Featured Blogger: Filipa from Down The Reading Hole

Today please welcome Filipa, 

who blogs at Down The Reading Hole.

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What's the meaning behind the name of your book blog?

I love Alice in Wonderland - it is my favourite childhood story - so, instead of falling down the rabbit hole, I decided to fall "down the reading hole" which is pretty much the same because down the reading hole there is a whole incredible world full of imagination!

How long have you been blogging?

For over 4 months.

Tell us a bit about your book blog. What makes it unique?

I try to make my book reviews rich and helpful to both readers and authors alike, explaining both the things I enjoyed, what I didn't like so much and how it could maybe be improved. I often create bookish discussion posts and I also interview authors and host giveaways. I also have an online shop on Redbubble full of cute bookish products! 

What genres do you write about most, and why?

Young Adult because I'm a teenager and who doesn't love YA? I also like contemporary romances - not the sloppy kinds, but well-developed romances with complex characters. Fantasy, because sometimes I just like to take a break from reality. Historical fiction mainly connected to WW2 because it is still a way to learn about History in a more fun way.

Every blogger feels pressure at some point. What's something you feel pressured to do or not do on your blog? How do you deal with it?

When I read a book everyone likes and gives 5 stars to and I just feel that it deserves 3 stars. Sometimes I feel a bit embarrassed of writing a "bad" review of a book everyone loves but, truly, no review is a "bad review". We should respect each other's opinions and if I don't like a book, I still try to show what things were good and what was wrong.

What's one book you think everyone should read?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It is so inspirational and gives me a strong will of chasing my dreams. I think that everyone would benefit from reading it.

Writing in books: Yes or hell to the no?

You mean scribbling on books? Well, I hate doing it but in school I had to do that on my required reading.

What's your favorite place to read or blog?

My room! I read on my bed and I blog on my desk by the window facing a green field - whimsical!

Is Amazon.com the evil empire? Discuss.

I LOVE AMAZON! Well, it might be the evil empire because it makes me lose loads of time and I search for awesome new books.

What have you learned from other bloggers or your readers?

Mainly how to promote my blog on social media and also how to write more fun and engaging posts.

Do you judge a book by its cover, or its lover?

The cover.... Sorry... It's just that when I'm in a bookshop, pretty covers attract me much more. Of course I won't buy a book just because it has a nice cover, but the cover makes me pick it up and read the synopsis. If I like that, I buy it!

One book you like that no one else seems to, or vice versa?

HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy, especially the last book The Amber Spyglass.

To DNF or not to DNF?

I hate to leave books unfinished! The only book DNF was Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. I just wasn't expecting that gross language and I couldn't go on with it.

What's one book that intimidates you?

I don't think I'm really intimidated by books, except really large ones like Count of Monte Cristo.

If you could go to any literary destination, where would you go?

Anna Shirley's Avonlea - Green Gables more specifically!

How about non-book related hobbies? What do you do when you don't feel like reading?

I write :P - kinda the same thing - or I draw, or watch TV. I also play tennis and do horse riding.

What's your favorite book to movie adaptation?

The book to movie adaptation of Golden Compass (from HIS DARK MATERIALS) was really bad. It completely destroyed the future of the trilogy in the cinema. 

What are 3 favorite posts or reviews you've read by other book bloggers?

"HOW TO HOST A GIVEAWAY ON YOUR BLOG–LEGALLY" by Parchment Girl
"{Confessions of a Bibliophile} Me Before You {SPOILER ALERT!!!}" by The Loquacious Bibliophile
"Another way to get free books" by The Belgian Reviewer

What is your reading personality? (via quiz at http://www.bookbrowse.com/quiz/)

The Exacting Reader

The expression 'so many books, so little time!' sums up your life. You love books but you rarely have as much time to read as you'd like - so you're very particular about the books you choose.

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Thank you for joining us today, Filipa! 

Remember to check out Filipa's blog, Down The Reading Hole, 

and leave a comment or question.

