I read a review in the Los Angeles Review of Books the other day about a collection of essays called Xylotheque by Yelizaveta P. Renfro. I had no idea what xylotheque meant and I had never heard of the author before but before I even got to the part of the review that began to explain the title I had already decided I was going to buy the book. Why? I had no idea what the book was about, I still don’t really because I never actually finished reading the review, but the reviewer hit so many key words and phrases that had my synapses buzzing I had to have the book.
What had me so worked up? Let’s make a list!
- lyrical essays
- borderland between prose and poetry
- sure-footed in their gamboling
- revel in the gap between knowing and unknowing
- provoking meditation
I was caught hook, line, and sinker. The book is now sitting next to me on my reading table and I still don’t know what it is about. for the record though, xylotheque is a collection of wood.
Then I got to thinking about other words that pop up in reviews that make me pay attention and want to read a book. And that led to words that make me not want to read a book. The words on both lists aren’t always the same (sometimes they might change lists depending on my mood) and they aren’t even words I would necessarily use when describing a book, but they are words that trigger a reaction in me when someone else writes them.
For future reference, if you are writing about a book and want me to read it, these words will serve you well:
- thought-provoking
- provocative
- meditative
- lyrical
- complex/difficult/challenging
- quirky
- unusual/different
- darkly funny
- mind-blowing
Also, if anyone ever calls a book a good mind-fuck I will squeal in delight. I love it when a book messes with my head and such a description is so rarely encountered even when expressed less crudely that I will pretty nearly come close to dropping everything to read that book. Unless it is horror. When messing with my head turns into nightmares, won’t go there.
Words describing a book that usually turn me off wanting to read it:
- cozy
- simple
- part of a series (I will sometimes make exceptions for this)
- romantic
- in the style of *famous author* (unless you say “this book could be the love child of Virginia Woolf and David Foster Wallace” or something equally as odd, then you’ll have my interest)
- if you liked X then you will like Y (though it is ok to say “this book reminded a little bit of X”)
Hmm, I thought the turn off list would be longer. I will very likely think of more words for it after I click the “publish” button.
So what about you? What words trigger an “OMG I have to read this!” reaction in you and what words immediately convince you a particular book is not for you?
Must: A philosophical novel.
Avoid: Time travel.
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I can be a sucker for recommendations by famous authors. I HATE the “if you enjoyed that author you will love this” which is so condescending to readers. Not so keen either of the claim that a book is “beautifully written”. A nightmare blurb might be: A warm and beautifully written memoir that readers of Sarah Palin will take to their hearts. Its cozy too.
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Ian, yes! But only certain famous authors. If Margaret Atwood told me to read the back of a certain cereal box I probably would! I can definitely agree with you on the turn offs though “beautifully written” gets used so much these days that it has essentially become meaningless and I tend to ignore it. So you aren;t a fan of Sarah Palin? 😉
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Richard, time travel turns you off, huh? I love a good time travel book myself. I am, however, not surprised about philosophical novel 🙂
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What a great exercise! I’m all in for a good mind fuck. I think we have some overlap. I’m also drawn by provocative, speculative, unsentimental, and ambiguous. Words that put me off: unputdownable, heartachingly, compassionate.
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Isabella, I do think we have some overlap. I almost put ambiguous on my makes me buy list but I decided not to and now I can’t remember why. Speculative is good too though it has to come in combination with some of the other words. Oh and heartachingly, definite turn off for me too!
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Same turn-offs for me too … and add “poignant”. Like you too, “series” (with the odd exception like Mantel’s Cromwell books) is a bit turn off.
And yes, in terms of Ian’s comment, I try to avoid “beautifully written” in my reviews. It doesn’t say much. It is a challenge though, sometimes, to find good words to covey the quality of the writing originally.
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whisperinggums, poignant! Yes, definitely makes me cringe away from a book. You are right about “beautifully written,” it doesn’t say much at all though I have used it before when I am lazy or lacking in imagination.
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I have too, but I cringe and try not to.
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You’re telling me that the squirrel-like hoardings of offcuts and strange chunks of wood in the roof of the garage by Mr Litlove can be graced by the name ‘xylotheque’? Crikey, you learn something new every day.
Alas, the most potent words in my ears these days seem to be ‘three-for-two’. Some days, even just ‘book’ will do it. I am a sad and helpless case!
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litlove, LOL, yes but you don’t have to let Mr. Litlove know because I am sure he will use it in his favor in order to avoid getting rid of any of those strange chunks that might come in handy someday, if someday ever arrives!
