4 Book Recommendations to add to your TBR!!

 "A reader lives a thousand lives before he die... 

The man who never reads lives only one" - George R.R. Martin

Minor Spoilers may be found but nothing revealing:

4 book recommendations that you should definitely check out, in no particular order:

1. Inheritance Games Trilogy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes:

(#1 Inheritance Games, #2 Hawthorne Legacy, #3 The Final Gambit)

This is a massive MUST READ!! It is a mystery that is meticulous, exciting and well written out. The books can be understood as a standalone, with each book having its own core mystery although the series itself interconnects. It is written beautifully. When each book ended, the ending made sense but when the next book came along, that also made sense too. It was such a good series that it is definitely worth the read!! A love triangle is also found in this book between heiress, Avery, older brother, Grayson and younger brother, Jameson. I am firmly Team Grayson, although Team Jameson wasn't too bad... Inheritance Games is a well written and interconnecting mystery series that you need to read!

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why -- or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.
To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch -- and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

2. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard:

(#1 Red Queen, #2 Glass Sword, #3 Kings Cage, #4 War Storm. #5 Broken Throne is a collection of short stories but is necessary to understand the conclusion)

This is among the first ever YA series I read and still remains among my favourites. I can not repeat this enough but for those who like to read the ending before the beginning (no shame, I am included in that group of people), I would advise against it. There is a heartbreaking twist in it that I assure you, you will NOT see coming and it is better to experience the full shock of it. Another love triangle can be found here between Mare, Cal and Maven. Red Queen is a fantasy-dystopian series that really pushes the boundaries of the imagination. Incredibly invested in it and well worth the read!

This is a world divided by blood—red or silver.
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.
That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.
Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.
But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance—Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

3. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

(#1 Shatter Me, #1.5 Destroy Me, #2 Unravel Me, #2.5 Fracture Me, #3 Ignite Me, #4 Restore Me, #4.5 Shadow Me, #5 Defy Me, #5.5 Reveal Me, #6 Imagine Me, #6.5 Believe Me. #1.5, #2.5, #4.5 #5.5, #6.5 are all shorter novels, NOT written in Juliette's POV and are significantly shorter than the novels. Although I believe they are necessary, you do not need to read them to follow the story)

You really think I wouldn't put this series in? I must admit, this is not my favourite. I did not love this series as most people suggest. I will say that the relationships found in this book are unlike any found in the real world. Another love triangle (this is a mere coincidence, believe it or not, I don't entirely like love triangles) is found between Juliette, Warner and Adam. It is another fantasy-dystopian series and it is perfect for those who enjoy long series, with many books in the Shatter Me-world. 

I have a curse
I have a gift
I am a monster
I'm more than human
My touch is lethal
My touch is power
I am their weapon
I will fight back
Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war—and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

4. The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

(#1 The Selection, #2 The Elite, #3 The One. #4 The Heir and #4 The Crown follow the story of America's daughter)

The Selection Series is a dystopian-romance series focused around America (the main character, not the country). Perfect for those in a reading slump as it is easy to read! A love triangle is also found (again, a coincidence) between America, Maxon and Aspen. The love triangle takes a larger part of the book as the series is romance-focused, unlike the others, which is fantasy-focused. The romance is a plot whereas in the other series, they are more of a sub-plot. Worth the read and if you enjoy it, it is worth reading Eadlyn's story (America's daughter) as she follows a similar path to her mothers. 

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Review: Better Than The Movies

In honor of Nothing Like The Movies being announced for 2024, I have decided to review my favourite standalone novel (currently, although I'm sure this book will remain in the top five for a while), Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter! This review may contain spoilers. 

Liz Buxbaum has always known that Wes Bennett was not boyfriend material. You would think that her next-door neighbor would be a prince candidate for her romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only proven himself to be a pain in the butt, ever since they were little. Wes was the kid who put a frog in her Barbie Dreamhouse, the monster who hid a lawn gnome's severed head in her little homemade neighborhood book exchange.

