April 30, 2013

Top Ten Aspects of a Book That Make Me Want to Pick It Up

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the bloggers of The Broke and the Bookish. I altered this prompt slightly to be: Top Ten Aspects of a Book That Make Me Want to Pick It Up." Relying just on words or topics on the cover/blurbs/paratext felt a little too confining for me.


The Chosen One  This is perhaps my greatest weakness of all. Time and again, I just love reading about characters who are usually raised up from obscurity because they are the ONLY ones able to save the world/complete this task. I'm an extremely character-driven reader, and the depth of  characterization this type of story can provide is wonderful. Yes, I realize there's definitely a possibility for these types of books to fail - and fail epically. But there's nothing sweeter than reading a book like this that was done well. (ex. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling) 



The Girl Masquerading as a Boy  Whether it is to fight against injustice, protect her identity, or find a sense of freedom, I just love reading about females who actively fight against conventions by masquerading as males. To clarify, I view masquerading as an active choice, rather than being forced to hide or adopt a disguise. Generally these types of books show that the females are in control of their own fates and are not about to allow male conventions to dictate their lives.  (ex. Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce)



The Fighting Female Protagonist I am well aware that there are tons of ways that females can assert their equality (or superiority) to men,  but this never ever fails to appeal to me. In general, females are smaller, less muscular, and less athletic than men, so it's so rewarding to read about females who are able to overcome those particular issues and prove that their physical strength is a force to be reckoned with. (ex. Graceling by Kristin Cashore)





A Character Thrust in the Middle of Intense Political Intrigue — Although real-world politics don't interest me all that much (something I do need to work on), I find myself so fascinated by political situations found within fantasy and historical fiction novels. And what makes that political drama even more exciting for me? When a character who couldn't care less and fully intends to remain far-removed from it all suddenly becomes a player, forced to learn about all the nuances in the political conflict and work to determine his/her own views. (ex. Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith)



Unreliable Narration  I think it's so easy to fall into the assumption that everything the narrator says is true. I know I do it all the time. After all, for the most part a singular narration is our guide into new conflicts, worlds, and characters. So when the information we've learned comes into question, it can be both an exciting and frustrating experience. Mostly exciting, I think, and it pushes me to become an even more active reader, which is a good thing. (ex. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner)




Focus on Non-Romantic Relationships  Romance is well and good in stories, but sometimes I get the feeling that it's overdone. Every book has to have a romance, or so it seems, especially for young adult novels. So when I find a book whose focus isn't on romance (and maybe even doesn't include one at all), I get ridiculously excited. Our lives are so much more than romance, and relationship doesn't have to equate to romantic love. Friendships and family relationships are just as important. (ex. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein)



Retelling of a Favorite Fairy Tale/Story/Myth  Retellings are so wonderful because they allow people to rethink and reexamine widely known stories. Even already knowing the basics of a story, there are so many variations that can be taken in retellings. I appreciate both lots of creativity and innovation in rewriting a favorite story and also those stories that toe much closer to the original tale, yet still are able to add extra facets to a beloved story. (ex. Beauty by Robin McKinley)




Alternate POV of a Well-Known Story/Historical Event  I love learning about historical events or reading original stories, but, as I mentioned in the point above, there's something so fascinating about being able to look at it from a different perspective. And let's face the truth here: only in recent history have events and stories been told in ways that do not primarily privilege the white male point of view. I'm not only talking about gender issues here, but more broadly about any underrepresented group through the history of the world and written text. (ex. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley)


Fantasy World with a Complex Map  I love reading about fantasy worlds. I love seeing the creativity that go into them and just to learn about a place that's different from the world we inhabit. It can be difficult to visualize those worlds, however, so I always appreciate a map. I remember reading somewhere the dumbest argument ever: one fantasy author kept getting so annoyed that his readers asked for a map, arguing something along the line that we don't urge contemporary authors to include maps. (Anyone else read about this and know who said it?) How exactly are extra aids like maps and glossaries detrimental to a reading experience? Books are ultimately made for the readers, and I think maps can only enhance that reading experience. (ex. A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin)

Standalone  Perhaps I'm becoming a bit of a broken records here, but I adamantly believe that not every story needs to be told in more than one novel. There's absolutely nothing wrong with an author having a specific story to tell, and being cognizant of the fact that while the story could be expanded (or the world could be expanded, or the secondary characters could be better explored, etc.), that's not really necessary. Few things make me happier in books than a standalone that ends on a perfect note. (ex. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater)



 
Please let me know what are the top ten words/topics that make you want to buy or pick up a book!
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Amanda

Amanda loves few things better than sitting down with a cup of tea and a book. She frequently stays up far too late, telling herself she just needs to finish one more page. When she's not wrapped up in the stories of others, Amanda works as a children's librarian in a public library.

