Ten Things That Instantly Make Me Want To Read a Book

April 18, 2017 Top Ten Tuesday 16

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Ten Things That Will Make Me Instantly Want To Read A Book.

Ten Things That Will Make Me Instantly Want To Read A Book

There’s no single thing, other than perhaps being by a favorite author or a recommendation from Robin, that guarantees I will read a book without hesitation. But if a book fits any of the parameters on this list, it has a very good chance of ending up on my “want to read” list, provided the book description (summary) appeals to me also.

1. It’s by an author I love. I pretty much can’t resist a book by a favorite author—and I have a lot of favorite authors.

2. Robin recommended it to me. She probably knows my tastes better than anyone else, at least for fantasy and mystery, having grown up with me reading them her all those years. Anything she recommends has an excellent chance of getting my attention. (It may take me a little while to get around to it, but I will read it eventually!)

3. It got a fantastic review or a great blurb from one of my favorite authors. Kind of the next best thing to a recommendation from someone who knows my reading tastes. For instance, if Tamora Pierce loves a YA fantasy novel, I know it’s worth checking out.

4. It has dragons in it. OK, I don’t read every book I come across that has dragons in it, but I definitely give them a good hard look.

5. It’s a fairy-tale retelling. That will get a book a second, third, and probably fourth glance. If the summary appeals to me, I’m in.

6. It’s a mystery set in Britain. Preferably in the Golden Age or cozy tradition—in other words, not too dark, not overly violent, and with good characterization. As with most of my other criteria, the description has to appeal, but dangle the words “British mystery” in front of me and I guarantee I’ll take a closer look.

7. It combines two of my genres in a way that appeals to me. Fantasy romance where the fantasy is as strong and well-written as the romance, for instance. Or mystery and fantasy. That said, the jacket copy (summary or blurb) has to grab me, too.

8. Other bloggers that I follow are raving about it. This only works if it’s the sort of book I tend to like anyway. I mean, I’m not going to delve into a really dark psychological thriller because lots of my fellow bloggers loved it. But if there’s a new historical romance writer on the scene, and everyone is raving about her, yes, I’ll probably give her a try.

9. It has a gorgeous cover. A cover alone isn’t enough to make me want to read a book, no matter how beautiful it is. But it’s enough to get me to read the description, and it’s sometimes enough to tip the scales if I’m wavering. Especially if the cover illustrates the story in a way that gives me some idea of what to expect, either through the style or the content. (Those covers that are mostly title? They may be pretty in terms of design, but they don’t make me want to read a book. Give me good, illustrative, non-generic covers any day.)

10. I loved the movie, and the book came first. I don’t see a lot of point in reading a novelization of a movie, but if I’ve seen a really good movie that was based on a book, I’ll probably want to read the book. Examples of books in this category are Stardust by Neil Gaiman and The Princess Bride by William Goldman. In both cases, I saw the movie first.

 

 

What characteristics make you instantly want to read a book?

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16 Responses to “Ten Things That Instantly Make Me Want To Read a Book”

  1. Susan (Bloggin' 'bout Books)

    I’ve been really into UK mystery/thrillers lately, but I seem to gravitate toward the more violent/graphic crime novels. I should stick with cozier stories — I’d sleep better at night. Which are your favorite?

    Happy TTT!

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      Besides the Golden Age classics (Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers, Josephine Tey, Margery Allingham), I’m quite fond of Catherine Aird (particularly her early and mid-career books), Deborah Crombie, Dick Francis, and Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes series, which is fantastic. For lighter cozies, the first several Aunt Dimity books (Nancy Atherton) are delightful. Oh, and Ellis Peters is terrific, both her historical Brother Cadfael series, and her contemporary mysteries (which are set mostly in the 1960s and 70s.)

  2. Lauren @ SERIESous Book Reviews

    OMG I totally forgot about fairy tale retellings on my list! Oops. I’m a sucker for those as well, especially if they are a retelling of Sleeping Beauty.

    I did the same thing with Stardust but I actually enjoyed the movie more :O

  4. Greg

    I agree about covers. I like illustration more than stylized and if the cover is nice it will definitely get me reading the blurb! Dragons and Britain are also good ways to get my attention!

    And since I started blogging I have found myself going off of blogger recommendations and quite often they turn out fabulous!
    Greg recently posted…Top Ten Things That Make Me Want To Read A BookMy Profile

  6. Pages and Tea

    I loved the Stardust movie. I too read the book after seeing it.
    I think the same thing is going to happen with Gaiman’s American Gods. I have it on my TBR but the tv series will be on soon and I’ll probably end up watching that first.

    I think the only books with dragons I’ve read so far are the Song of Ice and Fire books. I also have Temeraire by Naomi Novik on my TBR so must give that a try.

    I definitely have a few authors that I’ll always read too.
    Great list!
    Pages and Tea recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: I Will Instantly Read That Book If…My Profile

  9. Lindsay

    I’ve always been a sucker for British mysteries (and British historical fiction!) and I’m increasingly in love with dragons! I read the first book in Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series last year and I’m excited to continue, and I’ve been adding all sorts of dragon books to my TBR. Any favorites to recommend?
    Lindsay recently posted…New Release: Gone Without a Trace by Mary TorjussenMy Profile

  10. Rissi

    Fairy tales! 100% yes! I don’t read enough of these, but I do love ’em.

    Authors I enjoy and fellow book bloggers raving are also big incentives.

    Thanks so much for your recent Finding Wonderland visits, Lark. Always glad to chat with you. 🙂
    Rissi recently posted…Booktube Talk | The Disney Princess TagMy Profile

  11. Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library

    Covers get me every time! I had no intention of reading Me Before You until I saw the movie trailer and then I absolutely had to read it because the movie looked so good. I’m glad I read it because I loved it but haven’t seen the movie yet because I’m afraid it won’t live up to the book! I’m a big fan on British mysteries and my blogger friends get my TBR in all kinds of trouble!
    Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library recently posted…Manderley Forever and Never Entice an Earl – Short ReviewsMy Profile

  12. Charlie

    Covers get me so bad. It’s been a self-improvement work in progress. I now force myself to read the entire synopsis before buying to ensure I know what I’m getting myself into (and that I’ll like it). I will always pick up another book from a favorite author.