Tag: fiction

#SixforSunday – Overdone Tropes

The Biblioshelf2 Comments

Happy Sunday Bibliofriends,

We’re continuing the trope theme this month in the #SixforSunday meme. For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is weekly meme hosted by Steph over at A Little But A Lot. 

This week seems a lot similar to last we in that we have gone from hated tropes to overdone tropes. I think the main reason for me hating tropes is because I feel like they’re repetitive and overdone so this week was a little difficult to not just repeat last week’s post! So here are some of my most hated, overdone tropes and the ones which really tipped me over the edge!

Love Triangles

Unpopular opinion alert coming up: Katniss, Peeta and Gale are just one love triangle I really can’t fathom! Add to that mix Bella, Edward and Jacob as well as The Darkling, Alina and Mal… this is probably my biggest pet-peeve when it comes to tropes. I honestly can;t think off the top of my head of one love triangle I actually think was done well in literature apart from Buffy, Spike and Angel and that doesn’t really count!

Love at first sight

Can I add Bella and Edward in here again…? There’s a fair bit of Twilight bashing, sorry fans! So other than the classic Romeo and Juliet, insta-love just seems so predictive and grates on me how characters don’t get the chance to build up to those kind of feelings rather than have them rushed in by the author.

Ye Olde Worlde

So I really didn’t understand the world in the Red Queen series, it felt slightly medieval but then there was the dystopian kind of surveillance cameras and other bits dotted around that threw me off the scent a little as to what time period the book was placed in. I don’t always have to have a novel neatly fit into one time or another, however if there are mash-ups, time-hybrids or fictional liberties then I at least need these blatantly spelling out and woven into the world rather than me having to second-guess whilst trying to keep up with the characters and plot at the same time. Likewise with The Beholder…where did the radio transmitter come from?!

Copycats

I recently finished reading Shadow and Flame by Mindee Arnett which is the sequel to Onyx and Ivory; whilst I really enjoyed reading it and rated it 3.5 stars, part of me just couldn’t help get a sense of deja-vu when reading it. I won;t add any spoilers in here for anyone who may yet read the books, but it just felt like the plot was littered with little motifs or nods to things that have happened in other major book series out there (a darkened magically poisoned hand slowly killing its host remind you of anyone…?).

Happily Ever Afters

7 of the books I’ve read this year so far have had a happily ever after kind of feeling to them. Whilst I do enjoy a happy ending sometimes it seems far too good to be true. I hate to be on the pessimistic side but I like my endings with a tinge of sadness or sacrifice – think of Crooked Kingdom, Kingdom of Ash and Anna K – with sweeping epics and engrossing stories sometimes the Disney-fied “and they all lived happily ever after” just doesn’t cut it and match up to the storyline for me to believe in it enough.

A Blink And You Miss It Ending

Descendant of the Crane had such a massive build-up and whilst I really enjoyed reading it, the ending felt like the drop on a rollercoaster – one fell swoop and suddenly the novel stopped. I would much rather read seven books in a longer series and feel like everything has happened proportionately, than read over 300 pages of build up for a ten page ending.

Which tropes do you feel need a massive overhaul? Which tropes do you love so much that you don’t care how often they’re overdone but you just have to read them? As always, leave me a comment to chat or drop me your Six for Sunday links below and I’d be happy to visit.

T xx

#SixforSunday – Tropes I Hate

The Biblioshelf2 Comments

Happy Sunday Bibliofriends,

We’re continuing the trope theme this month in the #SixforSunday meme. I can’t decide whether it was easier to think of last week’s ‘tropes I love’ or this week’s ‘tropes I hate’. I think tropes are tricky territory for authors as some of them are extremely overdone, however get one and do it well and it can make for an amazing top-rated story.
For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is weekly meme hosted by Steph over at A Little But A Lot.

Love Triangles

OMG the to-ing and fro-ing between different people, then my heart makes a case for each different person, and someone always seems to wind up disappointed… – I just find it annoying!

Love at first sight

I mean come on…call me a cynic, but really?!

Ye Olde Worlde

I think I’m done with the purely medieval settings – I need another element in there to make things exciting. What really annoys me is when I can’t actually work out what kind of historical period a novel is set in because it starts off medieval and then someone throws surveillance cameras or radio gadgets in there which just doesn’t fit together in my head!

Copycats

Sometimes it’s so obvious when a novel has copied elements or themes from other bigger novels/series and I hate it when they’re really obvious and stand out in the story.

Happily Ever Afters

Sometimes a little bit of heartache or sacrifice makes a plot line stronger or stick out in my mind. It can get quite boring when everything seems to work out all fine and dandy, especially when it takes about 500 pages to get there.

A Blink And You Miss It Ending

Just as above, I hate wading through about 500 pages of deep world-building, politics, character arcs and quest missions just to find out that the main part of the story or ending magical moment only lasts a few pages before the world is healed and evil is banished forever more.

