Top Ten Words or Topics that Put Me Off a Book

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature from The Broke and the Bookish. This week we’re counting down the Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Make You NOT pick up a book. Making this list made me feel so picky and like I just hate everything! I didn’t get to do the topic where you highlight the word/topics that make you WANT to pick up a book so I’ll need to circle back with that.

I’m wary of books that include these words/topics:

1. The Next Hunger Games/Twilight/Harry Potter/Gone GirlΒ  Over-hyped books that bring on big expectations can lead to big letdowns.

2. Dragons There are some epic fantasy books I’ve really enjoyed, but for the most part I just find that they are not for me.

3. Celebrity (TV/Movie/Reality Star) author – There are a lot of celebrities trying their hand at writing fiction, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. For the most part these books are a turn off.

4. Reincarnation and Time Travel – I’m more interested in time travel books if they look forward than go to the past. I just find these books generally hard to connect to.

5. Mythology and Fairytale retelling – Mythology books and I aren’t on friendly terms. I have tried and tried to like them and think I’m in the minority here but they just don’t call to me. Fairytale retellings are hit or miss, though I guess Cinderella works for me since I enjoyed Cinder, Ella Enchanted, and the nods to Cinderella in Throne of Glass.

6. Demons, Angels and Witches – There are exceptions to this rule of course, but for the most part I don’t gravitate to the paranormal.

7. Circus settingΒ This is probably why I still haven’t read The Night Circus! Circuses freak me out.

8. Animal Cruelty – I don’t want to read about the mistreatment of animals – that’s a deal breaker for me.

9. Dark, Dreamy and Creepy – Many times books described this way are very slow paced. Sometimes I’m in the mood for these atmospheric books and fall in love with them, but often they just leave me unsettled and are not in my comfort zone.

10. DNF – When bloggers whose tastes mirror mine mark a book as unfinished it takes away my enthusiasm for the book.

This list just makes me sad! Do you have any book recommendations that you think would change my mind about any of these topics?

Ornament

34 thoughts on “Top Ten Words or Topics that Put Me Off a Book

  1. quix689 says:

    I am totally with you on the circus thing! Well, they don’t freak me out, but I just don’t like them. They don’t interest me at all. That’s why I, also, won’t read The Night Circus, and that’s also why Water for Elephants has been on my shelf for like two years now. BF’s mom gave it to me, and I just can’t bring myself to read it.

    Actually, I agree with everything on your list except for fairy tale retellings. They intrigue me.

    1. Lucy says:

      Despite me hating the circus and clowns and all that, I still liked Water for Elephants. So, I guess sometimes I can get over my quirks πŸ™‚
      I know so many readers love fairy tale retellings- maybe I haven’t found the right one yet!

  2. fishgirl182 says:

    haha you like a lot of stuff that i do like. i kind of love circuses (they’re so weird!) though i don’t know too many books about them. and i love paranormal stuff. have you tried a discovery of witches. that’s a fun book that was more paranormal than i thought it was going to be and most of my non-paranormal friends really liked it.

    and i so get you on celebrity authors. it just seems like a gimmick to me. sorry if that’s a true calling for them but it’s hard to not to think of it as a gimmick.

    i also love fair tale re-tellings (we’re so opposite). have you read jackson pearce? her sisters red and sweetly are really good. i also love scarlet if you haven’t read the sequel to cinder yet.

    i’d love to see the list of what will make you pick up a book sometime. i am sure i’d get some good recs from it.

    1. Lucy says:

      It’s so funny that we are opposite with our reading taste. But we do still see eye to eye on many books. I did read Discovery of Witches and Sisters Red, and liked them pretty well. And yes I still need to read Scarlet! I’ve had it for a year πŸ™

  3. We have a few similar ones.
    I love that ‘dragons encompasses all fantasy novels, haha!
    My Top Ten post πŸ™‚

    1. Lucy says:

      Yeah, I decided just to say books with dragons but when I was writing it became pretty much all of fantasy! Sigh…I try to read them, and sometimes I’m surprised.

      1. I think there’s fantasy, and then there’s fantasy. If that makes sense. Like books with fantasy themes, and then the epic fantasies with crazy names that are really hard to keep up with. I like the former, but the latter I find too hard to get into.

  4. Rory says:

    Your first one is the first one on my list as well….

    I like mythology, but I really don’t care for fairy tale retellings…

  5. I gues most of us readers are pretty done with the vampires, werewolfs, fairies, and things like that… Almost every list have it on them :))
    And I agree, when our friends DNF a book or give bad ratings, the enthusiasm towards the book instantly lessened somehow :

  6. nikihawkes says:

    lol, Now I understand your comment a bit more – the Night Circus was less about actual circuses and more about beautiful imagery, magical settings, and a connection between people. Nothing that puts me off about circuses happens in that book. I also completely agree with celebrity authors – they may have decent story lines on occasion, but in no way are they skilled enough in writing to make me want to read them.

