A Good Thriller discussion

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "I thought Amber was a bit too strong. I thought Cameron was trying to be funny in a sarcastic sort of way. Just by reading Amber's comment, I felt it was aggressive, rude, and just plain nasty.

I ..."This.

Amber wrote: "Wolfrott wrote: "I don't read books that shouldn't exist, like Twilight or 50 Shsdes! The former is bad writing, the latter is based fanfiction teaching adults what BDSM Is -not-. Except they all t..."

Haha, yes! Twilight to me, isn't a 'not my cup of tea' book. Its a bad book. Cliches abound, shallow damsel who was intentionally faceless so you can project yourself as her... The 'boyfriend' vampire and werewolf (don't get me started on how unlike vampires & werewolves they are) characters are nothing but toxic guys, bullet proof skin, and ugh. Spineless heroine needs a man. That birth scene. Good lord.

50 Shades mind you is a episode of CSI, Mr Grey is just missing his woods shack and victims' graves, and as a book teaching you everything that BDSM is not.

Cameron wrote: "Well, here's the list in no particular order:
vampires
Sci-fi
dystopian - i.e. - Hunger Games
Twilight series
Romance
Pornography of any type like 50 shades
YA
The bad neighbor thing has been way o..."

Your comment on Dean Koontz made me laugh! So true!

I'm not a fan of Twilight either, but it astonishes me when readers say how unlike vampires and werewolves the characters are. This might come as a shock, but they were made up in the first place. Therein, there is no definitive vampire or werewolf. Same goes for dragons and fairies and trolls and any other mythical creature.

Thank you for putting that into words. They are all made up. The Twilight Cult is crazy with those books and movies. I don't get the draw.

David wrote: "I'm not a fan of Twilight either, but it astonishes me when readers say how unlike vampires and werewolves the characters are. This might come as a shock, but they were made up in the first place. ..."

Which goes to my viewpoint-I do not care for those types of books, but many others do. And I hold my respect for others. Have we forgotten the tittle of this thread?

Amber wrote: "Cameron wrote: "Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "Very sad about many of you putting off "genre" fiction because of different reasons. A book has to be believable? Ugh. I'd hate a l..."
Amber Said:
I call horse hockey on Dickens! It's been almost 20 years since high school and I STILL can't stand Dickens.

That is fine Amber. Nobody begrudges you that. (not liking Dickens) I just threw names out for examples of possible authors that members read in school and did not enjoy, but found that they did enjoy them later on in life when it was not a requirement to read them. THE MAIN POINT IS THAT WE SHOULD RESPECT WHATEVER ANYONE LIKES TO READ OR WHATEVER ANYONE DOES NOT LIKE TO READ.

Haha, Thanks for that David-nice reminder!

Steve wrote:

Autumn, I'd make two comments about your long degree list. First, degrees are listed on resumes or CVs, and tell us what a person has done in her/his past life. The day has long gone where that's strongly correlated with what one does in future endeavors, or how successful they will be at it. Second, degrees also don't have much correlation with literacy or brainpower. I used to work with people who were functionally illiterate but could write great C++ code! Again, different strokes for different folks. Maybe my sample size is too limited (derived from years of observations, though), but human nature is too wonderfully varied to try to simplify everything to a list of degrees.
r/Steve

I think that perhaps what Autumn was intending is that people who put a lot of time and effort into various degrees (not bragging, mind you) have read quite a bit and have a tendency to continue reading quite a bit after they graduate. I believe that this is why I read so much, and read the things that I do. I do a lot of light reading, but also read non-fiction, HF, history and literature. I take National Geographic and Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and we also subscribe to The Wichita Eagle and the local newspaper. This is not to brag, only to help clarify what I believe that Autumn was getting at, Steve.
Then, again, some are finished reading after graduating, but this is me talking and not Autumn.

Take care.

I didn't like Dickens in high school, but lately I've been trying him again. I've discovered if I listen to an audiobook it brings out more than if I just read it.

Also, I really think that with some books it depends WHEN we read them. I read GRAPES OF WRATH in high school (1980s) and didn't get much out of it. Then, in 2008, me and my mom reread it and it really hit me. It was much more relevant.

I also think some people get too violent when they call some things crap. I read a wide array of things. I also read books many people here would judge me by. I'll just come out and say it. I LOVED the Twilight books. There! I admit it! Let the abuse begin!

Mills and Boon type books, & Shades of Grey type books....Sci-fi, apocalypse, ...otherwise I will give pretty much anything a go.

Kirsten, :) more power to you!

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "I didn't like Dickens in high school, but lately I've been trying him again. I've discovered if I listen to an audiobook it brings out more than if I just read it.

Also, I really think that with s..."

No abuse from me, Kristen. And. I believe that you brought up a very interesting point about Grapes of Wrath.

Wolfrott wrote: "Amber wrote: "Wolfrott wrote: "I don't read books that shouldn't exist, like Twilight or 50 Shsdes! The former is bad writing, the latter is based fanfiction teaching adults what BDSM Is -not-. Exc..."


Sounds like you've got both of them pegged.

David/Diane Lynch: Proves to me you'r BOTH perfectly SANE! Only the certifiably insane, IMO, get the draw of the Twatlight cult.

