Bookish pet peeve: Blurb comparisons

You know what I love? An incredible, original new book! There's nothing quite like reading something new and finding it completely unlike anything else you've ever read. Obviously there are common tropes that make appearances in a lot of YA fiction, but as long as they're done well and the author puts his or her own spin on it, I'm happy. You know what I don't love? Books that claim to be something else. Books that compare themselves to other books.

For reasons I cannot understand, publishers like to begin or end blurbs with things such as "for fans of..." or "this popular book meets that popular book!" I'm not talking about retellings, in which case it would make total sense to compare the book to the tale being retold. No, I'm talking about books that directly compare themselves to other books or even TV shows, and authors that compare themselves to other, popular authors.

"But Tracy," you ask, "what brought on this post?" Allow me to share with you one of the craziest things I've ever seen.

Here, let me copy that quote just in case you couldn't see it clearly:

"Celaena is as much an epic hero as Frodo or Jon Snow." --Tamora Pierce

Listen guys, I get it. A lot of people adore the Throne of Glass series and a lot of people love Celaena. I understand, I do! But somewhere along the way, someone thought THAT quote was the one that should be used in advertisements? A quote comparing Celaena to Frodo and Jon Snow. I have read some of the Throne of Glass series and, even if Celaena is a fantastic protagonist, comparing her to Frodo? That's just too much.

I have also pulled together a few other examples of these kinds of comparisons from recent and upcoming books:

The stunning first novel in a new trilogy by debut author Tara Sim, Timekeeper is perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Victoria Schwab. 

A genre-bending thriller from Stefan Bachmann for fans of The Maze Runner and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods. (A Drop of Night)

The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. (Blood Rose Rebellion)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike comes a truly original new novel—Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette... (Glitter)

It's the Salem Witch Hunt meets Mean Girls in this deliciously suspenseful novel by an author who is a descendant of one the real trial's most infamous accusers. (How to Hang a Witch)

Honestly, I'm even less inclined to buy a book that compares itself to something else. Why? Because I don't want to spend the entire reading experience comparing. If a book's synopsis says it's perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, chances are I will be looking for ways it's similar instead of focusing on the possibly fantastic story between the covers!

What I would really love is for someone in the publishing industry to weigh in and let us know: does this actually help sell books? Why wouldn't it be better to focus on what the book unique instead of comparing it to other things? The world wants to know!

Personally, I find it much better if a book sells me on its own merits instead of trying to pull me in with a gimmick, but I'm curious to know what you think! Do you buy books based on blurb comparisons? Have you ever avoided a book because of a comparison? Let me know in the comments!

ARC Review: The Architect of Song by A.G. Howard

Title: The Architect of Song (Haunted Hearts Legacy #1)
Author: A.G. Howard
Publication Date: August 15, 2016
Publisher: Golden Orb Press
Pages: 425
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Reviews for book 2 & book 3

//I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review//

A lady imprisoned by deafness, an architect imprisoned by his past, and a ghost imprisoned within the petals of a flower - intertwine in this love story that transcends life and death.

For most of her life, nineteen-year-old Juliet Emerline has subsisted – isolated by deafness – making hats in the solitude of her home. Now, she’s at risk to lose her sanctuary to Lord Nicolas Thornton, a twenty-seven-year-old mysterious and eccentric architect with designs on her humble estate. When she secretly witnesses him raging beside a grave, Juliet investigates, finding the name “Hawk” on the headstone and an unusual flower at the base. The moment Juliet touches the petals, a young English nobleman appears in ghostly form, singing a song only her deaf ears can hear. The ghost remembers nothing of his identity or death, other than the one name that haunts his afterlife: Thornton.

To avenge her ghostly companion and save her estate, Juliet pushes aside her fear of society and travels to Lord Thornton’s secluded holiday resort, posing as a hat maker in one of his boutiques. There, she finds herself questioning who to trust: the architect of flesh and bones who can relate to her through romantic gestures, heartfelt notes, and sensual touches … or the specter who serenades her with beautiful songs and ardent words, touching her mind and soul like no other man ever can. As sinister truths behind Lord Thornton’s interest in her estate and his tie to Hawk come to light, Juliet is lured into a web of secrets. But it’s too late for escape, and the tragic love taking seed in her heart will alter her silent world forever.

A.G. Howard is hands down one of my top 5 favorite authors and her books are on my auto buy list! I adored her Splintered series SO much that I would basically read her grocery list. When I saw that A.G. was going to be releasing the first book in a new adult series, I knew I had to have it!! I will admit... I had no idea what this book was even about when I requested a copy. I saw the cover, saw the author, and dived right in!

