Sometimes I read painful tropes and bookish turn-offs that make me want to dive into the Marina Trench* and EAT A RAW LIVE OCTOPI** instead of suffering through them. Yes, this is slightly dramatic. But, hello?! I am a writer and a reader. And when one surrounds themselves with storytelling they’re prone to say wild things.***
* I am, actually, aware that there’s probably no octopi in the Marina Trench. I just wanted to say Marina Trench. So I’m good now, thank you.
** I hate seafood. Why am I talking about seafood? Do you see the pain I am threatening myself with here?
*** No? Just me? SHUSH I DON’T BELIEVE YOU.
I’m writing a list of bookish things I’d like to quit…so I’m doing a mixture of bookish turn-offs and tropes I dislike and just all round random things that turn me into a pineapple of rage and destruction.
I have also posted about 10 Bookish Turn Offs before, but it was ages ago and pfft, who even remembers what I posted about in January? Not me.
This Week’s Prompt: Ten Bookish Things I Want to Quit
1. ROMAN-INSPIRED FANTASY WORLDS
You will find me going “Nunnnngh” if I catch a book promising a “vicious and brutal Roman-esque” fantasy. PLEASE STOP. WE HAVE HAD SO MANY. Plus these supposed “Roman” fantasy worlds only ever zero in on the brutality of the Romans. What about their genius?!? Romans didn’t JUST stab people’s eyeballs and invent Caesar Salad. They built roads and plumbing systems and art. They invented delicious food. They had a GREAT army that had such genius strategies no one could beat them for so many years.
Let’s just agree they did more than burn things, eat bread, and stab people, okay?! BOOKS. DON’T FAIL US WITH JUST VIOLENT GRATIFICATION. We demand more! Or, well, I demand more. Because I am demanding.
2. WHEN A CHARACTER IS SUPPOSEDLY “NEFARIOUSLY EVIL” BUT THEY’RE TOTALLY NOT AND ALL THEY DO IS CUDDLE CUTE PUPPIES.
Maybe I am just a cold hearted pineapple troll, but, when a book claims to have characters who have turned to “the dark side”…those characters need to ACTUALLY BE DARK. I read too many books with assassins who don’t kill anyone and villains who only fight other villains, aka end up being heroes. Yes, they can cuddle the puppies…but how about either a) not pitching the book as “dark” or b) actually having the characters have questionable morales?!?!
3. WHEN A BOOK DOUBLY UNDERLINES THE DEFINITIONS OF “BEAUTY”.
It actually surprises me when I pick up a newly published book and it STILL is tramping the whole “definition of beauty” is. You have to be: tall, flawless skin, blue eyes, big boobs, so many muscles, blonde, and oh don’t forget those perfect athletic skills. WHO MADE THESE STANDARDS?! Because I’m about to throw a fruit salad in their face.
I get that this is the “old way” and a ton of books will voice these uneducated opinions — but new books have no excuse!! I still read books where “geeks” are “remade” into supermodels before they’re deemed hero material. While I do love Spark…I’m still angry about the heavy emphasis on physical beauty.
4. WHEN THE COVER IS BEAUTIFUL AND THE BOOK IS NOT.
Is this a book trope?? Can I count it?? OH WHATEVER. I DO WHAT I WANT. Needless to say this is always a gargantuan disappointment. How dare you mislead me with your beautiful cover and your boring insides, you squid of a book.
5. WHEN THE BOOK PROMISES SOMETHING AWESOME BUT LEAVES IT ON THE BACK BURNER.
Dragons are the most common squibble with this. Why do books declare themselves dragon books and then…not have very much dragonishness in them!?!? What is this?!?! DO YOU WANT TO BREAK MY HEART WHILE I’M STILL YOUNG AND IMPRESSIONABLE? This also happens when assassins don’t assassin or thieves don’t steal stuff or kings/queens rise to power and don’t deal in politics.
Mostly I’m ranting here because A Dance With Dragons is the 5th Game of Thrones book I’ve read and there are like no dragons in it. WHAT IS THIS LIFE.
6. WHEN THERE IS NO CAKE.
Books with no cake are disappointments to everything and everyone and, oh gosh, I need to take a moment to compose myself after even thinking about this horrible letdown
7. WHEN BEING A SHY AND QUIET PERSON IS “FIXED”.
Because it’s not a thing that needs to be fixed! You CAN be quiet and you CAN be shy and you CAN live a happy life and do awesome things. I read so many books where the shy person finds friends and finally “gets a life” and…no?? Friends are nice. And shy people can make friends. But having friends does NOT turn said person into an extrovert. If a book introduces me to an introvert and by the end they’re an extrovert, I feel angry and sad for the character — because they’re not living for themselves. They’re clearly changing for others. WRONG AND WRONGER.
8. WHEN A BOOK IS PRAISED BECAUSE IT’S “DIVERSE” AND NOT BECAUSE IT’S A GOOD BOOK.
I will say this and I AM NOT ASHAMED! Diversity is important and books need it — but I also think we can get a little crazily over-the-top about it. To the point where I see diverse books being promoted more, purely for being diverse, and NOT because they’re well written amazing books.
9. WHEN RETELLINGS START OFF BY SAYING “THE ORIGINAL WAS WRONG”.
Well. RUDE. When I read a retelling, it’s usually because I LOVED the original. And then this little twitchy upstarting retelling says “But the original was stupid and I am everything”…I just want make turn said book into a paper hat.
As much as Splintered is my favourite book ever and aaaaall the stars, I’m still annoyed that it kept underlining that “Lewis Carroll got it wrong”. NO.
10. WHEN THE BOOK ISN’T WRITTEN BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER.
Agh, this is just a disgrace. Whyyyyy aren’t all the books by Maggie Stiefvater??? WHY.
I really like how you’ve talked about bookish culture as well as bookish tropes in this post, Cait. Fabulous, as always! Some retellings it makes sense- Like the myths that are the foundation for Percy jackson have a million different versions as it is, but when you’re deriving from specific source material (like Splintered) it needs to retain some elements. That said, though, there are nuances- is the book a retelling or an inspiring/ using the world (and there’s a whole discussion to be had about which one is fanfiction (if) which one is more common etc. etc.) so with retellings that’s something to think about- because I love it when something is twisted. I’m currently reading Scarlet, and it is a reteling of Robin Hood, but one of Robins buddies is a girl with a mysterious past. It’s pretty awesome. And cake is the most important thing of ever. I agree with most of these, and some of my own are: gay best friends, forgetting ever at the end of a series/ it was all a dream, being unaware that you’re beautiful, and when your personality matches your appearance. Not all red headed people are fiery tempered, right?
(I’m allergic to seafood, so I’m with you on that on) (not that I ever encounter seafood, because I’m vegetarian)
Shanti recently posted…Blue Lily, Lily Blue Review
I triiied to stick to tropes and then ALL THIS OTHER STUFF APPEARED. heheh. I’m glad it flowed and wasn’t too confusing bouncing between the two though. Omg, thank you, Shanti! <3 YOU SAY THE NICEST THINGS ABOUT MY BLOG.
And yes! PJ is like solely myths and I always feel like Rick Riordan totally respects the myths AND makes it funny AND makes it interesting and easy to remember. I looove Splintered to death, but I'm not happy when it mocked the original tale. Or The Looking Glass Wars. -_- They even went so far to make Lewis Carroll a character and he was stupid and horrible and i thought it was really disrespectful since the book is a RETELLING OF HIS STORY.
I want to read Scarlet! 😀
I think you’re right about diversity. I try to write it into my own books where it’s necessary, not just for the sake of it.
https://samwhitehousewriter.wordpress.com/2015/10/06/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-ya-tropes-that-i-want-to-read-less-of/
OMG GOOD! You’re spot on then. XD I’m getting a bit tired of reading books that everyone swears are absolutely fantastic but…they’re not. They’re just diverse. *sigh* I want diversity AND fantastic books.
