Top Ten Tuesday: Things That Make Me Pick Up a Book

Here’s another Top Ten Tuesday post! I know I do these kind of sporadically, and this is only my third one so far (I think), but sometimes it’s really hard for me to come up with stuff for topics, so I don’t do all of them. I wanted to this, though! I am also counting this as a post for Bookending Spring.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that was created by The Broke and the Bookish in 2010 and is now hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl.

In no particular order, here are some things that make me want to pick up a book!

1. It’s written by a favorite author

This one’s pretty obvious, I think. Once I have read and liked a book by a particular author, I will be on the lookout for other books that they have written!

2. It has potential to invoke painful emotions

I don’t cry a lot when I read books. If I cry, or even if I feel like crying… that’s a big thing, and said book is probably going to end up in my favorites. Not crying much doesn’t mean that I’m emotionless, and I love books that give me all the feels! Books I’ve picked up because they looked emotional include:

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3. It has morally gray characters

I mean, this does have to be done well because I can be picky, but I love characters that straddle the line between good and bad. They may have done bad things in their life, but there’s a good reason for it—to accomplish something they feel strongly towards, in order to survive, etc. These characters also tend to be the hard on the outside soft on the inside type, which I may have a soft spot for.

4. It has a medieval-ish setting

I think you could say a good chunk of fantasy falls into this category—with swords, castles, kingdoms—except there’s magic and sometimes mythical creatures. That’s probably a big reason why I like fantasy so much, actually. There’s just something about the time period… it certainly wasn’t pretty, but as long as I don’t actually have to live during those conditions, it has a certain draw.

5. It’s been hyped and/or an award

I’m not sure if I should be ashamed of this or not… but yes, the more I see a book being yelled about, the more likely I am to read it. Or at least add it to my TBR, because, y’know, it’s hard to pick up every book being talked about! However, I try to read these books critically and don’t give good reviews just because of the hype. Reading such books also isn’t always a given, as for instance I have yet to read The Raven Boys, the Shatter Me series, and the Illuminae Files. Not that I don’t have plans to read some of these, but hype doesn’t always mean I’ll pick it up immediately.

6. The world sounds cool

I love books with well-fleshed out and original worlds, so if it sounds like the book fits this I’m more likely to pick it up! World-building has always fascinated me.

7. A squad or group of characters

I also love books that feature more than one or two main characters. There’s something about a group of characters coming together and needing to work towards a certain goal while overcoming personal and interpersonal struggles. These books also often tend to feature some beautiful friendships!

8. Diverse characters

A diverse cast is always a plus and something I look for, whether it be race, LGBTQ+, or neurodiversity.

9. A journey that challenges the world’s norms

It can sometimes be hard to tell at first glance if a book has something like this, but I like books where the characters defy what is typical in the world. A girl isn’t supposed to do that? Well, guess what, she’s gonna fight to do it. This kind of person and that kind of person can’t interact? Well, too bad, because it’s gonna happen.

10. Features a hate to love trope

We gotta indulge ourselves sometimes, okay? I don’t mind a trope well done, and hate to love… ahhh. I confess I enjoy reading these kinds of relationships.

That’s all, friends! What kind of things draw you to pick up a book? Do we share any of the same likes?