If you had been following my blog for a while you might have realized that I don’t give up easily. Sure I come back here on my blog and bitch about how hard the book was to read, but I don’t usually give up on the book or as we book nerds call it DNF aka Did Not Finish.
I do wonder if that is a wrong thing to do sometimes a lot of times. I mean there are literally millions of other books in the world and why am I not reading something else that I would actually enjoy more. Well my dear fellow nerds, I am gonna tell you why.
10. I want to give it a chance or two.
I know many people who believe in giving up on books if they are not enjoying it in the first 50 pages! Oh but not me. I totally believe in second or er.. even fourth chances. I just don’t want to wonder how the book was after I quit on it. See I am just being fair.
9. I have spent way too much time on it.
I generally read fairly fast. It is only when I struggle to like a book I take longer to complete it. But I don’t want to give it up since I have already spent too much time on it. You see the conundrum- to give up or not!
I have a weird rule when it comes to book adaptation. Books before screen. Yes, when I hear about the new movie / series that is being adapted from a book, I would want to read the book before the visual details could spoil my imagination. I want to see my own movie inside my head before I could watch the larger one. I am sure most of y’all understand what I mean!
6. But I love this author.
As any bookworm would do, I have some serious author obsessions. It goes without saying if I read a book by an author and I love it, I am gonna pick their next one too, irrespective of the reviews and rumors. And even if I don’t like it right away, I somehow believe that I will grow on to to like it. Of course I have been let down by this assumption far too many times for my own good.
5. I promised them I would review.
Of all the reasons I have stated above, only this one could be considered legitimate.
As you all know I am currently open for accepting books for review and manuscripts for beta reading. And when I do accept such books/MS, I feel obliged to read it completely before I review them. Even if I hated it all the way.
4. ‘What is wrong with me?’
Most of the books I pick up for reading or add to my never ending TBR list are from other bloggers’ recommendations. While I don’t necessarily read the blurb or review before I read a book, when I struggle through a book and I am this close to giving up, the glowing recommendations it had had received pop up in my brain. That takes me down on a spiral that ultimately leads to ‘what is wrong with me?’
Solution: Read it and read it fully you might like it.
3. I work towards a goal, people
On a similar note, I have a personal rule that I would rate, review and / or count the book towards my reading challenge only when I finish a book. It means when I DNF a book, I don’t get to rant about it or even to add it up on my yearly challenge. With the yearly reading slump I am getting onto, I can’t afford to do that, can I?
You all know it. Reading Lolita or the Tale of two cities is always gonna be a bumpy ride. I can’t think of reading a classic without giving it up a few times, for a short while. I somehow get back to them and finish reading them even if it is a long term project. I mean what is life without a few challenges, right? RIGHT?
1. I have given up on my life.
Let us face it. Being a book worm and freelancer writer I do not have a life outside books and my laptop. So what am I losing in reading few more hundreds of pages before I can truly say ‘I hated this book’? I have given up on my life and books have taken over it.
Do you DNF comfortably? Or do you find reasons, like me, to keep pushing yourself? Are there any other reasons that you don’t give up? Let me know the most recent book that you DNF-ed.
There was a time when I was not particularly interested in reading first person narratives and drop the books like it was infected if I find an ‘I’ in an active voice sentence in the first paragraph. That was a long time ago when I was about 8-10 years old. But then, I started trusting the first person narrators and even liking a few a lot – until I came across an unreliable narrator.
An unreliable narrator shatters the reader’s trust by contradicting themselves or misrepresenting the facts or even outright lying. Well, they can be doing that out of naivete or guilt. That is for the readers to find and that is exactly why I started looking out for such characters.
I can not recall the first time I read a book with an unreliable narrator but as I grew I no doubt I started loving them. I have read more books with an unreliable narrator in the past three years than all the years before then combined. So here I am presenting with my top ten narrators that all of us have come to love, in no particular order.
My Top Ten Unreliable Narrators
10) Humbert Humbert, Lolita
Humbert Humbert is the first character that pops up on any reader’s mind when anyone says unreliable narrator and correctly so. Humbert Humbert fancies under age girls and he falls for the 12 year old Lolita. He even marries and kills her mother (I don’t think that is a spoiler) just to be with his step daughter.
As if that is not enough to dislike him, he is an unreliable narrator as well. He not only tries to justify his actions, but also tries to convince the reader of the same through flattery. He constantly contradicts himself and makes outrageous promises both to his ward and the reader.
9) Rachel, The Girl on the Train
Rachel’s life is filled with lies, mistrust, depression and alcohol induced blackouts. Sh would live in her past, her dreams or at her drunk state, but her real life. When she suspects a foul play nobody wants to believer, unsurprisingly.