You have amazing top ten quit things. I totally agree with you, especially 4,5 and 6.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
My TTT: Silvy @Books are my life
Yay, I’m glad you liked my post! 😀
Haha wow, it’s kind of rude to say Lewis Carroll got it wrong when he invented the damn thing. Hey Cait, maybe you just need to stop looking for dragons in everything. 😉 I understand where you’re coming from, though – it can be frustrating when a book says it’s one thing and then is another. As someone who currently works in Marketing at a publishing house, it really irritates me when publishers market a book incorrectly – don’t tell readers a book is something it isn’t, just make what it is sound like something they want to read!
Jess @ Curiouser and Curiouser recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | Books I DNFed
I AGREE! how can they say that?!? And I read that in The Looking Glass Wars, except they made Lewis Carroll into this really stupid caricature character too and it was so offensive. One should respect the retelling not make fun of it. -_-
OMG BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE DRAGONS IN EVERYTHING, JESS. THERE JUST DOES.
Yes to so many of these but #4 for me is the worst. I love covers. Whena beautiful cover is on an awful book it is just sad 🙁
Grace @ Rebel Mommy Book Blog recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday ~ I’m No Quitter…Except When I Am
It’s sooo devastating. *wails*
A squid of a book, haha.
But yeah, I’m totally with you on 4 and 5. Especially 5. Like hello, you have a dragon in your title and on your cover. Now where are my dragons? There was absolutely no dancing with dragons in A Dance with Dragons and I was so dissapointed.
Annemieke recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #19
DON’T PROMISE ME DRAGONS IF YOU’RE NOT GIVING ME DRAGONS. *growls at books* I neeeed dragons and I’ve yet to find many books that are actually ABOUT dragons. Like even I loved Talon but they spent about 2% of the time being dragons. -_- And A Dance with Dragons is KILLING ME with it’s dragon-less-ness. There were more Dragons in the previous books. -_-
I HATE the make over thing. It turns me right off anything. I also hate the “fixing” the introvert thing but, if I’m perfectly honest, I think most introverts have days when they wish they’re more outgoing. I mean, most of the time, I love being an introvert. But sometimes I feel socially inept. Maybe this is a wish-fulfillment thing for the writer. Or character development gone wrong.
The diversity thing is good. I like reading about different characters. But it does irritate when stories are set in, I don’t know, the Japanese Edo period, and people complain about the lack of diversity. I don’t think we can alter the past to suit the present. It’s like in war stories where you get a token female soldier who disguised herself as a boy for the sake of gender diversity. It’s pretty unrealistic considering the medical and stuff. If you want a female character, why not have her being a nurse, or driving a supply truck (I think women did those things on the front line). Just because she doesn’t fight, it doesn’t make her a weak character. Diversity is an excellent thing, but we shouldn’t judge a novel solely on diversity.
I think a lot of introverts probably DO wish they were out-going at some point…but I mean you can have out-going introverts, right?!? My sister totally classifies as one. XD She needs to recharge sans people, but when she’s around people she’s like the centre of all things. sO YEAH. I think social anxiety and shyness and awkwardness can all play a part but introversion doesn’t necessarily equal = sad life. *glares at some books*
AGREED! 😀 And I don’t think books should be penalised for not being diverse either. It doesn’t seem fair.
Number 7 and Number 8 are big ones for me too. I can’t stand it when female protagonists continuously describe themselves as ugly or plain and then have all the male characters after them. No, we don’t have be super models and extroverts to be happy, I am happy AND a massive book-nerd, it’s possible for those things to be in combinations or to be happy BECAUSE of Nerdy or Geekiness attributes of a person.
It makes exactly ZERO sense. I mean, teenage girls are insecure, I get that and I was. But not to this extreme point, right?!? Like surely you’d think maybe you ARE attractive if you have 2 boys chasing after you?!? HMMM?!? Where are their brains.
ME TOO! ^_^ I am happy AND shy AND introverted AND would prefer books to people. One doesn’t need to be surrounded by millions of friends living a wild partying life to be happy.
HAHA THESE ARE PERF <3 Any books without cake are just missing a vital ingredient. AND ALSO, yes, diverse books also need to be GOOD for me to like them 😀
Emily @ Loony Literate recently posted…10 YA Tropes That I Would Be Happy to Never See Again
Diverse books shouldn’t get an insta-star rating because they’re “diverse”. XD IT SHOULD BE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE BOOK TOOOOOO.
I totally agree with everything you said it’s slightly disconcerting,like the time I found out that water is part dinosaur saliva.When I manage to brainwash my neighbours and peers I shall embody these rules.
I agree with everything you just said that its slightly disconcerting,like the time I found out that water is part dinosaur saliva…..Anyways,when I manage to brainwash my peers and neighbours,I shall enforce these rules.Bad fiction is the ultimate crime.
Ann recently posted…“Niall Lynch had had a gun in hand — the Lynches had an enormous number of guns of all sizes — and just as Ronan had opened the gate, his father had shot the thing about thirteen times in the head. With a shake of its horns, the unharmed devil had presented its genitalia to Niall Lynch before bounding off. It was an image that had yet to leave Ronan.” — How high were you?
Bad fiction is a crime. omg. It should be outlawed. AND RAVEN BOYS IS EVERYTHING. *hyperventilates*
Your posts always make me laugh. XDD I think I’ll gain a hundred years worth of laughing when I finally get to read your book, Cait. XD (The snippets alone gave me at least 5 years extra.)
But yes, I totally agree with most of these. Except, I haven’t read a Stiefvater book yet. YET, I PROMISE!
Bieke @ Istyria book blog recently posted…The Secret Life of a Book Blogger Tag
OH WELL I DO HOPE SO. Although there are, like, 2% of serious moments in my books. *nods* Sometimes people are even sad. Although my characters usually show they’re sad by being maniacally over-the-top happy!?? LIKE IDEK HOW IT WORKS. JUST WAIT AND ONE DAY YOU’LL SEE. *nods*
Omg, Beeeeeeee. READ A STIEFVATER BOOK. I BEG YOU.
Oddly, I haven’t read any book about Roman culture! Actually, I’ve only heard about An Ember in the Ashes!
YES TO THE SECOND ONE!!!! I love my villains cruel, and my antiheroes to be more cruel than they’re vulnerable! If they’re going to harmless kittens, I can’t stand it!
Ummm, Cait, my WIP doesn’t have any cake. 0_0 Don’t hate me or my poor book, okay? But in defense, I have a lot of Indian food in offer!
OMG, YES TO EIGHT!!! And I adore you for saying this! I feel like diversity has become a marketing tool, and it’s frustrating!
Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales recently posted…Top ten tropes I’ve stopped reading ( And probably miss reading, but I am not going to admit that)
*whispers* I would say don’t bother about An Ember in the Ashes. HAHAHA. BUT Idek maybe you’d like it!? I felt the world building was quite lacking. >_< YES BASICALLY ALL THE VILLAINS NEED TO READ VICIOUS AND TAKE NOTES. Best villain story EVER and it’s sadly not Ya. YA needs to learn a bit in this regard I think…
OMG. FIX IT, MISHMA.
I’m definitely with you on books being praised simply for being diverse. Diversity is very important, but it’s not the only reason why I’d read a book. I’ll read it if it sounds like something I’m interested in, and if it’s a diverse book then that’s a bonus, but it’s not the only reason I’d pick it up. And YES to the whole thing about “the original was wrong”. The original was not wrong! It’s like the opening titles of The Tudors: “you think you know a story, but you only know how it ends”. Excuse you, but I do in fact know the story, I just want to see it done differently, thank you very much, you rude book. And bad books with beautiful covers should be a serious crime. It’s like seeing a beautifully decorated cake and then cutting into it only to find that it’s made out of dirt and worms, or something else that’s really gross.
