This week’s list is rather subpar, so my apologies. I couldn’t even make it to ten, and most of these have been mentioned before (I usually like to keep things as non-repetitive as possible). Guess I was too caught up in the royal baby news. Just teasing. Sort of. I am very curious as to the name, I am personally hoping for Theodore. No worries, I’m prepared to be disappointed. Back to the topic at hand, I generally believe something out of every genre can be well done. I feel strange, I have very little to say about this week’s list. It’s so unlike me.
The following are eight topics I typically avoid. In no particular order, except number one really is number one:
8. For fans of Gone Girl/Twilight/50 Shades/The Da Vinci Code. I really did not like any of those (yes, even Gone Girl). To be honest, I’m not even that fond of Harry Potter. Blasphemy, I know.
7. Love Triangles. This might be the only time in my life that I advocate this, but take Johnny Depp’s advice: “If you love two people at the same time, choose the second. Because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn’t have fallen for the second.” Exactly folks. Don’t cheat.
6. Religion. I grew up in a strongly religious household and despite having moved out and on, I’ve still managed to retain quite a bit of Latin. Consider that an unexpected bonus. That being said, I don’t like reading about it in fiction. Strangely enough, I do enjoy reading about mythology.
5. Instant Love (also known as Instalove). Love is not instant. Lust is. Attraction is. But a ‘now until the end of time’ love is not. And it takes more than a day to develop. It may even involve living together. Apparently this makes me sound unromantic according to my blog stats. Tell me, am I too cynical? Although as Bonnie’s been told, just wait, it’ll happen (scroll to the bottom of the review for the charming comment).
4. Child Abandonment. Been through it, don’t need to read about it. Although occasionally I do anyway…
3. Stream of Consciousness. Do I appreciate stream of consciousness as a narrative device? Yes, I’ve even read a few novels written in that style, but it is certainly not my preference. I have to live in my own head, which, frankly, is hard enough.
2. Teenagers. Is nearly every single character a teenager? I’m probably not going to read it. Even when I was a teenager, I wasn’t really a teenager. That being said, a well done coming of age tale can be wonderful.
And finally (though I prefer a book)…
1. Spiders. Hate ‘em. Passionately. They are maybe the only thing that makes me squeal in fear. And yes, before you wonder, there really are books (of the fiction sort) that focus on spiders. Add vicious, aggressive aliens and fiery airplane crashes and you have the trifecta of things that terrify me.
So what do you avoid? Anyone believe in love at first sight? More importantly, any thoughts on what the royal baby’s name will be?
flannel and folklore 
I’ve never heard about that quote from Johnny Depp; makes total sense. Should’ve listed love triangles on my list, am definitely sick of them (I blame Grey’s Anatomy for that tbh).
Stream of consciousness definitely made my list this week. I wonder if it’s an acquired thing…
Ahh, spiders! *runs and hides*
My TTT
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Yes, Grey’s has a lot to answer for… *but why can’t I stop watching it?!*
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I admit, I still check in to see what’s going on with the characters, lol *blushes*
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People wonder how you can have a nervous break down over a tiny spider, but I assure you it’s possible.
Grey’s Anatomy. I haven’t watched since Callie married George, then switched to Arizona, but somehow ended up having McSteamy’s baby. I think that’s how it went. At any rate, that’s at least 3-4 years ago. I did wikipedia the season with the plane crash, because oh the drama….
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And how is it that people really can’t decide who they want to be with. Or how about just say no? Or say yes to just one person at a time. Also, let jealousy go.
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My money’s on James.
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Prince Edward’s young son is James, I imagine that excludes it, right?
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I hope not. Because otherwise, he’s going to end up with George or Albert.
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I think Phillip will make an appearance in the name somewhere. I could see George as the first name, which I don’t mind. I still stand by Prince Theo being adorable, but I could go with Alfred or Francis as well.
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Prince Theo would be lovely but I’m not hopeful.
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Theo, Teddy, all lovely. I’m sure little George Phillip Frances will be perfectly fine as well…
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Gaaah! It’s George!
