Category: discussion

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.

DECEMBER 4TH: REDEMPTION ARCS (DANI)

Examples: Do you like redemption arc plotlines? What are some of your favorites? What makes up a good redemption arc? Can any character be redeemed or are there some characters that are too far gone?

Hi everyone, and welcome to December’s first LTB! Now that it’s officially Christmas season (or holidays for those who don’t celebrate), my only wish this year is to be able to sit and relax and read. Alas in the light of the news and the world as it is, any moment of peace would be great. But I digress. Today’s topic is from our very own co-host, Dani, and if you don’t follow her already, go and check out her awesome blog (linked above)!

I personally like redemption arc plotlines. Do I need it in every book? Probably not. But a well written one really does tug at the heartstrings. I’ve always loved morally grey and ambiguous characters, as they really make you think about your perspective of what is right and wrong, and how that can change in the blink of an eye.

I think Snape had a really interesting redemption arc, where it didn’t really justify anything, but at least it explained a lot (for me, I was always worried why Dumbledore had inherent trust, so that was answered). I can’t think of any others off the top of my head, but I think I care more about exploring the morally grey (Evelyn Hugo, Kaz Brekker, Legend, etc.) rather than an actual redemption arc. Redemption can really be hit or miss, as it can be jarring to have to reverse your perspective on a character.

I won’t claim to be the expert on redemption arcs, but I think they tend to work better when there are hints of uncertainty, or perhaps hints of a change (or willingness to change) in the character arc. If there’s a bit of suspense as to whether the character could go either way and teeter on the balance, I think that makes for good emotional drama. If it’s an obvious redemption arc, I would still like to see that gradual change. One thing I often look for in characters is consistency of character, and if anything happens too suddenly, it often isn’t natural or just feels like we can’t appreciate the change.

Can any character be redeemed? I think so. But I think the more important question is, why would you? Does every character need to have a tragic backstory as to why they are the way they are? I think if every bad character had a redemption arc, it would really tkae out the significance of having these characters. It’s nice to have characters who feel strongly for the wrong cause or out of the wrong moral reasons. I think that in itself also challenges us to really reassess our own perspectives, rather than shoe-horning our version of “good” onto everyone.

What do you all think though? I feel like much of what I said today is abstract, but hopefully you all understood! Do any of you have particularly strong feelings about whether it is good or bad? Or is there merely a time and place for everything? Let me know in the comments below!

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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.

NOVEMBER 26: DO YOU KEEP UP WITH NEW RELEASES? (SUGGESTED BY PIPPIN @ THE PIGEON)

Prompts: How current is your reading? Do you tend to read recently published books or pick from the publishing backlog, and why? Is there any particular merit to keeping up with current releases, or is it all hype? How has book blogging changed your habits on this front? And, in the future, are you thinking you want your reading to shift either way? 

Welcome to the last week of LTB in November, everyone! It’s almost December, and the snow is probably coming soon (oh boy), but it’s nice to sit down and cozy up and discuss another LTB by the (imaginary) fire. The topic today is great and I’d love to hear how you all keep up with the new releases, if at all!

I’d say my reading is not always that current. I do try and read some new stuff and review it for you all, but often times there’s a lot of good books released that I haven’t got to yet! I would say Andge is usually more caught up, or at least does many more ARCs, so hopefully her posts satisfy those of you who are ahead of the curve.

I think here at DTRH we do have a good mix of both oldies and new releases. I don’t think we particularly pick one or the other to publish about though. I think generally we try and read new stuff to provide a good resource for those who want to read reviews about possible reads. On the other hand, if there are old goodies that we haven’t posted about, then of course we read them and post for you all! We wouldn’t skip books and not come back to them because they aren’t “current” anymore.

There is definitely “hype” around reviewing something that everyone else is reading and reviewing, but I think there’s also merit to having your resource available contemporaneously with other bloggers. I’m sure readers all have blogs and opinions that they trust more—I know there are definitely reviews I trust over others.

Blogging has definitely changed my habits. Before I would just read whatever, whenever. But now that I consider that my review may have an audience, I try not to always post about outdated things that everyone has probably read already. That being said, even if everyone has read it, sometimes it’s just nice to hear a concurring opinion about a book that you liked/disliked.

In the future here at DTRH, I think we will definitely be striving to be a better resource and providing very up-to-date reviews, if possible. That being said, if you all have any suggestions of books you want reviewed here, please let us know! Or if perhaps you enjoy the current mix of current and non-current releases, you can also let us know below. Any suggestions are always welcome, of course!

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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.

NOVEMBER 19: WHAT TRULY MAKES A BLOG HIATUS? (SUGGESTED BY RUBY @ RUBY READS AND REVIEWS)

Prompts: Have you taken a hiatus before? How long was it for, and did you plan/announce it beforehand? What do you think makes a hiatus? Is there a minimum time length that defines one? Do you think it should be announced beforehand?

Welcome to another LTB here on DTRH! Today’s topic is certainly unique, and I’m glad to be discussing it a little bit with you all. I’d be interested to hear what others have to say on this topic too!

Ah…hiatuses. We are no stranger to those here at DTRH, as we really only restarted in full-force this year! 2020 was a much more quiet year (for obvious reasons), and anything above a month can certainly count as a hiatus depending on your frequency of posting. For us here, who try to post everyday, even a week would count as a hiatus, I think! Although for those waiting for a post, a week is probably reasonable to expect silence.

Generally, unless hiatuses arise because of a very particular circumstance, it’s generally not announced. Health reasons or anticipated scheduling conflicts or commitments are generally announced, I presume, if possible. Not that I would expect announcements, as I can understand that a hiatus may happen for any number of reasons. I also assume that the more followers you have, the more likely you are to announce a hiatus? But correct me if I’m wrong there.

A hiatus announcement or a hiatus in general usually just signifies a blogger taking a step back from the blog and taking a break. Usually this means that no content will be released for a foreseeable future. Although I have also heard some people make take a hiatus to prepare more materials as well.

As for a minimum length, I’d say it is completely proportional to your regular posting habits. The more spaced out the posts, the longer it will take for people to “realize” you are on hiatus. That being said, if you just skipped a few posts and posted soon afterwards, I doubt anyone would call that a hiatus! Nor that anyone should blame you for taking a break, of course.

Do you think that hiatuses should be announced beforehand? I think that it’s nice if they do, but not a mistake if they don’t. Sometimes things come up and hiatuses just happen (*ahem*), and there really isn’t much to be said or done about that! Hopefully people are understanding – I think the recent events have really brought out more compassion and understanding for the varying situations we are all going through.

What do you all think? Yay or nay on hiatus announcements? What even counts as a hiatus for you? Let me know in the comments below!

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