tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post4556495251825636156..comments2024-03-28T12:18:55.803-04:00Comments on We Live and Breathe Books: Discussion: Does It Have to Be Heavy?Kiersten Kozbialhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00538943081866009856noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-6835320952121805282020-05-06T18:43:10.310-04:002020-05-06T18:43:10.310-04:00Hey, that's why those books exist, but I think...Hey, that's why those books exist, but I think I can also get a substantial emotional experience from a lighter side book. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-84960378546690809152020-05-06T17:57:16.407-04:002020-05-06T17:57:16.407-04:00I have to admit I am one of those morbid readers w...I have to admit I am one of those morbid readers who love heavy and dark books, the more angsty and feeling related the better. One of my favourite things to read about is grief, if that is not heavy enough :P But I do try my best to mix up my heavy reads with light hearted books as well, just to maintain some balance.Olivia's Catastrophehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12706765857201768908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-63753431840308505052020-04-27T14:35:42.692-04:002020-04-27T14:35:42.692-04:00I have suffered through super depressing/heavy boo...I have suffered through super depressing/heavy books, but when that payoff isn't big enough, I want to throw it out the window. It has to be worth my emotional pain. A week or two ago, I read Jennifer E. Smith's debut. I expected something like all her other books, and it was not. It gutted me, and the ending was not enough to make up for the pain. I was crying the next day, and I had a headache from crying as I read it. (I still gave it 4.5 stars, but would have given 5 had the ending lifted me up a bit more)Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-83425646142758253132020-04-27T13:02:30.169-04:002020-04-27T13:02:30.169-04:00I can't read really intense books (unless the ...I can't read really intense books (unless the pay off is VERY happy). those books stay with me for a long, long time. I can't even sleep sometimes because I get too depressed after a book like that.<br /><br />But I think most books have some sort of conflict to drive the plot. Just because it's surrounded by fluffy doesn't mean it's not real pain or have an emotional impact. <br /><br /><a href="http//www.fwiwreviews.net" rel="nofollow">Karen @ For What It's Worth</a>Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13958940283330319507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-91818500405140850812020-04-27T10:01:51.809-04:002020-04-27T10:01:51.809-04:00It's true. I know there are many teens, who de...It's true. I know there are many teens, who deal with some really tough situations, but there are many, who are just struggling with the more mundane parts of being a teen. We need books that show all of these situations. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-51992342024912652832020-04-27T09:59:59.706-04:002020-04-27T09:59:59.706-04:00There are certain romance authors I avoid, because...There are certain romance authors I avoid, because I have to be in the proper headspace to read their books. I can do gut wrenching, angsty, and emotionally draining, but like I said, I have to be in the right place, otherwise those books destroy meSamantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-24804196149620328612020-04-27T09:58:39.407-04:002020-04-27T09:58:39.407-04:00Exactly! I am sure there are some people, who have...Exactly! I am sure there are some people, who have tough lives, but for most of us, it's a mix. Why shouldn't a book be that way too? Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-61114012394035322692020-04-27T09:57:44.856-04:002020-04-27T09:57:44.856-04:00Life is all about balance for me - some heavy, som...Life is all about balance for me - some heavy, some light. I know I am not a super fan of all heavy, all the time, but I am not sure if I would like a completely fluffy, light book either. I have yet to read one, which was good times, all the time, so I cannot say for sure, but I think I would need to experience some emotion as I readSamantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-14473901081888392392020-04-27T08:33:17.216-04:002020-04-27T08:33:17.216-04:00"Do we really have to suffer an emotional ove..."Do we really have to suffer an emotional overload for the character's journey or situation to be meaningful? I would hate to think, that any of my suffering was deemed inadequate to "count". [...] It's not the misery Olympics."<br />I loved how you worded that! I read very little contemporaries (though I do read a number of magical-realism books, and they still qualify as contemporary), so I'm not the best judge, but instinctively, I agree with you. Also, in YA contemporaries, characters should be allowed to "simply" suffer from typical teen problems, without those getting discounted as "teen angst". Those issues are still real, and heaven knows even us adults can break up over less momentous things occasionally. It doesn't mean someone has a right to call us *yuck* WHINY.Roberta R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18228840429799100354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-3449916903945909822020-04-27T02:46:48.078-04:002020-04-27T02:46:48.078-04:00Totally agree, for a book to have depth does not m...Totally agree, for a book to have depth does not mean it needs to be heavy on the angst and make the characters go through hell to get there. Do I enjoy reading books like that? Yeah, sometimes, but I like lighter fluffier reads as well and those characters have just as good a journey they just take a quieter one. I mean, I kind of want all characters to have growth and to have gone through something in a book, no matter what book it is, otherwise why would we bother reading if they're exactly the same as when they started?Becky Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14938602345709426466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-63293585865664147292020-04-26T23:13:54.712-04:002020-04-26T23:13:54.712-04:00I completely agree, just because a story has a mor...I completely agree, just because a story has a more upbeat tone, doesn't make the issues or even turmoil that a character experiences any less significant. I think it's more realistic because life in general has its high