Cameron: Sorry about that. Was in a bad mood when I posted that reply about calling horse hockey on Dickens.

Kirsten: By admitting you actually LIKED Twatlight, you do understand how MUCH criticism you're gonna get, right? It takes real "I'm scared-shitless-to-admit-this-but I'm-gonna-admit-it-anyway"-style bravery to admit something like that. I guess I lack that kind of bravery, but I guess I have another kind.

Re: Grapes of Wrath: That's another I can't stand.

Amber wrote: "Wolfrott wrote: "Amber wrote: "Wolfrott wrote: "I don't read books that shouldn't exist, like Twilight or 50 Shsdes! The former is bad writing, the latter is based fanfiction teaching adults what B..."

I giggle over calling Twilight, Tw@tlight, which I don't think is appropriate in GR, but still!

Kirsten has balls of steel in admitting she likes Twlight. :) Its never easy to make such a bold statement online.

Blame my friend Crystal Starr Light for that one, Wolfrott. She started calling it that when I was a member of the YAHOO! edition of the STAR WARS BOOK CLUB before they moved it to Facebook. 99% of our fellow STAR WARS geeks who also did not get the draw of the Twilight Saga started calling it that and they ALSO took to calling the Cullen's "Emo sparkly blood fairies" instead of "vampires," again under Crystal's influence.

Yes, she does, though I would have said she has a pair of "brass balls," rather than steel since I think steel rusts... .

romance, literary fiction, horror

That's okay Amber. I am sorry, too. I kind of lost my cool, too trying to make my point. That's why I asked David above if "we" have lost sight of the tittle of the thread.
The thread started out with person A saying I do not read this ....

Person B would say something like I don't read this ... and I also don't read that ....

Then it developed into person C crying foul - how dare you call this rubbish and not read this.

Then people started making more negative comments, myself included. The thread was intended for the first two statements only, right?

I don't think it stemmed from people saying how dare you not read this rubbish; so much as people making rude remarks, criticizing and name calling people who do read rubbish.

I personally hated some of the books mentioned. I just don't believe calling the people who read them names and being harsh about their tastes necessary.

Sorry, because I am not stirring the pot. I just had to say that since I think that was the point in the first place and it was being nullified.

I dislike westerns and romance books is suffice. Calling people who read them old men with no taste or women who read romances dumb is poor manners in an otherwise amazing group.

Cameron wrote: "That's okay Amber. I am sorry, too. I kind of lost my cool, too trying to make my point. That's why I asked David above if "we" have lost sight of the tittle of the thread.
The thread started out w..."

Yep.

Amy: Interesting point. Although I try to not avoid romance novels in general, I WON'T read any romance novel that I think promotes an abusive relationship (Twitlight), is poorly written (Grey), both or is written during the Georgian/Regency periods of English history (Austen, Bronte)... or just plain doesn't catch my eye.

Amber wrote: "Cameron wrote: "That's okay Amber. I am sorry, too. I kind of lost my cool, too trying to make my point. That's why I asked David above if "we" have lost sight of the tittle of the thread.
The thre..."

Twitlight... [chuckling]

Gopal (The Minion) wrote: "Amber wrote: "Cameron wrote: "That's okay Amber. I am sorry, too. I kind of lost my cool, too trying to make my point. That's why I asked David above if "we" have lost sight of the tittle of the th..."

It was more polite than Tw@tlight, Gopal.

Amber wrote: "Gopal (The Minion) wrote: "Amber wrote: "Cameron wrote: "That's okay Amber. I am sorry, too. I kind of lost my cool, too trying to make my point. That's why I asked David above if "we" have lost si..."

Whatever you call it, it is going to remain a silly book. Too much emo. I also do not understand all the hype around the 50 Shades books as well...

I don't know why so much attention has been given to Twilight and 50 Shades here. They're two series amongst a plethora of books I wouldn't read/enjoyed. The question was what GENRE don't you like to read. Getting hung up on particular books and personal about it serves absolutely nothing.

Read what you enjoy. It ain't rocket science!

Its because we're allowed to discuss books, isn't it? Genre and individual books.

I'm not disputing that, but in a world of zillions of books they've been focused on a lot here. Just strikes me as a bit odd.

I liked Twilight and Fifty Shades and I'm not ashamed to admit it. :)

I knew what they were going in. I'm not going to claim that they were well written because they were not. However, I will say that they were extremely entertaining reads.

Good for you, Mochapresso. I haven't read Twilight but it doesn't appeal to me.

But then a lot of books don't appeal! ;-)

Probably because these books were so successful is the reason why people choose to lodge their objection against it. Then if it were not that famous or successful it would not have mattered anyways... Just my 2 cents

And therein lies the irony. So successful and loathed so vehemently. I honestly don't care enough. It's not me laughing all the way to the bank!! Fair play to them.

Amy wrote:

I don't think it stemmed from people saying how dare you not read this rubbish; so much as people making rude remarks, criticizing and name calling people who do read rubbish.

I personally hated some of the books mentioned. I just don't believe calling the people who read them names and being harsh about their tastes necessary.