Louise // Exploring by Starlight recently posted…10 Bad Bookish Habits I Wish I Knew How to Quit
Same! I LOVE diversity in books and I think it’s uber important. But…I would rather read a GOOD book. And I don’t like that good books are now getting penalised and slammed and demoted just because they’re not “Diverse enough”. It doesn’t seem fair. D:
NUMBER TEN C’MERE BABY LET US DEMAND ALL THE STIEFVATERS. Basically I agree with ALL OF THESE POINTS, which is both awesome because clearly you have excellent taste, but also frustrating because curse you for having such excellent taste. How can I argue with your points when you are QUITE CLEARLY RIGHT.
Also A+ gif usage, your gif choices always slay me.
Rosy @ The Review Diaries recently posted…The Top Ten Bookish Habits I Really Want to Kick
YES, WHY IS #10 NOT EVEN A THING? WHY DOES THE WORLD IGNORE THIS PLEA OF MINE? OMG.
Clearly I just know aaaall the things that need be done. *nods*
I agree with Number 8! (and not only because you use gif of my most beloved character Jamie Fraser from Outlander 🙂 ) You speak from my heart. I have became pretty annoyed with the praise for diverse book ONLY because they are diverse but story itself and writing is average or less than average. It HAS TO stop.
Lucia @Reading Is My Breathing recently posted…TWO QUICK REVIEWS: Book vs. Movie
It does need to stop!! I see it happening more and more, too, tbh, which is worrying me, because I want to read good books. I want to read diverse books for sure, but I’d rather read a good book. >_>
This is great, Cait. (Did you see what I did there? I rhymed! And not intentionally at all)
Anyway, I totally agree that beautiful covers should demand beautiful stories. On the flip side, all beautiful stories should have gorgeous covers so that I can gush about them all day. There is no reason I should be so disappointed.
Thanks for sharing your great list, here’s my TTT.
Amanda
Amanda Marie recently posted…{TTT} Bookish Issues That Have To Go!
YES I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE. You are a master, clearly. :’)
Basically just ALL books should have nice covers! ABOLISH THE HIDEOUS COVERS HUZZAH!
I agree with you on all those topics! Especially the one with the characters going to the dark side and not being dark. I mean what the hell – was there even a point in that then… Also as an introvert I agree, you can’t just change a person from being introverted to extroverted (or the other way around; if that was done I don’t know about it).
I really need to read more books by Maggie Stiefvater – I have only read her Wolfs of Mercy Falls series. I will, most likely, be reading The Raven Boys next 😀
AGH IT BUGS ME SO MUCH!! I get excited when a book promises a “villain origin story” but seriously, there is no villainy. Just misunderstanding and enemies. -_- Bleh.
One can stop being “shy” but ONE CANNOT CHANGE FROM BEING AN INTROVERT. It bugs me so much when books seem to think “shy” and “introvert” are synonymous! THEY’RE NOT. My sister is an outgoing introvert. And it’s totally possible. *nods*
YAYYYY THE RAVEN BOYS!! OMG I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!! :DD
I fall into the pretty cover trap a lot. It’s funny how we get in our mind that because the cover is pretty, the inside will be just as good. ALSO, I have also read books that have hideous covers, but the inside is just magical. I love your point about the introvert characters becoming extrovert. I haven’t read Since You’ve Been Gone, but from the reviews and such, it sounds like it would fit into that category. If my extrovert friend left me a list of things to do… NOPE. Too bad, so sad, I’m staying inside and reading.
I knoooow. But those pretty covers are just so GOOD TO LOOK AT. Plus excellent if one is addicted to bookstagram. haha. *ahem* And Since You’ve Been Gone kinda DOES fit into it quite solidly. -_- To the point where I question if the character WAS even an introvert to begin with if she could be so so extroverted by the end??? CONFUSED = ME.
Well, there were dragons in A Dance With Dragons, though not nearly enough to name the whole book after them. Essentially there’s one scene with actual dragon action, and no one is dancing! Talk about over promising, George RR.
😉
Anne @ Lovely Literature recently posted…TTT: Bookish things our SOs want us to quit
I haven’t gotten to that one scene. :'( All I’ve read is Dany locking up her dragons because they’re unruly. Well IDEK DANY, HOW ABOUT YOU SPEND SOME QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR CHILDREN, HUH??? *growls*
I recently read a book that promised dragons (there was “dragon” in the title, and one on the cover, and one in the synopsis and everything), and about 5% of the entire book contained one sad little dragon. I slopped my way through that mediocre book hoping for more, and well… disappointment.
Also, if you ever find a well-written book that includes a shy protagonist who doesn’t end up being “fixed,” please do let me know. I am quite happy being quiet (I could do without the social awkwardness, but whatever. There’s always something).
Serena recently posted…return from a brief hiatus {the great unveiling}
Oh that is absolutely SAD AND DEVASTATING. I felt that way with Uprooted. Like there was this promise of a dragon plastered ALL over the book and then…it was just some dude’s name. I mean, really!?! I cry.
Awk, I really want to find one about a shy girl (or boy!) who doesn’t get fixed. **sigh** I honestly only ever read books where they “come out of their shell”, and I mean, that’s good too, (I guess?) because sometimes one can accidentally restrict themselves and be unhappy. BUT YOU CAN BE HAPPY AND SHY. I AM. GAH.
I love evil villains!! I agree with that. If a book says a villain has gone to the dark side, I want some freaking evil. Come on people!
Cynthia @ Bingeing On Books recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday – Top Book Series I Quit!
It’s not that hard to write something actually EVIL though, right?!?!? IT SHOULDN’T BE. *glares at fake villains*
How do you manage to make me laugh in every post you make?! You are escalating fast into being one of my favourite people on the blogosphere.
Your references to seafood was making me weirdly want seafood when I have a clear strong hatred for it.
I am loving your last point. A LOTR gif is just the perfect way to end a post!
Stay awesome 💜
Josephine recently posted…Bookish Things I Have/Should Quit | Top Ten Tuesday
I DON’T KNOW BUT IT PLEASES ME GREATLY THAT YOU DO LAUGH!! *flails around for 9 eternities* ZOMG. I THINK I JUST NEED TO HUG THIS COMMENT, OKAY!?!? OKAY. OMG.
Great list! I hate when characters are described as being cold and calculating and evil, but then do nothing that can be classified as any of those things. The beautiful covers and not beautiful insides is terrible. My hopes are so high, only to be dashed by the bad writing. All of these are amazing!
Lizzie recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #34: Bookish Things I Want to Quit Or Have Quit
It’s all talk and no show. *folds arms and grumps* I’ve read so many “villain origin stories” and just found the villain to be not even a smidge evil. >_> I think sometimes books don’t even understand what they’re pitching themselves as.
I especially agree with 2, 3, and 7 on your list.
Is it too much to ask for the bad guys to actually be bad? I think not.
Lauren @ Always Me recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Did Not Finish
It totally SHOULDN’T be too much for us to ask. Omg. *growls at books* If you say you’re going to be evil: JUST BE EVIL.
I hate evil but NOT evil characters. Why threaten everyone with the end of the world if you are going to get a conscience half way through and not follow through with it! Wimpy villains suck!
Beautiful covers can be really mean, I’ve been tricked a few times. I have a number of books on my bookshelf which are just pretty half read bookish ornaments! It’s just such a waste!
As are books which promise great things but don’t deliver. I totally agree with you on that one! There have been a few books in the past which I’ve given up on out of frustration!
Hopefully there will be less of these things to annoy use in future and you wont have to eat any raw octopi! I love seafood, but that doesn’t even sound appealing to me!
Hannah @ Broc’s Bookcase recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Bookish Things I Want to Quit Or Have Quit
YEsssss. AGREED. I hate books that promise “dark evil” and then…omg, no, they’re just not. It saddens me so much. (Maybe I am a little evil to admit this though!?)