    The dragons one hurts me a little… πŸ˜‰

    1. Lucy says:

      It does hurt when we see others dislike things we enjoy, doesn’t it? I never say never though, and will certainly try the Night Circus someday.

  7. I agree with 1,3,8 and 10! I do love all paranormal stuff though:) I just read All our Yesterdays, this is an awesome YA time travel book, you should check it out.

    My TTT:
    http://evelinesbooks.blogspot.nl/2013/07/top-ten-tuesday-8.html

    1. Lucy says:

      All Our Yesterdays is getting awesome reviews from my GR friends! I do intend to give it a try πŸ™‚

  8. […] Top Ten Words or Topics that Put Me Off a Book (thereadingdate.com) […]

  9. bookgoonie says:

    Types of Hype make me pause too, especially if it seems to be connected to just sexy times. Mythology can make me crazy too. Not much for Dragons either, but Seraphina on audio was GREAT. Others DNFs send up some major red flags, but I find that I don’t always agree. Angel books remain pretty consistently a let down for me πŸ™

    1. Lucy says:

      Seraphina is still on my bookshelf and I know it’s pretty universally liked so I should check it out. Angels don’t usually work for me either- and Mermaids too- can’t believe I left them off the list.

  10. BermudaOnion says:

    My list would be similar but not quite the same – I do enjoy some time travel.

  11. KateB says:

    I think I want to like dragons. I adore the idea of having one as a pet. You know… I’d set up some meat and it could cook it for me then we’d share. And it’d be cheaper than a car… he’d fly me to work and I’d give him hugs… ok. So maybe I sound ridiculous and immature and all that. But I want to love dragons. And because of this I WANT TO LIKE Dragon Novels. But for the most part I don’t They’re usually boring and more about people than dragons – and as I said… I love dragons.
    So I keep trying them hoping to get the best ever wish-I’d-written-it! dragon.

    Great list! I think I tend to judge books based on the rest of your turnoffs. πŸ™‚ And sorry for my little dragon rant…

    1. Lucy says:

      lol KateB! I like your dragon plan to fly you to work and cook you dinner πŸ™‚ I think you should write that book!!

  12. Tammy Sparks says:

    I have to agree with the celebrity author books. Usually they aren’t even written by the author anyway!

  13. Kristina says:

    OMG I almost added circus to mine! I HATE CLOWNS.

    1. Lucy says:

      Clowns= Scary and Creepy! I want no part of them in any book I’m reading. I’m glad you can relate.

  14. Maggie says:

    Great list, we have lots of similar picks. Before I read Lauren Graham’s book I totally would have put celebrity authors on mine, but she really blew me away and now I feel like I have to give the celebs a shot!

    1. Lucy says:

      I thought of Lauren Graham’s book afterwards and I really am interested in reading her book. Glad you enjoyed it!

  15. Andi ABCs says:

    I have dragons on my list too. I’m just not into it at all.

    My TTT List

  16. I hate the circus too- but mostly because of the way the animals are treated. Clowns, on the other have, completely freaky! And your first one is dead on- they are almost always not as good.

    1. Lucy says:

      Totally agree with you about the circus and the treatment of animals. And clowns..eww.

      Yes, I’m sick of the comparisons to popular books too. I guess it helps readers to find read-alikes but they usually miss the mark.

  17. While we don’t share any topics on our lists, I do agree with you on many of the ones you’ve mentioned — “The next…”, celebrity authors, and dragons. I love Hilary Duff, so I’d like to try Elixer but I’ve heard such mixed reviews that I don’t even know if I should even try.

  18. Elizabeth says:

    I don’t think I’ve ever picked up anything by a celebrity-turned-author and I don’t think I ever will. Leave the writing to the professionals!

  19. I don’t like reading books about celebrities either. I will not read books written by them either.
    Great list! (:

    My TTT

  20. Sunny says:

    Ooh, celebrity authors is a good one! I stay away from those because I really don’t respect them as a writer, it’s bad to say. Great list!

    My TTT

  21. LOL The next hunger games, twilight= deal killer for me as well!

  22. ChrissiReads says:

    I’m glad you have dragons on your list! They just don’t interest me at all. Great list! πŸ™‚

  23. BookTasty says:

    I’m not too into time travel or reincarnation style books either. There is something inside of me that groans in boredom when I read “time travel” on the back of a book! Which is weird because I love Dr. Who, which is…time travel!

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