T5W: Books I'd save in a fire

I'm not really sure what to answer for the question because if we are talking literally then most of my books can be repurchased so instead of going with emotional meaning I am picking rare or old books that would be harder to replace. This is pretty difficult though because I'm at university right now so most my books (and all the books that could make this list) are at home so I'm having to go by memory alone. 

1. My Classics Collection - this may be cheating as I'm including about 20 classics that are all hard back bound with beautiful gold decoration as well as my complete collection of all Charles Dickens' work. I have no idea how old these are but they were my mum's (and may technically still be so but they've been living in my room for over ten years now) and I imagine they would be extremely expensive to repurchase. 

2. Lord of the Rings - my edition of this book contains all three parts and is beautifully bound with tracing paper thin pages. It literally looks like a copy of the Bible until you read the spine and I have never seen this edition anywhere else. 

3. My mum's copy of Pride and Prejudice - now this book is included in my classics collection and isn't an especially nice copy but it's my mum's favourite book and it contains all her highlights and notes that she's taken over decades of rereading it. 

4. A Streetcar Named Desire - this play is what I studied for Higher English and, like above, this book isn't an expensive or beautiful edition but it's margins are crammed with a years worth of in depth analysis that I could never replicate. 

5. The Harry Potter audiobooks - although the first four books we have on tape and so are practically useless I'd still save these masterpieces voiced by Stephen Fry. With them making new audiobooks with a different narrator that makes the version voiced by Stephen Fry very expensive and although I do want to buy my own copy some day (all in CD form) I'd have to save these as my sister and I listened to these every night as we went to bed for years. 

Top 5 Wednesdays Goodreads page. 

Review: The Thinking Ape

The Thinking Ape: Evolutionary Origins of Intelligence by Richard Byrne

I read this for my evolutionary psychology class despite it not being compulsory reading as my lecturer is the author (which is pretty cool). I really enjoyed it and it was really good at explaining our links with the rest of the Great Apes and how we have evolved. It does a great job at explaining what intelligence is and how evolution shapes our actions and it wasn't as philosophical as Dawkins which made is an easier read. I didn't read it page by page as it is more textbook styled so I was able to flip to the sections that related to my essay but I think I have read it all now although there may be a section or two I have managed to miss,
I would definitely recommend this to  anyone who is either studying or just generally interested in this topic but it is definitely not a novel.

Goodreads link.

T5W: Best character arcs/developments

1. Sephy Hadley from Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman  - she starts off as a nice girl but is fairly selfish and her upbringing has left her ignorant of just how different her life is from the segregated "Noughts" despite Callum being her best friend. When they intergrate her school reality hits her and her development over this first book is tragic as her world is shattered both from the polictical/racist system she is becoming aware of and the unravelling of her family life.
2. Todd Hewitt from the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness  - Todd starts of very naive and angry at the world and in the first book he is forced to grow up as he is left running for his life and caught up in a series of events he doesn't understand. In the second and third book in particular his character goes through a lot of changes. What I like about this development it isn't a straight forward case of becoming stronger and better, he goes through points of weakness and it looks like he is loosing himself and he knows that what he is doing is wrong.
3. Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins  - Katniss doesn't start too weak and then get stronger like most heroines, she is strong at the beginning and when she has to she is capable of competing in the Hunger Games. She is strong throughout the first book but then when we see her dealing with the aftermath of the games she is breaking. After the Quarter Quell she is more fragile than ever and not capable of leading a revolution like she would've been at the start of book one. Her development is almost the polar opposite of what the majority of characters go through and that is largely why I loved it so much.
4. Park Sheridan from Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell  - Park is just as judging of Eleanor as everyone else is when he first sees her but they gradually fall together. Despite how much he cares for her Park is still embarrassed of Eleanor although he doesn't want to admit that to himself but finally he stands up for her and in doing so doesn't just learn to be unabashedly with her but also that he can be himself without feeling any shame.
5. Henry Shrimshander from The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach  - Henry starts off very insecure and self depricating with baseball being all he has in his life. Since his self-worth is tied up in his skills as a baseball player he begins to loose it once he psyches himself out is unable to play. As he tries to get his ability to play back he also finds himself and his worth off the field (although he does mess us a lot along the way).