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Important stuff first: royal baby – my bets are on Alfred (Prince Freddie) or George (thanks to our long and interesting Twitter discussion this morning, my kids got a sub-standard lunch – royal baby far more exciting than packing four lunchboxes).
Can’t think of any books about spiders… But I’m not scared of spiders (my fears are birds near my head, mice and rats. Particularly mice).
I avoid books with covers like ‘Cinder’ – that vampire/ gothic/ romance thing does nothing for me.
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I do love a good gothic novel (i.e. Rebecca), but vampires don’t do a lot for me – especially in the romantic sense. Why, why, why would a human woman want intimacy with a possessive, cold, dead object that is pro-exsanguination.
I’m not fond of rats, cockroaches, but spiders really do me in. I was bitten by a poisonous one when I was younger and got very, very ill. I still have a nasty scar.
But if one of us was right about the baby name…? Think of the satisfaction. It would be epic.
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But if one of us was right about the baby name…? Think of the satisfaction. It would be epic.
Bragging rights for a week 😀
Did I mention I’m liking the name Alfred? Kind of harkening back to early history but not so antiquated that it’s weird to people. They really need to announce the name soon, I’m going to start naming every English name I could think of :p
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You’re absolutely right- there’s a definite difference between books about teens (ahem, YA) and coming of age stories. And I am so with you on number 8.
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I don’t want to judge YA, but everything I’ve read…it’s just all the same. I’m sure there are exceptions, I just haven’t found any.
Comparing a book to The Da Vinci Code is like the kiss of death. It’s never going to happen.
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SPIDERS!!! Does that mean you didn’t read IT? 🙂
Angie
My Top Ten Words
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I did. I could handle it because it Stephen King and because the lead in was so great. However, I was not thrilled with the visuals I was left with though…
IT is actually one of my favorites, surprisingly enough.
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I am not a fan of books with vampires, teenagers nor teenage vampires. I only know Twilight second hand.
Besides that, child molestion, kids with cancer, or anything with children being abused I just can’t stomach. I’m one who can easily take on others’ pain and this goes for characters in books too. Jaycee Dugard was held prisoner in the town where I previously lived. I steered clear of news, interviews and her book. I can’t imagine how horrifying her experience was and I just don’t want to know. If I’m trying to relate to a character or experience I’d rather be ignorant of these details. I read Room by Emma Donoghue for a book club pick. I tried to be a good sport did and did read but it was totally out of my comfort zone.
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I’ll second the kids with cancer. I was a sobbing mess during The Fault in Our Stars and I didn’t even particularly like that book.
You’re not missing anything with Twilight.
I actually have a harder time with historical/current evets. I cannot read or watch a 9/11 documentary or even a Titanic documentary. I about had a breakdown over the 19 firefighters that died Arizona. It’s just such a shame and so sad.
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Insta Love and Love Triangles… *hiss* If I had participated this week those definitely would have been on my list. Religion also. Anything Christian Fiction can go away. Except Devil All the Time was pretty religious albeit in a severely insane way.
I like Theodore too! I used to have a hamster named Theodore. And another named Frederick. What strangely sophisticated names, right? lol
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I can handle religion, I just can’t handle religion in the let’s wait until marriage, I found Jesus sort of way. I have no problem with it, I just refuse to read about it. I read a Christian romance once, I was DESPERATE for a book, and it was awful, awful, awful.
Are you sure you can’t support instalove. It’s like ‘Hey, dinner was good. Do you want to get married?’.
Those were classy hamsters. Theodore is actually high on my list of boys name I like, so I really don’t want the baby’s name to be Theo. I just want the satisfaction of being right. And why do women plan baby names? Because I have ZERO plans to reproduce in the near future, so what am I doing…
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Yes, religion is only tolerable for me when it’s not … agenda pushing. I accidentally read a Christian Fiction once and didn’t realize it until I was about 1/3 of the way through. It was horrible.