Her obsession with her unknown people and her ex alike add up to her ‘craziness’. What makes Rachel a great unreliable narrator is the fact that she means well, at least most of the times.
8) Pat Peoples, The Silver Linings Playbook
Pat Peoples has just been let out of psych ward and has lots of repressed memories as well. He is emotionally immature and has no concept of negativity.
He does not remember why he is divorced and is hoping that ex will take him back if he proves himself to be good. He is proof that crazy attracts crazy. And to things make worse, Pat is the worst because he spoils the ending of many classic books. He is definitely one of those unreliable narrators.
7) Jack, Room
Five year old Jack has never been out of a shed, where his father had him and his mother trapped even before he was born. But now he is out of his confinement and experiences world for the first time.
With the limited experiences that he has had, he narrates everything as he sees, which may or not be true. It opens the chance for the readers to interpret the events. With the naivete of a young boy’s eyes, Jack thus becomes a classic unreliable narrator.
6) Unnamed narrator, Fight Club
I know I cannot proceed with the list of unreliable narrators without adding Jack from Fight Club. If reading Chuck’s books were difficult his unnamed characters make the reading more difficult and keep it exciting.
After all that Tyler Durden put our narrator through, the narrartor is not able to prove it was Tyler who caused the Mayhem. He spends a quarter of the book trying to do just that and proving him more and more unreliable as time passes, even to us – until the final reveal.
5) Charlie, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Charlie, a freshman in high school, narrates the story in the form of letters to his ‘friend’ and he is taken in by seniors under their wings. He is over emotional yet detached from life as such.
While the story is narrated by him, he blacks out often and has lots of repressed memories making him a perfect choice for unreliable narrator.
4) Nick and Amy Dunne, Gone Girl
I love Gone girl but the two manipulative leads Nick and Amy Dunne made me wonder if everyone around me was lying.
We start by hating Nick and his secrets (and misrepresentations and lies) and want to protect the innocent little Amy, only to find that she is more unreliable and everything we heard from her was a lie as well. If you can read only one book of this list, Gone Girl would be my pick.
Another one from Gillian Flynn (if you can’t tell, she is one of my favorite authors) on the list. Her other books the Grown up and Sharp Objects have unreliable narrators too!
Twenty five years ago, 7 years old Libby Day testifies against her 15 years old brother Ben, for the massacre of their family – their mother and two younger sisters. Ben is convicted for life, partially on Libby’s testimony and partially on the evidences.
Libby is mentally stunted and doesn’t want to remember anything from the day of murders. And just not that, she is selfish, lives on trust fund and would do anything to get money without working – even trying to revisit her past. Well, that is my favorite kinda narrator – totally unreliable.
Alias Grace is one of my best reads of the year and its Netflix adaptation is a huge hit as well. The true crime story based on the 16 years imprisonment of Grace Marks for double homicide of his employer and fellow worker.
While her co-conspirator was hung in public, Grace was sent off the mental asylum for years. In the fictionalized version a psychiatrist tries to see through the web of deception and manipulation spun around and by her to set free. With the number of versions of the event and her own mental status, Grace is definitely one of the top contenders for the best unreliable narrators.
1) Piscine ‘Pi’ Patel, Life of Pi
Pi crosses the mighty ocean alone in a raft except for the company of a man eating mammal, Richard Parker, a tiger. The narrative of the exhaustive 7 month journey makes one wonder how much is true and how much was just a cope up mechanism.
To make matters worse (or better) Pi leaves it to the reader to decide which version one wants to believe in at the end making us doubt everything we just read. No wonder he is on my list of narrators who are unreliable.
Do you like unreliable narrations? Who are your favorite unreliable narrators? Do I have them on my list? Let us chat.
You might have noticed I am of late reading a it more of Young Adult literature than other genres. Even though I am trying to keep a balance among all the type of books in my blog, the truth is I have read more YA in the past one year than ever.
I never was into young adult fiction before that and to be honest, I used to avoid them like plague, But then these books happened and the rest as they say is history.
As a result of the surge in the number of reviews I have posted on my blog, the number of unsolicited review requests for YA books have sky rocketed. Not that I complain. But I can’t help but notice some lots of similarities among those novels that I can’t take it anymore.
How many time do you ask yourself these questions when you read these Young Adult novels?
7) Why do you need a public confrontation?
What is with you, kids and the crowd? In real life, most of us would run away from a confrontation like a plague (at least I do). But if there is a problem in your Young Adult drama filled life, every accusation / confrontation / break up has to be in front of your peers and their mothers.