Top 5 Wednesday GoodReads page.

T5W: Friend Groups I want to be a part of

I really like it when a book has a strong focus on friendship and have strong group dynamics so without further ado here are my top 5 friend groups I want to be a part of.

1. From the Harry Potter series by J K Rowling  - Harry, Ron and Hermione make such a good team both when fighting against evil and when they are just struggling with homework. Part of what I love about the Harry Potter books is how we get to see the characters just going abut their lives throughout the school year as well as dealing with the threat of Voldermort. Also (obviously) James, Sirius, Lupin and Peter Pettigrew seem like a great group to be a part of but without more about them (can we get another book please!). I would also like to be friends with Fred, George and Lee but I don't feel as though I would be best suited for all their pranking and I would almost definitely fail out of school if I had them distracting me!
2. From the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series  - Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Tyson and Rachel Elizabeth have so much fun and being their friends would involve so much laughter I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to be their friends. I am half way through the Heroes of Olympus series and I do like the rest of the people who have made their way into this group too.
3. From The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky  - Charlie, Sam and Patrick are always supporting each other (and their other friends). Whether it is Patrick's secret relationship with the football star, the issues Sam has had in the past or what Charlie is dealing with in this book they never judge each other and will always be their if needed.
4. From the Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein  - the whole of the fellowship is an amazing group and I would love to be friends with all of them but particularly the hobbits. Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin are such great friends and they would do anything for each other. Plus Merry and Pippin would always be able to make you laugh.
5. From the Circle trilogy by Nora Roberts  - now I know this series is a bit far fetched and I am curious to see how I'd feel about it if I was to read it now but this was one of the first proper grown up fantasy books I ever read. It combined vampires (which I was so into back then) with magic and quests and epic battles and fantasy worlds which I love now. Hoyt, Cian, Glenna, Blair, Larkin and Moira were such a great team and I loved them greatly even though they hated each other half the time. The only issue with being their friend would be that they all pair off into couple so I would be a permanent seventh wheel.

Top 5 Wednesdays's Goodreads page.

T5W: Books that take place in my country/town

I tried to keep this list as close to home as possible so the top picks are books set in Edinburgh that I loved seeing as I haven't actually read any set in the town where I go to university although I have looked into it (although there do not seem to be many). Once I ran out of top Edinburgh settings though I did broaden it to Scotland in general. I do like reading books where I know where a character is and can picture the actual street although I haven't read as many as I had expected. 

1. Trainspotting by Irving Welsh  - This book does not paint my city in a good light as it explores the Edinburgh underworld but it is a great book and a classic Edinburgh pick. Definitely would recommend that everyone try this but I think the dialect it is written in will maybe make it difficult for some people to understand but I think it just adds to the experience of reading this to me.
2. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding  - Another book set in Edinburgh and if you haven't read this book you have probably seen the movie. This is such a funny and light read as we follow Bridget's daily diary of how she is managing her goals.
3. Fleshmarket by Nicola Morgan  - this book is set in the Edinburgh slums in the early 1800s and follows a boy who is trying to raise his siblings after his mother dies and father runs away. We read the first chapter or so of this in school in preparation for the author coming to give a talk to us. The first chapter is very graphic as it depicts old fashioned surgery without anaesthetic and after that I had no desire to continue the book but then as many of my friends read it I caved to peer pressure and I am glad I did. 
4. The Desperate Journey by Kathleen Fidler  - This book is about the highland clearances and we read it back in primary school but I rememberer really enjoying it. It is a heartbreaking tale about a family affected by famine and a forced to leave their homes and inevitably their country.
5. Harry Potter series by J K Rowling  - this book is only vaguely set in Scotland and it doesn't include any of the culture nor even any specific places but Hogwarts is in Scotland so I have to include it.

Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads page.

Favourite Book Couples

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I wanted to make a post that was related to love today and so I thought I would talk about my favourite book couples. As I started writing this I saw a pattern. Firstly both characters have to be greatly developed and lovable on their own before they can make a fantastic couple. The best relationships are between  characters who compliment each other. I think a long build up to the relationship also helps make us readers even more invested in it.

