Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Favorite Tropes

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is about your favorite tropes.  I had a bit of a hard time separating tropes as many of mine end up connected to the discovering of family secrets through various methods but I tried!


1.  The Life Explosion - I do love a book where for whatever reason the main character's life has exploded and the book is all about recovering and figuring out what they're going to do next.

2.  A Fake Relationship - When I see a romance involving a fake relationship I know I can't resist it!  You know it'll only be fake for so long.

3.  The Inheritance - Be it a trunk or a crumbling old house anytime anyone inherits something I know family secrets are about to become front and center and I can't wait.

4.  A Missing Person - Someone is missing?  Be it a cozy or a thriller that book will be on my TBR.

5.  A Cold Case - I find cold cases almost as fascinating as missing persons cases.  And honestly the cold case can be who stole a jar of jam 25 years ago and I'll still be reading it!


6.  Gruff Person's Life Changed by Optimistic Person - I love this in all of it's forms because each character really brings out the best in the other and it's lovely.

7.  Country House Mystery - I love a good mystery at a country house regardless of genre.  There's something about country houses that just take the fun up a notch.

8.  Dysfunctional Family Relationships - Especially if it's sisters and especially if they're going to come together for whatever reason (See #6, 3, or 1).

9.  Small Towns - I don't know what exactly it is about a small town but I always seem to enjoy stories set in small towns and can never resist them.

10. Project Memoir - Not sure if this really counts since it is nonfiction but I love a memoir type book based around a project - 12 months to be happier, cooking through an entire cookbook (that one was a bit of a disappointment), learning how to bake the perfect loaf of bread, or restoring a house from top to bottom.  If you are tackling a massive project and writing a book about it I'm in.

What are some of your favorite tropes?

12 comments:

  1. I can never resist plots about something dangerous out in the woods, an EMP destroying society, a group of creatures or humans all working together to defeat something evil!

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  2. I do love a good cold case!

    Lotte | www.lottelauv.blogspot.co.uk

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  3. Yes to them all although I think the missing person one is more . on your side than mine. I love when a women's life has fallen apart and eventually she stands for herself and successfully makes something new. I like small towns too, but if I over read them I get tired of them.

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  4. I kind of like the fake relationships too, and have seen quite a few that were good on the Hallmark Channel around Christmas. Hugs, RO

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  5. Hmm, so many to agree with! Missing person, cold cases (yes!), life explosion, memoir project... I don't need to take part in this meme because you covered all my bases :)

    Just remembered one: somebody in your family dies and leaves you their business/home, and you have to return to the town where you left a loved one behind.

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  6. A gruff person's life changed by an optimistic person is one I love, too, especially when it's an old curmudgeon and a happy child..😊

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  7. Oooo life explosions! I think I like it the most when the character has exploded their own life

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  8. Inheritances are fun! Such trouble magnets. :)

    And country house mysteries- I can read those all day.

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  9. Yes... I like it when someone's life falls apart and they then have to build it back up again. And when a grumpy person's life is changed by someone more optimistic - that can be great fun. But a locked room mystery - it's really great when that works well...

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  10. Except for the fake relationship trope, I agree with all of these!

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  11. I like the life explosion one because it reminds me how life is not set in stone and that even as an adult it can change. I kind of like the fake relationship but it really depends upon how its done. I like the gruff person changed by optimists; I really liked Ove. I do like the whole sisters coming together thing. And yeah, small towns can be fun.

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  12. I always look forward to your lists, Katherine. I found myself agreeing with nearly all of these. Maybe not so much the last one--but I don't read a lot of nonfiction. Two, three, four and five are particular favorites of mine.

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