April 30, 2013

Top Ten Words/Topics That Make Me Pick Up A Book (21)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
I've already mentioned the power of buzzwords in a previous post that lists a couple of reasons why I'll buy a book. Since I wrote that post I've been thinking about what my actual buzzwords are (mostly because I knew this topic was coming up). Now I'm ready to share.

1. NEW YORK CITY
I will always give a book about NYC a chance. I love my city and I'll read just about anything that includes it. I always get absurdly excited when a specific location I live near is mentioned. It's not QUITE like when you see your supermarket in the backdrop of a movie or a TV show, but it's similar. Or at least for me it is? Furthermore, I have a strange fascination with NYC disaster stories. Hey now, Day After Tomorrow and Cloverfield. I don't know why I love. I just do.

2. RETELLINGS
I love retellings, especially of books/stories I love. Fairytale retellings really are the best, but retellings of the classics or whatever else work too.

3. GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Authors are so clever sometimes, especially when it comes to creating stories with mythology involved. I like Greek mythology the best, but I'm into the others as well.

4. MALE PROTAGONIST
I'm always curious when there's a male main character. It's rarer in YA fiction. I can't say I always love the result, but I'm very, very curious and will generally pick it up unless there's a good reason not to.

5. 1920'S
I FREAKING LOVE THE 1920'S. So much intrigue. I love mobsters and flappers and prohibition. All of these things TOTALLY make for an interesting story. Basically, someone write a YA Guys and Dolls and I will buy it.

6. NOIR
This could stem from my love of all things Veronica Mars and old noir films - like Sunset Boulevard - but if a book has a noir feel, I'm all for it. ALL FOR IT. I also really like Agatha Christie books. Basically, if there's a good mystery involved, I'm interested.

7. MAGIC
I don't mean witchcraft - although I used to really like the movie The Craft - I mean MAGIC ala Harry Potter or Tamora Pierce or King Arthur/Merlin times. But anyway, the kind of magic I like is embedded in the universe of the book, which means I mostly read fantasy to find my magic fix.

8. WEREWOLVES
I've always liked werewolves more than vampires, so any book that's werewolf based (hi Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater) has my attention. Either way, bottom line: NO MORE VAMPIRES. PLEASE.

9. PROM
Personally, I hated my prom. Maybe that's why I like to read about it? Or maybe it's because prom is ALWAYS super dramatic and I'm all about good, dramatic stories with pretty dresses and cute boys (because prom stories also always have cute boys).

10. THE BEACH
It's always like pulling teeth to get me TO the beach but I always love it once I get there. I especially love books I can read once I get there (sometimes they even convince me to GO to the beach, which is even better). Now, everyone knows the best beach reads are books that take place on the beach themselves, so BRING THE BEACH BOOKS.

There are a lot of other things that make me pick up books - ESPECIALLY pretty covers - but this a pretty comprehensive list. What do you guys look for in a book/book summary? Let me know in the comments below!  

53 comments:

  1. Oh I should have added Greek Mythology to my list! Darn! Prom!? Love that! Re-tellings made mine too!! And Magic...obvi :)

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    1. Haha!! They don't HAVE to be on your list for you to love them! ^_^

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  2. I often like the *idea* of faerie-tale retellings better than the actual retelling itself, although there are a couple - like Juliet Marillier's Wildwood Dancing that I've found that I love to pieces. For both faerie-tales and mythology, I love watching the way the author uses and adapts the source material, especially the kind of things they leave out and the kind of things they pick up. Like how Rick Riordan uses the Greek myths in his Percy Jackson books - I can't remember, have you read them? SO GOOD. On that same note, my younger brothers and I used to watch this cartoon called Class of the Titans, about seven teenagers descended from Ancient Greek heroes. I think it only ran for a couple of seasons, but it was a lot of fun. :-) I'm just about to start Brodi Ashton's Everneath books.
    I never went to my prom - or, as we call it in Australia - "School Formal", but I like reading about them too - I think you're so right - it's high drama, emotion, hot boys and gorgeous dresses all in a bubble for a night - so much story-potential!

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    1. Have I read Percy? OBVS I LOVE PERCY. I ALMOST inserted a Percy gif but then I didn't. BUT I WAS SO CLOSE.

      I've never heard of the Juliet Marillier book or the show Class of the Titans but both sound iiiiinteresting!!

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  3. It was really interesting reading your list, and your reasoning for picking a topic. I'm totally with you about magic and werewolves being good topics. I also find male protagonists, retellings and greek mythology interesting too though I didn't add them to my list.

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    1. Eh, they don't have to be on your list for you to love 'em!!! Glad you liked the list ^_^

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  4. I'm such a scaredy cat that I never read about werewolves or vampires!

    Here is my list of Books I Can't Pass Up!

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    1. That is so totally fair! At least you can be honest with yourself and skip what'll scare you!

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  5. Agree with you on New York and the 1920s - and even better, books set in NYC during the Jazz Age! (you should check out the newly released 'The Other Typist' by Suzanne Rindell for 1920s NYC story.

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    1. Oooh I don't know that book, but I shall check it out!!!

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  6. PROM! That one gets me too!

