Thursday, November 8, 2012

Feature & Follow Friday (18)


Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and
Alison Can Read. It's a great way to meet other book bloggers!

This week's question is:
Do you mind books with similar ideas to other books? Similar concepts, backgrounds, retellings or pulled-to-publish fanfic?

Not really, just as long as there's some kind of fresh twist to the concept, like with Marissa Meyer's cyborg Cinderella in Cinder or Bethany Griffin's steampunk take on Edgar Allan Poe's short story in Masque of the Red Death. We never would have read as many vampire books as we have if they'd all been just another rehash of Twilight. Coming up with an entirely new, never-before-seen idea for a book has to be really difficult, so when it comes to retellings or books with jacket blurbs that say, "If you liked Book X, you're sure to love Book Y," what we look for is how the author has put his or her own stamp on a particular premise.

If you're a new follower, be sure to let us know so that we can follow you back. Thanks for stopping by!

60 comments:

  1. Agreed! Old follower via GFC. My FFs are at Musings on Fantasia and LKHill. Happy Friday! :D

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  2. Never mind Twilight, we wouldn't have the vampire books we have today if it weren't for rehashing Dracula. :)

    Thanks for stopping by - new follower.

    Bob @ Beauty in Ruins

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    1. So true! And it's Bram Stoker's birthday today, too!

      Thanks for following!

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  3. I am not a fan-fic fan at all. I don't read any of that stuff. But I don't mind a new spin on other stories if the author twists it around a little. Some stories are so universal that it’s almost a given that they will be retold, like The Iliad and the Odyssey. The story is an archetype of the hero’s journey.

    New follow via GFC.

    Julie~ New Adult Addiction

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    1. I don't read fanfic either; I've just never been interested. Great examples there of two works with timeless, universal themes- The Iliad and The Odyssey!

      Thanks for following!

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  4. Well, yes. I don't mind if it's a retelling of a story.

    New follower~
    Cindy @ http://bookaholicfaggots.blogspot.com

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    1. I don't mind, either, so long as there's a new angle to the story. Thanks for following!

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  5. I agree with you! As long as there's some kind of twist I'll probably enjoy it. New follower via GFC.

    Here's my #FF

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    1. That's how I feel, too- I like seeing new life breathed into an existing concept. Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. Great answer and thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm a new follower via GFC, Linky, & Networked Blogs.

    Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

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  7. Hopping through. I like that a lot of authors have jumped on the vampire bandwagon. There are so many ways to make the same paranormal creature feel fresh and different.
    My Hop

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    1. I like the various takes that there have been on different paranormal beings. I really don't remember these kinds of YA books existing when I was a teen, so maybe that's why I love reading them so much now, as an adult.

      Thanks for dropping by!

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  8. So very true! If there are fresh twists and originality, then why not? Great answer. Thanks for stopping by my FF post! Old follower. :)

    My FF post @ Her Fiction Fix

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    1. I'm willing to try any book, even if I think it's very similar to something I've already read, because you never know how that particular author is going to write about that particular subject. If I'd dismissed every book that I thought was too much like something else I'd read before, I'd have missed out on A LOT of great books.

      Thanks for dropping by!

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  9. AGREED! I also think it's going to be a LOT harder soon, if not already, for paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi authors to come up with extremely original ideas. Everything these days seems to have derived from one popular thing, and everyone and their mother is trying to cash in. *sigh*..I may give those genres a break for a while.

    Old Follower via GFC =)
    _______________
    Reeka @BoundbyWords
    Check out my FF here.

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    1. As much as I love paranormal, I need a break from it too, sometimes. What I tend to get burnt out on really fast are dystopians, especially when the world-building is on the shaky side.

      Thanks for dropping by!

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  10. Cinder was pretty good; I liked the futuristic take on the original fairytale. Thanks for dropping by!

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  11. Great answer!

