Welcome back to Top 5 Wednesday! This meme was created by gingerreadslainey and is hosted by Sam @ThoughtsOnTomes and you can check out the Goodreads group here. This week’s theme is Book Trends You’re Tired Of .
What are some things you are tired of seeing that are trends in publishing? Maybe something that pops up on a lot of covers these days, or the popularity of certain tropes in a particular genre? Let it out!
This is a tough topic, so let’s see what I can come up with.
This is a huge trend nowadays, and I just don’t get it. Look, not that I don’t find them funny, or I’m not interested in reading them, but COME ON! Books like Born a Crime I want more of, but memoirs just for the sake of them being famous people? Yeah…
Again, this one is iffy. Some books are amazing, but some? Totally “pointless“.
I love when my favorite books are optioned for TV or movies, but you know when the book is not even out and there’s already a huge buzz around it because of it? Yeah… I don’t think that’s always positive.
I think these covers are cute! But this is clearly a trend, right? I mean, look at all those legs!!!
I get it, most authors live either in the US, Canada or the UK, but I would like to see more countries featured in contemporary books, and not only for a year abroad or a summer vacation.
My Tiny Obsessions 
Love that little “pointless” reference! I totally hear you on all points, I mean I want to read almost all the non-fiction books you listed (except for Amy Schumer’s), but why are they all writing memoirs in their 20s?
And that last point! YES! Although sometimes I am not sure I want it to be in MY country for example, but I still really want an Austrian protagonist, who’s not evil or has anything to do with WWII, you know?
eheh, i’m just like “how do these people, who are children, have enough to write memoirs?!”. Trevor Noah is the exception for me, because he talks about a specific time in history, which is very important. I would like a portuguese protagonist too, but I wouldn’t mind to see lisbon, or any other part of portugal well represented in a book.
I totally hear you.
And on the book location thing. I just don’t really know what the story would be like in Vienna. I can’t really picture it and I don’t want it to be crime or spy fiction…
hmmm, it would make a great contemporary. maybe an exchange student, of european history or something, falls for her Austrian colleague? I could see it. I would read it.
I totally agree about writing about more countries! I’m sick of reading about the US because so many books are set there. I’ve never read a book set in Canada though and the UK is my home so I’m always happy to read books set here. Some of my favourite books are set in Italy and Spain but they’re from the early 20th century. I wish modern books would explore different countries and I wish they’d write about continents other than (Western) Europe and North America.
i’ve read a few books set in Canada, but mostly NA books by canadian authors. but yeah, contemporaries in europe… wouldn’t that be something?
I agree with a lot of these! I also want to see more countries, not all of us live in UK and US and having them in almost every book can get kinda boring. I also hate the tv movie adaptations. Some books are just meant to be books you know.
nowadays it seems like a book is only “good” if it’s optioned for TV/Movies right from the get go, you know?
I was going to start Top 5 Wednesdays but man. This topic is though for me. I definitely agree with the more countries. I feel like unless it’s fantasy, they all seem to be in the US, which may just be because that’s where I’m getting the books from. It’s hard, though. If you haven’t been there long enough to understand the culture and stuff like that, it’s hard to try to write a book based in that area. But it would be nice to have more diverse settings.
this was one of the toughest T5W in awhile, lol 😀
I actually ended up doing it. 😂
I totally agree with all of them! I also like legs covers they really look cute and I would love to read more books placed on countries othan than America and England. 😀
😀
Oh damn… there are lots of legs!!!! xD
right?! XD
Haha! Legs for sure!
I completely agree with everything you’ve said, especially with the countries. I feel like even with a UK setting people seem to forget that the UK is not just England and that three other countries make up the UK. More than that I’d love to read more books set in Europe, Asia, Canada etc. Give me some variety!!!
YEAH!!!
I didn’t even notice 1 & 2–now I’ll pay attention. I wish books weren’t always in NY, LA, Paris, London or some God-for-saken hell-hole. Especially in the USA good grief, most people DIE without even setting foot in the next state over let alone NY or LA. Let us have some books about normal places once in a while. Or, how about a book in, say, Portugal or Dubai or somewhere. Interesting list–I learned something!
i wish books were set in more diverse places =/
Girl the shade you gave in number two! Hahahaha loved it!
There needs to be more books set in other countries, like it’s not that hard to set books in other countries, just research! I almost wish I was a writer so someone would write a book set in Venezuela
eheh 😀
I totally agree with all of these, but especially about #1, #4, and #5! I’ve read some excellent autobiographies by trans kids/teens but I think that, like Born A Crime, they’re the exception and not the rule because it’s so important to listen to the voices of young people from marginalized groups.
yeah, i think some memoirs and biographies make total sense and should be written and read. but others? oh boy, they’re everywhere and they don’t bring much to be honest 😦
Yeah, I’m always excited when I come across a book set in Canada, and I must say I look for it. And I really love books set in places outside of the US because it feels like I’m there. But I feel like to get an authentic voice for those countries, it helps if the author has actually lived there. So what you really need is more authors from other countries, who can write in English. I bet there are books set in other countries, but they may be in the local language and so don’t get worldwide appeal.
There was a TTT for this topic a bit ago. I should go search for yours, because I bet you did it and have great suggestions. Here’s what I had at the time: https://celebrityreaders.wordpress.com/2016/07/19/top-ten-books-set-outside-the-us/
you’re right about that. I can find tons of books set in portugal or spain, but they’re written in those languages and are never translated and have global reach 😦
I have to be honest I feel like every youtuber is bringing out a book now and I ask myself is it because you genuinely want to or because you think it’s the next money making scheme? Zoella loves to read and she has her book club but some of the others i’m like hmm..
It’s like when all these reality tv celebrities seem to put on weight and then bam oh wait they have a fitness dvd coming out?!
For celebrity books I am excited for Anna Kendrick’s because I do find her funny and Lily Collins because I love her and I also think she might speak about her struggles with eating disorders in their but for some it’s like the youtube thing, do they really want to write a book that inspires or interests people or is it for money?
yeah, i agree. I’m not doubting that some of these books are important, it’s just had to weed them out in the sea of memoirs and youtuber books coming out =/