Tag: sixforsunday

#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

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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

#SixForSunday – Series I Can Now Finish (Because I Have The Sequel!)

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Happy Sunday Bibliofriends,

Can you believe we’re actually in the final weekend of June?! The month has flown so quickly!
I changed up the theme slightly for Six For Sunday this week as I had practically zero to contribute to today’s regular theme so I kind of made one up for myself. This S4S I have decided to focus on series I can now finish reading because I own the sequel! Those that catch up with my blog regularly may know that I’m not the best at actually finishing a series so for last month’s birthday, my bookish wishlist was composed almost entirely of sequels. These are the ones I’m planning to get finished before the summer is out!
For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is a weekly list-based meme created by Steph @ALittleButALot and has a different weekly prompt based on a monthly theme.

  • These Divided Shores by Sara Raasch [sequel to These Rebel Waves]
  • Shadow and Flame by Mindee Arnett [sequel to Onyx and Ivory]
  • All The Wandering Light by Heather Fawcett [sequel to Even The Darkest Stars]
  • Given to the Earth by Mindy McGinnis [sequel to Given to the Sea]
  • Cloak of Night by Evelyn Skye [sequel to Circle of Shadows]
  • Rage by Cora Carmack [sequel to Rage – book 2 of the trilogy]

Have you read any of these series? Got any recommendations on which one I should tackle first? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

 

#SixForSunday – Backlist Books

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Happy Sunday Bibliofriends,

How has June been for you so far? Are you on track with your reading goals? This week I decided to do something a little different for Six For Sunday as I’d been struggling a little with June’s theme. As I missed out on the April theme and it seemed really relevant to my bookshelves, I thought I’d do an April prompt about books that have been on my shelves forever! There were so many to choose from, I think I could have done 60 for Sunday rather than 6! For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is a weekly list-based meme created by Steph @ALittleButALot and has a different weekly prompt based on a monthly theme.

  • The Princess Bride by William Goldman
    This is such a classic and I loved the film so so much that I really do need to get my ass in gear and actually read this book!
  • White Teeth by Zadie Smith
    She has been hailed as one of the great writers of today’s modern fiction world so I’d really like to pick this one up at some point in the next year(!). I think the sheer size of it and the tiny font has been putting me off slightly.
  • The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
    This sits so prominently on my bookshelves and the neon pink font of the author’s name is like a constant reminder hanging over my head that I have probably owned this book for nearly 10 years and still not read it yet – I just can’t seem to part with a book before I’ve at least given it a little chance.
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
    I think I bought this as part of the Between Two Books Book Club which is made up of Florence + the Machine fans – I can’t think of any other reason why it would have appeared on my shelves!
  • Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
    It seemed quite relevant to include this book in this list having spent the past few months living amidst a global pandemic!
  • Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
    Another practically modern classic that I just haven’t got around to reading. I thankfully haven’t seen the film either so I’m not spoiled about what happens. I think this may be one of those books that I have to be in the mood to read.

There you go, an insight into my backlist books, a majority of which were purchased before I became addicted to Fantasy and it took precedence over all other reading material! Do you have any backlist books on your shelves? What are your best ways of getting through them? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

 

 

#SixForSunday – Favourite LGBTQ+ Characters and Romances

The Biblioshelf3 Comments

Happy Sunday Bibliofriends,

How has your week been? I decided to mix things up a little bit this week for Six for Sunday. When I was planning my posts, I found that a lot of the characters/books I picked for this week’s prompt (favourite LGBT characters) were the same as next week’s S4S post (favourite LGBT romances) so I decided to put them both together. For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is a weekly list-based meme created by Steph @ALittleButALot and has a different weekly prompt based on a monthly theme.

  • Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood – The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
    I adore Magnus’ character in this series and can’t wait to read more about him in The Infernal Devices (I’m just navigating my way onto Clockwork Prince). He and Alec have such a cute relationship and they’re definitely one of my favourite couples in the series.
  • Bea – Anna K by Jenny Lee
    Bea is one of the more vibrant characters in Jenny Lee’s modern uplift of the Anna Karenina story originally by Tolstoy (you can read my review of it here). She is quite liberated when it comes to her sexuality and comes across as someone who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it.
  • Cara and Dell – The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
    This book had such an original story attached to it involving a multiverse and doppelgängers. It really added an extra dimension to the relationship between Cara and Dell – there’s an episode with an earring and I think it really showed how much one meant to another even if there was a lot of angst at different parts of the story! Read the review here!
  • Jesper Fahey and Wylan Van Eck – Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo
    Jesper is such an awesome character and I couldn’t write a post about my favourite LGBTQ+ characters without including him in it!
  • Loras Tyrell – Game of Thrones by George R R Martin
    Ah, the Knight of the Flowers – I love the idea of Highgarden and think that it would be an awesome place to visit. Whilst I haven’t finished reading all of the books or even watched all of the series yet, I like the imagery that Ser Loras and his floral armour bring to the books and films.
  • Patrick – The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
    I think Patrick goes through a pretty tough time during The Perks Of Being A Wallflower and I actually think it’s a sad reflection of what a lot of people who are gay go through when it comes to their relationships and coming out about their sexuality to their wider friends, family and in public.

