Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Trends I'd Like to See More/Less Of

More:
1. Boarding Schools! Look, I’m a sucker for a good boarding school book. Always have been, always will be. Camp was as close as I got to boarding school, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to go back in a book. From the paranormal worlds of St. Vladimir’s, Hex Hall and Hogwarts to more typical prep schools like in The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks or The Mockingbirds or Anna and the French Kiss, I love them all!

2. Theatre Kids: While the ~special~ kids are off hunting demons, turning into angels, and finding everlasting love, there’s gotta be someone keeping the school musical going and lobbying to perform something a little more cool than The Crucible. Again. Adriana Trigani’s Viola in Reel Life and its sequel Viola in the Spotlight and E. Lockhart’s Dramarama have whet my appetite for more tales of the dramatic side.

3. Fantasy Settings: I was so excited to see Starcrossed (the Elizabeth C Bunce one not the Greek myth one) and The False Princess at the end of last year! I love the YA paranormals, but my first love is well-described fantasy worlds and both of these books delivered. More please?

4. Steampunk: I might regret saying this in a year or two, but YA steampunk has very, very cool so far, and I love to see different people’s takes on it. The Parasol Protectorate and Girl in the Steel Corset have just given me a bare taste of what could be. I hope to see more!

5. Heroines who aren’t “spunky”: Spunk is all well and good in its place, but I much prefer girls who have snark, can kick ass, and have a potentially bad attitude. Katniss was a great example of this along with Vampire Academy’s Rose Hathaway or Inside Out’s Trella.

6. Sarah Dessen books: What? This is totally a valid choice.

Less
1. Love triangles: Generally boring.

2. Heroines modelled after Bella Swan: It’s not terribly interesting when a character is a) perfect and b) does nothing.

3. Love at first sight: I don’t usually have a problem with ‘true love’ in books, but the current trend of characters falling for each other before they’ve exchanged a word because it’s ‘meant to be’ is awfully boring. And I think that’s where love triangles are inserted because if you don’t have to write about the characters actually getting to know each other and falling for each other, where’s the tension?

4. Angels: I don’t know why, but the vast majority of the angel books I’ve read haven’t enthralled me. I really enjoyed Unearthly and Fallen wasn’t horrible, but I’ve actively hated almost everything else. I wonder if it’s because angels have such a loaded docket with all the religious significance that it’s extra hard to write well.

I love The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesdays, and I'm always so excited when I get to (read: inspired to) participate!

13 comments:

  1. Your list is awesome! YES to boarding schools and fantasy settings and BOOOH to love triangles (totally made my list as well), love at first sight and Bella's!
    I'm with you, I only enjoyed Unearthly and the rest of the angel-fiction was just a bit blah for me.

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  2. I couldn't agree more with you. We've all seen enough love triangles, loves at first sight and especially Bella Swans.

    Here's my Top Ten

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  3. Very true. Nice list!

    Here's my Top Ten list for this week:
    Top Ten Trends You'd Like to See More Of
    I hope you will stop by and join in Readerbuzz's August Giveaway!

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  4. Yes to more Sarah Dessen! At this rate she'll have her own shelf on my bookshelf in no time. As a theatre kid I agree about more drama books. They're usually portrayed as really dark brooding teenagers but in fact we're pretty awesome.

    Here's my Top Ten: http://bit.ly/qlepOJ

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  5. Did you read "Prep" by Curtis Sittenfeld - that was a good boarding school book. I also, of course, think of the Drina books, but I got those from you. :-)

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  6. @Daisy - Yay! Someone else who loves the fantasy side! Now for a boarding school set in a fantasy world - think it'll work? :D

    @Sikka - Now if we can only get through to the publishers that we-the-readers want something different.

    @Deb - I loved your list too! Excellent choices.

    @Laura - As a former theatre kid, I totally agree! We are pretty awesome. Have you read Pamela Dean's Tam Lin? It's theatre kids on crack...sort of.

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  7. @Maggie - I did read Prep! I almost listed it, but I couldn't remember the author, and I was being lazy about Googling. ;) It's such a depressing book though. I enjoyed it, but I just want to shake the main character!

    And Drina! <3<3<3 I feel a need for a reread coming on. Those books have a special place in my heart.

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  8. Totally agree with you. Love boarding school setting and I hate love at first site!!

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  9. Steampunk is something I love too.
    I hate the angel theme boring me now.

    Mine
    Cassandra @ Book & Movie Dimension (http://bmdimension.blogspot.com/)

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  10. Fantastic list! I enjoy boarding school books too. My mom went to boarding school so I grew up hearing about what that was like.

    I am glad to see that you like the Parasol Protectorate series. Gail is working on a YA series set in the same world. I still need to read Scott Westerfeld's steampunk books too.

    I hate love at first sight too. I just recently read What Happened to Goodbye (I'm a Sarah Dessen fan also) and I liked how Maclean did not instantly fall for Dave but their relationship developed naturally and gradually. Too many YA books are confusing attraction for love.

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  11. I am a big fan of novels set at boarding schools as well, and college campus novels. I'm a sucker for them.

    Come read my list at The Scarlet Letter.

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  12. Agree with pretty much everything on your list.
    Thanks for stopping by.

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  13. Sarah Dessen books are definitely a valid choice.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I read and adore each one.