Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

I've seen this tag everywhere in the online book community, so even though it's a few years old, I'm going to give it a try anyway. :) This tag and the tag questions were created by The Book Archer on YouTube.

Photo by Ed Robertson on Unsplash

1) A popular book or series you don't like

The Maze Runner by James Dashner and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Both of these books get a ton of hype in the bookish community, but I just... didn't connect with either story? You can read my reviews to get a better idea of why I didn't like them, but basically... The Maze Runner was juvenile. The characters changed to fit the plot, and there were multiple (very bad) plot holes. The Cruel Prince was slow, and I never rooted for any of the characters. I also hate that the fandom ships Jude and Cardan, since it's such a toxic relationship.

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

I honestly could not think of one. Books that are hated... oh man, this is going to sound mean... but books that are hated are generally hated for a good reason. The only series that comes close is The Safe Lands Trilogy, which seems to get a lot of hate for the way it included tough topics and was marketed as Christian Fiction. I haven't read these books in years, so I have no idea if I'd still like them if I read the series again, but I guess I'll go with that.

3) A love triangle where the main character ended up with the person you did NOT want them to end up with OR an OTP that you don't like

Oof. Will I name names? I know I'm going to offend somebody no matter what I pick. 'Cause I do have a few, unfortunately. To keep things civil, I'm going to go with a less well known YA series, Inkworld. I won't give too much information about the third book, Inkdeath, but Meggie did not end up with who I wanted her to end up with. It confused and disappointed me when I read it (granted, I read the book a long time ago, so my opinions might have changed, but... I don't think it's likely.)

4) A popular book genre you hardly ever reach for

Romance. I like a good romance subplot as much as the next person, but straight-up romance is something I hardly ever reach for.

5) A popular or beloved character you don't like

Tobias from Divergent. I hate him, honestly. Sorry. He's just... really not likeable? I don't know what else to say.

6) A popular author you can't seem to get into

Veronica Roth. I've tried a few of her books now, and I've always come away unsatisfied. Divergent had a good plot, but I didn't like the main characters, and while I liked the main characters in Carve the Mark, the plot never really started. So I guess maybe her books just aren't for me.

7) A popular book trope you're tired of seeing

The "everyone's a couple" YA trope. You know, where literally every major character is in a relationship by the end of the story? Yeah, I'm tired of seeing it. More platonic friendships, please!

8) A popular series you have no interest in reading

The A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. I am planning on reading Throne of Glass, but I've heard that ACOTAR has a lot of sexual scenes in it that are... quite graphic. I know that I don't like reading these scenes, so I'll just avoid the series entirely. (Disclaimer: I have nothing against people who are fine with reading these books and scenes. They're just not something I, personally, like reading.)

9) 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?

The Lord of the Rings. I did like the books, but the movies are so much more enjoyable and magical for me. The characters feel so much more real in the movies than in the books, too.


I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, but if you're reading this and haven't done this tag already, consider yourself tagged! <3


And that's all for my unpopular opinions! What are some unpopular opinions you have? Let me know in the comments!

Rapid Fire Book Tag

I found this book tag on The Bookish Hedgemom's blog, and it looked like a lot of fun, and so I thought I'd give it a try! The Rapid Fire Book Tag was originally created by Girl Reading on her YouTube channel.

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

E-book or physical book?

Physical book, every time! While I do like the idea of e-books, and I do read e-books occasionally, there's nothing that can compare to the experience of reading a physical book.

Paperback or hardback?

Paperback! Hardbacks are beautiful, but paperbacks are so much easier to read, and frankly, far less painful to hold in one hand (while the other hand is occupied with a mug of tea.) I especially love the floppy sort of paperbacks.

Online or in-store book shopping?

In-store! Especially in used bookstores. It feels like I'm treasure-hunting, and I love it so much more than just picking out a book on Amazon.

Trilogies or series?

Either. I honestly don't have much of a preference. (Though I will say, if a series has sixteen books, I would hope those sixteen books all add something to the story and aren't just there to take up space.)

