The Tiara Fetish

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So after noticing the number of books and tumblr posts about tiaras, castles, fairytale cartoons and anything else princess related I could help feeling curious or wanting to write a post...

TIARAS IN REAL LIFE:

I always had a thing against tiaras. When I was little I thought they looked pretty, but they were uncomfortable to wear and after playing dress-ups a few times the little diamantes would all fall out and the paint would lose its shine. I didn't like the idea of people wearing tiaras to debutante balls or weddings because I thought that only royals should wear tiaras on those days. Lately after the discovery of Courtney Love's 'Live Through This' album, Louis Vuitton's SS2012 runway show, the TV show 'Once upon A Time' and a few other things had me wanting to change my Tumblr name to 'Tiara Fetish', but I decided not to; it was probably already taken.

I think the biggest problem I had with tiaras was the people who chose to wear them. While occasionally someone nice and deserving of a tiara wears one to a formal and looks lovely, there are often cases where some nasty, spoiled girl turns up with a tiara and looks ridiculous. If someone were to act like a princess (the good kind), they should be allowed to dress like one. I still think this way, but I have no problem with somebody wearing a tiara in an ironic sense. For example somebody like Courtney Love wearing a short lacy dress, chunky shoes and a messy mop of hair looks pretty awesome in a tiara, even if she's no princess.

I think it actually started when I started going on Tumblr more often. I was adding and seeing more and more pictures of the likes of Princess Diana, fashion photo shoots with antiquated chairs fit to be thrones and the Disney cartoon GIF's. There were so many beautiful pictures that looked so regal. I couldn't help but start thinking that tiaras and jewelled hair clips were needed in the world...



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IN FICTION:

Recent releases such as 'The Selection' by Kiera Cass and 'Throne of Glass' by Sarah J. Maas (which I'm still reading)  are very different stories that involve a possibility of becoming a princess, a beautiful castle and beautiful gowns. But, this royal element isn't exactly new to the world of YA. Last year 'Eve' by Anna Carey was released and before that there was the 'Wicked Lovely' Series by Melissa Marr (which featured several faerie courts with their own kings and queens) and 'Spellbound' by Cara Lynn Schultz (in which the character is a princess in her past life) are all books that feature royalty of some form. I'm interested in the messages that are coming across regarding royalty in these books and I think I'd like to read more stories that have kingdoms somewhere within.

Some of these stories use royalty to teach us about assumptions and stereotypes. Many people assume that royals (princes, princesses, kings and queens) are rich, beautiful and smart authority figures that have no restrictions and no problems. A lot of the time we also assume that they are a bit snobby. What these novels teach us about royals is that royals don't always have the easy lives we think they do. They have obligations, they have to make important decisions and they often live a very sheltered (and lonely) life because of fears of terrorism and such. Put the so-called perfect-at-everything person you know in real life in the place of the royals and BAM! They don't have it as easy as you think they do.

In the case of 'Eve' by Anna Carey, Royalty means Authority. In 'Eve' the main character is taught to obey the rules made by the King and she does this happily until she finds out that the king is not the saint everyone makes him out to be. So the book makes you ask: Should I question my authority figure? Are the rules there to protect me or benefit them?

In the 'Wicked Lovely' Series Royalty represents Obligation. In these books the character's position in the court/kingdom makes a big difference on the decisions they make. The position they are in is very important to them and they live their life around it. To me, I think this "position" is equal to a person's career or family/relationship role. People who are dedicated to their job and/or certain people in their life are very careful about decisions that regard those aspects of their life and they tend to put those things first.

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THE VERDICT ON TIARAS:

I think it's fun to dress up like a princess and it would be cool to be treated like one, but I don't think I'd like all that responsibility. Royals have a lot of important decisions to make, they have to juggle their personal life with their obligations and they have a reputation to uphold. Being a princess not only means being dressed perfectly, but acting perfectly in the public eye as well... I'm definitely interested in reading more books with castles and crowns in them and am considering purchasing a tiara for any future costume parties (if any). And, as for Prince Charming? If I meet one of those, I hope he isn't an actual prince, because dating someone that popular would be an absolute nightmare!

