Book Buzz Words

Happy Stranger Things Day (and July 4th). When thinking up what post I could share today I was inspired by Stranger Things and came up with the idea of sharing what will make me add a book to my reading wishlist. What inclusions in a synopsis will make me immediately want to get my hands on a book. We all have these little 'buzz words' that make us take a second look at a book without knowing anything else.

Here are some of mine:

1. Peter Pan Retellings

It is fairly obvious to anyone who has been a long time reader of this blog that I love Peter Pan. Any sort of retelling of this still will immediately be added to my must read list. Luckily, there have been quite a few released.

• Tiger Lily by Jody Lynn Anderson
• Everland by Wendy Spinale
• Pan by Gina L Maxwell
• Darling by K. Ancrum  

I particularly love when the story is given a darker twist. I am even okay with the ones that make Peter evil.

2. Carnival Settings

Carnival settings offer their own kind of magic. They can be filled with wonder and excitement or spooky and filled with terror. You can make it so many things. There have been a few books with this setting released and I am always on the look out for more.

• Caraval by Stephanie Garber
• Daughter Of The Burning City by Amanda Foody
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• Harley In The Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Combine a carnival setting with some fantasy/paranormal elements and I will become obsessed.

3. Vampires

I love all things paranormal but I have a particular love for anything involving vampires. They can be sexy, scary, intriguing, and heartbreaking. I am glad that they are making a return to young adult literature (and hopefully adult as well).

• Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice
• Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
• The Coldest Girl In Coldtown by Holly Black
• The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

There is something about the ability to live forever and the impact all those years would have on someone's psyche that fills these stories with the potential to be a great character driven read.

4. Anything Inspired By True Crime

Books that offer fictionalized accounts of true events always catch my eye. This Murderjno tends to seek out ones inspired by real life crimes. There are no shortage of these but I am always looking for more.

• Lizzie by Dawn Ius (inspired by Lizzie Borden)
• The Girls by Emma Cline (inspired by the Manson Family)
• Becoming Bonnie/Side by Side by Jennie L Walsh (inspired by Bonnie and Clyde)
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (inspired by countless cases of men murdering their wives)

When done right these can be compelling and a way for people to dip their toe into true crime.

5. Love Triangles

It probably doesn't t surprise anyone that I enjoy love triangles. Even though I am the Patron Saint of Doomed Ships I love shipping. I know this opinion is probably not the popular one but I love when a book has a love triangle. When a love triangle is executed properly it can something extra to the story. It is a staple in young adult novels and is the cause for many ship wars.

• The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare
• To All The Boys I've Loved Before Series by Jenny Han
• The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
• Transcend by Jewel E Ann

We seem to not have as many of these in novels as we used to but, like most things, I anticipate it will circle back around.

6. Any Fairytale Retelling

Beauty and the Beast. The Little Mermaid. Snow White. Cinderella. I love any sort of fairytale retelling/reimagining. They can be modern or stay close to the source material. They can offer a darker, more edgy tone. They can be filled with twists. There is so much potential and that is exactly what I love about them.

• Beau Rivage Series by Sarah Cross
• The Lunar Chronicles by Melissa Meyer
• Cursebreakers Series by Brigid Kemmerer
• St Rosetta's Academy by Sandhya Menon

These have always been popular and I hope they expand to less well known fairytales in the future.

7. Royalty

Any book involving any sort of royal family will instantly catch my eye. I am not sure what exactly draws me to them but I especially like romances involving some sort of royal element. They can be based on a real royal family or entirely made up. I just want to feel whisked away by the story and hopefully swoon a little along the way.

• The Royal We Series by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
• Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• Royals Series by Rachel Hawkins
• American Royals Series by Katharine McGee 

These are always popular and tend to have spike whenever there is a royal baby or wedding in the news.

8. Fame/Hollywood

Books set in Hollywood, particularly 'old Hollywood' will catch my attention. There is something captivating about that time period and just Hollywood in general. It isn't just the older Hollywood set ones that I love. Books set in the music industry, or current Hollywood hold just as strong of a draw for me.

• Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Idea Of You by Robin Lee
• Famous In Love Series by Rebecca Serle
• Crashing The A List by Summer Heacock

I would love to see more books in the genre be released. I feel there is lots of potential for fictionalized accounts of the true stories of Hollywood legends in particular.

What is something that will instantly make you add a book to you reading list? Let me know in the comments. Do you know of any books that include any of my 'buzz words' in them? I would love if you shared those in the comments as well.