What are your pet hates when it comes to tropes? Which tropes do you think have been done to death and make you eye-roll at the words in front of you? As always, leave me a comment to chat or drop me your Six for Sunday links below and I’d be happy to visit.

T xx

#SixforSunday – Tropes I Love

The BiblioshelfLeave a comment

Happy Sunday Bibliofriends,

We’re starting a new theme this month in the #SixforSunday meme. July is all about tropes! For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is weekly meme hosted by Steph over at A Little But A Lot.

The Chosen One

From Harry Potter to Buffy the Vampire Slayer I’m such a fan of the ‘chosen one’ narrative. The idea that there is just one person whose destiny it is to try and stop the evil gets me really invested into a character.

The Powerful Artefact

Talismans, magical rings, powerful weapons, special maps, historical artefacts – I am an absolute sucker for motifs like this. It’s these little story knick-knacks which get my fantasy senses all a-tingling.

The ‘Here Comes the Cavalry’ Theme

When it seems like all hope is lost and evil is about to outnumber and triumph against the good – there’s that moment where all of a sudden, the cavalry arrives and turns back the tide against the forces of darkness. A bit like Gandalf at the Battle of Helm’s Deep and Doctor Strange in Avengers: Endgame – those moments of rallying the troops always seem to bring a little tear to my eye.

The Flawed-Hero/Villain (Anti-hero with a redemption arc)

Severus Snape is absolutely leading the way in this one and is one of my favourite characters in all of fiction. I know there has been a lot of debate about whether he is inherently a good guy or just someone that came out OK in the end but to me he is the ultimate flawed hero. I love any character whose motivations are unclear and you spend most of the series/novel considering whether they’re good or bad only to find out that they were really a good guy in the end.

Enemies to Lovers / Forbidden Romance

There’s just something angsty about this trope which, when it’s done well, has me hanging on every last word. This is sometimes where I start to delve into the realms of fanfiction ever so slightly (guilty pleasure!) but I much prefer this type of romance trope to any of the others out there, especially when the immediate soulmate type of romances are just so typical, predictable or cringe!

Cliffhangers

Is there any other way to end a book mid-series than with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger (I’m looking at you Holly Black in The Wicked King)?! I need that edge-of-my-seat thrill ride that leaves me hanging and craving the next instalment.

What’s your favourite trope? If you’re loving some of the ones above then feel free to shout out some recs! Drop me your Six for Sunday links below and I’d be happy to visit!

Enjoy the last stretch of the weekend everyone.

T xx

Biblioshelf Musings – The Beholder

The BiblioshelfLeave a comment

Hi Biblioshelf Friends,

How is your week going? I have had lots of exciting book mail this week so I finally have enough to make a book haul post at the end of the month (for what feels like the first time ever!).

At the end of April, I finished reading The Beholder for the OWLs Magical Readthon last month (wrap post here if you’re interested!). I was so intrigued to get into this book and not just because my copy was the Fairyloot Exclusive edition with pink sprayed edges and rose gold foiling on the front. The idea of sailing off to different kingdoms to look for a suitor on a big ship sounded perfect for the prompt of a book set on the seas/coast. If you want a little sneak peek of the book then check out my #Friday56 post here!

Book: The Beholder by Anna Bright
Genre: Fantasy (YA)
Publication Date: 4th June 2019
Publisher: Harper Teen [FairyLoot Exclusive]
Pages: 429
Rating: 📚📚📚.5

Synopsis from Goodreads
Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after.
As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come. But when the night of Selah’s engagement ends in an excruciatingly public rejection, her stepmother proposes the unthinkable: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.
From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and even beyond borders of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But as she searches for her future husband, she realizes that her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks… and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

The Beholder is a tale which revolves around the main character, Selah, having to travel throughout the world on her ship (The Beholder) to try and find a suitor to marry. Selah is the Seneschal Elect who hopes to take over the running of the Ptomac community after her father. Unfortunately, she also has an evil, pregnant stepmother who wants to be rid of her whilst her father is getting increasingly ill. Selah hopes that by finding an appropriate suitor to take home, she will be able to assume her place as her Father’s successor before it’s too late.

This wonderful tale serves as Anna Bright’s ode to fairytale heritage. Chapter dividers and inserts offer little instalments and snippets from well-know folk and fairytales which foreshadow the events coming forth. To add to that, some of the main companions on Selah’s journey are named after some of the most well-known storytellers such as Perrault and Lang. I loved these little touches.