What's your take on Tiaras? Do you like books that have a royal family somewhere within?

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

Reading illegally

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I've been thinking for a while about doing a post on illegal downloads and I was a little unsure. I thought it might offend some people, which is something I don't like to do. Recently I started thinking that Illegal downloads are, well, illegal, so I should be allowed to have an opinion regarding the issue, And, I should be allowed to voice my opinion, because this is my blog. So, nope... I'm not trying to offend anyone by writing this. I'm simply trying to voice my opinion about an issue.

Obviously this isn't just a problem that relates to books- yep, I'm calling it a problem, there's some opinion for you- but, it's an issue for other forms of entertainment. Music, movies, TV seasons, graphic novels, books... If it's a form of entertainment that can be recorded some how, then there's a chance you'll find it online. I'm not completely innocent in writing this either. I've downloaded a few songs in my time (and by few I mean literally like three), I've watched a movie online once and I read the first 'Twilight' novel on my phone. I don't feel great about it, but I know that compared to many people this is quite minimal.

Firstly I would like to list what I consider to be acts of downloading or sharing 'Pirated Copies'.

-Burning Cds or Dvds

-Downloading free files from a share site

-Uploading files to a share site

-Sharing the link to a pirated copy on a site like Facebook, Tumblr or Goodreads

WHY I THINK DOWNLOADING/SHARING PIRATED COPIES IS BAD:

Yep, for a lack of a better word, I used 'Bad'. I'm not saying that people who do this are evil. They aren't mass murderers or rapists. They probably don't steal physical objects or say nasty things to people. Some of my friends and family download stuff illegally. I'm saying it's bad, because I would like to show you all why I feel bad downloading stuff illegally and will not do it unless absolutely necessary (AKA can't buy a movie that was made in the seventies) and in those cases I often can't be bothered to search through pages of search results often filled with people asking questions on forums about where they can get the same thing, all answered with links that have since expired.

1. IT'S ILLEGAL:

Morals and wants and needs aside, if somebody tells me it's illegal I put my goodie two shoes on and "Step away from the vehicle". Like the advertisements that play at the start of a DVD "You wouldn't steal a handbag..." Downloading illegally is stealing. You are getting something you didn't pay for. And, while the person/s at the other end might have a lot of money, stealing from them is still stealing. Uploading stuff to a share site is like stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. It can't be justified. It's not an OK thing to do. It's not legal.

2. QUANTITY VS QUALITY:

I like to enjoy art. Music, Literature and Moving Pictures are all forms of art where your perception of the story/characters/setting etc can be affected by the quality. Static noises in an illegal music download, typos in an illegal book download and permanent foreign subtitles in an illegal movie viewing are all things that can distract you from the art. And, they are all quite annoying.

3. DON'T YOU APPRECIATE YOUR ART:

Again with the "art". Most artists (directors, actors, dancers, singers, pianists, writers...) are ranked against each other, not by how many people actually read their story or said they liked the film, but the amount of copies sold. In this day and age with all the illegal downloading/sharing that takes place, the person who's at the top of the list for '#1 Bestselling Author' may perhaps be the wrong one, which is quite sad.

Also in the beginning of that artist's career, they were most likely struggling. We all start somewhere and I've read and seen enough success stories to know that most of the greats actually started their career from a very low position financially. While they may be quite wealthy now, they wouldn't be where they are today if it wasn't for the people that supported them and actually bought their book. If every one of their fans downloaded the books illegally the author wouldn't make enough money to pay the bills and would give up on writing. Leaving some very disappointed fans (who quite honestly brought it upon themselves) and a disappointed author.

The money you spend on books doesn't all go to the supposedly "rich" author, but to the people behind the making of the printed word. By purchasing a book you could be helping someone in a publishing house stay in their job. Some proceeds from books even go to charity...

4. IT'S NOT FAIR:

It's not fair that people who download books illegally don't pay anything while other people do. This is why I refused to burn CD's for my friends in high school. I had paid for the CD. I wasn't about to make a copy for someone else so that they could listen  to it for free when I had paid for it. This is also why people shouldn't Torrent their Galleys or sell ARCs. Publishers trust book bloggers with free review copies and people who do the wrong thing make it harder for genuine book bloggers to get review copies.

