What themes instantly draw you to a book? Are there themes (or even particular lines or imprints) that are autobuy for you regardless of whether you've heard of the author or not.
For me, paranormal themes are of course an autobuy. But here are my themes that I cannot resist (and I'm sure I'll think of more as time goes by):
1. Urban fantasy is first and foremost. What better combination than the best aspects of the paranormal with the best aspects of a fantasy novel? Urban fantasy is not a romance though....
2. So paranormal romances of course are my next top theme. Vampires especially are a draw for me; I think it dates back to when I was a kid and Stephen King's Salem's Lot scared me to death. I was hooked! I like other paranormal beings and authors like Lori Devoti are stretching me even further in this genre. This also includes the fact that Silhouette Nocturnes are autobuys for me, as were the Silhouette Shadows line back in the day.
4. Ace Fantasy books are automatics for me. I can't resist them and they've yet to lead me astray.
5. Luna Fantasy novels also have me hooked. I am picky about which fantasy novels I like (and I can't pinpoint exactly what draws me to this fantasy versus that fantasy) so it's nice to have two imprints I can trust.
6. Books with strong feminine heroines. I don't mean the kind that fall into the brash or almost jerk-like traits, but strong women who epitomize the best traits of woman as a whole gender.
7. I don't know how to describe this but books with an archaeological theme, particularly if they delve into mysterious secrets like the Rogue Angel series or like the books by Matthew Reilly, James Rollins, or Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child.
8. Another one I don't know how to describe... epic horrors that switch perspectives maybe? Books like Stephen King classics or Dean Koontz where you see the storyline building from various perspectives as it all builds up to something big and grand.
Any themes that you enjoy?
Interesting blog
Yeah I have a few themes that I will auto buy no matter the author or series.
Paranormal no doubt especially vampire books, were-creatures or shapeshifters.
I'm also picky with fantasy but if the blurb is right up my alley then I will pick it up and if its part of a series I will get all of them same with the paranormal.
Certain historicals is a theme that I will pick up especially good sounding westerns(both historical or modern) or Scottish/Old time England era, especially anything by Bertrice Small during those periods.(ok she is a auto buy for me for anything but I love her O'Malley Sagas)
Any kind of ghostly, creepy, dark sounding suspense is a instant buy.
Even though I haven't read any of my copies of "Rogue Angel' books, I bought them because I just love books that have adventures that also includes dipping into historical times. Along with that Tomb Raider tough type woman as the main character and theme. (I have just about all the books in that series I really really need to start on them!) lol I know its based on a video game but that was one of the reasons why I loved that game and the movies.
People who look down on others are the real freaks of this world.
My favorites
Just about anything dealing with shape-shifters, wolves, vampires. I love the paranormals just because they're so out of the realm of normalcy. I also love the stories with special forces hereos. Who can resist a Navy Seal, Delta Force, Marine, or Air Force or any man in or out of uniform. I love the action and suspense in the military thrillers. Also I have favorite authors and it doesn't matter what they write about I usually like whatever they write. I still miss the Bombshells for the kick butt heroines. Love the stories where a woman can hold her own even the ones where she needs a bit of help from a man. I also like real life stories such as the book about Steve Irwin. I could go on but I'll stop and wait for others to post. Will be checking back later.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Debbie, I too love Urban
Debbie, I too love Urban Fantasy, and will pick up just about all of them. The only ones I will second guess and have to be convinced of is the ones with a lot of romance in them. I don't mind some romance in my UF, but I don't want it to be half of the story.
I know weird hey? :-)
I too also love adventure stories, like archaelogists. Rogue Angel is one series where I buy every single book that comes out. I love Annja Creed.
If you like epic Horror, have you read Swan's Song by Robert McCammon? It's really good. I highly recommend it.
I love books with flawed characters, the more flawed the better. A character so not a typical hero or heroine.
Best
Vivi Anna
http://www.vivianna.net
STORMCHASER - Nocturne BITE 10/08
VEILED TRUTH - Nocturne 10/08
WINTER KISSED - Nocturne 11/08
I buy more from specifc
I buy more from specifc authors I love, or if it's new, I'll buy based on recommendations. I also love the LUNA fantasies more than other fantasies, though I'm not sure why exactly. I also love stories with military men and stories with strong women. My favotire genre is romantic suspense, though I'm finding myself reading more and more variation lately. Great discussion question!
