Top Ten Tuesday: Things That Make Me Instantly Pick Up a Book

When I started reading more a few years ago, I didn’t know I had any specific tastes for books. I might have known deep down but I didn’t, and couldn’t, actually acknowledge it before I had read a few books, you know!? So I kept reading and I’m still reading and part of me knows that I do have things that I gravitate towards. May it be genre related, may it be plot-point related, or a word-of-mouth situation – I now have these things that instantly make me pick up that specific book. I’m hereby sharing all of my instantly want to read situations.

A personal disclaimer: I rarely read the synopses of books. Is that weird? Maybe. But I’ve read too many back covers and found out important plot things to now trust the back cover. If I hear somebody describe a book, I don’t mind it, but I don’t read them once I’ve decided to buy a book. So keep this in mind when you read some of these bullet points.

 

1. FAKE RELATIONSHIP NARRATIVE

Recently I discovered that I live for shit like faking a relationship for everyone as the main storyline. Sure, it sounds ridiculous and most of the books I’ve read in regards to this theme have been pretty weak, but I still love the idea of a fake relationship to start off the book. It doesn’t have to be YA but it helps because somehow I find it more believable when teenagers need to gain certain goals by faking a relationship. It’s just my guilty pleasure heaven when a book has that narrative!

2. HATE TO LOVE

Similar to the first narrative is the hate to love situation that I haven’t explored enough yet. But I recently read The Hating Game and it was delicious so I realised that it’s exactly the kind of thing I love. But this type of plot element turns up everywhere really, so it’s something I love and it goes against one of those narrative features I absolutely hate – insta-love.

3. SLOW BURN

Now, this one is also very similar to the “hate to love” plot device but I do love a slow burn romance like there’s no other. True, it sometimes angers me because it’s frustrating to read about two people clearly in love with each other finding ways not to be together but it’s also realistic. My flatmate also loves these types of books so whenever she enters my room and says “you have to read this, it’s slow burn!” – I’ll most likely read it. I’ll also most likely read anything she asks me to read because she reads a lot of romance novels and yet she rarely recommends me books I should read. Making the ones she does recommend a lot more special.

4. SARAH J MAAS

Now, this is going to be a list of 10 thanks to a few authors I pick up no matter what, and Sarah J. Maas for me, is one of those authors. There are two types of readers, those who like her books, those who dislike her books, and it’s okay. She does tend to be predictable at times but I like her easy writing style and her books always go by so fast. I like the Throne of Glass series but I love the ACOTAR books, and I know I’ll continue reading everything she publishes. Part of her appeal is of course the fact she writes books for the high fantasy genre, which is like my number one bae.

5. PATRICK NESS

Another author I’ve learned to trust and appreciate is Patrick Ness. I’ve read most of his young adult books (I still need to finish the Chaos Walking trilogy) and I’m eagerly waiting for his next book coming out in May called Release. I love his writing because he explores various YA themes including sexuality, which he does with such dignity and poise.

6. BRANDON SANDERSON

Alright, two more writers who could write anything and I would pick up their book, and then we can continue with other various things that make me want to buy every book. Sanderson is one of the most experienced authors for me because he has written the most books compared to other authors in my list, which is why it’s taking me forever to get through his books. But so far I’ve read two, plus his short story Legion, which isn’t a lot, I know, but once I get through the Mistborn series, I know there’s no stopping me when it comes to Sanderson’s books.

7. PATRICK ROTHFUSS

Finally but not least, here is a man who has written just two books and he’s already my favourite author ever. Rothfuss of course is the man behind The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear. Everyone, including me, is waiting for the third and final book of the series now and hopefully after that there will be more and more epic stories and characters from this man, because I’ll instantly pick them up and I’ll probably instantly love them to bits as well.

8. COVER APPEAL

Now, I know it’s not the best to pick up books based on their cover and to leave them at the store because the cover doesn’t appeal to you, but I do this quite often. I can’t help it, I’m a visual person and when I like something, I’ll buy it. For instance, I bought Caraval because the cover looked so god damn beautiful, I couldn’t help myself. Do I sometimes regret my cover buys, sure, but that’s life.

9. BOOK HYPE I TRUST

So there are two types of book hypes out there, the one I trust and the one I don’t trust. For me personally there are certain people in the book world I gravitate towards and their recommendations usually hit the mark (but the book genre and topics also have to interest me). Sometimes my book-trusties have different opinions, which means there’s a variety of readers I trust, and I like that. Bookstagram has also a lot to do with hyping up books for me and sometimes I just give in and pick a book up just because I’ve seen it a lot on my feed.

10. FANTASY

Last but not least, it’s time to praise my favourite genre, fantasy. Now, if a book has a fantastic element, I’ll probably pick it up when everything else has worked out for the book as well. So yes, all the other points I made here don’t matter because when a book recommendation is for instance about a historic book with a beautiful cover, and not fantasy, I probably won’t pick it up. It is how it is, and for me it’s all about fantasy – high fantasy being like a drug for me. I just can’t get enough!


THIS SERIES IS CREATED BY THE BROKE AND THE BOOKISH

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  • I like what you said about specific tastes. For the longest time I always said that I didn’t care for Fantasy, that Harry Potter was an exception. Now I know that’s not true at all. Fantasy and murder mystery/crime. I live for those. lol

    • mettelray

      I never thought I’d be one for specific authors before but I guess anything could happen. Three years from now, I could be a little like you and not following specific authors too!
      Thank you for the comment!

  • Love this list! I’ve only just started getting into properly reading and although I’m still not sure what my favourite genre is, I did realise recently that I LOVE detective stories!
    P.S. Your photos are always so gorgeous! <3

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