Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup of book bloggers hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week, we’re talking about tropes: the cliches we all know because we’ve consumed media ever. While usually talking about tropes means talking about the ones you hate, I love this take on it…our favorite ones! I’ll be using as reference (and linking to) the truly delightful TV Tropes for my list.
Anyone Can Die: I love the idea that there’s no one wearing plot armor in a life-or-death situation and that main characters can, in fact, bite it. It ups the ante!
The Beautiful Elite: Though not all royalty is beautiful, after all, my fondness for books about kings and queens can be traced to my fondness for this trope. I do also really get into Gilded Age stuff.
Big, Screwed-Up Family: Families are among the few interpersonal relationships we don’t get to chose, and those dynamics can be fascinating.
Broken Bird: I try really hard to be optimistic but deep down I know I’m a cynic. Which is probably why stories about people who have become cynical because the world failed them appeal to me…they confirm my own cynicism.
Does Not Like Shoes: I hate shoes and am barefoot as often as I can get away with, so this is just the thing where you like to see yourself reflected in your reading material.
For Want Of A Nail: The idea that the tiniest decision can have life-altering consequences down the road is one that always gets my attention and interest.
Four Temperament Ensemble: There’s a reason that the down-to-earth one, the flighty one, the big personality, and the one with all the feelings is a mix we see over and over again…there’s so much natural tension that can arise between these personality types that it’s narratively rich and I’m here for it!
Love Dodecahedron: A love triangle can be well-executed enough to get me involved. But when there are several people in a tangle of everyone-loves-someone-else, it really hooks me.
Prophecies Are Always Right: When the seeds of a prophecy are planted and then actually take root, I’m always here to see what it actually looks like when they bear fruit.
Really 700 Years Old: Basically the more into history I get (which is quite a lot, lately), the more I’m super into the idea of a person living through many major world events and the perspective it would give on the way things both change and stay the same.
Where Are They Now? Epilogue: There are some excellent books with ambiguous endings, but I’ll admit I love to see things tied up in a bow with a final look at how things ended up.