Julianne

I really enjoyed writing Another Top Ten Things That Will Make Me Instantly Want To Read A Book, and all its predecessors, but I found this week’s topic more interesting. As much as I hate to admit it, there are some topics that are instant turn-offs for me when I’m browsing in a bookstore or library, and it’s been really interesting to think about why.

Top Ten Things That Will Make Me Instantly NOT Want To Read A Book

1. I have to admit that I am just not interested in pregnancy. Not that I haven’t read good books about pregnancy, even teenage pregnancy – Non Pratt’s Trouble and Nick Hornby’s Slam spring to mind – but I took a lot of persuading to give them a try. There would have to be one hell of a hook to get me to pick up any others.

2. Divorce from the point of view of a character who is getting divorced, especially if he’s a man – I have read enough books about men leaving their wives and kids for the rest of my life. I threw the last one I read at the wall. Just no.

3. A lot of people seem to find psychopaths fascinating, but I think they’re all the same!

4. Terminal illnesses in fiction. Weirdly, I’m okay reading non-fiction about this subject but it’s not something I seek out in fiction.

5. Historical fiction about the Same Men as Usual. You know who I mean – Henry VIII, Hitler, Churchill, NAH. I like reading about other people during their historical periods, but I’ve read enough about the men themselves.

Sorry, Henry, I’m only here for your wives.
Image from the British Library’s Flickr photostream.

6. Books with too strong a religious influence. I don’t mind books with characters who are religious, or even books written by authors who express their spiritual values through the book. But I have a problem with books that try to convert you, and books where the plot hinges upon religious belief – like if something happens because of divine intervention in a book that’s otherwise realistic. The End of the Affair, I’m looking at you.

7. I cannot get on board with arrogant love interests. They can be confident, they can be proud, but if they stride arrogantly through the plot and never get taken down a peg or two, the book is not for me.

8. On that note, I am not into alpha males. If the love interest is a muscular, bossy businessman, the book is staying on the shelf!

9. Cookbooks that require a massive amount of kitchen equipment – my ideal recipes involve at most two pans!

10. Knitting books that look like they have really great hat patterns…until you pick them up and realise they’re all hats for babies! Nooooooo! Though I knit so loosely that I’d probably manage to make a hat fit me perfectly by trying to follow a baby pattern. This is what happened once when I tried to knit to an adult pattern without making adjustments for my massive gauge:

Now I want to know – do you share any of my dislikes, or are some of these things you love to read about? Tell me in the comments, and if you did your own lists let me know as I’d love to check it out! Top Ten Tuesday was created and is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.