Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
2023 Weekly Question
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Weekly Question - Jan 22 - What You Don't Read
Are there genres you don't like and don't read? What is it that you don't care for? I read a lot of different genres. I'm not familiar with a lot of the different combinations of genres so not sure if I like them. The books I avoid because they unsettle me are true crime books about serial killers. I read some true crime but i know some topics upset me so I avoid them. For example I know I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer is an excellent book. I also know I wouldn't sleep for a very long time if I read it even though a part of me wants to.
Magic realism is not my thing at all, and I have to search hard when that comes up in a prompt. I'm not as keen on fantasy or sci-fi as I was when I was young. Having said all of that, there's always an exception to the rule. I'm one who doesn't like reading about child death, but On Beulah Height, which deals with just that, was one of the best crime novels I've ever read.
I’m not a fan of women’s fic, chick lit, or lit in general. They don’t appeal. Nor do I read much in mystery and thriller. I prefer visual medium for these.
Or horror. Again not a fan.
I won’t read anything with rape. Definitely a trigger. Nor do I like animal cruelty and death. Especially dogs.
Mod
Mandy wrote: "Nor do I like animal cruelty and death."
With you on that one.
I stay well away from slushy romance. The sort where he looked into her eyes, she looked into his eyes. Chic-lit. I also tend to avoid sci- fi and fantasy when I can.Mandy wrote: "Nor do I like animal cruelty and death." Me too.
Mod
Sherri, I agree with you totally about true crime or fiction about serial killers and psychopaths. I don't even like it when a mystery has chapters from the point of view of a psychopathic killer. I will read darker plots if they are from a series I enjoy, like the Gamache series or Cormoran Strike series. But I have found a rule of thumb for me is to stay away from any book that includes "gripping" or "chilling" in the blurb on the back of the book. That leaves horror out too, unless it is more the Twilight Zone, just plain weird variety.
I find thrillers often ridiculous, for instance, (Gone Girl or The Silent Patient, both of which I read and wished I hadn't. I do believe there are evil people in the world, but most of the time there aren't so brilliantly consistent in their deceptions, plans, etc.
As far as subjects I can't read about, I can't read about torture. Not only the activity of it, but the fact that a person can do that to another person. The same for systematic cruelty, I had trouble with Kindred and other depictions of slavery, even though I feel it's important to understand the depth of that evil. And a mantra these last few years is "I cannot read any more books about Nazis!" I can tolerate more violence in fantasy since it seems less real. For instance if Game of Thrones were set in modern Sudan or Nazi Germany, I wouldn't be able to deal with it.
I don't generally read essays or short stories because I feel like there isn't enough to them, but there are exceptions for both. I don't generally read self-help, except for books that have to do with brain science, which I find interesting.
Personal circumstances can affect us too. For the last 3 years, while my daughter was going through cancer, I couldn't read anything with that subject in it. Lots of people loved Crying in H Mart but the very beginning is a cancer diagnosis, so I said "not now".
I have found that my reading preferences have changed since my husband died (5 years). Initially it meant that I relied on cozy mysteries to get my mystery fix. Now it means that I steer away from horror. Although there are some authors who do it so well that I find I enjoy their books (Koontz comes to mind).I also don't like graphic sex scenes, but I am OK with the romantic ones. Usually this means that I avoid Romance genre, although I enjoy Nora Roberts magic books where the characters often have romantic liaisons.
Speaking of graphic...that goes for torture and blood and guts stuff. I am protective to some degree what goes into my brain as I tend to dream stories and am not into enjoying those images in my dreams. I seem to be OK with mention of such, just not the graphic scenes.
There may be others...I haven't investigated all genres. But, those are the ones most often in my selection process. And, there are some that I only recently heard (Grimdark, Hopepunk) that I will be trying out this year.
Horror and mysteries are not normally my jam. I'm not into gothic literature even though I periodically try to give it a go. I will occasionally get a desire for a ghost story but only rarely.I try to stay open because most things that are well written I enjoy. But not everything as I've never really been an Edgar Allen Poe fan. Its been awhile so I likely should try again but overall its not my thing.
Oh and the true romance novel that takes itself seriously? No thank you.
I am not a big fan of classics or historic fiction and I think the ones that revolve around war are way up on my list of books that bore me. If cancer is brought up a lot I generally will DNF.
I love mysteries but if they get too graphic or veer into horror I am general put off.
