This week's topic is:
Top Ten Book Turn-offs
no real plot - Sometimes books happen but nothing happens within the pages. There are some characters and they do things but really, nothing happens.
generic blurbs - "The next Hunger Games!" "The next Twilight!" "Vampires!" "Letters that form words that form sentences!" "Characters!" Why bother?
terrible names - There are some names I simply hate and if I start a book and a major character has that name, I have a really hard time reading it. Also if the names are just ridiculous and unpronounceable for the sake of being ridiculous.
snobish narrator - If I have to listen to the narrator tell me this story and they look down on everyone and everything I have a really hard time powering through because I hate them. I don't care about them or what they are saying and therefore will not enjoy the book.
bad cover - This may be shallow but I want to read a book with a great cover. It doesn't have to be earth-shattering, but if it looks like you made it in Paint I'll pass.
too many talking animals - Sometimes it's fitting to have talking animals (Alice in Wonderland). But, if your animals could have easily been humans instead, no thanks. Unless it fits the style of the book or is symbolic in some way, please just make them people.
poor editing - Having poor editing in your book makes me feel like you don't think I'm worth a second glance. A lot of mistakes I see could have been saved with a simple read through.
preachy - I don't want a book telling me what to think or how to conduct my life. Lessons are fine, drilling them into my brain for 400 pages is not.
trying to hard to be something it's not - You're either writing a funny, sad, dark, mysterious, book or you're not. Don't try too hard to make your book fit into a certain category, just write the damn book.
hypocritical narrator - If a narrator is bitching about someone doing something and they are also doing that same thing I just want to shake them.
generic blurbs - "The next Hunger Games!" "The next Twilight!" "Vampires!" "Letters that form words that form sentences!" "Characters!" Why bother?
terrible names - There are some names I simply hate and if I start a book and a major character has that name, I have a really hard time reading it. Also if the names are just ridiculous and unpronounceable for the sake of being ridiculous.
snobish narrator - If I have to listen to the narrator tell me this story and they look down on everyone and everything I have a really hard time powering through because I hate them. I don't care about them or what they are saying and therefore will not enjoy the book.
bad cover - This may be shallow but I want to read a book with a great cover. It doesn't have to be earth-shattering, but if it looks like you made it in Paint I'll pass.
too many talking animals - Sometimes it's fitting to have talking animals (Alice in Wonderland). But, if your animals could have easily been humans instead, no thanks. Unless it fits the style of the book or is symbolic in some way, please just make them people.
poor editing - Having poor editing in your book makes me feel like you don't think I'm worth a second glance. A lot of mistakes I see could have been saved with a simple read through.
preachy - I don't want a book telling me what to think or how to conduct my life. Lessons are fine, drilling them into my brain for 400 pages is not.
trying to hard to be something it's not - You're either writing a funny, sad, dark, mysterious, book or you're not. Don't try too hard to make your book fit into a certain category, just write the damn book.
hypocritical narrator - If a narrator is bitching about someone doing something and they are also doing that same thing I just want to shake them.
The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.
I judge books by covers, I will never be able to get past them. I'm sorry, bad covers.
ReplyDeleteTerrible names is such a good one! I always get so annoyed when a character has a completely ridiculous name. It just distracts so much from the story.
ReplyDeleteOOoh nice ones!! Totally forgot about the names! I don't like when it's a name that I am not familiar with, let alone cannot think of a good way to pronounce it! Even inside my head!
ReplyDeleteHere's my Tuesday Post
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
Too many talking animals -- I love that one! I haven't read too many books with a lot of talking animals for this to be a problem, but I can see how it would be annoying. Great list, Britt!
ReplyDeleteGreat list. Not only do we have a couple in common, but I totally agree with your others. Although I am trying to remember some books that I've read that have talking animals. I'm coming up blank. Anyway, thanks for stopping by my TTT.
ReplyDelete