If you’re wondering how to describe a book but can’t find the right words, you’ve come to the right place.
Doing it well is an art and can lead to more sales.
So today, we’re breaking down adjectives to describe books to make them as appealing as possible.
We’ve broken it down by genre, but don’t be afraid to play with words.
The more compelling the adjectives, the more likely people will pick up the title.
Let’s get to it.
- Why You Need This List of Words to Describe Books
- The Ultimate List Of Adjectives To Describe A Book
- Book Adjectives for Action and Adventure
- Book Adjectives for Classics
- Book Adjectives for Comic Book / Graphic Novel
- Book Adjectives for Detective and Mystery
- Book Adjectives for Fantasy
- Book Adjectives for Historical Fiction
- Book Adjectives for Horror
- Book Adjectives for Literary Fiction
- Book Adjectives for Romance
- Book Adjectives for Science Fiction
- Book Adjectives for Suspense and Thrillers
- Book Adjectives for Women’s Fiction
- Book Adjectives for Biography / Autobiography / Memoir
Why You Need This List of Words to Describe Books
Authors love words and love writing. But not all authors are great copywriters. Copywriting is a unique skill set and requires choosing and combining words in a pithy, descriptive, and enticing way.
Even if you are a great copywriter, having a list of book-focused adjectives at your fingertips is always handy. Remember…
- Vibrant language sells books, no matter the genre.
- When writing back cover descriptions, you need to paint a picture to appeal to potential buyers.
- If you’re self-publishing, you’ll write sales copy for Amazon and other online book retailers.
- If you write about books or review them, you need fresh ideas to make your content stand out.
Keep this list in a place you can easily access, and allow the words to spark your imagination and creativity. One relevant word can lead you to a flood of ideas to describe your book or another author’s.
The Ultimate List Of Adjectives To Describe A Book
We’ve taken the legwork out of word research and curated a list of adjectives describing books in various genres. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in this list – well, look again!
The words you’re searching for are here, waiting for you to claim them.
Book Adjectives for Action and Adventure
Good action and adventure books keep you on the edge of your seat. In most cases, the protagonist must vanquish a dangerous foe and overcome considerable obstacles thrown in their way.
Sometimes it’s to save the world; other times, the goal is to save themselves.
- Adventurous
- Awesome
- Bold
- Breathtaking
- Brisk
- Current
- Dangerous
- Daring
- Dauntless
- Deceitful
- Dynamic
- Exciting
- Exhilarating
- Fast-paced
- Feasible
- Frantic
- Gripping
- Heart-pounding
- High-stakes
- Huge
- Impossible
- Intense
- Lethal
- Lively
- Loud
- Massive
- Nail-biting
- Page-turning
- Quick
- Rapid
- Stirring
- Secretive
- Shocking
- Teeming
- Terrific
- Violent
Book Adjectives for Classics
They’ve been around for decades, yet they’re still “required reading.” Why? Because they’re timeless, had a huge impact on society, or pushed literary limits.
- Acclaimed
- Advanced
- Brilliant
- Classic
- Clear
- Deep
- Definitive
- Descriptive
- Epic
- Exceptional
- Extraordinary
- Farcical
- Fictional
- Inventive
- Lyrical
- Masterful
- Meandering
- Meditative
- Nuanced
- Ponderous
- Rhetorical
- Scholastic
- Skilled
- Sophisticated
- Successful
- Superb
- Timeless
- Universal
- Unprecedented
- Quintessential
Book Adjectives for Comic Book / Graphic Novel
As their names suggest, comic books and graphic novels use illustrations and typography to tell stories. Dialogue is usually presented in “word bubbles.”
- Artistic
- Bright
- Colorful
- Comic
- Creative
- Dark
- Fantastical
- Fun
- Illustrated
- Imaginative
- Paradoxical
- Richly
- Saturated
- Sequential
- Series
- Silly
- Spellbinding
- Vibrant
- Vivid
Book Adjectives for Detective and Mystery
Detective and mystery novels revolve around crimes and inexplicable events. Memorable and beloved ones usually incorporate elements of humor, wit, and problem-solving.
- Amusing
- Believable
- Bizarre
- Captivating
- Charming
- Coherent
- Convoluted
- Engrossing
- Haunting
- Inquisitive
- Mysterious
- Popular
- Quizzical
- Satisfying
- Surprising
- Thrilling
- Unpredictable
Book Adjectives for Fantasy
Fantasy books are about the unknown, the mythical, and the supernatural. Some take place in wholly made-up worlds. Others are set in our world with added mystical elements.
- Allegorical
- Bionic
- Boundless
- Compelling
- Decadent
- Engaging
- Faustian
- Gothic
- Gritty
- Hallucinatory
- Heroic
- Intriguing
- Magical
- Medieval
- Penetrating
- Original
- Otherworldly
- Remarkable
- Savage
- Somber
- Stunning
- Swashbuckling
- Tactile
- Transcendent
- Unconventional
- Unusual
Book Adjectives for Historical Fiction
Do you love period dramas and history? Then you’re the perfect candidate for historical fiction. Combining historical events with imagined dialogue, historical fiction is an engaging way to interact with the past.
