One day Hannah and I were talking--shocker--and we got on the topic of how much Goodreads and Instagram reviews have helped shape our TBR and what books we've read. Somebody talking passionately about x,y,z book made me look into and I found I've loved it too because it has certain elements I'm drawn to. Or how a book does not sound like it would be something I'm into but a great review made me rethink my thought on not reading it. So the TL;DR of this conversation is we got to a point where we said, are there any books that if somebody dislikes you kinda side-eye and question it? Thus...this post and photo was born.
The majority of books I've read and loved, I could understand how somebody would not like it or find an aspect too annoying, etc.. I can rationalize somebody's dislike of a book 95% of the time...and yet...there's a small collection of books we both got down to that we love and feel so passionately about that if you don't like said book...I have questions for you.
--Please note, you can 100% dislike my chosen books, this is supposed to be funny and light-hearted and make you think if you have any books you love so much that somebody not liking them feels like a personal attack--
So, my books. Are as follows:
HAPPINESS FOR BEGINNERS by Katherine Center--You guys, this book means so much to me. Every element and aspect of the heroine Helen's character speaks to my soul. Her journey to find happiness by way of extreme hiking spoke to my heart. The writing is fantastic. Everything about this book works for me.
SAVING FRANCESCA by Melina Marchetta--This book is a placeholder for all of Marchetta's books because seriously there is not a bad one in the bunch. You can have a favorite but you have to love them all. FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK is really what I wanted to choose but since fantasy can be very tricky for people, I wanted to highlight a contemporary of hers.
MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins--I have heard so many people say they disliked this book of the series and to you good sir, I say, you are wrong. This book and series is perfection in book form and I will not hear a word about any of it.
THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak--This book...oh, this book. Breaks me and builds me back together. Never have I ever felt such a visceral, soul-deep reaction to how an author writes. The cleverness of Death narrating and the observations he makes about humanity never cease to blow me away with its genius.
DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor--A bold choice, I'm aware, but there is something so magical yet real about this book and series. I can picture it so vividly in my mind's eye when I'm reading and when I think about it. The unique premise and world that Taylor creates is so interesting and different than anything else I've ever read and she is the only author who makes me fantasize about having doe's legs, antelope horns, and wings. Le sigh.
WHO'S THAT GIRL by Mhairi McFarlane--Like Marchetta, McFarlane is an author I will ride or die for and I have MANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU IF YOU DON'T LIKE HER. Again, you can have a favorite but how can you not love them all?!
There you have it! Now I have to know, what books do you have that you love so much if somebody doesn't like, you have some questions for them??
When Rachel texted myself, Hannah, and Alexa asking what we thought of doing a collaboration for Galentine's Day celebrating our favorite fictional friendships, of course I said yes! We each chose our favorite fiction friendship, be if from books, tv shows, or movies, and created a gift guide to accompany it.
My choice of favorite friendship is, without a doubt, Judith Elizabeth and Frances Catherine from The Secret by Julie Garwood. While the romance is nothing to scoff at, the element of the book that most caught my attention was the friendship between these two unlikely girls. They meet as children at a fair taking place on the Scottish and English border. Judith being English and Frances being Scottish is what makes this friendship infinitely unlikely in medieval Scotland when these two bordering nations hated one another. But alas, their love for one another conquered all. Here is my gift guide for these two incredible women.
When Hannah asked me if I thought a post about what books or authors would make our own personal time capsule would be a good idea, I jumped on the YES! wagon. How does it work, you ask? WELL! The idea is similar to a capsule wardrobe. Staple clothes and accessories that you cannot live without that make up your core wardrobe. For this project you have 10 spots; 5-7 authors (clothes) and 3-5 individual books (accessories). You can pick and choose how many of each but you cannot have more than 10.
She wanted to make it a little hard for us all--because she's evil--because she was curious to know at the end of the day, house on fire, apocalypse has occurred, what is your short list of books and/or authors that make up your shelves. In addition to that, we paired each book or author with an article of clothing or accessory that fits that book or author.
Belle of the Literati is home to the Re-Read Challenge but I promise you, promoting my Challenge is not the purpose of this post. The reason I created the Challenge AND the reason I'm writing this post is because I love Re-Reading. There is almost nothing greater to me than visiting a favorite book another time and reliving the magic again.
I've got a little bit of a hot topic issue today I wanted to talk about. My previous rant of a discussion book dealt with book shaming and today's topic peripherally deals with this. That topic? Love triangles/ship switching/multiple love interests. Listen. I get it. To an extent. I'm sure there are numerous books out there with love triangles gone wrong or brought about solely for drama and not legitimate character development. I'm not here to talk about those books. What I'm here to talk about is the rabid reaction and proverbial pitchforks that are enacted when *gasp* a character's feelings or circumstances change and she starts to become romantically involved with a man different from the one that was initially introduced. This...is a...bad thing...?
Recent events on Twitter have prompted me write this post. I debated writing it because I'm sure I'm going to offend many a people with my thoughts on this but, honestly, I couldn't give any fewer fucks. Good or bad I have a disease that makes me exhibit symptoms of calling people out on their bad behavior and this is a flare up. What bad behavior am I speaking of? Book shaming. The Twitter world has recently had me having more than my fair share of cringing, eye-rolling, and outright bursts of rage. If you are not familiar with the term, book shaming is making somebody feel stupid or judging somebody based on what books they choose to read.
