General Chat 2024

[wolfrysk]

You aren't. It is on my list of "things I would read if I had the energy to read ever", though

[Siopilos]

This is all my opinion only, but you might be doing yourself a favor by not reading ACOTAR xD I read it years back and loved the first book and maybe even the second book before it got totally weird. I think it was one of those book series where the author wrote the first book when they were younger only to then, years later, change the whole story. ^^;

I can't deny the revolution it's had in bringing "romantasy" to popularity and influencing pretty much every other book's title (e.g., "A ____ of ___ and _____"), but the series is just hilariously cringe most of the time xD

And I would love to do a book club! I'm currently reading 2-3 books from various different ones...

[Sweetintoxikation]

I'm sorta in the same way of thinking as Sio on the ACOTAR books. Though I fully admit I'm a bigger fan of book 2/3. Then it got WEIRD. XD But I can live in just the 2 I liked.

I also sorta feel the same about the Emperyean series. Though, I've locked Paul and I in to listening to book 3 since we busted through books 1 & 2 on our trip to Washington this year. >.>;


I'm currently on a re-listen through Red Rising series because I love the narrator and we accidentally ended up with another of his read works in our list on that same Washington drive. It... was interesting. heheh

[tierasa]

I have strong opinions about the ACOTAR series. I picked up ACOTAR thinking it was a twisted Beauty and the Beast tale which I love reimagined fairytales. It was and wasn't. The first book was highly enjoyable. The second book ACOMAF is my favorite! The third book was a head scratcher. I mean Morrigan's reveal made absolutely no sense. Why would she keep that a secret from her family for 500+ years? Hide it from her jerkface father... definitely, but not Rhys and the others. It felt like a copout. ACOFAS was meh. ACOSF is GARBAGE! I own the other four books. I absolutely refused to buy the 5th especially after I read the bonus chapters. It's basically bad fanfiction! Sex scenes randomly interspersed with what could have been a decent plot. It's told from third person instead of first like the rest of the series. If you're going to read the series... stop with ACOWAR. Go no further.

Also, I've read the Empyrean series as well. My niece was just talking about re-reading it before Onyx Storm releases in January.

Anyone follow Daniel Alexander? My niece introduced me to him. Freaking HILARIOUS!

[lectral]

I think I have a copy of ACOTAR, but I haven’t read it yet, despite someone’s niece talking it up a lot XD

[Siopilos]

I wanted to like the Empyrean series because I did in fact like the author's other contemporary sport romances, but I just couldn't get super into it... partly because the teenagers were being so annoying? The dragons weren't really dragons? xD xD But it was doomed to fail anyway because I compare any dragon rider series to all of the other dragon rider books that I read growing up like Eragon, Dragon Rider, Dealing with Dragons, etc. ^^;

I am still mildly curious about continuing the series and will likely download Iron Flame to read on my flight in January xD Also waitaminute, Toxi, you have Book 3 already?? O:

And this talk totally just made me realize that Cornelia Funke dropped Book 2 and Book 3 of the Dragon Rider series!? It's been like 20 years since Book 1! @_@


ETA: And yes, agree with you Rasa. I guess GoT coined the term "sexposition" and lots of other books/stories just kinda rolled with that "writing device" as a means to advance plot... but nope! xD

[Sweetintoxikation]

Oh I do not have book 3 for at series! I did pre-order the audiobook though before reading/listening to book 2. (Honestly, I agree; not the greatest choice.) In book 1 I was able to overlook a lot of the plotholes/angsty teen melodrama. But it only... increased in book 2. q.q

I'm only willing to finish that series because Paul keeps teasing me that I don't finish the series (liked or not.) Which he isn't entirely wrong about. For series I LOVE I struggle to finish a lot of the time because I don't wanna let it end. If I dislike it.... I just refuse to finish. >.>;

All this to say, Rasa, I agree. Which is why I stopped reading where I did wit ACOTAR.

