Acronyms

I'm going to be using some basic acronyms about books so as to save time and make my messages clearer. Any new acronyms are going to appear here in alphabetical order:

FBB: 

First Book Better. It's a disease. One that infects Book Series, creating boring sequels to promising First Books.

GSG 

Guidelines Set for this Genre. These vary depending on what you're reading and make obsessive readers think that there are are actual lists with quidelines of what to include in a YA book to help young authors. Either that or everyone is just copying each other. Then again you cannot blame them. There is only so much you can work with to appeal to your target readers and tackle certain issues. For Paranormal Romance, namely, the quidelines go like this:

• human girl meets gorgeous vampire
• girl is defiant and vampire is hesitant
• they fall in love
• series of events lead to plot thickening around the middle of the book
• book reaches each peak in the end with someone dying/leaving/betraying/learning
• awful cliffhanger leaves you needing the sequel

When it's too obvious that the author followed these closely, the book gets clishe and boring, blending with the rest of the books of the same genre you've read until it becomes a shapeless mush. You know just what I'm talking about, don't you.

LB:

Linking Book: We've all read one, especially in long series (5 to 10 books). It's when a book doesn't not have a plot of its own. Instead, it acts like the *link* between the previous and the next books, where information is exchanged, decisions important for books to come are taken and, basically, time passes by. Without an actual plot-thickening.

SHE:

Sky-high Expectations. They usually occur when you distinctly remember adoring a book and hear about its author releasing a new one, either in the same series or completeley anaffiliated. But beware. There is a Greek saying that goes: "Disappointment walks holding hands with Life". And it's a long fall from the sky.

SP: 

Strained Plot. In some books the story just unfolds by itself in front of your amazed eyes and you cannot but admire the plot-thickening and unexpected twists, all hinting at a well thought-through background. In other books, reading just reminds you that for the writer of a book it's just like being in a dream: as soon as you understand you're the creator of a fantasy world, you can do just about anything in it. While asleep, this phenomenon is called LD (Lucid Dreaming) and is particularly interesting. In the book world, though, it's called SP and is a plot too far-fetched to be enjoyable (see Towering by Alex Flinn or Teardrop by Lauren Kate).

XOXO

Aggie Pearson

PS. No copyright infringement intended. The books belong to their authors. All covers have been copy-pasted from Goodreads and belong to their rightfull owners, as do the pictures and gifs.  I own only what I declare mine (like the mini-songs) and, of course, the reviews.