I was intrigued that the main heroine hailed from Ptomac as I haven’t read many mainsteam novels from that part of the world. The Arbor hall seemed to emphasise the ways the Ptomacs value the land and this is echoed in Selah’s agricultural upbringing as she looks after her community as one alongside her people. Selah’s character was honest and genuine throughout the start of the book. Her determination and will to not be beaten and take up her rightful role to aid her father was the driving force throughout her narrative. Her experiences of far-off places and the new world unfolded as she travelled to each destination. It was clear to see her turmoil and naivety through the way the potential suitors each individually influenced her attitudes and decision making.

For me, the first part of the book was really intriguing. I enjoyed the sense of journeying through different lands to find a suitor. But somewhere between the first and second/third kingdoms, I got a little lost along the way. Whether it was because I found things slightly repetitive or needed a few extra plot twists and turns to keep me going, I’m not sure. The extent of the story in a snapshot, is a good one; however, the big build-up I was waiting for from the third kingdom, which was feared so much that Selah didn’t even want to journey there, didn’t seem to fully reveal itself. Maybe it will in the sequel.

Either way, Anna Bright’s writing is immersive and lyrical, characters have enough depth, mystery and suspicion for your allegiances to keep shifting and the insights into different territories draws up a brilliant fantasy world based on our own familiar planet. For me, the novel seemed to split itself into two parts. The first half of the book was exceptional and really pulled me into the story, the second half didn’t quite balance with that but I’m still very keen to see where Bright takes this story next.

Have you read The Beholder? Is it on your TBR? Or do you feel like you really need a sailing trip around lots of new kingdoms right about now? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

#Friday56 – The Flatshare

The Biblioshelf11 Comments

Happy FriYAY Bibliofriends!

This week’s Friday 56 is from The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. A really endearing story about how love finds itself in the most unconventional of ways.

Hosted by Freda’s Voice, the Friday 56 is a weekly bookish prompt. It’s quite easy to do and could cover no end of different books and genres so seems great if you’re looking for a quick snippet to discover something new!

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post here in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It’s that simple.

 

IMG_1616

This book was incredibly fun and if this little sneak peek has inspired you to find out more about The Flatshare or pick up the book for yourself then feel free to check out my review of it here: Biblioshelf Musings – The Flatshare.

Have a great weekend everyone! As always, leave me your Friday 56 links or drop me a comment below to chat.

T xx

Biblioshelf Musings – The Flatshare

The Biblioshelf7 Comments

Hi Bibliofriends,

I recently read The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. I kept hearing about this book across the blogging and social media world so when I came across it for 99p on iBooks, I decided to take a punt on it.

Synopsis [from Goodreads]
Tiffy and Leon share a flat
Tiffy and Leon share a bed
Tiffy and Leon have never met…
Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.
But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven’t met yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window…

Book: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
Publication Date: 10th April 2019
Publisher: Quercus
Pages: 400
Rating: 📚📚📚

This read was the perfectly relaxing, light-hearted novel I needed. I really like the uniqueness of Tiffy’s and Leon’s situation – even though they share the flat (and the bed) there is a strict no-meeting clause in their arrangements as they work and use the flat at alternating times. The little notes they leave behind for each other, even though they have never met, allows the reader to discover more about each character as their stories unfold. The dual narrative also compliments this perfectly – Leon has his own way of speaking by omitting some pronouns or determiners; it really does resemble the thought processes of (some) men and their actions/reactions to events happening around them. I like how Tiffy wasn’t the standard tall, thin, beautiful heroine yet also not a token of an overweight person trying to break the mould of literature. She was real, normal and so relatable (apart from her height, she’d definitely tower over me!). Her beauty came from both inside and out, and she wasn’t afraid to show off her passion for home-altered clothing and fashion.

Beneath the heart-warming tale of two people finding each other amongst their distinctive living arrangements is the story of both the dark and light sides of love. Proving that love traverses time and generations, Leon looks after an elderly gentleman called Mr. Prior and helps him to try and track down the long-lost love of his life and fellow war comrade Johnny White. This is paralleled against Tiffy’s past relationship with ex-boyfriend Justin and the traumas that she was faced with after her perception of their relationship drastically changed and she realises what Justin was truly like.  Then there is Richie, Leon’s brother who is facing an appeal for being wrongly arrested and incriminated – he adds a humorous element to the novel and allows for the theme of justice to thread throughout the tale. Not forgetting Gerty, Mo and Rachel who all contribute and add their own fun dynamics.

Beth O’Leary created such a wonderful mix of characters which I grew to be fond of and enjoyed spending literary time with. The Flatshare brought me humour, joy and a sense that even the most painful and vulnerable memories can be overcome with the right people around you to help. It also gave me my new, perfect dieting excuse… upper arm “cake weight”, which has inspired me to also come up with forearm gin weight, upper thigh chocolate weight, lower calf Doritos weight and ankle pizza weight – albeit perhaps not the healthiest influence I’ve ever taken from a novel!

Have you read The Flatshare? Do you have the perfect dieting excuse like Tiffy’s? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx