Author: Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Aria @ Book Nook Bits will be the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

December 16: Banning Books (Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you think banning books is fair? Should students be allowed to read what they want and be able to get it from their school library? In a more broad sense, how do you feel about books that have been “banned?” Do you think that it’s a crime to ban a book, no matter what it contains, or are there cases where it’s alright? 

Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH! Today’s topic is about banning books, suggested by Jillian. I assume this is about banning books from the school library, so I’ll talk about it as such. It’s definitely an interesting topic, I wonder what other people have to say on this!

Banning books is an interesting concept. I personally am just fundamentally against the idea of banning books. Though that being said, I can understand why it is done sometimes, even if I don’t agree with it. Banning books as a concept is just strange to me, because it presupposes that books are bad or restricted for some reason. I think that readers should be the one to make the decision…after reading it. Just labeling a book as banned automatically makes it seem like someone else’s judgment is being substituted for your own, which is just a bit strange for me. I think age limits can sometimes be appropriate, but I can’t really think of a reason for a straight ban on something just permanently.

I feel like in general students should be able to read what they want and get it from the school library, though I am not too familiar with what’s been banned at schools nowadays. I assume graphic explicit content might be selectively removed, but other than that, I don’t see why books wouldn’t be available for a reader. It is only by reading does a reader gain a perspective, and through that make a judgment on whether a book is worthy or not. I would never expect someone to like a book purely because I liked it, nor expect someone to not like a book because I didn’t like it. In the same vein, it seems a bit at odds with the concept of a book to be able to judge it and just deem it inappropriate for others.

Understandably, we as a society do have some discretion on controlling what requires parental supervision/consent, or is just purely 18+. The main problem I think is when bans are booked for their views on something. I think most content has its merit, and even if it doesn’t and is fundamentally flawed for some reason (e.g., advocates for world war), I still think there is likely a reason why it was published, like an interesting perspective, or a moral behind the story. It doesn’t seem right to just pass judgment and have it banned when others have not had the chance to read it.

I’m not going to call it a crime because that seems a little bit strong, but I do believe most books have their merit, and after all, they were published by somebody. At worst, it’s the change to learn about some minority views, or maybe how an institution has failed us. I think sometimes books are banned for stirring up voices and “disturbing the peace” (particularly in some countries). Again, while I understand the general notion of wanting peace, it shouldn’t necessarily be at the expense of knowledge and stifling knowledge. Sometimes banning something can make it more tantalizing too, or drive its knowledge underground; I don’t think this necessarily helps the situation either. The problem is likely much more complicated than banning or not banning a book. I feel like banning a book is likely a bandaid solution to something bigger.

What do you all think about banning books? Let me know in the comments below!

Aria @ Book Nook Bits will be the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

December 9: Books as Gifts (Hannah @ Hannah’s Library)

Prompts: Do books make good gifts? Do you ever give or receive books as gifts? Would you rather receive a book from your wish list or be surprised? What would you do if you didn’t like the book you were given? Would you expect someone to read a book you got them right away?

Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH everyone, I hope your December is going great! It may be exam time for some, and almost holidays for others, but whatever you may be up to, I hope it’s going well. Today’s topic is just in time for the holidays, as we may all be participating in gift exchanges, white elephants, or just partaking in the general holiday gift-giving trends (kudos to you if you aren’t though).

I think books make great gifts. Full stop. Even traditionally people who don’t “love” books don’t mind books as gifts for the most part, especially if you manage to pick a topic that they’re interested in. I mean there are maybe a couple of people out there who are totally against books (who are they?), but I think for the most part, the average person would appreciate a coffee table book, or a nice hardcover for their shelves. Maybe I’m totally biased, but I also think that this could be because a book doesn’t necessarily even need to be read to serve a function. Of course, it’s always better if it serves multiple functions!

I definitely receive books as gifts. I feel like all of us here in the bookish community will get a book, fairly often. But it’s a good thing I think! It really is a safe bet, as long as you know they don’t already have it. Also, I find that I’m more willing to buy nice expensive books for a gift for others rather than myself, I’m sure I’m not the only one in making that kind of justification. I know I get very excited when I get a nice new book, so I hope to bestow the same happiness on people when I gift them a book in return (particularly my bookish friends).

