Buzzwords
Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is Things That Instantly Make Me Want to Read a Book. I call those Buzzwords. Here are the top ten things that will make me want to get my hands on a book ASAP.
Vampires - This is probably a harkening back to my teen years when I read as many of Anne Rice's vampire books as I could get my hands on. Not all vampire books are created equal, sadly. I've tried some truly horrendous ones. Neverheless, I will continue to read them.
Jane Austen - This will come as no surprise. If a book is a retelling of JA, I will read it. If a writer's style is likened to that of Austen, I will read it. If a book is yet another take on a biography of the great lady, I will read it. I will put them all directly in my eyeballs.
Dogs - If a book is narrated by a dog, I want it. If a book is a book with pictures of dogs, I want it. As long as no dogs are harmed in the narrative of the book, I will read it. I abhor the Dog's Purpose series. Although they are narrated by dogs, the dogs die and are reincarnated again and again. I can't take it. It was nauseating. A good example of dog books are the Chet and Bernie series.
Books - I will never not read a book about books. I love a list of books you should read. I don't pay much attention to the "should" part, but I like to learn about books. Nancy Pearl wrote a series of books that solely contain lists of good books. This is like catnip to me.
Reading - Right along with reading about books, I love to read about other people's reading. I love when people describe what they're reading, how they are reading, why they are reading what they're reading, and everything else related to that. One of my favorite books is So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson which describes her year-long goal to read a book each week and write about it. I also love The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs. It's all about reading. Not really what to read, but how to think about reading and to enjoy it more. Nerdpurr!
Sociological Science - This is what I call those books about how society is and how it got this way. This is usually nonfiction and is about a whole host of things: race, gangs, cults, poverty, prisons, natural disasters, mass shootings, etc. I blame my minor in sociology for this weird interest.
Historical Fiction (not WWII) - I think we have just been inundated with WWII historical fiction for far too long and I have had enough. Other historical fiction, though, I am here for. Victorian? Regency? Jazz Age? Edwardian? Yes please. I even like the Tudor fiction, if I can remember who everyone is.
Dark Academia - Creepy schools, ivy-covered buildings, sinister doings in dark hallways. These things are super-enticing. Jane Eyre, The Historian, The Secret History, The Magicians, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. All dark academia books that I have loved.
Rock Stars - But not any old rock stars. I don't care how awesome Dave Grohl's memoir is, I'm not interested. I have memoirs from Motley Crue, Slash, and Sebastian Bach (all rock stars from the 80s). I love the general overviews of the era a la Nothing But a Good Time that I read last month. This was a supremely weird time in music and culture and I am glad to have seen it.
Literary Fiction - I have recently sort of stopped reading literary fiction, but I follow a woman on BookTube who has reignited my interest. During the pandemic, it felt too difficult. It seemed to take too much brain power. But I have recently picked up a few and found it to be not too difficult. Not reading it regularly, didn't stop me from purchasing plenty of it, so I have lots on my shelf.
Ok. There are 10 buzzwords that will get me to read a book. What are yours?