Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.
This week’s topic is:
May 16: What is one book that everyone else seemed to love except you? (Isabella @ The Ink Bound Reader)
Prompts: Have you ever experienced what seems like the whole book community raving about a book, only to discover it’s not all that? What are some story elements that put you off while reading? What about books others dislike that you love? Feel free to share examples of which books everyone loved and you didn’t, and vice versa! 🤭
**********
Have you ever experienced what seems like the whole book community raving about a book, only to discover it’s not all that?
Yes. 😅 The latest one is Onyx Storm. I love the series, but this book I didn’t love like the first book. I might have to do a re-read because I’m wondering if it was because I was in a bad mood? But yes there are a lot of people who loved it and I didn’t but hey…reading is subjective and we are all not going to love the same books. Plus I’m a mood reader so yeah…also I’ve found I don’t love cozy romance as much as others do.
What are some story elements that put you off while reading?
Miscommunication, a FMC who is always making mistakes and never learning her lesson; lately so many romantasy has the same, predictable things happening – secret identity/secret powers – so now I’m trying to find romantasy that is unique but that’s hard to do.
What about books others dislike that you love?
Yes there are some – like I said reading is subjective so it’s fine if people dislike what I like – that’s how it’s supposed to work I think!
Feel free to share examples of which books everyone loved and you didn’t, and vice versa!
I know lots of people didn’t Shatter Me by. Tahereh Mafi and yes it was very different but I was intrigued enough to read the second book and then fell in love with Warner! But people definitely hated this one!
I didn’t love Deep End by. Ali Hazelwood, like everyone did – I gave it 3 stars I believe. There were parts I enjoyed like the sports romance of it all but I felt cold about the two characters. I didn’t like that she always cried and I didn’t like that he came off just bland to me even if they were both into BDSM.
Just for the Summer by. Abby Jimenez was so popular I had to read it and it was the first book I read from her and didn’t love it. It was just okay for me.
The Grandest Game by. Jennifer Lynn Barnes, is part of a beloved series The Inheritance Games or a spinoff of it and I loved The Inheritance Games series but I think I outgrew it? I’m not sure, but I wasn’t into this one.
May Topics:
May 2: Bookish Fandoms
Prompts: There are very popular bookish fandoms out there, especially in the romance fantasy genre (Maas, Yarros, LOTR, etc.). Are you part of a bookish fandom? If you are, what do you love about it? If not, do you think you’d ever want to be part of one? Does being part of the online book community help you connect to fandoms?
May 9: Motivation to Read (Jillian @ The Bookish Butterfly)
Prompts: How do you motivate yourself to sit down and concentrate on reading? Do you have a set reading time/schedule that works best for you to focus? Do you have tips/tricks that you would recommend others try?
May 16: What is one book that everyone else seemed to love except you? (Isabella @ The Ink Bound Reader)
Prompts: Have you ever experienced what seems like the whole book community raving about a book, only to discover it’s not all that? What are some story elements that put you off while reading? What about books others dislike that you love? Feel free to share examples of which books everyone loved and you didn’t, and vice versa! 🤭
May 23: Literary Palette Cleansers
Prompts: Do you ever feel like you need a reading reset? Maybe you’ve been reading dense literary fiction, or in a reading slump. Are there certain books you read to help reset? Do you ever take a break from reading? Do you find yourself needing those literary palate cleansers at certain times of year?
May 30: Freebie
Prompts: It’s the fifth Friday of the month, so this week is a freebie! Use this week to revisit an old LTB topic, or write about something you’re interested in! You can check out a bunch of topics on our blogs (Dini’s & Aria’s) and Rukky’s blog for more ideas!
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 
Ohhh the miscommunication trope *shakes fist* – do you have any romantasy recs without it? I’m really getting into the genre as it turns out 😂
You can try The Crimson Moth duology – I loved that one! Or the newest one that had lots of hype at release, Shield of Sparrows – I might have been in a cloud of hype when reading it but I still think it was pretty good, a little bit too long, and a slow build but interesting monsters and world building.
Ah thank you! I’ll add these to my TBR 😀
I felt the same way about Iron Flame! I was so disappointed because I had hyped it up in my mind.
Yes so I’m gonna go into book 4 with low expectations lol.
I gave up on the series for now lol,
Understandable!
The miscommunication trope is one of the most popular reasons I’ve seen this LTB! I do find it off-putting as well, especially when things are going well initially and then all of a sudden that’s thrown out the window and it’s like they become different characters just because they don’t communicate! I also can’t stand when MCs (F or M) who don’t learn their lesson and keep making the same mistakes. It’s the worst! 🫣 I also could never get into the Shatter Me series. I didn’t even make it past the first book cos it was too much and I couldn’t stand it, haha. 😂 But like you said, it’s all subjective! Great post and thanks for joining in LTB this week 💜
Oh yes, the not-learning-their-lesson trope lol – drives me crazy – I’m always like “what are you doing?!” 😅.
Yes! Wanna give them a good shake, haha 😂
Same!