Thursday, February 9, 2017

Instant NO's-- Random Things That Make Me Pass On a Book




Have you ever been reading a synopsis and are totally about to add it to your TBR until you see that one SOMETHING that instantly puts it in the NO category??

Well, I've been noticing lately that I put books on my NO list for the randomest reasons.  Here are some of them:




Alaska -- I don't know why this is.  I don't have anything against Alaska, but there's just something about ALASKA in a book synopsis that makes me fade out.

Celebrity love interests, especially pop stars -- I instantly think this going to be wish-fulfillment and I can't.  It sounds nice to pretend like a pop star might randomly start going to your school and start crushing on you-- a totally and completely regular girl!!!  But no-- this will never, ever, ever, EVER happen.  So I can't.

Spies -- I should totally be into spies!!  But I've never taken a teen-spy book off my TBR and into my currently reading life.

Mafia -- Just not interested for whatever reason.

Fake Boyfriend -- I think I may have exceptions to this in the future, but for the most part I am sick of seeing the "girl and guy pretend to go out for X reason and then ACTUALLY fall in love for real!!!" plot.

Teen pregnancy -- I tried reading a few of these and I haven't found any that were very good, so I gave up (BUT I do want to read Exit, Pursued By a Bear).

Motorcycles -- Another one I'm not really sure WHY.  There's just something about dudes on motorcycles that screams CLICHE at me.

Princesses/Kingdoms -- Don't hate me.  It's just why is it ALWAYS about the princess and the kingdoms they rule??  There's SOOOOOO many.  I can't begin to weed through it to find the good ones.

Horses -- I don't dislike horses, but I just don't like them centered in books??  Not really sure why.

Witness Protection -- This goes along with the Mafia and the Spy one.  Just not my thing.

Getting over a death by meeting a boy/girl -- I have read too many of these, so if I see a glimmer of it in the synopsis, I'm OUT.

Incest -- Creeps me out.

Sisters that are enemies -- I don't have siblings, but I'd like to think if I did we wouldn't do terrible things to each other.  I get sick of seeing sisters fighting over a guy or being the evil to each other.

Not Like Other Girls Girl -- I've legit read synopsis's that say the character is "not like other girls".  JUST NO.

Boy that sleeps around -- I'm not a prude, but until we can also make it "hot" that a girl has sex with multiple people, I don't want to read about how it's hot that a guy does.



EEK!!  I almost didn't share this post because I was worried about people judging me for judging books-- but then I got to thinking that we probably all have weird, dumb things that help us to narrow down the giant list of books we want to read.  I mean, we can't read them ALLLLLLL.


What random subjects make you instantly think NO??


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42 comments:

  1. It's funny because a few things on this are instant YESes for me! Like fake boyfriends, spies, princesses, and sometimes celebrity love stories. But I totally agree about motorcycles, horses, incest, babies, etc. So many of these are definitely NOs in my book. This is an interesting post! I talk about a lot of my "read-bait" books, like with keywords that make me want to read them, but this is a fun twist I may have to discuss further on my blog too! I'll link over to yours if/when I do ;)

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    1. I need to do an INSTANT YES post for sure!!! And I figured the Princess one would be a lot of people's YES books-- I'm always the black sheep.

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  2. I completely avoid celebrity love interest books too. I don't have the necessary level of suspension of disbelief for those.

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    1. It's just NEVER going to happen. And yeah neither are The Hunger Games (I hope), but the celeb ones are SO silly!! Where fantasy and dystopian are not.

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  3. Yes, these days, I am avoiding YA even though I used ot read it all the time. I also avoid books right now that say heartbreaking, heartwrenching etc. and anything that is dark and gory.

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    1. I totally understand and you have good reason to avoid those!!!

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  4. I agree with you on a lot of these. Like motorcycles (totally cliche bad boy), getting over death by meeting someone, and not like other girls. I won't freak out about the princess things because, oh man, but SPIES! How do you not like books about spies? They're usually such good thrillers and mysteries.
    Cassi @ My Thoughts Literally

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    1. I have no idea what it is with the spies!! Like it totally seems like something I'd be into, and I've initially wanted to read them, but then I always find reasons to skip over them when it comes time?? It's weird.