[Quick note: The couples above the break I feel are from big enough series that most people will know of them and the fact that people love their relationships are not spoilers but below the break I mention some couple which it is not as well known or obvious from the start of the books that they will be in some sort of relationship so there will be spoilers if you click read more. The discussion about these relationships will also be full of spoilers for the plot as well so you have been warned.]

First for a few honorary mentions: Hazel and Gus from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green; Eleanor and Park from Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell; and Owen and Guert from The Art of Fielding by Chad Harback. These are all amazing couples and they all caused me to cry but I think the fact they are all from single books and contemporaries I don't have quiet as much to say about them but I did want to mention them quickly before getting on the others.

Percy and Annabeth from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan  - separately they are both really well developed by Rick and their personalities seem so different at first. Percy is a bit foolish and acts without thinking whereas Annabeth is highly intelligent and likes to plan things out and in this way they are perfect together with Annabeth making Percy think things through and Percy making sure Annabeth actually gets things done and takes that step from planning to taking action. However, they are both highly loyal to their friends and to Camp Halfblood and are willing to take considerable risks to protect those they love and to do what is right.

Katniss and Peeta from The Huger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins  - yes that is right I am a Peeta fan. I do not think a relationship between Gale and Katniss would have been sustainable after everything she went through but I do think if Primrose's name had never been picked and the events of the books had not occurred then the two of them could have been very happy together. After the Huger Games though Katniss is very fragile and Gale is too passionate about revolution whereas Peeta is quieter and can live a low key life. He has always been putting Katniss first even when he shouldn't have and he is just as broken as she is. Where Katniss looses strength after the first book Peeta gains some for the Quarter Quell and he manages to look after her emotionally where she has had a more physically supportive role before. 

Harry and Ginny from the Harry Potter series by J K Rowling  - this couple are a little bit different as during their relationship in the sixth book they are not fighting anyone or are up against any danger so their relationship feels more like a contemporary one to me and so here I think the rules are slightly different. When there are no evil forces (be magical villans or corrupt government) to go against I prefer couples that are so natural and have little to no drama and that is exactly what we get with Harry and Ginny. After years of hero-crushing on him Ginny is finally able to get over it and that is exactly what was needed for their friendship to grow and for Harry to realise he was falling for his best friend's little sister. But as soon as they get together the drama and angst stops. Everyone knows how heroic and loyal Harry is but Ginny is such a funny character and a lot more like Fred and George than any of her other siblings and I am so annoyed they didn't incorporate her great personality nor this beautiful relationship into the movies.

Todd and Viola from the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness  - this couple is so interesting to me as they are thrown into a crazy situation where they are running for their lives and Todd has never seen a girl before and Viola doesn't talk for ages. In the first book they become dependant upon each other to survive and they are all each other has but in the second book when they are thrown back into civilisation and are kept apart they both get a chance to develop as individuals and as Viola gains strength Todd starts to loose himself and I just find the way they make their way back to each other (both in terms of geography but also emotionally) is really beautiful.

Ari and Dante from Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz  - now these two spend almost the entire book as friends but it was the most beautiful friendship I have ever read about. Now, this relationship wasn't an entirely smooth ride as Ari could sometime be a bit of a bad friend (but never out of cruelness or lack of caring) and deals with some issues not very well but they both stand by each other through everything and I was so worried that they wouldn't end up together. Dante is such an optimistic human being whereas Ari is quite sullen and withdrawn but Dante manages to pull smiles out of him and despite Ari not being great at writing back he is always there for Dante and never judges him when he comes out despite it being 1980s America.

Review: The Selfish Gene

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

This is a non-fiction book so I am not really sure how to rate this. I gave it 3 (and a half) stars on Goodreads but I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in this area and will pick up more of his books at a later date. I had to read this for my Evolutionary Psychology class and it explores the idea that we are all controlled by our genetics and the "selfishness" of genes and our only purpose is to pass these genes along.
The idea is a really interesting one, and kind of scary too, with a lot of biological evidence to support it. It looks at this subject in a manner that is accessible to anyone, regardless of your level of education in the sciences, yet it manages to also be interesting to people who already know all the background material which I found impressive. I did, however, get bored during chapters 2 and 3 as he explained evolution and genetics which I have studies in depth before but he did manage to convey quite complex notions fairly quickly and concisely.
Dawkins looks at the topic from a variety of viewpoints including biological, psychological and even philosophical.
It definitely is worth a read if anyone is interested in this sort of thing and I think everyone should at least be aware of the concepts he discusses as they are very thought provoking and also might change the way people think about how they live their lives and the choices we all make.

