SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion

🐒 "Monkey See, Monkey Do" Challenge
For good or bad, over the years trendsetters and trail blazers have changed the covers, character traits and plots of books we love to read.

Duration: 1 year from your set start date
Goal: For this challenge, read 1 book for each category. Feel free to use the GR shelf links included, if it'll help, or make your own choice based on the category listed.

🏍️ 1. The Leather Vest Wave
The Trend: Biker gangs and motorcycle clubs (MC) run by werewolves or alpha shifters.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: shifter romance or mc romance
🎯 Read a book featuring a supernatural motorcycle club

＆ 2. The The "X of Y and Z" Title Generator
The Trend: A specific formula swept the fantasy world: A [Noun] of [Noun] and [Noun].

📚 Goodreads Shelf: romantasy or high fantasy
🎯 Read a book featuring a title that follows the "A/The [Noun] of [Noun] and [Noun]" pattern

🩶 3. The Shadow Daddy Archetype
The Trend: The explosion of morally grey, shadow-wielding, dark-haired lords who say "who did this to you?"

📚 Goodreads Shelf: shadow daddy or morally grey
🎯 Read a book featuring a prominent anti-hero or dark villain-esque love interest

🎓 4. Bully Magical Academies
The Trend: Magic schools that traded whimsical Harry Potter vibes for brutal hazing, elite hierarchies, and enemies-to-lovers romance.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: magic academy or bully romance
🎯 Read a book set in a magical university, academy or boarding school

🏛️ 5. The Greek Myth Retelling Craze
The Trend: Following the success of some, others are rewriting Greek, Norse, or Egyptian myths with a modern, feminist, or spicy twist.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: mythology retelling
🎯 Read a book that adapts, retells, or modernizes ancient Greek, Roman or Egyptian myths

🍵 6. The Cozy Fantasy Shift
The Trend: A market pivot proved that readers enjoyed low-stakes, slice-of-life, comforting fantasies.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: cozy-fantasy
🎯 Read a book featuring a low-stakes fantasy book focused on comfort, friendship, or daily life rather than saving the world

🫆 7. The Urban Detective Formula
The Trend: The gritty, leather-jacket-wearing, snarky magical detective became the ultimate blueprint for modern cities.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: UF detective or fantasy detective
🎯 Read a book featuring a magical PI, bounty hunter, or consultant working alongside normal humans

🏰 8. The Modern Fairy Tale Resurgence
The Trend: Fairytale retellings became a massive trend where authors vied to put the darkest twist possible on classic lore.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: fairytale retelling
🎯 Read a book based on a classic fairy tale (ie: Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella)

✨ 9. The Cover Makeover
The Trend: Book covers ditched shirtless models and couples for discrete, illustrated floral patterns or neon typography

📚 Goodreads Shelf: illustrated cover
🎯 Read a book published after 2020 that features no humans on the cover - only text, symbols, or patterns

🖤 10. The Grimdark Gritty Reboot
The Trend: Authors mimicking George R.R. Martin or Joe Abercrombie by making classic high fantasy incredibly violent, cynical, and muddy.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: grim dark or dark fantasy
🎯 Read a dark fantasy book

♾️ 11. The Fated Mates Copy-Paste
The Trend: A biological, inescapable soul-bond that instantly excuses toxic behavior or rushed plotlines.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: fated mates
🎯 Read a book featuring characters who are supernaturally destined to be together

⚔️❤️ 12. Enemies to Lovers
The Trend: Two characters who actively despise or oppose each other slowly overcome their misconceptions, leading to intense romantic tension and a deep partnership

📚 Goodreads Shelf: enemies to lovers
🎯 Read a book featuring a couple that began as enemies

🍒 Bonus:
🎯 Read a trailblazing book that sparked a wave of imitators. Be sure to note which trend-setting change they created that others followed. This can be a relatively recent trend or one that happened years ago.

Oooooooooh, nice one, Steph! 😍
This challenge is perfect for me hahaha, I'll add it to the next set of challenges I'm doing 😁😁

Thanks 😊 Hope ya enjoy it.

How can I resist?

😁 Hopin' ya can't

Hahahahaha

SOS: Serious Overload of Series
“Monkey See, Monkey Do” Challenge (1 year)
Duration: 6/1/2026 - 5/31/2027

Progress: 0 out of 13

🐒 "Monkey See, Monkey Do" Challenge
For good or bad, over the years trendsetters and trail blazers have changed the covers, character traits and plots of books we love to read.

Duration: 1 year from your set start date
Goal: For this challenge, read 1 book for each category. Feel free to use the GR shelf links included, if it'll help, or make your own choice based on the category listed.

