Top Ten Tuesday (TTT) brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish.
April 25: Top Ten Things That Will Make Me Instantly NOT Want To Read A Book (topic originally done back in 2013) — tell us all your book turn offs!
Last week, we took at look at what attracts us to a book. But what about the opposite? What makes you pass up a book?
The Laws of Book Rejection
Two years ago, we did a similar topic – Top Ten Books I Will Probably Never Read. Reading people’s lists, I saw a lot of Stephen King on there. A LOT. And I anticipate the same for this week. For those of you who have read Mr. King’s work and aren’t a fan – I get it. We all enjoy different things. For those of you who haven’t read anything by Mr. King, I encourage you to check out my post There’s More to Stephen King than Horror.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand…what books do I pass by in favor of something else?
Books I am unlikely to pick up.
These books I pretty much always say no to.
- If there seems to be any remote chance that a dog will die. I will never, ever read Marley & Me.
- A steamy cover. I don’t mind a love story, but the true romance genre is just not my thing.
- A woodsy memoir. A la Wild. I’m just not an outdoorsy gal.
- Books about war. In general, I don’t pick up books about war. They are too upsetting for me.
These books are not my first choice. Or my second.
Not that I won’t read these, but it has to be the right book, or my mood needs to be right.
- Books set during/about WWII. I really have trouble reading books set during WWII. I get upset thinking about all those young men and what they went through in battle. I get upset thinking about the Jewish people and the torture and death that these innocents faced. I will occasionally read something (fiction or non-fiction) from this time period, but it is few and far between.
- Tearjerkers. ie The Fault in Our Stars (which I did read, but it took a long time for me to pick it up). If I know it’s going to be sad, I really have to be in the right mindset.
- Dystopian. It depends on the book. I have no interest in The Hunger Games. I loved Ready Player One and am currently enjoying The Lunar Chronicles.
- The Classics. In theory, I’ve got nothing against the classics. They just aren’t usually what I turn to when selecting a new book.
- Characters suffering from Alzheimer’s or Dementia. We lost my dad to Alzheimer’s a few years ago. I have a few books on my TBR that deal with characters suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia, but I haven’t been able to read those yet.
- Zombies. They’re just not vampires.
What about you? What books do you pass by, or are at least slow to pick up? Sound off below, and link up to your own TTT if you’ve got one!
Hidden Staircase 
A steamy cover made my will read list, but I can understand why it would make this one if you’re not into romance. Nice list!
My TTT.
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This is why I love books. There is something for everyone, and honestly I’m sure I’m in the minority on the steamy cover! It was really hard to come up with a list, because we are all just book lovers here. ❤
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Zombies are not my thing at all. I am also not big on the classics. I just have no interest in them. Great list!!
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No. All the dogs everywhere are happy and loved. Forever. The end.
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I ugly cried so bad at the end of Marley and Me that my sobbing woke my husband up and he wouldn’t believe it was because of a book. He actually got mad at me that I wouldn’t tell him what was wrong and apparently “Marley died” didn’t seem believable. Last time ever I read a book where an animal even sneezes funny. Dystopian is on my list though I have read a number that I like (including Ready Player One) but the actual dystopian aspects and world building tend to be my least favorite aspects. Great list!
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No zombies! That’s my jam. I think I’m (mostly) over the vamps. I do agree with you on your other categories, though. I stay away from sad books if possible, and only like romance if there’s a good story. I’m not a fan of bodice rippers.
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I totally get you on the dog thing. If I encounter that, I actually just skip over the entire section., which I did with both “Marley and Me” and “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” I also completely see where you’re coming from with war books. I actually really enjoy books set in WWI and WWII, but, like you, I have a hard time thinking about — to put it mildly — all the horrors and senseless loss of life. It’s also easier for me to read a book set during a war than watch a movie; I struggled during “Hacksaw Ridge”! I’ve actually been thinking about doing a post on WHY I like war novels even though I’m a bit of a pacifist, but I really need to sit down and mull it over.
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I think you selected some excellent gifs, especially that first one…
Check out my TTT and my current giveaway.
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I like tearjerkers or books with a bittersweet ending. I’ve never actually cried while reading, so it seems I can take quite a bit in a book. Even more so, I do enjoy feeling sad and emotionally broken after a book, because that’s usually a sign that I liked the book and cared about the characters. The Art of Racing in the Rain, One Day, Gone Girl, … They don’t end happy, but even months or years after I’ve read them I will remember them as old friends I would love to see again.
I agree about steamy covers. Never ever would I pick those up. The closest I got to that was reading The Selection by Kiera Cass and I hated it.
I haven’t read Ready Player One or The Lunar Chronicles, but I did read The Hunger Games and loved that. Well apart from the last one in the series. That wasn’t too great.
Anyway, generally I think I’m open to a lot of books if presented in the right way. Hardcore romance is usually a no-go, but I would like to try a Santa Montefiore at some point and science fiction is not something that gets me excited at all, but I’d like to make an exception for The Martian.
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