I’ve barely written anything for my blog over the past couple of weeks (thanks, work), so while I have a few moments, I figured I would fill out a tag that no one tagged me for. There are a lot of things that are aggravating me right now, so I’m going to take this time to complain in a bookish fashion, because complaining about what’s actually annoying me won’t help me solve those things.

A popular book or book series that you didn’t like

The Throne of Glass books by Sarah J. Maas. I read the first two, and that was more than enough. I was not impressed by the world building, the prose was mediocre, and the characters were uninspiring. Also, the plot was predictable. Obviously this is a popular series, as more books keep coming out, but I am baffled as to why everyone is so keen on them when there are other, superior tales out there.

Make it stop!!!

A popular book or book series that everyone else seems to hate but you love

The Lord of the Rings, I guess? I’m talking about the books, not the films (which I also love). I’m not sure how a popular book or series ends up being hated by most, but I have come across a lot of “it’s boring” or “the descriptions are awful” and whatnot directed at my favorite books of all time. I just bite my tongue and move on, because if someone has decided they hate a book, they’re not going to change their mind because I’m ranting at them about it.

Frodo Lives!

An OTP that you don’t like

Anything from the Twilight books. Vapid girl gets to choose between creepy stalker vampire or a werewolf with rage issues (wherein he might tear his girlfriend apart because he lost his temper, and everyone’s okay with this).  Why did anyone buy these books?

A popular book genre that you hardly reach for

Romance. Chick-lit, sure. I can go for that once in a while. But not a straight-up romance in the Harlequin vein.

Nope.

A popular/beloved character that you do not like

Celaena Sardothien, or whatever she’s called these days. Her assassin tutor should have knocked some sense into her head along with the ability to stand on one foot for long periods of time. Or maybe the skill to actually listen to people. Or some political know-how. Or, really, anything at all. I can think of half a dozen literary assassins who would knock her flat in about two seconds.

Why do you have Skeletor’s sword?

A popular author that you can’t seem to get into

Sarah J. Maas (see above). I don’t see why people think she’s a wonderful writer. Her prose isn’t very good. Neither are her characters.

A popular book trope that you’re tired of seeing

Love triangles. Seriously. You’re a hero/heroine desperately trying to save the world/graduate from high school, but you have to spend a bunch of your precious time dwelling on which of the boys/girls to fall in love with? And the two possible love interests also have time to dwell on their sex lives in the midst of a crisis? What?

Ragey, Spacy, and Creepy. The love triangle from hell.

A popular series that you have no interest in reading

Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles. Many people whose opinions I respect have loved this series. I have no interest in it whatsoever.

The saying goes “The book is always better than the movie”, but what movie or TV show adaptation do you prefer more than the book?

Ted Chiang’s short story, ‘The Story of Your Life’ is a remarkable tale about a linguist who must learn how to communicate with the aliens whose ships appear on Earth one day. It’s a mind-bending tale about time, communication, and love. But while ‘The Story of Your Life’ is remarkable, I prefer the movie that was based on it. Arrival stars Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, and is beautifully told. And while the core of the story remains the same from story to screen, the films’s ability to tell a story visually illustrates the concepts more subtly than the short story does.

Watch this. Seriously.