I just read a book with a GORGEOUS cover and it was horrible. *wails for a thousand years* One would think I’d learn but noooooo. I KEEP FALLING FOR THIS.
Sooo…. I seriously read “all the muscles” as “all the mustaches,” and I had to take a minute to figure out when multiple mustaches became a beauty norm.
Personally, I’m really tired of the elves are elegant and awesome and dwarves are uncultured swine cliche. What’s wrong with dwarves? I LIKE dwarves. And I think most portrayals of elves are silly. I think dwarves should be main characters more. In fact, for NEXT year’s NaNoWrMo, I want to write a dwarf-glorifying book.
Alison’s Wonderland Recipes recently posted…Pick Your Poison: Who’s Your Favorite Agatha Christie Sleuth?
omg, Alison. OF COURSE hairy faces are the norm. They are beautiful. All the books say so.
xDXDD
Um, yes to that trope. It’s basically well overdone. I’m sure elves can be slovenly pigs too sometimes, right? MAYBE?! Rights for dwarfs! YOU SHOULD DO THAT FOR NANO.
Hahahaha that gif at the beginning! Seriously made me laugh. I AGREE WITH SO MANY THINGS but mostly the cake bit, the diversity bit, and the SHY CHARACTERS bit! God I used to be so shy and then I became a waitress and now I’m very outgoing and friendly, but I know why shy is like (and quiet) and you don’t have to not be them!!! They can make you very special! GAH!
Grace @ Loving My Lit recently posted…Bookish Tropes & Some Ideas for Improvement ~ Top Ten Tuesday #4
HANK GREEN GIFS FTW. XD
I am very shy…and I think it’s okay to be shy! It’s okay to be outgoing! BASICALLY YOU NEED TO BE WHO YOU ARE. NO SHAME. And you should only change if something in your life is making you unhappy. *nods* Omg, so that was my ranty moment for the day. I shall take my cake and go sit quietly.
I KNOW there needs to be more books about dragons!!!!! I hate when I read a retelling and they are all judgmental about the previous author, just stop. we know what we are going into! We know it’s a retelling we aren’t expecting the same thing. Personally I want the overly good virginal girl and whory man-slut guy getting together trope to end.Like seriously, if I read another book like that I’m going to toss my kindle out the window.
Omg yes and yes to those trends to tend. PLEASE. They seem to just run riot in like every second contemporary?!? Erk. >_> And why aren’t there many good dragon books?!?! I MEAN, WHAT EVEN IS THIS WORLD IF WE CAN’T HAVE GOOD DRAGON BOOKS?!
8. Amen to that.
Charlotte @ readalotte.com recently posted…Unwind by Neal Shusterman
*hi fives* I feel the diverse craze is maybe getting a little bit…odd at the moment?!
4 – YESS!! SO FREAKIN’ MUCH YES!! It’s a crime, really.
6 – WTF? That’s seriously against the law, isn’t it?
10 – *hangs head* I’ve never read a Maggie book. I KNOW!! Don’t throw that at me, dammit! I’ll get on it PRONTO!
Lisa @ Lost in Literature recently posted…We’re Calling it Quits When it Comes to These Series!
No cake SHOULD be against the law. *clears throat gloriously* When I rule the world, I tell you, there will be cake in all the places.
WELL, LISA. FIX THIS STIEFVATER VOID IN YOUR LIFE. THAT’S ALL I CAN SAY. DO YOU WANT CAKE IN YOUR HAIR? *holds cake up threateningly*
Ugh, number 9 reminds me of Maleficent the movie. Where the basically took the original story and RIPPED IT TO SHREDS. How dare you!
Amber Elise @ Du Livre recently posted…First Thoughts[#12]
I’ve never read the original Malefiecent story! I spent the whole movie laughing because the computer graphics were too much. MY BAD. >_<
Oh goodness, so many of these are SO TRUE. And the gif usage–spot on, especially Nick Fury (AVENGERRRSSSS!!!!) and “You lied to me?”
#5 though! I once read “The Mermaid in the Basement.” Did it include mermaids? No. Did it include basements? Not that I can recall. It turned out to be a historical murder mystery. The ONLY bearing the title had on the story was that the victim owned a book with that title. That is it. *sniffle* Broken promises, I tell ya…
(And, erm, I haven’t actually read anything by Meggie Stiefvater. Ever. *hides*)
Tracey Dyck recently posted…Six (Mostly Odd) Tips for Making Up Names
THANK YOU. <3 I HAD FUN WITH THESE GIFS. HEHE. Mushu is always a win and Nick Fury (my namesake obviously) is FABULOUS.
omg, why on earth was it called Mermaid in the Basement?!? WHAT WORLD DO WE LIVE IN WHEN PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO TITLE THEIR BOOKS?!
WELL. You know you can fix this Stiefvater void in your life.
OMG I love them! Also love Maggie! I haven’t read many Roman-inspired fantasies so I’m not burned out on them. All that comes to mind off hand is I just finished An Ember in the Ashes. But yes normal/geeky doesn’t need to be ‘fixed’ to be accepted and shy and quite is the same, unless, it’s what the person wants, to learn to be more assertive and get out there more maybe. Good list!
Eve recently posted…~Top Ten Tuesday~ Bookish things I have/want to quit
MAGGIE STIEFVATER BOOKS ARE MY LIFE, OMG I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. And I’ve probably just read too man Roman-inspired stories. hehe. After The Hunger Games did it, it seemed eeeeveryone was. 0_0 I wish Ember in the Ashes had been a bit more focused on world-building instead of violence though. *sigh*
#3: *rolls eyes* I am so over that. (Not that I was ever *for* such a ridiculous standard of “beauty.”)
#7: Can you think of any examples of this? Because that makes me angry.
#10: LOL, don’t we all?
The biggest thing I’d like not to do is try to out-read myself. I don’t have to read more than I did the year before and the year before that, it’s ridiculous. I end up missing a lot when I try to speed through books, just so I can read the next one.
IT DOESN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE WHY THEY STILL PROMOTE THIS OMG. I thought we’d be over it!?? Like so many books are about feminism and promoting woman and then — BOOM — we get this one where beauty is just the POINT of the entire person’s existence and it hurts my eyeballs.
As much as I did like Since You’ve Been Gone…they did “Fix” the shy character and she was an “extrovert” by the end. *sigh*
*whispers* I need to work on that too. Next year I’d like to have like a SET amount of books to read a month THAT IS NOT 30 BOOKS OMG. I seem to always want to exceed myself and it is ridiculous. XD
Oh, yes, Since You’ve Been Gone is a good example, I forgot about that one.
I also feel the need to constantly one-up myself when it comes to reading. I’ll be curious to know if setting a limit works for you. I’m not sure I could do that, but I do need to figure out away to not compete with myself.
Omg, well if YOU figure out how to not compete with yourself let me know. XD I need help. *gulps*
I sort of have a confession: //whispers my Peter Pan retelling is one of the ones that go EVERYTHING YOU THOUGHT ABOUT NEVERLAND IS WRRRROOOONNNGG. Hopefully my man-eating plants, snarky pirates and leech fairies will make up for it.
And I vote yes for Maggie Stiefvater to write all the things.
Aine recently posted…Top Ten Bookish Habits I Need to Quit
BUT SEE THAT’S OKAY!! (Because I am writing one sort of too. hahahahha and it’s all blood sucking faeries and murder and misery basically.) But I just don’t like it when the character’s are like, “But JM Barrie didn’t know anything and is stupid.” Like I’ve found with several Wonderland retellings the characters say how stupid Lewis is and he’s sometimes a stupid character cast in the book! SO RUDE. *frowns at all the things*
I think cake needs to be involved in every aspect of life. I’ve been craving cake for a couple of weeks and actually went out and bought myself a small cake this weekend!
