When every character is like 17 and somehow everyone has already found the love of their life? at 17? why? this really annoys me. Why everyone is in a relationship?
@@lauramolina3337 YES and then they act like no 17 year old would. The author just write that the character is 17 so that the young audience can relate, it's a cheap trick if you ask me
@@cristinapetcu9491 oooh Sarah J Maas comes to mind. She makes a clear point of making every single character look like slender, gorgeous supermodels with shiny hair.
I agree so much!! So often YA books set in highschool show characters being madly in love and perfect pairs and staying together forever and... it's reaaally not that common or realistic
Marie of course, that’s what I meant by “every character”, if it was one every once in a while, then it’s fine, but what annoys me it’s when Every main character is 17 and everyone it’s in a relationship and everyone has already found the love of their life, I think THAT is sooo unrealistic.
That's how I feel about a lot of slice of life/literary fiction stories, too similar to mundane life, with no added spice, and I always end up bored. Most of the contemporary I read is romance oriented, which for me, is escapism. I don't have a lot of romantic experience, but I love stories of love.
I get so frustrated when someone says they, “only read nonfiction.” It has always been in the context of looking down at other genres... never just a simple expression of preference. I think it actually put me off reading nonfiction for a long time.
I broke it off with someone because they only read non fiction and I only read fiction (same with film / tv preferences) and we literally had nothing to talk about. My shortest and dullest "relationship" ever 😅
I don't think it's always the case. I guess it's like the difference between being vegan and telling everyone you're vegan lol. My husband reads rarely and when he does it's usually about history. But it doesn't reflect on his personality and doesn't make a difference in our relationship. (Plus he lets me gush about all the books I'm reading so maybe he's secondhand reading them through me hahaha)
I know there are always jerks who make non-fiction snobby, but as a non-fiction booktuber I promise most of us love all books, we just love non-fiction! I'm insanely curious about the world so I read a lot of non-fiction to learn (ex. history of pizza, memoirs about chefs). I think non-fiction books can be lyrical and be full of great stories as well. I hope you give it a chance :)
@@Readitandeat Sorry, I didn't mean, in turn, to offend nonfiction lovers; I've read quite a bit of nonfiction at this point in my life and really do enjoy it. It has just been my experience that when someone made a point to say they only read nonfiction, it was done in a condescending way. I know people who do prefer the genre, but they don't imply that it is superior.
Nonfiction is wonderful, and it teaches us about the world in ways that fiction never could. BUT, fiction offers unique insights of its own. I forget who said it, but novels are empathy machines, forcing us to assume the perspectives of imaginary people as they confront challenges we will never face. When you read nonfiction, you learn information. When you read a novel, you live another life for a few days. When people say (condescendingly) they "only read nonfiction" they eschew the experiential knowledge fiction offers for the literal, contextual knowledge nonfiction affords them. Both are important.
i sort of agree and disagree with the judging older books by today's standards. i think we definitely should read literature from the past and admire the writing and discuss the important themes relating to the societal climate of the time. however, i also think its important to talk about the more problematic aspects of these books and WHY they would no longer be acceptable in a text in the present day! you can absolutely consume and even admire a "problematic" piece of art or fiction, as long as you take the time to educate yourself on its possible harmful aspects
mads g I agree! I once had to read a book in my AP Lit class with anti-semitism in it, and it was acknowledged in the beginning, but the teacher never discussed it afterwards. And I remember feeling so uncomfortable - being Jewish myself - while everyone seemingly looked the other way.
I, too, find the notion of judging older books somewhat problematic. It is important to acknowledge that moral philosophy is not monolithic now, nor was it at any point in the past. Different people make moral judgements differently, and I find I am best served by seeking to understand how and why they make those judgements. In most cases, I do not choose to adopt their reasoning, but it still enriches my life to understand their moral stance. This is true in the present, and it is true about how I view older fiction. Reading works that I find morally challenging strengthens my convictions rather than weakens them. Except for Ayn Rand. She was a psychopath. Let's all avoid that dumpster fire.
Yes I agree! We can still read and enjoy the old books but acknowledge their prejudice. I read a lot of Agatha Christie and there's a lot of out-dated views and racism in them
Potentially unpopular opinion: I judge books by their covers. Some of my favorite books I picked up just because they have pretty covers, knowing nothing about them.
Same. The thing I kinda figure is that you can’t pick every book off the shelf one by one. You find a pretty cover/spine, check the blurb and then you’re good to go. Covers can also be pretty indicative of what’s inside. Like you know exactly what the books gonna be if it’s got a girl in a semi see through dress clinging to a guy with shoulder length hair on a balcony/stairs 😂
I bought House of Leaves because the spine of the book is beautiful and it was an amazing book that I will never forget. The cover of Cloud Atlas is one of my favorite covers, but I didn't like the book much. I kept it anyway because of the beautiful cover art. And sometimes I spend a LONG time looking for a particular cover /edition just based on looks alone. :)
There's definitely some smart marketing behind several cover designs that actually can portray the vibe of the story. I don't necessarily judge books by their covers but I do pick up covers that I like more often than ones that don't speak to me.
I do the same thing! If the cover doesn’t look interesting to me. I also judge based on the title. Title and cover has to be somewhat interesting for me to even read the synopsis.
An unpopular book opinion that I hear a lot is that once you “age out” of a certain age group that you can’t enjoy reading them anymore. For example, as a female in their late 20s, I was told by someone in a book club forum that I couldn’t read children’s literature, middle grade, or YA because I can’t properly appreciate it. Good writing can be appreciated what ever age you are.
Oh this was something I struggled with for a long time. I love all sorts of books for all ages, but I never grew out of reading middle grade and YA, which worried my parents. They're fun books! The younger they are, typically the more lighthearted they tend to be and the less romance with weird messages you tend to find (excluding YA which made me horrified at the idea of romance for a very long time till I actually found enough good instances of it in books to realize its doesn't have to be that weird and unnatural). I love reading fantasy and there's just more of it with more than just epics when you read for younger groups as well. Long story short, it took me till I went to a friend's house and saw that their mother owned a bunch of my favorite series for me to realize that its okay to read what you like without feeling guilty for not reading "higher".
I was about 22 when I stopped reading and unhauled all the YA books I owned. Not because I thought I outgrew them, I just got fed up with a lot of the instalove and things like that in the books I was reading and adult books drew me in. But that's just me. I don't look down on adults who read YA and middle grade. We all have different tastes and can read and enjoy what we want to read, without being judged
I think lots of popular booktubers put too much focus on number of books read rather than trying to read ‘better’ books. I’d much prefer to only read 2 books per month that are incredible and stay with me for life rather than read 10 of the same type of book each month. Quality over quantity for me any day.
I think everyone should read what they want, however, what I find annoying is when they start only reading short easy reads just with the goal of reading more books, not because they think they will love and stop reading books they may love because it will take them longer because of the page count / they difficulty of the writing.
I read a lot of books a months tbh but it's more bc there's just so many good books I want to read, I ditch books easily when I don't vibe with them (reasons why my goodreads rating is pretty high) so I find it sad when I see a video full of books someone read when they just hate most of them like sis why you doin this to yourself, book numbers aren't that important
I agree even though people read whatever they want, I much prefer reading big books that sticks with me for a long time, and I don't like to finish one, pick another one right after, I need to process and I don't want to forget what I read by reading something else, idk if that makes sense
Cee Bee Read ‘better’ books? You don’t exactly go into a book knowing you’re gonna read a ‘better’ book than the previous one. You have to read books to know if they’re ‘better’ or not; so calling out booktubers for reading a lot of the same books over reading less doesn’t exactly hold up, does it?
@@ajmatt574 I wasn’t quite sure how to word my comment hence the use of ‘better’. I think there’s a push on some channels to read quantity over quality thats all. If someone’s into only easy reads for them then thats their choice. Whatever makes them happy. It’s just that personally I prefer to read more widely and challenge myself with the books I pick up, rather than reading the same sort of book on repeat. Obviously some of the books I read end up being 1 star for me but at least I’m trying to venture out of my confort zone by not exclusively reading ya and thrillers for example. No shade intended but that’s what some people do, which isn’t my jam.
Well, I see people complaining all the time about the characters in freaking GONE GIRL not being likable, so go figure. I mean, that book wouldn't even exist if the characters were likable!
I get why people on booktube don't understand people who don't like reading. But tbh, some people just won't ever get into reading and that's okay??? I am getting bored watching movies and series, not because the movies are bad, but because I just get bored? So I prefer reading. Other people may feel different. To each what he prefers, right? Just let people enjoy things🤷
Yeah... I don't really trust people who give everything 5 stars. Same with reactors on YT. It's good to be optimistic, but when person likes everything it just feel like they're scared to offend some part of their audience so they pretend to love everything.
That's an engraved attitude about every area of life. If a person is not wholeheartedly enthusiastic about EVERYTHING; someone is going to think you're not a good person, not a team player, etc. Personally, I hate that paradigm.
But on the other side, some people genuinely enjoy pretty much everything and aren't picky about their books. It is highly possible that they are genuine amd honest and love all the stories they read. :)
Who hates redemption arcs? Have you not read good redemption arcs? Oof. I tend to love them. I get when the villain/antagonist are redeemed just before they sacrifice themselves or when they fall in love with the hero/heroine because *gag* but I've seen it done really well. But even better than redemption arcs? Temptation arcs. Count of Monte Crisco---yES.
Unpopular opinion: Many bookubers read what they read just because of traffic the book/series will generate and if they weren’t on TH-cam they would read at least some different books.
"Many bookubers read what they read just because of traffic the book/series will generate " Not untrue but it doesn't have to be a bad thing. It's not like booktube generates that much money so personally even when people mention that they think people lie to get subs/sponsorships... I don't think it matters that much lol It's also usually very obvious! "they would read at least some different books" I think all of us are influenced by what we're seeing on here to be fair! I read plenty of books I wouldn't have read otherwise. Some I love... some I don't haha
@@BookswithEmilyFox Mam, I've just started reading Witching Hour by Anne Rice. I wanted to read a book about witch covens with important male witches in it. So this and Deborah Harkness' Witches trilogy were the recommendations I got according to what I asked in a Goodreads group. Is the Witching Hour worth reading because I don't wish to D.N.F. this giant book halfway ? The only book that I did not finish till this day is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Pretty much all of the books on my goodreads are 3, 4, or 5 stars because I have the unpopular opinion/skill of being easily able to DNF a book. I started a separate shelf on goodreads just for my yearly DNFs. If I'm not enjoying the writing or story or the execution of the idea, and I don't feel like pushing though? DNF. I think people need to get over their fear of DNF-ing books, especially on booktube, because it always feels like they read a book they aren't enjoying just because of their fear of missing out or keeping up with the crowd. Apparently my unpopular opinion is that people should DNF books more!
sometimessunday totally true, I was identifying with the mentioned person in the video that only gives high ratings but after reading your comment this totally makes sense since I dnf many books after a view chapters. This also explains why I read my least favourite books in settings that forced me to finish it like school or a book club.
