Play Book Tag discussion

A simple question - What don’t you read?

I do not read fantasy - think I did when I was a kid but no more. I also realize that some of the modern thrillers I like have parts that could not happen, i.e., dash to the airport and get on a plane immediately and fly somewhere and have enough money to do all the traveling. But I can always make excuses for that - credit cards, debit cards, friends who help.
But do not give me the real fantasy stuff. I have many friends who love it. peace, janz

Well, I don't have any hard lines, just strong preferences. I don't much like horror, true crime, psychological suspense thrillers or fluff (like the Shopaholic series). My favorites are fantasy, sci-fi and mystery.

Psych Thrillers and horror are at the bottom of my list too, Anna

I don't read true crime, horror or violent thrillers. My rule of thumb is to stay away from anything that says "gripping" or "chilling" on the cover. However, if it is set in the past, like Victorian England, I can stand more gore than in modern day, I guess it's less real. I was also able to read violence in a fantasy like Game of Thrones, though I almost quit that one. I don't like anything with serial killers or other psychopaths, especially if you have to be inside their point of view.
And my mantra that many of you have heard - I CANNOT READ ANY MORE BOOKS ABOUT NAZIS!

I rarely read poetry or short stories, unless the stories are related to a series I already like. I rarely read nonfiction about nature or hard science, though I do read about psychology, education, personality, etc.

When I see a book recommended, I am often happy to find it fits into one of the categories I don't read, "Whew, one less that I have to add to my huge TBR!"

Sections of the bookstore I avoid:

Self-help.
Books that read like textbooks or someone's dissertation
Philosophy or theory
True crime with occasional exceptions
Horror except when also trend gothic or ghost stories
Poetry
Political

I shy away from most books that are:
Psychological or medical thrillers
Set in academia
Set during WWII - temporary overload

I also dislike self-help and political books, Theresa!

I have few hard lines on what I won't read.

Will not read:
Erotica

Rarely:
Horror
Thrillers of any kind
Romance
Fantasy
Paranormal
(Most of the books I have read in these categories have been for a tag or challenge or group read. It's not that I absolutely won't read them, just that I prefer not to.)

I also try to avoid books in a series, especially those with a gazillion titles.

Generally, I don’t read horror, fluffy airport-store romance stuff, other things advertised as ‘beach reads’, anything involving child abuse, erotica (or anything where sex scenes seem to be the only point of the book) or graphic gratuitous violence. I rarely read poetry as I usually don’t get it on enough levels to be enjoyable. It’s unusual for me to read straight history books, unless they are very narrative in style - I have to read so much technical stuff for the day job that I don’t like having to concentrate too hard to learn things!

There are exceptions to all these things though. I might not seek out those books but if I happen to find myself with one and there are redeeming features - in the form of humour or characters - then I may well carry on. I have a friend who is a poet, so I try. And having just read King’s ‘On Writing’ I now want to read ‘Carrie’. Weird, aye?!

What I won’t read though are books that are badly written. If the style in the first few pages makes it obvious the writer is hopeless, it gets binned.

KateNZ wrote: "...anything involving child abuse...."

I also try to avoid anything with child abuse and also rape, but the problem is that many times I don't know until I am in the middle of the book.

Joy D wrote: "KateNZ wrote: "...anything involving child abuse...."

I also try to avoid anything with child abuse and also rape, but the problem is that many times I don't know until I am in the middle of the b..."

That's my problem too. I'd like to avoid these subjects, but sometimes they emerge in the middle of a book.

I don't read biographies, Horror, Manga, Memoir, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Poetry, Psychology, Religion, Science fiction, Self-help, suspense, Spiritually, or Sports. I don't read them much cause I guess I'm not interested in reading or avoiding reading them.

There's not much I don't read:

- westerns
- "epic" fantasy (or this is extremely rare, anyway)
- romance (this varies - there has to be more to it than just romance)
- philosophy

I don’t read:

Cancer
Alzheimer’s
Kidnapping,rape, incest, death of children
Point of view from animals

Although those are all quite hard to avoid.

I don't read anything supernatural/paranormal. I think that's my only genre line.

Amy wrote: "I don’t read:

Cancer
Alzheimer’s
Kidnapping,rape, incest, death of children
Point of view from animals

Although those are all quite hard to avoid."

You're right, after my daughter's diagnosis, I can't read fiction where someone has cancer. It's an overused trope anyway. I also can't read about torture, sometimes I can skip ahead but I have had to stop reading some books because of that.

I too tend to avoid most books centered around children at risk such as kidnappings and abuse although those themes pop up frequently as part of a plot and I handle those fine.

I avoid books about or featuring special needs - that is a story I and my family have lived and continue doing so. I do think when any condition or circumstance has dominated one's life for a period of time, the last one does is have it populate your reading.

I really don't read much non-fiction. Like Kate my worklife is enough non-fiction reading and constantly learning or educating. If fiction and non-fiction books set in front of me, I go straight for fiction. I might ignore non-fiction entirely.

I'm with Theresa, I don't do self-help.

While I like many nonfiction, I avoid chemistry and physics.

I rarely read fantasy.

