Arts & Culture

HATER FRIDAY: Romantasy Isn’t Literature

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There’s an old expression that warns against mixing your all favorite ingredients together, because the end result won’t always be delicious. It’s possible I actually made that up; regardless, it’s an important saying to keep in mind as I weigh in on the recent explosion of “romantasy” in popular literature. In theory, these novels are a conglomerate of all the things I love —- adventure, handsome men, dragons, etc. —- yet I abhor them. (Another thing I love, using words like “abhor.”) I absolutely ABHOR romantasy novels! 

Please bear with me as I attempt to explain my potentially unpopular opinion, starting with some necessary definitions.

Arts & Culture

Bye Bye BookTok: An Examination of the Pros and Cons

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Walking into bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, the average customer cannot help but notice the tables laid out with modern, sleek books under the sign “BookTok.” Coming onto the literary scene only recently, BookTok is a subsection of the larger platform TikTok; this subsection has become a haven for readers and writers alike wishing to engage with content geared toward books. BookTok typically features short videos detailing new book recommendations, reviews and memes, boasting a following of millions of word-lovers. However, with the recent ban passed through Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court, TikTok (and thus BookTok) could be nearing its final moments in the United States. Though Trump signed an executive order pausing the ban, TikTok’s situation is by no means secure, and thus neither is BookTok’s. As with almost all social media platforms, there are drawbacks and benefits to the potential loss of BookTok.

Arts & Culture

How BookTok is Reviving the Era of Physical Bookselling

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There is a unique magic in holding a physical book. The smell of paper and ink is both familiar and timeless and the weight of the pages offers a tangible connection to the stories that live in our minds. But as time changed between the creation of bookselling guilds to the current rise of Amazon, the appreciation of this craft was lost to many. Ebooks emerged as a vision of the future, with the Kindle allowing for an endless library right at our fingertips. But something always feels like it’s missing: It feels too commercial, too accessible and removes the excitement of picking out books from a bookstore.

Arts & Culture

A Tale of Love and Pages: The Romantasy Sensation

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As a genre, fantasy has been around for as long as human imagination has dared to dream of what could be in realms where the typical laws of nature do not apply. However, a subgenre which blends the fantastical with stories of love has begun to dominate the field: romantasy. Romantasy, exemplified by such novels as A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, presents readers with high-stakes love in the midst of magic. And while its audience continues to grow, there are some who call into question the prevalence of certain tropes and the sort of characters they champion. There have been numerous comments about the standard qualities of romantasy: a title similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses, the famous romantic cliches like “enemies to lovers,” the centrality of women.