Insta-love isn’t real! It won’t happen! That lady was wrong.
hahaha Reproducing is not in my vocabulary. I have 4 step-children and I feel that’s enough. I don’t need any of my own.
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I can’t rule out the possibility of a future boy name Theo, but the odds are not in his (theoretical) favor at this moment. Luckily I have many more reproductive years in my future should I change my mind.
4 step-children? Crazy. In a good way, I hope they’re little angels. I always wanted a large family when I was younger, I was an only child until I was practically a teenager. And then I worked with children, briefly, and that dream died. On my wildest days I now imagine 3, max.
Frankly, as the number of baby showers you attend in your twenties increases the potential number of children you have decreases. However, then I hold a newborn baby and I turn into a puddle of stereotypical womanhood. So ten years from now when I’ve had five kids…. 😉
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It won’t let me reply right so this will end up looking strange.
Anyways. I admit I do have moments where I think about children but it’s not very often but I actually don’t turn to mush around babies. They actually scare me a little and all their fragile-ness. Theo is a very nice name. If the opportunity arose I’ve always been partial to Ella and Brenin.
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I could’ve easily put Instalove on my list too. It’s just not realistic at all! (I reckon it could be James…)
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I can’t wait to find out, only because I want to be right (even though I know deep down that I won’t be).
It’s amazing how well instalove sells though…
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Yup, I’m nodding in agreement with many of these. And I was very close to adding religion and love triangles to my list. (Hmmm… a religious love triangle?) I can get on board with stream of consciousness too. Spiders – EEK!
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Spiders. I’m so glad I live someplace now where they are uncommon. I lived in Florida for a bit and they were awful.
On occasion a love triangle can be okay, but the way most of them are handled…just no. A religious love triangle, I;d actually love to see that – the complications and the guilt…
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How about Richard?
I actually had a bunny named Theodore 🙂
I didn’t make a list this week because I can’t think of words that will keep me away from books. Genres, yes. Like romance, Christian literature, horror (except Stephen King if he can be called a horror author anymore), most ya…
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I struggled with this list, most of these I’ve mentioned before and I think I’ve read something from everything on the list. So it’s nothing new, I really don’t avoid much.
I was thinking Richard as a possibility, but it would unfortunate for a child to be Prince Dick (of which I am certain Americans would call him).
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Oh I hadn’t thought about the American way of abbreviating names. Prince Dick would not be a good thing. Richard is off the table! Veto!
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With such a global world, it would be a definite reason for veto. I would also love to see Arthur, it would be fantastic. I’m not hopeful.
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Yeah, I think Arthur is the best of these royal names then. Or maybe we should hope for Lancelot…!
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Oh. So he is to be named George. George Alexander Louis. Bummer.
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Instalove and love triangles… ugh. I am so incredibly tired of it! I also don’t like when a book says “The next…” because it’s just not true. Ever. Thanks for your list!
Litza @ She Dreams in Fiction
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I don’t like ‘the next’ either, because you’re right – it never is.
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Baby names for the little royal overlord-in-waiting… Apparently Django is a popular boy’s name this year. But they’ll probably definitely include Phillip as a middle name at least.
If we go by popular fictional characters who share a name with previous monarchs then the smart money probably ought to be on Edward. Except it probably can’t be Edward because of all that unpleasantness a while back with the Nazi-sympathiser who carried on with a divorced American (the establishment couldn’t work out which characteristic appalled them more).
Henry is probably out (Prince Harry), which leaves Charles or James if they’re traditionalist.
The other possibilities are William and Arthur, again assuming they follow the tradition of only using names that have already been used. Us Brits frown upon naming a child after yourself, and I can’t imagine that the parents would be so cruel as to call their nipper Arthur.
Why am I speculating on this? I don’t know.
I reckon it’ll be James, but I worry it might be Edward.
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I saw that about with Django, but I can’t really imagine people using it.
I’ve been discounting James because of Prince Edward’s son, but I suppose that is not too much of a deterrent. Nothing seems to be in the way of George though and I happen to think Arthur would be a brilliant choice (though I would not do that to someone either).
