Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Turnoffs

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created and hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Today's Topic: My Top Ten Book Turnoffs 

1. Gruesomeness - I don't mind the stories in horror books and sometimes even find myself in the perfect mood for a well-written scary story, but I HATE graphic descriptions of gory details.  I personally don't find it at all necessary and will definitely put down a book if it becomes too much.

2. Lack of editing - I have to say that often this applies to self-published books, however I can think of several distinct examples of traditionally published books that NEEDED to be reedited before publication.  One in particular was about 100 pages longer than I thought it needed to be because the verbose author apparently needed to apply descriptors to every person, place, and thing in the book... (ie. - her shimmering, blond locks flowed lightly in the warm breeze, enticing him to reach out a strong hand to touch the soft curls...) 

3. War scenes - I used to say "war books" in general, but I've learned that's not true.  While I hate scenes that actually take place during battles, I don't mind books set in war time, as long as they have a focus outside of the battles.  For instance, I loved Walter Dean Myer's Sunrise Over Fallujah, which actually focuses on a troop of soldiers that follows the fighting to help rebuild in the war torn area... 

4. Eating Disorders - I actually have a really hard time reading books that deal with eating disorders. I know that it's a super important topic and I'm very glad the books are out there for the people who need to read them, but I just get so grossed out in so many ways reading about the issues other people have with food. 

5. Forced Love Triangles - *sigh* This didn't used to be such a problem, but nowadays, most books are being marketed with "Teams." I don't mind a well done love triangle where the heroine, and therefore myself, has a truly difficult time choosing between two guys that truly love her and want the best for her... but come on...when one guy is just being shoved into the equation to create "TENSION..."  No, thank you.  I'd rather have straight out love or none at all. 

6. ...Which brings me to... "Bad" (and sometimes Abusive!) Love Interests - As a fan of the Good Guy Next Door, I'm always sad that in more cases the good guy doesn't actually win the girl. I get extremely pissed at my female characters (*cough, Bella, cough, cough*) if they can't see the decent guy right in front of them because they've been wooed by the enticing "bad guy." I could get rant-y here, so instead, I'm just going to move on. 

7. Animal Cruelty - Defenseless animals being hurt to move the plot along. No. I can't do it.  

8. "Circus Freaks" - Let's just say that I was mentally scarred for life by GEEK LOVE in college and now if a book has circus freaks in it, I pretty much shy away.  It took years for me to be able to read any book set in a circus again... *shudders*

9.  Mean Girl Main Characters - Generally, I can't stand it when the main character is one of the "mean girls." That's not to say that I don't read books where it's not occasionally a facet of who they are, or that they hang out with the alpha chicks, but I tend to need to sympathize with my MCs to an extent and having never been one of the mean girls, that doesn't work for me.

10.  Being Too Heavy to Comfortably Carry - Thank goodness for my Nook, because now I can happily read those 800 page novels that used to make me crazy.  I read in bed a LOT and there's nothing worse than having a 800 pager slowly breaking your sternum as you try to rest it on your chest at night... LOL.

Well, that's all I could think of at the moment.  What are YOUR top ten book turnoffs?

My A to Z Reading Survey!

Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner came up with this creative A to Z survey about all things bookish. Since it's a rainy Friday afternoon here, I thought it would be fun to work on this and give you all a little more insight into my recent reading! Check out the original A to Z post here, so you can join in the fun!

Author you’ve read the most books from:

Hmm... this is a close race between Piers Anthony, J. D. Robb(Nora Roberts), and Tamora Pierce.  I think that I've read almost every book they've each written and they've each written plenty!

Best Sequel Ever:

OMG, this is so hard! I guess in recent times, it's been The Queen is Dead by Kate Locke.  I loved the first book, but thought this second one was AMAZING.  I can't wait for book three.

Currently Reading:

The Savage Fortress by Sarwat Chadda and Clockwork Fairy Tales, a Collection of Steampunk Fables.  

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Coffee in the morning (or if it's cold in any way) or water.

