Click the image to read the full article.


Exeter graduates Ralph Miller and Joe Inniss have combined their passion for food and hip hop music to create this fun cookbook. Filled with a huge range of fantastic illustrations, puns galore and excellent recipes, it’s an ideal gift for any and everyone going to university. For example, how could you resist the sound of “Wu Tang Clam Chowder”, or cooking up some “Ludacrispy Duck”? Quirkiness aside, it’s a great little book. It’s beautifully presented with clever little aspects like “Beats Per Minute” to indicate how long it’ll take to cook and prepare the dish, as well as a QR code at the back which will link you to a Spotify playlist. Compiled with the artists mentioned in the book, you can cook whilst getting down in the kitchen. We caught up with Ralph Miller to chat about the inspiration and process behind the book.

How did you come up with the idea?

When we were students at Exeter, Joe and I had our own show on Xpression FM called the ‘Ralph and Joe show’. We played a wide range of music, like electronic, dance, pop, and of course hip hop. We’re both foodies and love cooking, so we would have a laugh making up food puns. This became an ongoing joke on our show and amongst our friends. When we left university, we realised we could actually do something with this idea.

Exeposé Books - Interview with 2014 Exeter Poetry Slam Winner: James Turner

Originally published on Exeposé Online, 18 Oct 2014. Click the image to read the full article.

The third sold-out Exeter Poetry Slam was held at the Bike Shed Theatre. James Turner beat off the tough competition with the excellent delivery of his beautifully written laugh-out-loud poetry. Christy Ku, Online Books, caught up with him afterwards.

How did you feel about taking part in and winning the 2014 Exeter Poetry Slam? 

This is the third slam I have taken part in. I used to think slams were not for me, and not really what poetry is about. Recently I have changed my mind on this. There’s no reason why a good poem can’t be read out to an audience at a slam. The audience are there listening, just like any other poetry reading. It’s a chance for me to share my stuff. So when I heard about this slam I entered for it, and adapted a recent rather long poem so it would be the right length and in three parts, one part for each round of the competition. I gave it everything I’ve got, practised it and so on. I don’t have a very good memory so I didn’t learn it by heart. At some slams you have to deliver your poem without the words in front of you, but this slam allowed you to have the text. Anyway I won it, and I was happy, I’m now the official Exeter Slam Champion for the year 2014/15 – but also very surprised. I thought I might get through the first round, but I really didn’t expect to win. I still can’t quite believe it happened.

Exeposé Books - Condensed Classics: 'Fahrenheit 451', Ray Bradbury

Originally published on Exeposé Online, 8 March 2014. Click the image to read the full article.

Published in 1953, Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel continues to unsettle and intrigue successive generations of readers…

“Forget them. Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean.”

This short novella is Ray Bradbury’s influential masterpiece, continuing to inspire and challenge censorship to this day.

The story follows Montag, who lives in a society where books are banned. His job as a fireman is to burn them and the offenders’ houses. Content with his life, he meets his new young neighbour, a mysterious girl called Clarisse. Her unconventional way of thinking slowly awakens Montag to the reality of his life; a world of self-destructive behaviour, mass-produced distractions prevent individual thought, and his marriage – cold and loveless with a woman who has become a stranger. Slowly, with the help of a former university professor, he discovers the power of books – but there are no places for free thinkers. Soon, he becomes an outcast and finds himself on the run from the sinister and lethal mechanical Hound.

Thought-provoking and brilliant, Fahrenheit 451 is a timeless literary treasure.

Exeposé Books - Interview 'Geek Girl: Challenging Fairy Tales with Holly Smale'

Originally published on Exeposé Online, 3 June 2014. Click the image to read the full article.

Christy Ku interviewed Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2014 winner author Holly Smale, who spent most of her teenage years being bullied before she was spotted by a top London modelling agency aged fifteen, when nothing changed at all.

Picture Perfect is the latest novel in the international best-selling Geek Girl series, following teenage geek Harriet Manners. She knows that New York is the most populous city in the US and its official motto is “Ever Upward” – but what she doesn’t know is how to model in the Big Apple…

Can you tell us about the idea behind Geek Girl?