The vast majority of Americans frown upon naming their child after themselves, it’s a select few who follow that tradition. I’m speculating on this simply because it is there to speculate on. I’ll say George, I might as well give up on Theodore. I like the name Edward, primarily because of Jane Eyre. Think of it this way, it cannot be any worse than when Twilight became hugely popular, right? Except this time it’s forever, at least for your lifetime. Sharing wouldn’t be so bad says the person who rarely has to share (except for the ridiculous amount of more successful Rory O’Connor’s out there).
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Shit, I forgot the name George.
Somehow I think you’ve won.
If only because everyone loved that ghastly Colin Firth movie.
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How can you not love The King’s Speech? I haven’t seen it, but it’s supposed to be award worthy (or at the very least, award winning).
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Schmaltzy, awards-baiting, historically…um…rose-tinted, rubbish.
Plus all this stuff that aggrandises the royals isn’t really my cup of tea. If we must have them, then fine, but let’s not fawn over them too much; the symbol is the important bit.
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Fawning over famous people. You’re living in the wrong era.
I didn’t really like any of the award nominees that year. So maybe it won for lack of competition…?
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Nah, the Academy is all about fashion (of subject matter, of ‘hot’ actors) and studio politics.
If you Wikipedia past winners of the best film Oscar you’ll be appalled but unsurprised. Dances With Wolves? Chicago? Braveheart? Shakespeare In Love?
Shakespeare In Love???????
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It’s a little bit about the actual fashion too.
I don’t know what worse: that Shakespeare in Love won, or that Gwyneth Paltrow won FOR Shakespeare in Love. Forever labeling future GP movies as ‘starring Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow’. For me, it’s probably the latter.And for the record, that has to have one of the most abominable fashion choices she’s ever made (I KNOW, deep down, you care).
I can’t judge Chicago, but I agree with the rest. It’s irritating when studio’s (or their executives) extensively, monetarily campaign for their movie (ahem, Harvey Weinstein).
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I dunno, that peach monstrosity she wore was probably the best thing about the film.
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It did have leave the possibility that her top would fall down during her acceptance speech, so you may be on to something there.
Rumor has it that GP stole that script from Winona Ryder’s mail pile. So it’s quite possible that movie changed to face of American cinema. Now she’s famous and WR essentially left acting and turned to crime and Star Trek.
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‘Somehow I think you’ve won.’
Yes, yes I did. I’m quite pleased for having accomplished nothing. However, I thought Philip or Edward would appear in the name and was therefore a little bit wrong.
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I am actually quite surprised to see someone else with Religion on their list this week. I am also kinda fed up with Love Triangles. It has been used up now.
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I don’t mind reading about it from a historical perspective, but I don’t like it to invade my fiction in a judgmental sense. I have no sympathy for people in love triangles, just make a decision! People are going to get hurt no matter what you do, just rip off the band-aid.
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“for fans of”, “love triangles” and “instant love” are also on my list haha (http://wensend.com/2013/07/23/top-ten-tuesday-week-30/)
I actually like reading about teenagers, but I have the phrase “young adult”, because not everything about teenagers is YA..
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I agree with the bit about teenagers. I don’t mind a well done story about teenagers, but it can be a story about…being teenagers. There has to be something more to it. Pining over a permanently teenage vampire is not going to work for me.
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Awesome list, totally agree with so many! I hate that I forgot love triangles cause those make me cringe. I cannot stand them. Same with religion. Ugh!
My TTT
My DESIGNS blog
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Thanks. Every list I read I see ones I forgot, but these are the ones that irk me most. Love triangles, at this point, are so overdone.
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My vote is for George, but I’d love it to be Arthur.
I’m with you on “instant love”. I have issues with Romeo and Juliet for that reason. And I didn’t have love triangles, but I did have adultery/cheating on my list, which is related. That’s a great Johnny Depp quote!
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My vote’s for George as well. King Arthur would be the best thing that happened this year though.
