Bookish Banter: Great Storyteller Vs. Great Writer

A little Bookish Banter to get us through.  Bookish Banter is a little bit of banter about our bookish thoughts as we have a friendly discussion over a nice cup of tea. 

For this bookish banter we will be discussing the differences between a great story teller and a great writer. We'll talk about which we prefer.

Jenn-

I have been thinking about this lately. I have read some really great books of late and I am not sure if its just really great books or I was away from reading for so long I missed it greatly. At any rate I read this one book that really got me thinking about what makes a great read. I mean we need the book to be written well and to have a great story. But really what makes each and can a book live on just one aspect of this partnership. I believe it depends on what you want and what you like. 

If we are honest... a great book need both to be written well and have a grand story. So what is great writing and what is great storytelling. 

Well when I think of a great writer I think of pacing, setting, tone... Are these things done well. But what some consider a well written book is technically written well. I think these things can go hand. I think a great writer can use all these things to make a great story. They can put words down that make sense and also tell the story. It is very important to have great pacing, a well done setting, and a tone that sets it all. A book can have all these elements but still lack for me. 

I have had books that had all these elements. The words were beautiful, the setting was beautiful, the tone was there to set the mood... but something was still off. I could admire the work and enjoy the story but  the story didn't take me where I wanted to go. It didn't give me all the feels I wanted. I didn't breathe and live the story. 

A great storyteller has a great story to be told and when that story is told, I feel it in my core. I not only see it all I am there. I am living it. I am so wrapped into the story that I feel a void when the story is over. This is a great storyteller. A great storyteller can tell me about their lunch date and I would be totally enthralled.  I think you can have a great writer without being a great storyteller... but a great storyteller is always a great writer too. 

I do believe one can write well and but the story lacks emotional and life.  I have read well thought out stories but the writing was just not done well. The development lacked. In both of these circumstances... the book just wasn't good. So a book needs to have great storytelling  and great writing... So really a great writer and a great storyteller are one in the same but still different. So if I haven't confused you... because apparently I am neither a a great writer or a great storyteller.... what are your thoughts?

Ash-

I still really don't understand the difference. We keep talking about it, but I don't really see a difference when I'm reading a book.

With that being said I obviously don't have a preference. 

I mean, I guess I have a few favorite authors that write really well? Or maybe they're good story tellers. I honestly can't tell the difference.

I just like what I like I guess. I don't have much to say on this subject.

      

Cover Up: Recent Reads #10

This feature I will just gab, remark, feature book covers. 

For this cover up I will be comparing two different editions of the same book, from books I've read recently. I will try to do this every couple weeks or so. Can be from a different country, or just a different edition in general

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspecters, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspecters head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.

American Cover                                               Other American Cover   

                                       

I like the one on the left better. I feel like it fits the story so much more.

The Stranger Game by Cylin Busby 

The Stranger Game is a dark, suspenseful, and twisty young adult novel—perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver and E. Lockhart—about fifteen-year-old Nico Walker, whose sister returns home after a four-year disappearance.

When Nico Walker's older sister mysteriously disappears, her parents, family, and friends are devastated. But Nico can never admit what she herself feels: relief at finally being free of Sarah's daily cruelties.

Then the best and worst thing happens: four years later, after dozens of false leads, Sarah is found.

But this girl is much changed from the one Nico knew. She's thin and drawn, where Sarah had been golden and athletic; timid and unsure, instead of brash and competitive; and strangest of all, sweet and kind, when she had once been mean and abusive. Sarah's retrograde amnesia has caused her to forget almost everything about her life, from small things like the plots of her favorite books and her tennis game to the more critical—where she's been the last four years and what happened at the park on the fateful day she vanished. Despite the happy ending, the dark details of that day continue to haunt Nico, and it becomes clear that more than one person knows the true story of what happened to Sarah

American Cover                                               Turkish Cover   

                                       

I absolutely love both of these covers. I think for the book itself I like the one on the left better. In general the one on the right is absolutely beautiful.

Revival by Tim Seeley

For one day in rural central Wisconsin, the dead came back to life. Now it's up to Officer Dana Cypress to deal with the media scrutiny, religious zealots, and government quarantine that has come with them. In a town where the living have to learn to deal with those who are supposed to be dead, Officer Cypress must solve a brutal murder, and everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect.

American Cover                                               German Cover

                                    

  

 I don't have a favorite or preferences. I think they're both really great. 

I Hate Fairyland by Skottie Young

From superstar writer and artist Skottie Young (Rocket Raccoon, Wizard of OZ, Fortunately, The Milk), comes the first volume of an all-new series of adventure and mayhem.

An Adventure Time/Alice in Wonderland-style epic that smashes its cute little face against grown-up, Tank Girl/Deadpool-esque violent madness. Follow Gert, a forty year old woman stuck in a six year old's body who has been trapped in the magical world of Fairyland for nearly thirty years. Join her and her giant battle-axe on a delightfully blood-soaked journey to see who will survive the girl who HATES FAIRYLAND.