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  5. Haha. Great list! We all have those things that turn us off. I'm with you on motorcycles. :)

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    1. IDK, motorcycles are probably fine (I mean I like The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler), but it's the GUYS that come with them that stereotypically turn me off.

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  6. Yeah, I tend to not want to read things if I'm reading the summary and all of a sudden it's like "then this guy comes into her life" etc. It could be an amazing book, but it's like, NO.

    -Lauren

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  7. Alaska is actually a setting I would love to read more of!! I also love the fake boyfriend/girlfriend thing. I agree with you on "not like other girls" That one annoys me to no end!! Great post!

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    1. Hahaha I don't know WHY I don't ever read books with Alaska! I think in my brain I'm like "oh it's cold, what could they do in the cold that would be exciting?" or something.

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  8. I love this post so much!! I just stop reading a blurb if it has the word spies in it. I don't really know why...I just have no interest. I also don't like fake boyfriend, witness protection, not like other girls, and sleeps around. Nope to those! I also have zero interest in amnesia books. There's seems to be a lot of those lately. =/ Alaska is usually a yes for me lol. Great post!

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    1. I kind of do like amnesia books for some reason (even though they're completely overdone). I think it's because I LOVE a mystery??

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  9. hahahah I just started laughing when the first one I read was ALASKA. Man, why you gotta hate Alaska? lol jk I agree with a lot of these though. I dislike the trope of fake boyfriend then they actual fall in love - because it's so predictable! Also, horses! Ok, I'm not against horses but I started My Lady Jane recently and it's centered around a horse and I'm just....idk...not into it lol

    This was such a fun post!

    Molly @ Molly's Book Nook

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    1. HAHA I don't know why I gotta hate Alaska!! I have problems. Or horses for that matter. I have no reasons and they sometimes go on my TBR, but then I find excuses to push them back and never read them.

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  10. Fake boyfriend might be my favourite trope haha... But I definitely get where you're coming from for most of the other ones!

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    1. I think I would read a fake boyfriend book, but it would have to be really special because I feel like I already know what's going the happen (they're going to fall in love for real). But I also like a lot of tropes that other ppl find annoying, so it's all subjective.

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  11. Ha! I have to go to Alaska this summer for my brother-in-law's wedding so I've recently started to try and find books that have Alaska in the synopsis. I'm so surprised that you're not into spies! It seems like something that would be right up your alley with how into mystery / thriller books you are! And totally agreed re: incest. So many people rave about Forbidden and I'm just like NOPE NO THANK YOU.

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    1. Right?? It does seem like something I'd be into!! I don't know why I'm not to be honest! Incest is just totally that girl emoji with the crossed arms.

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  12. I defintely am tired of reading the "not like other girls" trope either. And what drives me crazy is when they describe multiple times how beautiful the character is. Great post, Michelle.

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    1. Ughh, it's like they have make it clear that the M/C is lifted ABOVE all other people-- just NO!! I want to read about interesting people, not people that are better than everyone else for unknown/nonexistent reasons.

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  13. This was such an interesting post! I've never really thought about my 'instant no's' but I'll definitely be thinking about it now. I definitely agree with some of yours, like the 'not like other girls' thing! I totally understand not liking the celebrity love interests, although something similar did actually happen to someone I know with a sports star so never say never, I guess. Also, I definitely need a book where its okay for a girl to 'sleep around', I'm so fed up of it being great for guys but not girls.
    Great post!

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    1. LOL, yes I guess never say never!! And UGHHH I am so tired of it being "hot" for a guy to hook up and not a girl. SO TIRED.

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  14. I literally laughed out loud at Alaska being on your list because it's so random, haha. I don't know if every single thing on your list would actively turn me off a book, but some of them would, and none of them would be a selling point for me. So I don't think anything on your list is weird since I'm not interested in these things either. Well, except the Alaska one, that one's weird :-P

    Honestly I don't know what my instant "no"s are, but it's funny because I do have a post written about

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    1. Oops lol. I was saying I have a post written (but not posted yet) about weird things that make me *more* interested!