E-reader or Physical Book?

Either or... though if the book is huge or if I'm traveling, I definitely prefer them on my Nook now. 

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Ummm... I was sort of a late-bloomer, so I probably wouldn't have dated any fictional character before I started dating my husband our senior year, but if I had to pick, Tucker from the Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand (who is pretty much just like my husband...). 

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

Boy21 by Matthew Quick. I never would have picked this one up on my own (I hated the cover and I don't generally read sports books) but this one was GREAT. 

Hidden Gem Book:

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund... I try to recommend this one to everyone. KILLER UNICORNS!

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

Going to BEA for the first time! (Check out info on BEA here) That was one of my favorite days ever!! 

Just Finished:

Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz. 

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

Generally, I tend to avoid "war" books and I'm not a huge non-fiction reader.  Other than that, I'm pretty open to anything! 

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Probably A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (835 pages). I tried to read Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1037 pages) in high school, but as I didn't finish it, that can't count. :P

Major book hangover because of:

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. I didn't want to read anything for a while after that one.  It was just too beautifully done! 

Number of Bookcases You Own:

Four. I have three "regular" short, wide bookcases and one really tall bookcase that I use as a pretty display for my absolute favorite books. 

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce.  This is my heart book. The one book I love above all others.  I reread it at least once a year. 

Preferred Place To Read:

Honestly, bed.  I read every night before I go to sleep and if I can sneak in there on the weekends or my days off to read, I often will... 

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

Oh, I have several: 

First there is an entire scene in Unearthly where Tucker tells Clara that he loves her and he just had to say it, but that he has no expectation that she say it back right then....OMG, my husband and I had that exact conversation and I just can't even... this moment in this book...the FEELS! 

Second, from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, "hand in hand with the boy who gave me the moon and the stars."  *sigh* 

Third, from For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund, "No matter where I went, I always knew my way back to you. You are my compass star." *sigh, sigh, sigh... sigh* 

Reading Regret:

I regret the number of years that I went thinking that Tamora Pierce had only written one book! My public library only had one when I was young and so, because I never thought to ask *headdesk*, I mistakenly thought that was it for her.  How wrong I was! When I finally found out my mistake, I spent the next year or so reading EVERY OTHER BOOK SHE'D EVER WRITTEN! Crazy. 

Series You Started And Need To Finish (all books are out in series):

I have two - The Pendragon series by D.J. MacHale (I've read all but book ten!) and the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead (I still need to read the last two!) 

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

I'm going to try for ones I haven't mentioned yet... The Host by Stephenie Meyer, Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause and Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder.

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Tamora Pierce. Writing goddess. 

Diana Peterfreund.  Anything she writes, I will read. No questions asked. 

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

At the moment, Infinityglass by Myra McEntire. I CANNOT wait to devour that book. 

Worst Bookish Habit:

I think mine might be my inability to be without a pile of books waiting to be read... I have this inane fear that I won't have anything to read.  I work in a library, which definitely does NOT help me with this problem... 

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Oooh. I'm not at home, so I'm going to do this virtually. I'm going to go onto my Nook page and I'll tell you the 27th book in my unread shelf...

Flightless Bird by Paulina Ulrich. 

Your latest book purchase:

Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs. 

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

I could not put down This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers once I started reading it.  I finally had to force myself to put it down with like five chapters to go when I couldn't get my eyes to focus any more. 

So, what are your reading A to Zs??

The Life is Good Award

I found out this morning that I was given an award by OCD About Books. Thank you so very much!! It's always an honor to know that people like my blog.