EXACTLY!! Basically there is no reason there should not be cake. In life. In books. On my plate. Idek what’s wrong with this world when it’s cake-less.
WHAT? YOU DON”T LIKE SEAFOOD? 🙁 I weep for your tastebuds.
1) At first I though I’d disagree with your plea for less Roman-esque stories, but I actually ended up agreeing with you. Let’s have more philosophers and architects and less soldiers. 😀
2)OMGOSH YES. AND MORE YES. I hate this in books. Everyone’s like ”oooooh bad guy” and I’m like “really?! because what has he actually done that’s evil.”
3) Same same. Also can we ban the word hot? Can this description in books just go away for ever? Please? Thank you. 😛
4) Again, YES! So sad. These books make me sad. 🙁
5) I can see how this would be annoying. Like really annoying.
6) HOW DARE THEY! Cake-less books are a bane upon the earth.
7) WRONGER AND WRONGEST. Apparently I need all the capitals in this comment.
8) Interesting point. And I totally agree.
9) Oooh, yes. I personally have not been annoyed by this, but that’s just because I never thought about it before, but I can see how it would be upsetting.
10) Oh dear…you’re a Maggie Stiefvater fan? *sigh* Don’t go read my TTT post. 😛
I triiiiied, I promise. I hate fish with a passion and I tried crab and calamari, but no no to everything. *wails for tastebuds’ failure*
YESSSSS. See, I DO love fantasy worlds inspired by historical cultures. But I hate it when they just go for the violence and forget there was more to the world than that. It seems uber unbalanced, right?!
I would very much like to outlaw the world hot. Let’s do it, Abi, LET’S MAKE IT LAW.
I always need all caps so you know…SPEAKING IN ALL CAPS IS BASICALLY JUST SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE.
Omg do I dare read your TTT post. *creeps over in trepidation*
🙁 Still so sad. But I suppose you can’t help not liking it. Hey, when you take over the world can I have your portion of sea food? 😉
YES! Very unbalanced. I have the same feelings when people focus on the violence with Vikings. Why does no one focus on the fact that they were the only civilization at the time that treated their women right? Bleh, people. 😛
Cait has spoken people! Her word is law. 😀
Lol, speaking in caps is a new for me. But it’s fun. 😀
Sorry!
YES TO NUMBER TEN!!! Even though I still haven’t read everything written by Maggie Stiefvater… And I’m always super annoyed when there’s no mention of food in a book at all…I don’t know if that’s weird but I don’t think I care. I love food, and I love reading about food.
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MAGGIE STIEFVATER BOOKS ARE JUST EVERYTHING OMG. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I LITERALLY GIVE THEM ALL FIVE-STARS AND THEN DIE OF HAPPINESS.
I hate it when the covers are pretty, but the book is dull or irritating! I just feel so betrayed! I think the diversity movement is here to stay, which is a good thing, as long as books with poor writing don’t get promoted just because of diversity in the characters. I want diversity AND a good book, like Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed. That was a really good book, very intense, but good. And I agree, saying Lewis Caroll got it wrong when you’re borrowing off of HIS idea, is just rude and ungrateful. Great list! Thanks for visiting Bookworm Book Reviews!
It IS true betrayal! *sends deceiving book to corner of evil* And I agree that diversity is a GOOD thing, but I don’t agree with a) taking stars away from a book for “not being divers” [whyyyyy] and b) promoting a book because it’s diverse and not because it’s good. D: *wails* Mostly I do love diverse books though. *nods* And I really want to read Written in the Stars! 😀
I love Maggie Stiefvater’s book too! Also, pretty book covers get me all the time, I hate it when I buy book solely because of their covers and it turns out the story is actually terrible!
Ayunda recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Ten-ish Bookish Habits I Want to (or Have) Quit
Me toooooo. I just did this too. XD hehe, At least it was only a library book but it was the most BEAUTIFUL cover of my life and in reality, the book was awful. WAh.
#2 and #3 are troubling me right now! (I’m reading Crown of Midnight. Celaena, the so-called assassin, has yet to assassinate anyone. And everybody is so annoyingly beautiful — and said beauty is described in such ridiculous detail — that I’m having a hard time taking it seriously. Where is this magical fantasy land where everyone is hot enough to be a supermodel?)
#8… yes. I recently read George, which is about a transgender kid. It’s been getting tons of great reviews… but it’s really not written that well, so I suspect that many of those reviews are simply because of the subject matter and not the book itself. And, related to that, it also kind of bugs me when you’re not allowed to say anything bad about such a book because it’s “diverse” or deals with a tough topic. (I haven’t read it, but I’ve seen reviews on Esther Earl’s book that have gotten snarked at because they weren’t complimentary enough. The attitude seems to be that you can’t give anything less than 5 stars to the book because the author died. Since when does the author’s death make the quality of a book go up?)
I sort of agree with #9. In a case like Alice in Wonderland or Peter Pan, which are more recent and the authors fairly well known, then it is kind of rude to imply — or say — that their versions are wrong. If you’re taking a really old story that’s been retold for centuries (like many fairytales, for example)… not so much.
Ooh, yes, I agree that Celaena was sort of in danger of that. >_< Although she did more assassining in Crown of Midnight than in Throne of Glass at least, right?! I gotta admit: I LOVED CoM, but I have largely fallen out of love with the series. *sniffles* I almost feel like YA books shouldn't be about assassins if they have to make them good assassins. Grrrrr.
ANYWAY.
I feel so awkward when there’s a diverse book everyone raves about and then I read it and it’s like…no. No this isn’t even a good book. IT DOESN’T FEEL FAIR. And omg, I have read Esther Earl’s book and I can say without a doubt that it was horrible and it was cruel and her parents were HORRIBLE to her but it was painted in this real “omg but I love them and I love God and everything is wonderful” and it was so irritating and wrong. Like she was literally crying in an airport because she was in pain (hello, cancer) and her parents told her to pick up her bags and walk. Like, no. And then later on she’s thanking them? I felt sick, tbh.
hehe, omg, I didn’t mean to have a little rant there! o_O FORGIVE ME. XD
It’s the worst when the cover is beautifull and then the book isn’t. That gif pretty much sums it up. I am also not a fan of the physical beauty emphasize, I don’t mind if characters are beautifull, but they need more to make me care about them. And it’s even worse when you have a romance based on attraction alone and they try to pass it of as love.
And number 5 so much of that! There are lots of books out there with great concept and either they fall flat or don’t get enough attention. Sorry I haven’t encountered an awesome dragons book yet, only okay or good ones. I am having some more luck with mermaid books altely though, so that’s good.
I don’t like it hen the shy person get’s dragged by their extrovert to parties and such and is forced to change. On the other hand I can udnerstand when it get’s less bad. I was very shy when I was younger, now I am less shy. I just avoid people altogether, but I can act semi normal when I am around people for a little bit.
And I second the one about diversity, sure it’s great when a book has diversity, but I want to read a book because it’s good and not because it’s diverse. I don’t like how some authors or marketers focus too much on it, but I know readers are looking for diverse books, so I geuss that’s why they label it that way. Great post!
Lola recently posted…Review: A Spark of Justice by J.D. Hawkins
Yes, same! I like beautiful characters just fine…it’s just when the definition of beautiful is underlined. Because, omg, not everyone looks the same. And beautiful means DIFFERENT things. Plus saying that short people aren’t beautiful is just offensive. *sniffs offendedly because is short*
Ohhh, good mermaid books?!?!? DO YOU HAVE AN RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR ME? *puppy dog eyes* I want to find a good mermaid book. I’ve only read two and one was great the other awful. But it’s still quite pitiful right?! D:
*hi fives for avoiding people* I don’t think shyness is and at all. I am notoriously shy. As long as it doesn’t make US unhappy then I don’t think we ought to be ashamed of it. And I think books can sometimes promote this idea that shy people can’t be happy unless they “get over it”. Not a fan. Nope.
