Random Musings (7): The Abhorent Trend of Book-Judging

Have you ever felt judged when you're reading Twilight in school/work?

 

Have you ever felt embarrassed to be reading Fifty Shades in the train with it's characteristic grey cover terrifyingly visible for all fellow commuters to stare and judge?

 

Have you ever felt ashamed to be holding a book with a half-naked hunk on the cover out in public?

 

 

Well, I'd say those are just society's ill-informed stereotypes at work. I find it so annoying that people who have no right to judge a book judge and think they're all "righteous/mature" to tell a reader to continue reading a book pegged by the public as childish/unscrupulous/not-intellectual or publicly judge a reader leading to said reader feeling self-conscious and even stop reading that particular genre altogether. They think that the book is so and so, so the reader must also be immoral and stupid and all that crap. But you know what? They can go screw themselves because:

Firstly, I can assure you that the majority of them hasn't even read the book yet. And a large proportion of those idiots base their misguided impressions of those books on the poor book's adapted movie, which in most cases do not do justice to the book in question. (And many a times do not follow the events and descriptions in the book all that religiously.)

Secondly, if you want to judge a book, pease be sure to actually like that particular genre. It would be even better if you were an avid reader of that genre too.

Let's say I'm a fan of those political high fantasy with lots of magicky warfare, do I go off and rate a YA contemporary romance? NO, because of course I'd find the book too slow and fluffy for my liking. Say I'm a fan of non-fiction self-help, do I go off and judge a BDSM erotica? HELL TO THE NO, because even a person with half a brain knows why. IF I'M A PERSON WHO DOESN'T EVEN LIKE BOOKS, DO I GO AROUND SPREADING MY PREJUDICED OPINIONS ABOUT A PARTICULAR BOOK? Especially a book about to be made into a movie?

Not only are you going to incur the wrath of fans, you are also going to affect ticket sales on premier day and that's going to affect the author's livelihood and be a total assface.

Reviews are meant to assure potential readers of a book's quality, so any bad reviews will just deter them when it could've been a favorite read. So, just don't fucking pick up the book with all yer biased, preconceived prejudism all-ready to rate it a one star.

Ooo, I think Twilight is lame, therefore I am sooo mature and sooo cool.

Please, spare me.

Actually, talking about Twilight brings me to another issue that's been bothering me for awhile. But just to end off with the Twilight thing, it's not that I'm a twihard or anything, but I read this post on Jennifer L. Armentrout's Facebook page (for the life of me, I cannot find that post. It was posted a few weeks ago I think) about how people always sneer at the mention of Twilight but how it deserves some respect. While I would agree that the love triangle wasn't the best I've ever read or the most nicely executed one, it was a book that precipitated the entire YA craze and prompted Hollywood directors to take up novels to turn them into films. It might not be top-notch, but it was what made reading popular again and that in itself should warrant some respect. It's like Wonder Girls in Kpop - they might not be the most talented girl group or the most beautiful, but they brought Kpop to the world.

Fifty Shades may not be written in the most lyrical or beautiful of ways, but come on, how many people actually knew the word erotica even existed before Fifty made it famous? (And the fact that it has a series when most other eroticas are standalones just proves that it has a proper plot.)

Ok, so about this other topic, it's about books being made into films. Is it a boon or bane?

(This discussion will be shorter, I promise.)

This has obvious boons of course, such as authors getting their well-deserved rewards for all their hard work and for bringing such amazing colors into us reader's lives, but for a reader... For me, really, I just don't think it's all that great.

Other than Hunger Games, I thought that all the other books-to-movies were a bust. More often than not the books being adapted are thick with shitloads of information and beautiful descriptions that the movies can't incorporate or pull off. They have budgets, limited screen time and ultimately, there are some things that are just humanly impossible to enact. Like the ethereal beauty of faes or feral handsomeness of predatory changelings.

Then there are those who do not follow the book at all. Just look at the mess Percy Jackson the movie made of the book. (Have you watched Sea of Monsters?? Holy shit) And TMI IMO didn't do justice to the book at all.

Yes, that is Clarisse with a recycled rice sack the magical golden fleece.

Now I'm seriously afraid for Fifty Shades cause from the movie stills being released/leaked... :((

And then there's Karen Marie Moning's quote from Darkfever:

I'm just saying that books being made into films might not be all rainbows and celebration. Fan of the books will always have their own ideal imagining of said books in their bookish minds, and it's - I wouldn't say heartbreaking, but it comes close - really saddening when a good book attracts the wrong kind of attention and garners haters for it.