6) Who are you, really?
I am yet to meet someone in real life who is so clumsy and yet so graceful when the tide turns. You drop everything, fall down the stairs and even get lost in your own city, but you are independent and gonna fight the dragons. What am I missing here? How many books have you read about the self proclaimed plain lead who finally realizes that she is beautiful after a make over and the hot guy asking her out? Why do the ‘unpopular’ guy have to fall for the popular, mean girl only to realize the awkward plain girl best friend is all he needs? He has to wait for her to get a make over too, I guess.
I know this is a problem even in adult / contemporary books, but its effect is more jarring in the young adult literature. But I am so done with the dark, brooding bad boy and the popular hot girls as love interests for the protagonists.
3) Where are the parents, teachers – AKA adults?
When I was a young adult myself (not too far past) there is no way that I could get away from the eyes of the adults for even two hours. Befriending rando strangers from the street was a strict no no. And here are kids whose lives are entirely dependent on a random stranger, with no prior qualifications. Seriously if there were one responsible adult around these kids most YA plots won’t even exist.
2) Why are the adults the bad ones always?
If you did have some adults, they are pretty useless or worse -the bad ones. Your Chemistry teacher is probably producing Meth in your school lab. Or they are killing innocent puppies (which I hope is not true.)
Or at the least, they are hiding a big fat secret from you. Like you are a vampire or a princess to some small country. Or that you were adopted. How.could.they?
1) Why are you the only one who has to break the rules?
Out of the entire population in your fictitious world, you are the only one who wants to question the authority. And / or open the damn door. And you do not listen to your friends who repeatedly beg you not to do that.
It doesn’t matter what is lurking in the darkness, you want a part of it, don’t you? Is it because someone said you are the only one who is special? Why are you So.Damn.Nosey?
What are your peeves about the mainstream Young adult books? Do you agree that these problems are irritable or not? Do you have an answers for any of these questions? Leave a comment, let us talk.
I have no idea how long it has passed since I did the last tag and I had to jump in at the chance when I was tagged by Clo from Book Dragons as Sunshine blogger and answer questions. I mean who would not like to talk about themselves and books and blogging right?
Rules
So here are the rules.
1) Tag the person who tagged you and link their blog – check
2) Answer the questions asked – Check
3) List the rules and tag 11 (?!) other people to do the tag.
4) Ask away 11 questions for them to answer
My answers
1. Pick three books, now pick three characters from each book. If they were to have a song that was written for them, which song would it be?
I have never thought about books and music together though it seems so great right now. I do not hear music while read or blog, or rather I might ‘hear’ but I kinda block out the noise around me.
Sorry I am being a spoilsport but if I ever relate a character to songs I will be back to update it.
2. Do you like predictable contemporary books? Why/Why not?
As someone who spends reading a lot of mystery and thriller books and guessing whodunnit, it might sound weird when I say I love reading happily-ever-after-s, aka, predictable contemporary once in a while. There are days when all you want is to read something that will make you cheerful and feel good.
I don’t review most of them because I know I will tear them apart and be too critical of them after a day or two, which might leave a bad aftertaste. So I just read them and then just forget about them, unless they are too good.
3. Are you an Introvert or an Extrovert?
I think I am an extrovert with some traits of an introvert, but that could be because I love books too much. I love being with friends and meeting new people in real life and virtually. I work well as a team and I often enjoy being the center of the party.
But after all the partying is done I would prefer going back to my books and having some me time. This may not be the same day or night. I can go without that lone time for days or weeks together but definitely, I will get back to curling under the blanket for a while. Like everything else in my life, my love for being among people works in spurts.
4. Five things you want to do/accomplish before you die and get to read forever in the afterlife.
You definitely described the perfect heaven for me – reading indefinitely, not stopping even for food or a drink.
Unfortunately I do not have a bucketlist sort of thing. I usually go with the flow. I don’t even have a written plan for the blog for the year. So oops, I feel like I am already failing so bad in this tag.
5. If you could have a conversation with any author and they’d listen to you and take your advice etc on board, who would it be and what would you tell them?
I haven’t met any of authors (I blame it on the place I live) let alone, talk with them. So this could be a great thing to even imagine.
Coming to the question, if I could meet anyone I would wanna meet all the indie authors whose books I have read, reviewed, loved or hated, because I respect them so much for their hard work and perseverance.
If I can give them any advice I would highlight to them the importance of using professionals like an editor, betareader or designer to help them, especially if the language they write is not their native tongue.
Okay I may have missed out your point. If you are asking what hate about in books then you should check this long long post.
