Today I am linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for their Top Ten Tuesday prompt.
There are many things that will instantly make me want to read a book and I had a hard time deciding how to classify this list. To keep it simple, I condensed it as you see below.
- Author -I keep a list of authors who I consider must-read, meaning I own most if not all of their books and immediately purchase any new releases. Unfortunately or fortunately for me this list continues to grow! Just a few of the authors on my list include: Jenny B Jones, Nichole Van, Tessa Afshar, Laura Frantz, Tamara Leigh, Heather Burch, Joanne Bischof, Elizabeth Camden, Nicole Deese, Tammy L Gray, Becky Doughty, Sibella Giorello, Jody Hedlund, Kristen Heitzmann, Susan May Warren, Denise Hunter, Ronie Kendig, Julie Klassen, Siri Mitchell, Amy Leigh Simpson, Brandy Vallance, and Becky Wade.
- Setting -I can pretty much guarantee you that any book set in Russia at any time in history or with a Russian character is going to be one I have to read. Don’t ask me why, but I’m fascinated with Russia’s culture and history and there are not nearly enough novels set there. Susan May Warren has a couple of series set in Russia that I enjoyed such as the Heirs of Anton and Mission:Russia. I also loved Ronie Kendig’s Russian spy hero in her book Talon.
- Time Period -Historical fiction is my favorite genre with the medieval time .period being my favorite. So, I am constantly on the lookout for good stories set in medieval Britain and have even found a few set in France and Italy such as Lisa Tawn Bergren’s YA series River of Time and also her Novel of the Gifted series.
- Time Travel -I feel time travel stories are the best of both worlds, contemporary and historical fiction, so when I find one I haven’t read I am immediately intrigued. Nichole Van is my current favorite author of this type of story.
- Cover -Let’s be honest, who isn’t drawn to a book by it’s cover? Why else would that be a popular phrase to use, because we do judge books by covers. I am currently anticipating two new books from new to me authors simply because the covers caught my eye! And now I am eagerly awaiting the release of Ascension of Larks by Rachel Linden along with Toward a Secret Sky by Heather MacLean.
- Sale -Again, ladies let’s be honest. Which one of us can resist a good sale? I have read many a book written by an author I had never heard of, simply because the book was either discounted or even free. I have discovered several of my favorite new authors this way, particularly indie authors who self-publish. I say yay for book sales!
- Book Reviews -Sometimes I will read a book I didn’t think would interest me simply because I read a review by someone I trust. I don’t often take random book recommendations from friends, but a review gives me information about the story itself while also highlighting things the reviewer loved about it.
- Sequel -I love/hate books with sequels, mainly because I always want to know how the story ends. I’m one of those readers who read the back of the book first. So, if I fall in love with a story which takes more than one book to tell, then I absolutely have to read the sequel to find out what happens! I am currently biting my nails waiting on Firstborn, which is the sequel to Tosca Lee’s book The Progeny that I read last year. I loved it, but I hate that I have to wait so long to find out what happens. Therefore, I can promise you I will be buying Firstborn as soon as it releases.
I know I’m a bit short of ten, but there you have it.