Bookish Buzzwords

Inspired by a recent video, I’ve been thinking about what my bookish buzzwords are. For those unfamiliar with the term, a buzzword is something that immediately stands out to you in a synopsis or review that instantly piques your interest, making you a lot more likely to pick up the book to which it refers. Taking note of what they are is a simple yet interesting way to identify your own individual tastes.

For me, when referring to the tone or feel of a story, words like ‘whimsical’, ‘atmospheric’, ‘dark’, ‘haunting’ and ‘gothic’ really hook me in. In terms of the setting, I’m drawn to words like ‘isolated’ and ‘rural’, whilst mention of inspiration coming from ‘mythology’ or ‘fairy tales’ is pretty much guaranteed to keep me reading. As for the writing itself, it’s terms like ‘lyrical’ and ‘poetic’ that definitely appeal to my personal tastes.

It’s not lost on me that lots of these words overlap and complement each other to a certain extent. For example, a book inspired by fairy tales will often by its very nature have a whimsical, dark feel and be told in lyrical prose. Hence, my favourite kind of story becomes clear to see.

I’d be really interested to know what some of your bookish buzzwords are.