20 comments:

  1. Hah I used Graceling as an example too but for special abilities although it's no secret that I love strong female leads. I also love fantasy (the map is a bonus) and multi POV! And I definitely want to see an increase in the number of books with a non-romantic relationship. Great list!

    our TTT @ The Quiet Concert

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    1. Not so much a fan of multi-POV myself (I'd much rather form a great relationship with one narrator than a good one with many. One of my reading quirks, I suppose.) But yay I'm glad we agree on many others! And thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Okay this is a very well thought out list! I didn't do one this week, but I'd like to steal yours. Although The Chosen One has been done over and over again, it always thrills me to read that storyline. LOVE when an author can successfully pull off an unreliable narrator. MWT!!! I can't get enough of retellings and I am always excited when a book is satisfying and a standalone. Agree so much about The Scorpio Races. More story there would ruin it. Although I adore a good romance, I don't want them to be the focus of every book, and I love when a book can move me without that element. LOVE this one.

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    1. haha thanks, Lauren! Feel free to steal for a future TTT. :D Seriously though, it makes me happy to know other readers love the same things in the books they read.

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  3. Oh oh oh! So many great topics here that I didn't even think of but completely agree with! I mean, I'm a sucker for them too. ;) Big fan of unreliable narrators and girls masquerading as boys - wow can't believe I forgot that one!! I've always been totally obsessed with maps in fantasy books/series - one of the reasons why I'll always prefer "real" books over e-books! Yes to political intrigue, such tense fun! And as much as I love a good romance, I do love books that aren't about falling in love too - glad you included that. The only one I have on mine is re-tellings.

    My TTT

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    1. Thanks, Shannon! And that is such a great point about maps in physical vs. ebooks. I bought the e version of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone and eventually caved and bought a physical copy (cause of the map, among other things). When I read a fantasy book with a map, I find myself constantly flipping back to the map so I can understand where the characters are, where they're going, etc. It's just so helpful.

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  4. STANDALONES! Yes! If a book is standalone, I rush towards it, mostly because series can be so disappointing. I'm also a sucker for maps, re-tellings, political intrigue, and kick-ass heroines. I find that unreliable narration is a hit-or-miss for me, as is the chosen one theme and the girl dressed as a boy theme. I like the ideas, but their execution falls flat most of the time for me. When done well, though, I just LOVE them. :)

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    1. I know. Standalone but I don't know much about it? Doesn't matter. Still ranks higher than most series on my personal TBR lists lol. That's unfortunate you had some bad experiences with unreliable narration, chosen one, and girl masquerading as a boy. You should let me know so I can avoid those books. :)

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  5. I absolutely adore your list, and wish I'd thought of many of the things you've included!

    Here's my Top Ten Tuesday.

    Sarah

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    1. Aw thank you! And thanks for stopping by! :)

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  6. I agree with all of the above, except unreliable narration. I love how you included standalone because I am feeling overwhelmed by the number of series I have started that still remain unfinished. Though some of them can stay that way since they weren't interesting enough. I also love the first three SO MUCH! Great list, Manda!

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    1. Unreliable narration is awesome. ;P And I know! I tend to actively ignore the fact I have so many unfinished series right now haha. Thanks, Cort!

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  7. Standalone is a great thing to add to this list. I'm sad I didn't think about it. I love a good trilogy/series but I could use some more standalone novels.

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    1. Definitely! I feel like series is more of a YA issue, so YA authors should take note...lol.

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  8. I've seen a lot of Top Ten Tuesday posts for this topic, but I think I adore your post the most Amanda, I would have gone for the typical terms e.g road trip, Summer reads. But some of your words/topics which convince you are awesome! I would have to agree that The Fighting Female Protagonist is also an important factor for me too! Great list! :)

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    1. Aw, thank you Jasprit! That's so sweet! I could have just done words, but apparently I like torturing myself by spending tons of time putting together my Top Ten Tuesday lists haha. Glad to know you enjoyed reading my choices!

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  9. Yes SO MUCH YES! You make me want to go back and edit my original post with all these topics you mentioned that I failed to include in my list (besides the ones that we both had in common). Seriously, I LOVE each and every one of your choices for TTT this week, I don't even know where to start with commenting... I'll try. I love The Chosen One trope - it almost never gets old for me. And neither does The Fighting Female Protagonist! I love the Girl Masquerading as a Boy premise, but don't get to read many of them, unfortunately. Ditto with Unreliable Narration. Non-Romantic Relationships and Standalones are ones that we don't get to see nearly as often as I would like in YA fiction, I completely agree. Again, great post!

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    1. haha thanks, Aylee! As long as you know you love these things, then what does having them on your list or not matter? :) Glad you agree with so many of these!

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  10. You are so well read, Amanda! I love so many of your examples, but I think my fave is "girls masquerading as boys", YES!

    And I am hoping to tackle all 4 books out in The Queen's Thief series as part of our series challenge (hope you'll decide to join in, Amanda:)

    Love the Code Name Verity/ friendship example too:)

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    1. Thanks, Heather! And yes for girls becoming boys. Such fun to read about!
      And omg yay! Such a wonderful series - and to experience it for the first time is just magical. You'll need to constantly post your thoughts. And I'm pretty sure I will, if I can keep to a very limited set of goals and all.

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