First paragraphs: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte

I've just changed my title of these kinds of posts from 'Book Beginnings' to First Paragraphs. I love sharing my current reads with you - or upcoming books - and I just prefer First Paragraphs to Book Beginnings. Let's get to it!

I knew nothing about Jane Eyre going in to it other than it's a classic by a Brontë and romance. I also realized recently that I made a fool of myself naming Heathcliff as the male character in Jane Eyre - which I now know is wrong.

I love the writing style in Jane Eyre, I love that our narrator, which is Jane Eyre herself, skips over boring bits and says 'dear reader' or 'reader' once in a while! It's definitely quite an experience even though I'm about 130 pages in so far. I also LOVE that Jane is a reader herself.
I definitely sympathize with Jane, she has to live with Mrs. Reed and her 3 kids since her parents are dead - Mrs. Reed doesn't even want her there and only keeps her because of a promise to her late husband. It's getting a bit 'lighter' when she's sent to school and she's a great pupil! I love seeing Jane from different angles and in different settings - both social and geographical.

Jane Eyre begins with 10-year-old Jane and I'm currently reading and learning about 18-year-old Jane. I love that it's a bit of a coming-of-age novel! And it's even better since Jane reflects over her actions and comments on them - in the best way possibly. It's quite a splendid book.

There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so somre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question. 

Book Beginnings; Nineteen Eighty-Four

This week I want to share the beginning of Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell with you guys as I mentioned on Wednesday. I finished reading it late Wednesday evening but since I have a lot of thoughts about the book, I want to share it with you anyways.

Nineteen Eighty-Four is a classic, it's also a dystopia about a society where the past is always rewritten, thoughts aren't yours and you're always being watched.

This is the first paragraph;

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him. 

I quite like this beginning even though it's not as beautiful or poetic as other beginnings. The atmosphere in this particular paragraph is basically the atmosphere for the rest of the book. It's quite subdued and that fits the story well. I'm not sure I would choose to read this book based on the first paragraph alone - which I sometimes do if I'm unsure whether to read a book or not - but I'm glad I did.

I've been quite interested in this particular book without even knowing much about it. All I know going in to it was; Big Brother is always watching. I honestly didn't know much else and I liked going in blind because I'm usually surprised that way. I was also surprised this time, but for other reasons. I am not entirely sure what I expected from Nineteen Eighty-Four but when it suddenly turned to 'love' I was quite disappointed. It picked up in the end though but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.


Have you ever read Nineteen Eighty-Four? If you haven't, is it on your TBR?

Delving in to the classics, Do's and Dont's

Classics are staple in literature and for some people some of them, if not all, are basically must reads. Personally I tend to avoid classics but sometimes I feel as if I should or rather have to read a bunch of classics because as I said, they're a staple. I'm not saying that you should read no classics or read a bunch of classics - if you want to read classics it should be done the right way, otherwise you're going to end up despising it.
Since I recently re-discovered my love for classics I thought I'd give some tips or advice on how to read more classics, or how to start reading classics.

DO start with the shorter classics
If you're new to classics I would say you should start with shorter books. Classics, at least some, can be quite hard to get through if you're used not used to it.
I can't help recommending 'Ten Little Niggers' or 'And Then There Were None' (as it's called now). It's wonderfully intriguing. The Catcher in the Rye is also quite a fast read and the language is not hard to understand either.
If you like manga then try the 'Manga Classics' by Stacy King, I've enjoyed a bunch of them.

DO read your favorite genres
My best advice is to first figure out which genres you prefer and then find classics accordingly. If you like romance then find some classics in that genre - I recommend Jane Austen. This is the perfect time for a bunch of recommendations, so here you go:
If you like dystopia, books like The Hunger Games and such, I recommend Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. If you're more of a contemporary reader then maybe The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger or The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is up your alley

DO take it slowly
Some books you can read in a single sitting or a couple of sittings - classics are, for the most part, not books you can read that quickly. Maybe you can but I definitely do not recommend it. I think classics are meant to be pleasure reading, read them slowly at a great pace and don't worry how long it takes you to finish it. Just enjoy the ride.

DO watch movie trailers
This is one I use every so often. If you have trouble imagining the setting then I suggest you might watch the movie trailer, it will have some spoilers but you will get a better idea of the setting and the scenery. I don't recommend watching the whole movie before reading it though, if you know the ending you're probably less inclined to finish the book

DONT make reading classics a chore
I had this period of time when I was younger where I tried to read all the classics, I found a list of classics and basically checked them all out of the library and reading them felt like a chore. Needless to say that was not a good idea.
So just pick out the ones you actually want to read and actually intrigue you - don't read e.g. The Lord of the Rings just because it's a classic.

