It's been a while since I've done a Top Ten Tuesday, but I do love this link-up and it's good to be back.  If you want to see more TTT posts, head over to The Broke and the Bookish to check it out.


What are the top ten words/topics that make you pick a book up?

This is a great question because I never really realized there are some topics that I naturally gravitate toward in my reading choices.  I think this sort of reading persona is something that evolves over time.  I know there are some distinct topics that I generally avoid, i.e., politics, Christian fiction, western, child or animal abuse.  But I've never really sat down and looked closely at my shelves and noticed the recurring themes.

So, here is my top ten list of favorite book topics...

This is one that has been waning lately.  This topic used to be an auto-buy for me because they were rare and unique.  Now they are the opposite of rare. There is a plentiful bounty of dystopian books on the shelves these days, mostly congregating in the YA area.  Not that it's been all bad.  I've enjoyed quite a few YA dys's lately.  They just aren't what they used to be though.
A few of my favorites: The Giver, The Hunger Games, The Handmaid's Tale

I love the juxtaposition of time travel.  It makes for a beautiful and twisted canvas to paint the most creative story on.
A few of my favorites: Outlander, The Time Traveler's Wife

It recently dawned on me that I am fascinated by the topic of life and death and I absolutely love creative variations of the afterlife.  This topic has so much potential.  When you play with the boundaries of life and death, the sky isn't even the limit.
A few of my favorites: The Country of the Young, My Name is Memory, The Book Thief

Who doesn't love a good love story, right?  Even further than that, I always look for a slightly conflicted love story.  It makes the story better when the romance isn't too easy.
A few of my favorites: Pride and Prejudice,  Perfect Chemistry

I won't tell you guys that I was one of those people who loved vampires before it was cool...everyone loved vampires before it was cool.  I'm sad that this topic has outgrown it's popular phase, but I still seek out a few now and then to see if there is anything good coming out on this fascinating topic.
A few of my favorites: The Black Dagger Brotherhood, Twilight

I would rather read about a chick kicking ass than being a damsel in distress any day of the week.  This is one I didn't even realize is very prominent on my shelf, but it makes sense.
A few of my favorites: The Fever series, Graceling, Fire, The Hunger Games

I have a few bad habits left over from being an English major.  One of these habits is being enthralled by the topic of colonialism.  This was one of my favorite courses and I still buy anything by certain authors, even if I don't read them.  I like my bookshelves to look smart.
A few of my favorites: Cry, the Beloved Country, Waiting for the Barbarians

How complex, right?  I love books about books.  It makes sense.
A few of my favorites: The Shadow of the Wind, The Book Thief

Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England…that whole damn grid on the map.  There's no better setting than those moody, romantic shores.  The magic is already there, ready for a great story to be told.
A few of my favorites: The Mermaid's Singing, Outlander (Scotland)

I really didn't want to use the term FanFic, but there's no other way to describe it.  This is one trend I notice that I always buy, or at least add them to my list, but rarely read.  You know those books that tells an extended story about a classic fictional story that we didn't get in the original.  Juliet Immortal, The Bad Miss Bennett, Mr. Darcy's Diary, and the list goes on.  I can honestly say the only two that I've read is The Wide Sargasso Sea and Ophelia.  I liked them both, but not nearly as much as the original, so I don't know why I'm still so drawn to these types of novels. 

What are your auto-buy topics?
Do you have any good recommendations for me based on my favorite topics?