- Ageless
- Ambitious
- Animating
- Brash
- Colloquial
- Compassionate (i.e., a compassionate take)
- Credulous
- Cultural
- Cumulative
- Entertaining
- Fanciful
- Far-Reaching
- Figurative
- Flexible
- Forgiving
- Historical
- Infused
- Intuitive
- Pioneering
- Playful
- Realistic
- Satirical
- Smart
- Sound
- Surreal
- Tasteful
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Book Adjectives for Horror
Horror books are meant to scare and terrify! If you enjoy jump scares, surprises, and a tinge of discomfort, horror is the genre for you.
- Alarming
- Agoraphobic
- Austere
- Burly
- Crazy
- Damaged
- Enraged
- Fidgety
- Ghastly
- Ghostly
- Grotesque
- Heinous
- Horrific
- Iconical
- Jarring
- Jeering
- Jinxed
- Jesting
- Knockout
- Macabre
- Maniacal
- Obscure
- Ominous
- Prankish
- Quirky
- Rackety
- Rueful
- Ruthless
- Riled
- Scared
- Sickly
- Skewed
- Smarmy
- Tactical
- Ugly
- Vexing
- Zymolytic
Book Adjectives for Literary Fiction
Today’s literary fiction novels are tomorrow’s classics. They’re well-written, lyrical stories with evocative themes that usually include social and cultural commentary.
- Astute
- Cogent
- Coming-of-age
- Conversational
- Current
- Delightful
- Diverse
- Diverting
- Dramatic
- Elevating
- Enticing
- Expressive
- Fluid
- Insightful
- Ironic
- Literal
- Modern
- Noticeable
- Odd
- Peaceful
- Praised
- Prequel
- Pure
- Rich
- Sensory
- Serious
- Spectacular
- Symbolic
- Triumphant
- Vaunted
Book Adjectives for Romance
Romance novels are all about love and happy endings. Book snobs often turn their noses up at romance titles, but they’re the most-read books on today’s novel market.
- Addictive
- Amorous
- Chivalrous
- Dashing
- Dreamy
- Enchanting
- Endearing
- Erotic
- Exotic
- Fairy-tale
- Fun
- Glamorous
- Happy
- Knowing
- Kinky
- Lovey-dovey
- Loving
- Mushy
- Passionate
- Picturesque
- Quixotic
- Sensual
- Soapy
- Soppy
- Starry-eyed
- Sublime
- Sweet
- Traditional
- Whimsical
Book Adjectives for Science Fiction
Science fiction books challenge us to imagine the world in a new light. While they’re similar to fantasy titles, most sci-fi works incorporate technology and futuristic themes.
- Accomplished
- Alien
- Atmospheric
- Brave
- Cerebral
- Daunting
- Deserted
- Dreary
- Edgy
- Electrifying
- Forward-thinking
- Fresh
- Impassioned
- Ironic
- Mesmerizing
- Narrative
- Nifty
- Novel
- Offbeat
- Potent
- Provocative
- Revelatory
- Transfixing
- Ultramodern
- Utopian
Book Adjectives for Suspense and Thrillers
If you like a mental puzzle, then thrillers and suspense books are for you. Cliffhangers and emotional manipulation are the mainstays of the genre.
- Anxious
- Audacious
- Bewitching
- Breathless
- Cascading
- Chilling
- Commanding
- Complicated
- Dreary
- Enthralling
- Fiery
- Frenzied
- Futuristic
- Idiosyncratic
- Ironic
- Luminous
- Riveting
- Refined
- Rousing
- Scary
- Shadowy
- Sneaky
- Spirited
- Tantalizing
- Tense
- Thought-provoking
- Trippy
- Visionary
Book Adjectives for Women’s Fiction
Women’s fiction focuses on female issues. Some people mistake it for romance. And while there are romantic elements in some women’s fiction novels, issues related to confidence, sexism, health — both physical and mental — and friendship are also common themes.
- Amused
- Astonishing
- Attractive
- Beautiful
- Biting
- Contemplative
- Cooperative
- Defiant
- Dazzling
- Eager
- Elated
- Elegant
- Encouraging
- Fancy
- Fierce
- Gleaming
- Gorgeous
- Graceful
- Jolly
- Magnificent
- Melancholy
- Proud
- Reassured
- Refreshing
- Thankful
- Victorious
- Vivacious
- Wonderful
- Zany
Book Adjectives for Biography / Autobiography / Memoir
Biographies and autobiographies tell the stories of individual lives. The former is when someone else writes the book; autobiographies are written by the subject.
Memoirs are always written by the subject, are more personal, and don’t necessarily chronicle every moment. Instead, they focus on significant moments and convey messages and ideas the writer wants to convey.
- Absorbing
- Autobiographical
- Biographical
- Candid
- Childlike
- Descriptive
- Devious
- Educational
- Emancipated
- Empowering
- Factual
- First-person
- Funny
- Histrionic
- Humorous
- Influential
- Inspiring
- Introspective
- Memorable
- Personal
- Profound
- Resourceful
- Revealing
- Vulnerable
Writing book descriptions is an essential part of book marketing. Using the right adjectives has the power to boost sales. So take your time and choose your words wisely!