The Trope Book Tag

I recently read Caro’s post of this book tag where she included star ratings of each of the tropes, and I immediately thought how fun this tag was. Then, I got tagged by the lovely Saima to do it, so here I am! I’m going to rate the tropes like Caro did because I love giving star ratings. 😅 This was originally created by Ash @ inkwordsandash.

Enemies to lovers: a book you formerly hated/disliked but now love

Trope rating: ⭐️⭐️ (not my cup of tea)

I could give you a thousand options for the opposite, but this one is hard. It’s not that I hated Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Johnson the first time I read it in 2020 (well, I listened to the audiobook), but it didn’t blow me away. However, that wasn’t the book’s fault but my own mental headspace at that time. When I read it physically this year, I adored it so much!

Second chance: a book you previously did-not-finish but now adore

Trope rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I do love the idea of trying again)

I tried listening to the audiobook of Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram in January 2020, but it didn’t click with me, so I DNF’d it. Then, after someone recommended it to me, I gave it another go, this time with the e-book. I loved it immediately, it was so relatable, felt like a soft hug.

Love triangle: a duology where you love both the books

Trope rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I don’t hate it as much as everyone else seems to, I am actually a sucker for love triangles in movies and TV shows)

The biggest surprise of this year so far was The Carls duology by Hank Green. I genuinely didn’t have any expectations for these books, well, I actually expected not to enjoy them as I don’t like sci-fi. But I was wrong because I ended up loving them! Yes, they have aliens, so it’s kind of sci-fi, but it’s more about our world. It had so many fascinating discussions and thoughts on social media, power dynamics and politics. So good!

Friends to lovers: a book recommended to you that you enjoyed

Trope rating: ⭐️ (another unpopular opinion, I despise this trope so much! the only time I enjoy it is if it’s sapphic)

It’s quite an old recommendation as my best friend in seventh grade recommended They Came on Viking Ships by Jackie French to me, and I read it and enjoyed it so much that I decided to reread it immediately.

Insta-love: a book you knew you would love (at first sight)

Trope rating: ⭐️⭐️ (sometimes I can gloss over the insta-love aspect, but usually it’s just annoying and unrealistic)

I knew instantly that I’d adore The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. It had everything I love, mythology, exceptional writing, queers, and morally grey characters. Of course I was right.

The chosen one: your all-time favourite (of the year/month)

Trope rating: ⭐️⭐️ (it’s rarely good)

Stolen Focus by Johann Hari is definitely one of my favourites this year. In case you haven’t seen me talk about this book, it is a nonfiction about our declining attention span and the decrease in our focus. The author investigated several reasons why this is happening, and it is a really thorough and educational read.

Forbidden love: a loved book you don’t talk about often

Trope rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (ahh, I adore this so much!! it’s my favourite love-themed trope ever)

I don’t think I ever mentioned this book, actually. I read Heart in the Right Place by Carolyn Jourdan twice, first eleven, then ten years ago. It’s a beautiful memoir about family, and how money doesn’t always make you happy.

Secret billionaire: a book you read and enjoyed before you knew it was popular

Trope rating: ⭐️ (I don’t really care for this at all)

This happens to me with music all the time… I was super into Paramore, Fall Out Boy and Linkin Park, but no one else I knew really listened to them. Then a few years later they became so much more well-known. 😅 With books, it’s harder for me, because by the time a book gets translated to Hungarian, it’s already popular in the bigger countries (that’s why they get published here, too). So, I don’t know. I read Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas in 2016, was that before she got super popular? I think so, but I might be wrong.

Found family: your most cherished books

Trope rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (the superior trope!! so good, so wholesome)

All of them, honestly. Every book that is displayed on my bookshelves is equally cherished. I don’t keep books I don’t like, and I don’t really care for special editions. I love a good ol’ floppy paperback just as much as a shiny hardback.

Forced proximity: a required-reading book you read and enjoyed

Trope rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I don’t really have a solid opinion on this one)

I was that annoying kid who actually read and enjoyed all of the required reading (except for one). My favourite has to be The Man with the Golden Touch by Mór Jókai, which I read twice. You should totally check it out if you’re into classics, and would love to read books outside of the US, UK and West-European canon.

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I tag:

• Abby @ Beyond the Read
• Ali @ In the Lost and Found (I miss your posts! 💜)
• Aarushi @ aarushireads (I miss your posts as well! 🧡)

What are your favourite and least favourite bookish tropes? What is a book you don’t talk about often but you love so much?

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