Hey bookworm friends! We had a thunderstorm last night which woke me up at 5 am so I’m a bit tired. Strangely, my dog was completely unbothered by the thunder! It was me who needed a thunder buddy so I went to go sit with him and scroll on my phone until it passed🤣. Anyway, I haven’t done a Meme Medley Friday in a while so I thought it’s about time!
Today’s Friday Bookish Memes Are:
Link-ups
I encourage you to check out the hosts’ posts and remember to link up with them if you want to participate in any of the memes!🖤
- Book Beginnings on Fridays Hosted by Rose City Reader
- The Friday 56 Hosted by Head Full of Books
- Let’s Talk Bookish Hosted by Book Nook Bits & Dinipandareads
Book Beginnings on Fridays
Book Beginnings on Fridays asks us to share the opening sentence (or so) of the book we’re reading this week.
One of my current reads is Once Was Willem and I really like the writing style so I thought I’d share the first line(s).
Well a day! My fingers are black with ink and my head aches as if it is about to burst at the seams like an over-stuffed flour sack, but this treatise at last is ended.
Once Was Willem, M. R. Carey
The Friday 56
Here are the rules for this meme: Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56%, and share a snippet (but please no spoilers).
It was this: we are the sum of all that has befallen us, and therefore every great event, every great pain sunders us.
Once Was Willem, M. R. Carey
Let’s Talk Bookish
Let’s Talk Bookish is a meme where participants discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts. The topics for each month will be posted on Book Nook Bits & Dinipandareads one month in advance.
What is one book that everyone else seemed to love except you?
Prompts: Have you ever experienced what seems like the whole book community raving about a book, only to discover it’s not all that? What are some story elements that put you off while reading? What about books others dislike that you love? Feel free to share examples of which books everyone loved and you didn’t, and vice versa! 🤭
I think every reader at some point has been disappointed by a hyped or popular book. It’s bound to happen in a world with as many reading tastes as there are people. So let’s start with: What are some story elements that put you off while reading?
- I don’t mind un-likeable characters in general but when the cast is full of pretentious, elitist, petulant jerks, I can’t stand it and there’s no reason I should have to! It’s even worse if the book has no redeeming qualities.
- Sexist/Racist/Ableist/Homophobic/Transphobic depictions of characters that aren’t challenged and just the author trying to be edgy or “realistic”. Fuck right off, I have no time for that (no matter how pretty the prose).
- If the plot, world-building, or writing are uninspiring, simplistic, or repetitive. There are too many books to read something that’s not grabbing your attention.
- If there is a too-wide chasm between my expectations for the book and what the book is actually delivering, this can sometimes cause me to put the book aside. But not every time.
These are just some of the things that put me off while reading, at least the ones most relevant to my examples below.
1. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake – DNF
2. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami – 1⭐
3. The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix – DNF
4. Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner – DNF
5. The Maid by Nita Prose – 2⭐
But What About Vice-Versa?
It’s so much easier to find examples of well-loved books that I disliked but vice-versa? Books that are generally disliked, at least in my tiny corner of the internet, but I loved? Not so easy! I think it’s because if I keep hearing the same complaints about a book, the chances of me trying it out are not very high. I’m more likely to ignore a hyped book based on tons of positive comments but I tend to listen to the crowd when it comes to negative comments. It seems kind of unfair but there you go 🤷🏼♀️.
I could only think of three titles that I hear lots of negative chatter about but I loved. For two of these I fully embraced the cheese and I ended up having a blast! And for the other, I can understand that it’s not for everyone but it worked so well for me.
1. The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz – 5⭐
2. The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore – 4⭐
3. Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon – 4⭐
More of my posts with the tag “Book Blog Memes” can be found here.
Let’s chat in the comments!
How do you feel about “cheesy” books? Or, do you agree or disagree with my ratings for these books?
I’ve not heard of Once Was Willem but it sounds like it was truly written hundreds of years ago. I must admit I am truly tempted. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, I am really loving the writing style it does feel like it was written a long time ago and yet it’s not hard to follow at all! Thank you, Anne glad you found something to pique your interest 🙂
Great post! I saw Once Was Willem mentioned a fair bit a while ago but it never connected until just now that it’s written by the same author who wrote The Girl With All The Gifts, which I loved! It’s made me consider checking it out because I also liked the two lines you shared from it.
