Literary Trends

I’ve been operating this blog for almost 11 years. Which means I missed my 10th anniversary. Looks like I’ll have to rectify that later.

So check for that in June!

Anyway, since I’ve been posting pretty regularly on this blog for over a decade, I’ve noticed some trends. Especially when I’m reading more modern books courtesy of Once Upon a Book Club. So I thought I would discuss them.

Check it out under the cut!

Alternating Narrators

A number of books I’ve read recently have used at least two narrators. This is not the same has telling the story from multiple points-of-view, moving from character to character to tell the story. I mean going from one narrator to another, especially in first person.

Time Jumps

I’ve read a few books where the action jumps between two time periods. Some will alternate between chapters. Others will have entire sections of the book take place in the past before jumping back to the present.

Two Books in One

This is the best I could describe this trend. Let me try to explain it better.

In some ways, this goes with the time jumps. I’ve found a trend where the story will be in the present and then there’s a whole chunk in the middle set in the past, like in The House on Harbor Hill or The Missing Piece. And while the story in the middle is relevant to the story in the present, it almost feels like it could be its own separate book.

I find it jarring. You get involved in one story and then suddenly you’re starting over. Then you get invested in that story and it’s back to the other one. I’m not sure why this became popular but I hope it fades soon.

So those are some of the trends I’ve noticed lately. How about you? Have you noticed some trends in the books you’ve read? If so, let me know in the comments!