The Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

The greek blog Garden of Stories tagged me in the Unpopular Opinions Book Tag.

Generally, that means that I will have to answer some questions about book related stuff that I don’t like.

Here we go:

1. A popular book/series you did not like

Hmm many books come to mind, but I don’t think there is a point in mentioning bestsellers like 50 Shades of Grey here. I think the point is to choose a book that the people that read your blog like and you don’t.

 

The first book that came to mind was Norwegian Wood. I really love Haruki Murakami, but I didn’t like this one. However, it was my first book of his that I read, many years ago, so I think I have to give it another chance.

Since I am not 100% sure about this choice (I promise I will re-read it), I will mention one more book for this category.

 

I really love the TV series Girls and I think Lena Dunham is edgy and has a lot to offer. I am glad she exist. But I was highly disappointed with her book, Not that Kind of Girl.

She just talked about all the normal aspects of her life: college, sex etc. I didn’t find anything special in these pages, just normal everyday stories. Nothing about how it is to have your own show at such a young age. No interesting views about society or anything. Just boring.

But everyone else seems to like it!

 

 

2. A popular book or series that everyone else seems to hate but you love

This is a hard category. Generally I don’t choose books if I see everyone saying it is not good. And Twilight seems to be a popular choice for this category 🙂

However lately I see people complaining about the Dirty Havana Trilogy by Pedro Juan Gutierrez, how it is all about sex, no point at al, what does he try to show, that they left it in the middle etc.

Well I liked it a lot. It gave me an idea of how life is in Cuba and I trust that the cuban author knows more about how things are than the greek readers that complain about the book. Yes there was too much sex, but why is that bad?

 

3. A love triangle where the main character ended up with the person you did not want them to end up with

Sorry to all the Edward-Bella fans, but I am ALWAYS with the werewolf. In every vampire story, I like the werewolves more than the vampires. I wonder why?

But “muscle-joking” aside (of course I don’t like the 17-year old child they chose to play Jacob in the movie, no matter how many steroids he took to look like this – Alcide on the other hand is a totally different story 🙂 ), how did Bella did not like the manly hot (literally) Jacob of the book and like the cold (literally) and distant Edward?

 

4. A popular book genre that you hardly reach for

I call it “housewife books”. I think you know what I mean. Soap-opera/erotic/gossip all in one book.

5. A beloved book character that you dislike

 

Before you all try to kill me, let me say that I liked her in the movies. The actress of course helped a lot! After the movies, I love Katniss!

But I’m sorry, in the books she was a total coward! Everyone looked up to her, they wanted to make her a symbol of the revolution. But all she wanted was to take her family and escape in the forest.

I don’t actually dislike her, but I really didn’t like that aspect of her character. I wanted to slap her and say “Wake-up, some things are more important than you living a normal life!”

I would like to emphasize that for a YA character, she is by far the best.

But all the other ones suck to much to even be considered. I assume everyone dislikes them!

6. A popular author that you cannot seem to get into

 

Umberto Eco. I didn’t try too much, but The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana was the first book in my life that I left unfinished and I never forgave him for that.

 

7. A popular trope you’re tired of reading 

“I am such a plain and boring girl, not pretty at all. This super hot guy will never like me! Oh wait, he does! He says I am beautiful and that I am so stupid for thinking I am not!”

Anne Hathaway in “The Princess Diaries”

Happens. Way. Too. Often.

Ok I get it, we want teenage girls to not feel bad about themselves. But is this the way? Telling them that they think they are not pretty but really they are stunning and they don’t know? And that they will get the super hot guy, they deserve him?

I believe Eleanor in Eleanor & Park was a much better example for young girls. She was not good-looking indeed, but she found a boyfriend (not the hottest guy of the school, a cute but quiet boy) because of her personality.

8. A popular series that you have no interest in reading

I would say True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, because I have watched the series and it is more than enough! Although now that I think of it, maybe I would give True Blood a chance if I had time.

 

9. A movie or T.V show adaptation that you prefer more than the book

I think I will choose The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I read the books before the movies, I liked them and I totally admire J.R.R. Tolkien.

But I have to admit that with all the names and poems and locations, the books are a little challenging compared to the movies. I have watched the movies dozens of times, but I did not re-read the books, so I think that means I prefer the movies.

Maybe some of the most hardcore LOTR fans will disagree, but I think most of the books fans love the movies as well. There was a lot of work done for these movies, it was not a sloppy job!

THE END!

Since I don’t have so many followers yet, I tag everyone who wants to be tagged 🙂