What are your favorite/least favorite storylines to read in a book?

[Breanna]

What is something you love in a book and you just can't get enough of? Or something you see often that just makes the book good?
What is something you despise in a book? What just ruins the story for you when you read it?
What are some things you think authors should avoid doing while writing?
Let me know, I'm curious to see your answers!

[˙⋆✮ Anny ✮⋆˙]

The only thing I can think of on top of my head are things I dislike - insta love as well as love triangles, and too much romance in general. Also when the ending is obvious. I want to be surprised by a book!

[Breanna]

Anni wrote: "The only thing I can think of on top of my head are things I dislike - insta love as well as love triangles, and too much romance in general. Also when the ending is obvious. I want to be surprised..."

I agree, if a book is too obvious it takes away the mystery!

[Valeria]

What bothers me are usually the YA tropes.
Insta-love (there has only been one book that's managed to make me look past it), love triangles (I find them hard to believe and they're usually used only to create useless drama, not to add anything to the plot or the characters), when the MC is "special" or "different" and keeps being mentioned as such all throughout the book, when the love interest is basically only described as hot (and repeatedly mentioned, as if anyone would've forgotten).
Also, I'm not a fan of the present tense. It just bothers me.

[[deleted user]]

I love- time travell plots, witches
dual povs, the boy next door,diverse books

I hate- love stories you dont belive in,
EVERY friendship between people of oposite sex turning intom love GRR IT IS POSSIBLE to remain friends you know.
when a protagonist supposedly looves to read, reads a lot and then off course wants to be a writer, after a time him\her writes a book aaand ... ITS A CARBON COPY OF THE PERSONS LIFE just with different names and they say its fiction. If you read so much you should have more imagination than to do that if you dont BECOME A BOOK REVIEWER!grr

[Breanna]

Valerie wrote: "What bothers me are usually the YA tropes.
Insta-love (there has only been one book that's managed to make me look past it), love triangles (I find them hard to believe and they're usually used onl..."

Interesting about the present tense, I don't think I've ever really thought about the tense of a book, so I guess now I'll have to pay for attention to it.

[Breanna]

Oda Renate wrote: "I love- time travell plots, witches
dual povs, the boy next door,diverse books

I hate- love stories you dont belive in,
EVERY friendship between people of oposite sex turning intom love GRR IT IS ..."
I love dual POVs as well, they're one of my favorites.
And oh man, friendships that turn in to relationships make me so mad as well, like man, y'all are friends you don't need to be anything more unless you intended to be in the first place.

[elena]

I love anything to do with magical realism or just tiny magical elements embedded into everyday life. I think it's suuuuper fun and interesting.

The things I hate most are forced romances and lack of any sort of diversity. I can get past cliches if the writing and characters are good enough, but sometimes romantic plot lines drive me nuts. Most of the time they are totally unnecessary and completely take away from the book! I seriously cannot count the amount of books I've read that were awesome until a romance was shoved into it. Bleh. When romances are done well, however, I absolutely adore them. And the lack of diversity speaks for itself. Diversity won't automatically make a book amazing, but it will make it realistic and it will make a diverse reader happy, and that's a step in the right direction.

[Devann]

i like how every single time something like this comes up almost every single person brings up several common romance tropes they hate but it's still nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find books without them or even - god forbid - books that don't feature a romance at all! i just think it's ridiculous that publishers apparently think that is what people want when i feel like most people i know are pretty vocal about feeling the exact opposite.

i'm gonna second all the romance tropes above and also add anything with a female main character where the plot sounds pretty good and then suddenly the summary is like 'until she meets the infuriating yet handsome so and so' because like you just KNOW it's gonna be some guy who is awful and treats her like crap but she's going to fall for him anyway. girls in YA deserve better!

[[deleted user]]

Devann wrote: "i like how every single time something like this comes up almost every single person brings up several common romance tropes they hate but it's still nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find books without them or..."

YESS!! I agree.
I think some people like love triangles ++ but they arent as vocal about it as those of us who dont like it

[Valeria]

Devann wrote: "i'm gonna second all the romance tropes above and also add anything with a female main character where the plot sounds pretty good and then suddenly the summary is like 'until she meets the infuriating yet handsome so and so' because like you just KNOW it's gonna be some guy who is awful and treats her like crap but she's going to fall for him anyway. girls in YA deserve better!"

Uggghh, I hate those summaries with such a passion. If I see it, I disregard the book immediately no matter how interesting the plot seemed because I know the actual plot will be forgotten once "the handsome stranger" appears. Ughhhhhh

[Devann]

@Oda that's probably true lol i mean honestly it is POSSIBLE to do a love triangle well, it's just that most authors don't. and apparently they all think we are sitting here like 'yay love triangles' when really it's like 'ok this book was good ...except for the love triangle ...'

@Valerie i swear i decide not to read like 4 out of 5 books i look at because they ALL feature this trope. i guess it's good for keeping my tbr in check but it's just absolutely ridiculous how pervasive it is.

