21st Century Literature discussion

Are there any ridiculous reasons you have for avoiding certain titles/authors? We're talking illogical or comical... or maybe just stubborn. Which books/authors? Why?

I was in the thrift store yesterday and saw A Man Called Ove. My brain immediately told me: "WE ARE NEVER READING THAT!" The only reason for this is that I'm so tired of seeing it everywhere. I know nothing about it (other than it being successful enough to have copies everywhere). So my reason for avoiding it seems to be "oversaturation."

After going through a big John Steinbeck period in high school and college, at some point (East of Eden?) I told myself I couldn't take another one. They are so good, but they just rip me apart, so all of a sudden I was like you can't break my heart again Steinbeck if I don't read any more!

My brother gave me The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights as a nudge that they aren't all depressing, but it's been sitting on my shelf for several years now!

Bretnie wrote: "After going through a big John Steinbeck period in high school and college, at some point (East of Eden?) I told myself I couldn't take another one. They are so good, but they just rip me apart, so..."

Steinbeck as traumatic trigger! :o

This is such a great question, it actually induced me to break my recent silence. Here's a kind of semi-facetious but locally-relevant answer: a ridiculous reason to avoid a book is because it has-a-lot-of-negative-reviews/has-a-low-average-rating on GoodReads. Some years ago, when I picked up Donna Tartt's The Little Friend, its average GR rating was actually barely over 3.00 (it has since improved greatly). But this is a magnificent novel; I've read it three or four times and I love it to bits. Avoiding this book because (at the time) a lot of people around here were dissing it for not being similar enough to (actually not similar at all to) The Secret History would have done both the book and myself a great disservice. In fact, I would (in extreme moments) even say that many times I am tempted to read a book because it has a number of bad reviews on GR ... just to see if I might find some redeeming qualities in it nonetheless ....

Jerry wrote: "This is such a great question, it actually induced me to break my recent silence. Here's a kind of semi-facetious but locally-relevant answer: a ridiculous reason to avoid a book is because it has-..."

Jerry, you have me thinking about how reading a book so heavily criticized almost makes it easier to enjoy because the expectations are lower. Glad you ended up reading this one and have enjoyed subsequent rereads.

I think I've mentioned this when we had an earlier "What are your biases?" thread. But I avoid books in those amazon ad banners at the top of goodreads pages. Almost religiously.

Ok, maybe that's not such a ridiculous reason.

I just tend to ignore all new releases and best sellers. No good reason. Old is gold. :)

I have not read a A Man Called Ove for this reason, Nor watched the movie.

Jennifer wrote: "I just tend to ignore all new releases and best sellers. No good reason. Old is gold. :)"

Are old best sellers gold too?

House of Leaves.

I have checked it out from the library twice, made it a few pages in, and then made a special trip (twice) to return it to the library asap just to get it out of my house immediately. I know it's crazy, I do read some horror, but *that* particular book makes me feel freaked out just by having it sitting in my house. (Ironically, I worked at the library a couple of years and it did not freak me out with it being on the shelves at work.)

{Shudder and lol. I know it's ridiculous!}

When booktubers rave about certain books, I tend to make an effort to avoid them. Same goes with novels bearing Reese’s Book Club on them.

It’s ridiculous if you think it’s ridiculous, Bill. I’m trying to think if a GR book ad banner has enticed me before… Maybe…

Stacia, how long did you wait between checkouts?

Marc, the span was a few years. Got the same visceral feeling both times after I started reading it.

Stacia wrote: "Marc, the span was a few years. Got the same visceral feeling both times after I started reading it."

Just enough time to lull you into a false sense of security!
(I wonder how you'd react if you read it at the library or only in public places... Maybe give it another few years... )

Robert wrote: "When booktubers rave about certain books, I tend to make an effort to avoid them. Same goes with novels bearing Reese’s Book Club on them."

I used to get annoyed when Oprah's Book Club appeared on book covers. I never avoided those books, but psychologically, it was like a ding against them (despite the fact that Oprah picked a number of books and authors I really like)...

Bretnie wrote: "After going through a big John Steinbeck period in high school and college, at some point (East of Eden?) I told myself I couldn't take another one. They are so good, but they just rip me apart, so..." Bretnie, try Tortilla Flat. It's a humorous parody of the Knights of the Round Table, and very enjoyable. Also, Travels with Charley, very uplifting, one of his best.

I’ve grown allergic to books with those big splotchy abstract color blobs on their covers, a virus of sameness that began at Riverhead and then spread to other publishing houses. I won’t read them. I won’t even pick them up in stores. They all look like the same book to me.

I have avoided books on the ground that I might like them too much.

Bill wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "I just tend to ignore all new releases and best sellers. No good reason. Old is gold. :)"

Are old best sellers gold too?"

Well that's the best time to read them, after they have gathered dust and the hype is all gone. :)

David wrote: "I have avoided books on the ground that I might like them too much."

I do something similar, I think. If I love a book by an author, I avoid reading other books by that author because I am afraid of being let down/not loving another work as much -- Cormac McCarthy comes to mind. Therefore, I am not a completist. Lol. (I am trying & have changed this a little bit over the past couple of years.)