Here is what needs to be done:

Questions:
1.If you blog anonymously are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now?
I don't blog anonymously and I'm okay with that. I feel like sometimes if you are anonymous, it gives you too much freedom. You can publish a post without thinking it through because no one knows who you are...
2.Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side:
Hmmm...I'm not sure that my stubborn side is really inner. I tend to just be stubborn about certain things quite openly. For instance, I do not eat blue foods...I tell everyone that. I can't really think of an inner stubborn side story.
3.What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?
A book lover, a dork, a married woman, a crafty chick, a girl who loves to eat, a goofy dancer, ummm...do I have to go on?
4.What is your favourite summer cold drink?
A McDonalds Mocha Frappe with whipped cream.
5.When you take time for yourself, what do you do? I read...a lot, or if it's just me, I sometimes watch really bad television and laugh out loud.
6.Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it?
I want to become a published author.
7.When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever , the shy person, or always ditching?
Funny enough, I was the shy, overacheiving, sometimes ditching girl...
8.If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment of your life what would you see?
When my husband and I got married.
9.Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?
I tend to try to keep some distance in my blog about my personal life in respect of my husband's privacy, but will occasionally blog about my work life on top of reviewing, interviewing, etc.
10.If you had the choice to sit down and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why? I would definetly READ!! I hate talking on the phone, though I text like a champ. Reading would win hands down.

I know awards are supposed to be passed on, but honestly I don't have fifteen newly discovered blogs to give this award to so I decided just to answer the questions and hope you all don't hate me for breaking the chain!

Reading Meme Questionnaire

Reading Habits is a meme going around the blogosphere right now. One of my friend bloggers, Jen at yabooknerd just did this and our answers were similar (fun!), so I thought I would try it out, too.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack:
In the evenings or on weekends, sometimes, though I'm trying to quit that habit because it's usually some kind of candy or chips...not so good finger foods! My fave = skittles!

What is your favorite drink while reading?
Coffee.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
Absolutely not! I even hesitated to do that in college, instead buying those little pointer sticky note things to mark where on a page I was looking, but making the actual note to myself in a notebook.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
I have done all of the above in the past...sadly! I used to dog-ear the pages when I was a teen, but now I use bookmarks. I LOVE the magnetic ones that just clip onto the page so they don't fall out. If I'm just getting up for a sec, though, sometimes I'll lay the book open flat til I get right back to it!

Fiction, non-fiction, or both?
Almost always fiction, though I will stray to non-fiction on certain topics (shoes, shopping, food, etc.)

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?
Usually I try to stop at the end of a chapter or if I can't, at least at the end of a section where there is a visual break on the page. Sometimes at work, though, I just have to stop wherever, but I hate coming back and having to figure out where I left off.

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?
NO. I do shut the book and huff and have to tell my husband about things I really hate sometimes, though. (or blog about it!)

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?
No. Usually I can pick up the meaning from the context of the writing around it. If it really bothers me I will look it up later...

What are you currently reading?
The Strawberry Picker by Monika Feth, Startled by His Furry Shorts by Louise Rennison, and Groosham Grange by Anthony Horowitz.

What is the last book you bought?
For me: Silvertongue by Charlie Fletcher
For work: Replacement copy of Starlet by Randi Reisfeld

Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?
I have one I read in print at home, one I listen to on audio in the car, and one I read for work at any given time.

Do you have a favorite time/place to read?
I always carry a book with me in case of unplanned reading time, but my favorite place to read is in bed. I read for about an hour every night before I go to sleep.

Do you prefer series books or stand alones?
Either, although I love series books because there are characters I simply NEED to spend me time with. (stolen directly from Jen b/c I loved her answer!!)

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?
Maria V. Snyder, The Hunger Games, The Host, Tamora Pierce, Ender's Game, The Wednesday Wars, The House of Night series, The Morganville Vampires series, The Chicagoland Vampires series, and a lot more.

How do you organize your books? (by genre, title, author's last name, etc.)
My bookshelves at home used to be organized by size of book (i.e. mass paperback, trade paperback, hardcover), then series genres (romance, YA, mystery, sci-fi, etc.), then series author, then within the series by order, or if not part of a series the books would be alphabetized by title within author section...don't forget I'm a Librarian, so all my books were alphabetized/organized so that I could find them immediately...until the shelves began to overflow!! Now, they are stuck in wherever they will fit that would be closest to where I would put them if they could fit. Sigh.

What about you?