I don‘t want to judge the pages I have not read. I have had reads that I DNF and picked back up again years later turn out to be 5 star books for me. (Doesn‘t happen often but since it does in my case I would not judge the unknown)
I had a weird phase where I'd deliberately crack the spin on trilogies. Book one got cracked once, two twice and, the third three times. I don't know why
@@BookswithEmilyFox Don't worry I've cured myself but I lent a book to mom recently and the first thing she did was crack the spine, I had kept it pristine. So now I understand your pain, she also fell asleep on the book and bent it 😭😭
This was a really fun videos! My unpopular opinion is: a lot of people misplace many books in the “magical realism” genre. I’m probably salty af because I’m latina and magical realism was born in Latin America, so I’ve read plenty of them and mostly all books that in Booktube are classified as magical realism are not. Maybe it’s a way to not answer for shitty magical systems, but true magical realism is when unusual or “magical” stuff is viewed as completely normal in the real world. Therefore, any fantasy world is not in the genre. Good examples are One hundred years of solitude, by García Marquez and like water for chocolate by Laura Esquivel.
Yeah, exactly, that’s why it’s called “realism”, because it’s also realistic, it’s located in the real world. And also, when they recommend “magical realism” books, and they say it’s magical realism because it’s “weird”, I’m like, that’s not magical realism, it’s just a weird book!
I agree that most BookTubers I've found are into fantasy, YA , or romance, and I can understand it's because of promotions, I wish someone could tell me of a BT'er that talks about thrillers/mysteries or harder SF.
Mara from Books like whoa reads from alll different genres, but she’s definitely a fan of mysteries. She looooves Agatha Christie and closed circle mysterys!
About the not all classics are good, well, I totally agree that some might be boring for some ppl, or that they don't reflect current values. However, they are classics for a reason, and I feel like ppl don't understand how a book enters the literature canon. There is a criteria used by ppl who spend their lives studying them, and it varies according to time and culture. So, yeah it's totally valid to question why a book is so praised by the critics, but you should at least research it? Idk
I love mass market paper backs tbh, they're nice to hold because my hands are small! Not to mention they are way cheaper lol. And I think some booktubers should definitely utilize libraries more if they have the option. I hate when I'm watching a video and they say they can't read a book because they can't find it in a store (obviously this is fine if they don't have access to a library, but I feel like most people I hear this from would have access to a library 🤷♀️) And I think we should make it more common to count book length by word count because it feels more accurate than page count
I promise as a non-fiction booktuber, we're not all jerkfaces lol. Both my sisters are ravenous fantasy readers and I read non-fiction. To each their own! I just want people to read :)
Really?? Wow, and here I am thinking that our imagination and capability to create worlds and tell stories is one of the greatest things humanity has to offer 😁
I always feel asking those kinda people if they see movies or series, because that would be highly hypocritical of them to do so. I had a classmate that was a huge anime buff but judged people who read fiction, like whyyyy. I do not understand how this is a superiority complex 😑
I read both. I read a lot of true crime related books but i also like throwing in fictional books in there too. Non fiction can get boring or too heavy after a while. I personally think it's nice to switch it up but you do you. Read what makes you happy.
My unpopular opinion: Based on evolutionary psychology... The "problematic" relationships in YA novels are just exaggerated scenarios that feed our natural instincts as a species... that’s why they are so popular....I think they are really important to the development of young people and the time they are at in life....(Think twilight for example). I also think that these relationships don't cause unhealthy relationships to form.. these relationships would form with or without these relationships in books based on the personality/trauma of the people that enter them... not because they read them as a child. I could give an entire ted talk on this topic.
Your bangs look fantastic! I also get frustrated when people hate on "unlikeable characters" (interestingly enough, most of the time it's the female ones that bother them even though there are plenty unlikeable male ones too, hmmm...). I honestly never realised that being able to like a main character is such a big deal for people lol
On classics I feel like we should remember that most of the popular and widely known classics were written just for fun and that there weren't meant as a lesson for the generations to come. Of course some were but I think that most writers have been writing for the same reasons authors write now so there is no point in humiliating people for not enjoying classics when we weren't the primer target for this books and the fact that generations before us thought them good, doesn't mean much, there were a lot of shit that those generations thought were good ideas including genocides and segregation and a lot of other questionable stuff. I believe that the main point of reading is enjoyment and if educating yourself be it through classics or nonfiction brings you joy then great for you but not everyone have to read like this
Exactly. Classics starts as regular books, and they become "classics" for several reasons, and we don't have to love/hate them because "it's a classic" (I mean, The Mona Lisa is this well known piece just because it was stealed a lot of times; it's not the only piece in history with a great painting technique...). Classic books are books, period. It's interesting knowing why they are classics, but mocking people who don't read them it's as awful as mocking people for read them (yes, reading classics is not pretentious, is reading. Classic is not even a genre).
Yes putting things and books on pedestal is exactly what was wrong with Middle Ages 😅 Books are book. If you want to be educated on ancient culture and literature it’s ok, if you want to read solely YA it’s ok. Not everyone reads for the same reasons and likes same things. It’s good classics are there it’s great people protect history. Some of my favorite books are classics. But reading should be fun. If someone reads books that require PhD in theology, literature and philosophy to understand one sentence it’s their idea of fun. Many books in history were written as fun. Many books today are elevated for wrong reasons. Read what you want. Reading some Shakespeare can be fun. But it’s totally ok if all you ever read was Twilight.
I think, especially in the case of sci-fi and fantasy, it’s a kind of gatekeeping. Basically indicating that you aren’t a “true fan” if you haven’t read “the classics” of the genre. Which of course is nonsense, because of what you said. Wells, Asimov, Lewis, Tolkien, and Bradbury were all popular novelists of their day and any of us have just as much a right to not be interested in their writing as anyone publishing today.
The best 30% of King's work is very special. Misery, The Shining, Pet Sematary, and Full Dark No Stars live up to the hype. He's a great storyteller who does good work with characters. His prose is effective, but it can be a little cloying at times. His best books couple a great idea with a few wonderful characters. His worst books are so bad that they should be thrown into the boiler at the Overlook hotel (looking at you, Dreamcatcher and From a Buick 8).
Shubham Tiwari, sorry to hear that. It was also my first King novel, and I was captivated from the start. The only thing that annoyed me was the Scheherazade motif-it was ham-fisted and generally unpleasant. Otherwise, the book was a (rather twisted) delight.
I totally relate to the "unhealthy relationships in YA" comment, and I'm so glad this came up...I always felt like I was the only one who thought that! I do think it's gotten much better over the past few years though, as we're seeing much more diversity in YA publishing specifically--though I still say we have ways to go!
Six of Crows was the most disorienting book I've ever read! Every time I would get into the romance/conflict the fact that they were TEENAGERS just boggled my mind and completely took me out of the story. Like we have grown as women simping over Kaz. He is a child in a grown-up suit. Vincent Adultman with trauma.
BookswithEmilyFox OMG I can’t believe you replied! 😍 Totally agree with you. I don’t think of it as a romance but I love the writing and Jane as a character is my favorite!
I sooo agree with hating on unnecessary romance/love scenes in books. I semi-enjoyed the Court of Thorns and Roses, but the love scenes were too excessive. Couldn't help but think throughout the series that it would have been WAY better without the excess smut. It was just too much...
It would be nice to see a French themed TBR, where you have French books or translations in French that you have read/want to read and do the whole video in French. That would be nice. 😊😊
Both my parents read a lot, but our taste is totally different most of times, and it's kinda sad because we can't really discuss the same book. But onece my dad was telling me how bad the book he was reading is. And the plot sounded familiar so I asked for the name, and it turned out to be Throne of Glass🤣 Like, dad, why the F do you get ya romance/fantasy book and then complain about it?!? He seriously should start to read annotations before reading something 😆😆😆
If you think Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester is a problematic relationship or have issues with them, I'd love to hear your thought on Heathcliff and Catherine from Wuthering Heights
I think you shouldn't read a classic if you can't handle the era it was written in and know your not going to like it because it has things in it you don't agree with, it's like me reading sci-fi when I know I am not a fan of science driven books. 😃 I think booktube has evolved over the last few years and we are seeing more readers of every! I have found so many new horror booktuber and its great!
I'm the one who said Mistborn was boring lolololol, I was waiting for this 😂😂 I'm actually currently reading Elantris and I'm really enjoying it, which I feel is another unpopular Sanderson opinion. I see a lot of his fans saying Elantris is the worst one and only hardcore fans should read it for completion's sake but I like it a lot! It's good! He needs to learn how to write female characters and stop having characters endlessly hand-wringing over religion because oh how I don't care, but I've come to expect that from Sanderson so I'll put up with it. I stand by what I said about Mistborn though, I literally couldn't finish The Hero of Ages because I was so bored. I often see this discussion that book reviewers who give everything 5 stars aren't trustworthy, but honestly, what reviewer are they talking about? I'm subscribed to a lot of reviewers and I've never seen anyone rate everything highly. Maybe it's something that happened in the early days of Booktube but I was around back then and I still can't recall anyone who gives every book they read 5 stars. I know it's an old joke but every time I see Emily in the background it makes me laugh 😂
I can’t get through the Final Empire, so I admire the fact that you got to the 3rd one. I look at that series and I wonder all the time how people just fawn over it. I don’t particularly like Vin-there’s just so much about her that is unlikable and contradictory in my eyes.