A few weeks ago I saw some distressing tweets shaming people for their reasons for reading. Acca-excuse me? No, seriously. There was a discussion I saw that basically shamed people for reading and enjoying books based solely on the romance/relationships in the book. Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck is it to anybody the reasons why people read or love a certain book. If you wanna read solely for the romance, you rock on. If you only want to read non-fiction historical books, do your thing. I cannot even tell you the red I saw when seeing tweets about this because how dare anybody try to put another person down for their reasons for reading. It's rude, classless, and a shitty thing to do to somebody.
You don't have to defend your reasons for reading. Just because you "only" read books for an inspirational hero or the themes discussed doesn't make you a more profound reader than somebody who only reads romance novels. Do you think those heroic characters you love so much would be trying to put other people down? Hell. To. The. No. They defend the weak and stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. They're not kicking a man when he's down and trying to prove how much stronger or better he is than the other person.
As bloggers, we should be the most open-minded people in the book world because of all the different types of readers we come across. There are dozens upon dozens of different genres and we all love books for different reasons and we all read for different reasons. Be it inspiration, motivation, romance, horror, sexy times, historical fact, it doesn't matter! Read what you want, when you want, make no excuses, and give zero fucks.
If you're offended by my post, I'm not going to apologize. This is my corner of the internet and this is a place for me to vent and air my grievances and just maybe find somebody who feels the same way as me. And to be honest? If you're mad at my thoughts and opinions it's probably because you're guilty of some of the behavior I have highlighted. As I said above, we need to be supporting each other and not trying to tear one another down. We are all here for the same reason--to read books and enjoy them. Those heroines you claim to love and admire so much would not be acting like this. Be the hero of the story and not the bully because I'm not sure if you've read the end of this book...but the bully never wins.
I figured out early on that I am an anomaly in the book world in regards to my TBR pile. For those non-bloggers, that is To-Be Read pile for short. Aka what books I have on my list to read. My TBR list is always manageable to me. It is an elite list of books I know I will read and in a mostly timely manner. While many people have TBR lists in the hundreds, mine rarely is over 30ish. No, seriously. Don't judge my list off of my Goodreads list because honestly, I don't use that. I have the books that are on my radar that I want to read up in my head or short lists of review books in my May book.
This is pretty unheard of and I get a Home Alone face about it pretty often because there are SO many books in the world to read, how can I NOT want to read all of them? I'll tell you why...Life is too short for bad books. I also consider reading a hobby and not something that should overwhelm me. It's why I rarely have more than one or two books on NetGalley and Edelweiss to review because if I request it, it means I REALLY want to read it and I REALLY want to read it now. Same goes for any other book that isn't a review book that I add to my mental TBR. To me, if I have hundreds of books I "want" to read, it's overwhelming and then I'm just reading to get through it and I'm not enjoying it because in the back of my head there's ALL the other books I have listed to read. That's not fun for me but maybe it is for you. I'm not here to judge. I am here by prompting of Hannah and Alexa to give you my criteria on how books make it to my list.
I ask myself these questions before committing to reading...
1. What's it about?
This is an obvious question and for me, a person who reads any and all genres, not always helpful. Because I read a wide variety of books and am open to anything I ask this to--duh--get a general idea of what it's about.
2. What makes this book unique?
This question is more helpful to me than the first one. I've read a hundred dystopian books, what makes this one unique? A new adult contemporary--is there anything about this that makes it stand out against my favorites that makes me want to read it? Like I said, life's too short for bad books so if I'm taking the time to read, it better be worth my time. Another reason my TBR is short. I'm taking the time to read it, I want to have a good sense I'm going to like it. Thus why most of my book ratings are 4 and 5 stars. I know my style while still being open-minded.
3. Who is recommending it to me?
This is a big one to me, too. There are very few people whose recs I will take seriously. That isn't to say YOU have bad taste in reading it's that the people I trust are the people that know me. They know my style, my tastes, my likes, my dislikes, my dirty little mind, and fucked up heart. Everyone brings their subjective response to a book but more often than not my close friends who rec me books will know what I like. And there are plenty of times I read one of their reviews and say, oh will I like this? And they say, well *I* loved it but I don't think you would like it as much as I did. I appreciate that honesty. Those select people know I don't waste my time with books that I might find just okay.
4. Do I want to drop most things to read RIGHT NOW?
This is the absolute determining factor in whether or not the book makes the list. The preceding questions are helpful and obviously are the sole influence for what the answer to this final question will be. If I'm not immediately excited to read said book, I'm not going to add it. If I can't see myself making this book a priority in the next 2-4 weeks then it's just meh to me and will take up space on my shelves or Kindle. To me, reading should always be exciting! Granted, there are of course books I read that I 2 star or don't like but more often than not I like or love the books I read and it is because of this cut throat system. Ain't nobody got time to read bad books which is also why I have no issue DNF'ing. It doesn't happen often because of 'The System' but it does happen. Why would I waste time trudging through a book and wasting time when the next one could be a new favorite?
