I'm trying to post but take it easy, so I'm including my reactions to some of the example buzzwords Jana used in the prompt, plus any more I think of. I had some very strong and immediate reactions, probably since these buzzwords are so common, especially in romance and the romantasy that's ultrapopular these days! Happy Top Ten Tuesday!
My Reactions to Common Book Buzzwords or Phrases
- Phrase: "Morally grey characters" My Reaction: NO. Why?: I'm thoroughly sick of this trend, especially because it typically means "morally grey male love interest" which typically actually means "I fell in love with a serial killer BUT HE LOOOOVES ME." No. Don't get me wrong, I can and do enjoy genuinely nuanced characters and I do not expect anyone, much less a fictional character, to be perfect nor do I want them to be, but if I see that phrase, I think Rhysand, or, at best, Christian Grey, and I'm just not into that. (But if you are, you're in luck, 'cause there's tons of books for you!) And yes, I hold more space for "morally grey" women characters because they tend to be in situations where they have to kill or betray to survive and that's different.
- Phrase: "Fae." My Reaction: Hmmm. Why?: My reaction to this phrase has changed over time. I used to be all in on fae or faerie books because it was much more rare and was an exciting antidote to all the vampire and werewolf books. Now, the market is oversaturated with fae, and while I still enjoy it sometimes, it's not as much of a kneejerk "yes please!" as it used to be for me.
- Phrase: "Forbidden Romance." My Reaction: Hmmm. Why?: I can enjoy a good forbidden romance, but I feel like the more of these I read, the higher the bar for plausibility. Like, you really can't marry that guy *for reasons* but you're a powerful queen who has an army? Or, ok, your families hate each other because his dad insulted your mom that one time, but, like, you're the same social class, and your families aren't in the streets beefing, so...?
- Phrase: "Unreliable Narrator." My Reaction: Intrigued. Tell me more. Why?: I love a good, chatty intrusive narrator, like in Don Quixote, or an extremely in-her-head first-person POV, like Katniss in The Hunger Games. So, I can be a huge fan of unreliable narrators...BUT I don't tend to like it when the narrator is an outright criminal, like the narrator is the serial killer feels gimmicky, and the narrator is Humbert Humbert feels like I need to take a shower after reading.
- Phrase: "Found Family." My Reaction: Yes please! Why?: I've always had this strong pull toward found family stories. Becky Chambers' books. The orphans in Oliver & Company. Charlie Jane Anders' Unstoppable trilogy. Maybe it's because I grew up watching Star Trek and Friends and Seinfeld. Anything with "found family" will get at least another look from me.
Comments
Great way of listing the options!