I liked Mistborn but it's definitely not my favourite by Sanderson. My favourite by him is the Stormlight Archive Series and I also really loved Skyward. I also don't really understand the hate towards Elantris, I liked it haha
I loved Elantris and finished it within a week but Mistborn was too much of an investment for me. Chronic pain sometimes decides whether or not I finish a book and Mistborn ended up in my dnf because of it. Maybe another time.
on love triangles: I agree, most of the time they're not done well - with Twilight, for example, I was totally shocked that there were people out there who were Team Jacob, to me it was always crystal clear that Bella is (& will always be) with Edward, Jacob was just a kid she's friends with who happened to have a crush on her but she didn't have any interest in him at all. Same with The Mortal Instruments (though that was even weirder because Clary does date Simon for almost an entire book). Though I gotta say, The Infernal Devices series (also by Cassandra Clare) actually did the love triangle really well - I genuinely liked both people and both possibilities for coupling to the point where even though I had a clear favorite (Will), during scenes with the other love interest I genuinely wanted them to come to fruition as well
I agree with you that in Twilight it was crystal clear that Bella was always going to want Edward... but, when Jacob came in the picture, you start to see how Bella's life would be a little more realistic in a sense if she were to choose Jacob... she could have children, wouldn't have to abandon her family, etc. I believe that was why some people were team Jacob. Just my opinion
The too fast relationship one got me thinking, is there any (ya) books where the main character is already dating in the beginning of the first book? And they are still together at the end of the series?
Your question really made me go through everything I've ever read and all I can say is.... Mrs and Mr Weasley are still together lol. I think maybe in Illuminae, but if you read that book it's kinda sort of true, but not really? God this is a good one, why have I never paid attention to this? #pleasewriterealrelationships 🙌
I completely agree about the big series with the lead who didn't want kids who ended up having them, seemingly begrudgingly. I assume we are talking abt the same one, but this pisses me off so much, when people end up matched and it's just not realistic. It's OK to end up alone!!!
I try to buy all my books used unless I'm super pumped for a release. I would love to use my library but i have no urgency to read them for some reason...😅
omg the rainbow shelves one! Totally agree. If it's only a few shelves, or a specific series sorted by colour (the penguin English library for example) then I'm totally here for it. But fully rainbow shelves make me gag - why would you separate series and mix genres aaarrghhhh
[Reads primarily non-fiction] It CAN be lyrical and amazing and wonderful! BUT fiction is also great too! I do wish we had more non-fiction specialists on Booktube but I LOVE finding people who do :) Really fun video
30:28 Six of Crows isn't a heist book though? That's not the purpose of the book, it's just marketing. It's a slow, character-driven, character exploration type book with significant heist elements. It's not about the plot, it's about the characters and how they became who they are.
@@lyragillespie3511 It having a heist in it doesn't mean it fits into the heist genre. The plot is the heist, but the purpose of the book is the character study.
I am 100% with you on Jane Eyre. It's one of the few books I have very strong feelings against (Romeo & Juliet, Snow Falling on Cedars, and The School for Good and Evil are the others).
Reading has been my quarantine escape ESPECIALLY fantasy genre. Definitely agree on the escapism. Ugggghh A Wizard of Earthsea. It was so very painful. I finished it only because I had a very good friend who begged me to read it and my love for my friend was the only thing that kept me reading it.
Aristotles and Dante, bad ? well that fucking hurts, it's one of my favourite books of all times...That's typically the kind of book I love: slice of life, coming of age, contemporary YA, especially those that have LGBTQ+ and/or mental health rep. I guess it all depends on our tastes :)
THANK YOU for saying that steven king is overrated. I feel like the only person ever who doesn't like his work. I've tried reading several of his books and I was just bored through them all. The book I got the furthest with was Misery and I put it down and didn't pick it up again even though I was at the climax of the book. Very unpopular opinion. I don't like any of Brandon Sanderson's work. I've tried reading three of his series and I was very bored through it all. The only thing I liked about any of his work was the character Kaladen (I don't know if I'm spelling his name right) from the way of kings.(I only got to around 300 pages of the hardcover of that book) I've just found everything from his work to be vey boring and I couldn't find myself caring about any of the characters except for Kaladen. I was also very bored reading Six of Crows and never liked Twilight. Although Heist stories and Vampires are generally things I don't like anyway so... yeah.
I loved Way of Kings, but I always felt like I was the only one who didn‘t enjoy Brandon Sanderson‘s work so much. I dnf‘ed the Mistborn series and Elantris because I was bored and didn‘t think it was that well done. Anyway I‘m glad I still gave Way of Kings a chance after these disappointments, but I totally get what you mean.
@@zoyarau4142 I think Way of Kings was the book from him I liked the best. Even though I didn't finish it. Although I haven't been able to finish any of his works but, It's the one that I did like the best of the ones I read. I had thought of giving it another try but, when I heard from another booktuber that there was a love triangle in the series I decided not to pick it up again since that is a trope I hate in any book or genre. If there was a book only dedicated to Kaladen I would actually read that. I really liked that character. (what I've read of him) Mistborn was so boring! I kept on hearing everyone praising that trilogy and so I gave it a go but, I got really bored with everything from the magic system to the characters. I wanted to like things from Brandon Sanderson. I really did but, I was just really bored. The only thing I did like from him was his character Kaladen. I kind of liked the Uncle guy ummm, hmm I don't remember his name but, he was one of the main POV's. The older guy who had the flirtatious nephew... I think? He was a main POV anyway. I Love Lord of The Rings (once I got past the older English style of writing, watching the movies first helped) and I love The Riyria Revelations/Chronicles. I think the Riyria Revalations/Chronicles is my new top favorite fantasy series that's come out more recently than LOTR.
I've never read anything by them and have zero interest in doing so. Bit unusual based on my reading taste but somehow I think they will never get me interested in reading their stuff.
Ethereal Ephemera Six of Crows was just horrible. Kaz is just so effing unlikeable-and tbf, he’s supposed to be a morally gray character, but when you read a book and wish the guy had died...yeah, there’s something wrong with that thought process. And he did absolutely nothing the entire book but get himself punched in the gut and also almost got them caught because he went rogue...then to turn around at the end and exclude Jesper on something important because he didn’t think Jesper...well, Kaz didn’t think at all in that scenario. He only has himself to blame. He didn’t want Jesper to spill the beans about guys-whose-name-I-don’t-remember-now while on a boat out on the water. Who was Jesper gonna talk too, mermaids?
@@ajmatt574 I agree with you. I was pretty much bored and the characters were pretty unlikeable or I just couldn't get attached and the story was just really boring for me. I only got a few chapters in before I DNF'd it.
I thought Aristotle and Dante.. would be a nice story about how gay and straight boys can be friends and still be loving and affectionate toward each other. So I was disappointed by the ending
Once I went shopping with a friend and I bought a book, she asked to see it and proceeds to crack the spine. I almost broke up the friendship right then and there. What I really hate is over-rating books. For me 5 stars is for a favourite, something I want to re-read. Not all books can be favourites. I don't trust anyone who has an average rating of over 4 stars. Oh and finally, I love ebooks (I barely own any physical books), why is that such a problem for some people??
Whenever possible I still get physical books from the library to support them but I will gladly read ebooks too if there are no hard copies available. Of course I love having actual books on my shelves but ebooks are very convenient, especially if you want to read something that's out of print
i wish i could like unlikeable characters but if i don't care about them i spend the whole book hoping they mysteriously die and then i get sad when they don't 😂
I honestly really agree with His Dark Materials. I'm trying so hard to like it but they're so disjointed. Some of the people were so self-righteous and pretentious with their unpopular opinions.
I really don't like hardbacks so I agree with that one... they take up more space on my shelves and I don't have much space, they don't fit in my handbag easily and I always carry books around. They definitely look pretty when under the cover has patterns but they're not practical for me personally
Unrelated to this video, but seeing Daughter of Smoke and Bone on your unread shelf makes me slightly nervous but excited for you to read it. Laini Taylor is one of my favorite authors, I'll read anything she writes. But I also know you are a slightly more critical reader than I am, and I don't want you to hate it. 😅
I hate that they crack and that they're uncomfortable but I do like that they look like a brick specifically lol especially when they're as heavy as a brick
I think people recommend Stranger in a Strange Land because--yes, there may be some problematic things, it doesn't dominate the book. BUT it does have those things you mentioned, there are concepts and ideas and behaviors that are really engaging and interesting. I really liked The Moon is a Harsh Mistress--I think there are fewer issues than in Stranger in a Strange Land, but similar large concepts that are quite enjoyable. Friday was a lot of fun, but more because of the adventure than larger concepts (it also was one of his cases against polyamory, and yet it seemed to show how well it worked?)
I love magical realism as a general rule but didn’t think it was a popular opinion because I, personally, don’t know anyone else who actually likes it.
I have a copy of a wizard of earthsea and I had no idea it was considered a classic. I read maybe a few chapters and then stopped because I wasn't deep into a reading phase
A lot of them weren't even opinions, but "preferences". I agree and disagree, no drama. It's fun to see our differences and all, but I don't get those people who think they can control the truth or something. Like that person with Six of Crows... I mean, what matters if she/he was right? If SoC was not a good "heist" book (I don't think it was the best either), who cares? There's just people who sit, read it and enjoyed it, it wasn't a competition or something 😌. Claiming that you like something it's not claiming that it's the best thing on the world nor even claiming it was good. Let's talk abouit it without making assumptions, please. Great video ❤
I'm so shocked when you name dropped Jane Eyre as I literally just finished reading it for the first time right now, and feel exactly the same! I felt extremely guilty, thinking I didn't like a classic work when there were clearly too many things wrong with the romance. Glad I'm not alone!
I love a good redemption arc, still bitter about Jamie in GoT (tv show at least) but let’s be real, I’m still bitter about pretty much everything that went down in the last two seasons.
I’m with you on books looking new. I have read some books several times and they still look brand new. The person who bent your book putting it in the bag- I might have asked to replace that book! I also get so upset with myself when I accidentally drop a book and then the cover bends. Nooo. And, before I loan out a book, I first ask them how they treat books. That determines if I will loan my books to them. I had one friend who very kindly bought a new hardback to replace a book I loaned her that she accidentally spilled water on. She is someone I would loan books to again. Because you get it!