I wanted to write a comedy about my experience as a teenage model, and it wasn’t until I wrote the first line, unplanned – “My name is Harriet Manners, and I am a geek” – that I realised it wasn’t really a story about modelling at all: it was really a story about geeks, and being an outsider. As it turns out, I had a lot more experience in both those things than I ever did in the fashion world, so the rest felt like the right story for me to tell.

I really loved how the transformation of Harriet Manners didn’t quite work in the conventional sense. Often, plot lines revolve around the Cinderella theme where a misfit is “improved” before being accepted and loved. How important do you feel it is to challenge this?

I think it’s essential. I always had a problem with the Ugly Duckling story, because what were we supposed to learn from it? Become beautiful and everyone will like you? Look ugly or different and you’re on your own? 

Exeposé Books - Interview 'Dead Poets Society Slams It Down'

Originally published on Exeposé Online, 18 April 2014. Click the image to read the full article.

Christy Ku met up with the lovely Heads of the new Dead Poets Society (coming this September) to discuss poetry slams, traditional academia and pancakes with bacon.

Anna Romanska: President

Iona Bepey: Social Secretary

Abi Setchfield: General Secretary

Tell me about yourselves – who you are, what you like, who you’d like to see take the iron throne…

Anna: Well, we’re all studying English at the uni here. I live in Bahrain, but I’m from Poland, and I love all things literature, poetry, and fandom (like these two). And I have recently decided I want there to be no Iron Throne, so as to keep everyone happy. (But am secretly rooting for Sansa).

Iona: I’m sadly obsessed with Keats and wartime fiction, as well as appalling American reality TV. And Tyrion clearly has the edge.

Abi: I’ve been doing performance poetry since Yr 7 when I started speech and drama lesson., I love Percy Bysshe, Simon Armitage, Joelle Taylor, and bacon with maple syrup and pancakes. (And I don’t really care who gets the iron throne because the White Walkers are KINDA providing a sticky situation right now).

Pancakes and bacon with maple syrup? I am yet to try this culinary arrangement.

Abi: You want to make sure the bacon’s really crispy, and American pancakes work best. And thick maple syrup.

Anna: We all like cooking, we have arranged various evenings where we just eat and talk about Supernatural.

So how do you guys know each other?

Anna: Iona knew Abi and myself separately. I met Iona at a birthday, whilst we were both extremely drunk and bonding over Supernatural.

And how did Iona meet Abi?

Iona: Oh lord. This is really not going to reflect well on me…

Abi: It’s such a good story.

Iona: You get to tell the story.

Exeposé Books - Review 'The Fault In Our Stars - Just Another Sad Story?'

Originally published on Exeposé Online, 24 June 2014. Click the image to read the full article.


The Fault In Our Stars has been one of the most anticipated screen adaptations of the year. But is the book behind the movie really worth the hype? Or is the success founded upon being “a sad book”?

Generally referred to as “the book that made everyone cry”, the movie version of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is out in cinemas now – and the build-up has been incredible. The book was released in 2012 (with Green signing the entire first print run of 150,000 books) and debuted at the top of the New York Times Best Seller’s list. Since then, fan art has flooded Tumblr, positive reviews are everywhere and now a much anticipated movie has been released – of which perhaps Green has been the giddiest fan, following and tweeting about the movie from the set to the screen.

But is the story worth the hype?




 

Exeposé Books - Review 'Charm Offensive - William Thacker'

Originally published on Exeposé Online, 23 March 2014. Click the image to read the full article.

We all have established authors which we know and love, but nothing can match the excitement of discovering a wonderful novelist who is just starting out. 

William Thacker, a young London-born author and scriptwriter, recently released his debut novel; Charm Offensive, published 1 March 2014 by Legend Press. Intrigued by the unusual protagonist (and the prospect of a free book), I jumped at the chance to review it.

The story follows retired politician, Joe Street, who is thrown back into the spotlight as a result of a media scandal. Accompanied by a cheap PR consultant, he tries to save his reputation and marriage, rebuilding his relationship with his estranged daughter.

Exeposé Books: 'Can You Judge A Book By Its Cover?'

Originally published on Exeposé Online, 28 March 2014. Click the image to read the full article.