    Here's my FF Post!
    Andrea @ Literary Getaway
    Old Follower(:

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  12. That's a clever answer! I like how you stressed on the 'if you liked so-and-so book, you're sure to like this new book'. Great stuff! :)

    The Readdicts Feature & Follow Friday post

    New follower here!

    Sarika @ The Readdicts

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    1. A lot of times I do end up liking a book with that kind of blurb on the jacket, but once in a while it doesn't work out because the book is practically a clone of another that I've read.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  13. Hi!
    I agree with you!
    New follower via GFC :)
    My F&F: http://nightmareonbookstreet.blogspot.com/2012/11/feature-and-follow-2.html

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  14. Love your answer! I think you've pretty much summed up my thoughts about this--and in such an eloquent way!

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    1. Thanks Joie! I'm glad it made sense in the end because it started out as one big ramble, lol.

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  15. Love your answer- especially that last line! Thanks for stopping by, old GFC follower!
    My #FF
    ~Caitlin :)

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  16. Great answer! I agree there has to be some elements that are borrowed at some point. I think essentially every book was influenced in one way or another by other books. I just can't stand when it's SO similar that you feel like you've read the book before :) Thanks for sharing and here's my FFF this week.

    Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows

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    1. I know what you mean- when I start getting déjà vu while reading a book, I know that it's not going to work out. Thanks for stopping by!

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  17. Exactly! Good answer.

    old follower
    http://itchingforbooks.blogspot.com/2012/11/feature-and-follow-25_9.html

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  18. There are some genres where books have become too similar that it really puts me off. Having said that, I don't mind if they are slightly similar, as long as there is a fresh angle. New follower. Here's mine: My FF

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    1. To me, a lot of the dystopian novels that I've read have had way too similar premises, and I can't read too many of them in a row.

      Thanks for stopping by and following!

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  19. Just blogging by, good answer.

    http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2012/11/feature.html

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  20. Great answer, Lee
    I don't like the rash of re-telling that has gone on - things that pit supernatural things into already existed stories, like the Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter sort of thing but I love when people build on existing mythology in a "standing on the shoulders of giants" sort of way. All storytelling is essentially stealing anyway.

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    1. Very true! Out of curiosity, I tried reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies a while back but ended up skimming most of it because to me it read like a cut and paste job, with the zombie parts just thrown in here and there. I like retellings where it's obvious that a lot of thought has been put into reimagining the original source and making the new version stand on its own legs.

      Thanks for stopping by Ally!

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  21. I haven't read Cinder yet, but I have it on my TBR, and I've read the prequel (I think).

    Thanks for stopping by my
    FF post earlier, I am following back via Twitter, and am also following via Networked Blogs :)

    Have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Cinder is a really nice example of a creative retelling. I hope you get the chance to read it soon!

      Thanks for the Twitter and NB follows!

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  22. Really great answer! I loved the Twilight comment and I LOVED CINDER! I don't mind retellings or similar topics as long as there's some originality to the story.
    Old follower :) Happy Friday!

    Judith @ Paper Riot

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    1. Same here. I have no problem with books that revisit familiar ground (I think it's pretty unavoidable) so long as there's something novel about the journey.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  23. I definitely agree with the fresh twist in the concept! :)
    BtW thanks for Following & Commenting on my site, just followed you :)

    Marissa @ http://www.fortheloveoffilmandnovels.com/

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    1. The more unique a take is on a familiar idea, the more likely I am to like a book.

      Thanks for stopping by and following!

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  24. I completely agree :)
    New follower via GFC
    Thanks for checking out My FF and following :)
    Samantha @ the secret life of a bookworm

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  25. I like your answer. I especially like a unique retelling.

    new follower
    Thanks for stopping by Book Sojourner!

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    1. The more unique, the better! Thanks for dropping by and following!

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  26. Good answer! :) As long as there's something new about the book, I can enjoy it.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm an old GFC follower.

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  27. Thanks for checking out my blog! I'm following you back now :)

    -Kate the Book Buff

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