What Subjects of Reading Do You Hate?

[Ashley]

I hate reading anything about politics or debate. I'm also really not into religious books unless its a memoir of some sort.

[Sarah]

I don't read much horror, except for classic horror. So while I'd read Mary Shelley, I wouldn't read Stephen King.

[Clayton]

Not sure if it qualifies as a subject, but this whole Manga phenomenon is beyond me. Of course, at 40 I am not the primary demographic, but I still dont get it.

[Laura]

I tend to avoid "extremes" in my reading - in other words, anything too academic or too mainstream. That said, while as a rule I generally can't stand postmodern philosophy, Derrida is starting to grow on me. But I'm not sure I'll ever develop a taste for chick lit or other bestseller genres!

[Kellie]

Hate is probably too strong of a word, but I just really don't get into romance novels. I'm not trying to be uppity, I've even tried to like them and get into them. I have a friend who has about a million and she's loaned me a few she considers to be the best ones and...well, yawn. They're so formulaic. The characters are totally flat. Bleh. Life's too short for that.

Oh and chic lit that has really terribly precious syntax, like cutesy abbreviations and acronyms.

[Marlo]

The one area of the bookstore that I always stay away from is the self-help section.
Now don't get me wrong, if any of those books actually help people that is a great thing, but when I read a book the last thing I want to think about is me and all of my crap.

[Robin]

A lot of my friends have tried to get me to read graphic novels, but I still think its just comics for grown-ups. I tried reading one -- V for Vendetta -- and the whole time I got frustrated that because I had to look at the pictures it was slowing my reading down. I'm not sure I *hate* graphic novels, but I'm not reading another one.

[Schnaucl]

Robin,

I know how you feel. I felt the same way until I read "Strangers in Paradise" which actually used visual cues to move the story along.

But the series I would recommend if you ever decide to give it another go and you're into fantasy at all is Neil Gaiman's Sandman/The Endless series. It's actually a very complex story, full of literary illusions. It also won a major fantasy award (much to the chagrin of some of the novelists, they changed the rules the next year so that graphic novels couldn't win).

I don't read many graphic novels, really SiP and Sandman are the only series, but Sandman really is pretty amazing.

[Tess]

Great thread....

I don't care for romance. Would probably never read Manga...I don't like cartoon charaters who are bustier than I am! I've tried reading science-type books and I become a deer in headlights.

[J.R.]

I love Fitction, Graphic Novels, Manga, and Horror ...anything with substance or a cool storyline, however, I hate when so-called Hollywood celebrities are considered best-selling authors due to their celebritism, instead of their writing ability! Therefore, with an exception of a few political, civil leaders and talented entertainers who actually have the gift to write... I would never purchase a celeb promoted book!

[Melissa]

'Hate' is a bit too strong for me in reference to books- but I don't read: New Age, Self-help, Mystery, Romance and books for parents. *laughs*

Sometimes I end up reading a mystery or romance because it was given to me but I don't actively go out looking for those genre's specifically.

I also tend to ignore all books in the 'Oprah Book Club' list.

I like to find things by surprise. XD

Oh! And sequels to the classics. >:( Such as all those sequels and side stories to 'Pride and Prejudice'. Whoever is writing them is beating a good story line into the ground. They need to stop because I find it offensive. Haha.

[Red]

I somehow let myself watch the movie from the book. It was just like most of the movies they're making today which are contemporary comic books, no different from superman, Captain Marvel and the like.

These movies and books of that kind are written with the hope of movie production. I find them to be as exciting as watching kudzu cover a barn and rusted car.

The focus is more on technology than story. Thus you can tell in a book when the author is exercising imagination to be as outrageous as possible and, just like the movie, sacrificing story and character development.
That is what makes many contemporary books so boring.

Red Evans author On Ice

[[deleted user]]

I avoid True Crime stuff at all costs. I read Helter Skelter back in high school and that pretty much did me in. I read one or two more TC books later but then quit the genre. Too gruesome, especially with the photos.

Although, am considering reading In Cold Blood mostly because it takes a different approach to the crime as compared to today's TC books.

[Rachael]

The only subject I don't read is horror. I just can't get into it.

