This post is part of Top 10 Tuesday run by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl.
Ah, so this is the post where I lose all my friends. Right, let’s start the party then.
I think we all have a couple of bookish opinions that would draw the mob upon us. Now is the time to share them in a safe space without judgement. I hope.
I don’t like fantasy
I am much more in love with contemporary fiction than I am fantasy. I have tried to get into the groove so many times, but I just couldn’t get past the first couple of pages. That does mean sometimes, I don’t love some of the most hyped books there are, including the Six of Crows duology.
Sometimes hype pays off
A lot of people don’t like hype, don’t buy into it, and will often avoid a book they feel has been overhyped. I do get caught up in hype quite often, but I think I’ve been lucky that I’ve found some good books through the hype.
Ebooks and audiobooks are perfectly valid
I’ve seen a lot of people harp on about how the only reading that counts is physical books, and honestly bore off. Once you’re finding the story, enjoying it, and embracing it, you’re reading. No matter what the format. And anyway, it’s so much easier to bring a five book holiday TBR on your Kindle than it is to bring five paperbacks.
Sometimes the film is better
I’ve spoken about this before.
Classics should be off the curriculum
Some classics are great, don’t get me wrong. However, there is so much choice of incredible contemporary YA fiction books which deal with a multitude of topics affecting teenagers. I can’t see any reason why none of these are being studied. It might even be a good way to get teenagers more enthusiastic about reading and academic thinking.
To Kill A Mockingbird wasn’t great
I’ve tried to read it no less than five times. Each time I wasn’t grabbed by it at all. I know it’s one of the modern classics of our time, but I think it’s a perfect example of how reading can be subjective.
Netgalley is only for book professionals and bloggers
I’m a member of an online book club, and it really annoys me when people say they can just “get free books on Netgalley.” One of the first things you see on the site’s homepage is that it’s for librarians, authors, professional reviewers or bloggers. Unless you fall into one of those categories, you don’t belong on Netgalley. And no, reviewing on Amazon or Goodreads does not count.
Pretty Purple Polka Dots 
Agreed about fantasy. There are some fantasy novels I love but I am very picky about which ones I read. They are hard for me to get in to most of the time!
It’s not for lack of trying, I just can’t seem to find that illusive fantasy book I love!
Totally agree about classics needing to be stricken from the curriculum! There are SO MANY amazing books to choose from.
I could be here forever deciding which books to put forward!
OooooOOOOoooooh.
Totally agree with the classics one, they’re a slog to study, especially when you’re forced to do do, and they can ruin reading for so many people.
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
I 100% agree with you on hype!
I agree with a lot of your opinions! I’m sometimes suspicious of overly hyped books, but I can’t deny that some of them are really worth the hype and do pay off.
I don’t generally mind people on NetGalley that just review on Amazon and Goodreads, but I don’t understand people who only review on those two and only write a two- or three-sentence review. What’s the point then? It feels like they’re just after the free book to read, without really giving anything back, because that review doesn’t even really tell a potential reader anything useful about the book.
Here’s my TTT post.
I agree that schools should look more towards teaching contemporary YA. I think kids would learn to enjoy reading more if they weren’t bogged down in classics!
Shaunna x
Oh, noo! I LOVE fantasy! 😀
Well, not ALL classics. But damn it, can’t anyone find a YA coming of age novel that’s newer than Catcher in the Rye to give kids to read these days? Seriously! Yes, it was a great book, but with all due respect, leave it to the adults. Schools aren’t going to encourage kids to read if they force them to read that novel that is really, very sadly, outdated.
Yes to your comments about Netgalley! It’s a professional site and should be respected as such.
My TTT.
See I love fantasy and would probably say the same thing about contemporary as an unpopular opinion, I just can’t find the interest in people’s everyday lives! I also think sometimes the film is better and that there should be more of an attempt to include contemporary novels in the school curriculum. The fact that we are still studying the same books that our parents did at school (and I have checked) surely means that the system is due a rejig!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/11/top-ten-tuesday-215/
No fantasy?!?!?!? What???? 😀
Amen to the first and last ones!
With you in general on fantasy although there is the odd exception. I wouldn’t strike off all the classics from the curriculum but so think there could be a better mix. My unpopular book opinion is that I hated The Goldfinch! And My Brilliant Friend ☺️
Totally agree with you on hype. I often enjoy books that are hyped, and seeing a book around a lot makes me want to read it. Your opinion about NetGalley is interesting, though—since people have to say in their profile where/how they review books, shouldn’t it be up to the publishers who they let review? I mean, if they’re fine with it, then I guess so am I. But that’s just my opinion. 🙂
Oh my GOSH do I agree with your To Kill A Mockingbird thoughts! It’s not terrible, there’s nothing wrong with it — as far as I remember from reading it age 14 for class, maybe that was too young — but I don’t get why it has SO MUCH support. I don’t get fantasy, either.
You make an interesting point about classics in curriculum. I read a critical essay recently that talked about how we’ve tended to restrict YA books to junior high/middle school curriculum, on the assumption of its lower reading level, and it made me realize that we do, we totally do that — but why, when these books are getting better every year and are reflective of actual teen experiences?
I think some classics should stay on the curriculum but I definitely think there’s room for more contemporary works as well. I’m not sure exactly how many they study these days but when I did GCSE we studied several and I don’t see why at least one couldn’t be a post 2000 novel!
To Kill A Mockingbird was a novel I studied for GCSE and it really hit home for me, but that could be because of my background. However the amazing thing about books is if you read one that isn’t for you there’s always another out there to try!