Top 5 Wednesday: Buzz Words

It’s Wednesday and this week’s topic is buzz words! This topic was kinda hard for me to do as I couldn’t think of any that I automatically float towards off the top of my head, but after some thought (and reading the backs of books I love and ones that have recently convinced me to buy them) I’ve compiled a list that it turns out I tend to gravitate towards. As always, T5W was created by Lainey and here is the list of full posters should you like to participate as well.

Some of these aren’t exactly words but you’ll understand what I mean when I get to those ones. Onward.

“Archaic” (or “Ancient”)

I don’t know what it is about these two words. If on the back of the book, an ancient creature or race or land or ruins or legend is mentioned, it draws me in. Something about ‘old’ things fascinate me. I think it’s that you never know what detail you’re missing about something that existed or happened in the past, no matter how well documented. Something can always surprise you.

Female friendships

This one isn’t exactly a buzzword, but hearing that a book contains one of these makes me want to read it, especially if it’s not contemporary. Nothing against contemporary, but it’s even rarer to find a good friendship in say, fantasy or sci-fi. Or horror. Finding them is like finding a gold nugget in the ground.

Author blurbs

If an author that I hold in high regard recommends a book either via blurb on the cover or review on goodreads, it sticks in my radar for a while and usually it won’t leave. The authors off the top of my head that are particularly influential to me are Naomi Novik and Patrick Ness. If they publicly like a book, then I kinda want to need to have it.

Fringe sciences

This is another one that isn’t so much of a buzz word as it is a topic. Fringe sciences include anything from parallel worlds, time travel, transportation, portals, mad scientists, etc. Any of those scientific topics that aren’t quite ‘scientific’ yet, if that makes sense. Have you ever seen the show Fringe? One of my all-time favorite shows. Go watch it, it’s amazing. (and it’s on netflix, btw)

Frisson

Again, not a buzz word, but a feeling. Have you ever been listening to a fantastic piece of music and it brought a chill to you? Have you ever read some powerful words and it sent a shiver down your spine? That is the phenomena known as frisson. It’s a real thing, look it up.

Once in a while, a book can do that to me. Once in a while, the summary on the back of the book can do that to me. Those books. Those books that do that to me just using the summary are my auto-buys. You give me spine chills, I take you home. That’s the deal. And more often then not, the fantastic writing on the back continues within and the book turns out to be spectacular. This is my top convincer. If a book makes me feel something before I even open to the first page, it has me in its clutches already.