 

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Wow, thank you for staying with me all the way!

 

What's you view on public stereotypes and books being adapted into movies? Have you ever wanted to punch someone for judging you for reading a book they haven't read yet?

Accidental Cover + Book Discovery: Deluge and Grim

Deluge
The River of Time #4
by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Expected Publication: Somewhere in 2014

Blurb

From Author's Website:

The fifth and final installment in my River of Time Series, following Waterfall, Cascade, Torrent, Bourne & Tributary. Find out what has happened to our beloved characters, making their way in medieval Italy, as they encounter the plague, continue to battle with Firenze, and weather medieval life…forever.

Goodreads | Author's Website

N(o preorder links yet)

--Thoughts--

Apparently the cover for Deluge was out in December and I didn't know about it but now I do but... IS. THAT. GABI AND MARCELLO'S. DAUGHTER?!?! HOLY COW, IMSOEXCITEDCANYOUTELL?? #shoutycapitals

Grim
Expected Publication: February 25th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Blurb from Goodreads

Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today:

Ellen Hopkins
Amanda Hocking
Julie Kagawa
Claudia Gray
Rachel Hawkins
Kimberly Derting
Myra McEntire
Malinda Lo
Sarah Rees-Brennan
Jackson Pearce
Christine Johnson
Jeri Smith Ready
Shaun David Hutchinson
Saundra Mitchell
Sonia Gensler
Tessa Gratton
Jon Skrovan

Goodreads | Amazon

--Thoughts--

Am I the only one who didn't know about this anthology???? Dammit. Haha, but look at all those authors up there!! It really is some of the best voices of YA Lit. I wanted to wait for Wednesday to feature this in my WoW post but nah, I'm excited and I shall post this NOW. I stumbled upon Grim while browsing through Netgalley and thought I should share this for the benefit of those who were out-of-the-loop for awhile like me. *sniff*

 

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Did you have any exciting book discoveries recently? :)

Cover Reveal: Lover, Divine by A. Star

I don't normally take part in cover reveals cause one of my pet peeves is covers. I'm sorry but I usually judge a book by its cover. Covers tell me a lot about a book - genre, mostly, but you can sort of tell the writing style of the author from a cover, whether is it more romance-heavy or action-based, and whether it's self-published or traditionally published. That's why I'm afraid I won't like the cover when it's sent to me in advance but I'd still have to post it since I agreed to take part in the reveal. But this book is about GREEK GODS AND MYTHS, so of course I had to take part.

 

Lover, Divine
by A. Star
Series: Mythos: Gods & Lovers #1
Expected Publication: February 25th 2014
Genres: Adult, Mythology, Romance

Blurb

Born into one of the wealthiest families in Ireland, Siobhan Law has status, privilege, and a secret: The Greek gods of Olympus and their kingdom in the clouds are real, and her family acts as one of their agents on Earth.

When the beautiful immortal celeste Liam Argyros shows up claiming to have come to Earth to deal in the affairs of the divine, Siobhan finds herself unable to resist his charms. New to the game of passion and seduction, she quickly ends up in over her head, sinking deeper with every attempt Liam makes to win her over.

But Liam’s divine mission is far more complex than she ever imagined and nothing is truly as it seems. Because Liam has a secret of his own: He is Apollo, Olympian god of the Sun, and his mission will never be complete until he has claimed Siobhan’s heart forever.

Goodreads

Kudos to Regina from Mae I Design for designing the cover!

A. Star

About the Author

A. Star is a fan of dirty passion. She likes to read it, and she damn sure likes to write it. Her first adult romance/fantasy novella is called Invasion, an alien romance about sacrifice. Lover, Divine is the first release from the Mythos: Gods and Lovers series. Future releases under A. Star include, King, Desired (Mythos: Gods and Lovers #2), the Love & Steampunk series, the Purr, Inc. stories, and more.

Connect with A:
Author's Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Dreaded DNFs (3)

Here it comes again... Sigh...

Jet Black and the Ninja Wind
by Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani

Blurb from Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Jet Black is a ninja. There's only one problem--she doesn't know it. Others do, however, and they're scheming to capture her and uncover her secrets. When her mother dies, Jet knows only that she must go to Japan to protect a family treasure hidden in her ancestral land. She's terrified, but if Jet won't fight to protect her world, who will? Stalked by bounty hunters and desperately in love with the man who's been sent to kill her, Jet must be strong enough to protect the treasure, preserve an ancient culture, and save a sacred mountain from destruction. In Jet Black and the Ninja Wind, multiple award-winning author, poet, and translator team Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani make their first foray into young adult fiction with a compulsively readable tale whose teenage heroine must discover if she can put the blade above the heart--or die trying.

