Top Ten Tuesday: Things that Make Me Pick up a Book

Happy Tuesday, friends! I think, maybe, fingers crossed, spring has finally arrived in Nebraska! At least these past two days have been nice, so we're starting a trend! Of course, my dad had to mention that the grass is growing ... mowing my lawn is one of the things I dislike most about home ownership. Ugh. Mowing time is, however, the one and only time I listen to audiobooks, so I guess I have that to look forward to. Silver linings, you know?

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is things that make me pick up a book. I didn't quite make it to ten, but here's my list ...

1. Beloved Author

I have certain "auto get" authors, and whenever they have a new release, I will pick it up. Some of my favorites are Becky Wade, Susan May Warren, Sarah Sundin, and Denise Hunter.

2. Buzzed-about New-to-Me Author

When people I trust can't stop talking about an author I haven't read, I'm pretty likely to pick up one of his/her books. I don't always end up loving the book, but often I do. This is how I discovered Kasie West and Melissa Tagg.

3. Pretty Cover

I'm a sucker for a pretty cover, and I've been known to pick up many a book that wouldn't otherwise interest me for the cover alone. Sometimes this works out, and sometimes it doesn't. But I do initially judge a book by its cover!

4. Marriage of Convenience

My absolute favorite trope is the marriage of convenience, especially when it's translated to a modern setting. Yes, most times this is extremely contrived, but I still love it! Denise Hunter is one author who does modern marriage of convenience really well: see her Honeysuckle Dreams and The Convenient Groom.

5. Fake Relationship-Turned Real (especially YA)

I am a sucker for every YA fake relationship novel ever. I've read some truly terrible novels that feature this trope simply because I'm powerless to resist it. But when it's done well, like in Judy Corry's It Was Always You and Cookie O'Gorman's Adorkable, it's so. much. fun.

6. Time Travel

I love time travel in any form, but my favorite is the time loop (interestingly, I recently read a time loop novel where the looping aspect got a little old, but I generally love it). The first time travel novel I ever read was Jack Finney's Time and Again, and it hooked me.

7. A Good Sale

I'll admit that I'm a bit of a cheapskate when it comes to buying books. So nothing gets me like a good sale!

8. Genre

Contemporary romance (of the clean or inspirational variety) is my jam. Sure, I'll read other genres, but contemporary romance (and its sister, YA romance) has my heart.

What makes you pick up a book?