BTT: Blurb: What attracts you to a book?
Posted by Violet on October 29, 2009
Suggested by Jennysbooks:
Something I’ve been thinking about lately: “What words/phrases in a blurb make a book irresistible? What words/phrases will make you put the book back down immediately?”
hmmm…very interesting.
For me, words like “true story”, “war zone”, “fairy tale”, “scary”, “southern charm”, “romantic”, “in the depths of the forests”, “magical” make a book irresistible.
What I won’t care about is probably “spiritual journey”, “suffering from incurable disease”, “sports”, “has to take a super secret chip from Russia and plant it in the USA and then act as a spy by infiltrating the British Army” (basically anything that looks too complicated)
That’s it’s actually. But I am a very impulsive person; I just might pick anything depending on whim and if any blogger I trust effectively pitches it 
I have answered the question considering what I understood is correct
Melody said
I can say I’ve the same preference as you, Violet!
I don’t care for sports either, and I’m wary of books that feature zombies, haha.
Ramit said
Er… Mystery, horror, crime, thriller, spanning the globe, er… Ok I have to go look at all my books now to answer this anymore…
Novroz said
Basically y…we have the same taste
Pam said
I like sports to watch but I generally don’t like sports to read unless they’re a minor, ahem, player like Rabbit Run.
novelinsights said
I think probably most of those words would put me off, except for perhaps ‘fairy tale’, but that’s the wonder of variety!
Carol said
Great answers! I don’t like to read sport related books as a general either.
Care said
I have a few sports books around but have yet to read them. I like sports movies so I want to try a sports books. I do seem to seek out different unlikely books occasionally. I can tell you that I’m starting to avoid books written in current time settings with middle-aged women characters. TOO lifelike?
bermudaonion said
These days I usually select my books based on another blogger’s recommendation and don’t even bother reading the blurb!
justabookreader said
Anything sports related is out for me too!
Priscilla said
I’m not much of a blurb reader either, but I agree: if I spotted the words “sports” or “spiritual journey,” I would be less likely to buy the book, unless someone I trust had recommended it.
gautami tripathy said
I prefer synopsis to book blurbs.
Booking through Blurbs
pussreboots said
Many of the words that turn you onto a book would turn me off. I took a different approach with my answer. You can see it here.
Nikki said
I’m an impulsive reader as well (and have occasionally suffered for it.) I’ll pretty much read anything as long as the story piques my interest and/or it’s endorsed by bloggers and people I trust.
My BTT!
Tracee said
I am also pretty impulsive when it comes to picking books so you just never know. Great post!
Alice Teh said
I’m a sucker for books that promises to make me cry… So any words in the blurb that would trigger emotion would make it irresistible.
heidenkind said
I like phrases like destiny, true love, soul mates, etc. You can tell I’m a bit of a romantic.
Veens said
brr… NON-fiction is a no-no…
well i m also compulsive and impulsive when it cmes to books..
i want to read magic realism NOW.
something like “Like Water For Chocolate”!
Have you read it? it was cool, i loved it
Violet said
oh yes, I loved it, it was very different and all that food…yum