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Women in Comics: Favourite Characters

The amazing Ana from things mean a lot is here today to talk about her favorite female comic book characters, from Captain Marvel to Kamala Khan. Agree, disagree? Share some of your favorites in the comments!

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I’ve been a big comics fan ever since I discovered Sandman well over a decade ago, but lately I’ve been caught by the wave of renewed excitement about the medium that's taken over my corner of the Internet. I’ve read a lot of comics in the past few months, and I even dipped my toes into the world of superhero stories, which I’d previously assumed were Not For Me. Along the way, I discovered many amazing female characters I wouldn’t have met otherwise. When Tasha invited me to write a guest post for Book Bloggers International’s Comics Month, I knew I had to talk about all the amazing fictional women I’ve come to know and love.

Here go a few of my favourite female comic book characters discovered in the past year or so, with one bonus old favourite I just couldn’t stand to leave out:

Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel:

If I had to pick a favourite discovery, Carol would be it. Carol Danvers will fight when she needs to and enjoy the action, but she’s also a diplomat, a skilled conversationalist, someone who’s more than willing to adapt her approach to whatever the problem at hand demands, and a funny, smart lady who cares about her friends. Oh, and she has a cat. Don’t mess with her cat, or else.

Helen Cobb and Kit Renner, also from Captain Marvel:

I don’t want to make this entirely about Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Captain Marvel (even if it is my latest obsession), but in addition to being awesome in their own right, Helen and Kit embody something I especially love about the series. Carol Danvers is surrounded by other women, and the story makes it clear that they’re important in her life. Her relationships with them matter and they are never subordinate to relationships with men: they’re real and they’re priorities. Helen Cobb is a famous 1940s pilot who challenged institutional sexism to get to where she was, and who is shown to be a mentor to Carol in the time travelling story In Pursuit of Flight (my favourite Captain Marvel story arc to date). Kit Renner is Carol’s young neighbour in New York, and Captain Marvel’s biggest fan. When Carol loses her sense of who she is, her young apprentice (or, as Kit likes to put it, her sidekick) is there to remind her.

Kamala Khan, aka Ms Marvel

Kamala is amazing. She’s a sixteen-year-old Pakistani-American teenager from Jersey City who unexpectedly develops superpowers, and who then uses them to fight for justice in her community, a place traditionally neglected by superheroes. Over the first story arc, she also learns that being a Muslim teenager and being a hero are not by any means incompatible — it’s okay for Kamala to be herself and embrace her powers. In fact, her sense of justice is deeply informed by who she is.

Also, did I mention she’s a huge geek? Kamala is unabashedly excited when she meets her favourite superheroes, and she’s not ashamed to tell about the fanfiction she’s written about them. Those moments are adorable and they fill me with joy.

Katie from Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley:

Katie is a 29-year-old chef who dreams of owning her own restaurant and who has some regrets in life. When she gains the ability to change the past, she does what many of us would probably do: she abuses it. We watch Katie make a lot of mistakes in Seconds, but she won me over anyway with her heart and humour. Her tendency to argue with the narrator never failed to crack me up. I loved her story, and I loved getting to know her.

Sally Heathcote from Sally Heathcote, Suffragette by Mary Talbot, Kate Charlesworth and Bryan Talbot:

Mary Talbot’s fictional account of women’s fight for the vote in the UK places a working class woman from the north at the heart of it all, which was wonderful to see. This is a historical truth that isn’t always acknowledged, and it was great to follow Sally’s journey from a domestic servant in the Pankhursts’ Manchester home to a politically savvy campaigner who stood up for her beliefs.

Sister Peace from Castle Waiting by Linda Medley:

As promised, an old favourite: I love all the characters in Linda Medley’s amazing Castle Waiting but Sister Peace particularly stands out. She’s funny and kind and has a no-nonsense attitude to her, and although her looks defy traditional conventions of femininity (she has a beard), she’s never demeaned or made the butt of a joke for it.