Now as a disclaimer, I need to mention the downside and the obvious question of, if you're so hesitant to add books to your TBR aren't you missing out on books to take a chance on? The answer is simple and it's yes, maybe. Of course, we are all going to miss out on books we would love and obsess over because they are just unknown to us. They sit quietly on the shelves of libraries waiting to be opened and loved but due to circumstances we just never get to them or even hear about them. That's the risk we all take and there are books that I would not have added or passed the test of question 4 had it not been for the people I refer to in question 3. I would never have read Daughter of the Forest had it not been for Hannah's pushing. I would have never discovered the joys of historical romance had it not been for Alexa. I would have missed out on all the amazing that is The Vampire Academy had Betty not shoved it down my throat. And I would never have had my torrid love affair with all things Karina Halle had Stephanie not turned me on to her. And I definitely wouldn't have become inspired and obsessed with Girl Before A Mirror had Cass and Ellice not threatened me bodily harm.
What do we think? Are you cut throat with your TBR choices? Do you have a list a mile long? Do you like this? What are your thoughts?
As I've discussed before in this post, I'm a mood reader. I read what I want, when I want, when I feel like I want it...I'm a boss like that. *wink* And I've always been a pretty ecclectic reader (but that's a post for another day, in the works, don't worry), meaning I'll read almost any genre depending on my mood. But if you asked me my favorite type of book/genre to read a few years ago my answer would be very different than it is today which led me to this question...
Are you a genre jumper?
What do I mean by this? We all have our favorite types of books we tend to gravitate towards, be it fantasy, contemporary, paranormal, young adult, adult, etc.. But has that gravitation changed course? Personally, mine has. Oh, my gosh I laugh at how much my reading tastes have evolved and changed and opened up. When I started blogging, I was ALL about dystopia. Gimme gimme gimme all the dystopia, all the time.
Now? I can't tell you the last time I read one...and a GOOD one at that. The issue? Probably the mass saturation of the market pushing all things dystopia in my face diminished my love because the caliber and uniqueness of the dystopians being written about became sub-par. What started off as such a fascination for a messed up world became a dime a dozen. I felt like there was such a demand for 'the next Hunger Games' that the genre lost it's luster for me.
And while I was head over heels in love with dystopia, I could count on one hand the number of comtemporary books I read. No really, I shunned them. I wanted nothing to do with any love story or any world that wasn't extremely fucked up. Today? I'm still picky with my contemporaries because I want my angst real and the emotions believable but I am so much more open to reading them because the best ones are the ones I can relate to in my real life. When did this happen? I'm not sure exactly but I know it has a lot to do with Katja Millay and Colleen Hoover writing books I could connect to. Books that made me feel. Books that made me believe in love and acceptance of self.
So I'll admit it. I'm a genre jumper. I was a self-proclaimed dystopian queen and today I hardly touch them and tend to gravitate towards more contemporary/historical romance, historical fiction, and all things fantasy.
What about you?
Have your reading tastes changed?
Have you alwasy gravitated towards the same kinds of books?
If you read my review yesterday you can see how much I loved Girl Before a Mirror. This book inspired me. This book made me feel proud to be a woman with confidence and my own mind and my own interests that I don't have to defend to anyone else. While I was reading, I knew I wanted to write an additional post of some kind paying homage to the beauty that is this book and all the glorious female empowerment it brings. It took me a little time but I not only wanted to praise this book but include my fantastic female friends who read the book before me and pushed me to read it. I don't know if you've ever been on the receiving end of book pushing via Cass but it's not a place you want to be if you don't have the book ready.
So what did I come up with? I was thinking a lot about female empowerment, self-worth, confidence, and the like and I did a lot of self-reflection. This thinking brought to the forefront of my mind all the women who helped shape who I am today and all helped me know my self-worth. After thinking about the women who I look up to and helped give me confidence 3 prominent women came to mind and they all happened to fit in their own unique category--Real Life, Historical, and Fiction. From there, I emailed my fabulous female friends who all gave me their answers and ta-da! This post was born. The question I posed to myself and them was this...
What women (in real life, in history and/or in fiction) have inspired you to JUST BE who you are?
For me? My real life inspiration is my Mom. I've looked up to my Mom my whole life and wanted to be just like her when I grew up. She is kind, a saint among mere mortals, funny when she's not trying to be, compassionate, smart, and fierce. My mother is Sicilian and while she is the most selfless and thoughtful person I have ever met, you mess with one of her cubs and you better watch your ass. My Mom was always the person who defended, stuck up for me, and dried my tears when I came home crying from school...which was a lot. While the interactions with my peers throughout my entire adolescence were made to make me feel worthless, my Mom never let me feel that way. I have never settled, I have never not worked for what I wanted, I have never not felt that I don't deserve the good things I have been blessed with. My Mom taught me that feminism is about choice. Whatever that choice may be. Stay at home mom, full-time career, some, all, or none of it in between, true feminism is allowing and respecting a woman's choice in how she decides to live her life. My Mom is an inspiration and if I'm half the wife and mother and person she is...then I'll consider myself lucky.
