Top 5 Tuesday is a meme by the fantastic Bionic Book Worm, and it explores a different bookish topic each week. If you’d like to join in, check out the Top 5 Tuesday August topics!
These were actually quite difficult to nail down, because there are many buzzwords that make me uninterested in a book, but I’m also open to giving things a chance if people say it’s good. Mostly, I’m lukewarm to a lot of things, but these five evoke an immediate NOPE from me. I’m not hating on them- they’re just not my thing.
Superheroes
If I hear the word “superhero,” you’ll likely catch me running the other way. Friends have forced to watch about 20348 of those movies and not a single one has caught my interest. I’m decidedly not a fan of any of the superhero conventions. I’m probably the only Leigh Bardugo fan not excited for her new Wonder Woman book, BUT I am willing to give it a try if it falls into my hands. I trust her to tell me a good story, and if I have to read a superhero book by someone, I’m glad it’d be her. Otherwise- heck no. Sorry Batman.
Science Fiction
You’re probably like, “Wait, I’ve seen reviews of sci fi books on her blog before,” which is true, but it takes a very high amount of hype around a sci fi book to interest me. In general, I never reach for a sci fi book on my own with no prior recommendation, and the genre as a concept turns me off. I’m not very interested in sciency, outer space, futuristic, or technology stuff. However, there are sci fi books I’ve read that I do like! I just really need to warm up to it. But initially, every time I see a sci fi book my immediate reaction is “nahhh bye.”
Werewolves/Vampires
The only werewolf I’m a fan of is Remus Lupin, and I do really like the book Dracula, but otherwise…especially the romance ones…it’s NO from me. I had my fill in the Twilight hayday, and even then I wasn’t a fan of the werewolves in that. Particularly the werewolves.
Sexy
I’m very not into the smutty side of romance. Even for a pairing I love to the death, if they get a little too physical, I immediately start to edge away. I’ll endure it for books I love, but…when I see a book described as sexy or smutty or has a cover of scantily clad bodies…I’m immediately turned very off. Not a selling point for me.
Beach read
I know you can read whatever the heck you want at the beach, but you know what I mean. Those fluffy, summery, light books that have a whirlwind romance and everyone’s happy in the end. I’m not opposed to cute stories, but I’m afraid my dark, pain-loving soul cannot handle this certain brand of lightness and fluff. Whenever I see the word “beach read,” or even just a cute cover that implies beach read, I’m out.
What are some buzzwords that turn you off? Agree or disagree with any of my choices? I’d love to know!
Lost: Purple Quill 
This was great! I had to laugh because I’m the same with Science fiction!! I will run and hide from the books, tv shows, and movies!! Sad because it’s my husband’s favorite genre…he is probably the one who made me hate it since he watched the same sci-fi shows repeatedly when we first got married…ugh!
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Lol!! Your husband should have mixed it up a little!! hahah. I don’t even know why my immediate reaction is always “NO” because there are sci fi things I like…but then there’s the side of me that wouldn’t care to watch Star Wars if someone paid me to, ahahah.
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Omg, I almost killed him when we first got married haha!! He never gave me the remote and that’s all he watched. 😭 He finally stopped after a decade!! But now I’m scarred for life. I’ve got 2 boys who love Star Wars like my hubby but you’d have to pay me a million dollars to watch it!! Maybe we can both find someone to pay us 😂
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Once I had a friend say “why don’t you like Star Wars, you have brothers!” and all I could do was shrug, hahah, even though I did grow up in a very Star Wars obsessed house. It’s funny how some things just never rub off on you!
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Pingback: Top 5 buzzwords that make me NOT WANT to read a book! – Bionic Book Worm
Love triangles would be one of my biggest pet peeves. Damaged heroes, BDSM – im so over those. Women’s Fiction/Lit, don’t know why but that just doesn’t do it for me. I’m pretty sure I missed a few.;-)
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Ugh yeah I’m very over love triangles, and definitely not a fan of BDSM. And you know what, I’ve never been very attracted to women’s lit either, I don’t know why! I love books about women and by women, but for some reason when it’s narrowed to “women’s fiction” it me strange expectations, like I need to enjoy it as a woman myself. I feel strangely intimidated!