Good point, Amy and well written.

Gopal (The Minion) wrote: "Amber wrote: "Gopal (The Minion) wrote: "Amber wrote: "Cameron wrote: "That's okay Amber. I am sorry, too. I kind of lost my cool, too trying to make my point. That's why I asked David above if "we..."

Yup.

Janet: To you and me, no; it's not rocket science, but to others maybe it IS rocket science?

Mochaspresso: Only entertaining if you really DO enjoy bad writing and emotional abuse of the main female character by the main male "hero,"IMO.

Gopal (again): Bingo! "Probably because these books were so successful is the reason why people choose to lodge their objection against it. Then if it were not that famous or successful it would not have mattered anyways... Just my 2 cents "

Cameron/Amy: Pretty much on the cause.

Amber wrote: "Mochaspresso: Only entertaining if you really DO enjoy bad writing and emotional abuse of the main female character by the main male "hero,"IMO.
"

I enjoy drama....and by drama, I mean that in the colloquial slanguage sense. "Hot mess" drama. The kind that you used to see on daytime and nighttime soaps. I've always liked those kinds of stories. Flawed characters doing crazy things. (Luke did rape Laura in a drunken stupor on "General Hospital", yet the world celebrated their wedding!!)

For me, the entertaining appeal of Fifty Shades lies in the soap operatic nature of the storyline. The old soaps had bad writing and acting too, yet people still tuned in day after day. Why? The story. It's all about the story. They wanted to see how it would all play out. How are these characters going to get themselves out of this mess that they've gotten themselves into now? I suspect that this is what many critics of Fifty Shades tend not understand about people who enjoyed the series. Imo, enjoying Fifty Shades is not much different from enjoying pulp fictions, penny dreadfuls or old Mills and Boon romances. It's no different from enjoying episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the b-movies it featured.

I don't know if I am explaining it properly, but for me, trying to explain why I enjoyed Fifty Shades is like trying to explain why I enjoyed the movie "The Blob". Fifty Shades is the literary equivalent of b-movies.

Mochaspresso wrote: "Amber wrote: "Mochaspresso: Only entertaining if you really DO enjoy bad writing and emotional abuse of the main female character by the main male "hero,"IMO.
"

I enjoy drama....and by drama, I me..."

Kudos! You explained that very well-thanks for taking the time

Mochaspresso wrote: "Amber wrote: "Mochaspresso: Only entertaining if you really DO enjoy bad writing and emotional abuse of the main female character by the main male "hero,"IMO.
"

I enjoy drama....and by drama, I me..."

Actually, you did pretty god excplaining it. And now that I understand better whant you meant, I apologize for my previous remark.

I never watched soap operas because they were on at the time of day I was still in grade school and Mom stopped watching when she started working a night shift as Manager for our local JACK IN THE BOX.

Mochaspresso wrote: "Amber wrote: "Mochaspresso: Only entertaining if you really DO enjoy bad writing and emotional abuse of the main female character by the main male "hero,"IMO.
"

I enjoy drama....and by drama, I me..."

Your point is well taken, Mochaspresso, in an odd sort of way. You have expressed a difficult explantation well. And this is something that I have not considered. So, I learned something from your explanation. We all read what we read for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes, we do not comprehend why certain people read what they read, but then, this is not really necessary. However, it is nice to be enlightened like this from time to time.

I generally stay away from chick-lit and war-themed books. I have read books centered around the war, just not books about the war (if that makes any sense)

Meaning no books like Cornelius Ryan's THE LONGEST DAY, right, Karin? Just an example.

To date Erotica.

Karin wrote: "I generally stay away from chick-lit and war-themed books. I have read books centered around the war, just not books about the war (if that makes any sense)"

Same :)

Romance and fantasy have never interested me at all.

I have read some cozy mysteries but given up on the genre as being too simple for me. Sure, the plots twist and turn like other genres but the cozies I have read (if that is a term) had chacters that were very flat and one-dimensional.

Hate romance and love stories

Sean wrote: "What type of book do you NOT read.

I do not like Fantasy, vampires, werewolves...

Do not like Harry Potter type books."


I totally agree with you Sean.

Romance

I agree with Matthew. Cozy Mysteries' lead characters are rather boring, that's why I like suspense.

Awww, Diane and Barbara:(

Angela wrote: "Sean wrote: "What type of book do you NOT read.

I do not like Fantasy, vampires, werewolves...

Do not like Harry Potter type books."

I'm with you folks on these also.
I totally agree with you Sean."

Romance

because they are too sad and one of them always end up dying

Diane Lynch wrote: "Angela wrote: "Sean wrote: "What type of book do you NOT read.

I do not like Fantasy, vampires, werewolves...

Do not like Harry Potter type books."

I'm with you folks on these also.
I totally ag..."

Diane Lynch wrote: "Angela wrote: "Sean wrote: "What type of book do you NOT read.

I do not like Fantasy, vampires, werewolves...

Do not like Harry Potter type books."

I'm with you folks on these also.
I totally ag..."
. Harry Potter books NO.

Twilight Series NO

Diane Lynch wrote: "Twilight Series NO"

Ditto Diane.