In history, this will come as no secret that Anne Boleyn is my homegirl. She was the creator of playing hard to get and making a man chase you. HELLO, DUH! It took me longer than I'd like to admit to realize this but it is so true. She was clever, outspoken, opinionated, cunning, and fiercely intelligent in a world where women were meant to be seen and not heard. She broke the mold of what was expected of females and had no shame in using her feminine charms, either. While history doesn't paint her in the best light and her end was tragic, she is still an inspiration to me and always will be.
I went back and forth with my fictional choice but in the end I knew the without a doubt that one fictional character in particular changed the way I thought about myself. Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead was the first female character I read that like her curvy body. Let me tell you how I was smacked with all kinds of shock. Rose is not thin or tiny or small, all euphemisms for skinny. She is fit and active and has breasts and hips and an ass and she loved it! She eats donuts because she wants to and doesn't feel bad about it. This was the first time, in our model-driven anorexic society, that I felt good about have a curvy figure. Today, I love my body, imperfections and all, and wouldn't change it. It took me 25 years to love what I look like and accept that this is the body God gave me and work it is what I do. Richelle Mead and Rose Hathaway give such a positive portrayal of a young woman who loves her body that I couldn't help but be affected by it. And to them I say, thank you.
Hannah from So Obsessed With
In Real Life? Although there are a number of women who have inspired me throughout my life, my mama has definitely been the biggest influence on the person I am today. Some of my favorite things about myself come from her, and some of the qualities I most wish I had are ones I’ve watched her model all my life! She’s smart, selfless, and totally sassy. She doesn't just inspire me to be who I am– she’s also the kind of person I wantto be!
In History? Jane Austen. I could write you an essay on all the reasons I admire her and am inspired by her! I love her early passion for writing – and that she continued to pursue it for the rest of her life. I adore her clever mind and sharp tongue because it’s what makes her books such a delightful experience. And I can’t help but love the way she knew her own mind and defied convention. Plus, she’s basically taken over the world.
In Fiction? For this answer, I had to go back to the very beginning: Anne Shirley. I don’t think there’s another fictional character that has impacted me the way she did (and still does!). I love that she is an optimist, a dreamer and always sees the good in people. Growing up, she was a reminder for me that being different wasn’t a bad thing. She was fully herself – but she also accepted others just as they were. And I’ve always been inspired by her because of it!
Real Life: My mom. This choice required no thought whatsoever. My mom is an amazing woman. She's so smart, and there's absolutely nothing she can't do when she sets her mind to it. She taught me since Day One what it means to be a strong, independent woman, and she's always encouraging me to follow my dreams. I wouldn't be even half the person I am today without her constant source of inspiration and motivation. Basically, if I'm Rory, then she's my Lorelei.
History: I had a hard time deciding on who to choose for my historical inspiration. I wanted to pick a lady from history who I've actually admired and who I really do think about periodically as a source of inspiration. And though this isn't very far back in history, and may sound crazy, I'm going to say Lucille Ball. Truthfully, I know very little about her personal life, but in terms of her professional life, she was a super successful lady when women were expected to be little more than housewives. I've watched her in I Love Lucy since I was a little bitty girl, and I still start every morning with a couple of episodes of her show. I ADORE HER because even though she has that obnoxious controlling Ricky Ricardo for a husband, she always, ALWAYS does it her way in the end (even if her idea is totally crazy, which it usually is!). I guess it's more her role in her show that I admire, but there's no doubt about it that Lucille Ball was a very successful female in a man's world.
Fiction: Eeep. I hope you didn't want us to choose only ONE fictional lady because if so I'm totally breaking the rules! Haha.
>>Honestly, Liza Palmer's leading ladies are truly the most inspirational fictional women I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Obviously Anna & Sasha from Girl Before a Mirror, but also Queenie & Merry Carole from Nowhere But Home, and then there's Maggie from Conversations with the Fat Girl. They are all examples of what it means to be your own person, independent and intelligent, and yet still maintain healthy relationships with others.
>>One of my other recent favorite fictional females is Jess from One Plus One by Jojo Moyes. She is AMAZING, raising her own daughter plus her ex-husband's son on a very small income. I admire her determination and dedication so much. To hell with societal constraints, Jess just wants what is best for her children, and by God you know she will accomplish it!
>>Then there's Rosetta from I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe who fought in the Civil War disguised as a man so she could be near her husband. What's even more amazing? Rosetta was based on a REAL PERSON.
>>Skeeter from The Help by Kathryn Stockett is another amazing female from historical fiction. She broke quite a few "laws" and lost a lot of friends by mingling with black maids and telling the truth about the horrors that they faced as black women in the South. She never really batted an eye though--she was determined to do the right thing despite the repercussions that she faced.
That's some powerful stuff, y'all! These fictional women took on the world and kicked its butt! haha. These are just a few of the ones who have been a huge source of inspiration for me to "just be" myself, but their stories packed a hard punch and will certainly stay with me for a very long time!
Alexa from Alexa Loves Books
When I think of the fictional ladies who inspire me, I find myself drawn towards those gals who were on the cusp of growing up in their stories. Witnessing the way they change from start to finish of their tale really left a strong impression on me, and bolstered my courage to stay steady adrift a sea of shifting circumstances in my real life.