5. BOOKS AREN'T THAT DEAR:

There are plenty of places where you can buy cheap or receive free books legally:

-2nd hand stores

-Clearance/Sales

-The Kindle Store

-Buy a set or Volume (the price per individual book tends to be cheaper

-The Library

-Borrowing scheme on Kindle

-Borrow from a friend

Remember this post?

BUT WHAT ABOUT REVIEWERS? THEY GET FREE BOOKS.

- I probably seem like a hypocrite right now. Why should I be rousing on people for downloading free books when I do the same thing. The difference is  that the books I get are for review. I had to go through a process to get the free books I get and part of that process was the publisher giving me permission to read the book for free. My job is to review the book, which generates publicity for the author and their novel. If you want to do the same Here's How.

-I don't get all my books for free either. My ability to get free review copies can depend on which publishing house the books come from, how many review copies are available and how many followers I have. I may receive a lot of free books, but I also buy a lot of books. I think I buy more books than most people I know in real life (as in not on the Internet).

WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT OWNING A BOOK?

-I know that I have it. There's no pressure to read it right away, because I own it. I like knowing that the author, publisher and cover designer all got the money they deserve. I can read it again. I can look at it whenever I want to...

BUT,.... WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE IT?

-This happens with a lot of things. Buying a new style of underwear or a different brand of cereal costs you money, but you don't know if you'll like it. If you want to read the book and own it, it's a chance you'll have to take. You can read excerpts on Amazon.com, just like you can preview songs on Itunes, which will make your decision easier. I prefer to buy books, because I'm more likely to give the book a fair go (as in, try to read it even if it gets difficult) if I actually paid for it.

-If you bought it and you didn't enjoy it you can get some of your money back by selling it or you could donate it to charity or a library. There are many buy-swap-sell sites on facebook where you could sell the book, as well as sites like Fishpond.com.au that allow you to sell your book 2nd hand for a credit that can be put towards the purchase of new books.

BUT,... THE BOOK I WANT ISN'T COMING OUT TILL CHRISTMAS!

-So. Wait. Why should you get to read it early. I see people do this with TV shows and it bothers me, because they tend to spoil it for everyone else. Especially when they go onto Facebook and whinge about what happened!

-I know that this also reeks of hypocrisy. I do get some of my review books earlier. The thing is though, that it's not very often that I even get around to reading them before the date of release and if I do it's normally only a couple of days. Reviewers get review copies earlier because the publishers want to create publicity for the book before it comes out. Also, I try to make my reviews spoiler free.

The Negative Side-effects of Illegal Downloads:

If there weren't enough already listed in this post, here are some more negatives.

-Spending hours searching for something on the computer, when you could have found it easily in a store or online shop.

-Internet usage. Downloading slows down your Internet, which means you don't get as much of the fun stuff like Tumblr.

-Opening your computer up to viruses.

I Think It Really Comes Down To Priorities:

My Mum often says that we could buy a ticket to see a movie at the cinema for $12 each (and watch the movie once) or we could wait until the DVD comes down to $15 (paid once) and watch the movie as many times as we want.  

-Artists don't owe you anything. They create art for your enjoyment. It's up to you to spend your money wisely.

In conclusion, I think the list of reasons why people shouldn't download/share pirated material is extensive enough to make my point. I don't approve of illegal downloads. It  may be illegal to download/share pirated material, but it isn't impossible.

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie



Romance in YA Fantasy

Are the current romance trends really such a big deal?

Fuck Yeah Pretty Girls Reading!   (clipped to polyvore.com)

There has been a lot of controversy of late about whether books are acceptable for certain ages and the banning of books, but what I want to discuss is how some readers have been reacting to another "issue" in teen literature. Romance is one element that is incorporated into many stories for the entertainment value and to encourage interest in a book, but  some teens argue that people are left with unrealistic values when it comes to picking out possible suitors or that the way the romance plays out is unrealistic and instead attracts girls to the wrong guys. Are fantasy authors really at fault?