8. Averaging it out how many books to you own?
Now that I have moved places therice in the past three years and have given away (or lost) many books during this period I have learnt my lessons and I have begun hoarding only e-books. But my parent’s place should have about 250-300 of my books right now.
9. What do you wish you knew about book blogging at the start?
I wish I had understood how important it was to make a community. I was thinking I was blogging for myself and that I needn’t make friends with internet strangers and later that it would be tough to make such friends.
But now I have come to understand how lovely and welcoming are our book bloggers. So if you are a newbie do not be shy, just start commenting on few blogs. If you are still apprehensive about it, you should take a glance at bloggers’ comment junction here and you will make friends in no time.
10. Have you got any goals for your blog this year?
I just want to be more planned and try and stick to the schedule. And more importantly, I do not want to hit the blogging / reading slump.
11. Do you read everyday?
I do not plan to read everyday but somehow I end up reading for at least 30 minutes during commute or waiting in a queue. Also I read a bit before I fall asleep almost daily but I do not count that as it is just a habit.
My Questions for the Sunshine Bloggers
If you get to do over your blogging journey, what is the first thing you will change in your blog?
Tell us one of your earliest memories related to books or reading in general.
What or who inspired you to start blogging? And what do you wanna achieve in terms of blogging?
Teach us one secret life / blog hack that you found in the last year.
What is your favorite among the social media websites and why?
If you can meet only one more blogger in real life, who would be that? And why?
What is that one productivity tool (app/ website) you can do without for your blog?
What is the most recent book that made you stay up all night reading it?
What is the one thing you are trying to master w.r.t blogging and would love some help with?
If you can change the ending of one popular book, what book will you choose and what will you change it to?
Share with us three random facts about you and your awesome life.
I tag
I tag the following as my Sunshine bloggers who bring in loads of cheerfulness and fun into my life and request them to answer my questions:
If you are not tagged but do wanna answer my questions, please consider yourself tagged. So what are you waiting for, answer my questions and I will visit you all once you get your post up.
I know that sounded like blasphemy. Everyone I know and their mother is in love with one book series or the other. Be it the infamous Fifty Shades series or the awesome Game of thrones. Especially the YA bloggers read and rave about books that are in so many parts that I have clearly no clue any more.
Do not get me wrong. I am not against the format as a principle. But somehow the books that are part of trilogy or series do not work for me. I have had my share of books that comes as a series and have even loved a few of them.
Over the past few years I physically cringe when I see the ‘##’ near the name of the book, because it is one more book that I might never pick it up sadly.
Why do I get so turned off when comes to book series?
I really hate cliffhangers. I have put my time and effort (even if I had loved doing that) in a book and then it ends abruptly only to be continued in the next. Really? I just can’t stand not knowing what happens to them and I usually have to wait for another year or two.
That brings us to the next problem.
2) Would I be alive when your next book turns up?
I am totally impatient. I want everything and I want them now. So forget me waiting to know whom Elena chooses in the Vampire Diaries series. If I can’t have it now, I am not having any. So what do I do?
Solution: When I do read a series I tend to get them all together in go.
3) Would the part two be as good as one?
How many books do you have already on your shelf but haven’t read for years? I am super ashamed about it too. Then why would I want to add another bunch of books that I may or may not read. I can hear you say, try the first book and then get the other ones, right? Read the previous point.
4) I would be far far behind the world.
Waiting for the series to end naturally means I would never read the books with the rest of the world. You wouldn’t believe how much later I picked up the Pretty Little Liar series, only because I wanted it to end before I even got the first book. Sorry folks I am still trying to figure out who is A when you are busy celebrating ‘her’ arrest.
5) Don’t keep toying with my feelings, people.
Pretty Little Liars also taught me another lesson on why I should hate book series that the character arcs suck. (Actually they don’t, they are fabulous.) But it is sheer torture that I can’t make up my mind whether to hate or love someone. Is he gonna be the killer? Or is it just another misdirection?
This definitely would not happen with a standalone because everything ends when you hit the epilogue. Except you staring at the ceiling trying to figure out what you wanna do with the rest of your life!
It is me, not you.
I know I am missing out a lot.
Still I prefer to have my choice books as standalones.
And the only way I can read a series is only when the books can work alone and can be read in any order. I can understand that a group of friends having their own story in a romance novel series like the Rock Chick series by Kristen Ashley or Macgregor brides by Nora Roberts.
Pin me!
Let us chat
Do you prefer standalones to series? Why or why not? If you read a lot of series, can you suggest me books that would fit my criteria? Let’s chat.
