Top Ten Tuesday- Things That Make Me Instantly Read A Book
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more Top Ten Tuesday topics! This week’s topic is things that make me instantly want to read a book (auto-buy authors, tropes, if an author you loved blurbed it, settings, genres, etc.)
I’m going to stay away from auto-buy authors because… it would be a long post. With that in mind… LET’S GO!
Blood Magic
Yup. That’s me. I’m that dark girl, and I think you’ll find that trend throughout this post. But blood magic such as Ink In The Blood and, more recently, Ink Blood Sister Scribe is catnip to me.
Desperate Housewives-esque Thrillers
YES MAAM! Again, this is me. I’m that girl. Give me the rich housewife drama, PLEASE! Double bonus if it includes a neighborhood message board or anonymous app like No One Needs To Know. Triple bonus if you can include emotional rollercoasters like On A Quiet Street.
Unlikeable Characters
Yep, it is me again. I love some well-executed unlikeable characters. Give them all to me. Morally gray? Screw that. Give me your soulless characters and some morally gray mixed in for good measure. Hell, give me a book that pushes my moral compass because I don’t even know what I would do. WHAMMO! The Photographer by Marie Dixie Carter wins this class, hands down, but I didn’t write a review at the time.
Thrillers With Social Themes
Whether it is women authors going full throttle for people to lay off all the vaginas like The Swap, First To Lie, And The Night Swim (double whammy for having all the issues), or Race and Class Issues like Tiffany Jackson’s entire library? I’m here for it as long as it maintains the thriller piece, of course. And I would be stupid not to mention author Kia Abdullah in this list. She is a master.
Neighborhood Thrillers
NOPE! Not the same as Desperate Housewives. In these, everyone is fucked up and doing fucked up things. Still, though, a double whammy for the neighborhood message board/app. See the soon-to-be-released, The Block Party by Jamie Day.
Cult Books
Just shut up and leave me alone, lol. Here is my recent round-up of the best cult books I’ve recently read. Also, look for Lay Your Body Down, coming at the end of June.
Chosen One/Prophecy Tropes
Look. Whether it is a book that turns the trope on its head like, The Fate of the Fallen or There Will Come A Darkness (Age of Darkness Series), give me all your prophecies and chosen one tropes!
Friendships (I.E., Not Romance)
No secret here. I’m not a romance girl. Give me friendships that actually stay friendships or hell lovers turned enemies in a torturous, angry, revengeful way, and I’m here for it. Anything else makes me want to puke. Oh! And when the death of a lover causes characters to go on epic flights of revenge.
Tell us what you really think, huh? Susan, I love how you have absolutely no filter, please don’t ever change.
While I went with the regular, boring, run of the mill answers to this question, you made me realize that a lot of your answers also suit me as well – Desperate Housewives or neighborhood drama? Morally gray or amoral characters? Yes please!
Thank you ma’am! I loved your answers too! I can only be me. Unless I could be Gerard Way. Then I’d be Gerars Way. Lol I’m glad my answers resonated with you. I really wish the desperate housewife theme took off like destination thrillers! And yes! Why don’t people want unlikeable characters in thrillers and fantasies, for that matter. Doesn’t make much sense.