(Conversely, if I don't like a book by an author, I don't feel very compelled to try something else by them.)

Marc, I assume I could probably read House of Leaves at the library or some other public location (as long as the copy stayed there and was not with me in my abode).

My ridiculous reason for not reading some books: if they start with a birth, I usually don’t read them. Not sure why but I just dislike that kind of beginning. You can put as many births as you want into later parts of a book, but if you start it with “On the day of my birth, my mother…” I’m out. 🤷‍♀️😆

Stacia wrote: "I do something similar, I think. If I love a book by an author, I avoid reading other books by that author because I am afraid of being let down/not loving another work as much -- Cormac McCarthy comes to mind. Therefore, I am not a completist. Lol. (I am trying & have changed this a little bit over the past couple of years.)"

Oh my gosh yes! So many times I've loved a book only to be disappointed by later books by the same author. It's a tricky balance to either avoid the rest or give them a try...

I tried to read A Touch of Jen but was overpowered by the awful smell of cheap cheese nachos that have been under the broiler lights of a ratty convenience store for too long. The smell wasn't coming from the book, but from my brain/nose. It's no reflection on the book, which I don't remember having anything to do with cheese nachos, good or bad. I may have to wait years for the memory to fade so I can try that book again.

Lark wrote: "I’ve grown allergic to books with those big splotchy abstract color blobs on their covers, a virus of sameness that began at Riverhead and then spread to other publishing houses. I won’t read them...."

I can't stand those color blobs either and it almost drove me away from The World and All That It Holds. What a shame, it definitely deserves better than blobs - you'd think that Aleksander Hemon has earned the right to a more thoughtful cover by now. I picture a cover that's built somehow around the Samara pebble necklace.

I looked at the picture credits on the book jacket and there are actually 3 photos, one of a man, one of some soldiers and one of flowers, but the humans are overpowered and nearly invisible. Not to mention that you can barely tell the blobs are flowers.

Marc wrote: "Robert wrote: "When booktubers rave about certain books, I tend to make an effort to avoid them. Same goes with novels bearing Reese’s Book Club on them."

I used to get annoyed when Oprah's Book C..."


I intentionally avoid Oprah's Book Club but often check out Reese's Book Club. Hmmmm.....don't know what that says?! I always keep well away from covers with bare chested men and ripped bodices.

David wrote: "I have avoided books on the ground that I might like them too much."

I don't understand this. Unless there was something else wrong with the books that made you not want to like them. Or unless you are being facetious?

Jerry wrote: "David wrote: "I have avoided books on the ground that I might like them too much."

I don't understand this. Unless there was something else wrong with the books that made you not want to like them..."

Hence the ridiculousness of it!

These tend to be books I'm not interested in for other reasons. Bandit Queens comes to mind as a recent example, although I might pick it up anyway.

Sarah wrote: "I always keep well away from covers with bare chested men and ripped bodices"

I don't think there's anything ridiculous about avoiding books with shirtless males on the cover, actually.

I have picked up a book I would NOT have otherwise picked up because of a cover, but I have never not read a book because I disliked the cover and there have been some covers I really disliked.

If a person (the same person) recommends a book to me one too many times, I'm likely to avoid it. Depends on the person, but usually the people who do this are not all that close to me and we don't tend to have similar reading tastes (they just love a certain book and think everyone else will, too).

This is such a fun question. I think I agree with all of these.

Banner ad? Nothing makes me hate a book faster.
Steinbeck? Used to avoid, but like him now.
New releases? I can wait.
Start with a birth? Hmm. Don't remember seeing this, but now I'll avoid it!
Reece? If I cringe at the review, it's not going to happen.
Oprah? I get disappointed when I see the sticker, but will still read it.
Color blobs? Hate those!

So yeah, with so many books to read, I'm actively looking for reasons not to read a book. I'll add:
Too many 5 star reviews on Goodreads
Book blurbs that say it's for people who loved this or that best seller.

And here's one that's just me being snarky today: Giveaways I didn't win. :-)

I honestly don't mind the Oprah thing. It won't make me rush out and buy a book, but it won't dissuade me either.

And if something makes a wider swath of people read complex, nuanced authors like Toni Morrison, Marilynne Robinson, Carson McCullers, and Gabriel García Márquez, I'm all for it. Would I pick every book she did? Probably not, but that's ok. The world today can use a little subtlety and a little acknowledgement of complexity in my opinion - human beings have always wanted simple answers, and anything that makes a few more brains engage is a good thing.

I've never seen a full episode of her show and don't know much about her, but I think she's on the right track with encouraging reading, and not just beach reads. Maybe the Oprah sticker might induce a little eye roll for me sometimes, but it makes me smile too.

Jerry wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I always keep well away from covers with bare chested men and ripped bodices"

I don't think there's anything ridiculous about avoiding books with shirtless males on the cover, actually."

As a person who has been known to read books with those covers, just going to say they can have pretty good stories and characters you become invested in, but also some can just be pretty trashy. But we all should read trashy novels from time to time. If not books with these covers, then another mans trash. :)