Prince charming; He was in fairy tales when we were children, he was Mr Darcy in the 1800s and he is known as either Edward or Jacob today. Who is prince charming and what makes him so appealing to teenage girls? Many people argue that the type of male depicted in YA Romance does not exist or really isn't that charming... My mother always taught me that it's what's on the inside that counts. Yes he may have super powers and a hot body, but if he treats girls like trash then he's not the sort of man you want to be pining for. If you're looking for a guy with a beautiful body and face he may not be the nicest guy and vice versa, no one is perfect. Those tales with "perfect" guys are a work of fiction, these girls need to remember that.

Sometimes critics to go overboard with this by saying that the likes of Edward Cullen is one of these men that treats women badly. I  don't think so. Yes he has rejected a few girls at his high school, but would you want to go out with someone you didn't have feelings for? Yes he has had the odd spat with/at Bella, but if you were a bloodthirsty vampire trying to hold back from a human you loved, you would be pretty cranky too. Let's face it classic romantic heroes like Mr Darcy, Heathcliff and Mr Rochester weren't exactly the nicest acting guys out there either.

These novels aren't much different from teen movies and adult chick-lit novels. They are all works of fiction where the unlikely happens and people fall in love. For some reason people seem to be constantly bagging out these teenage fantasy stories when there are so many other occurrences of unlikely romance in other genres of entertainment. One could even argue that many love songs are false and stupendous. These are all things that are good in moderation. Much like the argument about the type of males that teenagers are drawn to maybe the impact of the book on the reader has more to do with the reader's sense of reality.

Another problem that I see reviewers having with these novels is the similarities in story-line. Love at first sight, that typical guy hero that would die for his girlfriend and the tragic recurring timeline. Yes I agree that the whole concept of love-at-first-sight is a little dodgy and does occur a little too frequently in this genre, but these are teenagers we are talking about. To them love has a different meaning. They love Justin Timberlake or Puck from 'Glee'. They love some guy they have been dating for two weeks and soon enough they have broken up with him and 'love' someone else. It's pretty silly really, because many of these characters do have a fair amount of arguing or playing hard to get with these love interests in the story. Really the whole love-at-first-sight thing is just the main character admiring the hero's appearance and nothing more. They fall in love later.

The next typical story line is the tough macho guy who has to save the damsel in distress even if that means dying for her. I definitely agree with this. It's nice that he cares about her and all, but sometimes a woman can stand up for herself. We are in the 21st century and I believe a movement called 'Feminism' is very real and has been very real in our society for a fair while now. So I definitely agree with this concern. It does sometimes seem a little bit like we are being encouraged to think otherwise. It doesn't bother me though if the two characters are just working through it together doing an equal amount of work to save the day or if the heroine becomes hurt and needs rescuing.

Another typical story-line is one which involves reincarnation. Either  two characters are reincarnated and meet again in other lifetimes where tragedy occurs each time because they are cursed and they must break the curse or one character is reincarnated whilst the other is immortal and they try to find each other in each lifetime so the other one can be immortal too. Characters either have a special 'memory' or dream about past-lives and have that instant attraction to each other. It does bother me how common this story-line is in books because it doesn't seem very original. Then again how many different story-lines are there? There are a lot of YA novels and many stories do seem very similar. They all have an introduction a problem and then an end.

There is a book called 'The Seven Basic Plots' which I have not read, but assume covers most story-lines in great detail. I have gotten to the point where I am more interested in the unique touches authors add to these story-lines to make it different. If someone really enjoys that type of story then they should get to read it over and over again. Why do these critics who continually winge about paranormal romance continue to read these types of books. After reading the blurb or a few chapters you can normally tell what sort of story it is going to be.

There always seems to be something else though. If  a reader finds a smidgen of romance they get annoyed. Why couldn't the book just be fantasy? I don't know what the problem is. Romance occurs in real life so why wouldn't it occur in make-believe? Why the love-hating?

In Conclusion I think that authors are really not at fault for these trends and the consequences of them. I think that there is a big market for these kinds of novels because teens are drawn to them. I believe that the novels are harmless and that any 'harm' created was probably the reader's own doing. They can think for themselves. I also think this 'harm' is exaggerated by cranky critics who are stuck in the wrong genre and like to take everything too seriously. Personally I judge a book  based on the characters, the atmosphere, the quality of the writing and the unique touches rather than the story line. What do you think about romance in YA Fantasy novels?

