I think I might be addicted to Top Ten Tuesday, I like joining in and having a set topic to work with. Top Ten Tuesday is a book blogger meme that is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week the theme is: Top Ten Words/Topics that will make you not pick up a book. Being a literary explorer I try to explore all books (I’ve even started reading Twilight, help!) so I have to force myself in genres and topics I would normally avoid. But I thought I might list ten examples of where I would have to force myself.
10. Non-Fiction – I don’t know why but I really need to force myself to read more.
9. Fantasy – I just can’t get into Fantasy, I find them drown out and it difficult to remember all the names, yet I’m ok with most Urban Fantasy.
8. YA/NA – I just not drawn to these books, I like John Green’s style but mostly I think they lack depth.
7. Dystopia – I’m over them, there are just too many out there.
6. Blockbuster Crime Novels – they are all the same and formulaic.
5. Long Series – I don’t want to commit to that many books.
4. Chick Lit – I don’t fit the demographic.
3. Romance – As above.
2. Erotica – As above, again.
1. Paranormal – These are normally romance titles and I’ve never seen one do anything interesting.
What you say about Blockbuster Crime Novels – they are all the same and formulaic. I totally agree. I’m always up for Sherlock Holmes but the rest really wears me out with exception to a very few. Also chick lit, romance, and erotica, no go.
There is so many great crime novels out there but they get put to the side to make room for the big names (which produce the same stuff over and over again)
Yep, I pretty much agree with you on all of these. There are a few YA authors I’m liking (John Green, Rainbow Rowell), but they’re few and far between these days. Oh, and Patrick Ness. He’s never formulaic.
I do need to read Ness and I’ve never heard of Rainbow Rowell, will search them out
Yes, yes and yes again. My list would look very similar but for nonfiction. Nonfic is probably my favorite of all time. If I had to pick one genre to take with me to a desert isle that would be it 🙂
I wish I was like that, I have so many non-fiction books I would love to read
Great list! I’m not a fan of non-fiction reads at all.
I try to be but I struggle
Agree with quite a few of these. If there are already tons of installments in a series, it’s not likely I’ll ever pick it up. I’ll read the occasional YA but no thanks to NA. I love Urban Fantasy but have the hardest time with Fantasy too.. something about the strange names of characters and worlds and how I can never pronounce them could play a role.
It’s weird, I want to read more Fantasy but you’re right, I can’t pronounce their names
Oh no, I read half of those items on your list and agree with the other half, non-fiction, erotica, romance and crime novels. I like your blog.
Thanks
Non-fiction books aren’t really my thing either for some reason.
And I totally agree with you on the long series thing. I don’t want to commit to that many books and a year long wait for each book is an EXTREMELY long wait.
I never catch up to have to wait for the next book :/
I’m with you on pretty much your whole list, except I do love non-fiction 🙂
What’s the secret, I want to read more non-fiction
Well, I like to read non-fiction to learn about certain topics that interest me (Michael Pollan with food like Omnivore’s Dilemma, Jon Krakauer with daring physical adventure like climbing Mt Everest in Into Thin Air), to learn more about history, politics, or current events (Rachel Maddow’s Drift comes to mind), or just to have fun facts on hand for whatever (any Mary Roach book). Erik Larson’s books are great narrative non-fiction, and I have loved a lot of memoirs (Julia Child’s My Life in France is my fave!). Also, I guess I’d say that usually non-fiction hits me harder emotionally too because it’s REAL, and as the saying goes “truth is stranger than fiction”!
I have so many books that I want to read that are non-fiction, I’m exciting to learn but for some reason I struggle to get into Non-Fiction. Maybe I need to force myself
Yeah! Give yourself the ol’ 50 page rule (or whatever—X pages in and not liking it? DNF!) 🙂
I need to be more ruthless and DNF more books (like Twilight)
LOL I just got myself into DNF mode this year for the first time on some stuff. But for Twilight I’m a DNS (do not start!)
Good idea, I wish I didn’t start it either
Agree with all. I really don’t get paranormal, as you say, it’s just romance in a different setting.
I run away from romance like vampires to… well I don’t know, apparently they don’t fear anything anymore….
I don’t like romance, I don’t think I’ve read a good romance novel
You should read more nonfiction. The one aspect of my reading that has changed since I’ve started blogging, is how much nonfiction I read now. I have read some wonderful books because of it.
I’m trying to read more non-fiction