and low points and it's wonderful that books depict that too. It's hard to consume so many heavy narratives and now more than ever, we need those fluffier reads with happy endings. Diva Booknerdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17808412083567644984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-26271472313498916282020-04-26T18:07:34.908-04:002020-04-26T18:07:34.908-04:00I like both kinds of reads, but I'm growing es...I like both kinds of reads, but I'm growing especially fond of books that have a nice balance of both. It's like the best of both worlds for me as a reader. Suzanne @ The Bookish Librahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16116292880784513187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-73102331907224950162020-04-26T11:15:31.329-04:002020-04-26T11:15:31.329-04:00That's one LL book I have not read. It got a l...That's one LL book I have not read. It got a lot of so-so reviews (probably because the romance was meh)Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-28860295144303368172020-04-26T11:11:10.157-04:002020-04-26T11:11:10.157-04:00Exactly, me too. The book was The Prenup by Laure...Exactly, me too. The book was The Prenup by Lauren Layne!Angelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-72368986842245737972020-04-26T10:06:36.480-04:002020-04-26T10:06:36.480-04:00Let's be honest, I always want happy, but if I...Let's be honest, I always want happy, but if I can't have that, hopeful is my second choice. I am willing to be put though great amounts of pain, if the ending makes it worth what I had to endure. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-11202706477498615662020-04-26T07:41:52.745-04:002020-04-26T07:41:52.745-04:00I love this post so much! Everything you’ve said ...I love this post so much! Everything you’ve said is so true. For me, it’s so important that a book has a hopeful ending otherwise I can feel so bogged down after reading it - and that’s not what I personally want out of a book.<br />- Sabrina @ Wordy and WhimsicalSabrinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15762635239865326562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-58579648343391371042020-04-26T06:46:27.707-04:002020-04-26T06:46:27.707-04:00Same. I would say most of the books I read are lig...Same. I would say most of the books I read are light on plot, heavy on character. So, if there was nothing of substance, it would be hard to figure out what was keeping me reading. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-60576153315213803122020-04-26T06:45:28.658-04:002020-04-26T06:45:28.658-04:00I guess it just bugs me, when I see people dismiss...I guess it just bugs me, when I see people dismissing a book as "fluffy". I don't think you need to go all the way dark to dig into a topic. I also don't think there is anything wrong with those heavy books. Just because they aren't for me doesn't mean they don't have their place or their audience. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-3773678286811417802020-04-25T20:51:11.981-04:002020-04-25T20:51:11.981-04:00I like it when the lighter books also have depth. ...I like it when the lighter books also have depth. I'm into character driven stories and that's how most of them are.Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05744993634095849670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-10392835518598542522020-04-25T20:40:11.153-04:002020-04-25T20:40:11.153-04:00I think you make a really good point here. Because...I think you make a really good point here. Because you're right, no one's pain or lack thereof should make a book (or any story) "worthy" or not. I DO fully admit that I gravitate toward the heavier books though. Not that I don't see value in the lighter ones, because I absolutely do! I daresay I even have a few lighter faves! But sometimes I do worry about what that says about me, the fact that I like darker fare more. But I also DO need lighter moments in books. If it's all heavy, that gets really tough to read too. Shannon @ It Starts at Midnighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10043593641190645773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-80737304934761579002020-04-25T19:30:53.171-04:002020-04-25T19:30:53.171-04:00I like balance as well, but I do like the over-all...I like balance as well, but I do like the over-all tone to be on the lighter side. Parts that are weighty, but mostly light is my thing. Most of my DNFs have been really depressing. I just can't push through that, and hope that it gets more hopeful. I don't do well with stuff like that. I would never any genre is all light or all heavy, it's the idea that some people think that a lighter book cannot have substance, because my experience is that it can. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-1350433451443587772020-04-25T18:53:12.794-04:002020-04-25T18:53:12.794-04:00I actually most prefer books that are somewhere in...I actually most prefer books that are somewhere in between - books that have serious things going on but that aren't overwhelmingly heavy. I like a balance. I've read some extremely heavy and depressing YA books, so I don't think of the genre as light and fluffy. On the other hand, I've read some that were so silly I couldn't stand it. Balance. That's what it's all about!Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05344704891037668456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-35336063647119817612020-04-25T13:08:44.775-04:002020-04-25T13:08:44.775-04:00That's the truth too. I have read plenty of sh...That's the truth too. I have read plenty of short books, which have felt more complete, than 500+ page books. Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-14277132877218180372020-04-25T13:07:24.016-04:002020-04-25T13:07:24.016-04:00Open endings make me nuts. I NEED ANSWERS!!!Open endings make me nuts. I NEED ANSWERS!!!Samantha@WLABBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589486165371852904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6528395365771263864.post-12417142715025561112020-04-25T11:43:04.689-04:002020-04-25T11:43:04.689-04:00I really feel like people underestimate YA all the...I really feel like people underestimate YA all the time because of this - it doesn't have to be a 500pg high fantasy book to get a reaction out of you!<br /><br />Steph - www.nourishmeblog.co.ukStephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13276316193146837172noreply@blogger.com