As it turns out, this is an incredible story about Juliet, a deaf girl whose mother has recently died. After stumbling into a friendship with a ghost who also happens to be the only person she can hear, Juliet finds herself embarking on a mission to help him find out more about his life and death. To gain information, she has to journey to a resort run by Lord Thornton, an unsavory fellow who has been after her estate for reasons unknown. Once there, she finds herself unsure of what to believe or who to trust, but remains determined to uncover the truth.

I loved Juliet! Despite the fact that she is forced to go to Lord Thornton's estate and essentially audition for the part of his wife, Juliet always maintains her independence and never becomes a weak character in any way. Not only does she play a huge part in the uncovering of the mystery surrounding Hawk, she actually fights against the system in several ways. The most entertaining of these is her refusal to wear the uncomfortable clothes forced upon her by the society of the time. I found it hilarious to see her repeatedly try to get away with not wearing the incredible uncomfortable dresses people kept trying to put her in, but I did like that she offered reasonable solutions to the issue. I also really liked that she was open to exploring relationships and her sexuality, albeit not in an overly risqué way. What I mean to say is I loved that A.G. Howard was able to give us a strong female protagonist while staying true to the time period.

Of course, there are two love interests, as implied by the synopsis. I ended up loving Hawk and Lord Thornton in different ways. There were times when I really didn't like either of them, but it all came together perfectly. I can't say much about either of these men without spoiling the book, but suffice it to say there were many swoons to be had. I was a little worried when I realized that there would be a love triangle in this story, but if anyone knows how to write a satisfying love triangle, it's A.G. Howard! Although this is a new adult romance and there is some sexual content, there are no sexually explicit scenes. Something to keep in mind if you're not a fan of the overly steamy!

The setting was also fantastic and really goes hand in hand with the cover. Most of this story takes place between a graveyard, a really unique luxury resort, and an old mine. All of it fit right into a story of a ghost stuck between worlds and a shady nobleman with a questionable past. I definitely felt like I could picture my surroundings the whole way through and it really added to the reading experience!

Speaking of reading experience... Sometimes new adult romance has a tendency to focus too much on the romance, while the plot slides to the back burner, but that is not the case here! I wasn't sure what the story would be going in and much of it stays shrouded in mystery until late in the book. I love big twists and The Architect of Song has them! I was totally shocked more than once reading this. There is also a very satisfying conclusion at the end of this book. Although it is the first in a series, they are loosely connected enough that there's no cliffhanger to leave you in agony for the next year!

I honestly don't think A.G. Howard can write a book I won't like. I went into The Architect of Song not knowing what it was all about, but with very high expectations. Sometimes high expectations are a recipe for disaster, but in this case I was not disappointed! I blew through this in a couple days and, even though there wasn't a cliffhanger ending, I already can't wait to get the next one!

Top Ten Tuesday #107: Foreign editions I'd love to have

Today's Topic: 

Ten Five Foreign Editions I'd Buy Right This Second 
If Someone Handed Me A Fully Loaded Gift Card

I decided to take today's topic in a slightly different direction and share five books I'd like to have in their foreign editions. I already have (2 out of 3 of) the German Grisha books and a couple UK Harry Potter editions, but there are just SO MANY that are gorgeous!! I only buy foreign editions of books I truly love and these are five I would love to own someday! 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (UK)

And I Darken by Kiersten White (UK)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Germany)

Harry Potter Signature Editions by J.K. Rowling (UK)

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Israel)

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Dystopia Reading Challenge: August Link-up

Welcome to month eight of the 2016 Dystopia Reading Challenge! I hope everyone has met all their goals so far! If you're new to the challenge, you can see the guidelines and sign up here!


Link-up Rules

• Link up your book reviews under "Review Link-up" as follows: Name of book @ Your blog name, Goodreads, Shelfari, Booklikes, etc.
• MOST IMPORTANTLY, visit and comment on the blog linked before you. This helps to create community :)
• Feel free to visit and give some comment love to other bloggers too!

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August Review Link-up

Horror Reading Challenge: August Link-up

Welcome to the eighth month of the 2016 Horror Reading Challenge! I hope everyone is meeting their goals so far! Please share your horror book reviews for the month of August in the link-up below using the format Your Name @ Your Blog (Book Name). If you're new to the challenge, you can see the guidelines and sign up here!

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August Review Link-up

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Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, & Jack Thorne

//DISCLAIMER: JK Rowling is no longer reviewed or promoted by Cornerfolds.com following her repeated transphobia//

Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter #8)
Author: J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, & Jack Thorne
Publication Date: July 31, 2016
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Pages: 320
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Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on 30th July 2016

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places.