--Thoughts--

I have always been absolutely fascinated with ninjas and of course their love stories, but the only good ones I have very luckily stumbled upon so far are only 2. I thought Jet Black was going to join those 2 to make it 3, but no. I mean, it sounds AMAZING and it has a freaking 4.37 average rating on Goodreads. It's getting rave reviews and being recommended left and right. Dude, how can it be so bad.

Choppy paragraphs, awkward dialogues and events, slow pace, a little excessive descriptions at times, INSTANT ATTRACTION OMG, and have I mentioned weird dialogues and glacial pace?

Angelbound
Angelbound #1
by Christina Bauer

Blurb from Goodreads

Eighteen year old Myla Lewis is a girl who loves two things: kicking ass and kicking ass. She’s not your every day quasi-demon, half-demon and half-human, girl. For the past five years, Myla has lived for the days she gets to fight in Purgatory’s arena. When souls want a trial by combat for their right to enter heaven or hell, they go up against her, and she hasn’t lost a battle yet.

But as she starts her senior year at Purgatory High, the arena fights aren’t enough to keep her spirits up anymore. When the demons start to act weird, even for demons, and the King of the Demons, Armageddon, shows up at Myla’s school, she knows that things are changing and it’s not looking good for the quasi-demons. Myla starts to question everything, and doesn’t like the answers she finds. What happened seventeen years ago that turned the quasi-demons into slave labor? Why was her mom always so sad? And why won’t anyone tell her who her father is? Things heat up when Myla meets Lincoln, the High Prince of the Thrax, a super sexy half-human and half-angel demon hunter. But what’s a quasi-demon girl to do when she falls for a demon hunter? It’s a good thing that Myla’s not afraid of breaking a few rules. With a love worth fighting for, Myla’s going to shake up Purgatory.

--Thoughts--

4.20 average rating on Goodreads and on some book bloggers' Best of 2013 list. How bad can it be? Well, maybe it's because of my recent reading funk, but I found Angelbound a little boring, too colloquial for my liking, and the protagonist had this really arrogant and...shallow way of thinking and voice. I might revisit it again in the future.

I am also currently putting Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff on hold. NOT that it was bad or anything. Contrary to that, Jay has this really cool way of describing and building his amazing world, but people who've read his books knows his writing style is more poetic (in a way. I can't really describe it), so I need to be in a certain mood to read it. And currently I'm in a Fantasy/Romance-heavy YA mood. Don't judge me k, but I'm also in a love-triangle mood. Haha, yeah so I'm reading Defy by Sara B. Larson. It's also getting great reviews so I'm hopeful. :)

 

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What are you guys currently reading? Any DNFs recently? Or fantabulous reads that you'd like to recommend?

Best of 2013 and My Predicted List for 2014

(Covers lead to Goodreads)

As you can see my favorite adult reads are dominated by Nalini Singh books. What can I say? I'm a biiiig fan of that amazing woman. Hehe.

And then of course there's:

 

And then of course there are those that do not yet have a cover (and maybe even title):

The Bone Season #2, Guild Hunter #7, Night Prince #3, Undone by J. Lynn, and many many more. They're mostly the sequels to my favorite series. And basically several weeks worth of Waiting on Wednesdays, haha!

And my first 2014 favorite belongs to a book self-published a few years back in 2011 called Blood Warrior by H.D. Gordon (planning my review and giveaway for it :). I LOVED it, and I'm currently reading Defy by Sara B. Larson which I have been DYING to read for MONTHS and I'm so loving it right now. :))

 

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What are some of your favorite reads of 2013? 2014 releases that you're on the verge of storming the author's home to get pronto?

Winners!

From the first batch of giveaways for last month's Christmas Countdown event. :)

Winner of...

• an ecopy of Poison Dance by Livia Blackburne: #31 Leeanna
• an MP3-CD audiobook of Storm Warrior by Dani Harper: #79 Kassandra A.
• a mystery swag pack: #720 Angela H.
• a paperback of The Princess in the Opal Mask by Jenny Lundquist and swag: #260 Rachelle H.
• choice of Kindle copy or paperback of Banquet of Lies by Michelle Diener: #65 Mary P.
• an ecopy of Darkness by Katie Reus: #375 Cynthia M, #65 Linda L.
• an ecopy of First Surrender by Katie Reus: #545 Carly W, #305 Ann V.
• an ecopy of Tears of Tess and QQ by Pepper Winters: #165 Shamara C.
• a beautiful bracelet by Olivia Hardin: #50 Mary P.