[Lori]

I change genres like I change my haircolor, which is quite often :)

But there are a few I just cannot bring myself to touch with a 10ft pole. Those would be:
Romance, All Nonfiction (ie:Autobiography, Politics, History, celebrity stuff), Manga or Graphic Novels.

Anything else is fair game. Of course, within each genre there are authors or storylines that I am not interested in reading, but I will pick up a book by just about anyone... from there it all depends on writing styles and taking a good storyline and making it work.

I suprise myself with some of the books Ive picked up and enjoyed...

[Robbie]

I really have trouble with science fiction--seems I just can't get my mind to stretch that far away from reality, or at least I don't enjoy it.

I also find it challenging to get through books that are not written in modern English--by that I mean 1900-ish or later.

Otherwise, I pretty much enjoy just about any genre from time to time.

[Pandora]

Westerns. They put me to sleep.

[Meirav]

I hate those 'make yourself rich and powerful' bullsh*t books and all those piss psychology-philosophy books like Who Moved My Cheese and The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari. Ugh ugh ugh!
I also hate cheap, low rate romance books, and science fiction books with lots of cool-sounding details and idea and no proper, logical explenation behind how things got this way and developed said technology. Plots littered with Mary Janes annoy the hell out of me, too.

[Meirav]

Do you not get comic books from non-jepenese sources?

Manga is basically comic books only they're made in Japan by Japanese artists and have a wider range of drawing styles and plot threads. Also, there's a certain body language description which translates to the character's feekings without the need to write a matching text. Other than that, there's really nothing special about them.
I agree that kids these days find manga as a more exciting source of comic book entertainment and, in my opinion, it stems from two reasons:
1. As I said before, the range of subjects of plots in manga is insanely wide and flexible and really every genre and nieche of taste can be obtained in manga.
2. Many mangas out there, as a commercial move, are aimed directly to the tastes of young, hormone-washed kids, from exciting adventures to dark punk to the heavily sexual. When you know your target audience and you have the right publicity stunts, you get your costumers in a buzz.

Hope I helped ^_~

[Paula]

I don't really hate anything either but I stay away from smut books!! BLAH!!!

I also don't care for the majority of sci-fi books.

[Megan]

I'm definitely not into sci fi, horror, or fantasy...I just dont think my imagination stretches that way.

[Sally]

Oh, same here. I never read sci-fi, horror or fantasy (except The Narnia Cronicles, I do like those)No romance novels either.

[Heather L]

While I wouldn't use the word hate, the genres I am least fond of include horror (yet I love thrillers- go figure!), biography, cience fiction, manga, and anything of a religious nature. I'm not overly fond of fantasy or political books, either (which, one might argue are virtually the same genre).

[Tommy]

hard to believe that i agree with basically ALL of you. there must be some serious self-selection going on in this group (Website). (Do you all foam at the mouth when you see the words BOOK and SALE in the same general proximity?) I think Seth's comment sums it up for me, and i also agree that most sci-fi has to go.

The only comment I disagree with is "I also tend to ignore all books in the 'Oprah Book Club' list." I had serious doubts when Oprah started her book club. I was afraid she was going to cater to the "average" American by going after those mass-market best sellers we love to hate. But she didn't - right from the beginning she dialed up some of the toughest assignments in American literature - Toni Morrison, William Faulkner - plus some difficult world lit folks, like GG Marquez. Kudos to Oprah for pushing reading, and reading real books. And I don't even watch her show.

I'd sum it up as easily as this:

Any book published in mass market (pocketbook) size, I'll probably 'hate.'
Any book published in trade paperback, I'll probably like.

[Lisa]

I get really frustrated with philosophy books. I know what I think, and I hate having people tell me how to think and reason. I allow them their own beliefs -- but I ask the same from others in return.

I also have issues with self help books -- again for the same reasons as listed above.

Beyond that, I don't really hate any topics -- but I get pretty bored with what I have come to term literary trash. Books that are superficial, and I feel that the author wrote the book, just to have their name in print. The books that are easily predictable, with superficial characters, and poor plot lines. These are books that are easy to get through, with little, or no thought. These kind of books are a waste of my time -- and I find myself offended that the author would consider my time and effort in reading the book of such little importance that they can put pretty much anything in print -- it doesn't matter what.

[Jonathan]

As a rule I avoid anything about pre-20th century England. Bronte, Austen, et al.