Christy Ku argues that the cover and title of a book is one of the most important elements to take into account when choosing what to read. Do you agree?

Several years ago, Borders was liquidising its stock as it went bust. Naturally, I went bargain hunting/scavenging through the boxes and chose a book purely because of its beautiful cover and intriguing title. To this day, I Capture the Castlestill stands as one of my all-time favourites.

As a result, I firmly believe that judging a book by its cover is a wonderful way to choose books. When you’re faced with overflowing bookshelves (physical or virtual), the book cover and title will be the first things that attracts your attention, making you pick it up and flick through the first few pages. Just listen to these book titles; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, When God Was a Rabbit, Life of Pi, A Clockwork Orange – they’re utterly bizarre, intriguing or just hard to forget.

Exeposé Books: 'So You Think You Can Read?'

Originally published in Exeposé. Issue 618, 21 Jan 2014, page 33. Click on the article to read the full thing!


Christy Ku gives advice on how to focus on reading and be efficient with your study time

'Had a nice Christmas at home? Got some money as presents? Good - now spent it all on your course books. And then read it all - you're not seeing daylight again.'

That seems to be the voice of uni as we head back to our halls, to the mountain of reading ahead of us. But never fear - Exeposé is here! We might not be Hermione Granger, but here are some tips to tackle that stack of books. Good luck!

Top 10 Summer Reads

The sun is still out. Miracle, I know. I've been - brace yourself - outside and enjoying the weather. I even went to the beach (which is inspiring me to make videos on YouTube and therefore spend more time indoors on Martin the Laptop).

Right now, it's the perfect weather for sitting outside with a book. 

"But what shall I read??"

Well, I'm glad you asked. This is my list of recommendations of books (in no particular order) that have a summer vibe for me. It's an expansion on this article I wrote last year when I just started my job as Online Books Editor for Exeposé.

10.

1. I Capture the Castle (Dodie Smith)

In the vividly beautiful English countryside, Cassandra and her eccentric family live and dream in their home, a ruined castle. Even though it was written in the 1940's, the writing is incredibly modern and still relevant today. With an immensely likeable and relatable teenage narrator, it's a funny, honest and astoundingly gorgeous book.


2. The Great Gatsby (F.Scott Fitzgerald)
Clichéd English student choice but I've read this book over countless times, and I still find something new. It's heralded as an absolute classic and therefore risked ruin by the education system through forcing students to fish for metaphors. But it's a wonderful and beautiful story; full of beauty, touching moments and heady prose. It's easy to lose yourself in this dreamy and poetic novella as you watch the American Dream crumble.


3. Breakfast at Tiffany's (Truman Capote)
This is completely different from the film; darker, grittier - and better (please don't kill me). The effortlessly glamorous Holly Golightly resides in New York and her life glitters, but only on the surface. She could have easily become another Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope, but she's immensely complex, fascinating and ungraspable. Always restless and always on the run, Holly Golightly will always be one of my favourite characters.


4. The Virgin Suicides (Jeffrey Eugenides)
It's as creepy as it sounds. The beautiful and distant Lisbon sisters capture the fascination of the neighbourhood - especially the teenage boys. When 13 year old Cecelia commits suicide they all watch, entranced, as the Lisbon family decays. It's masterfully written and haunting. 


5. On the Road (Jack Kerouac)
Drink, drugs and a lot of driving. It's another clichéd English student choice, but this book just sweeps you along with the frantic desperation to live life, set to the background of jazz music. On the Road has an unconventional prose style, called spontaneous prose. Kerouac originally wrote it in three weeks on "the scroll" - a 122ft long scroll of paper he taped together. It'll make you want to let everything go and take a road trip with friends.


6. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
One of my favourite bildungsroman, this book follows Sayuri's rise from a child living in an impoverished fishing village to an immensely successful geisha in Gion, whilst Japan is on the brink of WWII. It's an incredible and emotional insight into this world of beauty and luxury.