American Cover                                                     German Cover 

                                          

I don't like the one on the right at all. I love the one on the left.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

American Cover                                                  Dutch Cover

                                      

I can't pick, I absolutely love both of them.

                 

Review: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Title:  A Curse So Dark and Lonely 

Author: Brigid Kemmerer 
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Publishing Date:  January 29th 2019

Pages: 496
Genre: YA Retelling

Series:  A Curse So Dark and Lonely #1
Source:  ARC

 

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

I was so excited to get my hands on this book, but I wanted to wait as close to the release date as I could for this book for the simple fact I had so many others to read. It was had to wait on this one but I did and it was worth the wait. I am a huge Beauty and the Beast fan. Any retelling... I must read. I love finding those that are loosely based and that have something special and different in the retelling. This book was that for me. The story was a retelling but it felt and read like it's own. It was well done and action packed and oh the characters. I just loved them all. 

Rhen is a cursed prince. He mingled with the wrong enchantress and now his kingdom and his life is in dire straights. Not only is he cursed to be a beast but this beast hunts and  kills. His family is gone, his kingdom is starving and now there are rumors that they are under attack. He has tried many years, many times, with many girls. Nothing seems to break the curse. He is tortured, his guard is tortured, his kingdom is tortured. 

Harper lives in the Washington DC. Her mother is sick. Her brother is stuck cleaning up their fathers mess. Life is hard...and now she has been kidnapped to an alternate world called Emberfall. Kingdoms are real, monsters are real, the prince is cursed, the guard is mean, and she is stuck. 

Harper and Rhen both know she can't break the curse, no girl can break this curse. Rhen is insufferable. The kingdom is harsh and no longer enchanting or beautiful. She spends her first days plotting her escape... but they longer they are together... they start to see each other differently and they come together to not just break a curse... not to save themselves... but to save a kingdom. 

I adored this book. I was worried at first. I mean first off its a big book to read. Second... there are so many Beauty and the Beast retellings out there... not all of them are good. I am always a little afraid when one comes out and it's got the hype, its sounds awesome... I want it to be awesome. This book was awesome. I really did adore it. The characters are well developed, unique, and so complex. The story had it's own element and stood on its own. It was a retelling but really it was all it's own. The structure was there but everything else was different and beautiful. 

I really think the characters are what made this story come to life. They were all so strong and lovable and different from each other. The only thing these characters shared was the strength and loyalty they have in their character. 

Harper was a strong girl with a voice. She was dealt a harder hand at the beginning of her life but she makes it work for her not against her. She has a hard life but she doesn't let it get her down. She loves her family fiercely, but most of all she is a selfless and giving person.  When she first reaches Emeberfall she only wants to get back home... but whens he realizes she can't and the people of Emberfall are in trouble... she gives herself the mission of doing what she can to make their lives easier, forgetting her own trouble. 

Rhen is stubborn but he is caring. It doesn't show much and even though in his past he was reckless with matters of the heart, his kingdom was important to him... especially after the curse when he is the only one of his family left. Unfortunately he is in no shape to fix the thing that are wrong so yes he does give up on everything but breaking the curse. He figures break the curse help the kingdom. It is Harper that helps him see differently. 

There is romance in this book... of course what would this retelling be without romance. And of course being a retelling of  Beauty and the Beast... we all know the end....one way or another things happen to break the curse. So yes the romance was there and it was just right. From hatred, to helping each other, to friendship to selfless love. 


The entire book is just good. Yes it's a little long and the beginning was a tad bit slow for me and so that is why the rating isn't as high as it could be. But let me tell you that is the only thing that made me not rave fanatically about this book... which I still kind of am. I can't wait for the next book.

Loved this book. I will await the next installment not so patiently. If you like fantasy, Beauty and the Beast, strong female characters, and a great romance... read this book. Like now!

Brigid Kemmerer is the author of dark, contemporary Young Adult romances like MORE THAN WE CAN TELL and LETTERS TO THE LOST (Bloomsbury), as well as paranormal YA novels like THE ELEMENTAL SERIES and THICKER THAN WATER (Kensington). Her next book will be her first foray into YA Fantasy, with A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY, available January 2019 wherever books are sold. Brigid lives in the Baltimore area with her husband and four sons.

Waiting on Wednesday: A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa Sheinmel and Honor Bound by Rachel Caine

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Jenn's Pick: I Can't wait to have my hands on this!

