What is a trope when it comes to books? Well, it’s basically a reoccurring theme, plot, cliche, or element used in books. For example – the chosen one trope. We’ve seen it a million times (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!), and is one of the most widely used in books. There are some that we see too often (see top 5 next week for this one) and there are some that I want to see more. Here are 5 of the tropes I would love to have more of!
Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme where I explore different topics. If you are interested in participating I would love to have you! Here is a list of my Upcoming topics in October – please remember to ping back a specific post of mine so I get a notification and I will add you to the participants list!
SUPPORTIVE AND INVOLVED PARENTS
Why?? Why are there not that many supportive parents?? I realize that I read a lot of young adult, and relationships between teenagers and parents are strained. When I was a teenager, my relationship with my parents wasn’t the best. It sure is now! But, regardless of the strain, they were always there for me. And I LOVE books with parents (either one or both) are there for support, advice and so much more. The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas had two of the greatest parents in books I’ve ever read and I want to see more of that!!
TESTS AND CHALLENGES THAT INVOLVE A PRIZE FOR THE WINNER
OMG I am an absolute sucker for books where there is a test or a challenge!!! I love the mystery, the puzzle, the sense of urgency, the brainstorming, the danger of failure, the pressure, the teamwork, the questionable trust, the fast pace, the determination to win….. ALL OF IT! A new book set to be released in November is called Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean, where the main character has to survive and conquer four enchanted seasonal rooms…… yes please! And then there was Caraval where she had to play the game to find her sister. I love all of it!
ASSASSINS
Call me basic, but I love me a good assassin story! There’s usually a revenge plot that it follows. Some assassinations are just “jobs” while some are more personal. There’s always a bad ass character and a character that knows their way around weapons. And there’s usually some grey area’s where you question whether a person should live or die, or if they were even involved in the first place. There’s also a character that’s pulling strings in the background that you never knew of and is revealed. Ahem, Nevernight.
CON MEN/WOMEN
Whenever there are con artist tropes, I’m all in! These tropes always come along with political intrigue and planning. You may think you know the whole plan, but there are plans B,C,D and Z that come into play when things go awry. I love being caught off guard by the small things that were in place the whole time but you never knew. These stories always seem to have surprises hiding around every corner and very questionable yet lovable characters….. hello Six of Crows, I’m talking about you!
MALE/FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS
It seems as though every time a boy and girl character are in the same book, they fall in love. I get it. But it doesn’t have to be that way! A guy and girl can be friends! Some of those friendships are often the best! I would say that I personally have more male friends than I do female, and none of those have been romantic. So please characters, keep your emotions in check and just be friends once in a while!
TOP 5 TUESDAY PARTICIPANTS:
- The Girl With All The Books
- Kristina Reads
- Lili’s Blissful Pages
- Birdie Bookworm
- Malanie Loves Fiction
- Diagnosis: Bookworm
- A Fictional Bookworm
- Bath and Books
- The Bookish Deer
- Robyn Reads Books
- Darque Dreamer Reads
- Alexandra Wolfe
- Tenacious Reader
- Many Things Bookish
- Happy Bookshelves
- Kyera’s Library
- Booked on a Feeling
- Sleepy Sam Reads
- Laughing Listener
- Words Gremlin
- Caren Rich
- Bookishly Rebecca
- Travelling My Shelves
- Beach Bookworm
- Ink Trails
- Blogger Books
- Read You Leyre
- Buried Alive By Books
- Beware of the Reader
- Stuck In Fiction
- Escape 2 Fiction
- Brianna The Bookworm
There are the 5 things that I want more in books! Some are basic, but it’s still what I live for! LOL! What would you like to see more in books?
Until next time, happy reading!
I’d like to see more books about GOOD in-laws. Often, the mother-in-law is written to be the bad person that drives the story.
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So true!!! I love my in laws and wish it was more true in books 🙂
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Oh, I completely missed con men/women on my list! That’s a great one! Here’s my list: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2018/10/02/top-5-tuesday-tropes-i-want-more-of/
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Assassins, of course, how could I miss assassins? I loved those kind of books once upon a time, maybe a little too reflective of how I felt at the time! Ha! Ha! My list is up and all SF tropes, I’m afraid.
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I loved your list!!! You ended up with a few that I forgot to add to my own list 😂
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I know what you mean. I’ve just read a few lists and thought dang, I should have thought of this or that one. But five is five, and it’s hard to choose just five! lol
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Exactly!
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Yes!! So many good trope choices listed here haha Friendships! Parents! Assassins! Prizes! CON ARTISTS!! ❤ There really needs to be more- WAIT combine all of those tropes into ONE BOOK AND OH WOW I'M SOLD haha But doesn't that sound kinda awesome??