[RyanneAndHerBooks]

I really don't like the chosen one trope most the time. Sometimes I like it if it's setup good but I don't like when they're just some normal person and all the sudden someone's like, "It's you!" Or if it's so obvious it's them the entire time but they keep denying it and explaining how they just can't be because they're so boring and ugly and average and bleh. I'd love a MC to just say, "Hecks yeah it's me." And own it. Lol.

[Tiffany]

1. I immediately detract a star from a romance novel if their main characters are named Kate, Cate, Kathryn, etc. or Jake, Jack, etc. These names have been grossly overused in romance and it makes me feel like there are no other names in the universe.

2. I also groan when an author kills characters off with cancer. It's a trigger for me and since I use reading to escape reality, it's such a distraction for me to encounter it as much as I do in my casual reading.

[Devann]

Another one I just thought of: I hate when the main character - usually happens w/ female characters more than male - is always going on about how ugly or plain they are but also any time they are described they're always super conventionally attractive and I'm just like ...either write an actual 'ugly' character or just shut up about it and admit you only want to write about tall/thin/whatever people instead of acting like your MC is somehow ugly lol

[Breanna]

Devann wrote: "Another one I just thought of: I hate when the main character - usually happens w/ female characters more than male - is always going on about how ugly or plain they are but also any time they are ..."
Oh my god I relate to this. It makes me so mad! I'm like what correlation?

[lorena]

I HATE it when the whole story is about solving a mystery or just building up to some big reveal.........AND THEN THE ENDING IS: everyone's fine, nothing really happened, the answer was actually so obvious. Like, if the whole story is about that one solution, make it good!

[Angharad]

I hate when the main character is so much more skilled/virtuous/able to do anything they want to, compared to the rest of the character. I get that most people don't want to read about Joe Everyman, but can we at least sometimes get a protagonist that has some real faults, not just that she has too many freckles or something?

[Jennifer]

I dislike stories that are just...boring ya’know? Like a lot of contemporary, where goofy nerdy boy meets hot popular girl, but they defy stereotypes and fall in love. Then tragedy strikes...blah blah. I WANT some real action and adventure, not ordinary life crap

[Amanda]

I dislike how many contemporary main characters (mostly girls) are the same. they are all sweet but sassy and the guys like that. she doesn't think she is beautiful but the boy does... and bla bla blaaaaaaaa

[Devann]

@Jennifer that's why i so rarely read any contemporary lol i mean to each their own but why would i want to read about normal everyday stuff, that's what i'm trying to get away from

[Breanna]

@Devann relatable. I hardly ever read contemporary. It’s just not for me.

[˙⋆✮ Anny ✮⋆˙]

@Amanda, I agree, and you don't only have this in contemporary, I've seen it many times in fantasy too. I love characters who are a bit different and not consider themselves average.

[Sarah]

I like when girls of confident of themselves no matter what they look like or their situation in life. I like romance, but don't need to have it, meaning I don't think the girl always "needs" a man

[Grace]

Something I love in a book is a hate to love relationship that is pulled off well with great tension building and character development. There is something about it that is so pleasing to me.

I also love when authors give good character descriptions. Either physical or personality traits. I want to get into the habit of drawing characters so with good descriptors it's easier for me to draw them up or imagine them in my head. Great character descriptions are everything to me.

Something I hate is fifty thousand cliches in a book that are executed poorly. I can typically enjoy cliches if they are pulled off well but a lot of times they are ruined or just pulled off poorly and it ruins my reading experience.

[Abbie]

I have gotten so sick and tired of love triangles! I see them just about in everything I read, and they get so tiresome.

[Audrey]

I concur.

I hate insta-love and love triangles and romance in general. Too often, the relationship is immature and unhealthy and based purely on physical attraction.

I hate picking up a sci-fi/fantasy/thriller only to find it's romance in disguise. (Cinder, Throne of Glass)

I HATE first-person present tense. I automatically deduct at least half a star for that.

I hate the Super Special Chosen One Female Protagonist who is hot and perfect but doesn't realize it. She does everything perfectly on the first try, and every guy is hot for her even though she's clueless.

I hate books with poor editing. As a copy editor, I catch every little thing. If you're not going to pay for an editor, you're wasting everybody's time and you look like a rank amateur.

I like seeing strong friendships that don't turn into romance. I like quirky characters who aren't super models. I like funny. I like mystery and surprise no matter the genre.

[Devann]

@Audrey oh no is Cinder mostly romance? I've had that on my tbr for awhile because it sounded good but idk how much romance i can handle lol

but i agree there is nowhere near enough distinction between SFF and 'paranormal romance' or w/e we're calling it these days. everyone just lumps them into together and i'm like NO! THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING!

[[deleted user]]

Devann wrote: "@Audrey oh no is Cinder mostly romance? I've had that on my tbr for awhile because it sounded good but idk how much romance i can handle lol

but i agree there is nowhere near enough distinction be..."

I wouldent say Cinder is mostly romance I suppose it depends who you ask. but its based on cinderella so there is some yes

[Audrey]

Cinder itself has some romance, but it increases with the series. It's more romance than sci fi; the sci fi elements are pretty weak. If you're not a fan of romance, it'll have you rolling your eyes by the end.