Books set in circuses, I don't know why- just unappealing.

Books with a killer/evil person as the protagonist.

I avoid sagas, because I reached the tipping point.

Books in which the main character is taken in/ befriended by an evil or ill intentioned person.

While I tend to be pretty eclectic in my reading I do tend to avoid what I call “Who took my kid!” fiction which is what I call family drama type stuff- troubled marriages, illness, abuse, stalking, etc. and yes, kidnapping. Also dislike WWII settings except some lighter homefront type novels. Generally avoid slasher type horror, political thrillers, true crime.

Can’t seem to get into short stories- if it’s good I don’t want it to end so soon. I feel cheated. That has not kept me from collecting a decent number of SS anthologies, usually on a theme such as Shakespearean, medieval, Roman, locked room or post-apocalyptic mysteries and maybe a few other types. One day....

I also avoid door stopper tomes. At my age life is too short to invest that much time in a single book. Like Goldilocks, my reading has to fall into that “just right” form.

For genre's I don't read true crime, philosophy or poetry. They just don't interest me but if any of these were picked for a tag I'm sure I could find something I wouldn't mind reading. The only topic I refuse to read about is someone becoming a young widow. I lived through it, it was awful and I don't want to revisit that time in my life in my reading.

I read most genres but tend to avoid the thrillers especially if they are psychological, political or involve a court case (legal thrillers). Violence in books are much easier for me if in a fantasy/ sci-fi setting where it is more of a thought exercise than real life sadness.

I'm also not a huge fan of animal stories from their point of view and especially if they bond and then there is a sad ending. I like animals and love a good side kick pet but more as comic relief.

I don't read much poetry but I don't avoid it.

My biggest content/ author bans are when so many sad things happen in one story that it feels like emotional manipulation. Kind of with that is I am unlikely to pick up a book dealing with terminal illness and grief. I am so quick to cry and doing so the entire book is too exhausting.

The theme seems to be "too sad" which is a random point. I often read lots of sad and upsetting books somehow but it has to make sense and not be over the top.

Books I avoid
True crime
Sci fi
Philosophy
Child or animal abuse
Thrillers
Beach reads

Rachel N. wrote: "For genre's I don't read true crime, philosophy or poetry. ..."

I should add poetry to my list, as well!

I should have added poetry and verse!

There are genres that I avoid, but there are always exceptions. I read few memoirs and definitely avoid celebrity memoirs. I usually dislike thrillers and horror, but not always. I dislike self-help, but I do like serious psychology and neuroscience and sometimes the line gets blurry. I don't like reading about abuse, especially involving children. YA and coming of age stories can turn me into an elderly curmudgeon, so many trite and overdone plots .... but there are some wonderful, unforgettable books with those tags.

I do like poetry, but I cannot read it for hours on end. Poetry is a good palate cleanser between books. Or to be read for a few minutes with my first cup of coffee or before going to bed.

No real hard and fast rules, but here's what I tend to avoid:

- WWII and Nazis - it has to be a really well recommended book for me to read any more WWII

- YA - I do end up reading some, but like WWII it's got to be really well recommended

- Historical fiction

- Traditional romance, although I do love romance novels that have another focus and the romance is key but secondary - paranormal, search and rescue dogs (many thanks to Theresa for introducing me to these!), "cute" modern romances that are part of an exploration of a cultural theme

- Anything with animal cruelty - just can't read it

- Anything overtly political

I forgot to include that I don't read paranormal books of any genre. No zombies, werewolves, vampires. Not that they are scary, they just don't interest me.

I tend to stay away from most sci-fi and non-fiction. I will read some biographies/autobiographies/memoirs if it's someone I really like or find interesting (like the one I'm reading now, I've read 3 others of hers and enjoyed them). I also don't tend to read much fantasy or hard core romance. I do enjoy lighter rom-coms sometimes.

Stuff that touches upon my real life work (such as police procedurals, courtroom dramas, and especially true crime where the point is to sensationalize instead of humanize) are pretty hard nos for me these days. Whether the depictions are poorly researched or playing into prejudicial tropes (and often both!), it's just too painful to get through. On the flip side, sometimes even good books about human rights issues are too much. For example, while the anti-racism books that became popular after the George Floyd protests are excellent and thoroughly researched, a lot of times when I read them I feel like they're just preaching to the choir and I'm not gleaning more than I already learned from my own academic research. I realized I really need to set a line with what I'm reading for pleasure versus what would amount to just be more work for me.

Aside from that, I tend to want to give everything a shot, even though stuff like romance and YA are often more misses than hits for me. Like maybe one day I'll stumble on a gem and I don't want to rule anything out just on principle...!

I try to keep an open bookshelf. There’s no genre that I will completely rule out, although I have gravitated away from some in recent years. Those genres include:
-financial advice books- snore..
-political tell-alls (truthfully, I don’t think I’ve ever read one)
-YA in general, though I have loved some books in this grouping
-you can heal your____(fill in the blank)
-books with child/elder/animal cruelty.

And the genres I’ve burned out on:
-romance
-cozy mysteries
-chick lit
-WWII fiction (I feel like that horrible time is being romanticized too often)