Some of the facial expressions here are 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼 It can be such a pain to try and preserve the newness of the cover, though it depends on the book; my **A Little Life** book spine shall be preserved. Actually, now that I've mentioned ALL, it is a big book, and yet it is just as thick as my sister's books that are under 500pg. I mean, why publishers? Why? I love magical realism but I don't care for sci-fi so I suppose to each their own haha. My mum is actually one of those people who say that fiction is a waste of time. My heart hurts a little every time it is brought up.
The girl with a pearl earring is a good example of a face on the cover that is well done. Also as I’ve gotten older I’ve started writing more in my books. And underlining. Because I go through so many books I know I’ll need my own version of place markers/memory joggers when I come back to it later and I probably won’t read the whole thing again when I do.
The Cruel Prince was really popular actually! I personally liked it because I loved the main character but I totally get why there are people who didn’t. The last book was TRASH.
When it comes to classics I like to understand WHY it is a “must read” if it is something I am not sure I will enjoy, especially if it is required for school what is the learning meant to happen there? There are many “required” books that as a homeschooler my parents chose not to have us read and others that they did, I just like to know why someone thinks I should read it and don’t guilt/look down on those who disagree with you. On the star system a majority of the books I enjoy go in my 4star shelf, 3 if it was good but not something I really liked, my 5star shelf is reserved for the ones I absolutely truly love (at least when I put it there the first time lol) of the 1000 books I have read in the last 15 years only about 80 are 5star
I actually read Warbreaker because of you last year & it made it to my top books of the year! (Or my life, actually..) Gonna go with Elantris or Mistborn next ^^
Mistborn was the first Brandon Sanderson book I started with, I did feel like it started it off a little slow, but I loved it, and read all three books in two weeks. I still haven't finished warbreaker :( I just can't get myself to actually care about any of the characters....
Agree! It took me 4 months to finish Warbreaker, after the middle section it got bette, IMO, but it remains as my least favorite book by Brandon Sanderson.
I feel better about the 3-star review I've received on my first book. At first, I was bummed, but it is a mix of complaints and compliments. I have to admit that I think a lot of the 4 and 5-star reviews for my novel are by people that were probably expecting it to be terrible and were pleasantly surprised.
Okay but Eragon did not become powerfull overnight? 😅 The entire story is about him entering the world of magic and starting out being able to do nothing and then having this entire journey where he learns everything over a very long period of time. Like only in the last book is he finally the most powerful.
I'm fine with unlikeable characters if I care about what's happening. Too many times unlikeable characters are in a story that I don't care enough about. And if I care about no one at all in the books, that's the death of it for me. In fantasy when everyone is horrible and the situation is horrible (GrimDark I'm looking at you), well, life right now is dark enough, I want some ray of hope somewhere.
Just finished Fifth Season and loved it! Outside of having to look up the terminology, I really didn't see what confused people about it. Also, the relationship was so good, coming from someone who hates relationships in my books.
I hate the term "likable" in terms of characters. It's not useful information. Tell me why the character bothered you. Were they poorly written? Did they have a bad arc? Or did the character just annoy you? Because I love characters that are messy and make mistakes. Do I want to be their friend, probably not, but I want to read about them and watch their growth.
There are so many points that I agree with - namely breaking book spines (I can’t handle that and people I see do that make me grind my teeth - yeah I’m sad) 😅, my new books remain new-looking after I’ve read them (including paperbacks), I hated Blade Runner film and couldn’t finish the book and yeah 3 stars is not a bad review at all! Great video, Emily - I love how passionate you are! 😊
My biggest problem with classics is that the required reading list in school hasn't changed in probably more than 50 years. At that age people should be exposed to books that are more relevant nowadays and a lot more diverse.
A big complaint of my home countries school system(s) often is that every state (more like school) does it's own thing. I'm happy that my school had only one real Classic, in general a mixed bag of books, about different today relevant topics. Some very diverse. But in hindsight, I wonder why we only covered one (1) classic. Though, it was THE german Classic and one book was kind of a modern classic, but still, two (2) is kind of low.
I destroy my books when reading them. Spines get cracked, covers get torn, pages get dog eared and I love it. I have no problem with others damaging my books either. I want my books to be well loved and I don’t mind when they look the part.
Me too!! My own books are all crazy, I won’t fret if I drop it in the bath, spill coffee, if it gets wet at the lake. I get joy from breaking the spine 🙈 it’s just a mass produced bundle of a paper. Mass produced. It doesn’t matter haha. I would never treat a book I borrow like that though, or rare editions.
I am terribly stubborn so I really dislike fully giving up on certain genres ... but I also am terribly slow with nonfiction (regardless of how much I like it) and just can't get myself to enjoy contemporary, middle grade or magical realism.
I'll try to read almost anything. Recently, I'm loving Neil Schusterman, feeling bored with V.E. Schwab, ok with Sarah J. Maas, LOVED T.J.Klum, rereading Frank Herbert, and I'm racing through The Lady Astronaut Series by Mary Robinette Kowal, and anticipating Tsiasos.
First of all, love your video! I thank you for being so honest about your opinion and I found you very charismatic :) I wanted to "clarify" or start a discussion about what "overrated" means. Sure we can all say a book or an author is overrated because we don´t like his/her work. But is it ok to say that when we are critically analyzing a book and/or and author? I think not. You may not enjoy something since it might not be your taste but it could be contributing a lot to the genre, or using resources really well but it just doesn´t suit people. All of that said, I don´t think people should be ALWAYS thinking in EVERY conversation about what overrated means. But I encourage every person who is being part of a critical discussion on something to differentiate both things: one thing is your taste, another is if it technically works (or not) in many, many and many more different aspects. Personally, I love Stephen King´s work. Me liking or not doesn´t make it overrated or not, I don´t think. But that said, we could discuss that he is a master of the genre and storytelling. He had made his way into many people´s hearts with his work (I´m not talking about the marketing here, and how well he sold). Even if I didn´t like anything of his, maybe I should take that into account in my "critical opinion" and then judge if its overrated or not. And there is the counterpart: you could have many, many flaws on your "technical" craft as an author, like Harry Potter and so on, but still be doing a hell of a job of getting a beautiful message out there or the consumer just likes it a lot. And I absouletly love Harry Potter, and not just for nostalgia, I love it of the themes it tells, some technical things the author does so well, and I just completly subjectively love it for the way it makes me feel. As an artist myself, I feel comfortable saying that every piece of art is flawed in some way or the other: it can be the message that is not told well, the technical stuff just doesn´t work right, etc. And that´s ok, ´cause that´s how life works, nothing is perfect. So I would conclude that the word "overrated" in a critical situation is more damaging than anyhting else, just because it doesn´t really tell you anything. You can critique an author or a book but in the end there will be many conclusions to it: the technical stuff, your personal taste, if it works well with some criteria, if it sells well or not. Overrated is not one of them. At least, those are my thoughts. It doesn´t make justice to any author, neither to the work itself nor the reader, that is, in my opinion, the most important factor in the equation. Anyways, if anyone thinks differently, I´d like to hear it :).
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This is a long one!!
Leave any other UNPOPULAR BOOK OPINIONS because there were enough for PART 2!
I HATE hardcovers, they are so bulky and overrated!
When every character is like 17 and somehow everyone has already found the love of their life? at 17? why? this really annoys me. Why everyone is in a relationship?
@@lauramolina3337 YES and then they act like no 17 year old would. The author just write that the character is 17 so that the young audience can relate, it's a cheap trick if you ask me
Not enough books with less perfect complexion and body. Mainly beautiful protagonists
@@cristinapetcu9491 oooh Sarah J Maas comes to mind. She makes a clear point of making every single character look like slender, gorgeous supermodels with shiny hair.
When every character is like 17 and somehow everyone has already found the love of their life? at 17? why? this really annoys me.
I agree so much!! So often YA books set in highschool show characters being madly in love and perfect pairs and staying together forever and... it's reaaally not that common or realistic
It *can* happen, but it's not as common as YA makes it.
Marie of course, that’s what I meant by “every character”, if it was one every once in a while, then it’s fine, but what annoys me it’s when Every main character is 17 and everyone it’s in a relationship and everyone has already found the love of their life, I think THAT is sooo unrealistic.
Exactly! A lot of my friends and I didn’t even get into relationships until college. This trope is definitely annoying and unrealistic.
@@caroliinalopes The couples I knew that dated in high school and got married are all divorced now.
Totally agree about contemporary. I read for escapism, so there's no reason for me to read about real life when I try so hard to escape it😅
This!
I like to escape to a different country & different culture. Not necessarily a different world.
Same!
Same, that's why I always read fantasy.
That's how I feel about a lot of slice of life/literary fiction stories, too similar to mundane life, with no added spice, and I always end up bored. Most of the contemporary I read is romance oriented, which for me, is escapism. I don't have a lot of romantic experience, but I love stories of love.
I get so frustrated when someone says they, “only read nonfiction.” It has always been in the context of looking down at other genres... never just a simple expression of preference. I think it actually put me off reading nonfiction for a long time.
I broke it off with someone because they only read non fiction and I only read fiction (same with film / tv preferences) and we literally had nothing to talk about. My shortest and dullest "relationship" ever 😅
I don't think it's always the case. I guess it's like the difference between being vegan and telling everyone you're vegan lol. My husband reads rarely and when he does it's usually about history. But it doesn't reflect on his personality and doesn't make a difference in our relationship. (Plus he lets me gush about all the books I'm reading so maybe he's secondhand reading them through me hahaha)
I know there are always jerks who make non-fiction snobby, but as a non-fiction booktuber I promise most of us love all books, we just love non-fiction! I'm insanely curious about the world so I read a lot of non-fiction to learn (ex. history of pizza, memoirs about chefs). I think non-fiction books can be lyrical and be full of great stories as well. I hope you give it a chance :)
@@Readitandeat Sorry, I didn't mean, in turn, to offend nonfiction lovers; I've read quite a bit of nonfiction at this point in my life and really do enjoy it. It has just been my experience that when someone made a point to say they only read nonfiction, it was done in a condescending way. I know people who do prefer the genre, but they don't imply that it is superior.
