The Rereadathon is a readathon created by Merphy Napier going on from March 10th through the 16th with the goal of rereading some great books! There are seven challenges over the seven days but you are not required to read seven books. 21 hosts from 3 different platforms (blog, twitter, YouTube) are coming together to discuss the different challenge themes each day of the readathon. Today it is my turn to represent the bloggers.
The theme for the second day of the Rereadathon is Second Chances. Admittedly this was a tough theme for me to write about because I've kind of... only given one book a second chance... I know. What am I going to write about the rest of this post? Well for starters, let's talk about that one second chance book.
Just looking at this cover you can imagine what this story is about. I feel you judging it and me as you stare at it. No worries, I've thought the same thing. Nowhere But Here is about young love, teen angst, family, betrayals, and a motorcycle club. And of course there is that one bad boy in the club that you know will get the girl.When I first read Nowhere But Here I gave it two stars. According to past me, "I liked the premise and trying to figure out the secret in this story. I did not like the fast attraction these two had though. It made no sense and some other stuff too. Like I don't understand why it was written/played out a certain way." - Such an intelligent way to write a summary of my thoughts, right?
Ignoring my vague summary basically the conclusion wasn't clear/the way I wanted it to play out and the two lovebirds fell for each other pretty quickly. Fast forward a year later and I rated this book three stars. What you don't know is that as soon as I finished Nowhere But Here the first time I continued the series and read Walk the Edge (four stars) and Long Way Home (five stars) right afterwards. Now why did I change my rating of Nowhere But Here? Why was it originally a two star read? I'll tell you why.
I'm apparently a book snob.
Books with sexual tension are guilty pleasures in my mind. I don't like anyone knowing if I've read any of these books except maybe Ignite Me by Tahareh Mafi. This is most likely due to the fact that it's discomforting when I see others reading books with clearly sexual vibes to it (ha! sexual vibes... you see my problem) and that whole Twilight fiasco. I loved Twilight when I was fifteen. It got some pretty bad backlash. I watched the first movie and wow - hated it. And of course there is the sex scene in the second book...or one of those books. Not the point. So that didn't help. However, I have read steamy books before without knowing a book was going to be that way (and once knowingly). But I could easily hide the fact that a book wasn't that way and the other one no one will ever know I read it!
What is it with guilty pleasure/steamy reads that I am so embarrassed of? Is it because I've lived a sheltered life? Is it Catholic Guilt (lol)? My shyness still lingering after I've gotten over most of it as an adult? I don't know but I can be the biggest book snob. I read reviews on books by other bloggers who read way more steamier books than this so what gives?
I read Nowhere But Here as an adult and maybe it being YA sparked something there too. It has that fast attraction and teen angst that I thought I had gotten over. As an adult I read children's books, YA, and adult. I think there is a sense in me as well as I can't enjoy books like Nowhere But Here because of its age range and themes. Although I don't love every YA book I get my hands on nowadays because I don't relate as much there are still some that I absolutely love. And some of those books wouldn't be regarded as modern day classics either. It seems to me I feel like I shouldn't like books like Nowhere But Here whether it's because it is YA or has all those qualities that people complain about in YA. But I just can't help it. I've enjoyed reading this book.
So here's the plan. Read this book (at least) one more time and just enjoy it. Stop caring if it isn't a book at my age level and just enjoy it for what it is - a guilty pleasure. It's time to stop with the book snobbery and just read whatever you want. Keeping with that theme here are some more books I plan on giving second chances whether they are guilty pleasures or not:
I've read about 100 or more pages of A Discovery of Witches. I recently got into a book club once again within my family and this was the first book chosen. I really enjoyed the main character, the magic, and history. And then the love interest (vampire) had to go and ruin everything. Sometimes romance needs to take a backseat, you know?
But, the thing is, I stopped and don't know if the romance will ruin the book. I did just see the first episode of the new TV series and the vampire was hilariously cringe worthy at the end but it'll be a fun time to spend with family so why not continue reading?
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
I cannot for the life of me remember this book. Apparently I hated the romance but enjoyed the plot and would like to see how it continues. Since I can't remember what happens in the story I can have a fresh perspective and see if I can get over the romance after I read it for a second time. Can anyone else convince me to read this book again? I want to see other readers perspective on this book and series for that matter. Did you enjoy the romance and why?
Lastly, I wanted to point out some authors who I've given a second chance.
I first read Witch & Wizard by Patterson for a book club and I rated it three stars surprisingly. It wasn't good but I guess it wasn't that bad. Then I read its sequel The Gift and It. Was. Terrible. My mom said after finishing this book it was like pulling teeth which I discovered was just like Maximum Ride. I read The Angel Experiment (three stars) which wasn't terrible but it wasn't fantastic either. Then I read School's Out-Forever... I planned on reading the whole series with a book buddy on Goodreads but it started feeling like the pulling teeth simile. I wasn't having it. He is the only author that I refuse to ever read again. I know he's probably written some great stuff. That's why he is so popular but I REFUSE. Sometimes it's okay to not give books or authors second chances.
I first read The Moon and More by Dessen. I read it during a time that I hardly ever rated anything below three stars but I did for this one. One of the most popular YA contemporary authors having a meh story? Pretty disappointing. I was about to give up on her forever but then I picked up years later Saint Anything. It ended up being my favorite book of 2018.
Basically what I'm saying is you've got a 50/50 shot at liking a book after you were disappointed in an author's previous work. Sometimes the risk is worth it and sometimes not so much.
But, the thing is, I stopped and don't know if the romance will ruin the book. I did just see the first episode of the new TV series and the vampire was hilariously cringe worthy at the end but it'll be a fun time to spend with family so why not continue reading?