Flashforward ten years from the Great Gnome Decapitation. It's Liz's senior year, a time meant to be rife with milestones perfect for any big screen, and she needs Wes's help. See, Liz's forever crush, Michael, has just moved back to town, and-horribly, annoyingly-he's hitting it off with Wes. Meaning that if Liz wants Michael to finally notice her, and hopefully be her prom date, she needs Wes. He's her in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz her magical prom moment, she's shocked to discover that she actually likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she really thought she knew about love-and rethink her own perception of what Happily Ever After should really look like. (Lynn Painter)

I walk a fine line between cliché stories. Some are too ditzy, some are too predictable but some can execute the magic of a good story. Better Than The Movies is the latter. The dialogue rolled of the tongue easily, the main characters weren't clueless and character development is written well. I was too caught up in the excitement of the story to notice any obvious flaws which means that as a reader, the book is an enjoyment, instead of reading something horrible and being aware of it every time you open it. The book wasn't all cute and flirty. Liz's mother died when she was young, leaving most of Liz's memories with her when they were watching rom-coms together, causing her to believe she must act like the main character of one in order to keep her memory alive. Her father remarried and Liz feels uncomfortable allowing Helena into her senior memories, when it should have been her mother instead. It had many pop culture references, which can be quite off putting, especially for me but Painter managed to write them across easily, always managing to make them fit, instead of forcing them in. Something that drew me in first were the quotes seen at the start of every chapter from certain rom-coms. Upon further reading, these quotes were placed at the start of the chapter to foreshadow the chapter itself. 

"Love is patient, love is kind, love means slowly losing your mind" - 27 Dresses in Chapter 9. In Chapter 9, Liz and Helena, her stepmum who she shares a complicated relationship with, go to Starbucks and Liz reveals her thoughts about her growing alliance with Wes. Later, they go dress shopping with her best friend, Jocelyn and her mother. This chapter represents the growing switch in Liz's mind about how she is starting to enjoy Wes's attention more than Michael's. She is becoming confused and ponders the what if's. This reflects the quote itself as she's slowly losing her mind trying to figure out where her feelings stand in all of this. 

"But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all" - 10 Things I Hate About You in Chapter 10. In Chapter 10, Wes and Liz decide to see a meteor shower together. The next day, they go to a diner, before going to Michael's house for a movie. Both these events; the meteor shower and diner are not Michael-related. Wes invited her personally and Liz is having a good time. As an enemies-to-lovers book, this quote from an enemies-to-lovers movie which is an excellent choice. In fact, this quote can be used for the whole book but for a chapter quote, Painter selected it quite well. 

"But you know, the thing about romance is, people only get together right at the very end" - Love Actually in Chapter 18. This is The Chapter and the one worth the journey. This quote summarises every romance film or book. The book is the journey and they only truly get together at the end. Of course, we never know what happens after but we like to think it all went smooth sailing. 

Liz and Wes's love story was one that made us laugh and gasp and it was written beautifully. It had moments that made us wish we were the main character and it created hope for those who were in Liz's position. Those who didn't go to keg parties. Those who considered a movie for Friday night entertaining. Those who didn't enjoy playing basketball. Those who decided to live their life like a rom com (which looks like it might just be Liz). It is executed well and I look forward to reading the sequel. 

#1: Love Triangles in Romance

Everyone has a love/hate relationship with romantic comedies. You either enjoy watching the main character find someone, fall in love and then watch as the universe tries to tear them apart but they always end up together. Or you hate watching the same cliché scenario and prefer to watch people get murdered in brutal combat. Regardless, romcoms have defined a decade and audience response continues to this day. 

To the naked eye, every romantic movie appears to be the same. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, life gets in their way and they either find their way back together or die (I'm looking at Titanic). Of course there are movies where the characters don't end up together and it's mostly a learning experience for the viewers as it portrays messages such as letting go of the past, right person/wrong time, deception and the universe having other plans. For the large part, they are designed as feel-good movies and are distractions from life. Most romcoms are adaptions from books. For example, Clueless (1995) is an adaption of Jane Austen's book, Emma. Jane Austen herself has written many romance books and many have been taken to the big screen. But both movies and books share one struggle: Unoriginality. 