That statement is so true with how beautifull is different for everyone. There isn’t one beauty standard, but it seems some books still think there is. And with shy people I think it’s more important how the person themselves feel about it, as long as you’re shy and happy it’s okay. If you are unhappy, then you cna try and change something.
For the mermaid recommendations, the books I read were all part of the Falling in Deep Collection, whcih is a box set of 14 mermaid stories, so far I have read 4 stories in it and I didn’t enjoy one of them, but really enjoyed the other three, which I listed below:
– How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24585761-how-to-be-a-mermaid) – it’s about a professional mermaid turns into a real mermaid and has to figure out what’s going on
– Immersed by Katie Hayoz (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25547969-immersed) – it’s a great genre blending book with paranormal, historical, steampunk and romance elements.
– Ink: A Mermaid Romance by Melanie Karsak (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23386996-ink) – I didn’t like the romance, but it was greta beside that, a mermaid pricness has to marry a mer she didn’t want to marry and slowly figures out there’s more going on
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LOL about Caesar salad. Great list- I’m so with you on A Dance with Dragons. Yes like the book- but the dragons were like an afterthought. Westeros please- it’s been 5 books! Move along…
Omg, I’m glad you liked that bit. XD hehehhhhhhh
A Dance with Dragons is HURTING MY SOUL with its lack of dragons…and also the fact that Dany’s chained them up AND lost one AND is doing nothing about it. Her dragons are out of control, oh hum, what should she do…MAYBE TRAIN THEM?!?!? OMG DANY YOU IDIOT. *hyperventilates*
Your posts never fail to make me laugh!! Yes to everything! I hate when characters are “evil,” but really they’re not even though everyone thinks they are because so and so or such and such. Nothing worse than a beautiful book, but the writing and story fall flat. Why did you make me buy you???
~Sara
Sara Strauss recently posted…Outfit: Olive + Neon Yellow
YAAAAY MY WORK HERE IS DONE THEN! 😀 *awards self cake*
Omg, but yes, argh, I read so many books were characters are pitched as evil and just…no. No they aren’t even scary. I’m super wary of all “villain” origin stories now. *sigh*
Hahaha! Ohh Cait, I’v said it before but I’ll say it again: You are my favorite blogger ever. You’re extremely witty and have a great voice as a blogger! Your posts are always fun to find in my inbox! <3
I agree %87482 with all of these, especially the one about book covers. ARGH so frustrating when you don't like the book as much as the cover. -_-
and by the way. im stealing your *brilliant gifs.
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AFJDKLASD DAISY YOU ARE SO NICE TO ME I’M JUST GONNA BEAM LIKE A HAPPY PINEAPPLE HERE AND POSSIBLY FEED YOU CAKE OF HAPPINESS. <3
I just wanted to say I laughed at the gif on #9 because YES. Perfect movie, perfect Julie, perfect use of it.
Oh and also, I agree. 🙂
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AHHH, THANKS, JORDYN. XD Julie Andrews gifs are always perfect. x)
Ah, just all of these. Agreed. End of story. But ESPECIALLY when covers are beautiful and books are terrible. I’m such a sucker for a pretty cover and I fall for this one all. the. time.
Tenae | Strawberry Moon Books recently posted…Four Books I Never Finished and Six I’m Probably Not Going to Start
PRETTY COVERS THAT LIE JUST BREAK OUR HEARTS, OMG.
I love the one about gorgeous covers not equaling a awesome read, this is one reason I haven’t dived into Splintered series… Those books are so beautiful, I am terrified that I am not going to like them.. I have the first 2 in their hard cover awesomeness, but I keep pushing them off to the side… I don’t want my pretty books to be ones I don’t like.. 🙁
Stephanie recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday (3) — Book Habits I Want to Eventually Break
Omg, I am in LOVE with Splintered, but I totally understand the worry there. XD I would totally have those covers as just art on my walls, omg.
Ok now with that last one hahah. Have you read all of her books? I’m going to assume that you have. But maybe there is one you’ve missed?
I am also not a fan when beauty is just emphasized throughout the entire novel. It’s bleh. And annoying, and just totally unnecessary. AND THE CAKE WILL ALWAYS BE A LIE. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-afstf6R9Cec/UMMpzFFrIbI/AAAAAAAAD5E/FJmW82LBKBA/w800-h800/portal___the_cake.png
The last Roman-esque book I read was An Ember in the Ashes, and I was not impressed 🙁
Valerie recently posted…Review: The Iron Queen
YES I’VE READ ALL HER BOOKS, OMG, I HAVEN’T MISSED EVEN ONE. Um, wait…I haven’t read the Curiosities anthology. BUT I’VE READ ALL THE BOOKS SHE WROTE BY HERSELF, OMG, AFJAKSLDFAJSD MY FAVOURITE AUTHOR.
hehe #1 was a secret rant over An Ember in the Ashes. 😉 I just don’t understand the hype over that book!! The world building was awful. D:
That #10! Haha.. 😀 Paired with the perfect gif. 😀
And #4! I’ve been a victim of that too many times. That is equally frustrating and disappointing. You are a ninja, book. How dare you blind me with your gorgeous cover?
Julie @ Books and Insomnia recently posted…[REVIEW] No Strings Attached by Mina V. Esguerra
Isn’t that gif the greatest?!?! 😀 I’m using it ALWAYS NOW.
Yes I dislike books that do that ! They have killer amazing stroke worthy covers but have a boring synopsis and premise … like why man why ?!?!?!
Here’s my list that’s full of supernatural gifs … 10 Reasons why I’ve stopped lending out books
Don’t huuuuuurt our feelings like this, books! DON’T LET US DOWN.
Ohhh yes yes yes to number six. How dare there be no cake? Are they trying to annoy me or something? I thought everyone knew how essential cake is not just to our own personal well-being and happiness but also to the general functioning of society. Cake wins every single time. I agree with you about number eight as well. Diversity is brilliant but this is a book we’re talking about and in the end, a book has to be good because of its bookishness. It really is a crime when books looks so gorgeous and delicious on the outside only once you take a bite it turns out it is slightly rotten inside. *sob*. NO CAIT, DON’T EAT THE OCTOPI. DROWN YOUR SORROWS AND QUELL YOUR ANNOYANCE IN MOUNTAINS OF CHOCOLATE INSTEAD. 🙂
Rebekah @ Wings Made Of Words recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Bookish Things I Want to Quit Or Have Quit
It is absolutely HORRIFIC when a book disappoints us with cake-less-ness. I mean, what even. What is their editor thinking? What is the publisher thinking? HOW DARE THEY. AND THAT IS ALL.
I feel like, recently, a lot of books are getitng marked down and losing stars for not being diverse enough, even though there’s nothing wrong with them. D: and it saddens me! Diversity is GREAT and I support it totally, but I think good books are GOOD BOOKS, diversity aside.
I WILL TAKE YOUR ADVICE. THE CHOCOLATE SORROW DROWNING SOUNDS BETTER THAN DYING WITH OCTOPI.
After reading your TTT yesterday, I just decided not to post one 🙂 I basically have the same pet peeves (okay, not the last one, if we’re honest, but ALL the rest).
Faux diversity, evil that isn’t really evil, books that promise so much more . . . yes, you summed it all up nicely. And a Mushu gif! Love it.
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Omg, I hope I didn’t put you off, though. D: I’m sure yours would’ve still be aaaaamazing!! And yes, hehe, I’m pretty sure I am the only one who wants the last one. I have a slight love for Maggie Stiefvater books. JUST SLIGHT. Nothing big. *nods*
Great list!! My TTT
Carrie recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: I Just Can’t Quit You
Thanks for stopping by.