Great question
For me, I stick with author I like most of the time. But, I am a sucker for stories about childhood friends who meet up again as adults. I guess I feel they have a deeper connection since they have known each other longer and were friends first.
Tammy
RE:ENJOYED THEMES
NASCAR, Babies, Military Personnel (i.e. - A Soldier's Promise, The Marine's Baby), Medical (Missionary Dr's., Scientists), "Arm-Chair" Sleuthers ~~ though I'm fairly apt to read just about anything that has a good back-cover blurb.
"I went to a FIGHT the other night...and a HOCKEY GAME broke out!! "
HockeyDET@comcast.net
Favorites
My-favorite-scenarios-are-'Marriages-of-convenience'.,Pretend-engagements,
Damsel-in-distress,strong-hero-to-the-rescue.
I-also-like-the-independent-career-woman-who
meets-a-rich-man-who-prefers-her-to-rich
pampered-women.
Aurelene
re: themes
This is a great topic--it's interesting seeing the variety of favourite themes.
I love paranormals, fantasy, and sci-fi. Particular themes I enjoy within that are werewolves and shapeshifters, immortality, alternate universes, and twists on the general fantasy cliches (e.g. what happens when the bad guy wins?). I really like paranormals and horror novels about musicians, artists, and writers. I also really enjoy antiheroes in fantasy, and strong women in anything, and stories about animals (particularly dogs, horses, wolves, birds).
Like Vivi, I don't like my paranormals to be all romance, but when I do sit down to read a romance I tend to like romances with a bit of humour, where the hero and heroine get thrown together in a situation, and particularly when they become friends first. I also like jaded heroines who learn to love again--maybe because I'm a bit jaded myself. Also, they tend to make for fun commentary.
I don't think any of these are autobuys, though. I usually pick my books based on the first couple of pages--the writing style, flow, whatever catches my interest. But something with one of these themes makes me more apt to pick it up and give it a try.
Love the topic!
I love stories about the military and former military people. They fascinate me.
I also like the concept of old lovers/friends meeting up again. I have several books that I reread from time to time.
Paranormal/Urban Fantasy. I'm reading Patrica Briggs Moon Called series now.
A good regency romance. I spent the afternoon watching Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I blame that particular fascination on her.
Laughter is an instant vacation- Milton Berle
Great responses!
It's interesting to see what themes people are drawn to. And great that there are so many different types of books out there!
Vivi, it drives me absolutely nutty when an urban fantasy series suddenly goes all romance on me... or when reviewers/readers start attacking the series for not having more romance when it isn't a romance to begin with!
Tracey~ isn't that odd about the Lunas? I can't pinpoint why, either, but I'm practically guaranteed to enjoy those type of fantasies.
NASCAR and the military... hadn't thought of those but I sure have a lot of books in my stacks that have those themes as well!
The D2K Paranormal Junkies 2008 Challenge
I enjoy
Just about any book, any genre....as long is there is a good strong story, and good strong intellegent characters.
Terri
Got Books?
great topic!
Great topic! I like just about any genre. One of my favorites probably won't surprise you or other bloggers given my real life hatred for extremism of any kind....
Opposites attract is one of my favorite romance themes.
Suspense books that take something good (religion, schools, politics) and show how extremism/fanaticism, even in good things, can hae disasterous results.
Darkness to light or books that have some kind of emotional, psychological or spiritual insight from darkness. I like boks with a spiritual message and even more so if it is not preachy but emerges from or in an unusual or eclectic unexpected way. I guess that explains how I can move from paranormal demons to HRs to LI and see no conflict.
Books that take other books or classic movies/television and recreate them, not as silly squels but as new, creting echoes but expanding in new exciting unexpected ways. I love when books mention other books and play with that from subtle and even non-mentioned but there to more overt mentions. Beth Ciotta, the heroine in a Liz Fielding book, Suzanne Forster's The Arrangement
I also think I like books that create a sense of family in unexpected ways or show depth of family outside the stereotype of husband, wife and 2.4 children.