[[deleted user]]

Audrey wrote: "Cinder itself has some romance, but it increases with the series. It's more romance than sci fi; the sci fi elements are pretty weak. If you're not a fan of romance, it'll have you rolling your eye..."

True its not that svi fy -y.

[Devann]

ah, well i'll probably just check out the first one but keep that in mind.

[Meagan]

Hahaha I am soooo opposite of many people when it comes to romances. I read a lot of fantasy. I prefer my books to have romance as a subplot. I need a ship to root for! I don't mind love triangles at all! My only stipulation be that whoever is at the center doesn't string anyone along and play stupid games. But I don't need a love triangle to be satisfied with a book.

I love female characters who are grounded in who they are and will not compromise who they are because a partner comes along. And books that showcase female strength in multiple ways. Not just physical strength and fighting skills.

I love diverse books!

Books with dark subject matter.

Books where a main character dies (and I mean one integral to the plot). I love books that wreck me! I want to be an emotional mess lol.

Anti-heros! I love Anti-heros! The thieves, murderers, assassins, spies, rakes...

I love anything dark and unique (like Godblind or The broken Earth series)

Sorry guys I love broody, dark, mysterious male characters.

But must of all, I love books with a group of misfits/outcast who have bonded and are fiercely loyal to their new "found family". And desert fantasy!

I am so tired of medieveal fantasy settings with court politics and kings and queens. I am tired of the chosen one trope. I am tired of the same old magic systems. Rape to further a plotline. Not enough diversity, simplistic plot structures. Morality extremes (where one character is pure good and the other pure evil). Give me all the characters that operate in a moral gray area. Honestly I don't want anything that feels too much like classic fantasy.

I have taken a break from YA because it seems like it has just been to simplistic.

[˙⋆✮ Anny ✮⋆˙]

Ohh I love anti-heroes too! :D I loved Mia Corvere in Nevernight and Adelina in The Young Elites for example.

[Devann]

i haven't read the young elites but mia corvere is everything to me! <3 you hardly ever get a good female anti-hero :(

[Audrey]

I hated The Young Elites with a passion, lol. Artemis has a female anti-hero, though it has pretty mixed reviews.

[Meagan]

Audrey, I really tried to get into Artemis and just could not! I listened to half of it on Audible and just gave up...

[Devann]

at one point i think i had the young elites on my tbr but took it off for some reason. i really liked lu's batman book that just came out though so i was thinking about giving young elites another look

[Meagan]

I have been wanting to read Lu's Batman book ever since I read Warcross which was awesome! I have young Elites now. I think I might bump it up on my TBR list.

[Meagan]

I really LOVED Lila from ADSOM series. A lot of people said they hated her character, but she was such an awesome anti-hero!

[Audrey]

A lot of my friends couldn't get into Artemis. I ended up liking it quite a bit. You never know which way a book will rub you sometimes.

[L.C.]

Yeah, I feel like a lot of YA books follow the same formulas. I understand it because they know the formulas work, but it gets tiresome if it's overdone. It's one of those situations where if you don't see what you want, you have to write it yourself.

I don't know if any of you have ever read YA from indie authors but I highly recommend it because they have more freedom away from these tropes. I'm an indie author so I stay away from these tropes myself, but I also know a few other indie authors if you want some recommendations. Please feel free to ask or PM me! I would also love to talk about unique books with more people.

[Devann]

@Meagan I loved Lila too! I was so shocked when I joined GR and like every single person I saw reading the book was going on about how much they hated her :(

@L.C. I agree that often you can find more unique storylines from indie/unknown authors. I know a lot of people don't like to try indie authors because there is still this idea that more readers = better book, but I've found a lot of great authors through instafreebie and the free/99c section on Kindle. It's true that I've found some not-so-great ones as well but the same can be said from a lot of popular books/authors so really that's just the chance you always take. And indie authors definitely have the ability to be more creative I think because there isn't a publisher telling them to fit their book into X marketing strategy etc.

[Stephen]

I like book to have that page turning descriptions that is so good that just cannot put it down like Perfume or Shire but I hate a lot fu--- etc fu--- no need sometimes you don't expect a Dective to come out with "Oh Butter" P.D.James but History of Seven Killings if cut down on the swearing it would been 250p lighter.
Other thing I hate is a sequal to murder book that names the murder from volume one.But worst of all is book that does not end & the author keeps you waiting years for the next

[Caroline]

Breanna wrote: "What is something you love in a book and you just can't get enough of? Or something you see often that just makes the book good?"

I love stories that take place in academia--high school or college. Three I loved: Prep, The Secret History, and The Magicians.

"What is something you despise in a book? What just ruins the story for you when you read it?"

Sappy and/or unrealistic romance, especially if it skews toward erotica.

"What are some things you think authors should avoid doing while writing?"

Description is important, and it's great at taking a story to the next level--but only to a point. Authors shouldn't try too hard to prove themselves as novelists by overwriting.