When it was first announced that the script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would be published as a book, I was really skeptical. Not only because I don't usually read scripts, but also because the script was not written by Rowling herself. (Rather, it was "based on an original story" by J.K. Rowling.) When it came right down to it, though, I knew I had to have a copy of the eight installment of Harry's story. So I grabbed my Ravenclaw robe and my wand and headed to the midnight release party. Over the next few hours I binge read all 320 pages and... well, now I have feelings.

This story picks up 19 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, right at the same place as the original series' epilogue. Harry and Ginny are married with three children: James, Albus, and Lily. The Cursed Child is entirely about Albus, though. The other two are barely mentioned. Of course, Ron and Hermione are also married with children of their own. When this story begins, Albus and Rose, Ron and Hermione's daughter, are beginning their first year at Hogwarts. The nostalgia is back immediately upon reading this very familiar scene, but from there things advance at a breakneck speed.

There are several new characters in The Cursed Child, but the most important ones are Albus and Scorpius, Draco Malfoy's son, who become fast friends in much the same way as Harry, Ron, and Hermione did in The Sorcerer's Stone. I really enjoyed both these new characters and loved the relationship between the two of them! While Albus struggles with living up to the Potter name throughout this book, Scorpius has terrible rumors to contend with, and their similar trials bring the two unlikely friends closer together. One character I didn't much care for was Rose. I wonder if the writers were trying to throw back to how unlikable Hermione was in the first book when they wrote Rose's character, but she didn't work for me at all.

Old characters obviously have a huge part as well, but it seems as if all of them have become extreme versions of their original characters. For example, Ron is basically the comic relief of the play. There is actually a scene in which Ron, attempting to be threatening, holds his wand facing the wrong way toward a perceived enemy. Hermione is extremely logical, sometimes to the point of being rude. Then there's Harry, the overworked Ministry employee. I'll come right out and say it: I didn't like Harry in this play at all. He was uncharacteristically mean to pretty much everyone. I did love seeing Draco again, though!

I mentioned before that the plot itself moves extremely fast and that was another of my problems with this. I suspect it would work better as a play with more time between scenes, more time for characters to speak lines, etc. Unfortunately, this script is all a lot of us have and I feel that it should work just as well on paper since it's being sold for $30. Instead it felt like a lot of fan service and throwbacks to the original series crammed into a two part play.

Don't get me wrong, the nostalgia was there and it was a fun read at times! I liked getting to see the old gang back together and there were some fun surprises, but there were times I had a hard time accepting that this is canon. There were plot holes and inconsistencies and downright weird bits that seemed totally random. I can't say much about the plot without spoiling it and I definitely think that everyone should go in as spoiler free as I did. Click below if you want to see some of my spoilery complaints:

Spoilers

Trolley Witch - What even is this? Never has there been any mention of the Trolley Witch being some kind of 200 year old mystical being with weaponized hands who makes sure kids stay on the train! Whose idea was this because I cannot believe J.K. Rowling did this.

Time turner inconsistencies - This is one I've seen a lot of discussion about around the interwebs and I still don't know what to think. Time turners were a huge part of The Prisoner of Azkaban and I'm having a hard time accepting the way this device is used in the plot of The Cursed Child.

Harry is an asshole - Excuse my French, but who is this Harry? He certainly isn't the character we all came to know and love over the course of seven books and eight films. Harry would not tell his child he wished he wasn't his dad and Harry wouldn't be a jerk to Professor McGonagall.

Voldemort/Bellatrix love child - Um... why? How? WHEN? This is honestly one of the worst plot devices ever. It reads like bad fan fiction and that makes me sad.

No Luna/Neville - Seriously though! Where are they?? There are appearances by almost every other major character in the original series and there's barely a mention of Neville and Luna may as well not exist.

One other thing I need to mention is the setting and there isn't much of it that's new. All the familiar places from the original series are revisited from Hogwarts to the Ministry of Magic to the Forbidden Forest. Obviously, there isn't much room for description in a script, but I had hoped for some new Wizarding World magic to be introduced instead of rehashing every location of the trio's old stomping grounds.

It's not that I hated The Cursed Child. In fact, I actually did enjoy most of my time reading it! But at the end of the day, I expected this to be so much more and, actually, so much less. There was too much crammed into such a short book and much of what was there just seemed like fan service. I am glad that I read it and do think that any Harry Potter fan should read it too, simply because J.K. Rowling signed off on it, but it is definitely not up to par with the previous seven books.