Unpopular Opinions | Book Tag

Okay so I wasn't tagged by anyone in particular, but I am an opinionated person with quite a few unpopular opinions and I thought this looked fun. I watched a few Booktube videos and realised I actually had some different answers to some of the questions but have yet to make a YouTube account so figured I'd make a blog post here, and eventually make a video to accompany the blog post. Phew that was a long sentence. I'm soooooorry! Haha

So this tag was originally created by The Book Archer on YouTube back in April. I'm a little behind, but ah well. It still sounds fun! So onto the questions. As always, these opinions are entirely my own and are not meant personally towards any person who does not agree. If I don't like a book, it doesn't mean the book is BAAAAAD. It just means it didn't personally engage in my brain, and that's okay, because we are all unique people with unique thoughts and that's what makes us wonderful ^_^

1. A Popular Book or series that you didn't like.

Oh gosh there are so many that fall into this category. Twilight, definitely. It's an insta-love book that's not written too well with characters I genuinely did not like at all. So... Twilight would definitely be up there. Gone Girl was another one. I absolutely HATED Gone Girl. I found it silly, predictable, slow to build and incredibly dull. I hated every character and genuinely didn't care what happened to anyone within the book. I think Gone Girl would be my number one

2. A Popular Book or series that every one else seems to hate but you love.

I honestly can't think of anything for this category... I can't even think of a book or series that everyone hates haha. I can think of books I love that aren't well known, but honestly cannot think of a single book or series that I love that everyone else seems to hate... Hm. Maybe I'll come back to this one later? OH WAIT I HAVE IT! :D

I found Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code very entertaining. No, they're not groundbreaking, showstopping literature. Yes, they're written in a very formulaic way, possessing a very linear plot. Yep, the character development is poor and it's very "one bound and then you're free", as my beloved grandma would say. But as a bit of light reading on a Sunday afternoon with a good cup of tea, they're great fun. So I'd have to say The Da Vinci Code for me :)

3. A Love Triangle where the main character ended up with the person you did NOT want them to end up with (warn ppl for spoilers) OR an OTP that you don't like.

Ohhh boy do I have some unpopular opinions for this one. I absolutely HATE Harry and Ginny together. Ginny in general is a weak character for me, and I feel her story should have really concluded with The Chamber of Secrets. In my opinion, her character is poorly developed and she didn't mesh well with Harry AT ALL. There are whole Tumblr posts dedicated to the hatred of this character and this OTP. Just... no.

The second is also Harry Potter related and is Remus and Tonks. These are two people who are total opposites in every way and I just genuinely don't understand why Rowling decided to pair them up. It sort of feels like she just didn't want Remus to die alone to me, so she pushed him together with the first free female available like "oh hey, I'm single, you're single, let's hook up!" I just... don't get it. I adore Remus, he's my favourite marauder. So I'm very protective of him ¬_¬ I just ignore their relationship as best I can ^_^

4. A popular book Genre that you hardly reach for.

I very rarely reach for two genres in particular - contemporary "chick lit" literature, although I absolutely despise that term as I think it's completely sexist and very limiting in its descriptive properties (what does chick lit even mean?!) and straight up romance. I don't mind a nice book with a bit of romance thrown in, who doesn't like a good romantic sub-plot going on. But I don't like it to be the entire substance of the story. Contemporary chick lit includes authors like Jojo Moyes and Cecelia Ahern. I prefer my stories to have a bit of grit and suspense. So these are two I hardly reach for.

5. A popular or beloved character that you do not like.

Boy do I hate this character. So much. I think he's manipulative, childish and ultimately doesn't care about Harry a single bit. When Harry is in trouble and seeing visions of Voldemort, Dumbledore doesn't take him aside and explain things to put his mind at ease. Dumbledore simply ignores him, avoids him and blanks him. He has Snape protect the boy for years just so that Harry can die at the right moment, and Dumbledore ultimately tells no one of this until the moment when he must die. Snape says it best when he says "now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter"... Ultimately a cruel man. I despise him. 

6. A popular author that you can't seem to get into.
Oh boy you're going to hate me for this ;) I really cannot get into John Green. I've tried to read every single one of his books but haven't been able to finish any of them. I find the pace slow, the story the same every time, the character development weak and two dimensional... I just can't finish them. I absolutely ADORE his videos, so it makes me very sad that I don't enjoy any of his books :(

7. A popular book trope that you're tired of seeing. (examples "lost princess", corrupt ruler, love triangles, etc.)

I picked two main ones for this. I hate the "insta-love" trope. Where their eyes meet across a crowded room and they just KNEW they were "the one". I believe love takes time to develop once you truly grow to know and appreciate a person. Your eyes meet across a crowded room and it could be anyone on the other end. They could be a rapist, an abuser, a sociopath. It isn't until you get to know a person that you grow to love them deeply, so insta-love really bothers me for some reason. 

The second is what I like to refer to as the "Bella Swan". The "oh I'm so plain and nothing special and no one thinks I'm special except that one very particular boy who sees how wonderful and unique I am, with my brown hair and pale skin that means I don't fit in anywhere, but you see how wonderful and special I am" etc. It's just such a flat character, and is silly because every single person on this planet is unique etc. Very two dimensional with a lack of true personality and development. Such a special snowflake, indeed.

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

Boy do I have a rant here. And the series is 50 Shades of Grey. Now, I'm no prude. I'm not opposed to a bit of erotica. However, 50 Shades is SO poorly written that I find myself reading through it and correcting the spelling and grammar, wincing at sentence structure and groaning at the pathetic character building and inner dialogue of the characters. It's truly painful to read for an English Language and Literature student such as myself.

There's also a huge problem with the "BDSM" within 50 Shades. I have a few friends in the BDSM community, befriending a professional dominatrix as one example, and this book is an insult to that culture. It isn't BDSM, it's an abusive relationship masquerading poorly as a BDSM one. Within BDSM, there are safe words, stop words, limits. They do not threaten physical harm when you try and leave the relationship, they do not follow you everywhere you go and threaten your safety when you go somewhere you are not asked. They STOP when they are told to. It is a relationship based on mutual trust, understanding and RESPECT above all else. Christian Grey is an abusive partner and it is an insult to the community that a lot of people I care about hold dear. So I will never read 50 Shades of Grey, nor see any of the movies. Absolute disgrace of a series, in my opinion.

9. The saying goes "The book is always better than the movie", but what movie or T.V. show adaptation do you prefer more than the book?

I have two for this - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I think that the casting for the TV series is absolutely phenomenal, they did it all amazingly and touched upon the sensitive scenes with dignity and grace and portrayed it beautifully (despite being such a horrendous thing to happen). I adored the books and loved the series even more, because while the book was somewhat slow in a few places, the series really did capture AND KEEP the attention. 

The second is The Hunger Games. The books were okay. I thought they were good but missing substance in places. Katniss in the book is irritating and somewhat of an airhead, muttering about whether Peeta liked her truly or not and what she thought of him etc, whereas in the movie series she is a sophisticated and intelligent young woman fighting for her life. She is dignified and gritty. This isn't the case as much in the books, so I truly did prefer all of the movies to the books. Very well done and excellent casting all around.