Tuesday, March 22, 2011

What am I reading? and Top Ten Tuesday


Tortall and Other Lands by Tamora Pierce
I am only 2.5 stories in, but so far I'm enjoying it.


The Foundling by D.M. Cornish
been reading this one for a while. I've read it before and love it... but I'm taking my time because I'm waiting to borrow the third book in the series from friends, and they aren't done with it yet.


The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Just finished this one this morning... still processing my opinions on what I've read. Review to come shortly.

Top Ten Bookish Pet Peeves
(to join in, go to THIS BLOG)

1. Series, there... I said it. I am so sick of reading a book, getting to the end, and finding out it's part of a series. Whatever happened to books that could wrap it up in one go? Not to mention that half the series out there are YA books that *really* should have had their story wrapped up in the first book, but that are being dragged out... often painfully... so as to make more profit in book sales.

2. Bad Editing. I swear, I am finding more and more spelling errors, grammar errors and just plain typos in books these days. Is it because I'm reading more? Am I more sensitive to these things now? Or are publishers just trying to push out too much too fast? I have no idea, but they detract from the story... because they pull me out of the story and remind me I'm reading a book.

3. Crowd Mentality: I read so many blogs that hype books that are coming out, all of them proclaiming, "OMG BEST BOOK EVER!"... and then I read the book and think, best case, it's mediocre. Worst case, it's pure drivel. I have a hard time believing so many people really think it's so awesome... I am more prone to believe that they are afraid to go against the grain and say they thought it sucked... because I've seen what happens to people who do that. They get flamed for disliking something. I read a review of a reader who hated The Hunger Games... and while I disagreed, I thought their review made some really valid points and could absolutely see where they came from, and thanked them for their thoughts, because they forced me to look at the book from a new perspective. Sometimes it's ok to be a hater. :P

4. Mary Sue: I hate characters that can do everything, have everything and it's obvious ten pages into the book that they're going to win, because they're pretty much Superman without Kryptonite.

5. Weak Endings: I hate reading a good, action packed book, getting to the end and having it be a let down. Two examples? Jaws (I much prefer the movie ending over the book ending) and Wicked (I really felt like, after building such an interesting, deep character, the author shoved the Wicked Witch into her movie role... kind of like cramming your foot into a too small shoe, based on the character he built, I really thought he needed to work harder to turn her into the Wicked Witch Dorothy fought)

6. Authors who insist on writing series, and then don't work on them: George R. R. Martin and Clive Barker... I'm looking at YOU.

7. Love Triangles: Do I need to say more? Ok, I'm really sick of book plots being usurped by love triangles. Yes, teenagers are horny... but no, when the world is ending, or monsters are trying to eat you... I don't think even teenagers would only think about how dreamy one boy is is... but how warm and reliable another boy is.

8. Plot Holes: Sometimes, things really DO need to be explained.

9. Introducing a major plot device/character at the end of a book or series: Ok, Rowling, I'm looking at you. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Harry Potter... but it really irks me that Rowling waits until the last book to mention the Deathly Hallows... I mean... that's a major series plot issue... you would have thought something like that could have been mentioned before hand. Heck, in the first book it's said that Invisibility cloaks are rare... what isn't mentioned is that there's only one, ever. That's beyond rare. It's one of a kind... you'd think that would have been something that wizarding born and raised kids would have picked up on. I also hate it when the character that saves the day shows up at the end of a book and hasn't been at all hinted to earlier in the book/series. Convenient, anyone?

10. Discrediting Graphic Novels because they're Graphic Novels: Often times people think that because it's a comic, it's not literature. All a graphic novel really does is cut down on the telling by involving more showing. There's no need to describe a setting when you can see it. That does not make what is written there worthy of less recognition than a novel. Case in point? Maus.

7 comments:

  1. LOL I had to laugh when I saw your comment on George RR Martin. My hubby has been waiting for this new book of his for like 6 years! Great post, new follower!

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  2. #9--I'm so with you on JK Rowling, and how did Malfoy know Harry was hiding on the train car if the invisibiity cloak was secret? I read the Harry Potter books and loved the basic story but always felt like she needed a better editor. Kaye—the road goes ever ever on

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  3. Yep, plot holes and love triangles are a couple of my top pet peeves as well! And good point with the Mary Sues, those are *really* frustrating.

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  4. Ugh, the Mary Sue. Nothing is more boring. Thank you for adding that to your list!

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  5. I have to disagree on the Harry Potter bit. It was mentioned that they are rare, yes. But she also went on to describe how they weren't true invisibility cloaks, only Harry's was. Like, the other ones were more camouflage cloaks, so to speak.

    I hope that made sense.

    Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed your list. I can't think of how many time I'm really excited for a book, and then I find out it's the first part in a series, and I'm kind of let down, and less inclined to read it.
    And crowd mentality should have been on my list, too. You mentioned Hunger Games (which I haven't read), but I think Twilight was the worst of all. Everyone always said I was just trying to be "cool" or "different" because I hated Twilight, when really, I just thought it was garbage.

    Wow, this kind of turned into a novella. Sorry =)

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  6. @Lindsay... yeah... that Martin, he's a wiley one. Working on tv series, and other projects... while we all are ready, willing and able to throw millions at him in book sales. *sigh*

    @kaye... yeah, I really feel I need to reread these books... what I'm actually hoping is that the subtle hints were there... somewhere... and that I just missed them because I didn't know to look for them yet.

    @Bekka... you're right, I remember the bit about them mentioning the more camouflage type cloaks... but it seemed to me there had been a really distinct difference... like the fact that Harry really did just go entirely invisible (I mean, he did a LOT of stuff in that cloak)... but the cloak wasn't really the point, the Deathly Hallows all together were the point. Why, why, why weren't they mentioned and talked about before the last book?!... I just saw the cloak as more of an opportunity she missed to at least mention this other, magical death invisibility cloak that would be such a key part of the last book, lol! It would kind of be like if Gollum didn't show up until The Return of the King.
    "Oh, yeah, btw, that ring you found... well, there's this crazy little guy who's going to solve all your problems for you by destroying it... he's totally obsessed... used to carry the ring for years, but no worries... I mean, he was here all along, just... sorta forgot to mention him!" XD

    I absolutely agree with you on Twilight... I didn't like that series either... or, I should say, I did like it, until Edward showed up. I think the best part of that book is when she first moves, in the first book. Once the love interest shows up, things go swiftly downhill... the last book actually made me feel ill. (Yes, I read them all... my sister read them and LOVES them... and she rarely reads... and she *really* wanted me to read them, so I did... and I have lied to her profusely about how much I enjoyed them)

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  7. #9 is a big one for me too. Not only do I hate late introductions, but also an endless flow of new characters throughout the book. Let's just stick to a core group and get on with their story.

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