For LTB, I agree that this will probably happen at least once to everyone but it’s not surprising if it happens more often. I also agree with the things that put you off a book—especially the second point. If a book has these elements without being challenged, it will be an immediate DNF for me. It’s so off-putting! I also enjoyed the Ice Planet Barbarian books. Sometimes, you just need the sexy fluff to take your mind off the lunacy IRL. It was a very fun time! 😂 I think the reason I’ve put off reading The Atlas Six for this long is cos I’m not sure I’ll enjoy it and it’s a *super* well-loved book, lol. We can’t love them all! Thanks for joining LTB this week, Vero 🙂
Thank you, Dini! 🙂 Oh wow that’s interesting, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of The Girl With All The Gifts, sounds like I’ll have to look into it! I’m glad you liked the quotes from this book!
Yeah for sure, I think it’s just par for the course for this hobby lol 🙂
I’m glad you agree with the type of things that put me off a book, I’ve dnf’d more than once because of that too.
Haha absolutely soo true! They are fun romps that I read for entertainment and there is value in that 🙂 I’ve only read the first and second IPB but I can see myself reading more if I’m in the right mood.
Yeah I was shocked that I hated it so much given that I know it has so many big fans out there! Well said & thank you I had a lot of fun thinking about these questions 🥰
Ice Planet barbarians is such a good one! I know it sounds like I’m reading trash, but I love these books and theybring me so much comfort so LET ME BE
Ahah you absolutely do not have to defend your reading choices with me, read whatever entertains you and brings you joy 👏🏼. I’m sorry if there are actual people out there who have called your books trash that’s kind of super rude 😤.
I like the writing style for Once Was Willem. Cheesy is actually a turn off for me (most of the time) I try to avoid those kinds of books, there has to be sommething really special about it to make me want to read it.
Yes me too, I am really loving the writing style for Once Was Willem! & That’s fair, to each their own 🙂 !!
Cheesy is a very subjective term, so I would have to say that it depends on the cheese:). I’ve only read Lolly Willowes from the above list; I had the same reaction as to the handful of stories by Warner that I’ve read, which is that while I admire her command of the English language, I don’t really enjoy it enough to want more. Thanks for the list and happy reading!
Hm yes that is a good point. What I might find cheesy someone else might not. As for me, I often enjoy things that I personally find ‘cheesy’ but then when it crosses the line into ‘cringey’ it’s a different story 😅
Ah interesting, I did think her writing was lovely but the same as you, the writing itself was not enough to entice me to continue. Thanks for visiting my blog and hope your books are treating you well!
100% on your comment about having a full cast of unlikeable characters. I don’t need to like every single one of the characters, but I need to have SOMEONE to root for!
haha thank youuu! Exactly, if they’re all deeply detestable then I feel unmoored haha.
I am there for cheesy, corny goodness. I mean, the Adam West Batman is the only one I like, lol …
Sometimes I end up loving books that get a lot of buzz/chatter/attention {Assistant to the Villain; Fourth Wing}, but other times … nope.
Yes, I eat up all of the cheese and lol that’s funny 😛
It’s the same for me, sometimes I do love hyped books but I have to differentiate if I’m picking it up for the hype only or if it’s also something I’d genuinely like.
Great choice for a quote – I really enjoyed Once Was Willem.
Lynn 😀
Thanks, Lynn 🖤 I’m so glad you enjoyed Once Was Willem, I still haven’t finished it because I’ve been distracted with other things but I’m still enjoying it a lot too :D!
I’m sorry to hear that the thunder woke you up. I’m glad it didn’t upset Cheeto though, some dogs absolutely hate it.
Ooh intriguing start to Once Was Willem, hope you’re still enjoying it 🥰
I can find some unlikeable characters oddly compelling to read about but I guess it comes down to how it’s done. Plus if a whole cast is like that, particularly all in a very similar way, I think it would bug me. Pretentious characters can be pretty infuriating too.
I really want to read 3 of your 5 disliked books 🙈 although I will say I’ve already seen mixed things about them so I was already torn between intrigued and nervous 😂
On the flip side I think all three of the books you enjoyed are on my TBR too but they’re not on my priority TBR besides maybe one of them that I’m torn on including 😂