- Share - [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://about.ebsco.com/markdownify/node/26016) - []() - []() - []() # Themes playlist ![books generic blog image ](/sites/default/files/acquiadam-assets/books-generic-1-blog-image-780.jpg) 7 September 2018 Like many of you reading this post, I have book catnip--the kind of book I turn to over and over because something about the story satisfies. Of course, I’ve always used NoveList to help me find the "kind of book" I wanted to read. As a NoveList power user, my previous techniques tested the limits of [NoveList’s more obscure field codes](/sites/g/files/nabnos191/files/acquiadam-assets/NoveList-Search-Strategy-Field-Codes.pdf). I searched using **AB** (description), **RV** (reviews), and **TX** (all text) for several terms. My searches might be as follows: **RV "final girl"** **RV survivor AND suspense** **RV "lone survivor" AND suspense** **RV "last survivor" AND suspense** **RV "only survivor" AND suspense** If I didn't get enough books, I would then search for the same terms using the AB and/or TX field codes. Lots of work! The addition of [themes to NoveList changed my reading life](/blogs/novelist/product-update-themes). I absolutely love them. Instead of creating long searches for the "kind of book" I want read, I search using a NoveList theme for an on-target list. As you can see from the searches above, one of my go-to themes is [*final girls*](https://help.ebsco.com/interfaces/NoveList_Products/Story_Elements/Theme_Terms#Horror)*.* These ladies take on and defeat everything from serial killers to supernatural monsters. Here's an oldie but goodie: *Judas Child* by Carol O'Connell. **Kim Burton** enjoys reading about [*evil corporations*](https://help.ebsco.com/interfaces/NoveList_Products/Story_Elements/Theme_Terms#Science_Fiction). These companies value you -- your labor, consumption, unwitting complicity, and sometimes bodily components are cash money to them. Go team! One of Kim's all-time favorites is *Dark Matter* by Blake Crouch. **Elizabeth Coleman** particularly enjoys books with the [*comedy of manners*](https://help.ebsco.com/interfaces/NoveList_Products/Story_Elements/Theme_Terms#Fiction_A-Z) theme. Pick up one of these if you want a peek into the lifestyles of the rich, famous, and fairly ridiculous. Patrick deWitt’s *French Exit* is a great example. **Clayton Boyer** is all about the [*suburban malaise*](https://help.ebsco.com/interfaces/NoveList_Products/Story_Elements/Theme_Terms#Fiction_A-Z). These characters don't know what went wrong in their quest for the American Dream. Clay recommends that you try *Little Fires Everywhere* by Celeste Ng. **Cathleen Keyser** is always on the lookout for [*body horror*](https://help.ebsco.com/interfaces/NoveList_Products/Story_Elements/Theme_Terms#Horror) novels. These are all about the disturbing and gruesome things that can happen to your body whether by others or by supernatural means. *Little Heaven* by Nick Cutter is a winner. Want to change your reading life? Find *your* book catnip on the [complete list](https://help.ebsco.com/interfaces/NoveList_Products/Story_Elements/Theme_Terms) of themes. Category: [Articles ](/blogs/novelist/category/articles) Tags: [Readers' advisory](/blogs/novelist/tag/readers'-advisory) - Share - [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://about.ebsco.com/markdownify/node/26016) - []() - []() - []()