Heroes or villains?

Heroes! A few years ago, I totally would have answered villains, but now, I'm all for reading about heroes. People who aren't necessarily perfect, but are actively trying to better themselves and help people... these are the characters I can admire and root for.

A book you want everyone to read?

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Seriously, everyone needs to read this incredible, incredible book. The characters and the plot and the worldbuilding and the themes are all so amazing and perfect and I just love this book so much.

Recommend an underrated book?

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab isn't exactly underrated, but I do feel like it gets overlooked in comparison to Schwab's adult books. However, This Savage Song is an amazing, gorgeously written story with wonderful characters and just the right amount of scary.

The last book you finished?

We Need to Talk by Celeste Headlee. This is a nonfiction book about the power of conversation and how to become a better conversationalist. It was a great, overall quick read that I'm very glad I picked up.

The last book you bought?

I... can't really remember exactly what the last book I bought was. I think it might have been There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool.

Weirdest thing you've used as a bookmark?

I've used post-it notes before, as well as random papers and notes that I have lying around. Basically the closest thing that comes to hand.

Used books: yes or no?

Yes, yes, and yes! Used books are some of my favorite things for so many reasons. Number one, they're much cheaper. (The price of new books makes my bookworm heart cry.) Number two, they're way more environmental. (Those books didn't end up in the landfill! Whoo!) Plus, I've found some really interesting things inside used books. Everything from notes about the book itself to a random photo of a random person. It's interesting, if nothing else. :P

Top three favorite genres?

Fantasy, science fiction, and young adult.

Borrow or buy?

Buy. I love borrowing books (I mean, I work as a librarian, why would I be against borrowing books?) but there's something about owning books that makes me happy.

Characters or plot?

If I had to choose, characters. But plot is important, too, guys. No excuses for a weak plot! *shakes finger*

Long or short books?

Either works for me! Some of my favorite books are over 1000 pages, and sometimes I struggle to get through a 300 page YA novel. It depends on the story, the pacing, and the author's writing style for me, more than the length of the book.

Long or short chapters?

Short chapters all the way. I like being able to quickly read a chapter between other tasks, plus the story feels like it's moving faster if there are lots of short chapters (a book I can think of off the top of my head that has really good short chapters is Vicious by V.E. Schwab.)
And long chapters can drive me crazy. (I'm looking at you, Wylan's POVs in Crooked Kingdom.)

Name the first three books you think of:

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Laugh or cry?

Both. If a book makes me laugh or cry, I know it's a new favorite. But if I had to choose, probably cry. The ending of The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson had me crying the most I've ever cried reading a book, and it's one of my favorite books of all time. That and The Book Thief. Which also made me cry.

Our world or fictional worlds?

Fictional worlds, of course. I'd love to be able to go to Middle Earth, or explore Roshar. Though I would think twice before visiting Panem. :P

Audiobooks: yes or no?

I like the idea of audiobooks, but I tend to zone out of them. It's more my fault than the fault of audiobooks, though. And I do love audiobooks if they're full cast. :)

Do you ever judge a book by its cover?

Yes. Sadly, yes. I know it's something we're always told not to do, but I'm infinitely more likely to pick up a book if it has a pretty cover.

Book to movie or book to TV adaptations?

Book to TV because I'm holding out hope for a Stormlight Archive TV series. I also really enjoyed the A Series of Unfortunate Events Netflix adaptation.

A movie or TV show you preferred to the book?

The Lord of the Rings. I've talked about this before on here, but basically, I enjoyed the story more. I felt closer to the characters, and fell in love with Tolkien's world through those movies. The books are good, but they're very dense, and honestly not enjoyable to read.

Series or standalones?

Series in general. Though I do love a good standalone if I'm in the mood for one.


And now for the tags! I tag:

Mem at Music, Mystery, Middle Earth, and Mitochondria
and
Lee at Arachne Reads


And if you think this tag looks like fun, go ahead and consider yourself tagged! Bookworms, let me know some of your answers to the questions in the comments! I'd love to chat with you all! :)