Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where we discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.
This is an interesting topic! I cannot say that I have had more than a fleeting thought about book trends, but when I reflect on it there have been a few trends that I noticed in the last few years. I am so looking forward to reading everyone else’s posts this week!
Have you noticed any trends in the genres/categories you read in the last few years?
There have definitely been trends in the kinds of books that are popular, especially when it comes to YA. The Hunger Game era instantly comes to mind when a lot of dystopian became all the rage. Domestic thrillers with words like “girl”, “wife”, “daughter”, “woman”, etc. have been popular for years thanks to books like Gone Girl and Girl on the Train.
What seems to be trending now?
It feels as though fae stories are having a really having a moment right now, thanks to Sarah J Maas. If you are looking for more recommendations within this genre, please read A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shutterworth.
I also think that contemporary romance is trending, and I am loving every second of it. It seems as though the move toward more illustrated covers for romances have opened up the genre to a wider audience, which is amazing.
Dark academia has always been popular, but it appears that more and more readers are falling in love with the subgenre. There is an entire aesthetic that is centered around the idea of dark academia!
Retellings are huge right now and I love it! Give me a Greek myth retelling and I am happy. I have so many retellings on my shelves that I have to get to and am excited about.
What do you think the next trend will be?
Honestly, I think we will start seeing more and more pandemic related books over the next few years. I am one of those readers who has felt a pull towards these kinds of books, though I know there are many others who avoid them completely- for good reason!
When it comes to retellings, The Great Gatsby is now public domain, so I expect we will see a lot of books inspired by that story in the near future, and I am so ready!
What trends would you like to see?
I would love to see more standalone SciFi and fantasy series! I think that the length of fantasy series can be very intimidating for readers who are looking to dip their toes into the genre- I know it was for me. More standalones will make SciFi and fantasy more accessible!
There is always room for more diversity in publishing- in all aspects. I would love to see more books with disability rep, for example.
Are trends healthy for the book world?
I don’t think trends are healthy or unhealthy- they are inevitable! Trends can cause a genre or type of book to become oversaturated and readers can become bored of that kind of book. We saw this with vampires and Twilight and with dystopian and The Hunger Games. It is interesting because here we are a few years later and it looks like those kinds of books are coming back. Trends in books are a lot like trends in fashion- they are cyclical and everything comes back in style!
What is a book trend that you would love to see?
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Great discussion!
(www.evelynreads.com)
I am here for more standalone fantasy books. Sometimes fantasy series can really drag, and I think that’s one reason why I don’t really read them.
Exactly!! More standalones are a must.
Same! I’m not a series reader anymore. I don’t have the time or patience to spend on reading a whole series. It takes me forever to finish a book! I usually just read the first book in the series if I’m really curious.
There are a few series that I’m into, like The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman, A Tale of Magic Series by Chris Colfer, Wolves of No World by Romina Garber, and The Beautiful By Renée Ahdieh. But then there’s other series I can’t be bothered with such as TOG, ACOTAR, or anything written by Cassandra Clare.
Great discussion point! Historical fiction is on the up at the moment because of Bridgerton, I see so many historical books in my feed now!
One trend I’ve enjoyed is stories about women behind famous men. My Dear Hamilton, Hamnet, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, The Aviator’s Wife, etc etc.
That is so true! One of the things I loved about Hamnet.
Well, they’ve been trending for a while now, I think, but some women or types of women are getting more attention lately, like female spies during WWII.
I think #OwnVoices are going to be trending more and more, frankly.
First thought that came into my head when I saw this question was retellings! And I’m not mad about it haha, I love a good retelling 🙂
I noticed the fae trend and dark academia too. I also noticed Hades – Persephone retellings as well.
I have so many Hades-Persephone retellings on my TBR!!
same!!