[Mr. Pooka]

Ooo, lots of strong opinions and no middle ground! I'm def diving in and most everyone seems to like the first couple... and I can feel where it might go wrong, but I'm gonna have to find out for myself and compare! I'm also a sucker for fairy tales and their retellings.

Sort of reminds me of a few different series.. they start of strong then go way off the rails.

I love good fantasy and I'm totally down for "romantasy". I also don't mind more sexy/adult plots, but I can totally hear rasa's perspective of it sometimes serving no real purpose to the story which can be disruptive or disjointed feeling... It makes me think of plenty of older 80s action movies, all fighting, explosions, one liners, occasionally a plot and for some reason a very awkward and out of place love scene.

Of course it's a different story if you know the book you are reading is specifically meant to be of the sexy/fanservice variety! (like the last series I read >.> ..ahem, though these followed the reverse course. They started off as very adult stories but the fictional world the author built was decent enough (for a Forgotten Realms knock off) and they eventually grew out of the adult scenes and delved deeper into fantasy stories.)

I'll also have to add some of these other series to my list... Red Rising looks appealing! I do love a good YA dystopia (though I always hope there's at least a slight deviation from the eternal framework. Teenagers are so much smarter then adults and will prove it by exposing them for being evil or stuck in they ways...)

...and yes, we def need a book club of some sort!

[Phoenix Stardancer]

I now have a tote bag with axolotls on it and that folds into an axolotl plush.

SPOILER: Click to show

Bag inside plushie



Bag and plushie

[tierasa]

One of my favorite twisted fairytale series is Ravenspire by C.J. Redwine. It starts with "The Shadow Queen" which is a Snow White retelling. Then you have The Wish Granter (Rumplestiltskin), The Traitor Prince (Prince and the Pauper), and Blood Spell (Cinderella).

[Cameron]

Nov 18, 2024 20:08:09 GMT -5 lectral said:

I think I have a copy of ACOTAR, but I haven’t read it yet, despite someone’s niece talking it up a lot XD

I am the same. I bought the first book two Christmases ago? And got through a few chapters, and then just stopped reading.

I’ve heard better things about the Throne of Glass series, but haven’t dived into that. I don’t have too much time for fun reading these days. I’d like to get back into it, but just can’t find books I actually enjoy.

[tierasa]

Throne of Glass is a great series until the freaking end. Sarah J. Maas does not know how to end a series. It's beyond frustrating!

EDIT: You can't tell I have strong feelings about books, can you? XD

[Mr. Pooka]

Nov 18, 2024 21:59:28 GMT -5 Cameron said:

Nov 18, 2024 20:08:09 GMT -5 lectral said:

I think I have a copy of ACOTAR, but I haven’t read it yet, despite someone’s niece talking it up a lot XD

I am the same. I bought the first book two Christmases ago? And got through a few chapters, and then just stopped reading.

I’ve heard better things about the Throne of Glass series, but haven’t dived into that. I don’t have too much time for fun reading these days. I’d like to get back into it, but just can’t find books I actually enjoy.

I also somehow fell out of reading for a while there... but I started reading in bed as a way to help defeat my various bouts of insomnia... I try to avoid any kinds of screens when I can't sleep because they have the hypnotic ability to keep me awake forever, unlike a book (even on a digital device) no matter how amazing it is, (-8 (Plenty of real books, lots of books on my dated kobo and some comics on a perfectly good but intentionally made redundant old tablet that I've managed to repurpose...)

...also, Pooka loves audio books. This skips the need for putting aside time because we can listen to them while multitasking! They're great for working on art, (-8

[Mr. Pooka]

I feel I have strong feelings on plenty of media... but I'd make a terrible reviewer. I can tell you what I like and what I don't but could rarely muster more then a paragraph of real critique, (-8 (Watch this movie, it's cool... This show is passably good but has to many whiny teenagers... I loved this book, great characters great story and anything else is a spoiler....)

[Mr. Pooka]

*adds the Shadow Queen to list...*