ONTD Book Club discussion

It's time for the June suggestion! (And time to panic since we're moving at the end of the month and I have a billion things to do!! My house is littered with boxes right now and they want to show the house Monday...)

I'd be up for SNARK book this month since it's the beginning of summer and deck reading!

I'm going to start Les Miserables whether it gets picked for classic or not but throw it on the poll again just in case XD

If it wasn't so infuriating, I would totally suggest Dead Ever After as the snark read!

Naomi wrote: "If it wasn't so infuriating, I would totally suggest Dead Ever After as the snark read!"

That was going to be my suggestion, but I'm going to end up reading it this weekend, I'm sure. And I'm betting I'll be pissed...

ETA: Just read a few reviews (which I never do before starting a book) - WHAT THE UNGODLY FUCK? I may not even bother now.

Jessica wrote: "Naomi wrote: "If it wasn't so infuriating, I would totally suggest Dead Ever After as the snark read!"

That was going to be my suggestion, but I'm going to end up reading it this weekend, I'm sure..."

Oh I read the reviews and I'm reading it this weekend! I managed to get my hands on a free version so I HAVE to see what the hype is about. It'll either make me laugh until I pee myself or angry enough to throw something. But either way, it was free lol

Naomi wrote: "Oh I read the reviews and I'm reading it this weekend! I managed to get my hands on a free version so I HAVE to see what the hype is about. It'll either make me laugh until I pee myself or angry enough to throw something. But either way, it was free lol "

Mine was free too... I know I'll end up reading it just because I've read the other 12. I knew she was up to some shit with the last book. It was so effin' boring.

Life After Life

And since I loved it
The 5th Wave

Re: dead ever after, I won't read it since I didn't enjoy the first book but is it the finale of the series?

Marie wrote: "Life After Life

And, since I loved it, The 5th Wave"


Good choices! I just downloaded both this week.

I want to read life after life too :)

I got Life After Life for $4 at the used bookstore and got The 5th Wave a few weeks back, so I'm up for either of those!

I'd like to suggest A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra. It's not a snark book, although there is an unexpected wry humor that runs through the narrative, but it's getting pretty amazing reviews everywhere. I only just started it and the writing is high-level but very accessible.

Wigs wrote: "Re: dead ever after, I won't read it since I didn't enjoy the first book but is it the finale of the series?"

Yes.

If you'd like to be spoiled on the series... (view spoiler)[ After dumping Bill pretty early, she dates some randos, ends up married to Eric (in the most bizarro/lame way ever), only to have Eric divorce her because he was sold to some vampire queen... So then Sookie ends up with Sam. [insert sad tuba] (hide spoiler)]

Jurassic Park!

oh gurl i just read Jurassic Park. I'm not sure how much fun it was though I felt like it was only just okay. The movie is better by far!

I suggest for snark read. It's a very typical NA (not that I want to encourage this ridiculous NA bullshit, but this is for snark). People's responses to it are pretty funny. Dear Author posted an excerpt on April 1, and people were talking about how they thought it was an April Fool's joke after reading the excerpt, hahaha.

I'll be reading Wolf Hall and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy no matter what, so I'd like to submit them to the vote.

Alicia wrote: "I suggest for snark read. It's a very typical NA (not that I want to encourage this ridiculous NA bullshit, but this is for snark). People's responses to it are pretty fun..."

This gives me major Beautiful Disaster vibes. Don't know if that makes me want to read it more or less haha!

I haven't read any NA but the genre makes me roll my eyes Lemon style.

Naomi wrote: "This gives me major Beautiful Disaster vibes. Don't know if that makes me want to read it more or less haha!"

Haha, yes. As far as I know though it's in no way as off the rails as BD. Though now that you bring it up you guys can read for snark. You know, if you hate yourselves. And women.

Marie wrote: "I haven't read any NA but the genre makes me roll my eyes Lemon style."

What is this NA genre?

And just because you mentioned it and because I love her:

Alicia wrote: "Naomi wrote: "This gives me major Beautiful Disaster vibes. Don't know if that makes me want to read it more or less haha!"

Haha, yes. As far as I know though it's in no way as off the rails as BD..."

Just reading the description makes me want to stab myself. I'd forgotten how irritating Beautiful Disaster was.

Perfect gif! :D

NA stands for ~New Adult, which is basically a shitty bridge genre between YA and regular adult fiction. Why bother having NA? To me it's just YA with older ages. Adult is 18+ in most conventional definitions, so people should just leave it at that instead of having this silly genre...but of course it's all about the $$$ so if there's a market for it, books will be cranked out. From what I understand NA has the same shitty, cheesy romances that YA has.

LOL @ me with the snap judgments before I even educate myself by reading a NA book. I try not to have prejudices but I can't with that genre, it just seems so pointless.

OMG, that genre's actually a thing?

Just looking at the genre page here is painful. It's all just cheesy romance....



But those books do seem perfect for a snark read, I have to admit!

And to be clear, I don't hate all YA or romance books, just poorly written ones...

GIRL ARE YOU ME because everything you are preaching is ripped from my brain, tbh...but I'm going to use a Leslie Knope gif because I worship at the Church of Amy



I totally agree w/ what you said re: YA and romance. I am picky with my YA; I mostly read those with fantasy elements or dystopia/sci-fi, and even those aren't all that great. I don't like forced love triangles, the ones that are simply there for conflict and ~drama. And don't get me started on INSTALOVE, that's the worst.

NEW ADULT

NEW ADULT ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW OMG

WHY

Wigs wrote: "NEW ADULT

NEW ADULT ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW OMG

WHY"

I wish I can like/thumbs up/etc. this because this was literally my reaction when I found out about this genre a couple of weeks ago. Too bad I can't unlearn that knowledge and get my ignorance back :|

so what it's like....young adult books with sex basically? the writing is too rudimentary to be considered like just plain romance?

Haha, I'm right there with you, Wigs!

Marie wrote: "I totally agree w/ what you said re: YA and romance. I am picky with my YA; I mostly read those with fantasy elements or dystopia/sci-fi, and even those aren't all that great. I don't like forced love triangles, the ones that are simply there for conflict and ~drama. And don't get me started on INSTALOVE, that's the worst. "

Oh God, instalove makes me want to throw the book against the wall. I CAN'T. What kills me is that YA is now so associated with romance, love triangles, Twilight-esque stuff, when YA can be so good. I want less paranormal romance and more quality YA like A Wrinkle in Time, The Giver, and Holes.

Anyways, rant over. To conclude, I love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

Wigs wrote: "so what it's like....young adult books with sex basically? the writing is too rudimentary to be considered like just plain romance?"

I think so. Granted, I've never read a NA book, so I can't say for sure.

Marie wrote: "NA stands for ~New Adult, which is basically a shitty bridge genre between YA and regular adult fiction. Why bother having NA? To me it's just YA with older ages. Adult is 18+ in most conventional definitions, so people should just leave it at that instead of having this silly genre"

So, I'm not trying to defend NA as it stands now, because the genre really is a hot mess of cheap, quickly written smut novels.

But as an idea, I think there's room for New Adult outside of the "regular adult" genres. I notice when I read adult books that a lot of it is aimed at people in their late 20s or 30s, and the protagonists tend to be in established roles and/or are tired and jaded and worn down before the book even starts. The common character arc is either someone finding a new purpose/energy in life, or continuing on with their "job," just it happens to be really shitty/exciting. This is even try in paranormal or fantasy books, where the heroes have families, a place in life, or really heavy backstories.

And that's fine for middle age readers who can identify with that, but for young 20-somethings who are just striking out in life, that's hard to identify with.

True, you can technically roll all that together and say "there's books about young protagonists in the adult genres!" But they're hard to find unless you're getting specific recommendations. You can't walk into a book store and hit up the fantasy section looking for a book about a young-20s hero unless you want to stand there forever reading the first couple chapters of every book.

But it's also kind of annoying to be in college and reading about the high school drama that you just left behind.

So, yeah, I think that's why the NA genre became a thing, but as soon as it opened up the really fast writers got in there and set up camp first. And the fastest thing to write is crappy smut. And now anyone who takes the time to write their novels well is looking at NA and going "yeah...I don't want to be associated with them."

I actually read an NA recently that I loved, but I might be biased because the author is an ONTDer who prefers to remain anonymous, LOL. I mean, it has drag queens including one that flopped on RuPaul's Drag Race. That was enough to sell me. But it doesn't come out until next month so whatevs.

The Art of Love

Megan (Book Brats) wrote: "I actually read an NA recently that I loved, but I might be biased because the author is an ONTDer who prefers to remain anonymous, LOL. I mean, it has drag queens including one that flopped on RuP..."

I have that on my TBR. From what I've seen so far, this is really good. And the author is looking for reviewers, as far as I know, so maybe there's a possibility to get the book early for our group?

I already have the ARC...

which queen I need to know right now

Whitley, thanks so much for your response and I'm not being sarcastic whatsoever when I say that. I'd be the first to admit that I'm quick to judge and dismiss the genre, especially when I've never read a book that is considered NA, so I am willing to concede that you've raised some valid points :)

Alicia wrote: "Naomi wrote: "This gives me major Beautiful Disaster vibes. Don't know if that makes me want to read it more or less haha!"

Haha, yes. As far as I know though it's in no way as off the rails as BD..."

I think I broke a few blood vessels in my eyes from rolling too hard

I would totally be up to reading a book by a fellow ONTDer! That's so awesome they got published!

Whitley wrote: "So, yeah, I think that's why the NA genre became a thing, but as soon as it opened up the really fast writers got in there and set up camp first. And the fastest thing to write is crappy smut. And now anyone who takes the time to write their novels well is looking at NA and going "yeah...I don't want to be associated with them."

Yeah, I totally get what you're saying Whitley. There is a place for books focusing on people in their young 20s, of course. But as you said, that area seems to have been taken over by smutty 50 Shades of Grey fanfic type stories right now.

I seem to be in the minority here but I actually enjoyed True. ~hides~ It was a very entertaining, smutty read up until the end where it ended so abruptly I thought I had gotten a faulty copy.

I've been avoiding NA books because I heard they glorified abusive relationships with these horrible bad boy characters (I'm looking at you Beautiful Disaster) but this one wasn't like that.

After all the promotion Megan has given to The Art of Love I'm dying to read it. Now that I know it was written by an ONTDer I REALLY WANT IT.

Yeah, I've basically devoted my blog for the past month to pimping it out because I was promised a cut of the money if it becomes big LMAO. I'm working on spec.

Go buy it June 18th. $2.99 wherever ebooks are sold.

Wigs wrote: "which queen I need to know right now"

He's like Ivy Winters if Ivy had a personality more than just being sweet and came in second to someone like Roxxxy.

I'm on a mystery kick since reading all three Flynn novels so I'm gonna suggest into the woods, it's about this child found murdered in the woods in dublin and the detective who has to solve the murder went missing in those woods like 20 yrs ago or something with a few other kids but he was the only one they found, idk I'm terrible at summaries lol so read it at the link, but it sounds really interesting imo.

or when she woke

or howl's moving castle

or the handmaid's tale

or the maze runner?

lol sorry if these have already been read :X

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong? (Yay for soon to be adaptations?)

I know that In the Woods has a super disappointing ending

it had nice writing, i remember reading the first few chaps at the book store but after I found out the um...mystery is never solved? or something like that I was like screwwww that

Wigs wrote: "I know that In the Woods has a super disappointing ending

it had nice writing, i remember reading the first few chaps at the book store but after I found out the um...mystery is never solved? or s..."

omg whaaat awww

idk, I'm getting used to unsatisfying endings like that so maybe it wouldn't bother me so much. it's the first book in a series though, so probably the mystery will be solved eventually?

uh from what i understand it goes on to do different cases I dunno

:/

Not a fan of Maze Runner and its spawn of sequels, tbh

Lol sorry I just...I mean if you check out the reviews on Amazon I remember them being pretty brutal about disappointment etc

We haven't read any of those suggestions (as a club), btw! I want to do When She Woke as well sometime :)

Whoa, started a while NA discussion. Yeah, it's a BS category. People need to get over not wanting to be adults. It happens. I let loose with most of my feelings on NA in the comments of Rose's review.

I got HDU when it was free, I'm pretty excited about reading that. Plus it was written as an adult book, which it is. I'm not impressed by people writing NA or claiming a book they wrote as an adult book is suddenly NA because it's in that age range. (Even though people consider crap with 17-year-olds and people out of college as NA so who even knows what the delineation really is. [$$$])