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Lastly, I wanted to point out some authors who I've given a second chance.
James Patterson
Sarah Dessen
Basically what I'm saying is you've got a 50/50 shot at liking a book after you were disappointed in an author's previous work. Sometimes the risk is worth it and sometimes not so much.
What are your guilty pleasure reads?
What books/authors have you given a second chance?
Did they disappoint you or redeem themselves?
The first time I read Feast of Crows by George R.R. Martin, I wasn't crazy about it, but since I love the Game of Thrones series, I've read it a couple times as I've reread the series. I've actually grown to really like it! Usually that doesn't happen for me.
ReplyDeleteOh my god, this was such an interesting and relevant text! I completely agree. You know, recently I've been behaving snobbishly about books as well. I'm getting back into reading consistently after years without and I'm astonished at my own changed views. I've been thinking less of YA and thinking that now that I've read a couple of classics and enjoyed them that I'm superior somehow, and that I should only read Serious Books from now on. It's awful to admit, but it's true. It's one thing to have a preference or to not like certain things, but to think less of people who do enjoy then? Unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteI actually didn't choose anything as a second chance reread because there is nothing I didn't enjoy because of its genre, specifically (did I phrase that correctly? Hopefully I did). I'm just... hesitant of reading YA romance and fantasy because ? I'm actually not sure myself. Will have to do more introspection to figure that one out.
Mara Dyer! I absolutely /loved/ the first two Mara Dyer books, especially the second one. They had such an intense, creepy and despairing vibe, which I really enjoyed. But the third one took a turn I didn't like. It felt like it couldn't capture the sinisterness and the awesomeness of the first two books, and the romance in that one... :/. But I would definitely reread, and probably recommend, the first two ones! I have good memories of them.
Now another book I chose to reread for the rereadathon was (*drum roll*) Twilight (*unenthusiastic cheer*). After years and years and years of seeing discussions and bashings of it, I get to reread it and find out what I think. I'm 7 chapters into it. I think it's indeed bad, but it also has some really cool things. I really like how Meyer describes environments, because I can really feel it, as if I were there and had the same feelings on it that Bella does. I think the relationship would have been much more believable and engaging if it had been a slow burn/genuine-friends-to-lovers trope across the books, instead of this wild attraction that becomes love after a handful of conversations. I find Bella incredibly understandable in feeling like she doesn't belong because she hasn't found her people yet. I mean, she has a superiority and inferiority complex, I think, and it's human, you know? I like that she's not perfect. I always laugh hard about how funny it would be if Edward was legitimately a serial killer who actually killed her in the many opportunities he's had so far. I don't know. I find the prey/predator dynamic, as well as the co-dependency, interesting. I guess that's one of my guilty pleasures. Like, it's an interesting story. I just don't think it was as well written as it could have been. I personally would have loved to see Maggie Stiefvater's take on it, because I think /that/ would be something. I've only read The Raven Cycle by her, and the only reason I haven't read her other books yet is because I'm afraid they won't live up to TRC, you see?
ANYWAYS I've talked way, /way/ too much, I'm sorry. I just really liked your post. I hope you're having a great time at the rereadathon and that you manage to simply enjoy your guilty pleasures for what they are!
Nicholas Sparks books are my guilty pleasure. Probably just because I don't read a lot of straight up romance very often.
ReplyDeleteMy romance usually has some other element to it too. But I always have to have romance in my books, I think now that I'm older this isn't always the case unless it is straight up romance. I've read a couple of Nicholas Sparks books. I really loved Safe Haven (:
DeleteI'm reading Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I wasn't a fan when I first read it the first time, because I really didn't like Simon as a character. But now I understand that books can still be enjoyable even if the characters are really flawed, so I'm giving it another go.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes can't get over flawed characters but I do if they continue to grow like with the book Before I Fall. The main character grows throughout the book and it's just wonderful.
DeleteWhat are your guilty pleasure reads? - There is a Middle Grade Fantasy Series called the Gateway Series by Cerberus Jones
ReplyDeleteI'm planning on reading my second chance book, micro - michael crichton, soon!
also, i'm not really sure what GFC is
I've never heard of that middle grade series. I've never read a Michael Chrichton book but I see Jurassic Park all the time at the library. Hope you enjoyed it (:
DeleteI´m not the kind of person who re-reads something to give it a second chance. I only do it if a friend recommends it to me, or if suddenly someone is talking about it on a blog, goodreads or youtube. Then is when I remember that I tried to read it a long time ago and decide to give it a second chance. Otherwise, I completely forget about them! And well, they usually disappoint me.
ReplyDeleteHa! Yeah, I forget about most books that disappoint me. I'm usually focused on the books I haven't read so it is good that I had this chance to think on the books I've already read.
DeleteGreat post! I remember when I was younger being embarrassed by some of my reads, especially if they were sexually explicit. I used to get the Harlequin romances and hide them, haha, so that might be interesting to revisit.
ReplyDeleteI need to try to re-read 100 Years of Solitude, Cloud Atlas, and The Master and Margerita. I DNFed them all, but think I'll probably enjoy them if I actually finished them. For a book I did finish and thought was just mediocre at the time, I'd like to try out Daughter of Smoke and Bone. If I like it, maybe I'll even continue on with the series (which weren't even released when I read the first one 😅).
I didn't like Witch and Wizard either. It was awful. I think that was one of the first books I ever DNF.
ReplyDeleteI also DNF A Discover of Witches. I think I would like that one if I gave it a chance, but I wasn't in the right mood for it when I attempted it.
I've never read Sarah Dessen's books, but I keep hearing good things about her books. Glad you liked Saint Anything!