Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.
This is a totally different type of list this week, and I'm so excited. Yeah, this is probably going to be difficult for me - and the outcome might be a little...squirrely - but it sounds like so much fun. Warning: I willprobably definitely get a bit ranty.
Tropes and Plot Choices That Need To Die With Fire
1 & 2: Love Triangle & Insta-Love
It seems like every second or third YA book I read has one or both of these in it. Either can totally wreck a book for me but beware when both happen at the same time. Yes, I fell madly in love with both of you when we first met. Or the one that's my new making-fun-of quote 'I want you, but I want him more.' How do they come up with this stuff?
3: Obsession
Nope, I don't have a better word for it. It's when the character totally obsesses over the love interest to the degree that she (and it's almost always a 'she') stalks him and/or does the whole 'he's a bad boy but there's something different about him.' Usually coupled with insta-love.
4: Possessive, Domineering 'Boyfriends' (AKA: Alphaholes)
More like 'where can I get a restraining order?' They are not sexy. They are not hot. They are an abusive husband waiting to happen. Please, for the love of all that's good, can I quit reading about them? Especially in YA books. Girls, this is not the love to aspire towards.
Real World Issues (Unless in Issues Books)
5. Sexism
There are so many ways books serve to objectify and belittle women. They're described in detail spared on the men and don't forget to describe how the dress clings to them. (Which is also undressing as well as objectifying.) Then there's all women being weak and needing a man. Her just waiting to be rescued. Pass!
6. Whitewashed
This was originally going to be 'racism' but then I realized that I don't actually get to read books with enough POC in them to be accused of racism. Instead, books seem to think that the world is comprised only of white people. Yeah, take a good look at demographics authors!
Book Time
7. Loooooooooooong Series
I just don't have that much time. Nor is my attention span long enough. Chances are that if the series is over ten books long, I'll never reach the end. I'm even less likely to reach the end if the series is still ongoing when I start it.
8. Looong Books
I might make one 600+ page book, but if that's what the rest of the trilogy is comprised of, I'll probably quit before I reach the end.
I'd Like To Quit
9. Dust Bunny Books
I want to quit buying the book - usually the newest book - that I just have to have right now but then letting it sit on my shelf so long that I forget what it's about or totally lose interest in it or, yes, it starts gathering dust.
10. Bad Books
This is a hope and a prayer wish that all the books I read would be good books. That I'd never even start a book and have to DNF it because I just don't like it. Seriously, how awesome would that be if every book your read would be one that you at least like?
Let me know what you think about my 'quit' topics and let me know what yours are in the comments! (Totally not as ranty as I expected to get.)
This is a totally different type of list this week, and I'm so excited. Yeah, this is probably going to be difficult for me - and the outcome might be a little...squirrely - but it sounds like so much fun. Warning: I will
Tropes and Plot Choices That Need To Die With Fire
1 & 2: Love Triangle & Insta-Love
It seems like every second or third YA book I read has one or both of these in it. Either can totally wreck a book for me but beware when both happen at the same time. Yes, I fell madly in love with both of you when we first met. Or the one that's my new making-fun-of quote 'I want you, but I want him more.' How do they come up with this stuff?
3: Obsession
Nope, I don't have a better word for it. It's when the character totally obsesses over the love interest to the degree that she (and it's almost always a 'she') stalks him and/or does the whole 'he's a bad boy but there's something different about him.' Usually coupled with insta-love.
4: Possessive, Domineering 'Boyfriends' (AKA: Alphaholes)
More like 'where can I get a restraining order?' They are not sexy. They are not hot. They are an abusive husband waiting to happen. Please, for the love of all that's good, can I quit reading about them? Especially in YA books. Girls, this is not the love to aspire towards.
Real World Issues (Unless in Issues Books)
5. Sexism
There are so many ways books serve to objectify and belittle women. They're described in detail spared on the men and don't forget to describe how the dress clings to them. (Which is also undressing as well as objectifying.) Then there's all women being weak and needing a man. Her just waiting to be rescued. Pass!
6. Whitewashed
This was originally going to be 'racism' but then I realized that I don't actually get to read books with enough POC in them to be accused of racism. Instead, books seem to think that the world is comprised only of white people. Yeah, take a good look at demographics authors!
Book Time
7. Loooooooooooong Series
I just don't have that much time. Nor is my attention span long enough. Chances are that if the series is over ten books long, I'll never reach the end. I'm even less likely to reach the end if the series is still ongoing when I start it.
8. Looong Books
I might make one 600+ page book, but if that's what the rest of the trilogy is comprised of, I'll probably quit before I reach the end.
I'd Like To Quit
9. Dust Bunny Books
I want to quit buying the book - usually the newest book - that I just have to have right now but then letting it sit on my shelf so long that I forget what it's about or totally lose interest in it or, yes, it starts gathering dust.
10. Bad Books
This is a hope and a prayer wish that all the books I read would be good books. That I'd never even start a book and have to DNF it because I just don't like it. Seriously, how awesome would that be if every book your read would be one that you at least like?
Let me know what you think about my 'quit' topics and let me know what yours are in the comments! (Totally not as ranty as I expected to get.)
Logging you in...
rachelaohmann 2p · 492 weeks ago
My recent post Top Ten Tuesday – Ten Bookish Things I Want To Quit
AmyAelleah 80p · 492 weeks ago
meezcarrie 44p · 492 weeks ago
My TTT
AmyAelleah 80p · 492 weeks ago
meezcarrie 44p · 492 weeks ago
iloveheartlandx 58p · 492 weeks ago
My recent post Top Ten Tuesday #25
AmyAelleah 80p · 492 weeks ago
Veronika · 492 weeks ago
Ugh, sexism in books.. there's enough of it in our everyday lives, we definitely don't need it in books. Slutshaming is one form of it that I just can't stand, especially when the author uses it to make the MC look pure. I have no problem with including slutshaming in a way that shows to the readers that it's WRONG.
Long series, how I hate you. There are so many amazing series that I adore (Chicagoland Vampires, Psy-Changeling) but I can't get myself to continue them because there are 10+ books in each. Because of these long ass series, I'm afraid to start new books by the authors because who knows how long they'll stretch those series out, as well?
The only point I don't fully agree with from your list is #10 because if there weren't any books we disliked, we wouldn't be able to fully enjoy the amazing books - there would be no 'bad books' to compare them to.
Really-really awesome list, Amy! :)
My recent post Lauren Oliver - Vanishing Girls
AmyAelleah 80p · 492 weeks ago
I've never been able to figure out why the main women in books have to be pure and innocent anyway. The sad thing is that it's not even limited to YA books - which could be kind of understandable (though I always thought teenage girls were trying to prove how mature they are...) but so often adult romance novels have this pure women that's at least in her mid twenties and she still so innocent. Definitely doesn't feel realistic to me personally. And the addition of slutshaming makes it even worse.
I'm really lucky that a lot of my books are mostly trilogies. Trilogies are nice. Whenever I do get suckered into reading a long series - and manage to stick with it for awhile - it also so often starts to feel like a rehash of the previous books. That's never any fun.
Hmm... You might have a point there. It takes a really bad book to fully appreciate a really good one? And, I guess I like complaining and ranting about things a little too much to fully wish every book I'd ever read would be good. (Though I do hate wasting my time on something I don't enjoy when there's so many perfect books out there.)
Jen · 492 weeks ago
AmyAelleah 80p · 492 weeks ago