Let’s settle this age-old question. I’ve had a lot of people tell me they didn’t like a book because they didn’t like the main character, which is fair. I tend to dislike a book if I dislike the protagonist, but it depends. If I dislike a character because of personality traits that I don’t personally…… Continue reading Do Protagonists Need to be Likable?
Tag: writing
Why Are Parents in YA Books Always Dead?
Seriously. Haven’t you ever noticed the pattern? From children’s chapter books to YA books, the main character seems to always have at least one dead parent. The orphan character has become an archetype that we tend to know and love–Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter, Orphan Annie. But why is this, and is it necessary?…… Continue reading Why Are Parents in YA Books Always Dead?
A Non-Comprehensive List of Things I Want to See Less of in Books
A while ago I did a post about things I want to see more of in books. You can read that here. I thought I’d do the opposite now. These are things I’m just sick of reading about. “She let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding.” Love triangles between the girl-next-door, the…… Continue reading A Non-Comprehensive List of Things I Want to See Less of in Books
Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing (Corsair)
For the past couple of years, it seemed like everyone was raving about this book. Last year, I picked it up because it was on sale and I had heard of it, but not knowing what it was about I put it to the side to collect dust. But now the movie is out and…… Continue reading Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing (Corsair)
Book Review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (Viking)
I recently joined a few virtual book clubs, and one of them was for booktokers in Ohio. For this month, we voted to read A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (published by Viking). This had been on my “want to read” shelf for a while, so I was so excited to read it! Deborah…… Continue reading Book Review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (Viking)
ARC Review: Adventures in Thousandworld: The Darkenstar by Joseph A. Davis (Eken Press)
Back in May, the author reached out to me on Instagram and asked if I’d be interested in reading his middle grade fantasy that had recently been translated from Sweedish. I said of course, but I only just got around to reading it (sorry Joseph!) Thank you so much for this copy in exchange for…… Continue reading ARC Review: Adventures in Thousandworld: The Darkenstar by Joseph A. Davis (Eken Press)
Book Review: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (St. Martins)
Back in March, I read Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, and it is quite probably my favorite read of the year. Not long after, I went to the bookstore and picked up One Last Stop, because I needed to read more McQuiston, and I finally got around to reading it. If you…… Continue reading Book Review: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (St. Martins)
Characters I’d Name My Children After
It’s probably a bad idea to name your kids after fictional characters, but it’s also something I would totally do. I say that now because I don’t have kids, of course. But if I did, and didn’t want them to be bullied, but wanted them to be named after some badass characters…I think these would…… Continue reading Characters I’d Name My Children After
Book Review: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas (Balzer + Bray)
A few years ago I read The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and was absolutley blown away. So, back in January when I went to Myopic Books in Chicago and found a used copy of On the Come Up, I knew it was fate telling me to read it. I finally got around to…… Continue reading Book Review: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas (Balzer + Bray)
Book List: Refugee Stories
Diversity matters. Representation matters. Part of the reason we read is to build empathy and understanding. We try to see what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes. But we also love seeing when someone like us is in the books we love. Here are some books about refugees and their stories. The Girl…… Continue reading Book List: Refugee Stories
Living For Literature 