Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons I’ll Read a Book ASAP

~ Holly

Happy Tuesday!! This week for Top Ten Tuesday I’ll be sharing the Top Ten Reasons I’ll Read a Book ASAP. In other words, these are some aspects of books that I look for when deciding what to read next. There are so many that I could list, but these are the first ones that come to mind.

1. An eye-catching cover design. I’m a sucker for a well-designed book cover, especially ones that are simple and have beautiful typography.

2. It’s written by one of my auto-read authors. There are some authors whose writing I will read no matter what the story or work is about. A few examples are John Green, Michael Crichton, and Joseph J. Ellis.

3. I love the author’s other work (both books and movies/shows/music/etc.). This applies to books written by people who are famous in other fields as well, such as acting, music, art, etc. A few of my personal favorites are Mindy Kaling, Stacy London, and George Watsky.

4. The book is highly recommended by my friends, professors, blogs, online reviews in general, etc. I love when people recommend books to me, especially when they are books that I’ve never heard of before. It’s the best feeling to discuss a book with the person who originally recommended it to you.

5. It has a boarding school setting. Surprise, surprise! I feel like I mention this fact a lot, but I’ve always gravitated towards books that take place at boarding schools or similar settings. I’ve loved Looking for Alaska by John Green, Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta– even Harry Potter!!

6. The story takes place during or around the Civil War in the United States. The Civil War in the United States has always fascinated me, likely due to the countless different factors that ultimately culminated in such an unthinkable event. For this reason, novels like Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell always capture my attention immediately.

7. I loved the movie adaptation. Though I prefer to read books before watching their movie adaptations, sometimes its unavoidable that I’ll do it in the reverse order. However, I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy several books after seeing their movie adaptations, including The Shining by Stephen King and The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

8. It’s about hiking. Hiking mountains is one of my favorite things to do, which means that I also love to read about people’s personal experiences walking in the woods. For instance, I had a great time listening to the audio book of Wild by Cheryl Strayed.

9. It’s associated with a holiday. My enthusiasm for celebrating holidays definitely bleeds over into my reading choices. If it’s December and I see a book relating to Christmas, you can bet that I’m going to pick it up! A few recent examples of this are Skipping Christmas by John Grisham and My True Love Gave to Me, edited by Stephanie Perkins.

10. I can personally relate to a character’s experience in the story. If there’s a book about someone struggling with an allergy, trying to make it through college, or traveling abroad, then you can be sure that I’ll be picking it up ASAP!

What things will make you want to pick up a book? What do you think of the reasons I’ve listed? Let me know in the comments section below!

Yours,

HOLLY

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39 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons I’ll Read a Book ASAP”

    1. Being familiar with the author is a big one for me as well. It’s reassuring to know that you’ve already enjoyed something else they’ve written, so the chances are pretty good that you’ll enjoy their other work, too. 🙂

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  3. #5 was on my list, too! I always secretly wish I could go to boarding school (although I’m glad now that I didn’t), so it’s fun to read about them. Jellicoe Road is one of my favorites! I also love the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray. Have you read it?

    #10 is a really good one. I love being able to relate to a character and to think, “YES, this author really gets me.”

    My TTT

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    1. OMG, I love the Gemma Doyle series, too! The way Libba Bray blends fantasy and historical fiction in that trilogy is brilliant. I read them a few years ago and I remember flying through the series even though all of the books are pretty lengthy.

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  6. I will almost always pick up a book if I’ve been told it’s funny. One of my favorite things about reading is when a book can make me laugh. Also, I’m a sucker for stories about rag-tag groups of kids. A bunch of misfits off to save the world? Yes, please.

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    1. Thank you!!
      Boarding school books are the BEST. ❤ I would highly recommend Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, Looking for Alaska by John Green, and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banksby E. Lockhart.

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  11. I love boarding schools settings just as well, I read too little of these kind of books – if you have any suggestions…. 😀
    Also, I really enjoy it when I can find myself and relate to what a character’s going through. Lovely post! 🙂

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    1. Thank you!! ❤ If you're looking for boarding school books, I highly recommend Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, A Great and Terribly Beauty by Libba Bray, Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard, and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banksby E. Lockhart.

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    1. I usually try to read a book before seeing its movie adaptation, but sometimes I just can’t get around to doing so beforehand. The downside is that then when I read the book I tend to picture the characters and the setting like they were depicted in the movie… so reading the book first is definitely preferred! 🙂

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    1. Boarding school settings are the best ❤ If you're looking for more, I highly recommend Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, A Great and Terribly Beauty by Libba Bray, Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard, and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banksby E. Lockhart.

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  17. I didn’t add Auto Read authors to my list this week but totally agree with you. I don;t even read the descriptions anymore, just one click on amazon and it’s on its way to me!
    I’ve never read anything that’s set in the civil war, but I totally agree with you on the eye catching covers! They have to be pretty looking if they are going to sit on my shelf! 🙂

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    1. hahaha definitely, pretty covers are a priority if I’m thinking about buying a certain edition of a book. It matters less to me when deciding to read something in the first place, but if I’m going to purchase a copy then I pay attention to which edition it is.

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  19. Pingback: Probably don’t want every book set in a Civil-War era boarding school/holiday but some good tips nonetheless! | Lonely Power Poles

  20. Gone With The Wind is the best!!! I think the one you mentioned that I related to THE MOST, though, was that I loved (or even hated????) the movie. Like you, I PREFER to read the book first because that always works out better, but assuming I didn’t KNOW there was a book until the movie came out, watching the movie NEVER FAILS to make me want to rush out and gobble up that book!!! This even applies when I have seen the movie/read the book before… watching the movie again makes me want to reread!!

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