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  7. Retellings have been featuring a lot on lists this week! Magic features on my list too. Great list!

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    1. That's because retellings are AWESOME!!

      Thanks for stopping by! ^_^

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  8. I love when I recognize settings in books, too, although "teensy-tiny town in Washington State" is not one you see all that often (except TWILIGHT, of course!). Lucky for you there are TONS of books set in NYC. Lots to choose from!

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    1. LOL TWILIGHT. Haha. That's a pretty big one tho!!! And yeah, LOTS of NYC books to choose from, but it gets tricky because I can't possibly read ALL of them!!

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  9. Oh I put mythology on my list but it doesn't necessarily have to be Greek mythology - I enjoy different kinds! And doggone it, I should've put a male protagonist/POV on there because I will run and push people over for a book with a great male lead in it. This is a really great list! Enjoyed it!

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    1. I enjoy different kinds too, but I think Greek is my favorite! And YES run and push for that male POV book!

      Thanks for stopping by, Asheley! Glad you enjoyed the list ^_^

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  10. I have mythology and retellings on my list as well. And I agree that while I like lots of different mythologies and retellings, Greek and fairytale are the best. And magic and noir are great as well. Agatha Christie is such a great noir author.
    My TTT

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    1. SHE IS! I haven't read nearly enough Agatha Christie >.< but I still love!!!!

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  11. So in my fake list that I ended up deleting, I also had NYC and the beach. :) Both are must for me!

    AND PROM. That's a good one. I love to hear about the dresses.

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    1. You're fake list? SAD I WISH IT WAS A REAL LIST! But I"m glad you agree about NYC and the beach (and prom)!! ^_^

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  12. Retellings, mythology & Magic are great! Werewvoles & male MC's are also great words :)

    Mel@thedailyprophecy.

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  13. So basically, I agree with EVERY SINGLE ITEM on this list. (And you wonder why we're friends!) I think my particular favorites are New York City (because it's AWESOME) and the 1920s (which is such a cool era!) :D

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    1. I LIKE THAT WE AGREE!!!! And yeah, I'm pretty sure those two are my favorites also!

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  14. ha! Pretty covers! I totally should have included that one :)

    I wish more books were set in my city, which is Syracuse, NY. I know, what would anyone have to say about Syracuse. "Look, it's snowing again!" But Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is set in Syracuse, so yay! Although, it's not really a Yay book in terms of the story.

    I thought Guys and Dolls was set in the late 40s, or maybe 50s. I do love that musical, though. Even the movie, with Marlon Brando singing. Yum!!!

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    1. Guys and Dolls first debuted on Broadway in the 1950s but the show is based on short stories written in the 1920-30s. And it's a story set in the 1920s. ^_^

      As for the rest: I HEAR YA. ^_^

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  15. I LOVE mythology! Greek myths are my favorite too!

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    1. I love them all but there's something about Greek mythology... maybe it's more popular in general?

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  16. Gaby I also like NYC books from the genres and Authors that I like, but unfortunately it's not because of the fact that I know the places mentioned, it's only because I hope to go there one day LOL but living through the books is my only source at the moment LOL

    My Top TenMy Top Ten

    Have a great week!


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    1. YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY GET TO NYC ASAP!! It's the best. Live it through books until you can get there for sure, tho!

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  17. OH HECK YES to the 1920's. I want to go back in the TARDIS and visit that era, just for a day. *wistful sigh*

    Molli | Once Upon a Prologue

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    1. TARDIS TARDIS TARDIS. Oh where would I go if I had a TARDIS? WHERE? EVERYWHERE. ^_^

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  18. (Fairy tale) retellings are on my list too, and I'd love to read more books set in the 1920s! :) My TTT list: http://aliceinreaderland.com/2013/04/29/topicsword/

    Alice @ Alice in Readerland

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    1. I WOULD TOO. Dear authors, write more books set in the 1920s PLEASE!! ^_^

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  19. Great list! I love re-tellings and Greek mythology. Also, prom books!! Love. Also, beach books. C'mon summer!
    Here's my TTT

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    1. SERIOUSLY. BRING ON THE BEACH. I'm so exciiiited. ^_^

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  20. I LOVE EVERYTHING 1920S TOO! I can't help but adore all the fast talking and the bright city lights when I think of that time.

    Here is my top ten!

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  21. I was totally going to include NYC in my list but then space ran out...Anyways, I love books about greek mythology, magic, beach and retellings, too. And OhmiGod, male protagonists are the best! My favorite book has one and I can never get enough of them. Love your list.

    My Top Ten Tuesday post.

    Sana @ artsy musings of a bibliophile

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    1. Oooh what's your favorite book?? I'm so glad we share so many buzzwords!

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  22. Woah. The beach, bro. for me, I put summer. That especially falls under that category, though. Shirtless guys, bikinis, light breeze, surfing, the list goes on ... Great picks! :D

    ~Ana @ Characterized Book Reviews

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  23. I love male protagonist's lately. I've been discovering more and more and am LOVING them :D I also love magic, but I secretly live in Harry Potter's world in my head lol.
    Great list !!

    Lauren @ Lose Time Reading

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    1. And Harry Potter is a magic book with a male protagonist! Double. Whammy.

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