🏍️ 1. The Leather Vest Wave
The Trend: Biker gangs and motorcycle clubs (MC) run by werewolves or alpha shifters.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: shifter romance or mc romance
🎯 Read a book featuring a supernatural motorcycle club

＆ 2. The The "X of Y and Z" Title Generator
The Trend: A specific formula swept the fantasy world: A [Noun] of [Noun] and [Noun].

📚 Goodreads Shelf: romantasy or high fantasy
🎯 Read a book featuring a title that follows the "A/The [Noun] of [Noun] and [Noun]" pattern

🩶 3. The Shadow Daddy Archetype
The Trend: The explosion of morally grey, shadow-wielding, dark-haired lords who say "who did this to you?"

📚 Goodreads Shelf: shadow daddy or morally grey
🎯 Read a book featuring a prominent anti-hero or dark villain-esque love interest

🎓 4. Bully Magical Academies
The Trend: Magic schools that traded whimsical Harry Potter vibes for brutal hazing, elite hierarchies, and enemies-to-lovers romance.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: magic academy or bully romance
🎯 Read a book set in a magical university, academy or boarding school

🏛️ 5. The Greek Myth Retelling Craze
The Trend: Following the success of some, others are rewriting Greek, Norse, or Egyptian myths with a modern, feminist, or spicy twist.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: mythology retelling
🎯 Read a book that adapts, retells, or modernizes ancient Greek, Roman or Egyptian myths

🍵 6. The Cozy Fantasy Shift
The Trend: A market pivot proved that readers enjoyed low-stakes, slice-of-life, comforting fantasies.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: cozy-fantasy
🎯 Read a book featuring a low-stakes fantasy book focused on comfort, friendship, or daily life rather than saving the world

🫆 7. The Urban Detective Formula
The Trend: The gritty, leather-jacket-wearing, snarky magical detective became the ultimate blueprint for modern cities.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: UF detective or fantasy detective
🎯 Read a book featuring a magical PI, bounty hunter, or consultant working alongside normal humans

🏰 8. The Modern Fairy Tale Resurgence
The Trend: Fairytale retellings became a massive trend where authors vied to put the darkest twist possible on classic lore.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: fairytale retelling
🎯 Read a book based on a classic fairy tale (ie: Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella)

✨ 9. The Cover Makeover
The Trend: Book covers ditched shirtless models and couples for discrete, illustrated floral patterns or neon typography

📚 Goodreads Shelf: illustrated cover
🎯 Read a book published after 2020 that features no humans on the cover - only text, symbols, or patterns

🖤 10. The Grimdark Gritty Reboot
The Trend: Authors mimicking George R.R. Martin or Joe Abercrombie by making classic high fantasy incredibly violent, cynical, and muddy.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: grim dark or dark fantasy
🎯 Read a dark fantasy book

♾️ 11. The Fated Mates Copy-Paste
The Trend: A biological, inescapable soul-bond that instantly excuses toxic behavior or rushed plotlines.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: fated mates
🎯 Read a book featuring characters who are supernaturally destined to be together

⚔️❤️ 12. Enemies to Lovers
The Trend: Two characters who actively despise or oppose each other slowly overcome their misconceptions, leading to intense romantic tension and a deep partnership

📚 Goodreads Shelf: enemies to lovers
🎯 Read a book featuring a couple that began as enemies

🍒 Bonus:
🎯 Read a trailblazing book that sparked a wave of imitators. Be sure to note which trend-setting change they created that others followed. This can be a relatively recent trend or one that happened years ago.

👍🏼😊

Monkey See, Monkey Do Challenge
June 2026 - May 2027

My Monkey See, Monkey Do Challenge (msg 9)

Books read💥




1 The Leather Vest Wave
🏍️RAB featuring a supernatural motorcycle club
🏍️Cowboy Bikers MC: Dragons

2 The The "X of Y and Z" Title Generator
＆RAB featuring a title that follows the "A/The [Noun] of [Noun] and [Noun]" pattern
＆A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses

3 The Shadow Daddy Archetype
🩶RAB featuring a prominent anti-hero or dark villain-esque love interest
🩶Bloody Bones

4 Bully Magical Academies
🎓RAB set in a magical university, academy or boarding school
🎓Crimson Frost

5 The Greek Myth Retelling Craze
🏛️RAB that adapts, retells, or modernizes ancient Greek, Roman or Egyptian myths
🏛️Ravaged

6 The Cozy Fantasy Shift
🍵RAB featuring a low-stakes fantasy book focused on comfort, friendship, or daily life
🍵Pecan Pies and Homicides

7 The Urban Detective Formula
🫆RAB featuring a magical PI, bounty hunter, or consultant working alongside normal humans
🫆Never Forgotten

8 The Modern Fairy Tale Resurgence
🏰RAB based on a classic fairy tale (ie: Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella)
🏰Wicked Ugly Bad