Nonfiction is wonderful, and it teaches us about the world in ways that fiction never could. BUT, fiction offers unique insights of its own. I forget who said it, but novels are empathy machines, forcing us to assume the perspectives of imaginary people as they confront challenges we will never face. When you read nonfiction, you learn information. When you read a novel, you live another life for a few days. When people say (condescendingly) they "only read nonfiction" they eschew the experiential knowledge fiction offers for the literal, contextual knowledge nonfiction affords them. Both are important.
i sort of agree and disagree with the judging older books by today's standards. i think we definitely should read literature from the past and admire the writing and discuss the important themes relating to the societal climate of the time. however, i also think its important to talk about the more problematic aspects of these books and WHY they would no longer be acceptable in a text in the present day! you can absolutely consume and even admire a "problematic" piece of art or fiction, as long as you take the time to educate yourself on its possible harmful aspects
mads g I agree! I once had to read a book in my AP Lit class with anti-semitism in it, and it was acknowledged in the beginning, but the teacher never discussed it afterwards. And I remember feeling so uncomfortable - being Jewish myself - while everyone seemingly looked the other way.
Agreed! As the classic cliche goes: "those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
I, too, find the notion of judging older books somewhat problematic. It is important to acknowledge that moral philosophy is not monolithic now, nor was it at any point in the past. Different people make moral judgements differently, and I find I am best served by seeking to understand how and why they make those judgements. In most cases, I do not choose to adopt their reasoning, but it still enriches my life to understand their moral stance. This is true in the present, and it is true about how I view older fiction. Reading works that I find morally challenging strengthens my convictions rather than weakens them.
Except for Ayn Rand. She was a psychopath. Let's all avoid that dumpster fire.
Yes I agree! We can still read and enjoy the old books but acknowledge their prejudice. I read a lot of Agatha Christie and there's a lot of out-dated views and racism in them
uptown3636 What’s wrong with Ayn Rand? (Not accusatory - just genuinely curious; I don’t know much about her)
Potentially unpopular opinion: I judge books by their covers. Some of my favorite books I picked up just because they have pretty covers, knowing nothing about them.
Same. The thing I kinda figure is that you can’t pick every book off the shelf one by one. You find a pretty cover/spine, check the blurb and then you’re good to go. Covers can also be pretty indicative of what’s inside. Like you know exactly what the books gonna be if it’s got a girl in a semi see through dress clinging to a guy with shoulder length hair on a balcony/stairs 😂
I bought House of Leaves because the spine of the book is beautiful and it was an amazing book that I will never forget. The cover of Cloud Atlas is one of my favorite covers, but I didn't like the book much. I kept it anyway because of the beautiful cover art. And sometimes I spend a LONG time looking for a particular cover /edition just based on looks alone. :)
There's definitely some smart marketing behind several cover designs that actually can portray the vibe of the story. I don't necessarily judge books by their covers but I do pick up covers that I like more often than ones that don't speak to me.
I do the same thing! If the cover doesn’t look interesting to me. I also judge based on the title. Title and cover has to be somewhat interesting for me to even read the synopsis.
Your not alone 60% of readers buy books by the covers, even though majority of them will never accept it.
An unpopular book opinion that I hear a lot is that once you “age out” of a certain age group that you can’t enjoy reading them anymore. For example, as a female in their late 20s, I was told by someone in a book club forum that I couldn’t read children’s literature, middle grade, or YA because I can’t properly appreciate it. Good writing can be appreciated what ever age you are.
Oh this was something I struggled with for a long time. I love all sorts of books for all ages, but I never grew out of reading middle grade and YA, which worried my parents. They're fun books! The younger they are, typically the more lighthearted they tend to be and the less romance with weird messages you tend to find (excluding YA which made me horrified at the idea of romance for a very long time till I actually found enough good instances of it in books to realize its doesn't have to be that weird and unnatural). I love reading fantasy and there's just more of it with more than just epics when you read for younger groups as well.
Long story short, it took me till I went to a friend's house and saw that their mother owned a bunch of my favorite series for me to realize that its okay to read what you like without feeling guilty for not reading "higher".
Sounds like the same people to tell you to stop listening to kpop only because you arent a 10 to 20 years old. And honnestly, yuck
I was about 22 when I stopped reading and unhauled all the YA books I owned. Not because I thought I outgrew them, I just got fed up with a lot of the instalove and things like that in the books I was reading and adult books drew me in. But that's just me. I don't look down on adults who read YA and middle grade. We all have different tastes and can read and enjoy what we want to read, without being judged
I think lots of popular booktubers put too much focus on number of books read rather than trying to read ‘better’ books. I’d much prefer to only read 2 books per month that are incredible and stay with me for life rather than read 10 of the same type of book each month. Quality over quantity for me any day.
I think everyone should read what they want, however, what I find annoying is when they start only reading short easy reads just with the goal of reading more books, not because they think they will love and stop reading books they may love because it will take them longer because of the page count / they difficulty of the writing.
I read a lot of books a months tbh but it's more bc there's just so many good books I want to read, I ditch books easily when I don't vibe with them (reasons why my goodreads rating is pretty high) so I find it sad when I see a video full of books someone read when they just hate most of them like sis why you doin this to yourself, book numbers aren't that important
I agree even though people read whatever they want, I much prefer reading big books that sticks with me for a long time, and I don't like to finish one, pick another one right after, I need to process and I don't want to forget what I read by reading something else, idk if that makes sense
Cee Bee Read ‘better’ books? You don’t exactly go into a book knowing you’re gonna read a ‘better’ book than the previous one. You have to read books to know if they’re ‘better’ or not; so calling out booktubers for reading a lot of the same books over reading less doesn’t exactly hold up, does it?
@@ajmatt574 I wasn’t quite sure how to word my comment hence the use of ‘better’. I think there’s a push on some channels to read quantity over quality thats all. If someone’s into only easy reads for them then thats their choice. Whatever makes them happy. It’s just that personally I prefer to read more widely and challenge myself with the books I pick up, rather than reading the same sort of book on repeat. Obviously some of the books I read end up being 1 star for me but at least I’m trying to venture out of my confort zone by not exclusively reading ya and thrillers for example. No shade intended but that’s what some people do, which isn’t my jam.
Well, I see people complaining all the time about the characters in freaking GONE GIRL not being likable, so go figure.
I mean, that book wouldn't even exist if the characters were likable!
I get why people on booktube don't understand people who don't like reading. But tbh, some people just won't ever get into reading and that's okay??? I am getting bored watching movies and series, not because the movies are bad, but because I just get bored? So I prefer reading. Other people may feel different. To each what he prefers, right?
Just let people enjoy things🤷
"I only read nonfiction" These are the same kind of people who say "I only watch documentaries."
Yeah... I don't really trust people who give everything 5 stars. Same with reactors on YT. It's good to be optimistic, but when person likes everything it just feel like they're scared to offend some part of their audience so they pretend to love everything.
That's an engraved attitude about every area of life. If a person is not wholeheartedly enthusiastic about EVERYTHING; someone is going to think you're not a good person, not a team player, etc. Personally, I hate that paradigm.
But on the other side, some people genuinely enjoy pretty much everything and aren't picky about their books. It is highly possible that they are genuine amd honest and love all the stories they read. :)
i like to crack the spine of my books wins as the most unpopular one
i feel accomplished every time i look at my shelf lined with cracked spines lmao
I respect you but I just know that I would burn your house down if I ever got to see that 😂
I honestly think that cracked spines look aesthetic😅 And it's WAY more comfortable to read this way (though I obviously keep others' books pristine)
@@negativenuss same LMAOOO
I crack them before I even start reading them so I don't have to worry about it while reading
Who hates redemption arcs? Have you not read good redemption arcs? Oof. I tend to love them. I get when the villain/antagonist are redeemed just before they sacrifice themselves or when they fall in love with the hero/heroine because *gag* but I've seen it done really well. But even better than redemption arcs? Temptation arcs. Count of Monte Crisco---yES.
Omg yes we need more well written temptation arcs!
Unpopular opinion: Many bookubers read what they read just because of traffic the book/series will generate and if they weren’t on TH-cam they would read at least some different books.
"Many bookubers read what they read just because of traffic the book/series will generate " Not untrue but it doesn't have to be a bad thing. It's not like booktube generates that much money so personally even when people mention that they think people lie to get subs/sponsorships... I don't think it matters that much lol It's also usually very obvious!
"they would read at least some different books" I think all of us are influenced by what we're seeing on here to be fair! I read plenty of books I wouldn't have read otherwise. Some I love... some I don't haha
@@BookswithEmilyFox Mam, I've just started reading Witching Hour by Anne Rice. I wanted to read a book about witch covens with important male witches in it. So this and Deborah Harkness' Witches trilogy were the recommendations I got according to what I asked in a Goodreads group. Is the Witching Hour worth reading because I don't wish to D.N.F. this giant book halfway ? The only book that I did not finish till this day is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Pretty much all of the books on my goodreads are 3, 4, or 5 stars because I have the unpopular opinion/skill of being easily able to DNF a book. I started a separate shelf on goodreads just for my yearly DNFs.
If I'm not enjoying the writing or story or the execution of the idea, and I don't feel like pushing though? DNF.
I think people need to get over their fear of DNF-ing books, especially on booktube, because it always feels like they read a book they aren't enjoying just because of their fear of missing out or keeping up with the crowd.
Apparently my unpopular opinion is that people should DNF books more!
sometimessunday totally true, I was identifying with the mentioned person in the video that only gives high ratings but after reading your comment this totally makes sense since I dnf many books after a view chapters. This also explains why I read my least favourite books in settings that forced me to finish it like school or a book club.
I give dnfs 1 star on goodreads. Since I think a book that is so bad I dnf it gets 1 star.
I don‘t want to judge the pages I have not read. I have had reads that I DNF and picked back up again years later turn out to be 5 star books for me. (Doesn‘t happen often but since it does in my case I would not judge the unknown)
I had a weird phase where I'd deliberately crack the spin on trilogies. Book one got cracked once, two twice and, the third three times. I don't know why
This... hurts to read lol
@@BookswithEmilyFox Don't worry I've cured myself but I lent a book to mom recently and the first thing she did was crack the spine, I had kept it pristine. So now I understand your pain, she also fell asleep on the book and bent it 😭😭
This made me laugh but also wince.
This sounds like ocd
This was a really fun videos! My unpopular opinion is: a lot of people misplace many books in the “magical realism” genre. I’m probably salty af because I’m latina and magical realism was born in Latin America, so I’ve read plenty of them and mostly all books that in Booktube are classified as magical realism are not. Maybe it’s a way to not answer for shitty magical systems, but true magical realism is when unusual or “magical” stuff is viewed as completely normal in the real world. Therefore, any fantasy world is not in the genre. Good examples are One hundred years of solitude, by García Marquez and like water for chocolate by Laura Esquivel.
