
I’d like to think I’m not particularly fussy when it comes to picking books to read. That I like to read widely and experimentally. And while this is broadly true, it’s also fair to say that I am a judgemental bitch who definitely makes snap decisions about books without sufficient evidence to back up said decisions. So, in the interests of calling me out on this terrible habit of mine, here are my top ten book turn-ons for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday: the things that will make me want to read a book straight away, laid bare.
Top Ten Things That Will Make Me Instantly Want To Read A Book
1. Cute books about geeky characters. I’m talking Life in Outer Space, Fangirl, The Geek Feminist Revolution. Because I love to be among my own people.
2. Any popular science writer who’s described as ‘this generation’s Carl Sagan’. I sincerely doubt it, sir, but I’m willing to give you a chance.
3. Basically any book about Jane Austen. Because it’s me, people.

4. Eighteenth and nineteenth-century female writers that nobody has ever heard of, and who have suddenly emerged out of the woodwork after two hundred years and become A Thing. One hundred years ago they were pulp fiction, now we study them in universities. Take that, patriarchy!
5. Slavic fairy tales. No particular reason.
6. Any book with the word ‘Museum’ in the title. I could explain why, but it would probably take too long and involve several lengthy and teary segues about my childhood. Or it could just be another weird interest of mine.
7. Diasporic fiction. Extra points if the writer is from former Yugoslavia. What’s that? Did I hear you say ‘niche interests unlikely to ever result in a permanent teaching position at a reputable university’? Well, I never.
8. Any book described (by respectable scholarly sources, of course) as ‘a seminal work of postmodernist fiction’. This is basically a guarantee that I will want to read the book, no matter how long, complicated, or wanky it actually is.

9. Fantasy books with snarky supporting characters. I just think the world can never have enough of them.
10. Hipster covers. Urgh, I know, I’m the worst trend-following-sheep-type-person ever. But answer me this: if hipsters were so bad, would we have given them control of our dogs?
7 replies on “Top Ten Things That Will Make Me Instantly Want To Read A Book”
Your list made me chuckle – especially number 7. Happy reading, yo.
eli @ the (book) supplier
Haha, thanks! :)
I TOTALLY agree with #4. Niche 18th century writers that are suddenly all the rage? Yes please!
Yeah, I find them fascinating. :)
Lol. I love your list. What exactly are hipster covers though? can you give me an example so I can love them too :-)
Thanks! :) Hipster covers are basically any covers designed using elements of Hipster design (https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/t/set-brochures-hipster-style-63779170.jpg). That kind of thing. Vintage Classics have adopted that minimalist style in lots of their cover designs for instance. :)
[…] week’s Top Ten Tuesday was all about things that will instantly make you want to read a book. But I love this week’s topic even more: things that will instantly make you not want to […]