You have an amazing lists! I agree with number 1 & 4. But for number one, it wasn’t just for roman inspired. I find that many historical fiction books don’t have enough historical aspects. It’ll make you feel somewhat historical, but it doesn’t really explain about the social situation or other problems at that time. And covers! I love beautiful covers! I love to put my books on display and see how beautiful they are, so I think covers are very important. But it also must has amazing story, so I’m really dissapointed when the book isn’t as beautiful as the covers.
I really hate it when I’m reading dystopian or fantasy and the romance are taking over the main plot. I’M READING FANTASY HERE. I wanted more world building, conflicts, and actions, I don’t really care about the romance. If I wanted more romance I’ll read romance, not fantasy book 🙂
YES! That is true. *nods* I think I’ve mostly only read Roman inspired ones at this point, but I’ve read a few Russian inspired ones and I do wish they delved more into the culture instead of just the setting. *sigh* Culture is what makes a world, not just whether they stabbed people with a pointy sword or a curved one. *growls*
Omg, I am a HUGE fan of bookish photography so the beautiful covers are just life. I want to take all their pictures and love them forever. 😀
And yes! I wish romance wouldn’t get so overwhelmingly intense when it’s a real action story. *sigh* I mean, I guess it’s distraction for the characters who are under a lot of pressure?! But seriously it doesn’t seem realistic!! How can you be worrying about a love triangle when the WORLD IS ENDING OR ZOMBIES ARE COMING OR SOMETHING OMG.
Yes! To all of these! I have some news…. don’t know if you’ve seen it yet… maybe you should head to Rick Riordan’s blog… he mentioned YOU!!
FJASDKLASD I DID SEE THAT BUT ONLY AFTER SOMEONE POINTED IT OUT TO ME AND I’M DYYYYYYYYING. MEEEEE?!? OMG. OMG. OMG.
I loved this entire post and then got to the final point and laughed like crazy. You will be sad to know that I have not read a Stiefvater book. I know this is a sickness that I need to cure (I think I’ve included it in some TTT posts), but the fact that you want ALL books to be written by her makes me even more convinced I’m really missing out. I will go stand in a corner now until I’ve really thought about my behavior and I’m ready to do the right thing …
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction recently posted…Top Five Reasons I Need to Start Quitting
OMG I AM SAD, NICOLE. I’M MONSTROUSLY DISAPPOINTED. *runs off to cry quietly* But you can change this. YOU CAN. 😉
The beauty standards now days are so dumb. I always go against them, in my new Sleeping Beauty retelling, I have a green half ogre boy, he is basically the prince of the story. Having no cake in a book is a crime.
Skye recently posted…My Five Magic Spindles Entry
*hi fives* I AGREE! I get shocked when I still read a book that’s promoting these standards. I mean, aren’t we educated enough to understand that there are all types of beautiful?!?!
This was so funny and I can 100% relate!
But I’m embarssed to say that I haven’t read a Maggie Steave Steifvater :0
I know! Don’t kill me!
Soon? Which one should I read first?
Ella@YAbyYA recently posted…Surviving The Storm: Book Edition
OMG I SHALL NOT KILL YOU BUT I SHALL PILE MAGGIE STEIFTAVER BOOKS AROUND YOUR HEAD IN A MAGGIE STIEFVATER IGLOO UNTIL YOU READ YOUR WAY OUT. *nods* The Scoprio Races!! 😀 It’s a standalone and beautiful and one of her bestest books of ever.
Okay! I’ll add that to my TBR pile:)
Ella@YAbyYA recently posted…Review: A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J Maas
I’ve got to say, I’m sort of with on the diversity part. I don’t read that diversely because I just read the books. I almost don’t really mind or worry about anything like that – I’m here for the books, you know? When I hear a book being praised for being diverse and nothing else, I sort of, switch off.. Pretty book covers a CURSE I tell you, BAH. Also, no cake in a book is heartbreaking. OH, and when people get magically fixed. Nope, that annoys me too. Good answers Cait, good answers.. 😉
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Omg, PHEW. I was a bit worried about posting that bit! Because I’m seeing a lot of rages about diversity. And I mean, gah, it’s a bit unfair I think…because so many good wonderful books get slammed and lose stars because “they’re not diverse” and I don’t think that’s fair to the storytelling. But whatever. What would I know. XD GOOD BOOKS = WHAT WE NEED AND THAT IS ALL. *nodS*
Well, I have to agree that books without cake are most unbearably disappointing. How dare they not have cake? WHY!?
But yes, yes and yes to the diverse books thing. I LOVE that we (as a bookish community) are becoming so aware of the lack of diverse books but sometimes I worry about the ways we are going about this. It isn’t as easy as making the MC simply not American – which I feel like a lot of new release are striving for – but you still need to write GOOD books that have actually real diversity. It’s also a pet peeve of mine when a book turns a diverse book (especially a LGBT+ one, I find) into a story about the particularly type of diversity. Obviously we need some of these books, but all of them? No. i just want a book to pick up and get a normal human being as the MC. Not a perfect, white, middle class, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, American student every. Single . Time. *rages*
But not evil enough villains are the pits too. Like why bother with them if then? Ugh.
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It is such a screaming SHAME. I mean, how can I open this novel and then be monstrously disappointed with no cake?!?!? WHY DOES IT DO THIS TO ME!? *sobs*
And omg I agree, I do. I think we need diverse books, but I’m seeing a lot of just…too much intenseness about it?! hehe. But maybe I’m the only one that feels that way. 😛 BUT I think good books should be the ones we rave and recommend. *nods*
Hello! I just found your blog through Bloglovin and I just love this post! First of all, that Lord of the Rings gif was just too good and made me giggle. XD Love 4, 5, 6, and 8. These are great! I love beautiful covers, but have learned the hard way that the book might not be as captivating as it’s gorgeously designed cover. Ah well, such is life. Can’t wait to check out more of your website! By the way, I’d love to see what a pineapple troll looks like! 😉
ophelialeong.blogspot.com
*waves wildly* HELLO OPHELIA!! WELCOME TO THE CRAZINESS! 😀 (And pineapple trolls! Like, omg, I don’t even know what I’m talking about 79% of the time, hehh.) AGH. Yes. Those devious covers. *glares at them* I know it’s the insides that count but but but covers are so pretty….
Beautiful covers and ugly books? Oh yes, this is not cool! Lies. Lies all around. I also don’t like stupid beauty standards and shy/quiet people that have to “break out of their shell” or whatever. No, you don’t. You are awesome already.
ShootingStarsMag recently posted…Cover Reveal #2: Spark by Holly Schindler
Yesss. THANK YOU, OMG. It’s not fair that books tend to send this message of “if you’re not extroverted, you’re not cool”. Because it’s so wrong. We should be who we ARE and not be ashamed of that.
Love that last one!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/06/top-ten-tuesday-25/
Hehe, thanks for stopping by!
4 & 7 are absolute TRUTH. I just finished Since You Been Gone and the MC is a shy person who is magically “fixed.” AND THE SELECTION. THE SELECTION. And there’s nothing like a blurb that lies. Ugh. Yes! Diversity is totally important in a book! I’d read Those Girls earlier this year and there was literally no aspect of it. Great post, Cait!
AGh, that so so bothered me about Since You’ve Been Gone. An introvert person CAN have friends and have a wild time and all that…but it doesn’t make them suddenly an extrovert. ARGHHH. I think books mix up what “extrovert” and “introvert” even mean. BLEH. ANYWAY. OMG THANK YOU. <3
Love your list! And your use of gifs. I think I especially agree with number 9 – it’s okay for retellings to make little tweaks on the original but learn to respect the original!