Oh you made me laugh! “Three-for-two” is definitely potent. I also fall for 20% off 😀
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More than the way it is described (although I’ll admit that ‘cosy’ – and even worse -‘cozy’ has me screaming out loud as well) is the way the book is presented. If the paper and the binding are really cheap however god the book itself is then I am going to have to be really pushed to read it. I may have to get a copy of these essays, however, because anything to do with wood simply fascinates me.
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Alex, so you judge a book by its “cover” so to speak? We probably all do in one way or another. I don’t care about binding and paper though when it is really nice I notice and am impressed. Cover art on the other hand can turn me off. If the cover is pink, I will not buy the book! 🙂
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Love your lists! I agree with all of them, except for “series,” I’m a series slut.
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jenclair, heh, a lot people really like series otherwise there wouldn’t be so many of them! I find that kind of commitment very difficult and tend to lose interest fast.
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Its harder to think of words that would absolutely be sure to get excited, than those which would be a complete turn off. Anything that says it’s set in a dystopian world have me rushing to stick it back on the shelf as if I’ve just touched something filthy. Even worse is if the blurb says something like ‘their lives were changed forever”.
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BookerTalk, you are right, it is easier to think of turn off words. I’m with you on “their lives were changed forever” makes me want to throw up. However, dystopian, it won’t sell me a book but it will make me pay closer attention!
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I am not in a fight with adjectives like “lyrical” and “meditative”, but I don’t find they give me much of an impression of what the book is like. Being a plot girl as I am, I tend to be drawn to plot information words — if the plot has elements I love like boarding schools or medical ethics, I get really excited. If it is an intergenerational family saga I give it the side-eye.
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Jenny, I enjoy a good plot but it is not a requirement for me. I will happily read a book that goes nowhere as long as it is interesting in some other way. Those family sagas though, I have a hard time with them too. I need convincing before I will pick one up.
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Turn offs: dystopian, heart-wrenching, romantic, disturbing. Epic or “epic trilogy” might make me pause. Although there are exceptions: I love The Forsyte Saga. And there are some series I really enjoy. The Flavia deLuce mysteries, for example, or the Ibus trilogy. And of course, there’s always Harry Potter. There are some books described as epics that I adore: Gone With The Wind, Les Miserables, Bleak House, But it’s usually the descriptions that try to sound lofty and end up being abstruse that turn me off. “Baroque lushness” was the description of one novel that I translated to mean “unbearably boring.” I didn’t buy that book. I would probably not pick up a book described as “experimental” tho Jasper Fforde might fill that bill and I love his work – probably because I’m such a book-geek. Words that perk my interest are the simple ones, like fabulous, hilarious, suspenseful, Wow, and the ubiquitous “can’t put down.” Yeah, I’m easy.
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Grad, you are the second person who lists dystopian as a turn off! I do like a good dystopian novel myself. I can agree with you on heart-wrenching and romantic though. ugh. I don’t go in much for epic either unless it describes Homer. Heh, I would translate barque lushness to mean really wordy and could have used better editing 🙂 I’d definitely pay attention to experimental. You say you are easy, but I don’t think you are!
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I’ve been thinking about this topic off and on during the workday. Words that give me pause are stream-of-consciousness, dystopian, and epic. Phrases that turn me off are “one of a kind” and “world by storm”.
What a fun post! I enjoyed reading your list and the ones in the comment section.
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Vanessa, heh, world by storm, yeah that would be a turn off for me too! I am always up for stream of consciousness and a good dystopian novel though. Epic, I’m on the fence with that one.
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You know..I do not use swear words much …there are some swear words that are powerful..”mind fuck” is one of them..love it in a book. hate it when people try to do that…agree with you…I SO do not like terms like cozy, simple and do not get me started on “in the style of….” (puke! puke!! gag!!)
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cirtnecce, oh yes, “mind fuck in a book is most desirable but in real life, not so very much! Oh yuck, in the style of, major turn off!
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Sometimes all it takes is a really good cover illustration….. Actually edge of your seath, suspenseful, couldn’t put it down and the likes tend to make me stop and look–I seem to be reading a stead diet of books like that–what my mind seems best able to focus on these days.
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Danielle, suspenseful and couldn’t put it down can be pretty compelling especially if you are in the right mood. I don’t think I have ever bought a book because I liked the cover so much but I know I have passed by books because the cover turned me off.
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