It's been a

Chatterbox: Blab About Books

The Best Books I've Been Reading Lately
It's been a...
It's been a while, I apologize-
 
I've been immensely busy with writing and everything, but I wanted to just kind of check-in, and list some of my favorites that I've been reading recently.
But first I kind of want to mention- I'm writing a novel! I started writing one in third grade, but I kind of lost interest in it. It was a really good experience though, and I wanted to start something new that isn't fantasy- I tend to lean towards dystopia/corrupt government & realistic fiction these days. Anyway, I'm trying to target it towards the people who are past younger kids novels & want more depth in books, but can't quite yet go to YA, which is where I am. I kind of want to ask those people some questions:
-How do you feel about romance, but only at the most extreme point kissing/fluff, nothing past that?
-What type of characters do you like? The protagonist/female lead I have in mind is kind of nerdy, outspoken, and speaks fluid movie/book/tv show references, so if you have any thoughts on that, let me know.
-What do you value in books the most? ex. writing style, character development, etc. 
-What annoys you about a lot of the books you read?
-What are some of your favourite books/movies, what elements or scenes do you like about them, and why?
-The male lead's character's name is Sky, but I can't find a good last name for him. Any ideas?
-Anything else you'd like to add about what you'd like to see in a book or something else that might help me make it more likeable for readers?
Anyway, wish me luck on the novel and I might post some excerpts from it later on. So, to get right in it:
-
Carry On & Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell- (12+) These are probably more in the YA section, but despite the cursing and such, they're both incredible books full of depth, romance, and just a lot of really amazing characters. If you plan to read them, read Fangirl first, because Carry On is a spin-off of Fangirl. If you can, I would definitely give them a spin- they're amazing. Fangirl is about a girl who goes to college, and can't quite let go of a younger kid's books series which she writes fanfiction for called Simon Snow. She does learn that she can let herself have some fun and keep up with her love for books, and it's a really inspiring, sometimes-heartbreaking story. (Also- if you've read Carry On and loved it- I'm so excited for Wayward Son coming out September 24th!)
Becoming by Michelle Obama- (If you're on this site, you can probably read it- you're old enough.) Even though I'm only on about the 7th chapter, I really love this book. It's about Michelle Obama and her journey of becoming herself, the wife of Barrack Obama, and being First Lady. It's incredibly well-written and deserves a read.
The Darkest Minds [Trilogy] by Alexandra Bracken- (11+) This one is my favourite dystopian series of all time, and dystopia is my favourite genre, so it's pretty high on my favourites list. The only extreme bits are violence and cursing, which is why it's 11+ for me. It's really well-written with good characters. Basically, America has been struck by a disease causing all children about 18 or younger to either die or gain powers. Some are more dangerous than others but the government sees them all as a threat and sends them into rehabilitation camps that to the public are helpful but are really horrible places. Sixteen-year-old Ruby & three other kids with abilities who have broken out of their camps find themselves on an adventure to find asylum and help. The series goes: The Darkest Minds, Never Fade, In the Afterlight, & the newest one, the Darkest Legacy which is set five years later. There's also some novellas which I haven't read including In Time & Sparks Rise.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- (10+) I simply cannot express how much I love this book. Set in World War II, we get to see a girl's struggle as she has to live through it, housing a Jew in her basement and falling in love with books. It's from the point of view of Death himself, and it's incredibly beautiful. There's cursing and one incredibly explicit chapter, and a lot of violence, but it's not as YA as a lot of other YA books. This is the kind of book that breaks you and heals you and breaks you again, the kind that makes you think, the kind that you just can't read fast, the kind that makes you want to curl up into a ball and cry, the kind that makes you reevaluate your entire existence, and the kind that deserves every ounce of praise it ever got and more. You have to read it if you can, and if you aren't old enough, read it when you are.
 The Inheritance Cycle [Quartet] by Christopher Paolini- (8+) My only complaint is how long it is. One thing I want to get straight though, is that the author planned the whole series and wrote the first book at fifteen years old. And it's a masterpiece. It feels Lord-of-the-Rings-esque, he created his own languages, his own marvelous characters, his own world, this amazing series about how one human became something more and saved his land from tyranny. It's 8+ because the writing style is immensely complex and you have to read it carefully to understand it. Also, the books are incredibly thick, heavy, and there are a lot of words on each page, not to mention there are four of them. I haven't read the last book yet because I just need a break from how much this series gives you. I'd give it a shot because it isn't for everyone, but I think it's worth sitting through it because it's so good.
[Okay, so I think I might give some more later because this is getting incredibly long. What are some of your favourite books right now? Have you read any books that aren't quite YA but are almost there that you think I might like?] 
Bye for now, Queenie. 
submitted by queen.of.the.library, age old enough, not in kansas anymore
(February 22, 2019 - 11:28 am)

back to the Blab about Books

Yo!

