Genres and Tropes on my Read List

Having a blog is such an interesting experience because you always have so many ideas about things you want to discuss. And then one day, it suddenly feels like you’ve talked about everything there is to talk about, and you’re left scrambling for blog post ideas.

The second (and funniest) thing is that you’ll come up with these great ideas that need a lot of thought, care, and research… and then you’ll leave them until the day before you plan to post. At that point, you realise: I can’t do this topic justice right now. So the post gets postponed. Again. Even though it’s already been sitting in drafts for months. And now, here we are—back at square one.
What should I write?

I realised I’ve been so focused on big discussion topics, critical takes, and analysis that I haven’t really just spoken to you guys on here in a while about the things I love. The things I simply enjoy. The posts where I get to dump my thoughts and feelings straight onto the page.

So this post is exactly that.
No overthinking, no heavy analysis— so this post is just that. Let’s take a look at the genres, tropes, and stories I’ve really enjoyed recently.

Reading has been a bit hit or miss lately. Very few stories have truly moved me, which is frustrating — out of the 50-odd books I’ve read this year, only three have earned five stars, which feels almost criminal. That said, I’ve had some really strong four-star reads along the way.

This post is all about the genres I’ve loved, a few 5-star reviews and the strong 4-star that fall within them.

Ensembles/Anthologies

Lately, I’ve found myself drawn to ensemble casts and anthology-style storytelling — narratives that offer glimpses into multiple lives rather than centring just one or two characters. Not that I mind the occasional side-character perspective, but what I really love are stories with no clear protagonist, or those built from a collection of intertwined lives.

That’s exactly why How Beautiful We Were has been a standout for me this year. It completely wrecked me by the end — I was in tears — and I think that emotional impact comes from the way it traces an entire community across time. Moving between past and present, and across so many voices, it creates a depth that a single perspective simply couldn’t achieve.

Speculative Fiction

I think of all the genres that are new to me, I’ve really gotten into speculative fiction lately — dipping into everything from AI and robotics to time travel, science fantasy, alchemy, and full-blown existential world crises.

I’ve always enjoyed science fiction on screen, but it’s never been a genre I can say I have explored massively in the literary world. When I wrote a post last month about science fiction by women, I realised just how many I’d read recently without even noticing the pattern.

Romance and Science Fiction

Red City combined two of my favourite things: a forbidden love romance woven into a fantasy-driven crime and underworld saga. While I wasn’t entirely sold on the central romance, I did enjoy the whole Romeo-and-Juliet dynamic, and the magic system was genuinely intriguing enough to carry the story. It was also luckily a series starter that didn’t end on a cliffhanger, so I don’t feel stressed about when the next book is coming out.

Tropes I Love

One trope I love in speculative fiction is the Chosen One—the person who is destined to save us all and solve the existential crisis we’re facing. But further on in this trope is the reluctant hero, and that’s the one that really gets me. I recently read Project Hail Mary (the book vs. screen post coming), and I absolutely loved Ryland Grace as the man who didn’t think he was right for the job, nor smart enough, nor experienced enough. Yet when the time came, despite his literal reluctance (he had to be drugged to be put on the ship), when he had no choice, he really rose to the challenge.

I really enjoy this process because the character development arc is so clear. And while it’s obvious to the reader, it always hits so hard when they succeed and achieve—or even just experience that increase in self-esteem and confidence. As the reader, you just feel so proud of the characters. And I love it.

Genre Bending

I’ve also found myself in stories that blend my current favourite genre, historical fiction, with speculative fiction — most notably with Kindred. What fascinates me about this novel is the way it approaches time travel. Going back in time feels infinitely more compelling than moving forward; our understanding of the present often makes imagined futures feel less startling, but the past remains unpredictable, disorienting, and deeply confronting.

What struck me most about Kindred is that it isn’t technological advancement that astonishes — it’s the existence of free Black people, and the very possibility of a future in which that freedom exists. That idea alone feels radical within the context of the story. It’s a bold, unsettling, and deeply affecting reading experience — one that manages to be both a complex work of historical fiction and an intriguing piece of science fiction, all set against the cold, unflinching reality of slavery.

I’m really hoping I don’t become disillusioned with reading, because that would be a genuinely sad state of affairs. So far this year, speculative fiction has been the only genre consistently sparking curiosity and joy across most of what I’ve picked up. Even romance — which I usually turn to without hesitation — just isn’t hitting the same way it used to. Here’s hoping things turn around soon…