Top Ten Things That Will Make Me Instantly Want To Read A Book
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. They created the meme because they love lists. Who doesn’t love lists? They wanted to share these list with fellow book lovers and ask that we share in return to connect with our fellow book lovers. To learn more about participating in the challenge, stop by their page dedicated to it and dive in!
This week’s topic: Top Ten Things That Will Make Me Instantly Want To Read A Book
I had to put some thought into this list because I don’t really think of myself as someone who wants to “instantly read” many books, but thinking back on some of the books I have instantly added to my TBR and/or instantly read, I tried to capture what it was about the books that caused me to feel that way.
- A Diverse Cast of Characters/Situations – Books that feature characters that go beyond your cookie cutter standard heroes and heroines will always have a huge place in my heart. We need more diversity in books. We need to see diverse stories. This is probably one of the few things on this list that can really get me to instantly read a book because when I find diverse books, I want to read them and share my thoughts on them with the book community.
- Atypical Settings in Genre – This applies more to fantasy–especially high fantasy books–than any other genre for me. Even in worlds that aren’t necessarily the world we know, so much of it takes place in your generic European setting. When writers take something like high fantasy and have the world set in a non-European setting or create a world so compelling that I feel like it really could be a whole new world, I’m going to read it ASAP!
- A Really Great Cover – I try not to be that person that judges a book by its cover, but I’m actually a recovering cover snob. If I see a book that has a cover that catches my eye, I’m likely going to pick it up and read it soon.
- Ratings/Recommendations from Trusted Readers – No one can get me to read books more than the readers I trust. If they say I should check something out, I’m going to immediately check it out (or put it on my TBR in any event).
- Imaginative Retellings/Interesting Usage of Genre Tropes – This is a HUGE weakness of mine. I never get tired of retellings or tropes being explored in different ways. If I happen to get my hands on a book that is a retelling of another story, I don’t even try to fight it. It’s going home with me, and I’m going to neglect other books to read it. Aside from diversity, this is probably the only other thing that can get me to forsake all books and read it instantly.
- Fun/Interesting Twists In Genres I Don’t Read Often – I’ll read books in any genre, but there are a few genres that I don’t read as often such as Westerns. However, if I find a book that is set in a genre I might not read often and it offers something unusual/interesting/fun to the story, I’m usually all in.
- Books that Generate Interesting Discussions/Debates – I love discussing books almost as much as I love reading them. When I see readers/friends/the community having critical discussions about a book, especially if it hits on many of the social issues I care about, I’m drawn in. I have to read the book and join the conversation.
- Authors Who Put A Lot of Love into Their Story – There’s just something about a book written by an author who has put a ton of work and love into story that really touches. All (most) authors work hard on their stories, but there are some authors who really just go above and beyond with writing, researching, characters, plot, engaging readers, etc. that really speaks to me. I love writers who are overly enthusiastic about their work, and I’m often swayed to read their books because of their gushing.
- Narrated by a Narrator I Love – There have been many books I’ve added to my TBR pile or listened to because it was read by a narrator I love. If I’m on the fence about a book but find an audio version read by someone I really love, that’s usually enough to turn it into a book I want to consume even if it’s just to enjoy the reader.
- My Kids Liked It/Recommended It – As a mom to a son and a daughter who also love to read, nothing moves me to want to read a book more than getting a recommendation from my children. I try to keep up with what they’re reading. I like discussing books with them, and I think they appreciate that I actually show interest in the stories they like. It says so much when they make a recommendation for me based on something they’ve read. In fact, my 11-year-old son has introduced me to many sci-fi and fantasy stories that I enjoyed. He’s even helped me populate lists of genre books I want to read.
There you have it. These are some of the things that make me want to instantly read a book. What are some of yours?
The BiblioSanctum 
Great list. I agree with everyone of your picks — especially #10. I can’t tell you how many great stories my son has helped me discover over the last few years.
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Thank you! My son’s tastes are shaping up to be in a similar vein as mine, and I guess I shouldn’t be surprised how well he can pick out a book for me even with this in mind.
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I think I get abnormally happy when I see lists with diverse reads on them. Is that weird? Anyway, great list! Happy reading.
eli @ the (book) supplier
My TTT
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I don’t think that’s weird at all. I’m the same way. Thanks for stopping by! 😀
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Thanks for your thoughts, Tiara. Good stuff! As an author, it’s good to be reminded of what readers are actually looking for!
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No problem. And thanks for stopping by to read this list! 🙂
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A great cover and recommendations are big ones, but I also love when genre tropes are used in an interesting way. And bookish discussions are the best, so yeah- books that generate discussion on topics I care about would qualify too. 🙂
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Well I do agree with all of those 🙂 I can’t really think of any better ones
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Great list! I’d add a strong opening. Not an overly smart first sentence, but one that shows the author has command of their story and is ready to take it in an interesting direction.
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After I posted this list, I thought about openers as well. A promising opening can definitely make me want to read a story immediately.
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Eh, the whole point of a nice cover is to attract people to read the book, right?
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Perhaps, but I mean this from a personal standpoint and not a generalized one since I can be very picky about covers when I allow myself to be.
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A fantastic cover definitely gets me interested!
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Oooh good points! Seeing lots for cover love today!! And it’s sooo true for me as well!
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Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
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A good, thoughtful list! Covers may not make me want to read all by themselves, but they definitely make me take a closer look. And I love the “atypical settings in genre” idea.
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If a setting sounds like it’s not going to be the normal setting I would read in certain genres, I’m going to check it out for a fresh look on things.
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Recommendations from fellow book-lovers whose judgment I’ve learned to trust are usually what drives me toward a book I’ve never heard before: once you are familiar with the likes and dislikes of a given person, or group of persons, you know that their reactions might more or less parallel yours. And it works, most of the times it does work 🙂
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Agreed. It does work out much of the time. Even in the event that I don’t like the book, I’m usually still able to understand and appreciate what the person liked about the book.
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What a great list. I should have had retellings on my list for sure. And recommendations from your children – I’ve read a number of books over the years for that very reason.
Lynn 😀
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I’m such a sucker for a reselling. Every time I tell myself to I’n not going to keep indulging that habit, I end up making myself a liar. LOL. Also, I would’ve never thought that I would see the day where my children would become the ones that peer pressure e into reading boos. 😛
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#10 is such a sweet one.
And book covers also convince me to try a book.
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A good cover can make me pick up a book that I know nothing about and may not even have any real interest in.
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Yea. The good ones make you curious about its contents.
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The “atypical settings” totally gets me, too. I love European fantasies, of course, but give me more Mesoamerican, Asian, Middle-Eastern…those make me instantly sit up and take note, too 🙂
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Definitely agree. I like European fantasies, too, but I’m always deeply thrilled to read stories that try different settings and build wildly different worlds around these cultures.
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