Month: February 2022

discussion

Let’s Talk Bookish – Topics that Should Not be Represented in Fiction

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where they discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.

FEBRUARY 11: TOPICS THAT CAN’T/SHOULDN’T BE REPRESENTED IN FICTION (MIKAELA @ MIKAELA READS)

Prompts: Are there certain topics that can’t or shouldn’t be represented in fiction? If so, why shouldn’t they be? Do you think problematic/controversial issues in society should remain strictly part of the real world, or should they be explored in fiction? Should the ability to write about problematic or controversial topics be limited to certain people?

Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH! Today’s topic is actually quite similar to last week’s, but perhaps looking at it from a different perspective. If what I say today sounds familiar, now you know why. Can’t wait to hear what all of you think about it too!

I think I will just start with my overall thoughts, which really reiterates what I said last week on LTB. I think in general there aren’t any hard and fast rules against topics or relationships, etc. in general. When we start glorifying things and inadvertently teaching it to the next generation, then it really gets more contentious. But as a general rule I’d say most things shouldn’t be banned—freedom of expression is at play here I think.

I think the prompt really hits the heart of the issue. It’s the representation…in fiction. I’d much rather people explore controversial topics in a fiction rather than in real life. I’m especially thinking of the dystopian fictions with this train of thought. Something like Orwell’s 1984 really has some controversial things happening, but yet is great social commentary and of course, a classic.

There is some danger in who is exploring these topics. I’m not sure if it’s the contentious/problematic topics that are really at stake. I think it might actually be the sensitive topics (e.g. racial discrimination) that really have a huge impact these days in how it’s portrayed. I don’t think it needs to be limited to certain people, but I certainly hope people do their research before writing about such topics.

Thinking practically, I don’t think I have ever run across a topic that I felt like shouldn’t have been touched in a fiction. However, I have definitely thought many a time that some topics were not dealt with properly in the book, and I know many share this same sentiment. So overall I think most topics (until proven wrong) are okay, but just make sure the research is done and hopefully it’ll be okay.

What do you all think? Have you come across topics that you felt like should have just been left out/never approached? I’d like to hear what they are!

recommendations

My Go-To Romance Reads

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Welcome to part 2 in this series getting us into the romantic mood.

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and whether you have someone to celebrate with or not (or even still), it’s a great time to just bury ourselves in a cute, romantic book. I mean, my boyfriend already knows this.

While I’m always excited and open to read new romantic contemporaries or fantasies/thrillers that have strong romantic elements in them, there are definitely comfort romances I gravitate towards when I just wanna curl up with a cozy blanket and a hot drink on a cold February night.

If that sounds like something you’re looking for, I wanted to share some of my go-to romances with you. Maybe you’ll find a great read out of the list. Or even better, maybe we can swap favorite romances in the comments below!

This is my list. I hope you enjoy!

Love, Life and the List by Kasie West

Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings, Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list, she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being.

But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems . . . and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

This is my favorite trope, best friends to lovers, with the angst of unrequited love. I also love the exploration of Abby’s identity in her art, but her growth throughout Cooper’s process of finding out she liked him tested her and made her and their relationship even stronger. Altogether a really cute and solid read.

Continue reading “My Go-To Romance Reads” →
3.5 star

Review: A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

In this neighborhood, danger lies close to home. A domestic thriller packed full of secrets, and a twisty story that never stops—from the bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

He looks at her, concerned. “How do you feel?” She wants to say, Terrified. Instead, she says, with a faint smile, “Glad to be home.”

Karen and Tom Krupp are happy—they’ve got a lovely home in upstate New York, they’re practically newlyweds, and they have no kids to interrupt their comfortable life together. But one day, Tom returns home to find Karen has vanished—her car’s gone and it seems she left in a rush. She even left her purse—complete with phone and ID—behind.

There’s a knock on the door—the police are there to take Tom to the hospital where his wife has been admitted. She had a car accident, and lost control as she sped through the worst part of town.

The accident has left Karen with a concussion and a few scrapes. Still, she’s mostly okay—except that she can’t remember what she was doing or where she was when she crashed. The cops think her memory loss is highly convenient, and they suspect she was up to no good.

Karen returns home with Tom, determined to heal and move on with her life. Then she realizes something’s been moved. Something’s not quite right. Someone’s been in her house. And the police won’t stop asking questions.

Because in this house, everyone’s a stranger. Everyone has something they’d rather keep hidden. Something they might even kill to keep quiet.

This is probably the second-last Shari Lapena thriller that I have to catch up on! She, of course, unsurprisingly by now, always has a great talent for fast-paced thrillers—I literally read this in a day. I believe I have actually read it once before, but despite that I still enjoyed re-reading it, although I kind of knew how it would end.

A Stranger in the House revolves mainly around a couple who lives in a nice neighbourhood and are newly married. But one day the wife drives like a bat out of hell in a dark part of town and gets into a serious accident. Why can’t she remember anything? Her paranoia also gets the best of her as she realizes someone has probably been in her house. This is a story of paranoia and the tale of a perfectly normal-looking couple falling apart at the seams. Will she recover her memories in time to see the truth?

Continue reading “Review: A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena” →