This guest post was contributed by Love Reading; UK based online book suppliers established since 2005.

Some cult reads out there divide opinions and court controversy with their subject matter of feminism, sex or political bias.

Some express the sentiments and attitudes of a time so clearly that whole generations buy into them and others simply attract a huge and passionate following that cannot bear to hear a bad word said about their favorite tome.

Here are ten cult read picks, from feminism to wizardry. Like them or loathe them – just don’t criticize them to their fans or you could be in trouble.

The Female Eunuch, Germaine Greer, 1970

Written over forty years ago, this controversial book remains a talking point in the media today. Greer’s aggressive take on feminism stated that men hate women and that women have been brainwashed into hating themselves. The opinion caused a stir at launch. Her stance came under severe criticism, though it certainly provided its author with a ticket to media stardom.

No Logo, Naomi Klein, 2000

Klein’s examination of the corporations and big brands of the world sparked controversy at publication. Covering issues such as sweat shops and corporate censorship, the book takes aim at some of the world’s most popular brands, including Gap, Microsoft and Nike, examining their methods of communicating with their audience and touching on issues of globalization.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, JK Rowling, 1997

In this case, fans of the adventures of the young wizard in the making are more likely to burst into tears than attack you, but there is no doubt that Ms Rowling’s creations caused quite a stir and certainly have an enormous and very passionate fan base.

These books are not going to provoke much intellectual debate other than the rights and wrongs of ‘Muggle’ abuse, but there is much to be celebrated within the pages.

The Dice Man, Luke Rhinehart, 1971

This cult novel follows the life of a cynical psychiatrist who decides to live his entire life by the roll of a dice. The decisions dictated by the dice lead to dark doings and the book covers taboo subjects such as rape, murder and sexual experimentation.

At the time of publication, the novel’s subversive nature caused it to be banned in a number of countries, although this in turn merely served to increase its fan base.

The Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf, 1991

In contrast to The Female Eunuch, The Beauty Myth expressed a more glamorous approach to feminism. Ms Wolf declared that pressure to be thin de-feminizes women, which is why the author encourages women to love their curves rather than conform to standards set upon them.

Her book highlighted the pressure that magazines put upon women in expressing ‘ideal women’ standards that modern women still measure themselves against despite making greater achievements and taking greater prominence in society. The publication is said to be one of the great feminist books of all times.

Trainspotting, Irving Welsh, 1993

Painting a rather bleak view of disaffected youth in the 1980s, Trainspotting was the first novel from Scottish writer Welsh. It is actually a collection of short stories, each with similar undertones.

The novel quickly gained a cult following, which was only boosted by its translation to the big screen in 1999 a film that was directed by Danny Boyle. The sequel, Porno and more recently, Skagboys, a prequel of sorts, are less well known.

American Psycho, Brett Easton-Ellis, 1991

This book offers a dark take on Manhattan’s corporate playboys in the late eighties and early nineties. The story reveals the frighteningly gory and murderous activities of the sexually depraved Patrick Bateman, who to the outside world appears to be completely normal.

The book attracted a massive cult following, although some countries found the extreme violence within too controversial for mainstream reading and insisted that it be sold wrapped in cellophane.

The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger, 1951

This novel has been quoted as one of the 100 best novels of the 20th Century and, although intended for adults, it was subsequently adopted by youths as a cult read largely due to its content of teenage angst and rebellion.

Controversially for the time of publication, the book is heaving with swearing and sexual references, offering an uncensored view of misspent youth of the fifties.

Crash, J. G. Ballard, 1973

For those who are familiar with Ballard’s semi-autobiographical work, Empire of the Sun, Crash may come as somewhat of a shocker. While Empire of the Sun reflects on a childhood spent in a war-torn world and prison camp, it is the story of a child nonetheless sex and swearing are nowhere to be seen.

Crash, however, reveals the story of a group of sexual fetishists who get their turn-ons from participating in brutal car crashes. Its subject matter caused huge controversy and much criticism, but that didn’t stop it being turned into a film in 1996.

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The ITV drama series Downton Abbey has taken the world by storm. The period drama portrays the lives of the Crawley family and their servants and the trials and tribulations of their magnificent home. The story is set in North Yorkshire but the locations where the three series were filmed are actually mostly to be found much farther south. If you’d like to experience the world of Downton Abbey for yourself here are the places you should visit.

The Abbey

Downton Abbey itself is actually Highclere Castle which is near Newbury in Berkshire. The castle is used for the exterior shots and most of the interior filming of Downton and was in the mind of Julian Fellowes when he started to write the series. The house is open to the public during the Easter and Summer holidays as well as some bank holidays but such has been the interest in the venue post Downton Abbey that tickets for some dates can sell out months in advance. On touring Highclere you can visit the state rooms on the ground floor and some of the bedrooms on the first floor. Many of the rooms, the furniture and the iconic oak staircase will be familiar to fans of Downton Abbey as will the extensive grounds which you can also enjoy after your tour.

Below Stairs

The scenes below stairs, servants’ quarters and some of the bedrooms of the main house were actually filmed at Ealing Studios and so cannot be visited. The sets which were constructed at the studios included a recreation of a servants’ staircase at Highclere.