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If all of that was in one book I would go to ANY length to get it in my hands!!
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I love the guy/girl friendship one, so true!!
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Great list! 😀 There definitely needs to be more supportive and involved parents. I mean I know some great contemporary novels with them but I honestly want to see them in other genres as well like fantasy and sci-fi where we rarely ever get to see any parents.
I love assassins and con men/women!! Morally grey characters are a plus for me in any story.
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Exactly!!! Why are there never any parents in sci-fi??
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Such a good point about supportive parents. I genuinely can’t remember the last book I read that had a supportive parent in it, so it would be good to see more of that for sure!
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The Hate You Give was really the only book I read where both parents were normal 😂
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YAS!!!! we want more parents involved in stories. Parents who are cool and not presented like antagonists in MC’s lives..especially YA.
I love everything in your list. The Con people are the best for me. I love it when they surprise me. 🙂 🙂
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I’m sooooooo with you on supportive parents (especially in YA it seems that parents are ALWAYS a little off) and the boy/girl friendships that Don’t turn into romance! I’d love some of those.
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Yes, I love all of these!! Especially books about cons and heists. They’re so great! I absolutely love when the author tricks you into thinking everything’s gone wrong, but then it’s REALLY all a part of the plan. And I have a special place in my heart for supportive involved parents. That needs to be in more books!!
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I love the supportive and involved parents! I didn’t even think about including that to my list. 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️ but I agree with you that we don’t see enough of it. Great list by the way!
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Yes refreshing to have a book / tv programme or film where the male and film characters do not fall in love.
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I’d love to see more male/female friendships too!
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Male/Female friendships and Con Men/Women – so there for that! The Lies of Locke Lamora has both. Here are mine: https://buriedalivebybooks.wordpress.com/2018/10/02/top-5-tuesday-top-5-tropes-i-want-more-of-or-how-to-trope-like-gaiman/
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Oh yes… male-female friendships!! I agree more of those please… and not just where one of them is gay. I feel like that’s a cop out sometimes. Just a genuine supportive friendship is what I want to see.
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Omg I couldn’t agree with you more!!!
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You are so right about the parents! The worst are in Tijan or Penelope Douglas books! Herm as usual I am very late and will help you with the urle LOL http://bewareofthereader.com/what-trope-do-i-have-to-brandish-to-convince-you-to-read-a-book-yes-today-we-mean-business-in-top-5-tuesday/
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Get you added soon ❤️🙂
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“SUPPORTIVE AND INVOLVED PARENTS”. This. Thank you. The lack of parents in YA is one of my most hated tropes, I just cannot fathom how is it possible that nobody has a “normal” caring and protective parent. Also, assassins,I’m with you on that one,it’s definitely one of my buzzwords.
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I’d love for there to be more involved parents as well! I feel like the parental role is often dismissed even though it’s so important. I totally agree as well that The Hate U Give has the best parental characters I’ve ever read about!
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Great list! There are a few on yours that I agree with completely and wish I would have thought of them myself haha here is my list https://escape2fiction.wordpress.com/2018/10/02/top-5-tuesday-5-top-5-tropes-i-want-more-of/
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Hahahahaha same! Every single list I saw today I wanted to smack myself for not thinking of certain things! I’ll get you added to the list soon 🙂
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Ooh I agree with many of these! I always love a good book about assassins ☺️ also books with con men/woman can be really great!
(Www.evelynreads.com)
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SHANAH. These are such good tropes!! I’m such a sucker for tests, too, but also con artists. I kind of want more fiction that has BOTH now??? But seriously, this is an awesome list!
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🙂🙂
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Great tropes. I would add mysteries with a big spooky house. Its a total cliche, but there are darn few books that pull off the spooky house mystery these days. Also, hardboiled detectives with fedoras. Raymond Chandler left a void that still hasn’t been filled.
If you are looking for a good assassin book, I’d highly recommend the John Rain series. Linked it here: https://bookrantingsandratings.wordpress.com/2018/09/14/a-clean-kill-in-tokyo-by-barry-eisler-video/
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Omg I TOTALLY ADORE books with spooky houses!! It is cliche, but it’s one that I’m all over! 🙂
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I love this list! I too love con men/women tropes!
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I’m a sucker for assassins but I think most books just can’t pull it off properly . I didn’t even like the grave mercy 😔
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Definitely all for tests and challenges in books! The last part of HP & TPS & Goblet of Fire was so exciting to read because of them. And all for male and female friendships, but I guess the author just sometimes want to stir drama and debate which is fun in itself tbh.
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