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Lots and lots of winners this week. :)) All of y'all mentioned above have been emailed. Please check your spam/junk box if you haven't received anything from me yet.

Didn't win? There are still 2 giveaways running:

Five ecopies of Pemberley Mistletoe: A Pride and Prejudice Christmas

and a paperback of choice from the River of Time series are up for grabs. :))

And more giveaways to come~


Thank you so much for visiting!

{Late post} Christmas Countdown--2 days to go!

Countdown Christmas is an event at A Bookalicious Story to celebrate the coming of Christmas in 2 weeks time. There'll be fun interviews, Christmassy excerpts and giveaways just brimming with bookish-goodness ranging from YA Fantasies to New Adult Contemporary Romances to Adult Historical Romances. I hope y'all will join in this celebration! The more the merrier, aye? ;)

So, the next guest we have for this late Christmas Countdown is one of my FAVORITE YA authors of all time, a time travel romance novelist who is a huge fan of olden day Italy...

Lisa Tawn Bergren!

About Lisa

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 40 books, with more than 2.5 million copies sold. Her most recent works includes a YA series called River of Time (Waterfall, Cascade, Torrent, Bourne & Tributary), God Gave Us Easter, a devotional called Upside-Down Prayers for Parents and the Grand Tour Series (Glamorous Illusions, Grave Consequences, and Glittering Promises). She’s currently at work on a new YA series called Remnants, coming out in 2014.

Lisa’s time is split between managing home base, writing, and working on ducks with her husband, Tim (RMrustic.com). Tim’s a worship leader, graphic designer and duck-sculptor. They have three kids–Olivia (18), Emma (15) and Jack (10).

The Bergrens make their home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Connect with Lisa:
Author's Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Waterfall
The River of Time series #1

Blurb

What do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives among the romantic hills with their archaelogist parents. Stuck among the rubble of the medieval castles in rural Tuscany, on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds...until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

Suddenly Gabi's summer in Italy is much, much more interesting.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

 

Other books in series:

Glamorous Illusions
The Grand Tour series #1

Blurb

When Cora Kensington learns she is the illegitimate daughter of a copper king, her life changes forever. Even as she explores Europe with her new family, she discovers that the most valuable journey is within. The first book in the Grand Tour series takes you from the farms of Montana through England and France on an adventure of forgiveness, spiritual awakening, and self-discovery.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Other books in series:

Season of Wonder
Remnants #1
Expected Publication: Febuary 24th, 2014

Blurb

In the first book of the new futuristic dystopian series from author Lisa T. Bergren, the chosen remnants must work to redirect humanity’s course.

The year is 2095. Gifted teens known as Remnants have been chosen and trained to act as humanity’s last hope to rectify the horrors that are now part of everyday life.

The Community has trained these teens as warriors and assigned them Knights of the Last Order as protectors. Together, they are a force that will be difficult to bring down.

But the Sons of Sheol, of course, are determined to do just that. As the Remnants begin their mission to course-correct humanity by saving and protecting key individuals, their enemies move to stop them, placing the entire world in peril.

Bestselling author Lisa T. Bergren presents the first book in her new YA futuristic dystopian series—The Remnants Novels—fitting in with the current dystopian trend in the marketplace.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Other works by LTB:

And MANY more. (Covers lead to Goodreads)

Character Interview with Marcello and Luca Forelli from the River of Time series

A week ago...

*clang, clang* "Damn, that's a $10000000000 down the drain.." I said as I stared at the broken pottery. Well, I read about the time leap the Bettarinis made and did some finagling to get a pass into this tumuli. You never know until you try and all, right?

Spotting the handprints at the other end of the room, I tiptoed cautiously across and placed my hands on them.....

A week later...

I sat down in a trattoria in Siena for a brief chat with Marcello and Luca.

CYP: Hey, I can't believe my luck, I actually found you guys! Thank you for taking time off for this, by the way! What's with this dress anyway? It's all tight and stuffy. Y'all should try it some time to appreciate the pains women of your time go through. Hehe.
But anyway, how's the keep so far? It took quite a beating for the past few years, dinnit?

Marcello: It's taken fine form. The Betarrinis have assisted us in making some improvements that all enjoy. A number of latrines, an additional well and proper barracks for our guard. All damage has been repaired and fortified.

Luca: I was rather partial to the old place...

Marcello: *rolls eyes*