Who are some of your favourite LGBT characters or romances?  Do you feel that the LGBT community are well-represented in modern literature? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

 

 

#SixForSunday – LGBTQ+ Books on my TBR

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Happy Sunday Bibliofriends,

How are we in June already? 🙃 A new month brings a new Six For Sunday theme and so befittingly for June we are celebrating all things Pride related. 🌈

I don’t tend to read much LGBTQ+ representations in literature and before anyone @’s me I have no prejudices whatsoever but I do feel that whilst YA is starting to feature these voices more and more, there is only now beginning to be a greater representation of these characters within the more mainstream fantasy books that I read. I could be wrong so please feel free to respectfully educate me!

With that in mind, this week’s Six For Sunday is focused on books on my TBR which have an LGBTQ+ representation. For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is a weekly list-based meme created by Steph @ALittleButALot and has a different weekly prompt based on a monthly theme.
Title headings link to Goodreads.

  • Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
    Anything to do with royals immediately grabs my attention and I liked that this read sounded fun and contemporary which is why it has found it’s way onto my TBR.
  • Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
    This has been on my TBR since it came out in a Fairyloot box quite a while ago. I’m going to use my typical ‘I-can’t-start-another-series-just-yet’ excuse before starting this one!
  • The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
    I recently read Circe and loved Madeline Miller’s writing style. She made me feel such empathy towards the main character and everyone I have spoken to has said that The Song of Achilles is even better so I can’t wait to pick this one up.
  • The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
    This is where I had to start trawling Goodreads to find LGBTQ+ representations in books that I had wanted to read. There seemed to be quite a bit of hype surrounding this series so I’m intrigued to see what it’s all about.
  • Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
    I had no idea that this would fit this week’s Six For Sunday brief despite it being on my want to read pile for ages now.
  • The Trials of Apollo Series by Rick Riordan
    Again, another series I didn’t know would be relevant here but I feel like I need to read the Percy Jackson series first before following up with this. All the new hype surrounding the PJ Disney+ series is making me want to channel my inner Camp Half-Blood mindset.

Completio! Would you recommend me any of these series or are there some here that are also on your TBR? What’s your favourite type of LGBTQ+ representation in literature? As always, leave your link below or drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

 

 

#SixforSunday – Heart Wrenching Series Endings

The Biblioshelf4 Comments

Merry Sunday Bibliofriends!

How has your weekend been? I have spent mine reading, reading, reading! I have shocked myself into reading 3 books so far this month and we’re little over a week through May. I think I’m finally getting the hang of this lockdown malarky which is typical as we’ll probably be coming out of it soon. My mother always says that I manage to start doing something well by the time it gets to the end! 🙈😂

Anyway, this week’s Six For Sunday is based on heart-wrenching endings to a series. Obviously there were some that immediately came to mind and others which took a little more consideration. I’m also in that reading phase at the minute where I’ve stopped reading any new series because there’s so many that I haven’t finished yet! Heading links should go to the series page on Goodreads.
For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is a weekly list-based meme created by Steph @ALittleButALot and has a different weekly prompt based on a monthly theme.

Harry Potter

Now, a little bad habit that I tend to do when reading is that I skip to the end to see how many chapters the book has… so obviously skipping to the end of Harry Potter and seeing ‘that’ epilogue title shocked me into wanting to quit my bad habit it didn’t work. Regardless, this is still the series that has given me my biggest book-hangover to date. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it to be honest!

Throne of Glass

Whereas the Harry Potter ending was like the soul-shattering end of a world/era… Kingdom of Ash rendered me utterly distraught in a completely different way. I’m surprised the pages of my book didn’t disintegrate due to me crying through nearly the entire 900+ pages. The chapter with the Thirteen 😭, the bit with the ACOTAR link 😉,  and then just the sheer scope of that ending with my most beloved characters and the journey that they endured… I am definitely going to do a reread of this whole series in the very near future!

ACOTAR

Chapter 55 of Court of Wings and Ruin I remember distinctly. I had to shut the book, wait for everyone else to leave my house and then I had to be alone with that finale. Now I know SJM isn’t for everyone, but there’s just something about the worlds and characters that she creates which keeps my little bookish heart hanging on every last letter.

Six of Crows Duology

It’s almost impossible to say why I found this so heart wrenching without using any spoilers but for one of my favourite ships in this book, the thing that happened to them left me in denial right until I closed the last page. I then had to check the Grishaverse Wikia just to confirm it in my brain. They’d fought against all the odds and I’d been championing them the whole way through the series… devastated!

The Illuminae Files

This series is so wonderful and unique, I’ve never read anything like it before. I included it in this list as it felt that there was so much that became resolved at the end of the third book. What with all of the memos, video transcripts, email messages and all of the different mediums through which this story is told, I really shared in the victory of the characters. And then the ending with the bit in the restaurant Vitalys and then the very very final twist… it was just a brilliant ending to the series!

Ok so my 6th choice I had noted down The Languedoc series by Kate Mosse purely because it was a really meaty series and I felt a sense of achievement at reaching the end… but now I’m here I just can’t explain why I would have found it heart wrenching – therefore, I’m going to sub it for a non-series novel (don’t tell that I cheated)!

One Day by David Nicholls

I can’t quite remember what exact assignment it was but I definitely had a piece of work that was desperately due in, but I’d made the coincidental mistake of reading One Day at the exact same time and it came to the part where I just could not put the book down! I remember sitting at my laptop (essay open on screen) and just bawling my eyes out at what happened. It was such a sorrowful and almost cruel ending to the story but then I guess that’s what Nicholls was going for. The film never did quite convey that scene as well as the novel. A definite ‘heart wrenching’ pick despite not being a series!

Any surprise choices here for you? Drop me a comment, leave me your link and let me know what books ripped your heart out or made you bawl into the pages. Happy Sunday team!

T xx