This week I’ve decided to take part in ‘Top Ten Tuesday’ hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl again. So, the topic we’ve been given is ‘books with our favourite trope/theme’. I found this quite a difficult one to answer so I’ve listed ten vague and broad themes and tropes found in books, and paired each one up with a book I love.
The One With The Coming of Age Storyline
This is technically not a trope but more a whole genre of fiction, but I didn’t have loads of ideas for this list. However, this does give me the opportunity to point you towards Running which is one of my favourite YA coming of age stories, it’s political and exposes the dark truths of American politics, whilst also dealing with the heartbreak of growing older and learning just who your parents are.
The One With Morally Grey Characters
What other book was I meant to think of? I mean, come on now, she is the moment (and probably will be forevermore). I’ve never read a book quite like this, nothing has ever scratched the spot in quite the same way, and it will probably become known as Schwab’s masterpiece and one of the best explorations into grey morality.
The One With Well-Represented Mental Illness
Big up Deb Coletti for writing one of the most impressive and true-to-life cases of post traumatic stress I’ve ever seen. I can’t remember who recommended this book to me, but I’m pretty sure it was within this blogging sphere, and to whoever it was out there thank you. TW include: gun violence, stalking.
The One With Interconnecting Stories
I LOVE it when a book is split up into different character’s stories and somehow they all connect to each other, whether that be by location or relation I don’t care, I just adore being able to get all those different perspectives in one book. This is one of the most beautiful examples of it, and one that’s never mentioned online! TW include: rape, racism, please check for others
The One That Explores Platonic Love
I never see this YA contemporary recommend anywhere which is so annoying because it’s one of the best I’ve ever read. I will recommend it for the rest of my life: it’s coming of age, focuses on friendships and platonic love, with Shakespeare references and so much more! It’s amazing and I still sometimes think about it to this day.
The One That Broke My Heart In Two
Madeline Miller so far has either filled me with endless joy with Circe, or she has emotional wrecked me with this monstrosity; but I swear to those of you who haven’t yet read this (and if so, why not?) it’s a good emotionally wrecked.
The One With The Retelling
A modern day Gossip Girl meet Anna Karenina was as good as it sounds. I don’t usually like drama in my books, but I lived for the drama in this, and I loved the messy and generally awful teenagers in this. It was a lot of fun and a great way to bring a classic into the modern day. It’s also nice to read a retelling which isn’t fantasy based. TW: heavy drug usage
The One With A Love Triangle
A few years ago I absolutely loathed the idea of a love triangle, however since rereading The Hunger Games, and picking up this book, I have come to realise I loathe badly done love triangle, but ones that are executed well? Well, that’s kind of my thing. I really enjoyed the love triangle in this one and felt the time was taken to realise both relationships fully, and I will definitely be returning for its sequel.
The One With The Witches
Okay, this is not so much of a trope but more of a theme I seem to be running with this year, I’m just really into books with witches in it. However, my favourite of them all – and still is after reading it all the way back in 2020 – is The Mercies. This was gay and explored the misogyny of witch-hunting in history so it’s as a whole a massive *chef’s kiss*. Please check for TWs.
The One with The Enemies-to-Lovers Slow Burn
When I say slow burn, I mean slow burn. Four out of the seven books for this series are published so far, but when I tell you I get excited even when these two characters touch each other I mean it. It’s excruciatingly slow, but that’s what makes it so good (not the mention the great world and plot, and unbelievable plot twists). TW include: torture, imprisonment, violence and numerous others I’m probably forgetting
Moonlit Books 
Oh, I absolutely love how you’ve done this week’s prompt, Evelyn! I absolutely LOVED Vicious, SoA also broke my heart, and I’ve heard so many great things about A Heart in A Body in the World and I can’t wait to read it 😍
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