I agree with Bea about graphic sex scenes I don't mind a little lead up and people getting hot and bothered but I don't really find the written act very interesting. I also listen to a lot of audiobooks and some of the narrators just make it all very cringey.
All that said I think that there exceptions to everything and feel like my tastes are ever evolving so try to keep an open mind and keep trying the stuff that I don't think I like.
Robin P wrote: "This is a bit the opposite of last week's question. Are there genres you don't like and don't read? What is it that you don't care for?And related - are there topics you just can't read about? Fo..."
I don't read romance novel, westerns, Science Fiction, and lately I've become bored with historical fiction set during WWII.
There are some overused tropes I'm tired of (which is different that won't read) like the husband/boyfriend who is the one person the protagonist could count on being the murderer. Damsel in distress who needs to be rescued by bigger, stronger male is another one that can die.
I really am not a fan of westerns or stories set in or around wartime. I also don't like mobster stories as well. I am over stories with graphic sex scenes I tend to skim through it to get back to the story. I have gotten bored with them. I probably read too many when I was young.
I do not read bodice ripper romances or high fantasy/sci-fi. And I don't enjoy books that drop the f-bomb in every other sentence. I figure there are a billion words in the English language and to use that particular one as your only adjective is pretty lazy authoring. Exception being "The Martian" opening sentence. THAT was a great line.
Everything else I'm willing to read and judge on its own merits.
I don’t read horror or true crime , but love mystery/suspense thrillers. Reading challenges taught me that I don’t like Mythology or epic fantasy and sci-fi. I know my reading preferences have changed majorly over the years.
I think every genre has at least one book that I'd probably enjoy from it, it's just that I'm slightly less likely to seek them out. I definitely don't read a lot of literary fiction. I used to read a lot of sci-fi and chunky fantasy, but I find myself generally avoiding that these days.As for plot elements I won't read... Well, I don't generally like to read unhappy endings. The real world is depressing, in my fiction I like some kind of optimism or at least justice. I also don't really like reading books about unhappy relationships, or abuse, or childhood trauma. Admittedly I am often quite a fluffy reader! But hey, what's wrong with reading what makes you happy?
yes! quite a few genres I tend to avoid!* magical realism - these rarely work for me. I love SFF, but if you're setting your book in the real world, let it be real. (That said, I HAVE read some GREAT magical realism books! Nothing to See Here, for example, was fantastic.)
* Christian fiction - I'm not Christian and so I generally find these books to be annoying. Haven't read one in a long time.
* true crime - I'm not OPPOSED to true crime, but I also don't see it out. I love fictional crime books though!
* westerns - again, not opposed to it, but I also don't seek it out.
* body horror and slasher horror - I read a lot of horror, but only certain types. Every now and then I pick up a horror novel that I thought was one type, but it turns out to be one of the types I don't like, and it's unpleasant.
* military novels & military sci-fi - nothing is more boring to me than a detailed description of battle
* military history, and broad-sweeping history in general - I prefer my non-fiction books to be science or microhistory.
My least favorite genres are self-help and Christian fiction (are there other types of religious fiction? I probably wouldn't like them either). Although I really enjoy books that describe other people's religious practices, that's different from religious fiction.I will not read books about terrorism, especially 9/11. It's called terrorism for a reason, it instills terror. Therefore, I also don't read espionage or spy thrillers. Or anything heavily focused on military, same as Nadine.
I can only think of two that I avoid.Horror - specifically the blood and gore version
Graphic sexual content
I tend to have a hard time with child abuse stories. I have DNF'd a few.
Other than those I'll try about anything.
Mod
I think I'll have a future question on tropes you like or don't like.
Milena wrote: "My least favorite genres are self-help and Christian fiction (are there other types of religious fiction? I probably wouldn't like them either). Although I really enjoy books that describe other pe..."Oh yes! Self help!! I avoid self help so diligently that I didn't even think to mention it LOL
Robin P wrote: "I also find battles boring, including in sci-fi or fantasy. In movies when there is a fight or car chase, I feel like saying "wake me when it's over". It's also annoying that in many sci-fi and fan..."In movies I don't mind car chases & one-on-one fights, but when it's a Big Epic Battle scene (like in the Avengers) they go on too long and I get so bored I literally fall asleep. I have fallen asleep in theaters watching Avengers movies. It's so embarrassing. My daughter has to elbow me awake!
The main genres I avoid are anything that comes under the 'fantasy' realm. To me that includes sci-fi, magical realism, some horror - basically anything that cannot physically happen in the real world. I much prefer to read something realistic.I usually avoid romance too as there is rarely any substance to it.