Thanks for stopping by my post earlier 🙂
Obsessive Compulsive Reader
Obsessive Compulsive Reader recently posted…Feature Follow Friday: Book You Hated
Yes! Respect is needed! And I looove how they change things up…I just don’t think there’s any need to say “the original got it wrong” Gah. XD
Well this list is obviously perfection. I am like, giving you a standing ovation about a lot of these. Like, the beauty thing? Make that stop. Like, yesterday. Look, I went to high school. There were some stereotypically pretty girls, tall and thin with big boobs and blonde hair or whatever. Like, 3 of them. Everyone else looked like… normal people. It’s like the only option is Heidi Klum, or Troll Under Bridge.
And I have to agree about the diversity piece. I mean, like you said, YES PLEASE to all the diversity! But um… YES PLEASE to a good book. If anything, promoting books just because of diversity is doing diversity a disservice- people will be like “oh well, another diversity book pubbed just because of the diverse characters, it will probably suck”. But when you have GOOD books with diversity, then good books with diversity will eventually just become GOOD BOOKS.
I agree with cake. And the good cover thing should be illegal for real. Also, Maggie Stiefvater called, and she is too busy to write ALL the books because she kind of likes seeing sunshine and feeling her fingers. Sorry 🙁
Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight recently posted…This Week At Midnight (82)
I SO AGREE WITH THE QUIET PEOPLE ONE. (Is that obvious? I mean, the fact that my blog was SUPPOSED* to be about being a quiet person and still having a life kind of hints at that, right?) And the Maggie Steifvater one. Every book should be written by Maggie Steifvater. ‘Nuff said.
Oh, and DON’T get me started on lying cover art and titles. It’s just not acceptable.
Beth x
*you know. Before I discovered book blogging.
Beth recently posted…How to Read 100 Books in a Year (while working full time AND running a blog)
cait your posts never fail to make me laugh! also regarding the live baby octopi i recently saw a video of it alive in a bowl and i am sad and disgusted and would never each such thing. im assuming due to the use of mushu gifs loads of times that you love mulan and that makes me happy because i love mulan. ah i hate it too when the definitions of beauty is fixated. such a let down. new books should never do that. books with gorgeous covers but crappy plot is the reason why i have trust issues. oh god i totally feel you when the books get praised because its diverse and not actually good like *rolls eyes* i feel like some books tries too hard to be diverse too like please sTOP.
i really enjoyed this post!
isha @ two sisters bloggin’
isha @ two sisters bloggin’ recently posted…// au revoir, septembre!
okay. i admit
i did choke//snort//spit//laugh at that last one. That was perfection.
Lisa Canfield recently posted…Hallo der Summer
Extremely rude of retellings to say the original got it wrong! I read an article once, it was focused on vampires and why most vampire movies/tv shows/what not rewrite the “rules” of vampires and say that basically whatever you think you know about them is wrong. The point of the article is that it’s a way to tie your story into the larger mythology but then differentiate it as something different. So, in every vampire story, that conversation happens.
But retellings are different. They’re like a performance. We come to the theater and we know you’re doing your version of Hamlet or Midsummer Night’s Dream. We know it’s going to be different than another theater company. Even if they dramatically reimagine it, they still dont’ go around saying other versions, especially the original, are wrong.
Also, yes, books with gorgeous covers and lame stories are squids.
Annie recently posted…Girl Meets World
I so agree with all these things, especially the beauty one and the fixing the shy people one. Like, I don’t like when authors seem to assume something is wrong with a certain kind of people (nerds or introverts, for instance) and then proceeds to alienate all the readers of that type by basically saying you have to change in order to be special. Blah.
Liz Brooks recently posted…Behind the Scenes Writing Tag
There are Roman-inspired fantasy worlds? What books are these? I’ve never read them! I didn’t even know they were a thing! Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie! All I’ve read are medieval England-inspired. And I like them, sure. But…I kind of want to get lost in a different fantasy world, ya know?
Jackie recently posted…Based on These Incredibly Vague Descriptions, Which Book Should I Read Next?
Something that drives me insane are books that are not what they promised from the beginning. Lately I’ve been into reading more “horror” like books. I say “horror”, because despite being promoted as “horror” and “scary”, they very rarely are. I think it have to do with that part you talked about, they promise darkness, but no one has the guts to deliver real darkness.
Most recently I borrowed a book from the library called Possessed. It insinuated that this YA protagonist was going to be possessed. In the whole book, not one person EVER became possessed. There wasn’t even a real spirit or ghost or whatever in it.
That kind of thing drives me insane. DELIVER WHAT YOU PROMISE BOOK!!
Haha, I love this list! Books that suck me in with a beautiful cover and then aren’t good are sooo disappointing! And I agree, books shouldn’t make it seem as though everyone has to be stereotypically beautiful and outgoing. Shy and geeky is good too 🙂
Katie @ Doing Dewey recently posted…Nonfiction November
Beautiful books with boring insides are THE WORST, OMG. xD But at least they’re pretty to look at on the bookshelf?!? hehe
I LOVE THIS LIST!! So true about that biased standard of beauty, about the shy person, and LOL so much at the last item. Being an introvert, I agree that even with the story’s good intention of showing the shy character as also an awesome person, shy characters can still have friends and still remain shy – or introverts can be surrounded by a loyal army of soldiers and still be an introvert. I feel bad whenever I read about these characters having to be “fixed”. And about that retelling… Uh-oh, I’m writing a retelling WIP. I better not make you angry with it….
Jee Ann recently posted…What Genres Do You Love to Read and What Will You Write In?
I have a QUESTION for you, dear blogger! ….Have you ever read Dorothy Must Die? Because a lot of your bookish annoyances are the pet peeves I had for Dorothy Must Die. I’ve you’ve not read, it YOU MUST! And we must snarl about it together.
SJ Bouquet recently posted…The Aches And Pains Of Being A Slow Reader
if you have not read Dorothy Must Die, you must!* goodness me my fingers were typing so fast I made a muck of my writing! Sooorry dude
SJ Bouquet recently posted…#TheShelfieHop Tour || I’m Dropping An Indie Rap Album
Omg, embarrassing moment here…I have read Dorothy Must Die and I actually loved it. XD 😛 FORGIVE ME. HAAH. XD
NO , CAIT, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Forgive me but, like, dude….whhyyyy??? I really respect your reviews (they’re funny yet on point!)
SJ Bouquet recently posted…The Aches And Pains Of Being A Slow Reader
heh. WELL. I just did?! I thought it was creepy and clever! My review is here if you’re interested. 😉
Dang I love these and I totally agree with them! But I could relate the most to numbers 2 (Throwing shade to Throne of Glass, huh? I applaud you for this! Celaena was supposed to be a notorious assassin feared by all, the epitome of bad-ass. But she ends up being, whiny, immature and superficial, always complaining about how her clothes don’t look pretty at all. AND she DID NOT assassinate anyone. BUMMER. DNFed the series atm. :/ ), 4 (I was a victim of this HEINOUS crime! How dare they make the cover of White Rose by Amy Ewing so beautiful and enchanting while the story itself was utterly UNDERWHELMING and UNSATISFYING. DNF again. :/ ) and 5 (Again I am reminded sooo much of Throne of Glass of this trope. I was expecting it to be full of action, the heroine be rational, fearless and bad-ass and her ending up assassinating a LOT of people. Basically I pictured it to be the high-fantasy version of The Hunger Games according to the blurb. BUT I WAS SORELY DISAPPOINTED. WHY DO PUBLISHERS PRACTICE FALSE ADVERTISING? DON’T THEY KNOW IT’S AN ABOMINATION FOR US READERS WHO HAVE BEEN BITING OUR NAILS WITH THE HYPE BUT EXPERIENCING A MAJOR LETDOWN AFTERWARDS? DON’T PITCH US BOOKS USING OTHER SERIES AS REFERENCES! THINK OF SOMETHING ORIGINAL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! :/
FORGIVE MY USE OF THE CAPS LOCK BUTTON. I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELS ABOUT THIS. 🙁