Top Ten Tuesday: What Will Make Me Want to Pick Up a Book Instantly?

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week I will make a list of 10 books, authors or other bookish things surrounding a certain topic. This week, we’re talking about the things that make us want to pick up a book. Favorite tropes, I guess you could call this?

Heists & Cons // The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard #1) by Scott Lynch // I love intricate heists and cons, so if that’s what’s mentioned in the summary, I will buy it. I don’t just mean Locke Lamora by this. Other great examples are: Six of Crows, The Legend of Eli Monpress, and Heist Society.

The “Chosen One” // Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling // Whether it’s an actual prophecy or someone with a special skill almost no one else has, I’m here for it. I know this trope is overused, and can turn out awful at times. But I have to admit I still adore it. Other examples include: Lord of the Rings, Eragon, Mistborn, Percy Jackson, The Bone Witch, A Darker Shade of Magic…

Prophecies // Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan // I just realized this while typing the previous trope, but I actually love stories centered around a prophecy! I love trying to figure out how it will turn out according to the prophecy, or trying to decipher the ambiguous verses. Other examples include Harry Potter, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, …

Training/Magic Schools // Carry On by Rainbow Rowell // I think this is a trope many of us love. Being trained or taught at a school always has this fun vibe to it! Other examples: Harry Potter, The Exiled Queen, Night Angel, … 

Girl Disguises as Boy // Paladin (Paladin #1) by Sally Slater // I don’t know where my love for this trope comes from, but I absolutely adore it. Maybe it stems from watching She’s the Man? Other examples: Eon, A Game of Thrones, Leviathan, The Lord of the Rings, Scarlet.

Thieves and Assassins // Theft of Swords (Riyria Revelations #1-2) by Michael J. Sullivan // I love stories on thieves and assassins and mercenaries, mostly because of the characters. Morally grey, and so interesting. Other examples include Night Angel, Throne of Glass, Seven Realms series, the Alchemists of Loom, Grave Mercy, … 

Dragons // Nice Dragons Finish Last (Heartstrikers #) by Rachel Aaron // I adore dragons, and I want to read every dragon story. Ever. They’re just so majestic, and powerful, and intelligent. Other examples include: A Game of Thrones, Eragon, The Alchemists of Loom, The Hobbit, etc. 

Diverse reads // The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli // I’ve really been trying to make an effort of reading more diversely, no matter the genre! Other examples: The Song of Achilles, The Best We Could Do, Cinder & Ella, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, The Bone Witch, Six of Crows, Radio Silence, Him, etc. 

WWII Historical Fiction // The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah // I have read a bit of WWII historical fiction, and I always want to read more. It’s not too long ago that it seems so far removed to me, yet it’s also a period in which a lot of what happened has been forgotten already. Other examples: The Book Thief, Salt to the Sea, All the Light We Cannot See.

Serial killers // I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #) by Barry Lyga // I have been intrigued by serial killers for years. I guess it all started when I started watching Criminal Minds? I’ve read a few true crime books over the years, but I also really enjoy mysteries and thrillers centered around serial killers. Other examples: Black-Eyed Susans, The Surgeon, Faces of Evil, Career of Evil. 


Those are 10 themes and tropes I will always want to pick up! Tell me, what are your favorite themes? Which books would you recommend me based on these 10 themes?

36 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: What Will Make Me Want to Pick Up a Book Instantly?

  1. Diverse are definitely so important! I totally pick up books for the diversity factor as well. I can’t wait to read The Upside of Unrequited! (Also Simon vs and Six of Crows are SO AMAZING I love them so much.) And magic schools are the besttttt ahah. ❤ ❤ Loved this list!

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  2. I have a friend who is also fascinated by serial killers but he reads and watches the true crime stories. That is just not my genre at all.
    I am starting to really like the historical fiction and I will always want to pick up a book that is set in Paris, especially if it has the characters speaking some French.

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  3. Oooh I love heists and cons. There’s something so satisfying about watching the bad guys get their dues! If you like cons you should definitely read Crooked Kingdom, the sequel to Six of Crows. Glad to see you liked it! I also love Leverage. I’m so sad it ended 😥

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      1. I know, there was something SO satisfying about the ending!! It reminded me so much of Leverage, lol. I LOVE Parker, she’s so hilarious and grows so much as a person! Yeah, the newer ones were a lot lighter, I think the overarching storyline got a little complex at some times.

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  4. Ooh, I never thought of serial killer books! I love WWII books, too (and The Nightingale is wonderful!). I keep hearing really good things about The Lies of Locke Lamora and I just took out Six of Crows from the library so maybe heists and cons will be on my next list? lol. Great picks!

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  5. Great list! I’ve not read any heist novels, but I feel like I would really enjoy them. Thieves and assassins, though. (Especially when they’re GOOD assassins, not like the ones in YA who keep falling in love with their target. Haha.) Theft of Swords has been on my list a while.

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  6. Ah, so many good ones that I hadn’t even thought of yet! I will also pretty much immediately pick up anything with heists and cons, prophecies, magic schools, thieves and assassins and dragons! And the girl disguised as boy trope is so amazing as well! Also, yes the chosen one prophecy may be a bit overused, but still I can’t help but want to pick up every single book with this trope either 🙂

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  7. I’m headdesking myself right now because I’ve seen heists/cons on almost everyone’s lists, and I completely forgot about it! I forgot about WWII as well. Girl Disguises as a Boy is another great one. Dragons and serial killers are on my list, too! Sebastian and I have a few recommendations for them on our TTT. 🙂

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