--Jo March from Little Women – Jo is, quite simply, a firecracker. She’s clever and strong-willed, determined to pursue a path that’s all her own. I admired her tenacity, her loyalty to her mother and her sisters, and her love for literature and writing.
--Sara Crewe from A Little Princess – I draw constant inspiration from how Sara manages to stay hopeful and optimistic, even when her world comes crashing down around her. Together with her sense of decency and vivid imagination, she is the kind of person I want to be like.
--Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series – It’s not just her brains that I admire, but it’s her fortitude and her loyalty. She always has her heart in the right place, and constantly strives to do her best by the people she loves. In spite of the odds stacked against her, she constantly manages to triumph and sets a shining example of the fact that you can be who you are and succeed.
In real life, there are really only two ladies I can think of who are excellent examples of allowing themselves the freedom to just be who they really are.
--My grandmother, Aida – Oh, my grandmother is the embodiment of the kind of woman I want to be someday. She’s strong, and she’s smart, and she’s also very wise. The way she handles herself, the way she is confident in her values and the things she likes, it sets a great precedent.
--Taylor Swift – If there’s one young woman I don’t know personally but look to constantly for inspiration, it’s Ms. Swift. She owns her sense of self, whether it comes to her fashion choices or her hobby preferences, and I admire that. I also love that she’s such a positive spirit, and one who tirelessly supports her friends and family, and also makes time for her supporters.
I really thought I would find myself stumped by the historical aspect of this question, but I surprised myself when one name came to mind immediately. Even though what I know of her is largely influenced by the Disney-fied version of her tale, I definitely think it’s worth mentioning her:
--Pocahontas – What I love most about her story is how she made an effort to embrace a people different from her own, seemingly without fear or judgment. While I’m sure it must have been terrifying for her to defy what she’d known and what was familiar, she did it anyway. Her biggest impact is the courage to stand up for what she felt was right, at least to me. I love that.
Cass from The Casserole My biggest inspiration from my life is without a shadow of a doubt my mother. That may seem cliche or typical, but it could not be more true. My mom raised me and my brother basically by herself, and she showed me what it is to be independent. Not only did she show me independence but she also showed me how to believe in myself. Years after she started teaching me about life, I realized she is the smartest woman I know, and I am so lucky to have her as a kickass role model!
In fiction, I admire Rosetta from I Shall Be Near to You. This woman is the definition of fierce. She is stubborn and driven and those are two qualities i immensely respect when they are used for the greater good. Rosetta is someone I look up to, and have the upmost respect for. This woman can do ANYTHING and she never let anything stop her. Not a man, not a war, nothing. Now tell me what other female can top THAT?!
Now just in case you still need a little inspiration, in case that wasn't enough, I have to include Emma Watson's speech at the UN this past year. I've watched it no less than half a dozen times and I love it. It is strong, empowering, and beauitful.
I never thought I would ever be writing about this topic because until recently I was a one book kind of woman alright y'all. However, after spending the entire month of July floating to a different floor every shift with people I don't know for 12 hours, I found myself with a little downtime during the day. So here I am, patients are all fine, charting is done, now what? I don't know these people around me to talk really so I think to myself what can I do to pass the time? Damn, I wish I could bring my book out and start reading but that would be frowned upon...wait a tick...why don't I start reading a book on my Kindle app?! Eureka moment, people. Because of this I found myself starting and being in the middle of reading two books at a time *gasp!!* Never have I ever read more than one book at a time so this was a very different situation for me to be in which leads me to the question...
Are you a monogamous reader?
I know a ton of people who read more than one book at a time and I always marveled at that. How do you decide which book to read? Doesn't one book hold your attention? What is this madness?! I have since evolved my thinking and came to realize I kind of like this reading more than one book at a time thing. I have one main book I read when I'm off or after work. I'll keep a few fun and sassy kindle books in case I have a slow day at work (let me tell you how much I love those now!) and I've actually started keeping a non-fiction book on hand to read on my lunch break. Well, at least that's what I'm doing right now. If I'm in the middle of an amazing book I'll bring it to work but right now I look forward to my lunch breaks because I get to read a book I'm devouring slowly. Why non-fiction? Well as a rule the pace of those are a little slower and I find I enjoy the book more reading it slowly and over an extended period of time.
So now I'm curious because I have changed my reading habits, what do you guys do?
I've been reading quite a few last books of series lately, that also prompted THIS discussion post, and I've realized that I have very mixed feelings about some final books and how to read them. What am I talking about?
I'm talking about how do you read the final book of a beloved series?
Do you pre-order and start reading the second it arrives at your door? Do you re-read the previous books in the series to get the whole effect? Do you take it slow and savor the final pages of characters you've come to know and love?
I find that I'm personally a mixed bag. Case in point. I LOVE The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I binge read books 1-5 pretty much back to back because they were all out, couldn't get enough. And then I look up the final book and I'm all, wait what?! 2 years until City of Heavenly Fire comes out?! How is this possible?! Now...I pre-ordered the book...and I'm just not chomping at the bit to read it. It's sitting on my shelf. What happened in the last book? Should I re-read? I didn't bring all my other books with me to San Diego so should I just dive in? I WANT to be excited about this book but for some reason, the long wait just dampened my excitement. Sad face. (Sidenote: I'm actually getting excited to read it so I hope I will soon.)