DONT start with the bricks
If you're like me you have this weird goal of reading Les Miserables and Anna Karenina, both of those books are quite old and both of them are seriously bricks - they're so big! The worst thing you can do is starting with these beast or read them when you're just starting with the classics.

DONT start with the spinoffs
The only 'spin-off' I can recommend before reading the actual classic is the Manga Classics, otherwise stick to the classics and the read the spinoffs if you enjoyed the classic!
If you read a bad spin off you probably don't want to read the original.

DONT compare classics to newer literature
Classics can be a bit harder to read and what I've read have been very different from newer literature and I think comparing the two (whether it be writing style, plot etc.) can be dangerous. Newer literature is easier to read but I think classics are worth the trouble!

Top Ten Tuesday: My reading journey

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the sweet girls at The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday we list our top ten of a certain theme, genre or anything else - basically a top ten of you name it! This Tuesday is all about our reading journies, whether it's authors who got us into reading, author's who got us into reading a different genre, authors that brought us back into reading. I will list particular books!

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling | The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I absolutely loved the Harry Potter series when I first read it, and it was probably the first book ever that made me WANT to read and keep going. 

TFiOS was the first contemporary book (and my first ebook) that I ever read I think. I really enjoyed it and to this day it's still one of my favorites. 

Hunger Games (Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I was actually "forced" to read Hunger Games, we had to read it for a book club and my best friend made me promise to read it... So I read it - and I loved it. I've read it 3 times and I still want to re-read it. 

Aaah Austen. P&P was my first classics and my first book about love. I've read it a couple of times and I love it more and more. I still have yet to read any of her other books, but P&P will probably remain a favorite forever!

The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson (review) | The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

I have read fantasy a bunch of times (a lot when I was younger) but I've never actually read a high fantasy or adult fantasy book before I read The Final Empire. I loved everything about it and I highly recommend it!

I always though nonfiction books had to be boring - but this book! I couldn't put it down. I really enjoy reading happy books and 

Torch (Take it Off #1) by Cambria Hebert (review)| Apocalypse Scenario #683: The Box by Mira Grant

I recently read my first new adult novel - which was Torch - and I really really enjoyed it. If my first experience with NA had been awful, I probably wouldn't have continued with it. 

I don't enjoy reading short stories, I hate them. I have tried reading some anthologies but I can't get through them. This story is the first ever to catch my interest and I have even recommended it to people. I also really love Somnia by Isaac Marion

Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) by Beth Revis (series review)| The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon #2) by Dan Brown

I haven't read much "actual" sci-fi. I've read a bunch of dystopia, but never pure sci-fi - until I read Across the Universe, and now I'm hooked! 

I know this is tecnically the second book in a series, but I didn't know that 4 or 5 years ago. Since then I've read every book I've come across that says "for fans of The Da Vinci Code" or "similar to The Da Vinci Code" and so on. The prequel (Angels and Demons) is just as good!

Remember to leave your links below

Little Miss #2: Tiny

Little Miss is a mini-series I've created because I wanted to do something different, but still something that has something to do with books and my blog. So I came up with "Little Miss Something". Last time I made Little Miss Shy, which was a list with underrated and under-read books (shy - unknown... get it?). This time I choose Little Miss Tiny, which is gonna be short books (under 200 pages) and short characters (well, character... I have 1)

This book is a bit over 200 pages BUT it consists of notes between a mother and a daughter and it's a really quick read since the notes are 10 lines long and takes up and entire page. I read the whole thing within an hour I think and I seriously loved it. I thought it was going to be a light read, but turned out to be deep and meaningful - I highly recommend it!

Goodreads | Review

I love the movie, and I love the book as well. It's about 50 pages but since it is a childrens book, there isn't that much writing on the pages - maybe 5 lines. I love how this teaches a kid to take care of the environment within those 50 pages and I love the Lorax and all the rhyming. It is a wonderful little book. 

Goodreads

This is a classic that consist of about a 100 pages I believe. This again is a childrens book and I really enjoy it. It goes on and on about how grown ups are strange and I totally loved it. It's about this Little Prince that goes on and adventure - he visits the other planets and meets strange grown-ups. I think it's sweet and I think it may be time for a re-read. 