As for content, I'm not sensitive to much. The only thing I have been put off by recently is very graphic rape descriptions when it isn't necessary to the story.
I'm having a hard time thinking about genres I straight up don't read at all — I definitely like to think of myself as someone who will try anything. But I can say that although I pick up a couple of thrillers every year, I rarely enjoy them much, and same with romances (though I'd like to find out if there's something I would like!) I very rarely read biographies, celebrity memoirs, self-help books, or true crime and I'm not particularly interested in reading more.But I have to admit that I can think of at least one book I enjoyed in nearly every genre!
There’s very little I won’t at least try (like others posted in last week’s thread, I’ll read the back of a box of cereal), but it has to be a truly exceptional book for me to read religious or woo stuff. I was once so disappointed to win a copy of a workbook designed to get you writing that was infused with “The Secret”-style inspirational thoughts.
In general, I avoid books that are set in WW2, fan fiction, books that the authors name is more prominent than the title, books with ".... daughter" or " daughter...." or " girls ...".I also avoid books that are a trope all by themselves. You know the ones that even the blurb is formulaic.
I also avoid those in which the author can not write anything but a white male. The female characters are one dimensional, or the child is aged beyond their years.
Torture or abuse of children is out too. That includes excessive descriptions of rape etc. My imagination can be graphic enough without your help, thank you.
I guess I don't avoid certain genres, just certain types of writers.
Nadine in NY wrote: "yes! quite a few genres I tend to avoid!* magical realism - these rarely work for me. I love SFF, but if you're setting your book in the real world, let it be real...
* Christian fiction - I'm not Christian and so I generally find these books to be annoying."
Nadine, I feel similar about these genres. Magical realism, for me, is either great [a little magic in the story but not the focus] or horrible [is the main part of the story]. Christian fiction is not my preferred genre, but I don't mind if it is the background of a character as long as the author is not proselyting the reader.
I don’t usually read spicy novels. I do like The Bridgertons, but every time I came across a spicy novel (how do you name these?) I was just ‘bleh’. It doesn’t really have anything deep and interesting in it to keep me entertained and interested on the plot. It actually just makes me scary to see how many women appreciate those stories.
Hannah wrote: "I'm having a hard time thinking about genres I straight up don't read at all — I definitely like to think of myself as someone who will try anything. But I can say that although I pick up a couple ..."Same with me! I'm willing to try anything. If a book sounds interesting to me, I'll pick it up. That said, I do steer away from self-help, smut (page after page of doin' it just isn't what I want from a book) and WWII historical fiction.
Not that WWII historical fiction is bad - I've read some amazing books set in this time period - I just feel a bit tired of it at this point.
And the one trigger I've come across is rape where the victim forgives the rapist. That's not ok and not something I want to read.
Oh, I thought of another! It makes me feel like a grinch, but it seems like I very consistently don't enjoy "Uplit" and I'm starting to avoid any books described that way. I swear I like heartwarming books (I think?) but a lot of the books that are often referred to as uplit felt a bit overly saccharine to me or a little too purposefully tugging-on-the-heartstrings. I have a hard time pinpointing exactly what the common theme is, but whenever I look at lists of uplit, I notice that I rated all of them 1 or 2 stars (except Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, which I did enjoy.)
I don't have any genres that are a "hard no" but lots of topics/themes that I don't love. You've collectively mentioned most things I dislike already, but they're more likely to make me drop a star rating than to not, or stop reading a book. * I enjoy some Lit Fic but if it goes purple, its DNF. It's one of the few reason I'll stop reading a book.
* pets (especially dogs) cannot not be killed or hurt. I don't like spoilers but often web search to make sure the dog is ok before reading.
* short stories, exceptions for those from well established series with familiar characters.
* some of the romance tropes like friends to lovers because it typically involves characters just not communicating so I spend the whole book internally screaming "talk to EACH OTHER!!|
* Unhappy endings - I can deal with almost any events during the book as long as it ends well.
* ambiguous endings. Usually. Some are done well, but I typically want the author to tell me what happened, rather than make me guess.
* smart characters doing stupid things or uncharacteristic things - I love fantasy and sci-fi and magic realism and have no problem 'believing' in magic or creatures etc. but when real events don't seem plausible it annoys me.