Mysteries in any genre. it can be from the kind of legends/myths in ROGUE ANGEL to suspense to cozy mysteries.
AKA Merri
Family Challenge Team: The Spine Breakers with my dh Glenn AKA Phaedrus
Debbie darling, ME TOO!
Debbie darling, ME TOO! That is truly one of my biggest pet peeves.
And the reason that happens, is because A LOT of romance readers and writers went into Urban Fantasy and now it is expected, a stigma that is still attached. Which is why most of my favorite UF authors did not get their start in romance. And probably why I love male UF writers.
Best
Vivi Anna
http://www.vivianna.net
STORMCHASER - Nocturne BITE 10/08
VEILED TRUTH - Nocturne 10/08
WINTER KISSED - Nocturne 11/08
I just don't understand why
I just don't understand why reviewers don't take a book like it is instead of laying all these outside expectations on it. I love romance but I love other genres too. In a contrary manner to what you are talking about in UF, I saw a review for an awesome fantasy that complained that it had romance. It read as just some diatribe against romance instead of a real review. It's ok to have preferences but sometimes I find it really scary to read reviews and wonder if people really are so unimaginative. Probably someone just trying to show off their intelligence but completely trashing a book because oh my, it goes beyond a reader's narrow mind? Taste ok, but this one review had nothing to do with the book the person was reading. Doubt they even read it actually. Please....
AKA Merri
Family Challenge Team: The Spine Breakers with my dh Glenn AKA Phaedrus
You'd be amazed...
at how many reviewers trash urban fantasy books for not having romance in them, Merri. It's just amazing. And some of them take pride in doing so, which is sad.
And yes, I've noticed most of the urban fantasy writers I enjoy are either male or started out in that genre simply because it seems the pressure is there to make them romances.
BTW, I checked as I thought I had read SWAN SONG and I have read it but it's been so long I don't remember much about it at all. I also loved THEY THIRST by him. I think I need to do some rereading as I remember really enjoying his books. I have quite a few of them on my keeper shelves, too!
The D2K Paranormal Junkies 2008 Challenge
Let's see . . .
I'd say my biggest thing is series! Boy, am I a sucker for one. Probably not a surprise, as being a mystery fan, most writers have a continuing character or two. In romance, it started with Nora. What Nora fan doesn't like the MacGregors?
Love romantic-suspense, and if it includes the paranormal, even better.
In romance, I tend to stay away from the family themes. Maybe because I already live that? I think I want more of the fantasy (which being single and no kids obviously is at this point). I read more of that in the past, and probably will more so down the road, just not right now.
Now really, how many of us have read a book we normally wouldn't read because a bunch of people highly recommended it? You never know when you'll add a new "fav" type of story to your already long list
Amanda
Everyone can afford to give away a smile!
DFW Plus - Come see what we are reading!
Reading other's recommendations
"Now really, how many of us have read a book we normally wouldn't read because a bunch of people highly recommended it?"
I worked nights in a Pedi Intensive care Unit (PICU) years ago. Everyone there read and (talked about) one well known romance author's books. I didn't and I thought I never would. Fast forward 3 years and I had a baby that required open heart surgery. My baby was now a patient in the PICU facing surgery the next day. That would be 8 hours of surgery the next day. One of my friends from the unit pressed one of this author's books into my hands and suggested it would be just the distraction I needed. I finally broke down and read the book. In the next few years I would go through dozens of her books. I didn't have to think, I could just escape. Sometimes we can be lead gently into trying something new, sometimes we need more of a shove. But it's good to try new genres.
Nancy
Nancy, I'm dying to know
Nancy, I'm dying to know who the author was...Was it Nora Roberts by any chance?
Kathy D
No
I'm a big NR fan and have been for many years. Author's initials are DS--big, BIG popular author with many. I did plow through her books 20 years ago when I was dealing with open heart surgery, multiple types of therapy, nursing this baby and then 4 years later nursing her little sister. I could read 2-3 of her books a day--basically every plot is the same, same breezey writing style, very fast paced book. But change the names and superficial details of the scene and every book is the same.
Nancy