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Lol – love your way of thinking!!! Yeah, it’s almost like they try to force us to love it just because we are women.
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it’s hard to say for me! it’s not just buzzwords, it’s mostly the whole synopsis. if that one doesn’t grip me and i am lost after the second or third sentence, i’ll put the book down!
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Very true!! Even while I was writing this, I was thinking that there could always be exceptions. I almost put dystopian books on this list, but those ones really depend on the synopsis for me- I’m either super intrigued or have no interest at all.
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yeah that’s true! it’s a bit crazy, how much a couple of sentences decide if you want to read a book or not!
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I am enjoying these posts. Your choices are definitely good ones, apart from SF. They are golden words to me 😅
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LOL sorry!! hahah, there is a lot of sci fi I do like…I just need to be convinced!
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Superheroes are a small obsession of mine. I most of the movies, all the shows, and I’m particularly drawn to Superhero books. I don’t know what it is now, because I definitely wasnt that interested as a kid!
I’ve recently realized that I’m not a huge fan of smutty books either. I read romance, and some of them have multiple sex scenes, but I usually don’t enjoy those scenes as much as I do romantic scenes. When I do enjoy a sex scene, it’s ONLY when the romance and intimacy is so strong that I’m really into the story. (Captive Prince comes to mind.) I also hate smutty book covers! I think I wrote a blog post about it. Some of the best books have horrid half naked covers, and I hate that. It makes me glad I read them on a Kindle so I can forget that they’re misrepresented with a terrible cover.
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It’s such a shame that I don’t like superheroes because there’s so much material, and nearly everyone I know loves them! I don’t know what it will take to capture my interest, but I’m very curious to see if something ever come along.
Captive Prince was flashing through my mind when I wrote that one! They hands down have my favorite sex scenes, if I had to choose. Their intimacy was SO intense, and I loved what it meant for Laurent’s character development. I was actually relieved that they were full of so much heartfelt intimacy after the first book, lol. But yeah, when I feel like there’s smut just to have smut is when I get most disinterested. Those covers are such a shame!! Especially when I see some of your reviews and they sound like really great books, and I just don’t perceive that from the covers!
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If I were going to recommend a superhero story to you it would be Renegade X. I really feel like she uses Superheroes and Villains as a metaphor for current events, almost. Like, just because you’re born a ‘villain’ doesn’t make you a bad person… and just because you’re born a ‘hero’ doesn’t make you good. It’s a Superhero series that makes me think. I love it.
I seriously hate it. It’s like, giving someone a chocolate cake all mashed up in a ziplock bag, so that it looks like excrement, and then trying to convince people it really tastes like magic, lmao. The wrapping makes all the difference.
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I’ll have to give Renegade X a try!! The ambiguity between villain and hero sounds right up my alley.
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Yes, that’s what really hooked me!
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Great post! I do like Beach Read though…lol
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Lol I have nothing against them!! Just not for me! And thanks 🙂
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Same about that last one! Books that revolve around sex/romance aren’t really for me, though I try to keep an open mind.
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I understand where you’re coming from with some of these- the word ‘sexy’ on a blurb makes me run a mile, not that I’m against romances, I’m just not keen on the advertisement of something as ‘sexy’!
I am partial to some ‘beach reads’, but I don’t like it when books are placed into the category when in actual fact when you read them they have a lot more depth!! Great post 🙂
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That’s a good point about beach reads! There are so many books that have misleading summaries and covers.
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So true! Covers can sometimes give such a wrong impression of a book- but I still often judge books by them! 🙂
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Lol me too!
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Ooh “Beach Read” is a great buzz word I hate too. Anything that’s described as “light”, “feel good”, “fluffy” or “chick lit” is an immediate NOPE from me.
And I’m totally with you on “Sexy” being a turn-off as a book descriptor. That’s decidedly not what I read for, and I feel like sex scenes are so often badly written or awkward so they just make me cringe!