Goodreads link.

Back at Uni

Now that I've settled back at university I thought I'd give some details about what I'm doing here. I am studying Neuroscience and at the moment that means a module of evolutionary psychology and a module of biochemistry. The work load is already overwhelming and we've barely started! This has meant I've barely had time to read. I'm currently 150 pages into The Final Empire (Mistborn book 1) by Brandon Sanderson. I was hoping to finish it in January but university has been more demanding than I'd expected. I also have two books to read for evolutionary psychology which are getting in the way. I think I'm going to have to set The Final Empire aside for a bit, despite how much it pains me, because I just don't have time to commit to such a huge book. So instead I think I'm going to pick up a smaller book (maybe These Broken Stars?) that I can read in short 20 minute portions.

T5W: Futuristic Reads

I found this list quite difficult to make without naming just dystopian novels. I haven't read much sci fi books but it's a genre I definitely want to get more into this year. 

1. The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness   - This book takes place on another planet which people moved to after our own planet became to polluted. What I love about this world is that everyone that arrived on this new planet they destroyed all the technology so it has the feeling of being set both in the past and in the future. 
2. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde  - This book takes place in a sort of dystopian world where everything is in black and white and there is a hierarchy based on what colours people can see, with thoe Greys living as second class citizens. Eddie is a Red and is being punished for thinking outside the box.  Fforde's depiction of this future after The Something That Happened is hilarious and you can tell that the author is extremely smart through his writing.
3. Unwind by Neil Shusterman  - there is no doubt this is a dystopian novel but it is one of my all time favourite books. In this society parents can send their teenagers off to be "unwound", where they are killed but with all their body parts being transplanted onto others. This book follows Conner, Risa and Lev as they try and run away after being sent to the unwinding camps. This book was really amazing with great characters and really intense moments that meant I couldn't put it down. 
4. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff  - I read this book years ago but I remember it had such an impact on me with really moving scenes. This book takes place in World War III and seeing as the book is about young teenagers and children the reason for this is never explained, instead it shows the fallout. Daisy is sent over to the UK to live with cousins she's never met, but who seem to be able to read minds and talk to animals, in a hopes to keep her safe from the violence in America. Soon the war spreads to Britain too and the children are forced to run and split up; this is about them travelling through war torn England in an attempt to find each other again. 
5. Rot and Ruin by Johnathon Maberry  - Benny Imura and his friends live in a post-apocalyptic world with wastelands overrun by zombies the only thing beyond the wall that encloses his town. Somehow, and I honestly don't know how, this book changed me. When I put it down I was stunned. I can't pinpoint what this book did that was so write but it did something. 

Top 5 Wednesdays Goodreads page.

Review: Wintergirls

Wintergirls

By Laurie Halse Anderson

This was actually a reread for me although it was very different from my memories of it. I first read it three or four years ago and I remember loving it. Reading it now I still loved it but I found the content far more disturbing. It is about eating disorders, depression, self harm and suicide and I would definitely warn you if you think you may be triggered by these subjects to think twice before reading it. Although I do think the author represented these issues very well and realistically - There was no romanticising of Lia's illness and it was shown to be brutal and quiet frankly gruesome. 

Lia has been struggling with her eating disorder for a very long time and has been hospitalised twice for it. She is meant to be recovering but she has no desire to do so. Her best friend, Cassie, dealt with similar problems but turned her back on her after her hospitalisation. On the night Cassie dies she phones Lia 33 times but Lia never picks up. Now she's being haunted by Cassie's memory and the overwhelming desire to be skinny, skinnier, skinniest. The author using a unique writing style to get Lia's compulsive and conflicted thoughts across to great effect.

Would cautiously recommend to any fan of similar stories, keeping in mind I found this far more triggering that any other book I have read that dealt with these issues. 

Goodreads link.