About your questions about your novel:

1) Romance is OK for me as long as there's no more than 2 or 3 couples in the story and it isn't physically described too much. Also . . . see 4)

2) Characters? Interesting question. I like very flamboyant, out-of-this-world characters with very distinct personalities and comical habits, like in Dickens novels (I know I'm such a nerd to read Dickens novels but WHATEVER they're amazing even if they were published in the 1800's!)

3) It would take a lot of thought for me to answer this question, and I don't have time, so . . .

4) AGH!!!!

I was actually going to make a post about this myself!!!!!!!

One thing is when the main character is a girl and she makes friends with a boy. It's not that I don't approve of boys and girls being friends, it's just so annoying that in SO MANY BOOKS it's that way, and the author usually incorporates a hint of romance into it, which can be annoying..... Because for some odd reason I don't enjoy romance as much when it's between characters who are already friends, it just makes things awkward and . . .oh, I dunno how to explain it.

Also, I have read many books with this general idea, and I'm getting tired of it:

There's a lonely girl with a dead, whimsical mother and a dad who may or may not be in love with some unsavory woman, and they move into a new town where the girl meets either some mysterious other girl or some weird boy and becomes close friends with them.

Also:

There's some random person who discovers that they are actually a wizard (HP) or an elf (KotLC) or whatnot and are whisked away to some magical world.

OK. Rant over. Moving on . . .

5) I love Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Wings of Fire, Green Ember, Aria of the Sea, Wingfeather Saga, The Familiars, and many other books for the awesome worldbuilding the authors put into them.

I love the suspense of Wings of Fire, the Green Ember and Keeper of the Lost Cities.

I love the similes and elegant wording of Green Ember, The Cheshire Cheese Cat, and Lord of the Rings.

I love the excellent and unique characters of the aforementioned Dickens novels, Wings of Fire, Green Ember, Wingfeather Saga, and Harry Potter.

6) Hmm....I would need to know more about his personality.

7) Nuttin' else! Good luck with your book! 

 

submitted by Spiffycat
(February 23, 2019 - 4:24 pm)
submitted by Toppers Inc.
(February 24, 2019 - 4:46 pm)

1) I love romance if it's done well! I don't think it's necessary to have a good story, though, and depending on context some tales can benefit from a lack of it. There are plenty of other dynamics between people that can be equally as interesting, and we don't see spotlighted as often.

2) I tend to adore very over-the-top, talkative, dramatic characters. Especially when they're kind of jerks. These bright, burning, colorful people, reckless and arrogant, often hiding a tragic past or deep insecurity? Yesss. Scrappy, ambitious, revolutionary souls with just a touch of naivete.

3) Probably characters. I could sit through a novel of character studies and not get bored for a second.

4) Love. Triangles. I love romance in books! Just not love triangles! They're overused, cliche, and don't give me anything other than unnecessary drama and a desire to gouge my eyes out with a spoon. It ruins characters, plots, and heck, entire novels. No thanks.

Also, a lot of fantasy books tend to be super "meh" for me. I get the appeal, sure, and I've read a lot of really good ones, but after a while, it all seems very recycled. It seems to me that a lot of authors use a flashy cover and lots of drama and action to disguise truly mediocre writing.

5) Some of my favorite books include: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong. I'm sure there are more but I can't think of any...

6) I tend to use last name generators to find surnames. Some really good ones let you customize it based on time period, location, and heritage.

7) Good luck with the novel! I don't have any specific suggestions, the important thing for you is to knock out that first draft and then worry about it later. :P

submitted by Abigail, age Old enough, Inside my head
(March 5, 2019 - 12:59 am)