Everyone shares a danger of creating something that is unoriginal. But for people to keep relating to stories of love, the characters have to be placed into different scenarios. Enter: Tropes. A trope is a situation that can be found in literature and film that can create the surroundings for the plot or move the action forward. 

Before we discuss the tropes that you're probably thinking about (enemies to lovers, childhood best friends, etc), we have to discuss what kind of romance sub-genre we are talking about here. The type of tropes discovered in books are heavily influenced by the romance sub-genre. For example, Bella and Edward's love story (Twilight) wouldn't be found in a Contemporary Rom-Com. 

Sub-genres can be:

Rom-Com, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Historical, Paranormal, Mystery or Western. 

Sub-Genres are not limited to just these but they are the most popular and nearly every film or book can have one or multiple of these sub-genres. 

Now we've discussed sub-genres, tropes find their place within it. The first one we are discussing is:

Love Triangle: 

This trope can be one of the most frustrating things to read. Everyone has had the experience of rooting for one over the other and the main character doesn't choose the one you chose and you want to scream. Love triangles are one of the most popular tropes in film and literature and date back decades. They can be found in Greek Mythology, Ancient History and Medieval Legends. William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Emily Brontë, among other famous authors, have all written love triangles in their stories, some studied at schools. 

A love triangle itself can really move a plot along quicker and the writer has many different paths it can take their characters. 

For example: Person A can confess their feelings first, Person A and B can be brothers, loving Person A has consequences, Person A and B represent opposite emotions, betrayal can be portrayed in one of them or both, Person A can't let go of the past, the main characters switches between the two (cheating), Person A can be a childhood friend but Person B is someone new. There are many different ways to take your main character into new directions.

Love Triangles show a deeper meaning such as showing the two love interest as two symbols: 

In many cases, Person A is kind, sweet and a gentleman (if the main character is a woman) but a bit dull. Person B is exciting, amusing, charming and intriguing but a playboy that breaks your heart on more than one occasion. Logically, you would choose Person A but there's something about Person B that draws you to him. (Bridget Jones Diary) 

In other cases, they can be from different places. You came from a small town and act more free there and you moved to the city and are now work-focused. Your two love interests represent the small town and big city and the versions of yourself. (Sweet Home Alabama). 

Love triangles can be a sub-plot as well. 

A new person can enter the main characters life, even though we all know who their soulmate it, to stir drama. Most sequels to movies show a new person entering the characters life, endangering their relationship with the previous love interest or a previous character from the first movie plays a larger role (To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, Twilight Saga: New Moon). 

Another sub-plot is Person B isn't really a contender. The main character doesn't have any deep feelings for them that would make them risk everything. Instead he's someone her parents approve of but he's not her soulmate and is more of an obstacle than a love interest. (Titanic). 

Love Triangle examples:

In film: Twilight, Bridget Jones Diary, Something Borrowed, The Hunger Games, One Tree Hill, The Vampire Diaries, Dawsons Creek, Riverdale, etc

In books: Maze Runner, The Selection, Red Queen, Inheritance Games, Shatter Me, To All The Boys I've Loved Before, The Summer I Turned Pretty, etc

I will be analysing more story tropes and posting them on here. Feel free to comment any recommendations with love triangles!

Thank you and keep reading!

I'm Back!

Hello 2023 <3
After a long hiatus, I will be returning to write as often as I can. Entries can range from book recommendations, discussions on tropes, book reviews, analysis on quotes and much more!

Currently:
Reading: Some Kind Of Perfect by Becca and Krista Ritchie.
Listening: The Great War by Taylor Swift. Good Riddance by Gracie Abrams, out Feb 24 2023!

Thank you and keep reading!