For me, an active love triangle is the same thing as adultery. If it’s just pining, it’s not quite the same level of offensive. Johnny Depp can be surprisingly wise at times. Obviously not when he chose The Lone Ranger, but at other times…
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Yes to instalove, and yes to love triangles. These are the main two reasons I stay away from most YA. Luckily they don’t crop up in the novels I read too much, although I’ll also add that I’m sick of authors throwing in a romantic subplot just for the sake of having it. Attraction, maybe even a little sexual tension, is natural. Anything more, whether it’s “instalove” or not, almost always feels forced.
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That’s the best thing about thrillers, though occasionally there’s a weird instant sort of connection. YA reminds me that my childhood was never a wonderful, in love all the time, nostalgia inducing experience, so I avoid it. Plus, I find it a tad unrealistic. Sexual tension is natural, I think it’s present quite a bit in real life too, which then forces you to ask the question ‘can men and women be friends?’. Okay, so it doesn’t force you to ask the question, but it makes you wonder. And perhaps I’m only wondering it because I just read the question on ‘Smart Girls Love SciFi’ blog…
But still. Now what was I talking about…
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Great list. I don’t like books about love triangles either. I think they are just an excuse for the writer to add angst to a story. It’s on my list as well : http://amshuman.wordpress.com
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Exactly. If you don’t have enough drama going on, don’t add a love triangle to try and fix it. It’s too obvious.
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Instalove, love triangles and “For The Fan Of” are my pet peeves also. Glad to see that I’m not the only one who hated Gone Girl! Gone Girl is one of my least favorite books! Check out my TTT!
-Scott Reads It!
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I’m glad to know someone else didn’t love Gone Girl, I was beginning to feel like the odd person out. Everyone LOVED it, I found it underwhelming at best.
For fans of my be the fastest way to get me to run away from a book. Unless is says for fans of Donald Ray Pollock or Stephen King…
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I’m with you on religion. I like reading about it in like a historical context, but don’t preach to me. I get stabby. If I wanted to be preached to, I’d attend the church of my choice. Quietly. With maybe a tiny bit of Latin. And my money is on George, which is cool, because it would spawn more babies named George and George is a great name.
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Georgia was on the top of my list for girls name for a while, but then my cousin stole it. I’ll just have to come up with another name for my does not exist (yet?) daughter. However, I also like George, but as an American I can’t help but associate it with Bush. Problematic on many levels, but it’s stodgy enough to work.
The church I went to when I was little conducted mass in both Latin and French (I grew up near French Canada, for a few years at least). Needless to say (I hate that phrase, but still use it), I was Catholic. Now my family prefers to think of me as lapsed.
If they do choose George, everyone else will too, ruining George forever.
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They did Latin mass? Really? I thought that was ousted with Vatican 2. I like to think of myself as a conscientious objector Catholic. I made it up, but I think it works.
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Only parts of it were in Latin, not the whole thing. I think conducting it is Latin defeats the purpose, the parishioners do not understand it. Latin was also a required class at my school.
I am Catholic by default, as it’s based solely on the fact that I’m Irish. The other have of my family was very disappointed I didn’t end up Greek Orthodox.
Conscientious objector, I think it works.
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Ha! You know, if you’re Eastern Orthodox the Catholic church is cool with you taking communion still? Why do I KNOW these things?! Why???
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I never went, but my Greek grandmother did want to disown me for it.
Because you’re a human sponge for trivia knowledge…? And you want to win at Trivial Pursuit, of course.
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I totally feel the same way about the teenager thing. I always say I’m not a huge fan of YA fiction and people gasp and inch away from me. Of course there are plenty of great YA stories, but when it comes to picking up new books, I just prefer more adult problems, relationships, mindsets, etc. 😀 I don’t think I’d ever read a book about Spiders, either. 😀
My TTT
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Haha, the bit about people inching away made me laugh. I feel like that when most people from TTT stumble on my blog. They see it’s adult based and click away as fast as they can…
I prefer adult problems and adult contexts too. It is just what appeals to me. If YA appeals to someone else, that’s great, but I’m never going to read Anna and the French Kiss. I’m just not.