Yeah, exactly, that’s why it’s called “realism”, because it’s also realistic, it’s located in the real world. And also, when they recommend “magical realism” books, and they say it’s magical realism because it’s “weird”, I’m like, that’s not magical realism, it’s just a weird book!
I agree that most BookTubers I've found are into fantasy, YA , or romance, and I can understand it's because of promotions, I wish someone could tell me of a BT'er that talks about thrillers/mysteries or harder SF.
Mara from Books like whoa reads from alll different genres, but she’s definitely a fan of mysteries. She looooves Agatha Christie and closed circle mysterys!
Better Than Food for more difficult literature, if you dare 😅
Paperbackdreams reads and reviews a lot of horrors/thrillers! I personally find her really chaotic and funny, too :)
Noelle Gallagher reads a lot of thrillers
I LOVE your bangs girl!!! Keep them if you like them too:)))
About the not all classics are good, well, I totally agree that some might be boring for some ppl, or that they don't reflect current values. However, they are classics for a reason, and I feel like ppl don't understand how a book enters the literature canon. There is a criteria used by ppl who spend their lives studying them, and it varies according to time and culture. So, yeah it's totally valid to question why a book is so praised by the critics, but you should at least research it? Idk
Totally agree
Moby Dick????
I love mass market paper backs tbh, they're nice to hold because my hands are small! Not to mention they are way cheaper lol. And I think some booktubers should definitely utilize libraries more if they have the option. I hate when I'm watching a video and they say they can't read a book because they can't find it in a store (obviously this is fine if they don't have access to a library, but I feel like most people I hear this from would have access to a library 🤷♀️)
And I think we should make it more common to count book length by word count because it feels more accurate than page count
Totally agree with the word count thing
Word count is just a more accurate measure of length too. The difference between a paperback page count and a hardcover page count can be significant.
I say this all the time I miss those books too!
In France mass market paperbacks are super popular and I really love them, practicle, cheap and not that ugly !
My brother-in-law is a nonfiction snob and makes fun of my husband and me for reading "books with dragons." 🙄😂
I promise as a non-fiction booktuber, we're not all jerkfaces lol. Both my sisters are ravenous fantasy readers and I read non-fiction. To each their own! I just want people to read :)
Really?? Wow, and here I am thinking that our imagination and capability to create worlds and tell stories is one of the greatest things humanity has to offer 😁
I always feel asking those kinda people if they see movies or series, because that would be highly hypocritical of them to do so. I had a classmate that was a huge anime buff but judged people who read fiction, like whyyyy. I do not understand how this is a superiority complex 😑
I read both. I read a lot of true crime related books but i also like throwing in fictional books in there too. Non fiction can get boring or too heavy after a while. I personally think it's nice to switch it up but you do you. Read what makes you happy.
I LOVE REDEMPTION ARCS. ONLY IF THEY ARE GOOD THOUGH SCREW SEVERUS SNAPE.
PREACH!!!
Agree!!
My unpopular opinion: Based on evolutionary psychology... The "problematic" relationships in YA novels are just exaggerated scenarios that feed our natural instincts as a species... that’s why they are so popular....I think they are really important to the development of young people and the time they are at in life....(Think twilight for example). I also think that these relationships don't cause unhealthy relationships to form.. these relationships would form with or without these relationships in books based on the personality/trauma of the people that enter them... not because they read them as a child. I could give an entire ted talk on this topic.
My unpopular opinion is that against my own better judgment, I love Mr. Rochester. He’s a prickly ass & I think he’s just a great flawed character. 😆
Read Wide Sargasso Sea for another look at him.
katietatey I’ve read it.
Person: “mistborn is boring AF.”
Me : “BURN THE WITCH!”
Love this😂
Your bangs look fantastic!
I also get frustrated when people hate on "unlikeable characters" (interestingly enough, most of the time it's the female ones that bother them even though there are plenty unlikeable male ones too, hmmm...). I honestly never realised that being able to like a main character is such a big deal for people lol
I’m so lucky that my sister reads and we read similar books. Idk what I would do without her!
That's really practical! At least we all have booktube :)
BookswithEmilyFox yes, I can’t imagine not having booktube
Samee
On classics I feel like we should remember that most of the popular and widely known classics were written just for fun and that there weren't meant as a lesson for the generations to come. Of course some were but I think that most writers have been writing for the same reasons authors write now so there is no point in humiliating people for not enjoying classics when we weren't the primer target for this books and the fact that generations before us thought them good, doesn't mean much, there were a lot of shit that those generations thought were good ideas including genocides and segregation and a lot of other questionable stuff. I believe that the main point of reading is enjoyment and if educating yourself be it through classics or nonfiction brings you joy then great for you but not everyone have to read like this
Exactly. Classics starts as regular books, and they become "classics" for several reasons, and we don't have to love/hate them because "it's a classic" (I mean, The Mona Lisa is this well known piece just because it was stealed a lot of times; it's not the only piece in history with a great painting technique...). Classic books are books, period. It's interesting knowing why they are classics, but mocking people who don't read them it's as awful as mocking people for read them (yes, reading classics is not pretentious, is reading. Classic is not even a genre).
@@oriannamatos2760 Yes, I completely agree!
Yes putting things and books on pedestal is exactly what was wrong with Middle Ages 😅 Books are book. If you want to be educated on ancient culture and literature it’s ok, if you want to read solely YA it’s ok. Not everyone reads for the same reasons and likes same things. It’s good classics are there it’s great people protect history. Some of my favorite books are classics. But reading should be fun. If someone reads books that require PhD in theology, literature and philosophy to understand one sentence it’s their idea of fun.
Many books in history were written as fun.
Many books today are elevated for wrong reasons.
Read what you want. Reading some Shakespeare can be fun. But it’s totally ok if all you ever read was Twilight.
@@Morfeusm Yes! There is a book for everyone in this world be it a classic or a modern novel
I think, especially in the case of sci-fi and fantasy, it’s a kind of gatekeeping. Basically indicating that you aren’t a “true fan” if you haven’t read “the classics” of the genre. Which of course is nonsense, because of what you said. Wells, Asimov, Lewis, Tolkien, and Bradbury were all popular novelists of their day and any of us have just as much a right to not be interested in their writing as anyone publishing today.
Saying Stephen King is overrated is the most shocking and bravest thing you’ve ever said 😂
He kinda is tho...
It is personal opinion. I love him ❤📚
The best 30% of King's work is very special. Misery, The Shining, Pet Sematary, and Full Dark No Stars live up to the hype. He's a great storyteller who does good work with characters. His prose is effective, but it can be a little cloying at times. His best books couple a great idea with a few wonderful characters. His worst books are so bad that they should be thrown into the boiler at the Overlook hotel (looking at you, Dreamcatcher and From a Buick 8).
@@uptown3636 misery was the first king book i tried to read.... And I'm really sorry to say it got dnf
Shubham Tiwari, sorry to hear that. It was also my first King novel, and I was captivated from the start. The only thing that annoyed me was the Scheherazade motif-it was ham-fisted and generally unpleasant. Otherwise, the book was a (rather twisted) delight.
I totally relate to the "unhealthy relationships in YA" comment, and I'm so glad this came up...I always felt like I was the only one who thought that! I do think it's gotten much better over the past few years though, as we're seeing much more diversity in YA publishing specifically--though I still say we have ways to go!
Six of Crows was the most disorienting book I've ever read! Every time I would get into the romance/conflict the fact that they were TEENAGERS just boggled my mind and completely took me out of the story. Like we have grown as women simping over Kaz. He is a child in a grown-up suit. Vincent Adultman with trauma.
I am a certified SoC fan but I totally agree about the age thing. Those characters were NOT teenagers lmao, idc what the book itself says 🤣
Jane Eyre is my favorite classic ever 🙁💔
I don't think it's a "bad" book but it's definitely not a romantic one to me and I thought I would enjoy it more than I did!
BookswithEmilyFox OMG I can’t believe you replied! 😍
Totally agree with you. I don’t think of it as a romance but I love the writing and Jane as a character is my favorite!
I sooo agree with hating on unnecessary romance/love scenes in books. I semi-enjoyed the Court of Thorns and Roses, but the love scenes were too excessive. Couldn't help but think throughout the series that it would have been WAY better without the excess smut. It was just too much...
I read Twilight as a teenager and loved them. The movies were ok. I tried to reread Twilight as an adult and thought it was horrible.
It would be nice to see a French themed TBR, where you have French books or translations in French that you have read/want to read and do the whole video in French. That would be nice. 😊😊
Both my parents read a lot, but our taste is totally different most of times, and it's kinda sad because we can't really discuss the same book. But onece my dad was telling me how bad the book he was reading is. And the plot sounded familiar so I asked for the name, and it turned out to be Throne of Glass🤣 Like, dad, why the F do you get ya romance/fantasy book and then complain about it?!? He seriously should start to read annotations before reading something 😆😆😆
If you think Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester is a problematic relationship or have issues with them, I'd love to hear your thought on Heathcliff and Catherine from Wuthering Heights
I think you shouldn't read a classic if you can't handle the era it was written in and know your not going to like it because it has things in it you don't agree with, it's like me reading sci-fi when I know I am not a fan of science driven books. 😃
I think booktube has evolved over the last few years and we are seeing more readers of every! I have found so many new horror booktuber and its great!
I'm the one who said Mistborn was boring lolololol, I was waiting for this 😂😂 I'm actually currently reading Elantris and I'm really enjoying it, which I feel is another unpopular Sanderson opinion. I see a lot of his fans saying Elantris is the worst one and only hardcore fans should read it for completion's sake but I like it a lot! It's good! He needs to learn how to write female characters and stop having characters endlessly hand-wringing over religion because oh how I don't care, but I've come to expect that from Sanderson so I'll put up with it. I stand by what I said about Mistborn though, I literally couldn't finish The Hero of Ages because I was so bored.
I often see this discussion that book reviewers who give everything 5 stars aren't trustworthy, but honestly, what reviewer are they talking about? I'm subscribed to a lot of reviewers and I've never seen anyone rate everything highly. Maybe it's something that happened in the early days of Booktube but I was around back then and I still can't recall anyone who gives every book they read 5 stars.
