January's book | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I've officially finished reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which means I've completed this months book for my 2014 book challenge! (If you are unaware of my challenge, and one of the main reasons I started this blog, you can find out more here.) I really enjoyed revisiting Alice and reliving her many adventures and all of the nonsensical characters she encounters along the way.

It was really interesting to reread this book, as I haven't picked it up since reading it as a child. And I must say, I was surprised by how quickly it transported me back to that time in my life. I was suddenly back in my childhood home, and I was reminded of the thoughts and feelings I experience when I first read it. 

I adore Alice as a character, and even as a 23 year old tall child adult, I couldn't believe how much I related to her. Her thoughts are constantly bouncing back and forth, and she constantly strives for perfection, and puts more pressure on her image than any child should. This is a very adult quality for a child to possess and perhaps this is why this book was so popular with both children and adults. 

Most of us are more familiar with the Disney version of this tale, myself included, and it was really fun to revisit all of the characters and scenes that the films dismissed. There is a lovely scene, in particular, where Alice, a gryphon and a turtle exchange stories, songs and poems (muddled up and nonsensical ones, of course!) The imagery was beautiful, and I found myself completely immersed in it. 

One of the things I love about this book is that it promotes imagination and creativity. Theres a beautiful scene right at the very end where Alice's sister closes her eyes and images that all of the everyday noises such as the rustling of the grass, and the tinkling sheep-bells are the noises of the white rabbit scuffling about and the sounds of the teacups at the Mad Hatters tea party. She is reluctant to open her eyes, because she knows that everything will turn back to normal, and be ordinary again. 

It's very symbolic of the transitioning from childhood to adulthood. And this book, not only promotes that grand imagination present in most children, but begs adults not to lose sight of the nonsensical and the whimsical. (Maybe this is why I love Wes Anderson movies so much...) 

I'm very happy that January's book challenge is completed, and I loved the fact that it forced me to revisit this childhood classic. I look forward to now rereading Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there.


Favourite quotes: 

"It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then."

"We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."

"She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it.)"

How important is a book cover?

We've all heard the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover", of course it's usually applied to anything other than an actual book. But, it got me thinking about how important book covers actually are for sales. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for a good book cover. I'm unsure if its because I have magpie-like tendencies, and am usually drawn to anything shiny, or the fact that my boyfriends a graphic designer, and his design orientated ways have rubbed off on me.

Either way, every time I spot a beautifully decorated cover, I can't help but think about how it will adorn my bookshelf. I have become so obsessed with beautiful covers, I have started collecting the Penguin Classics clothbound books. (And as you can see from my blog header, I have a weakness for a beautifully designed book.)

As much as I hate to admit it, I am definitely more inclined to pick a gorgeously designed book, over something that looks boring and dull. That's not saying that I wouldn't read a book with a plain cover, but a pretty cover definitely helps.

That being said, many of the books that have various different designs, are usually classic literature, and I think that the up-dated design is important in order to keep the books up-to-date. For example, a young person might not necessarily want to read The Picture of Dorian Gray, due to how old the book is. However, I think that these lovely covers attract people that would not consciously pick out an old book to read for enjoyment.

And some book covers can become completely iconic. I for one, am unable to see a white cloud on a blue background without thinking about John Green's The Fault In Our Stars. Even though we'd all love to claim that it's the story that matters, and not the aesthetics, I think that covers are more important that we give them credit for.

That being said, I think there is something very charming about a beaten and battered old book. My boyfriend and I have brought lots of second hand books, some that have coffee stains, and pages falling out and even some secret notes written inside them. (Those are the best kinds!) However, if I came across a book like that, and I had not of heard of the story or author, I doubt I'd buy it.

I'm curious to know what you all think? Let me know in the comments or through Twitter @amandajtweets.

And in slightly related news, I've added to my beautifully designed book collection. I had brought a clothbound Alices Adventures in Wonderland book, however, after only a day of having it, some of the pages started falling out. They were lovely about it at the shop, and I was hoping to get a straight exchange, but there was no others in stock.

Luckily for me, I managed to find this beautiful library in the childrens section, for half the price of the one book! It's also given me an opportunity to finally get around to reading Little Women and The Secret Garden, which I surprisingly never got round to as a child.

And I got all of these books for half of their originally price (£7.50!) I'm not entirely sure how long the Waterstones half price sale is on for, but I'd nip in there as soon as you can to grab some bargains. I am very pleased with mine! 

The 2014 Book Challenge: Januarys book

Hello,

Thanks for stopping by. Adventures from the Bookshelf is a new literature and lifestyle blog. I was inspired to create this blog as I have ran blogs before, but I never had the motivation to post regularly enough, despite really enjoying blogging and the community that goes along with it. 

But this year to help myself maintain my blog, I've set myself a challenge! Every year I buy the Waterstones Literary Quotes wall calendar, for each month there is a different quote from a famous writer. So, what better way to widen my reading than to have a monthly author picked for me by the Waterstones calendar? Each month I plan on reading a book from that months author, and then write a full review on this blog. The full list can be found here, and if you want to join me or get involved with the blog, let me know. 

Januarys Book

This months author is Lewis Carroll, so it makes sense for me to read his most famous book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (What a coincidence that the first book on the list co-incicides with my blog name!) I am really looking forward to reading this book, as I have not read it since I was a child, so it will be interesting to see if I gain a different perspective rereading it as an adult. 

Let me know in the comments section if you're setting yourself a reading challenge this year too. (And if you're going to join me with my challenge!)