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I hate spiders, too. HAAAAATE. Blerg.
I’m with you on the majority of these, actually.
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I absolutely lose it when it comes to spiders. I’m fairly certain that I would do better in some sort of zombie apocalypse than if a spider falls in my hair.
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Same. Bring on the zombies.
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Love this post right to bits 🙂 Except for the spider bit, YUCK.
I’ve never participated in TTT but this would have been a great one to do. I’m kind of a picky/snobby girl when it comes to my reading material.
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I am a snob, though I try to be polite and hide it. I’m even a cover snob, I shouldn’t judge, but I do. And compare it to Twilight, bever going to happen.
Side note: I watched Liberal Arts last night which asserts that Twilight is the worst novel in the English language and any language is was translated in to. I like it just for that.
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When I first started blogging I searched high and low for people that liked the same books that I do. It seemed impossible! I couldn’t find a blog that wasn’t completely YA/paranormal/sparkly vampire themed. It was so frustrating. I didn’t know if I’d ever find my people. I did, whew.
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Me too, if you noticed, many adult book blogs (that I visit) just celebrated their one year of blogging. Something was obviously missing. 🙂
I do wonder if YA is a fad or if it’s increasing in popularity because literacy levels are decreasing. I hope no one sees this comment, otherwise I’ll get hate mail. But you have to admit, YA books are written on a much easier level to understand and interpret (if there is anything to interpret at all).
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Great list! Totally agree about the religion thing. I just read a book where it was sort of snuck in- in an unobtrusive way- that was ok- but otherwise no. re: your comments to Jennifer above- do you get the sense that a large # of book blogs out there are totally YA? Sometimes I feel like such an old boring lady!
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I do think a large number of book blogs are exclusively YA. There is nothing wrong with YA, but there’s also nothing wrong with variety. There is room for all things, but on occasion the YA world seems a bit…sensitive.
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And I feel old all the time and I’ve not even left my twenties. Yet. It’s coming sooner rather than later though.
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I love the Johnny Depp quote you put in there! It’s brilliant! 😀
And ha ha, spiders! I will totally avoid books about spiders like the plague. Unless the book is like a war against spiders and we win – forever. ;D
Great list!
My TTT
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I think a world without spiders, flies, and snakes would be a grand place, though spiders are the only ones that bother me with any real effect.
I thought it was one of Johnny Depp’s wiser statements.
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I agree with the fans of twilight, hunger games etc. = deal killer for me!
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If I didn’t like the original, I’m not going to like anything that’s compared to it.
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I can agree with pretty much your entire list! Except for HP… cause you know. HP. But I don’t like when other books try to say “HP for adults” or “fans of HP will love” because it’s never even close.
More importantly… I’m kind of rooting for Spencer for the royal baby name! I heard a rumor that it was being considered. Is it normal in England to leave the hospital without naming the baby, because that’s not allowed here… or maybe it doesn’t apply to them because you know, royalty and all.
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I don’t think HP is overrated, I’m more of a read them once, thought they were good, and picked up a new book. I’ve never revisited them.
Here it depends on the state. Some places you have up to two weeks to name the baby, the baby is just discharged as baby ‘last name’. I believe you have a long time over there, though I don’t know for sure. I’m thinking they’ll release it after a week. At least I hope, because I WANT TO KNOW. I don’t know that anything applies to them though.
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Your #1 made me lol. Would never have expected that!! I agree with many of your other points too.
As for the royal baby (which I may be a little overly obsessed with), I’m gunning for an Edward. It’s my brother’s name and I read it’s one of the top possibilities, so why not?
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And it’s little George, still cute (as all babies are). Maybe Edward for their next one (love that name, by the way), as they are working with an extremely limited pool of names (though I suppose restrictions may be a bit more lax with the second child). I’m not up to date on monarchy naming rules. It’s hard not to be baby obsessed when you’re expecting, so you have the perfect excuse!
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