I have no expectations when it comes to gifts. A book on my wish list or not would do. I think overall I’d prefer to be surprised though. Books on my wishlist would be books that I would probably be willing to buy for myself eventually. So I guess in a way it’s better to get something as a surprise. In my experience, I am usually quite pleased with what people choose for me based on their expectations/observations about me, so I also enjoy that aspect of receiving a book!

Like I was saying before, even a book I don’t like can serve a purpose. A book can just stay on my shelf to fill it up, or serve as a gift to someone else later maybe. However, I usually get books I like from my friends, so I haven’t really had to deal with this problem too much.

I definitely wouldn’t expect someone to read a book they were given right away. I know everyone’s TBRs are a mile and a half long, and I also wouldn’t want to pressure anyone into reading something they’re not ready/free to read. Of course I do want to know as soon as possible what they thought about the book, but as long as they get back to me whenever that happens, I think I’m a happy camper!

How about you all? Do you enjoy getting books as gifts? Or do they take up too much space as it is already? Let me know in the comments below!

Aria @ Book Nook Bits will be the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

December 2: Can You Predict Someone’s Genre of Choice? (suggested by me!)

Prompts: What is your favorite genre and why? Is there a reason why those particular genres speak to you or capture your interest? What is your least favorite genre and why? Is the genre the biggest determination of whether you look for and choose a book, or is it something else? Do you find that you are able to predict what kind of genres people like based on their personalities? Do you notice patterns in which kinds of people like certain genres?

Welcome to the first LTB of December, everyone! Today’s topic was suggested by me, but as usual, I’m more curious to hear about all your thoughts than my own. As a result, I’ve barely thought of my own answer, but I’ll try to articulate something here nonetheless, of course. Without further ado, let’s go!

My favourite genre I would have to say are thrillers, but closely followed by mysteries since they’re very related, usually. My second would probably be fantasies. And of course a mix of these genres also works great for me. I love thrillers and mysteries for the emotional excitement and suspense, but also a bit of the logic game that comes with the ending of these books. In that sense, I enjoy the emotional ride as well as the more rationale ride of reading a book. I think that’s probably the best explanation I have for that. As for fantasies, I love a good world-builder, and I also really enjoy magic and mythology, so plenty of books fit that criteria as well!

My least favourite is probably non-fiction (is that specific enough?). Most of the time I can’t really get into it, and maybe it’s my cynicism, but there’s never a happy ending or if there is, it’s just manufactured for the reader. A lot of them also read quite preachy, so I’m usually not going to pick one up. Of course that doesn’t stop me from reading one if a friend suggests it, but for the most part I like to stick to the world of make-believe. After all, the possibilities for fiction are absolutely endless.

I think genre for me isn’t the only determination, but it will be a large factor. If it’s a book I am unsure about, but it’s my favourite genre, I will tend to lean in favour of reading it anyway. I have a lot of experience with mysteries and thrillers, so it also makes me feel like a good judge of these books too, so I tend to be very pliable when it comes to picking up a new book from my favourite genre(s). I also judge the title and cover art, and of course the little synopsis on the back to see if it can catch my attention.

I always like to think that after I meet people I can generally predict what books they’d like, once I know them well enough. However, I think it really is a toss-up sometimes. My guess here is that reading is such a private activity, for the most part, and usually speaks to your most inward parts of your personality, that you may not necessarily let show. So I am often also surprised at what people tend to enjoy reading in the comforts of their own bubbles. But I think with this line of reasoning, it totally makes sense. Just because someone likes romances, doesn’t mean they’re outwardly going to be a romantic person, for example.

I do think there are patterns in everyone’s choices though. So some people avoid long sentences and tough words. Some people like fast or slow paced. Some people need lots of world building and scenery describing. Or some people like varying through different types of books not to get bored! I really think there’s a genre (or genres) for everyone and that’s why we have booklovers of all kinds, which is amazing. For me, with my now busy life, I tend to enjoy quick reads, usually medium- or fast-paced, with lots of intrigue and good weaving of plots that culminate in a great denouement. Like I said, something that appeals to both my emotional and rational side.

What do you all enjoy reading, and can you predict books based on other’s personalities? Let me know in the comments below!