Another example? The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. That final book ALSO took two years since the publication of book 2 to come out...this book? OMG PREORDER, GIVE ME THE FIRST TWO SO I CAN RE-READ AND BE READ WHEN THE BOOK OF LIFE IS AT MY DOORSTEP. What's the difference? I have no idea. I think I just love those characters SO HARD that any time away from Matthew and Diana is time I will miss them.
AND, with that said, I didn't devour the book. I found myself reading for a while and finding an excuse or distraction to step away. Why? It wasn't because it wasn't good (IT WAS AMAZING), it was because I found myself savoring this book. I didn't WANT it to end. I wanted to take my time and really feel with the characters and jive with the story. I wanted to know the conclusion but hell, I'll read about Diana and Matthew doing their laundry if it means more time with them.
Apologies in advance to my non-blogging readers but this post also affects you, too. The purpose of this post today is to discuss the difficulty I have in writing reviews of books in a series that are not the first book. I find that I have a lot of trouble trying to articulate why I like the book without giving too much away about the direction of the plot AND spoilers from the first book. Gah! I don't know why I've been struggling with this so much recently but I feel like an idiot trying to be vague yet detailed about writing a concise review. I don't want to spoil the book for those who haven't read it...yet I want to be able to tell you why I liked it and that includes the plot...but for people that haven't even started the series how much detail from the first book do I include?
I know, I know. Just add that lovely asterix'd warning of **SPOILERS AHEAD** but I hate that for some reason. I want to be able to write reviews that anyone can read but I find if more difficult to do so without revealing some spoilers from the previous books or plots. For example, I just binge read the entire Fever series by Karen Mare Moning and as I'm writing my reviews I felt so repetitive about saying, 'the plot gets better' and 'oh my gosh, each book goes into more details about this world.'...BORING. But for this series I will totally ruin the surprises of the plot and the amazing reveals of the previous books if I don't put the plot into some context. I used to write reviews revealing ALL the plot and talking about each part and why I liked it...yeah, that was WAY too much freaking work and my reviews were ridiculously long. And while I really don't like doing the spoiler alert I'm finding that I have to otherwise the review ends up being too vague and boring and pretty much useless to the reader.
What do you guys think?
Am I overreacting?
Do y'all care that much?
What are YOU looking for in a review of a book in the middle of a series?
Do you read reviews of books in a series you haven't read?
The past few months have brought a lot of final books in very popular series and with that comes a lot of different reactions across the board. Naturally, we all bring our own subjective opinions to the table whenever we crack open the spine of a book. We all have our own feelings and thoughts on where we want the characters to end up or what we would like to happen and sometimes it works...and sometimes it doesn't. With such a wide variety of emotions about the conclusions to some of our favorite series, it got me thinking and raised the question of...
What are your expectations of the final book in a series?
I'm not trying to start arguments with anybody but I am extremely curious as to what you guys expect from a final book. Do you have to have a happily ever after? Do you have to have all of your questions answered? If the plot doesn't go exactly the way you expected it, do you hold it against the book?
I talk about this a lot with Hannah over at So Obsessed With blog about character and plot development over the course of series and their conclusions. What makes me dislike a final book is when the characters don't align with everything we know about them from the previous books. Another thing I dislike is when it feels like it is either a rush to tie up loose ends OR nothing at all happens plot-wise and then a big dramatic conclusion. Examples: The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons, in my opinion, decimates everything that are inherent to the characters she made us love in the previous two books and 1600 pages. That hurts. I didn't even write a review for it because it broke my heart and come to find out that book was never even supposed to be written. Her initial intention was the only have two books but fans of the series wanted more. Well you got more and hardly any of it was good. Allegiant is the example for another thing I dislike. NOTHING happens in the entire book until the very end and BOOM drama and it's over...uh...what just happened?
AND THEN there are final books that not only meet your expectations...but blow you away. Books that take the characters you have known and love for the past several years and give them an ending to the story that they deserve. I have actually LOVED a lot of series finales this year and had my heart just bursting with so much joy over how things concluded. Words cannot describe my love enough. We get plot development and character complexities and romance (hopefully lots of kissing) and a conclusion that is resolved...but hopeful. That's my favorite kind of conclusion. Resolved but hopeful of even more to come.
I love to read a good fantasy or paranormal book. I love the world that is created from nothing like high fantasy and the idea that a paranormal community could exist right under our noses. So that got me to thinking...
If I Could Live in Any Fictional World...Where Would I Want To Live?
It seems like an easy question, right? But I wasn't looking at it that way. I was looking at it like what legit worlds would I forgo this bland Earth for in order to live out my days. So, with this post I wanted to highlight my favorite fantasy and paranormal worlds that I could ride and die to live in...well maybe not die because obviously then I wouldn't actually get to live in the world...ok, I digress like usual. So ANYWAYS, these are the worlds that I would choose to live in...and really wish a portal or wardrobe opened up and transported me there...there's always tomorrow...