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Jane Eyre Vs Wuthering Heights: The battle of two gothic tales

Two of the most iconic novels of the Victorian era were written by the Bronte sisters. When they were initially released "Jane Eyre" was the most popular amoungst the public and critics of that time period. Now, thanks to modern novels that appreciate the work of Emily Bronte "Wuthering Heights" appears to be the favourite. I have always liked "Jane Eyre" and decided to finally read "Wuthering Heights" in order to decide where the novels stand from my viewpoint.

Both books are considered to be of the gothic genre and having being written in the same household I could hardly imagine the tension and competitive nature that may have played a big part in the realtionships between the Bronte sisters. Also, a third and lesser-known sister, Anne Bronte had a novel released around the same time. I hardly think it's fair to compare sisters, but now having seen many articles of the sort and finding an opinion of my own on the subject I realise that another opinion is of little matter when there are so many circulating the blogosphere on the subject.

I read "Jane Eyre" first, which definitely makes me biased against the next novel reguardless of which is better.  "Jane Eyre" was so good that for something to beat it it would have to be much better, Monstrously so. Comparing "Jane Eyre" to other Victorian novels like "Oliver's Twist" and "Sense and Sensibility" I found the quality of the writing to be so much more advanced and the story-line to be new and individualistic. It was so unexpected because I had heard all these great things about other Victorian novels that this one seemed to be the wallflower of classic literature. Low expectations always seem to make for an interesting read.

The whole plot of "Jane Eyre" seemed so different and new to me even though it was an aged story. The beginning seemed a little predictable with the hard-done-by child and reminded me somewhat of "Oliver Twist" and musicals like "annie", but the rest of the novel saw a determined woman who saves herself and her beloved, much unlike many stories which require a "Prince charming" or "fairy godmother" to save the day. I really think this is where the book won my heart. That and the awkward characters which are so honestly alike normal human beings and unlike fake rehearsed ones seen in movies and in cheap romance novels.

The characters too were unique in the fact that they were not beautiful characters, but average and possibly even considered ugly by some. By creating characters like these Charlotte Bronte has shown that you don't need to be stereotypically beautiful to be loved and that everyone is beautiful in their own way. I think this is a great message to put in a novel because it makes readers feel more secure about themselves and because it is true.

"Jane Eyre" is a big favourite of mine and I rated it 5/5 on my shelfari page. I am always recommending this book to people and comparing other Victorian novels alongside. This book literally convinced me to try out some other books by this author and to take an interest in the author's life.

"Wuthering Heights" on the other hand was a bit of a disappointment. Now before you get all nasty about it hear me out. I know that I was biased and I had high expectations, but considering the great reviews that people were giving this book how could I not?

This novel showed a lot of potential and had some very promising ideas. The idea of telling a story through the eyes of a bystander was really cool. It made the novel seem like a really interesting Victorian gothic gossip session. And it was, minus the interesting aspect. I found that the novel dragged on through the entire duration and that there was no notification of a swapping of narrators when they changed mid-chapter.

The quality of the writing was nowhere near the standard of Jane Austen, let alone Charlotte Bronte. I felt that it was possibly too victorian and was a struggle to understand sometimes because of all the heavy words that I(the reader) was bogged down in. Also there were many instances where a housekeeper or servant would be speaking in an uneducated manner in the novel, where the writer had written it in that manner. It was very poorly done and took a while to decipher. This really made me lose interest in the book.

I thought the fact that Heathcliff was actually a gypsy child, was very very interesting and that the mannerisms of his household were very wild and eccentric. These things added to the gothic feel of the novel.

The story-line was very different to "Jane Eyre" in the aspect that Jane was the hero. "Jane Eyre" is almost considered a feminist novel compared with the barbaric and male-chauvinist characters in "Wuthering Heights".

Overall I gave "Wuthering Heights" 3/5 stars. I think the novel is really overrated. It was interesting and had some pretty quirky ideas, but compared to "Jane Eyre", "Wuthering Heights" just isn't worth the read.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie