Zøe Haslie's Blog, page 2
April 26, 2018
Things Authors Seriously Need to Stop Doing
Hi, guys! How are you? I’ve missed blogging this month, but it’s been crazy and I haven’t had time to do much, except read a few books. Since I didn’t quite enjoy them, I decided to write this post on all the things I’m sick and tired of reading in YA books. Please feel free to add your own thoughts on the comments, I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot!
“Multi-genre” POV
Why the quotes? Because more often than not, this ends up backfiring on the author and he/she ends up having two or more characters with the exact same voice, using the same idioms and having the same mind-frame. Or, even worst, you have a teenage boy talking non-stop about the way a girl’s look makes him heart race.
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Perfect Teenagers
Isn’t it kind of obvious by now that human beings are far from perfect? And that teens are supposed to make mistakes, break the rules and feel curious about “the forbidden”? Well, a lot of authors have been writing perfect kids who see a beer or a cigarette and run away from it. I am not saying all characters have to feel the same “curiosity”, but when they are all acting responsibly and don’t even break a curfew, where is the conflict in your story? You just end up having a boooooring book.
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When the Main Character is the Author
Believe it or not, I’ve seen this a lot and it really scares me. If a teen’s favorite band (in a new book, duh!) is the Back Street Boys or they definition of man-candy is Brad Pitt, guess what? That is not cool! When I was a teen, my mom had a crush in Robert Redford and I’m not saying he’s not a great, talented actor, but I certainly wasn’t daydreaming about him! Get real. Seriously.
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What a Terrible Lack of Conflict
Have you noticed that in a lot of books characters get what they want, when they want it because they are that good/talented/lucky? Does that make you feel engaged with the story? That was rethorical. I know it doesn’t! The result? A book we are more likely to put down or give a bad review to than a story we’ll actually enjoy and recommend. For me, these kinds of books show how little understanding of literature the authors have. It’s just sad.
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Living in a Material World
This might be a bit personal, since I’m not a material girl, but even so, I understand that some authors use brands to “describe” their characters and I am all for that. I am aware that if you use certain brands you’re giving him/her a skater, punk, naïve, or you-name-it personality. But there are limits, you know? You certainly don’t need more than three or four brands to make it happen!
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Repetitions
This seriously needs to stop! Why? Why would you tell me five times in a row that your character loves Diet-Coke? I got it the first time, I paid more attention the second time. I got it. Believe me! Or why changing points of view means you need to retell everything from the other character’s point of view? This is soooo last century. Instead of giving insight to the story, it feels like you don’t have much to write, so you repeat scenes from someone else’s perspective. Stop it!
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Well, I’m gonna follow Phoebe’s advice and stop this bitching madness I have going on today. As I said, I’d love to read what you’re sick and tired of, so please feel free to share it in the comments 
April 10, 2018
TTT: Books I Liked but Won’t Reread
As you well know now, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week, we’re talking about books that we reaaaally liked but for one reason or another, we won’t be rereading. Some of the reasons I wouldn’t reread books are: not ruining the memory of a book, a very heavy theme, a change in reading taste.
So, let’s start with my TTT 
Looking forwards to yours =)
April 9, 2018
Review: “The Beast of Bath”, by Chasity Bowlin
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Lord Victor Mayhew, Viscount Norcross, lives in the shadows, hiding his scarred face from those who would fear him… or worse, pity him. He’s become accustomed to the dark, and to the aching loneliness that is his only and constant companion. But while traversing the city in the dark of night, he encounters a beautiful woman who is running for her life.
Lady Thessaly Shade has discovered that the prettiest of faces can hide the ugliest of hearts. While Lord Norcross keeps his face carefully concealed from her, he cannot hide the fact that he is a man of honor, a man for whom the word gentleman is a way of life and not merely an honorary title.
With no way to repay him for his kindness, for his courage in aiding her at great risk to himself, Thessaly bargains with the only thing she possesses of value… herself. Can she convince him to trust her, to believe that she can see beyond the scars he bears to the man he is? Or will he push her away out of fear and retreat into the loneliness that he knows so well?
My Review
Goodreads Rating: 4*
I am so happy I decided to grab my free copy of this novella when it was shortly on promotion on Amazon! And I’m also happy that I decided to read it last night.
The story is short and sweet, with some erotic scenes (so, be warned!) that I found actually added to the story, so, all in all, it was a nice surprise.
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The biggest “twist” in this Regency retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” is probably the lack of magical elements (curses, hem!) And the result is originally a good one. Of course, the great narrative techniques of the author help to draw the readers into the story and keep them turning the pages till the very end.
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My main “issue” with the book was the length. Whereas I don’t think the novel should have been much longer, I do believe some scenes could have been further developed to add more tension, tenderness and other feelings that were left for the reader to build.
All in all, it was a nice, sweet read. And, if you have the time, you should definitely check it out!
April 5, 2018
Review: “Six Months in Montana”, by Pamela M. Kelley
[image error]Molly Bishop loves living in Manhattan and managing a boutique luxury hotel. She’s about to be promoted to her dream job of General Manager, the role she’s been striving for her entire career.
There’s only one thing standing in her way.
The will of her childhood friend, Christian Ford’s grandfather. She hasn’t even seen Christian in over ten years, but a recent run-in with his grandfather during a rare visit home, resulted in a new condition to the will. Christian will only inherit the ranch he’s been running and the real estate development business that he has expanded, if he marries Molly and stays married for at least six months.
My Review:
Goodreads Rating: 2*
Let me start by saying I don’t enjoy writing “bad” reviews. However, I do like to remain objective when reading books I fail to connect with, and I try to focus on the good and the bad. And try to not to get in this mood:
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This story has a very implausible plot/blurp that I loved from the very beginning Adding a childhood friendship and a seemingly beautiful location (‘seemingly’ because I’ve never been to Montana), I was sold—I thought I was in for a great read!
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Except it wasn’t the case for me. I think the two main issues for me were the fact that the author seemed to let the reader construct the love story between Christian and Molly, rather than makes us fall in love with them. A good example of this is the fact that I can picture Christian’s full house and decor and I have no idea of what he looks like.
Following the same line of thought, the second issue was the fact that the author failed to “take me” to Montana. There are not enough geographical descriptions that make me connect with the place, the inhabitants, or anything, really.
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On top of that, you have a course on how to run a bed-and-breakfast, and having worked in the industry for 5 years I couldn’t even relate to that.
Lastly, things seemed to developed way too quickly and it didn’t seem to be a main conflict, but a series of small obstacles the characters overcome easily instead. There’s a lack of “no-pain-no-gain” philosophy that I find necessary in this kind of stories, or at least helpful to build tension and relief.
All in all, I think the story has great potential, but it wasn’t my cup-of-tea as it was.
April 1, 2018
March Wrap-up!
Hi, guys! I can’t believe we are already in April o.O
This year is flying away already… at least for me! But I’m still enjoying it.
Let’s go through what happened on the blog during March ^^
Interviews:
* MG & YA Author Stevie Rae Causey
Reviews:
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Specials:
[image error]* Creation of the The YA Book Club
* Quotes that add books to my TBR
Favorite posts from other bloggers:
* Very Important Questions I Have About American Highschools in YA Fiction
* Balancing Multiple Writing Projects
* My Life in Books – Why Reading Makes Me Happy
* Hogwarts House Book Recommendations
That was it! I’m looking forwards to a great April
March 28, 2018
Review: “Banish My Heart,” by Jennifer Youngblood and Sandra Poole
[image error]An accident puts Elle Worthington into a coma. When she awakes, she can’t remember her name or anything about her life. She leaves the hospital and returns to a home that’s anything but ideal—her stepmother loathes her, her stepsister resents her, and her father’s a workaholic who’s rarely ever home.
She soon discovers she led a charmed life before the accident where she was dating Edward Kingsley, the golden-boy quarterback. Everyone tells her how lucky she is to be with Edward, but for some strange reason, Elle is instead drawn to Rush Porter, her next-door neighbor—a brooding, reckless newcomer who’s too good looking for his own good! From the moment she sees him, he captures her attention and haunts her dreams, and he seems to know an awful lot about her. (Read more here!)
My Review:
Goodreads Rating: 3*
Let me state first that I got a free copy of this book through Amazon. You can claim yours here. This book got me very conflicted since there were things I loved about it and things I hated about it, but no “meh” elements, if you know what I mean. That’s why my rating had to stay somewhere neutral.
First things first, the writing style, setting, and character building are more than gorgeous. I don’t remember the last time a story-teller got to me like these authors do. The POV is third person, which I find very refreshing in YA literature and an excellent choice for this particular story.
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I loved most characters, especially cute and wacko Aunt Adele (I have a spot in my heart for crazy characters, I can’t help it!). Also, the chemistry and the connection between Elle and Rush are sparky and beautiful.
As for my hates, they are very subjective, but I’ll quickly go through them:
-Too much teenage drama for me (admittedly, I am no longer a YA, but I love the genre regardless).
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-So far, there’s not a lot of resemblance to “Cinderella” and it doesn’t feel like a retelling (which is what I thought it would be, according to the blurp and cover, right?)
– Marketing strategy of the book: a. The blurp is sooo long it looks like a chapter! b. I really lose interest in stories authors try to sell you by saying ‘If you are a fan of X, you’ll love this’. No, guys!! If I am a fan of X, I will enjoy X. If you want me to be a fan of your book, just tell me about it!
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-I disliked Elle, who is the main character. I kind of see a change for her down the line, but as a heroine she doesn’t have a great record and she definitely has a long road to go before I warm up to her.
-The ending. What the hell? Why do authors end books saying ‘But the next book and you’ll learn more’? This is also included in the Marketing strategy I mentioned earlier, but it deserved it’s own bullet point on the account of being huge. Don’t get me wrong, I am not against series, but each book should have a beginning, a series of conflicts, some lose ends, resolution, and an ending (with more or less suspense as the author sees fit). This book just stopped mid-way through.
All in all, it was a nice read. Again, I can’t say how much I loved the writing style, the descriptions, and the choice of language. You could tell all the work the authors put into it and the results were outstanding! I just wish the minor things (marketing, hem) would have been smoother.
Some quotes:
“Even the brave feel fear. It is true mark of nobility to act in spite of the fear.”
“As imperfect as it is, life is a gift.”
“How did a nice guy like me get tangled up with a girl like you?”
“I don’t know what we are, but friends doesn’t quote fit the bill.”
“She would do whatever it took to earn his heart because it was becoming painfully clear that somehow–without her realizing–he’d already stolen her heart.”
March 27, 2018
TTT: ♫ Because The World is Round ♫
It is Tuesday again, guys! For those of you who don’t know it, TTT is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week, we are talking about books that take place in different countries, although I might drop some titltes taking place in a different world–you know, for the sake of fantasy
Before we start, I wanted to remind you all to join our YA Book Club by clicking on the pic below
And now, we’ll jump to action!
Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert is a book that made me think a lot of things and relate a lot to the main character. I read this a month before I set off on my first big adventure and it was great to reassure that not everyone belong in the same place. Sometimes, you need to make your own path and leave behind those who judge you because they don’t understand!
In the Arms of a Pirate, by Michelle Beattie: Pirates, Caribbean… Do I need to go on? Review here!
Serenade, by Heather McKenzie: Canada, a place I’m dying to go to
I love Canadians, I love books taking place in Canada. Review here!
4. Harry Potter, by J. K. Rowling: Because Howgarts
5. One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Garbriel García Márquez: This takes place in the fictional town of Macondo, which is supposedly located in Colombia.
6. Peter Pan, by J. M. Barrie: Because I always wanted to go to Neverland on a holiday. (I loved my family too much to want to stay for a longer period, sorry, Petter!)
And, much as love this week’s topic, I have a lot of work to do and a lot of blogs to tour, so I’ll have to leave it at six today! I could go on talking about “Alice in Wonderland”, my favorite Highlander stories, “Where Rainbows End” (a.k.a., “Love Rosie”), Isabel Allende’s “House of Spirits”, but…
To be continued…
March 25, 2018
Quotes that add books to my TBR
Hi, guys! Happy Sunday =)
It’s been a crazy couple of days for me and I haven’t been able to read or blog much.
Today, I wanted to take a few minutes to share a post about quotes that make me want to read books! So, here I go:
[image error]“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?” ~ The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas
“Exactly. How can you know it makes you happy if you’ve never experienced it?”
“There are different kinds of happy,” she said. “Some kinds don’t need any proof.” ~ This Is What Happy Looks Like, by Jennifer E. Smith
“Perhaps there could be no joy on this planet without an equal weight of pain to balance it out on some unknown scale.” ~ The Host, by Stephenie Meyer
[image error]4. “There’s a Japanese phrase that I like: koi no yokan. It doesn’t mean love at first sight. It’s closer to love at second sight. It’s the feeling when you meet someone that you’re going to fall in love with them. Maybe you don’t love them right away, but it’s inevitable that you will.” ~ The Sun Is Also A Star, by Nicola Yoon
5. “Sometimes you have to endure painful things to realize that you’re a whole lot stronger than you think.” ~ Alex, Approximately, by Jenn Bennett
6. “I gave everything for you, Vasilisa Petrovna.’
‘Not everything,’ said Vasya. ‘Since clearly your pride is intact, as well as your illusions.” ~ The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden
Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts on them?
Do you also add books to your TBR based on quotes? If so, I’d love for you to share them in the comments
March 21, 2018
The Unique Blogger Award
Hi, guys! I was tagged by Malanie @ Malanie Loves Fiction and I couldn’t be happier about doing this post I’m like her…
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Rules:
Display the award
Thank the person who nominated you, post a link to their blog
Answer the questions they’ve written for you
Nominate 8-13 bloggers and give them three questions in the spirit of sharing love and solidarity within our blogging family!
My Answers
What book are you always thinking about even though you read it a long time ago?
“One Hundred Years of Solitude”, by Gabriel García Márquez. This is a book that changed the way I understood literature, since I read it very young. It made me understand that in the world of books, everything is possible if you are a decent narrator. It also made me fall in love with a wanna-be gipsy, but let’s not go there!
What is your favorite food?
This is hard because I loooove food! I guess I’ll go with lasagna since I recently learnt how to prepare a mean lasagna and I’ve been eating it a lot lately! But I also love deserts and cakes and junk food, and… Ok, I’ll stop!!
If you could save three book characters to pass on for future humanity, which would they be & why?
Oh my! The first one would be “The Little Prince” because I think he should be travelling the universe non-stop spreading the beautiful lessons he learns in his journeys.
The second one, Augustus Waters simply because “I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters.”
The third one would probably be Hermione Granger, because she is a badass female character.
Noms
Lilly @ Lilly’s Book World, Sue @ Sue Reading Corner, Beth @ Reading Every Night, Sara @ A Gingerly Review, Zezee @ Zezee With Books (just discovered this blog ), Veeshe @ Vee Reading, Lili @ Lili’s Blissful Pages, Michaela @ Journey Into Books (I promise I’ll soon do the challanges you tagged me in!), Candyce and Isabelle @ The Book Duchesses, Ally @ Ally Writes Things and Holly @ Nut Free Nerd (another great blog I recently discovered!). You probably know this by now, but just in case:
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My Questions
What author would you like to go on holidays with and why?
What are your hobbies besides reading?
What’s the best book you’ve read so far this year?
I can’t wait to read your answers
March 20, 2018
No TTT today! But great resources ;)
I guys, how are you? As you know, I love Tuesdays because I get to discover new blogs through TTT (created by That Artsy Reader Girl), but today’s topic is not right for me for 2 reasons: 1. I’m currently in South America, meaning the Autumn is coming here (yeei!!) and 2. I never know what’s coming next in my TBR list, since I’m a bit of a freak.
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So, instead of doing this week’s TTT, I decided to share some of my reading habits through a series of FAQ.
Q. Is is true that you haven’t purchased a book in over two years now?
A. Yes! Being on the road means not being able to carry my library around, except on my phone (because my Kindle is no longer working!). So, I signed up to a couple of websites and I get daily emails with promos and free books and I download the ones I’m into. I currently have 152 books on my Kindle app. Of course, I also get author’s request, but I’m very picky with those since I like to leave positive reviews, so I only chose the genres and blurps I’m most likely to enjoy.
Q. How do you chose a book out of the 152 titles in your Kindle app?
A. First of all, I have to think if I’m in the mood for Romance, YA, Historical Fiction, Paranormal… you get it. Then, I browse the covers and I check the blurps on Goodreads. From there, I usually pick the book that’s got less reviews and ratings, and I feel I’m doing the author and the reader community a great contribution. And, deep inside, the author part of me wishes more people did this!
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Q. How do you find out about free books?
A. By far, Bookbub is the website that’s contributed the most to my free book catalogue. But there are sooo many others out there. Just to mention a few: Robin Reads, Bargain Booksy, Free Booksy. I recently found out about Instafreebie, which I personally use to promote my book “Just For a While” (claim your free copy here!), but that didn’t stop me from getting tons of copies of other books! Truth be told, you’re not likely to find the “hype” books in these websites, but you’ll certainly discover great new authors not many people are talking about!
Q. How about other resources?
A. Internet offers countless resources to freebie lovers! If you’re tight on money and you love to read, guess what? You can read for free! Make sure you follow the authors you love, specially if they are indie. Indie authors engage a lot more with their readers and they are more likely to giveaway copies of their books in the hopes of getting a new fan and an honest review! Stalk them, follow them on Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, Facebook, join their Street-Teams, sign up for their Newsletters, don’t be shy! Go completely psycho and they’ll love you for it