* long boring walks (i.e. quests where the characters walk/ride horses for chapters with little happening)/epic boring battle scenes (detailed description of this guy stabbing that one, repeat nauseam)
Hannah wrote: "Oh, I thought of another! It makes me feel like a grinch, but it seems like I very consistently don't enjoy "Uplit" and I'm starting to avoid any books described that way. I swear I like heartwarmi..."Same here. "Uplit" and "hopepunk" generally don't work for me and I will avoid a book if it's described that way. That makes me feel like a cranky curmudgeon, but so be it!
Uplit/Hopepunk are new to me and now I have to know more, down the rabbit hole I go :D
Sheena wrote: "Uplit/Hopepunk are new to me and now I have to know more, down the rabbit hole I go :D"Becky Chambers & T.J. Klune are probably good places to start
I dislike syrupy romances and thrillers with "lots of twists and turns." Both of these feel manipulative to me. I avoid horror, serial killers, and paranormal. I am maybe a too sensitive a reader, but I don't wish to read anything that is going to give me nightmares.
As far as content, I would prefer to avoid torture, rape, graphic sex, crude language, animal or child abuse. If some integral part of a novel involves these, I will typically continue on, but if it is excessive, I will DNF or lower my rating, as it definitely impacts my personal enjoyment.
I tend to avoid reading multiple books in a series. I will occasionally read the first book if it has gotten some attention, but rarely do I feel the need to read more. I like books that feel like a complete story or statement as a standalone.
There are always exceptional books that I feel like I may be missing due to my (fairly strongly held) preferences, and I will try a book of any genre if strongly recommended by my friends (who know my tastes) or a book club has selected it for a group read. Sometimes I am surprised by how much I enjoy it, but more often it reinforces my misgivings.
Mod
Becky Chambers & T.J. Klune are probably good places to start"
I actually am the rare person who wasn't crazy about The House in the Cerulean Sea because it was just too sweet for me. A friend kept recommending to me chick lit books like those by Cathy Lamb. I felt like serious issues were way too quickly solved. I felt the same about Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, The Midnight Library and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Serious issues of mental health or child abandonment were just glossed over and the protagonist's life was magically better. Not that I want to read sad books but it's too easy to have an adorable child, available romantic partner or great job just materialize when needed.
Robin P wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Sheena wrote: "Uplit/Hopepunk are new to me and now I have to know more, down the rabbit hole I go :D"Becky Chambers & T.J. Klune are proba..."
Thanks for the additional info, Nadine & Robin
I liked Eleanor & all things Klune / didn't like Midnight Library but I'm curious to explore more. I'll think I'll give Becky Chambers a go.
Maybe things are different in the US. But I did have reservations about a single man, not related in any way, being allowed to adopt a small girl as in The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. I doubt if that would happen in the UK
I can't think of any genres/topics I've sworn off completely, but there are definitely genres/topics I shy away from:- space sci-fi
- military stuff
- magical realism (I will pick these up, but I'm apt to give up on them quickly if they're not working for me)
- mythology/folklore
- a lot of literary fiction (I will never pick up Jonathan Franzen or David Foster Wallace)
- heavily religious books
As I said in last week's post, I don't read self help or political memoirs. I used to read a lot of mystery/thrillers when I first started reading adult books (As in not YA) and then I moved on to horror, and now I rarely read either genre. Mysteries & Thrillers tend to bore me and I really don't like horror - I don't like being scared or grossed out, so why would I deliberately read something like that? And I love romances, but I'm not big on sex scenes and tend to treat them like commercials - something to be skimmed at best and skipped entirely at worst.
I'm also not big on literary fiction - I DON'T want realism. I know the world is messed up and miserable things happen and things usually don't work out, but that's why I want to read. So for the time I'm spent reading I can live in a world where they do work out.
Robin P wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Sheena wrote: "Uplit/Hopepunk are new to me and now I have to know more, down the rabbit hole I go :D"Becky Chambers & T.J. Klune are proba..."
Same, I'm not a fan of those books, but they are VERY popular, so if you think you might like this type of book, give them a go!
Mod
Mod
Maybe because it was so upsetting for me to go (with my brother) to my grandmother's for a week when I was 6, I can't buy the stories where a child is left with a stranger and adapts immediately. I also couldn't believe that in Room. The narration from the point of view of the child is brilliant. But in the later part of the book, it is just not credible to me that a child who had never been more than a few feet away from his mother his whole life would calmly stay overnight with someone else.
