Book Challenge -- Day 2

2: Most satisfying Character Death

My response of Augustus Waters in The Fault in Our Stars was understandable, at the time I'd just finished the book and was annoyed with John Green (he's a wonderful author I just wanted to throw something at him for making me feel that way). I don't want to give too many spoilers, but TFIOS is about kids with cancer falling in love and dealing with this messy world. Augustus succumbs to his cancer, but in a long, drawn-out manner. I accepted his death long before he actually died and it was finally a relief to see him gone.
     The Challenge asks for two deaths. I still accept Augustus's death as pretty satisfying, the other is more difficult. There are so many characters that die--usually villains and their deaths are expected and therefore don't usually elicit a response.  I recently read A Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson and, *Spoiler Alert* the king Elisa marries dies. His death isn't expected--the romantic arc has just begun and the king is about to fall head-over-heels for Elisa--but it serves the overall tale. If the king were to live and show his sudden fascination with his secret wife Elisa's transformation from wallflower to confident woman would have been for naught. She still would have become one of many princesses that falls for the king and allows the king to fall for her position and her looks rather than the character she's built. The king's death probably wasn't satisfying in the same way Voldemort's is, but I was satisfied, and approved, of how it directed the story.

Book Challenge -- Day 1

1: Genre you read most

I posted my first tweet a whole two days after I challenged myself to begin the challenge... yes, I already was behind. But not this time!

I read a lot of Young Adult fiction and Romance. While I enjoy science fiction and mystery, and pretty much every other genre out there, stories centering around and for teens are fascinating.
     YA stories have the automatic suspension of disbelief that makes for a good story--so what if something doesn't fit into the plot or something is missing, that one detail is not going to destroy the overall story. Teen and young adult books take into account that the reader hasn't been taught to scorn a creating where something might be a little bit off from reality. For example, fantasy abounds in YA Fiction, and it's always fantasy that has all the elements we expect from reality--a set of laws governing the physical world, rules and regulations garnering social interaction, etc. People might live on the moon or be part machine, but there are still rules that tie fiction to our world.
     My fascination with Romance is rooted in the easy-to-read storylines and no-thought-necessary plots. I can open a Betty Neels book and know within the first chapter who is going to marry whom. I enjoy the historical romance sub-genre because the romantic storyline is submersed in actual plot--it becomes more than just boy meets girl, they fool around, they fall in love, they get married. Historical Romance gives context for that romance, and the romance adds motivation for the rest of the plot.

Book Challenge

The Challlenge

Earlier this year I attempted a "Daily Challenge" on Twitter; while wandering around the internet I found an image of a Book Challenge and thought I could manage to send out a tweet each day for 18 days. Needless to say, I did not take into account the fact that I'm terrible at keeping track of days--I managed to only go two days in a row without a post for the entire month I attempted it. I came across the image and thought I'd try it again, only this time in a more extensive setting.
     I'll post my answers from Twitter along with either an explanation or updated answer. If I succeed in this challenge I may even add covers of the books I'm referencing.

                               Stephie