Hogwarts
Harry Potter by JK Rowling
I mean...this is totally obvious, right? Harry Potter is one part of the trifecta of my heart and I would give up any material object to be a part of this world. I want to go to Ollivander's. I want my wand. I want my OWLs and NEWTs and my acceptance into defeating the Dark Arts. Sign me the F up.
Caldwell, NY
The Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward
Again. Obvious choice. The Black Mother Fucking Dagger Brotherhood. If I didn't grow up with Harry Potter and love it as much as I do, this is my number one world I want to be in. Yes, the Lessers wreak havoc and it's dangerous...but...THE BROTHERS?! Mate me, mark me, bond me. I don't give a fuck as long as it means waking up next to that beautiful specimen of male whose job it is to defend the race. No joke, Z is my number one book boyfriend of all time...OF ALL TIME PEOPLE. This is not a drill. I would give toes and any internal organ that isn't a necessity to live in order to be this male's shellan. I am not even close to joking. Z is my epitome of a man. It really doesn't get much hotter than that.
Prague and Eretz
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Y'all, I have never wanted a pair of horns on my head and wings on my back more than when I read these books. This world utterly FASCINATES me! Like I just can't even begin to talk about how much I LOVE this world. Yes, I am ignoring the centuries long war and destruction.
Sector 4
Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha
Uh...have you read these books? I would most definitely brave the apocalypse if it meant waking up with cuffs on my wrists and a badass man *coughDALLAScough* next to me. The women of this world rule the world and anything goes.
Denver, Colorado
The Marked Men by Jay Crownover
Why yes I am totally cheating on this. My one cheat of this post is the Marked Men series because HELLO, have you read about these men? I want to move to Denver on just the CHANCE I could find this tattoo parlor and live happily ever after with one of these guys. I mean, holy shit. And yes, I DID only put the two covers I approve of. Sorry not sorry.
What about you guys?
What fantasy, paranormal, dystopia, or *cough* contemporary worlds would you live in?
Another addition to my MANY reasons on WHY I love reading. One of the main reasons I love to read and the complete honest truth of why I completely fall in love with historical fiction is this...
I LOVE To Learn...
If I could take random general classes at a university for fun and for free, I totally would. I love to learn and be educated on everything and anything. Especially history. This is totally the reason why I love to read about the Tudors or WWII or Russia and the Romanovs because I LOVE to learn and knowledgeable about the past...well, and pretty much things in general. I seriously just LOVE history and to know things.
I Love To Be Challenged...
I love to read and then discuss topics that make me think. I do not mind having my opinions and views questioned and explore our reasons for why we think and feel the way we do. I love being exposed to a viewpoint different from my own because it makes me think and question what I believe in and what makes me feel that way.
I Love To Have New Experiences...
I have learned so much and feel like I am the person I am today in part because of everything I have read. I feel I have become so much more understanding of people and open-minded because of the stories I've read. I love that I am able to gain understanding from characters in situations I would never have been able to otherwise. Rich, poor, old, young, outgoing, introverted, you name it and you can find it in a book. It's just amazing. You know, it's not a lie when people say that readers live a thousand lives. It is absolutely the true. I love that I live in 2014 and I have experienced...
the reign of Henry VIII in 1500s Tudor England
the corruption of 1400s Rome with the Borgia family
the beauty of being in love in Amsterdam
experienced 1800s Civil War era with a woman pretending to be a man
WWII from dozens of viewpoints
falling in love in Paris in 24 hours
the segregation and oppression of African-Americans in 1950s American South
the fall of Leningrad and the utter destruction of its city and people
the magic of Prague
the transportation system of Central America
the height of the Geishas fame and fortune
the Spanish countryside in summer
the rise of Communism in China
the fall of the Plantagenet family in 1400s England
the Palio in Siena
When people poke fun at me for reading so much and why I read so much it is because of everything listed above. Readers have lived all over the world through space and time and this is why I love love love reading! And this doesn't even take into account the dystopian worlds and fantasy places I love. Phew. I'm exhausted, go reading, go history, go learning.
Are you all with me?
Do you love the experiences you get from reading?
Do you feel more knowledgeable about the world around you?
We all know how much I love my book boyfriends...that's a pretty obvious statement. I feel like a lot of us love a good swoony boy, a romance to sigh over, a love story to root for. While I do focus a lot on the main heroine in my reviews, good or bad, I feel like a lot of love is lost on recognizing and giving props to the amazing female heroines found in literature.This post is my homage to them. So let's do this.
Let's hear it for the girls.
My main reason for writing this post is to highlight my favorite female characters. I love me a fierce, strong, capable, and intelligent heroine and will always say so in my review. I know I focus a lot on Book Bangin and the swooniest boys around and while a good guy character can make me love a book, the same goes for a fantastic female lead. I just felt like I needed to point out how many strong role models that there are in books. So, here is my special tribute to fierce and fabulous females of the literary world.
Jane Eyre
The original independent woman. She did what she wanted and made no excuses for who she was.
Katniss Everdeen
This bitch is the ultimate badass. She can hunt, shoot, defend herself, and has a wicked way of being non-chalant about it all. Katniss is approximately a decade younger than me and I look up to her in the book world. She will always be my absolute favorite female character.
