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?’

 I had to think about this one! I don’t know that any blurb makes a book “irresistible” but if I’m choosing non-fiction such as autobiography/biography – words like “honest”, “factual”, “candid”, “enlightening”, “well researched”, “detailed”,  “a fluent narrative style” would attract me.

For fiction it would be words such as”mysterious”, “intriguing”, “richly evocative page-turner, “a ghostly yarn”, “atmospheric”, “rich and subtle”, “funny”, “original”, “clever plot”, “tense”, “moving”, “perceptive”.

Words that put me off are: “gruesome”, “vampire”, “bloody”, “the blockbuster read of the year”, “horrific”, “disturbing” and so on.

Words like “the number one bestseller” are really irritating – so many books have this – when was it the number one and who rated it?  That said it wouldn’t actually make me put the books back on the shelves.