Honor Bound by Rachel Caine 
February 19th, 2019

Zara Cole was a thief back on Earth, but she’s been recently upgraded to intergalactic fugitive. On the run after a bloody battle in a covert war that she never expected to be fighting, Zara, her co-pilot Beatriz, and their Leviathan ship Nadim barely escaped the carnage with their lives. Now Zara and her crew of Honors need a safe haven, far from the creatures who want to annihilate them. But with two wounded Leviathan to treat, plus human and non-human refugees to help, they’ll have to settle for the nearest outpost, called the Sliver: a wild, dangerous warren of alien criminals. Zara’s skills from the Zone may be invaluable. However, Zara discovers that the secrets of the Sliver may have the power to turn the tide of the war they left behind—but in the wrong direction. Soon Zara will have to make a choice: stand against the ultimate evil or run from it. But she’s never walked away from a fight.
Honor Bound is the second installment in Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre’s thrilling and fresh space saga

Ash's Pick: I need to read this NOW! 

A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa Sheinmel 
February 5th, 2019

Only when she’s locked away does the truth begin to escape…

Four walls. One window. No way to escape. Hannah knows there's been a mistake. She didn't need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at her summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctors and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year. In the meantime, she is going to use her persuasive skills to get the staff on her side.
Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage. And she may be the only person who can get Hannah to confront the dangerous games and secrets that landed her in confinement in the first place.

Review: The Stranger Game by Cylin Busby

Title: The Stranger Game

Author: Cylin Busby

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publishing Date: October 25th, 2016

Pages: 288
Audio Length: 6 Hours

Genre: YA Contemporary Thriller
TW: Physical and sexual abuse

Series: Standalone

Source: Audio

 

The Stranger Game is a dark, suspenseful, and twisty young adult novel—perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver and E. Lockhart—about fifteen-year-old Nico Walker, whose sister returns home after a four-year disappearance.
When Nico Walker's older sister mysteriously disappears, her parents, family, and friends are devastated. But Nico can never admit what she herself feels: relief at finally being free of Sarah's daily cruelties.
Then the best and worst thing happens: four years later, after dozens of false leads, Sarah is found.
But this girl is much changed from the one Nico knew. She's thin and drawn, where Sarah had been golden and athletic; timid and unsure, instead of brash and competitive; and strangest of all, sweet and kind, when she had once been mean and abusive. Sarah's retrograde amnesia has caused her to forget almost everything about her life, from small things like the plots of her favorite books and her tennis game to the more critical—where she's been the last four years and what happened at the park on the fateful day she vanished. Despite the happy ending, the dark details of that day continue to haunt Nico, and it becomes clear that more than one person knows the true story of what happened to Sarah

What made me pick this book up: 

I don't really remember what made me do it. It was more than likely the cover that caught my eye. It looks creepy like something is going to attack her. 

What did I like about the cover: 

It looks so ominous. Like I said that something is about to attack her. It almost gives me anxiety just looking at it.

What made me read this book: 

I was in search of another short book, because I'm still working on getting out of this reading slump. I love a good mystery and this one sounded awesome. 

After reading the synopsis I had to find out what happened. It could go one of two ways. The person who says she's her sister really isn't, or her sister is completely messed up from whatever happened to her.

I had to know.

What did I like the most: 

Like I said, I love a good mystery. When I was reading the synopsis I had to know what happened.

The writing was pretty good, it wasn't annoying or hard to follow. I felt all the emotions they did. 

I really enjoyed the fact that it had some chapters from Sarah's point of view. At first I was confused, but it actually ended up making a lot of sense. 

The characters are written pretty well, I wanted to like them, and I really didn't find any of them annoying at all, which is always a huge feat for me.

The thing I liked the ABSOLUTE MOST was the ending. I was wanting to rate this book a 3 up until about 3/4 of the way through it, when it had me feeling so much, and I was so invested in the book I think I ended up staying in the bath for over an hour. I couldn't move or think of anything else.

What didn't I like: 

I don't think there was anything in particular that I didn't like. 

It was a good story, the writing was good, it just wasn't amazing. 

Hence the reason it's a 4 star and not 5. I would probably rate it a 4.5 to be honest.

One thing that kind of had me was that it seemed a bit rushed at parts. It was meant to be a short book but it seemed like it all happened so fast and it didn't make sense sometimes.

Would I read the rest of the series/more from this author?
I think so, if there was more.

This book ended up being so much more than I thought it would. Halfway through the book I would've rated it a 3. By then end it was a solid 4.

“I knew my sister was dead. I felt it in my body, as if my bones could tell me the truth.”― Cylin Busby, The Stranger Game

Cylin Busby is the author of several teen books and numerous articles as well as the acclaimed young adult memoir, THE YEAR WE DISAPPEARED,which was a Wall Street Journal bestseller, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and a Cybils Award winner.
Her latest novel, THE NINE LIVES OF JACOB TIBBS, has earned starred reviews and was an Amazon Best Book of the Month. The former Senior Editor of Teen Magazine, Cylin now lives in Los Angeles with her family.
Website: http://www.cylinbusby.com/
Twitter: @cylinbusby
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs, Young Adult, Children's Books