Hermione Granger
Intelligent and capable doesn't even scratch the surface on this one. She is running the show and should be Beyonce's inspiration for 'Run the World.'
Calaena Sardothien
She's kicking asses and taking names. Caleana Sardothien doesn't take no shit from nobody. She is an ASSASSIN for crying out loud. Don't mess with this one.
Tatiana Metanova
Selfless to an absolute fault. Her courage and bravery in the face of certain danger is an inspiration to anyone lucky enough to read this book. We could all use a little Tatiana in our lives. Nastya
Nastya has something horrific that happens to her (read the book to find out what) and instead of cowering and crying in a corner...this tough bitch fights back. She runs, she works out, she learns how to literally kick your ass. She is not defenseless. She is not weak. She is not a victim. She is so strong and empowering and I just freakin' love her. End of story.
Rose Hathaway
Like Calaena, she is not one to be trifled with. She knows how to kick your ass and will not hesitate to do so. She is fierce yet vulnerable and always one to land on her feet and keep a strong face in the face of overwhelming odds against her.
Bella
She doesn't let Z shut her down and she truly sees what is on the inside of people. But even true love won't keep her from doing what is right for herself and her baby. She is a female of worth and will always do what is best for her family.
Kestral
I can't even begin to describe what this girl has been though and what she has overcome to succeed. She is passionate and her moral compass always points due north. She does what is right no matter the cost and is an inspiration for always choosing what is right versus what is easy.
Elisa
The little engine that could. The odds against Elisa were stacked higher than the heavens. Nobody believed in her and she didn't believe in herself most of the time. Her inner strength and growth into the amazing Queen she becomes is as beautiful as it is hard-won. What do you guys think? Who are your favorite kickass girls you root for?
So many books, so little time. Ain't that the truth, right? I see tweets all the time asking, 'What should I read next?' Or awesome pictures with a glorious stack of books saying, 'What should I read?' Alternatively, I also see a lot of tweets talking about books that say, 'Oh that looks great! It's up third on my list!' Which got me to thinking...
What Determines Your Next Read?
To be honest, I had NO idea people had lists and schedules of books they want/have to read and when they are going to read them. Do these work? For people that do this, do you find it easier to stick to and manage your TBR list? What determines your schedule?
For me, because I am obviously not a list/schedule maker which is actually pretty shocking to me because I make lists for EVERYTHING and I love being organized, but in regards to what I read next this also is not a shocker...it's all about the feels.
What Do I Mean By This?
When I finish a book, I look at my TBR list, what books I already have in my possession, what review books I have, I look at them all and one of them usually sticks out to me. A lot of depends on my most recent read. If it was a heavy book, I usually go for a fun, lighter read. Usually it's a sexy book. If I got a really awesome review book while in the middle of a current book, I read that next. There is a little method to my madness but overall there isn't really a rhyme or reason to it. It just FEELS right.
I'm not sure I could be convinced to go by a schedule or make a strong list of what to read when. However, with that said, review books will usually always be towards the top of my lists. I have yet to post a review of a review book after the publication date. I am a psycho about this and my stance is, if you're giving me this book for free to read because I asked to, the least I can do is read it and give my feedback prior to publication. Which is another reason I'm pretty stingy on my requests but that's a whole other topic.
Ok guys. So I've been debating for awhile about how to change up my rating system. For the longest time when I revamped how I wrote my reviews I thought the down and dirty bottom line of 'Should You RSVP to this Ball?' AKA 'Should You Read This Book?' was efficient and effective. But now I'm finding if difficult to really convey HOW MUCH I liked the book. There is a big difference between, yeah I liked it you should read it to I REALLY liked it you should read it soon to OMG DROP EVERYTHING AND READ THIS BOOK NOW. So after much though and discussion with Hannah, I have come up with a rating system that I think works for me, stays along the theme of my blog, and gives a good level of indication of how much I love this book and how quickly I think you should read it.
So we have...
VIP
I’m addicted and is an instant favorite. I push this book on any and all readers. In a perfect world, everyone would read and love this book as much as I do. PUSH THE TBR PILE OVER AND PICK UP THIS BOOK! This is the most coveted status I can give to a book.
Backstage Pass
I LOVED it but just fell short of being that ‘oomph’ of amazing. Usually comes down to not being able to fully connect emotionally for one personal reason or another. Definitely add this to your TBR list!
Reserved Seating
I really, really it. It held my attention; I liked the story or characters, maybe even loved part but didn’t pull me into not wanting to put it down. Add this to your TBR list but don’t push over the pile to read it.
General Admission
I liked it. It was a good story or had good characters but it didn’t move me. It was just good enough to like but not love and probably had parts I didn’t like. These books I would recommend to people who either like the genre or idea of the story but not to everyone.
Standing in Line Outside
Meh, it was okay. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t like it. I wouldn’t recommend it but it wasn’t awful. I’m sure some people might enjoy it but I didn’t.
Denied at the Door
Nope, did not like this. Do not recommend. Keep far away from your TBR pile.
Hope this clears up and can clarify the depth of my love for each book I talk about?
