Top Ten Tuesday (20): Words/Topics That Make Me Less Likely to Pick Up a Book

Previously, in April, one of our lists focused on words/topics that make us pick up a book. This week, the topic is Top Ten Words/Topics That Make Me Not Pick Up a Book. Sometimes books have themes that I would normally pass by, but for some reason - recommendations, curiosity, etc - I might give them a try anyway. That's why I tweaked the topic a little bit. Instead of just content that makes me completely dismiss a book, I've included stuff that make it less likely that I'll read it. If that makes sense.

Some words/topics that will almost always make me pass over something include:

1. Erotic - I will not, under any circumstances, read any book that even remotely hints at this. I see the word "erotic" and I cringe. I don't want to be a voyeur! So, erotica? It's not my thing. It never will be. I just won't read it. ... I also blush easy...

2. Horror - I'm a huge baby. If there's going to be terrifying stuff that will give me nightmares, no way am I going to read it. I've tried a couple times in the past to see if I could make it through a scary book, but I've given up. No more horror novels for me!

3. Rape/Abuse - I just... I just can't. If the synopsis mentions any kind of physical abuse, I just can't do it. Nope.

4. Bad Boy - I am so incredibly sick of the "bad boy" in young adult fiction. What is the appeal, really? This is one of those topics that isn't a definite no, but it's quite unlikely that I'll read it. I'm not interested in bad boys in real life or fiction. Is he a bad boy with a "heart of gold"? Pfft, yeah right. Definitely not my cup of tea. If he has a heart of gold, why is he acting like a jerk to begin with? Seriously... ugh.

5. Angels - This is another one that I'll more than likely pass on, but it's not a sure thing. I just don't really get it, I guess. When I think of angels, I think of good, honest, holy type beings, not brooding, hormone-driven, sexy beasties.

6. Zombies - Uh uh. No way! I do NOT do zombies. The only zombie-themed thing I can stand is the game Plants vs Zombies. Other than that, I just can't. Zombies creep me the heck out and they crop up in my nightmares way too much for my liking. Yuck.

7. New Adult - I think I've mentioned this somewhere before, but I can't bring myself to read New Adult. I was so excited by the idea of this genre, but it seems like all of them have sex sex and more sex. I mean, look at the covers? Practically all of them have people kissing, almost kissing, embracing, on top of one another, etc. Not only do I not want to read a book with explicit content, I don't want to be seen reading it! I'm also not a fan of explicit language, which seems to be more prevalent in NA. So no "smut fiction" for me. If anybody has a recommendation for good, CLEAN New Adult fiction, let me know. I'd love to love this genre. Until it branches out more, though, I'm going to stay away.

8. Human-like animals - I didn't know how else to say that, but I basically mean animals who walk upright, wear clothes, talk, fight, love, etc. I just can't do the whole talking animal thing. For example, I've read Redwall because it's a favorite of one of my friends, but I just couldn't get over the whole idea of these animals behaving like humans. It weirds me out.

9. Love at First Sight - I don't know if I'm cynical, but I just don't believe in love at first sight. I don't want to read something with insta-love in it. I like romance in my books, I fully admit that, but I like the romance to grow. I like that spark of interest, the getting-to-know-you stuff, the feelings building and all that jazz. I get so sick of stories where all of a sudden the characters love one another. I'm usually left wondering if I missed something.

10. Ridiculous Names - If I can't pronounce the name of a character or place, I just don't think I can read the book. This might sound silly, but when you read a book and the name of the main character is so hard to say you feel the need to make up a nickname so the story flows better... well, that's just ridiculous. I just don't get it.

Are there any words that instantly make you shy away from a book? Any certain topics you can't bring yourself to read? Let me know in the comments below and please link to your post if you've shared one!

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