I know it's an old joke but every time I see Emily in the background it makes me laugh 😂
I agree with you on both of these.
I read Mistborn and it was not anything special to me tbh. I will not continue with the series.
I can’t get through the Final Empire, so I admire the fact that you got to the 3rd one. I look at that series and I wonder all the time how people just fawn over it. I don’t particularly like Vin-there’s just so much about her that is unlikable and contradictory in my eyes.
I liked Mistborn but it's definitely not my favourite by Sanderson. My favourite by him is the Stormlight Archive Series and I also really loved Skyward. I also don't really understand the hate towards Elantris, I liked it haha
I loved Elantris and finished it within a week but Mistborn was too much of an investment for me. Chronic pain sometimes decides whether or not I finish a book and Mistborn ended up in my dnf because of it. Maybe another time.
I do think Catching Fire is the best in the Hunger Games trilogy.
Oooff only 700+ page books are big books. I think 500+ is a big book. Getting close to a 1000 pages is huge.
on love triangles: I agree, most of the time they're not done well - with Twilight, for example, I was totally shocked that there were people out there who were Team Jacob, to me it was always crystal clear that Bella is (& will always be) with Edward, Jacob was just a kid she's friends with who happened to have a crush on her but she didn't have any interest in him at all. Same with The Mortal Instruments (though that was even weirder because Clary does date Simon for almost an entire book). Though I gotta say, The Infernal Devices series (also by Cassandra Clare) actually did the love triangle really well - I genuinely liked both people and both possibilities for coupling to the point where even though I had a clear favorite (Will), during scenes with the other love interest I genuinely wanted them to come to fruition as well
Im currently reading infernal devices and im loving it!! So far i prefer jem tho🤭
I agree with you that in Twilight it was crystal clear that Bella was always going to want Edward... but, when Jacob came in the picture, you start to see how Bella's life would be a little more realistic in a sense if she were to choose Jacob... she could have children, wouldn't have to abandon her family, etc. I believe that was why some people were team Jacob. Just my opinion
I absolutely LOVE the infernal devices and the love triangle is so well done there. (Jem is my favourite tho 🤭)
The too fast relationship one got me thinking, is there any (ya) books where the main character is already dating in the beginning of the first book? And they are still together at the end of the series?
Your question really made me go through everything I've ever read and all I can say is.... Mrs and Mr Weasley are still together lol. I think maybe in Illuminae, but if you read that book it's kinda sort of true, but not really? God this is a good one, why have I never paid attention to this? #pleasewriterealrelationships 🙌
We can’t have nice things.
Yes. One series that I grew up with is called the Cleric Quintet and it has that. Parts of it are really tear jerking also.
I completely agree about the big series with the lead who didn't want kids who ended up having them, seemingly begrudgingly. I assume we are talking abt the same one, but this pisses me off so much, when people end up matched and it's just not realistic. It's OK to end up alone!!!
Now I'm curious, do you mind telling me?
The Winner's Curse is one of my favourite series and I agree - the angst and drama in the second book was top notch
I try to buy all my books used unless I'm super pumped for a release. I would love to use my library but i have no urgency to read them for some reason...😅
omg the rainbow shelves one! Totally agree. If it's only a few shelves, or a specific series sorted by colour (the penguin English library for example) then I'm totally here for it. But fully rainbow shelves make me gag - why would you separate series and mix genres aaarrghhhh
The Well of Ascension is my favourite Mistborn book!! Sazed is everything
How did you like the ending for Hero of Ages?
@@Morfeusm I mean... it was epic, I will give it that
THANK YOU!! I think The Well of Ascension is still my favourite Sanderson book, period
@@idokken very diplomatic answer 😂
[Reads primarily non-fiction]
It CAN be lyrical and amazing and wonderful!
BUT fiction is also great too!
I do wish we had more non-fiction specialists on Booktube but I LOVE finding people who do :)
Really fun video
30:28 Six of Crows isn't a heist book though? That's not the purpose of the book, it's just marketing. It's a slow, character-driven, character exploration type book with significant heist elements. It's not about the plot, it's about the characters and how they became who they are.
To be fair, 95% of the time I hear someone mention it, they will say it's a heist book!
I think it's a heist book because...they didn't just break into the Ice Court for funsies :-)
@@lyragillespie3511 It having a heist in it doesn't mean it fits into the heist genre. The plot is the heist, but the purpose of the book is the character study.
I am 100% with you on Jane Eyre. It's one of the few books I have very strong feelings against (Romeo & Juliet, Snow Falling on Cedars, and The School for Good and Evil are the others).
You know many of these books were revered also because their prose quality. Of course story in them can be bad or not for everyone
Reading has been my quarantine escape ESPECIALLY fantasy genre. Definitely agree on the escapism. Ugggghh A Wizard of Earthsea. It was so very painful. I finished it only because I had a very good friend who begged me to read it and my love for my friend was the only thing that kept me reading it.
Actually I would say later books are nothing like the first was. But yeah they aren’t for everyone 🤷🏻♂️
Aristotles and Dante, bad ? well that fucking hurts, it's one of my favourite books of all times...That's typically the kind of book I love: slice of life, coming of age, contemporary YA, especially those that have LGBTQ+ and/or mental health rep. I guess it all depends on our tastes :)
THANK YOU for saying that steven king is overrated. I feel like the only person ever who doesn't like his work. I've tried reading several of his books and I was just bored through them all. The book I got the furthest with was Misery and I put it down and didn't pick it up again even though I was at the climax of the book.
Very unpopular opinion. I don't like any of Brandon Sanderson's work. I've tried reading three of his series and I was very bored through it all. The only thing I liked about any of his work was the character Kaladen (I don't know if I'm spelling his name right) from the way of kings.(I only got to around 300 pages of the hardcover of that book) I've just found everything from his work to be vey boring and I couldn't find myself caring about any of the characters except for Kaladen.
I was also very bored reading Six of Crows and never liked Twilight. Although Heist stories and Vampires are generally things I don't like anyway so... yeah.
I loved Way of Kings, but I always felt like I was the only one who didn‘t enjoy Brandon Sanderson‘s work so much. I dnf‘ed the Mistborn series and Elantris because I was bored and didn‘t think it was that well done. Anyway I‘m glad I still gave Way of Kings a chance after these disappointments, but I totally get what you mean.
@@zoyarau4142 I think Way of Kings was the book from him I liked the best. Even though I didn't finish it. Although I haven't been able to finish any of his works but, It's the one that I did like the best of the ones I read. I had thought of giving it another try but, when I heard from another booktuber that there was a love triangle in the series I decided not to pick it up again since that is a trope I hate in any book or genre. If there was a book only dedicated to Kaladen I would actually read that. I really liked that character. (what I've read of him)
Mistborn was so boring! I kept on hearing everyone praising that trilogy and so I gave it a go but, I got really bored with everything from the magic system to the characters.
I wanted to like things from Brandon Sanderson. I really did but, I was just really bored. The only thing I did like from him was his character Kaladen. I kind of liked the Uncle guy ummm, hmm I don't remember his name but, he was one of the main POV's. The older guy who had the flirtatious nephew... I think? He was a main POV anyway.
I Love Lord of The Rings (once I got past the older English style of writing, watching the movies first helped) and I love The Riyria Revelations/Chronicles.
I think the Riyria Revalations/Chronicles is my new top favorite fantasy series that's come out more recently than LOTR.
I've never read anything by them and have zero interest in doing so. Bit unusual based on my reading taste but somehow I think they will never get me interested in reading their stuff.
Ethereal Ephemera Six of Crows was just horrible. Kaz is just so effing unlikeable-and tbf, he’s supposed to be a morally gray character, but when you read a book and wish the guy had died...yeah, there’s something wrong with that thought process. And he did absolutely nothing the entire book but get himself punched in the gut and also almost got them caught because he went rogue...then to turn around at the end and exclude Jesper on something important because he didn’t think Jesper...well, Kaz didn’t think at all in that scenario. He only has himself to blame. He didn’t want Jesper to spill the beans about guys-whose-name-I-don’t-remember-now while on a boat out on the water. Who was Jesper gonna talk too, mermaids?
@@ajmatt574 I agree with you. I was pretty much bored and the characters were pretty unlikeable or I just couldn't get attached and the story was just really boring for me. I only got a few chapters in before I DNF'd it.
I thought Aristotle and Dante.. would be a nice story about how gay and straight boys can be friends and still be loving and affectionate toward each other. So I was disappointed by the ending
well to be fair, Jane Eyre is considered to be Gothic like Rebecca. I didn't like the romance either lol
Once I went shopping with a friend and I bought a book, she asked to see it and proceeds to crack the spine. I almost broke up the friendship right then and there.
What I really hate is over-rating books. For me 5 stars is for a favourite, something I want to re-read. Not all books can be favourites. I don't trust anyone who has an average rating of over 4 stars.
Oh and finally, I love ebooks (I barely own any physical books), why is that such a problem for some people??
Whenever possible I still get physical books from the library to support them but I will gladly read ebooks too if there are no hard copies available. Of course I love having actual books on my shelves but ebooks are very convenient, especially if you want to read something that's out of print
Why would she decide to damage someone else’/ property? I don’t get it.
i wish i could like unlikeable characters but if i don't care about them i spend the whole book hoping they mysteriously die and then i get sad when they don't 😂
I mean, that's also a way to read a book 😂😂
I honestly really agree with His Dark Materials. I'm trying so hard to like it but they're so disjointed.
Some of the people were so self-righteous and pretentious with their unpopular opinions.
I really don't like hardbacks so I agree with that one... they take up more space on my shelves and I don't have much space, they don't fit in my handbag easily and I always carry books around. They definitely look pretty when under the cover has patterns but they're not practical for me personally
Unrelated to this video, but seeing Daughter of Smoke and Bone on your unread shelf makes me slightly nervous but excited for you to read it. Laini Taylor is one of my favorite authors, I'll read anything she writes. But I also know you are a slightly more critical reader than I am, and I don't want you to hate it. 😅
The only redemption arc I really loved was bobos from Beartown by Fredrick backman
IM SO HERE FOR THIS
I hate Mass Market paperbacks they look and feels like bricks and their spines break so easily like the book breaks in half
I hate that they crack and that they're uncomfortable but I do like that they look like a brick specifically lol especially when they're as heavy as a brick
I think people recommend Stranger in a Strange Land because--yes, there may be some problematic things, it doesn't dominate the book. BUT it does have those things you mentioned, there are concepts and ideas and behaviors that are really engaging and interesting. I really liked The Moon is a Harsh Mistress--I think there are fewer issues than in Stranger in a Strange Land, but similar large concepts that are quite enjoyable. Friday was a lot of fun, but more because of the adventure than larger concepts (it also was one of his cases against polyamory, and yet it seemed to show how well it worked?)