I don’t really get the whole werewolves/vampires thing either. I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that was the exception to the rule!
I have found some good sci-fi out there (most of it written by women!) but fantasy is an instant yes for me and science-fiction I’m often hesitant about and the book has to go through my screening process of a certain average goodreads rating, liked by at least one friend whose taste in books I trust etc. I’m still very slowly working my way through the series, but Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga are very well-written and character-driven, and Becky Chambers’ Wayfayers books are fluffier than I usually go but I just love them so much anyway?! I’ve really enjoyed Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch series too, but it’s definitely hard to wrap your head around at times. And on the flip side some of the worst books I’ve read come from Sci-fi (hi Cixin Liu’s The Dark Forest and Pierce Brown’s Red Rising)!
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Yeah, chick lit is NOT my thing at all. That’s probably more what I was getting at when I said beach read, but then there are also those books that have those plots like “local vicar solves small town murder” which I also could not read for the life of me, lol.
Sci Fi is always so hit or miss!! I definitely have to have a rec from a friend or it has to have really good ratings. I actually had a friend recommend me C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy last night, and it’s not at all something I’d ever pick up on my own, but when I get that push I’m more likely to try it. Also, it’s just nice to be able to bond with someone through their favorite books. But kind of like you were saying, if a book is really well done and character driven, I can be sucked into any kind of story!!
Also, I heard you got your ticket to Les Mis in October!! IT’S GOING TO BE SO FUN.
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I totally agree with you on the kind of “cozy mystery” genre not appealing at all. I admire great mystery writers and I need to read more Agatha Christie etc. and I enjoy a well-written noir too, but the fluffy small-town mysteries are not my thing.
I DID! I’m so looking forward to meeting you (and Rachel omg I’ve known Rachel online for probably 5 or 6 years now? and STILL haven’t met her)! What better way is there to bond than over Les Mis and books?! 😀
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I haven’t read any Agatha Christie, but I really need to give her a try. All the reviews of her books I’ve seen on here and on Goodreads have sold me on her.
Oh man, it’s going to be so fun!! I can’t believe this is the first time you and Rachel are meeting! When I first got to know you guys I assumed you were school friends or something, hahah. But I know, right, I feel like it’s a very appropriate way for all of us to meet.
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I think I read one of Christie’s for an undergrad English course, but then hadn’t thought about her books again until reading And Then There Were None for a book club. I was so impressed with how she manages to maintain tension and unravel the mystery and build these really interesting characters. She’s definitely on my tbr list for the future.
It’s so strange! We have multiple mutual online friends who we’ve met in person too, but never each other. I’m really excited that this is happening, and over Canadian Thanksgiving weekend too, so meeting you guys and seeing Les Mis will definitely be things to be grateful for!
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Love this question! Vampires/werewolves are an absolute no go for me too. I don’t even pick them up. Sci-fi and sexy type books are both out for me as well! I do like superheroes, but not for reading, just watching. Beach reads are okay, but like you said…fluffy.
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Yay I’m glad we agree!! Beach reads are definitely subjective, but it’s so hard to know if a book is that fluffy or whether it’s just being marketed a certain way. But I like how the topic of buzzwords addresses that! I’m so easily swayed, lol.
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Yes me too!! haha
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Omg my number one word would be “sexy”. It annoys me when the plot sounds promising then suddenly you get a line like, “enter sexy brooding vampire/cop/wizard or whatever”. Immediately shuts down any interest I had in the book
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Ahh exactly! That immediately kills my interest even though it’s supposed to spark it, lol.
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“Dystopian”, “post-apocalyptic”, “virgin” or anything that signals a cozy (“cute”, “wacky” etc., just not my thing). I’m probably missing out on some great reads but with so many books, I tend to pass over those with these highlighted in the blurb.
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Dystopian and post-apocalyptic would have probably been on this list if it was longer! But I still read those sometimes, if the plot looks really unique, but I’m so over the cliches of that genre.
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