Let’s Talk Bookish – Predictable Books

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

November 24: Predictable Books

Prompts: Do you like guessing whats going to happen in the books you read? Can a book be too predictable? Do you like to always be surprised, or can it be comforting to know what’s coming?

Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! Today’s a fun topic about a book’s predictability, something that I think many books can struggle with, and many many readers don’t like. Though I wonder if perhaps there’s a group out there who likes no surprises?

When it’s a buddy-read or a book club, I definitely enjoy guessing and then talking to the others about it and having a fun guess about what everyone can predict at certain points of the book. Particularly since I personally like to read thrillers, it makes for an even more fun experience to have more than just me guessing and anticipating what is about to happen next. If it’s a fast-paced thriller, I will run some quick predictions while I’m reading, but I won’t actually sit down to think and ponder it. I’d rather just read on and find out!

Books can definitely be too predictable. As I’ve said before, thriller authors can really play with tropes and expectations in a way that can really take you for a ride, which I think is a good use of predictability. However, if I can see from a mile away that the culprit is for sure one character, then what was the rest of book even for? I will feel like I’m reading just in hopes that I am wrong, but it can be quite a disappointing experience when it’s just way too predictable and didn’t feel like I was properly led anywhere with the story. However, I haven’t read too many books where it was straight-up way way too predictable. Sometimes it’s not that creative, but at least acceptable.

I definitely like to be surprised, but not by what the author can manage to fit in, but rather by how the author uses the information that is slowly given throughout the book. Surprising twists and turns are definitely good, but I don’t think the turn itself needs to be that wild or crazy for it to be a fun twist. Sometimes just the slightest twist can make for a great thrill! Examples of this include slight perspective shifts, or realizing you’re seeing through the eyes of the perpetrator, for example.

I’m not the biggest fan of deus ex machina, but other than that, I’m usually down for a surprise! Slightly predictable can be good too, if the author manages to make it interesting in another way. I always like to see what kind of new twists and methods the author can use to change a typical murder mystery or thriller into a more interesting and exciting read. After all, thrillers can all read very similarly, but I find that many authors nowadays are able to channel new ways to bring a story to life in unique ways, and I definitely enjoy that!

How about you all? Predictability or no? What has been your experience with the books you’ve been reading recently? Let me know in the comments below!