I love magical realism as a general rule but didn’t think it was a popular opinion because I, personally, don’t know anyone else who actually likes it.
I love magical realism!
I love how heated Emily was in big parts of this video
Oh right out of the gates huh? lol. I’ve been with my boyfriend 8.5 years and I’m like 73% sure he’s actually illiterate lmao
I have a copy of a wizard of earthsea and I had no idea it was considered a classic. I read maybe a few chapters and then stopped because I wasn't deep into a reading phase
A lot of them weren't even opinions, but "preferences". I agree and disagree, no drama. It's fun to see our differences and all, but I don't get those people who think they can control the truth or something. Like that person with Six of Crows... I mean, what matters if she/he was right? If SoC was not a good "heist" book (I don't think it was the best either), who cares? There's just people who sit, read it and enjoyed it, it wasn't a competition or something 😌. Claiming that you like something it's not claiming that it's the best thing on the world nor even claiming it was good. Let's talk abouit it without making assumptions, please. Great video ❤
28:36 the most accurate description ever, without using words
"I like to crack the spine of my books" actually hurt me. Ouch. Ouch.
I'm so shocked when you name dropped Jane Eyre as I literally just finished reading it for the first time right now, and feel exactly the same! I felt extremely guilty, thinking I didn't like a classic work when there were clearly too many things wrong with the romance. Glad I'm not alone!
The Long Walk was one of my favorite Stephen King books. King really is a hit or miss to me, so I totally agree.
I love a good redemption arc, still bitter about Jamie in GoT (tv show at least) but let’s be real, I’m still bitter about pretty much everything that went down in the last two seasons.
No kidding. What the hell was the point of Jamie's actions the last season???
I’m with you on books looking new. I have read some books several times and they still look brand new. The person who bent your book putting it in the bag- I might have asked to replace that book! I also get so upset with myself when I accidentally drop a book and then the cover bends. Nooo. And, before I loan out a book, I first ask them how they treat books. That determines if I will loan my books to them. I had one friend who very kindly bought a new hardback to replace a book I loaned her that she accidentally spilled water on. She is someone I would loan books to again. Because you get it!
Hardcover for looks and Paperback for the reading experience!
Some of the facial expressions here are 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
It can be such a pain to try and preserve the newness of the cover, though it depends on the book; my **A Little Life** book spine shall be preserved.
Actually, now that I've mentioned ALL, it is a big book, and yet it is just as thick as my sister's books that are under 500pg. I mean, why publishers? Why?
I love magical realism but I don't care for sci-fi so I suppose to each their own haha.
My mum is actually one of those people who say that fiction is a waste of time. My heart hurts a little every time it is brought up.
The girl with a pearl earring is a good example of a face on the cover that is well done. Also as I’ve gotten older I’ve started writing more in my books. And underlining. Because I go through so many books I know I’ll need my own version of place markers/memory joggers when I come back to it later and I probably won’t read the whole thing again when I do.
The Cruel Prince was really popular actually! I personally liked it because I loved the main character but I totally get why there are people who didn’t. The last book was TRASH.
Yeah I loved the main characters but I also understand why people dislike it.
When it comes to classics I like to understand WHY it is a “must read” if it is something I am not sure I will enjoy, especially if it is required for school what is the learning meant to happen there? There are many “required” books that as a homeschooler my parents chose not to have us read and others that they did, I just like to know why someone thinks I should read it and don’t guilt/look down on those who disagree with you.
On the star system a majority of the books I enjoy go in my 4star shelf, 3 if it was good but not something I really liked, my 5star shelf is reserved for the ones I absolutely truly love (at least when I put it there the first time lol) of the 1000 books I have read in the last 15 years only about 80 are 5star
I actually read Warbreaker because of you last year & it made it to my top books of the year! (Or my life, actually..)
Gonna go with Elantris or Mistborn next ^^
Mistborn was the first Brandon Sanderson book I started with, I did feel like it started it off a little slow, but I loved it, and read all three books in two weeks. I still haven't finished warbreaker :( I just can't get myself to actually care about any of the characters....
Agree! It took me 4 months to finish Warbreaker, after the middle section it got bette, IMO, but it remains as my least favorite book by Brandon Sanderson.
you should totally post the video of you reading 1 star reviews of your favorite books!
Completely agree on the Dante book, gave it two stars, found it incredibly underwhelming and annoying. Incredibly overhyped!
I feel better about the 3-star review I've received on my first book. At first, I was bummed, but it is a mix of complaints and compliments. I have to admit that I think a lot of the 4 and 5-star reviews for my novel are by people that were probably expecting it to be terrible and were pleasantly surprised.
Okay but Eragon did not become powerfull overnight? 😅 The entire story is about him entering the world of magic and starting out being able to do nothing and then having this entire journey where he learns everything over a very long period of time. Like only in the last book is he finally the most powerful.
Yeah and that journey was boring as sin.
I'm fine with unlikeable characters if I care about what's happening. Too many times unlikeable characters are in a story that I don't care enough about. And if I care about no one at all in the books, that's the death of it for me. In fantasy when everyone is horrible and the situation is horrible (GrimDark I'm looking at you), well, life right now is dark enough, I want some ray of hope somewhere.
Just finished Fifth Season and loved it! Outside of having to look up the terminology, I really didn't see what confused people about it. Also, the relationship was so good, coming from someone who hates relationships in my books.
Jane Eyre is a favourite book and I fell in love when I read it last year, and still the way you talked about it gave me a good laugh! :)
I hate the term "likable" in terms of characters. It's not useful information. Tell me why the character bothered you. Were they poorly written? Did they have a bad arc? Or did the character just annoy you? Because I love characters that are messy and make mistakes. Do I want to be their friend, probably not, but I want to read about them and watch their growth.
There are so many points that I agree with - namely breaking book spines (I can’t handle that and people I see do that make me grind my teeth - yeah I’m sad) 😅, my new books remain new-looking after I’ve read them (including paperbacks), I hated Blade Runner film and couldn’t finish the book and yeah 3 stars is not a bad review at all! Great video, Emily - I love how passionate you are! 😊
My biggest problem with classics is that the required reading list in school hasn't changed in probably more than 50 years. At that age people should be exposed to books that are more relevant nowadays and a lot more diverse.
A big complaint of my home countries school system(s) often is that every state (more like school) does it's own thing. I'm happy that my school had only one real Classic, in general a mixed bag of books, about different today relevant topics. Some very diverse. But in hindsight, I wonder why we only covered one (1) classic. Though, it was THE german Classic and one book was kind of a modern classic, but still, two (2) is kind of low.
I destroy my books when reading them. Spines get cracked, covers get torn, pages get dog eared and I love it. I have no problem with others damaging my books either. I want my books to be well loved and I don’t mind when they look the part.
Me too!! My own books are all crazy, I won’t fret if I drop it in the bath, spill coffee, if it gets wet at the lake. I get joy from breaking the spine 🙈 it’s just a mass produced bundle of a paper. Mass produced. It doesn’t matter haha. I would never treat a book I borrow like that though, or rare editions.
I'm making an effort to read more books by Brazilian and Latinx authors to get out of that mainstream beaten track.
I am terribly stubborn so I really dislike fully giving up on certain genres ... but I also am terribly slow with nonfiction (regardless of how much I like it) and just can't get myself to enjoy contemporary, middle grade or magical realism.
I'll try to read almost anything. Recently, I'm loving Neil Schusterman, feeling bored with V.E. Schwab, ok with Sarah J. Maas, LOVED T.J.Klum, rereading Frank Herbert, and I'm racing through The Lady Astronaut Series by Mary Robinette Kowal, and anticipating Tsiasos.
First of all, love your video! I thank you for being so honest about your opinion and I found you very charismatic :)
I wanted to "clarify" or start a discussion about what "overrated" means. Sure we can all say a book or an author is overrated because we don´t like his/her work. But is it ok to say that when we are critically analyzing a book and/or and author? I think not. You may not enjoy something since it might not be your taste but it could be contributing a lot to the genre, or using resources really well but it just doesn´t suit people. All of that said, I don´t think people should be ALWAYS thinking in EVERY conversation about what overrated means. But I encourage every person who is being part of a critical discussion on something to differentiate both things: one thing is your taste, another is if it technically works (or not) in many, many and many more different aspects.
Personally, I love Stephen King´s work. Me liking or not doesn´t make it overrated or not, I don´t think. But that said, we could discuss that he is a master of the genre and storytelling. He had made his way into many people´s hearts with his work (I´m not talking about the marketing here, and how well he sold). Even if I didn´t like anything of his, maybe I should take that into account in my "critical opinion" and then judge if its overrated or not.
And there is the counterpart: you could have many, many flaws on your "technical" craft as an author, like Harry Potter and so on, but still be doing a hell of a job of getting a beautiful message out there or the consumer just likes it a lot. And I absouletly love Harry Potter, and not just for nostalgia, I love it of the themes it tells, some technical things the author does so well, and I just completly subjectively love it for the way it makes me feel.
As an artist myself, I feel comfortable saying that every piece of art is flawed in some way or the other: it can be the message that is not told well, the technical stuff just doesn´t work right, etc. And that´s ok, ´cause that´s how life works, nothing is perfect. So I would conclude that the word "overrated" in a critical situation is more damaging than anyhting else, just because it doesn´t really tell you anything. You can critique an author or a book but in the end there will be many conclusions to it: the technical stuff, your personal taste, if it works well with some criteria, if it sells well or not. Overrated is not one of them.
At least, those are my thoughts. It doesn´t make justice to any author, neither to the work itself nor the reader, that is, in my opinion, the most important factor in the equation. Anyways, if anyone thinks differently, I´d like to hear it :).