The Village

The village used in the show is Bampton, Oxfordshire. This small village now receives many visits from Downton enthusiasts who come to see St Mary’s Church where Lady Mary married Matthew Crawley and also the library whose entrance was used in the show as that of the military hospital set up in the village to cope with the wounded from the First World War. Mrs Crawley’s house is also situated in the village although the interior scenes are filmed elsewhere. The village locals are used as extras for filming in the show and they are apparently expecting property prices to rise in the village as a result of the popularity of Downton Abbey.

Other Locations

There are many scenes from the First World War trenches featured in the series and these were filmed near the village of Akenham in Suffolk. The fictional stately home Haxby Park, which was the estate publisher Sir Richard Carlisle intended to purchase as a home for himself and Lady Mary, is in fact part of Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire. The house can be visited between late May and late October. Duneagle Castle, the setting for the 2012 Christmas special is actually Inverarary Castle near Loch Lomond in Scotland. The castle can be toured from late March until Late October and is the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll. Greys Court in Oxfordshire was used as the Crawley’s second property Downton Place. The house is situated 3 miles from Henley-on-Thames and is open from March until October. The Dowager Countess’s home is Byfleet Manor in Surrey but this is a private home which cannot be toured. Finally the prison scenes were filmed at Lincoln Castle.

Worth A Visit

The filming locations of Downton Abbey are fantastic attractions in their own right and well worth a visit even if you are not a fan of the program. If you are an enthusiast you will greatly enjoy the familiar scenes that will unfold before you.

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• Photograph of Highclere Castle by Richard Munckton Via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

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Guest author Sally Stacey is a big Downton Abbey fan and is lucky enough to not live too far away from the real thing! Sally is writing for National Furniture UK, retailer of high quality Oak living furniture, perfect for recreating that Downton feel in your very own home.

My husband is quite a bit more healthy than I am. I’ll just put that out there right now as a caveat. But he came home the other day with something called a ‘wheat grass kit‘ which allows you to grow some wheat grass, harvest it, and turn it into a wheat grass shot. The wheat grass shot itself tastes exactly like freshly mown grass. It actually made me sick the first 2 or 3 times I took it. But my husband swears by it, so I put myself through the effort, just for him.

Since Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, I figured I would make myself take the shots with him every day until Valentine’s day, as my gift to him. But it was amazing at how much more energy, strength, and overall ‘good’ I felt after a week of taking the shots with him.

And it’s a lot less expensive than other ‘shake’ options out there like the p90x Shakeology. Granted, Shakeology is a whole lot more than wheat grass. But I’ve tried both now, and I feel like my body responds quite a bit more favorably to the wheat grass shots.

Honestly, I probably won’t take them for a long time from here on out. It’s an acquired taste, and I still haven’t acquired it yet. But my husband is happy, which is what counts I suppose.

 

Visiting an art museum in a new city can be a great way to spend an afternoon when you’re traveling; it can also be a little overwhelming if you’re not very familiar with the artists displayed in the museum. Or maybe you just want to add art to one of your conversation topics for dinner parties. A great way to become familiar with art is to become familiar with a handful of artists at a time. Here, find a list of five dead artists you should know.

Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) is heralded as one of the greatest modern painters in history, according to current scholars. His post-impressionist works—typified by his unique painting stroke–include Starry Night, which can be found on everything from printed posters to credit cards, and Sunflowers. He’s also known for his personal struggles with mental illness, which led to him cutting off his own ear and committing suicide at the age of 37. Van Gogh was not recognized as a great painter while he was alive; it was only after he’d passed away that his art received any notice.

Michelangelo

Long before Madonna, Prince, and Cher, Michelangelo (1475-1563) was the first legendarily single-named artist. And for good reason—his full name (Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) is quite a mouthful. Michelangelo was a part of the Italian Renaissance, and was a jack-of-all trades when it came to which art form he preferred. He is known primarily for his sculptures (David and the Pieta are his most famous) and one massively epic painting—the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Frida Kahlo

Friday Kahlo (1907-1954) is one of the most famous female painters of all time. She is known primarily for her self-portraits and her infamous unibrow, but her most significant contribution is the way she brought the Mexican folk art of her ancestry into the realm of fine art. She was also active politically. A film about her life was made in 1992, starring actress Salma Hayek. The film won two Academy Awards.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was a quintessentially American modern artist. His art was focused on the politically dichotomy of urban America, which stemmed from his experiences as a graffiti artist in New York. He died young, at 27, of a heroin overdose. His art features bright colors and disjointed figures, and is usually mixed media—a term that means that his art is not solely painting, or drawing, or sculpture, but a combination. A film was made about his life in 1996.

Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) is the first name in surrealism, an art movement that was interested less in depicting reality and more in depicting the perception of reality. It is often rife with symbolism. To that end, his work (including The Persistence of Memory) communicates anxiety and emotion through motifs such as melting clocks. He was also a filmmaker; his most famous film, Un Chien Andalou, notoriously featured an eyeball being cut open. It also influenced 1980s rock band The Pixies on their song, Debaser.

Dustin Heath is a lawyer by profession. With work experience spanning a decade, his expertise has led him to work on corporate cases, representing prestigious companies and brands In his spare time, he writes for a weekly paper in his community, discussing his passion for do-it-yourself projects and valuable tips in home and living. He also teaches pre-law subjects in the university he graduated from and plans to be a book author in the future. He gets most of his ideas from the great attorney, Michael Ward Stout.