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    2. Haha the Alaska one is weird. I have no idea why I'm like zzzZZZzzz when Alaska shows up in the blurb, but I am! I want to do an opposite post of this too!! Like there are all kinds of random tropes I do like, so I think it's needed :)

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  15. So a few of these I actually DO enjoy, like Alaska. And I will fully admit to being morbidly fascinated with incest books? I mean, not if they're just for shock value, but... yeah. I want to read Forbidden, is what I am saying bwhaha. Ditto teen pregnancy- I am fine if it is done in a decent way.

    BUT. But most of these... yes, yes, yes! I am so with you. I tune out immediately with celebrity, motorcycles, spies, mafia, the horses, Witness Protection, and SO OVER the "not like other girls" girl. Eyes rolling so hard. And DUDE- how does meeting someone make you "get over" a death? Spoiler: IT. DOESN'T. What even is that!?! And YES to the dude who can sleep around but NOT ever the girl. The others... well, I don't LOVE them but I don't hate them? But I am definitely with you on the vast majority of these!

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    1. I think I'd be find with teen pregnancy if it was done right. I just have trouble finding those. And UGHH it bugs me to no end the sleeping around thing AND the getting over a death by getting a boyfriend/girlfriend. JUST NO!!

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  16. I love that you have been able to pinpoint your aversions so clearly! I have a couple of super obvious things that are "nos" for me (love triangles, sick-lit, etc.) but I love how specific you get. I'm trying to be better too this year about not spending time on books that I have an inkling I won't like (too often I read them anyways because so many other people love them, and end up disappointed and wishing I could get the time I spent on them back). Great post!

    -Cristina @ Girl in the Pages

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    1. I read a lot of books because other people like them even though I kind of KNOW that I won't. It doesn't really makes sense, but I guess I'm hoping I'll be wrong?? Only I never usually am. Also, I made this list super slowly-- like if something came up, I would go and add it to the list until I felt I had enough to make a post-- because it's HARD to think of stuff like this at the top of my head.

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  17. I love this! I don't have a list of things that I know turn me away from a book, but I'm sure if I thought about it, I could come up with some ... hmmm ... maybe sports? I mean, I've read a few sports-centered books that I've liked, but for the most part, I'm not interested. I'm definitely fed up with a few of the ones you mentioned, especially guys who sleep around and are therefore extra desirable. Um, no.

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. I haven't read that many sports books, but I wouldn't mind trying them. And guys who sleep around and it = sexy and hot??? NO!

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  18. Spies and Mafia, yes please!

    And though incest stories are super creepy, I did just read a book that had that in it and it was actually a great book. It wasn't descriptive or anything, but you know it was happening. I wouldn't go looking for stories just for this topic though.

    I am going to agree with you on the celebrity love story idea though.

    Such a great post... now you have me thinking... what are my instant no's.

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    1. I'd love to see your instant no's!! I don't know why I don't like Spies?? It is something I should be into, but maybe it's because it's too unrealistic?? Not sure, but they never seem to come off my TBR.

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  19. Great list. :) I so agree w/ celebrities *yawn* and princesses/ kingdoms- I'm pretty close to my limit on that too. Just for once can we have the peasant or middle class- why do they always have to be princess/ prince/ royalty? And motorcycles lol. If a guy is riding he's definitely "dangerous" but with a heart of gold right?

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    1. Right?? Like I'm down to read books set in societies that have royals ruling, but I don't always want to strictly read about the royals. WHERE ARE THE PEASANTS?? And also, peasants that don't end up going to the castle and becoming involved with the prince/princesses. There need to be more of those!

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    2. Oh yeah and the motorcycled. tattooed, bad boy HAS to have a heart of gold. PUKE!

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  20. Fun post. I'll confess I love the royal stories... for now. :) I could do with less stories centered on animals (dog, horse) and sisters being enemies! Definitely agree with a few of these other points too. Going the cliche route is often "too safe" methinks.

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    1. I think I'm in the minority with the Princesses thing. It probably also has to do with the fact that I don't read a lot of fantasy or historical fiction. BUT I feel like I'd be into trying more of them if they varied more in what they are about. And yes, cliche is the worst!

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