Happy Tuesday! Which means another Top Ten Tuesday, this week all about ten things that make me pick up a book.
1. Hype
I suffer from the very human trait of not wanting to be left out, so if a book is being discussed by bloggers everywhere I’ll give it a read.
2. Recommendations
Recommendations are a big way to grow my tbr. I have one friend, Jo, who is yet to recommend me a bad book. If she loved it I probably will too.
3. The Author
If I loved something else by that author usually I’ll pick up their next book.
4. Female Computer Scientists
Literally the only reason I’m waiting for When Dimple Met Rishi to come available at the library. If it’s got a female in STEM in it I’ll probably lap it up.
5. Dragons
Hello, yes, I’m here for all the dragons.
6. Humour
If your book is full of quick quips and a comical narrative I’ll be all over it.
7. Banterous Friendships
I love a bit of self degrading banter between friends (subtly different from humour since it’s usually more sparingly used).
8. Pirates
Yessss. Give me all the boats and pirates and exploration full of adventure and scary sea things.
9. A Pretty Cover
Ok, I’m sorry, I’m vain. I love pretty books for my Bookstagram. I’m 100% more likely to buy your book if I can take pretty, colourful photos.
10. Diverse Characters
Although it’s great to see myself in a character, I don’t want to see myself in every novel I read and definitely don’t want to see myself in every character in that novel. I’ve already got the white, straight girl perspective right here, ready for something new! Good rep is very important to me as a reader.
Let’s Compare Notes
So there you have it! Ten things that definitely will out your book on my radar (wink wink nudge nudge authors). What’s something you love seeing in books? Do you have a list? Do you agree with anything on my list? I would love it if you drop a link or opinion in the comments!
Books, Life and Other Oddities 
Great list. I love a pretty cover too and books with dragons. 🙂
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Who doesn’t like a dragon!
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Great post, some of yours match with mine
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Ooh which ones?
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2 and 3
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Great list! You’re not alone, I love a pretty cover too. Also yes to books about women in STEM!
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It’s a universal truth that we bookworms love pretty covers 😜
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Ha ha this puts a lot of pressure on me, one day there might be a book I recommend you that you don’t love! I love pretty much all of these as well, I can’t say that I look for women in STEM the same way that you do, but I have liked the books I’ve read with STEM women in them. I obviously love humour and banterous friendships, they are my faves and will always pick up new books by authors I’ve previously loved. I actually need to read more books with dragons in them, because much as I say I love them, I think I can count on the fingers of one hand the books I’ve read that have them. I also love pirates and am a sucker for a pretty cover. I’ve started trying to consciously find more diverse books since blogging and I’ve definitely read some really great ones. I have kind of a love/hate relationship with hype, I will pick up more books because of it but they are more likely to disappoint me. I also rely on friends/other bloggers’ recommendations and have found some great books that way.
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Speaking of women in STEM have you heard of To Best The Boys? It’s got a female main character who’s into science & is based around people competing for a scholarship for Uni. I’ve heard pretty good stuff about it so far.
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Oh wow that sounds really cool! I haven’t actually, but I’ll have to look out for it!
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Yeah, I think it’s relatively new, just came out last month?
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Ooh I’ll look out for it!
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🙂
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I am fairly sure that won’t happen given your track record 😂 also I read reviews to cross reference 😜 haha fair! I think it’s more of the authors fault, they need to write more books with dragons in them 😂 although Priory looks like it’ll have a good splattering. Yeah me too actually, I think I’ve only really realised how important it is since becoming a blogger, I didn’t really think about diversity in books before. I do get what you mean about hype, I have been disappointed, but I also like being able to complain about hyped books 😂
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Ha ha good, I’m glad you don’t just take my word for it. They really do-yes, I think it will, I just haven’t got around to reading it yet, it’s so huge and I’m still working through Kingdom of Ash (I say that, I haven’t actually picked it up since February). Yeah me either, it just wasn’t something I really had to think about, but I definitely should have been. Ha ha that is true, complaining about hyped books disappointing you is fun.
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It’s so big, I still don’t know if I’ll ever pick it up. You’ve been on that book for agessss 😂 yeah me too! Ah someone else who enjoys a negative review 😜
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I mean fair. I KNOW, I’M FRUSTRATED, I need to finish because it’s the last book in the series but it’s SOOOOOO LONG. Oh I love a negative review, they’re so much fun to write.
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Yeah not sure how I’m going to tackle that giant book if I get round to finishing that series, itll probably take me a whole month, I’ll have to really love the series to commit to that 😂
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Fingers crossed!
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I agree so much with the not wanting to be left out part. Whenever a book is always being talked about and I know what’s being talked about, I feel so accomplished. That’s why I REALLY need to catch up on the shadowhunter chronicles soon.
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Haha I get that too! I sort of gave up on those, I was really into them when I was younger but got behind and don’t think I can commit to catching up again tbh 🤔
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Wow. This listicle is awesome.
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Thanks!
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I love the diverse characters reason! I’m also attracted to books about other cultures and people different than me. So much to learn from them.
Here’s my TTT: https://www.hungry-bookworm.com/2019/04/02/top-ten-tuesday-things-that-make-me-pick-up-a-book/
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Thanks! Yeah me too, books can really stretch our horizons! Thanks for leaving your link 😁
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Yes to female computer scientists in books! Great answer.
My post.
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Oh we so do! Thanks, did your link work? I can’t seem to click it 🤔
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Yes, to a diverse cast! I’m one to shy away from a book that’s been overly hyped, even though I do sometimes cave later on. LOL
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
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Yay! I have heard that from other bloggers too, I don’t mind reading hyped books but you have to keep in mind it doesn’t get overhyped, which just leads to disappointment 😦 thanks for the link!
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Yessss, I love pirates!
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Every book should have them 😜
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Pirates and dragons, yes! I very rarely pick up a book that isn’t diverse is some way, there’s so much good stuff out there nowadays.
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That’s good! I think I find that too tbh 😁
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You just convinced me to buy When Dimple Met Rishi with your female computer scientist comment there. I’m meeting Sandhya Menon next Saturday, and I kinda wanted to read one of her books before then (she’s speaking at the Colorado Teen Literature Conference I’m going to). Now I need to get that book and read it so she can sign it.
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Yay! Haha thanks 😀 oh that’s so cool! So jealous!
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Great list 🙂 Yes to pretty covers and dragons! And more diverse characters, well-written ones, not just there to ‘tick a box’.
My TTT: http://bit.ly/T10Tues
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Thanks! Oh we Bookworms need all the dragons! Yeah well developed diverse characters! Thanks for leaving your link!
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Great answers and yay another dragon lover! And YES to female computer scientists and pirates. Actually, I’ve been wanting to read a good pirate book for a while but I’m not sure what to read. Any recommendations?
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Haha thanks! I read To Kill a Kingdom recently and that was really good, have you read it?
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Yes I have! I ship Elian and Lira so much!
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Aw I just love them together 😍 that book banta was amazing
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I see none of us book lovers can escape the hype, huh? And oh man! Dragons 😍 Also, when I saw “pirates” on your list, it reminded me that I forgot to write down “adventures” as one of the items on my TTT list! Gotta fix that! 🙂
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