Goodreads

I actually read this quite recently, and I enjoyed it! It is an autobiography about Susanna's life inside this mental hospital. I enjoyed reading about how things actually functioned inside an asylum and I loved getting to know Susanna's friends. At times it was a bit dense and boring, but it's still a really interesting read - especially for nonfiction.

Goodreads | Review

I didn't give this book a high rating (I think I gave it 1 or 2 hearts) but that was because I read the book at a bad time. If I had read it any other moment, I probably would have given it 4.. I think the theme is gruesome but I still thought it was interesting. I don't recommend everyone reading it - especially not delicate souls. 

Goodreads | Review

I adore this book! It took me a while to get into, but once I was, I couldn't put it down. I love that the story is written from a zombies perspective and that it's basically Romeo and Juliette in zombie version! I even think the movie was great! I know this book is a bit over 200 pages but it is so good that it feels small. 

Goodreads

I love Isaac Marion and all his little stories - and I think this one is his best work yet. You can probably read it in under 5 minutes - so why not just read it? 

It's set in the future where sleep is "cured"

Goodreads | The Story

This is an actual short story that I gave 4 hearts! I've not of those who love short stories, I just don't enjoy them as much as books. This is about a group of friends that have made this game called "apocalypse scenario" 

Goodreads

I recently read this novel and quite thoroughly enjoyed it. It's not the shortest novel, nor the longest - but at 250 pages with a tiny female character (everybody calls her small) I will count this book as a "Little Miss Tiny". 

This book was also my very first NA novel and it was great!

Goodreads | Review

I love the Harry Potter series and when I found out that she had written 3 extra books for the series I seriously sqealed! I adore the books and I think they are a magnificent topping for the sundae that is the Harry Potter world!

Goodreads

Again, I have to include this book - and I will keep doing it until somebody writes a biography of her! Or she chooses to write an autobiography - I can totally live with that. 

But I adore J.K. Rowling and every book she will ever write! 

Goodreads | Review

Which Little Miss shall I do next?

Top Ten Tuesday: Classics I want to read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls at The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday we list our top ten of a certain theme, genre or anything else - basically a top ten of you name it! This Tuesday the list should actually have been our all time favorite books in the genre our hearts desire, but since I don't have 10 favorite books in any genre - and I normally list all my favorite books anyway, I wanted to do something different - but still something along those lines. So I have chosen to do a Top Ten of the classics I want to read (because I figure most of them will be favorites once I've read them). 

But as usual, in no particular order:

Pride and Prejudice is probably one of my favorite books ever - definitly my favorite classic. So I want to read more of her books, but I think my expectations are to high and I am going to be disappointed... But the one I want to read the most is probably Emma. 

I just watched the movie with Keira Knightley (I love Keira) so now I really REALLY want to read Anna Karenina. I wanted to read it before I watched the movie - I actually have a gorgeos edition from the beginning of the 1900s in Danish.. I just want to read it in English

We recently had a Charles Dickens course in English, and since we watched a Oliver Twist adaptation and read an excerpt I really want to read it. I watched the TV-show on DVD some years back while I was sick, and to this day I have loved the story. 

Since this is where vampires originated I seriously want to read it. I want to read a classic vampire book - just to see where it all originated and how the different twists may have come to life and also just to see if I like the original idea. 

I actually have a copy of this on my shelf, I've just never gotten around to it because I fear it will be boring... I forced myself to read the first two books in the LoTR trilogy, but I just gave up with the third one..

I believe I've heard that this is where dystopia originated from, and I hope it's true.. Because it's the reason why I want to read this book....

Burning books? A classic about books? I was hooked once I heard that this involved books, so I am looking forward to reading it!

I got this as a Christmas present because I love fairytales and Grimm's are probably my favorite ones. I have never read all of them, but I will someday, because I have the complete collection. 

I love CSI and I grew up watching the crime shows with my dad, and when the Sherlock movies were released we started to watch and re-watch them. I want to read the original stories and see how I like those, because I generally prefer books over movies - and since I love the movies, this is going to be great!

I bought this on a whim a while back. I had just re-read Pride and Prejudice and was in the mood for another classic... I just never got around to it, so it's been collecting dust on my shelves since. But I will read it eventually. Probably in the Winter, I always read classics during the cold seasons. 

Remember to leave your links in the comments!