The Types of "modern" Books.

So this tweet has been going around:

Let's see, what have I read that's been recent....besides the obvious I have seagull screeched into the sun. If I had to guess, she wants us to read stuff like this:

A USA Today Best-Selling Novel, and one of the Best Books of 2019 according to NPR, the New York Public Library, Amazon, BookPage, Shelf Awareness, BookRiot, and Bustle!

WINNER of the 2020 Crawford Award

So, I have no idea what the Crawford Award is. Or Any of these other Operations other then Amazon and NPR. I don't care about NPR either. I tried reading the sample. It didn't arrest my attention. Felt like GoT meets angst lesbian romance. Right. Well if that's what some want....go right ahead. But I have a feeling that if B&N doesn't go the way of Books-A-Million, they wont be around in another 5 years. The last time I went into one was about 7 months ago to get my uncle a cook book with beer as a mainstay of the recipes.

Actually, the one trick pony idea isn't far off: Here

If all your character is: X skin, Y Sexuality or Z Soapbox, people wont even give it the time of day. Well readers who are looking for entertainment anyway. It's probably why people reacted rather interestingly to that twitter above. SO her statement of read something "modern" within the last 5 years is basically "Read something by our IDEALS of Books!! You unwashed reader masses." Pass.

But not "modern" books in the sense of what PC society wants me to read. No, I want adventure and space opera. That book above just needles me the wrong way. Too much navel gazing. Sometimes I just want simple.

Straightforward motivations. Doesn't have to be rocket science just: Oh I want to travel the stars or what can my doctor do with his skills to save the people he can. It doesn't have to be earth shattering. Or twisty to the wind in terms of plot. Most decent plots start off very simple.

If the wheel ain't broke then keep on rolling. A book doesn't have to be "literary" to be worth while.

Here's some I've read that were made in the past 5 years: (Ok, Demon in White isnt out yet buttttt.....)

See? Within the past 5 years. I met the basic criticism of that twitter statement. Huzzaaaah! But wait they cry, "That isn't what we meant!" Huh?

Oh, you mean Navel Gazing/Slice of Life/Mundane over Fantastic Allegory to real world books that bore me. Got it. Nope, I had to read stuff that drove me nuts in school/college. I don't want to pay good money for that.

I won't give good money to books that bore me to tears. I read to be entertained. Why can't some understand that. There must be more to your book then, "Oh! I have a PoC lead, or gay lead or lesbian or trans ect." Make the story-line worth it beyond just one static aspect of a character. That's not even a trait. Its a preference.

Work Hard, Read Hard and By Crom, love them pulps!