7. The Art of Asking (Amanda Palmer)
It's the non-fiction book everyone should read. So many of us spend too much of our life afraid or embarrassed to ask for help, and we shame others for asking. Amanda Palmer is a rock star, activist, blogger, a former living statue and now a writer. After leaving her record label, she launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2012, asking for $100,000 to fund an album. Palmer soon set a record for the biggest crowd-funded music project at $1.2 million. This lead to one of the most viewed TED talks, and now the book. Raw, honest and beautifully written, it's genuinely one of the most influential books I have ever read. If you want a full review of the book, I wrote one here.


8. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
I read it for the first time when I was about Jem's age, and reread again recently - it's a story that stays with you. Set in the 1930's, six-year-old Scout and her big brother Jem live in Alabama when their father, Atticus Finch, is appointed to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. It's a heartachingly amazing book. The sequel, Go Set a Watchman, will be released 14 July 2015 (55 years after To Kill a Mockingbird), so get reading!


9. Paper Towns (John Green)
Books don't tend to make me laugh out loud, but this one got me. Margo Roth Spiegelman, who appears to be the ultimate girl-next-door, takes her neighbour and childhood friend Quentin on a mad night of revenge pranks - and she disappears the next day. With a group of friends, they search for her, discovering the "real Margo" and all her complexities. The film adaptation is coming out 24 July 2015.


10. The Sandman (Neil Gaiman)
In their attempts to capture Death, a cult have caught the wrong Eternal - Dream. During his imprisonment, the mortal world warps. It doesn't have a summer vibe for me, unlike the other books, but it's utterly engrossing and you'll want to spend your whole summer reading the whole series. 


Hope you enjoy this list - what books are you going to be reading this summer?

Exeposé Books - 'Can You Judge a Book By It's Cover?'

Christy Ku argues that the cover and title of a book is one of the most important elements to take into account when choosing what to read. Do you agree?

Does this cover make you want to find out what’s written inside?

Several years ago, Borders was liquidising its stock as it went bust. Naturally, I went bargain hunting/scavenging through the boxes and chose a book purely because of its beautiful cover and intriguing title. To this day, I Capture the Castle still stands as one of my all-time favourites.

As a result, I firmly believe that judging a book by its cover is a wonderful way to choose books. When you’re faced with overflowing bookshelves (physical or virtual), the book cover and title will be the first things that attracts your attention, making you pick it up and flick through the first few pages. Just listen to these book titles; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, When God Was a Rabbit, Life of Pi, A Clockwork Orange – they’re utterly bizarre, intriguing or just hard to forget.

There’s no denying the importance of book covers. We all know that first impressions matter – when we meet someone for the first time, we will make so many assumptions about them in a few seconds. It’s the same for books – the publishers dress the book in its Sunday Best and send it off into the big wide world...

Read the full article here!

Very First Attempt At A 'Shopping Haul' Post

I finally went shopping and thought I'd share what I got! Don't expect too many of these posts - I've barely bought anything aside from groceries since January and I'm a student with little money. Also, I really hate the word 'haul' for some reason.

It's actually really hard to do those perfect photographs where all your purchases are neatly laid out

Writing Book Reviews

One of many perks of being a Book section editor is a lot of review books. It's pretty awesome - free book in exchange for about 500 words.

I'm just sharing what I've learnt  from experience so far. There isn't one way to write a book review, so take what you want from this (words are bold so those in a rush can skim. I'm not being patronising!).

Getting review copies
Since student newspapers are small publications, we don't get approached with books unless a student/local is promoting their work. So, I have to request them myself. I believe bigger companies are automatically sent big releases or are give a list of books they can choose from (but don't quote me on that).

'We are the media'

I keep on top of book news, knowing what new releases are coming up and when. Twitter is fantastic for this - I follow authors, publishers and book stores. Authors tend to promote other writers (which is a lovely thing to see happening), so following one writer can lead on to more.

Try and send in your request at the right time - around a month before or after the release date is your bubble. Two months after is pushing it, but can be done.

To contact the right person to contact, search through the book's publisher - not the big publishing house that encompasses many smaller companies. You want THE company. It's important to be very specific - try and email exactly the right person. After all, we're all busy people and they won't appreciate having to forward your email on. The contact details are usually in the press/publicity department (yup, you're press now!), or if it's a company abroad, you might have to locate the international department. Generally, it's not too hard to find the right person, but sometimes - have a big cup of tea next to your.