9 The Cover Makeover
✨RAB published after 2020 that features no humans on the cover
✨The Body in the Backyard

10 The Grimdark Gritty Reboot
🖤Read a dark fantasy book
🖤The Wicked in Me

11 The Fated Mates Copy-Paste
♾️RAB featuring characters who are supernaturally destined to be together
♾️Wolf Rising

12 Enemies to Lovers
⚔️❤️RAB featuring a couple that began as enemies
⚔️❤️Wicked Bite

Bonus Read a trailblazing book that sparked a wave of imitators
🍒Mr Google says: Patricia Briggs’s Moon Called (2006) and the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews established the kick-ass, monster-hunting heroine in real-world, magic-infused cities
🍒Fire Touched

SOS: Serious Overload of Series
“Monkey See, Monkey Do” Challenge (1 year)
Duration: 6/1/2026 - 5/31/2027

Progress: 1 out of 13

🐒 "Monkey See, Monkey Do" Challenge
For good or bad, over the years trendsetters and trail blazers have changed the covers, character traits and plots of books we love to read.

Duration: 1 year from your set start date
Goal: For this challenge, read 1 book for each category. Feel free to use the GR shelf links included, if it'll help, or make your own choice based on the category listed.

🏍️ 1. The Leather Vest Wave
The Trend: Biker gangs and motorcycle clubs (MC) run by werewolves or alpha shifters.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: shifter romance or mc romance
🎯 Read a book featuring a supernatural motorcycle club

＆ 2. The The "X of Y and Z" Title Generator
The Trend: A specific formula swept the fantasy world: A [Noun] of [Noun] and [Noun].

📚 Goodreads Shelf: romantasy or high fantasy
🎯 Read a book featuring a title that follows the "A/The [Noun] of [Noun] and [Noun]" pattern

🩶 3. The Shadow Daddy Archetype
The Trend: The explosion of morally grey, shadow-wielding, dark-haired lords who say "who did this to you?"

📚 Goodreads Shelf: shadow daddy or morally grey
🎯 Read a book featuring a prominent anti-hero or dark villain-esque love interest

🎓 4. Bully Magical Academies
The Trend: Magic schools that traded whimsical Harry Potter vibes for brutal hazing, elite hierarchies, and enemies-to-lovers romance.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: magic academy or bully romance
🎯 Read a book set in a magical university, academy or boarding school

🏛️ 5. The Greek Myth Retelling Craze
The Trend: Following the success of some, others are rewriting Greek, Norse, or Egyptian myths with a modern, feminist, or spicy twist.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: mythology retelling
🎯 Read a book that adapts, retells, or modernizes ancient Greek, Roman or Egyptian myths

🍵 6. The Cozy Fantasy Shift
The Trend: A market pivot proved that readers enjoyed low-stakes, slice-of-life, comforting fantasies.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: cozy-fantasy
🎯 Read a book featuring a low-stakes fantasy book focused on comfort, friendship, or daily life rather than saving the world

🫆 7. The Urban Detective Formula
The Trend: The gritty, leather-jacket-wearing, snarky magical detective became the ultimate blueprint for modern cities.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: UF detective or fantasy detective
🎯 Read a book featuring a magical PI, bounty hunter, or consultant working alongside normal humans

🏰 8. The Modern Fairy Tale Resurgence
The Trend: Fairytale retellings became a massive trend where authors vied to put the darkest twist possible on classic lore.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: fairytale retelling
🎯 Read a book based on a classic fairy tale (ie: Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella)

✨ 9. The Cover Makeover
The Trend: Book covers ditched shirtless models and couples for discrete, illustrated floral patterns or neon typography

📚 Goodreads Shelf: illustrated cover
🎯 Read a book published after 2020 that features no humans on the cover - only text, symbols, or patterns-How to Survive a Horror Story-6/5/26✅

🖤 10. The Grimdark Gritty Reboot
The Trend: Authors mimicking George R.R. Martin or Joe Abercrombie by making classic high fantasy incredibly violent, cynical, and muddy.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: grim dark or dark fantasy
🎯 Read a dark fantasy book

✅♾️ 11. The Fated Mates Copy-Paste✅
The Trend: A biological, inescapable soul-bond that instantly excuses toxic behavior or rushed plotlines.

📚 Goodreads Shelf: fated mates-Dark Desires After Dusk-6/7/26✅
🎯 Read a book featuring characters who are supernaturally destined to be together-Dark Needs at Night's Edge-6/4/26✅

⚔️❤️ 12. Enemies to Lovers
The Trend: Two characters who actively despise or oppose each other slowly overcome their misconceptions, leading to intense romantic tension and a deep partnership

📚 Goodreads Shelf: enemies to lovers
🎯 Read a book featuring a couple that began as enemies-By a Thread-6/7/26✅

🍒 Bonus:
🎯 Read a trailblazing book that sparked a wave of imitators. Be sure to note which trend-setting change they created that others followed. This can be a relatively recent trend or one that happened years ago.