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This week, we're talking about ABC's summer series about psychics, vampires, angels, and more based on novels by Charlaine Harris. We're joined by our good friend Marie Ann Fernandez-Silva to talk about why this one...didn't quite work for us.
Thanks to Stefan Chin for our theme music: www.twitter.com/pilocrates
Find us all on Twitter: Marie Ann: twitter.com/mfdezsilva Nicole: twitter.com/sweeneysays Marines: twitter.com/mynameismarines twitter.com/snark_squad www.snarksquad.com
I read Handbook for Mortals
I had the truly, unironically #blessed opportunity to see the original Twitter investigation of Handbook for Mortals when it first appeared on the NYT Bestseller list. For a moment, Book Twitter came together, like the repressed Veronica Marses they are, and detected the shit out of the book no one had heard of that pushed (the amazing, worth the hype) The Hate U Give from its number one spot.
Since then, the case has only gotten stranger, partly because the author, Lani Sarem, seems to be completely unapologetic about what she’s done.
I have to admit that I was curious about the book from moment one. Snarking bad books is kind of a thing for me. Thus started the war within between ignoring her and hoping it would all go away and dragging the book because it had to be shit, right?
Right, well, here we are.
The first page starts with ms whoever saying she's NEVER had a "normal" day before. NEVER. Maybe brief normal moments. #snarkformortals
— Marines (@mynameismarines) September 16, 2017
I imagine those brief normal moments in her day are bathroom breaks? #snarkformortals pic.twitter.com/vETrTwRWPI
— Marines (@mynameismarines)
September 16, 2017
oh, honey, have I got some news for you#snarkformortals pic.twitter.com/9GiHeG93ER
— Marines (@mynameismarines)
September 16, 2017
I'll never forget this one particular, super important day-- BUT FIRST, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE COLORS I DYE MY HAIR LOL. #snarkformortals
— Marines (@mynameismarines)
September 16, 2017
Bitch, we've all had windy days. #snarkformortals
— Marines (@mynameismarines)
September 16, 2017
Levi's jeans "ripped in all the right places": a guide by me#snarkformortals pic.twitter.com/oweamXam2N
— Marines (@mynameismarines)
September 16, 2017
Yes, she's really taking time to describe her outfit, and it includes jeans "ripped in all the right places." #snarkformortals
— Marines (@mynameismarines)
September 16, 2017
She RARELY thinks about how she wants a photographer around to capture how awesome she looks. RARELY. #snarkformortals pic.twitter.com/oMWb4IJqfz
— Marines (@mynameismarines)
September 16, 2017
"Even when she was in a hurry, she never looked like she was rushing or running, but instead floating gingerly." #snarkformortals pic.twitter.com/Wfyh5aiXYL
— Marines (@mynameismarines)
September 16, 2017
BOOKTERNET AESTHETICS [27/?] | mynameismarines
*snarks about acomaf*
how’d I do? Probably not great, forgive me😂
Somehow the Snark Ladies managed to live 3 decades on this planet without ever viewing a Star Wars film. Recently that changed and in then they attempted to discuss one. It goes...well, it goes.
theme music by Stefan Chin: http://www.twitter.com/pilocrates
Find us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Snark_Squad http://www.twitter.com/SweeneySays http://www.twitter.com/mynameismarines
http://www.snarksquad.com
I was listening to a book review by a reviewer i really like, and it made me better understand a couple of issues and pet peeves i have with many ya books and those inspired by the style (mainly romantasy), even if i generally enjoy the books in question.
The review is by MyNameIsMarines, she's on youtube and tiktok, and i find her analyses very good and thoughtful, and really enjoy listening to them even for books i have never and don't plan on reading.
So, let's get into the topics:
She mentioned this in this video too, it's the fairly widespread phenomenon of the main character getting some odd physical sensation in relation to the love interest. In this book it had been scalp tingling, but it can be any number of things. Often things that can be folded into the typical sensations of having a crush on someone. Marines doesn't get into it deeper because it's just one of many points in her review, but it made me realise that it is most likely a teen book adjusted stand-in for horniness. Perhaps this has been clear to everyone already but it has not for me.
Two is a thing Marines calls attention to in multiple other reviews as well, and something that annoys me deeply as well. It's when the character refuses to connect any dots. Even if they are generally capable, when it comes to the main mystery of the plot, all logic ability escapes them. Especially if they are portrayed as highly capable, perhaps even experts on some field or portrayed as some sort of genius. They behave like a maths professor, who, as soon as it's plot relevant, stares at 1+1 and goes "what could this possibly mean?". Deeply frustrating. I had one and now two theories for why that is such a common phenomenon. One is so that, being teen books which cover an age range, readers of higher and lower reading comprehension level won't be left behind by the plot. Valid, but i do think there is different ways to do this. Second theory is especially around books that keep telling the reader how super smart the protagonist is. It's so that every reader, including those with lower reading comprehension and those that didn't pay much attention and mainly came there for the romance, can feel smart for being ahead of the protagonist regarding the plot mystery. Also valid, but again you could do this in a way that is less grating, and that doesn't seem like you look down on your readers reasoning and reading comprehension abilities. Putting in pitstops to let everyone catch up is not in contradiction with believing your readers to be capable and treating them as such.
In general, i feel like, in the past decade, books (and tv shows and movies) have lost a degree of respect for the audience, of assuming the audience is capable of thinking along and rising up to being challenged.
It goes hand in hand with encouraging a rising sentiment in people that they aren't capable of learning new skills, nor of their thoughts having merit and bringing something to the world. That if they don't comfortably understand something on the first attempt, they can't ever get to a point of understanding it.
This feels deeply upsetting and infantilising and condescending to me, and fits in neatly with convenience culture and the ai boom, and unfortunately, the rise of fascism as well. It's also really fucking rude and devaluing towards the audience, even outside all those wider contexts.
Nicole & Marines have some strong feelings on anti-hero stories and this week we are joined again by Samantha Lane from Thoughts on Tomes who has her own very strong feelings on the matter. Hear about some of our favorites as well as the kinds of things turn us off from these stories.
Thanks to Stefan Chin for our theme music: www.twitter.com/itsmestefanchin
Find us all on Twitter: Sam: twitter.com/thoughtsontomes Nicole: twitter.com/sweeneysays Marines: twitter.com/mynameismarines twitter.com/snark_squad www.snarksquad.com
In anticipation of the second season of Westworld, we watched the first season of HBO's sci fi mystery. We're joined by our good friend Abi and this conversation escalates from 0 to #deep real fast. As always we have an abundance of feelings.
Thanks to Stefan Chin for our theme music: www.twitter.com/itsmestefanchin
Find us all on Twitter: Abi: twitter.com/abi_jean Nicole: twitter.com/sweeneysays Marines: twitter.com/mynameismarines twitter.com/snark_squad www.snarksquad.com