Robin P wrote: "Personal circumstances can affect us too. For the last 3 years, while my daughter was going through cancer, I couldn't read anything with that subject in it. Lots of people loved Crying in H Mart but the very beginning is a cancer diagnosis, so I said "not now"."I totally understand! I started a Stephen King book right after I had a miscarriage, and the first chapter was about a woman whose husband kicked her in the stomach and she had a miscarriage. I put it down, and even though I LOVE SK, I didn't read anything of his for a few years. I have actually never made it back to that particular book.
I will read almost any genre. There are certain things in those genres that may be a no-go for me, but those are on an individual basis. I cannot stand the romance genre. I cannot roll my eyes that many times in a row without my brain spasming! I'm not a big fan of graphic novels, but I will read them if someone really wants me to (or if it is for a class!). They just seem kind of empty to me - which is just a me thing, not a graphic novel thing. I cannot stand "Christian" (really Evangelical) lit, because it is usually just hate disguised as sappy yuck.
That's pretty much it. I'll read just about anything. LOL.
Sheena wrote: "Uplit/Hopepunk are new to me and now I have to know more, down the rabbit hole I go :D"Me, too...although I did learn of hopepunk when reading over threads on prompt 29. I chose a book with that genre just to see what it was all about.
Nadine in NY wrote: "yes! quite a few genres I tend to avoid!* magical realism - these rarely work for me. I love SFF, but if you're setting your book in the real world, let it be real. (That said, I HAVE read some G..."
I think my list of don't reads are the same as Nadines! I think any topic can be handled well so I don't have a big list of things I refuse to read about. But I am unlikely to read magical realism, military, Christian, true crime* or westerns without a push from a challenge.
*I am actually interested in forensics so I will read non-fiction about crime in some sense. Just not delving into the heads of killers. I read I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer for a true crime prompt and it really disturbed me as a thing that actually happened.
Sheena wrote: "Thanks for the additional info, Nadine & RobinI liked Eleanor & all things Klune / didn't like Midnight Library but I'm curious to explore more. I'll think I'll give Becky Chambers a go...."
I love Becky Chambers' books so much but I find T.J. Klune too twee and eye-roll inducing.
I tend to think more in terms of authors I prefer not to read, but there are a few overall genres/groups I avoid:- self-help
- a fair amount of literary fiction (ditto on Franzen etc)
- space opera (I love SFF but a lot of this goes over my head)
- Christian fiction
- erotica (I went through the bodice-ripper phase in high school, and while I'll still pick up a romance every now and then, I don't need heavy smut - Chuck Tingle's titles make me laugh though)
I love Becky Chambers, too! Her books don't feel like uplit so much to me, though they are optimistic and slice-of-life, so I understand the connection. I think the connection I'm seeing between the books I don't like is this particular arc of a grumpy/depressed/disconnected person finding meaning in their life by interacting with charming children, like Robin said. There are a surprising number of books following this pattern! It feels to me like a twist on the manic-pixie-dream-girl trope.Also, Robin, you've reminded me that I really want to read The War That Saved My Life this year. I was also born with a club foot and I've literally never read about a character with one before!
I try to be open to all genres, with the right story. But this is what I shy away from:1) Because they bore me: anything with long fight/battle scenes (I'm glad to see from others comments that I am not the only one who falls asleep in these during movies!), overtly sexual or violent scenes, sports. Sports as part of a larger story (like The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics are fine - this one was excellent.
2) Because they don't end up being funny (to me): "Comedy books" - like comedy movies - if that is the focus they usually feel forced. I very much appreciate comedy that naturally fits into a story, but I don't enjoy it as the focus.
3) Because I get lost: Sci-Fi that has completely made up locations, culture, names, language. There is so much to keep track of that I can't enjoy the story. If the location and culture are fictional I can handle that, as long as the language bits are something I can relate to.
4) Because these types of people already feel like they deserve all the attention: I don't enjoy stories about entitled people behaving like they are entitled. I prefer characters who feel like they want to make the world a better place somehow, not like the world owes THEM.
Mod
Oh yes, the manic pixie dream girl is annoying. And the flip side is the lower class he-man who gets the uptight woman to enjoy life - cowboy, Scot, beach bum who turns out to be rich, etc.
We will definitely have a thread later about tropes we like and don't like. I am trying to vary the subjects each week.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story (other topics)Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood (other topics)
Becoming (other topics)
In the Dream House (other topics)
When Breath Becomes Air (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Naomi Novik (other topics)Becky Chambers (other topics)
T.J. Klune (other topics)
T.J. Klune (other topics)
Becky Chambers (other topics)
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And related - are there topics you just can't read about? For instance some people can't read about children or animals in peril.