Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things that Will Make me Instantly Not Want to Read a Book

~ Beth (Reading Every Night)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a new topic for bloggers to choose and list their top ten. This week’s theme is Top Ten Things that Will Make me Instantly Not Want to Read a Book.

For last week’s Top Ten Tuesday post I talked about what things instantly make me add books to my to-read list, so it makes sense that this week’s topic is the opposite. You may notice a lot of these are the same, because if there is a cover design I love that makes me want to pick up a book ASAP you can believe there have been cover designs that have done the opposite and put me off books.

Top Ten Tuesday

The Cover…

…Just as a gorgeous cover can influence my decision to pick up a book, it can do the opposite if I’m not a fan of the design. Despite all the hype surrounding Nevernight in the run up to its release I didn’t like the US cover, and it was only when I saw the UK one, which I loved a lot more, that I finally added it to my to-read list.

The Genre…

…There aren’t many genres I avoid, but there are a couple I know I don’t enjoy so why bother picking up books from them if I know they’re not for me? At the moment the main two are Non-Fiction and Classics. One day though I may give them a try. I have a fair few recommendations for Classics I may enjoy, and I’m sure there’s a Non-Fiction book or two out there for me as well.

The Author…

…This isn’t a case of me reading one book and deciding this author’s work isn’t for me, this is a case of reading a whole series and coming to that conclusion. There aren’t many authors I actively avoid but I’ve learnt from experience there are books out there I won’t be able to enjoy simply because of the writing style or the way the author develops their characters.

The Controversy…

…We’re all likely aware of the controversy that surrounded Carve the Mark in the run up to its release and for a good few weeks afterwards too. It’s rare I hear about things like this because I’m not part of the Twitter community but after hearing about the way characters or disabilities or sexualities are treated in certain books I can be seriously put off.

The Tropes…

…While I don’t avoid books with love triangles in anymore there are always going to be tropes that put me off specific books, and I feel like it’s the same with most people. Even if you don’t actively avoid them there are always going to be some tropes you just hate reading in books.

The Reviews…

…No matter how amazing a blurb is if I see nothing but negative reviews on Goodreads I won’t add it to my to-read list. On one hand if I did give it a go it could turn out to be a book I really loved, but after reading five or so reviews that all highlight the same flaws I just feel it’s not the book for me.

The Wait Between Releases…

…This isn’t a case of me being petty over waiting two years for a book to be released. I understand how hard the writing process must be, coming up with something you’re happy with being published. This is a case of me giving up after a nearly twenty year wait; not an over exaggeration, there is a book I am still waiting for that was supposed to have been released in 1999!

The Length of the Series…

…Again this isn’t a case of me being petty. This is a case of where a series could have ended perfectly a few books back but the author keeps releasing new ones; adding new characters I don’t care as much about and new plot twists that just seem to get more and more ridiculous. There’s no resolution in sight and you wonder how long you can keep reading these books.

The Mood I’m In…

…At the moment I’m in a bit of a contemporary slump, after reading two of Adam Silvera’s books back to back I went on a fantasy binge and haven’t really slowed down. I’m a mood reader so what I feel like is a huge factor in what I end up reading, and it’s why I rarely stick to my monthly TBR lists.

The Triggers…

…Everyone has something they are uncomfortable reading, I’m no different, and it’s why I’m always appreciative of reviews and/or blurbs that put a warning in for triggers like rape or suicide. Unfortunately you don’t find these in the blurb as much, likely for spoiler reasons in some cases, and if you’re unaware of a trigger in a book it can be an emotional minefield reading it.

So what do you think? Did you take part in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, if so let me know what things will make you instantly not want to read a book.

66 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things that Will Make me Instantly Not Want to Read a Book”

  2. Lovely list, Beth! Covers can definitely go both ways!! If they look good, I’ll add it to my TBR, otherwise, I’m sorry, but I will most likely not add it to my TBR and/or remember it ahah. And reviews definitely have an impact as well, especially after I started blogging! Before, I wasn’t very interested in reviews but now, if a book has been getting only/mostly negative reviews, especially from people I trust, then a nope from me! And controversy, oh my gosh. I’ve also read about The Black Witch, I don’t know if you’ve heard of it and agh. So many issues with that one, I am not planning on ever reading it. And I’m still on the fence about Carve the Mark ahah. Controversy can definitely play a large part in book turn-offs! Also, 20 years??! That’s insane, oh my gosh.

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    1. Thanks so much Analee, and yeah that’s what I think about covers too. They’re the first thing we see when it comes to books so they can have a huge impact on what we end up picking up. Same here, there have been more than a few reviews that have caused me to add a book to my to-read list but at the same time negative reviews have caused me to remove books from my list as well. It works both way, like a lot of the reasons on this list do.
      I’ve heard a lot of the controversy around The Black Witch yes, to be honest it wasn’t really a book I was planning to pick up but after reading all about it I’m definitely not going to pick it up. It’s become the same with Carve the Mark as well.
      Yeah a long time, it’s got to the place now where I’m not going to interested in it if it’s ever released. 🙂

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      1. Oh yes, definitely! Anyone who claims they do not base any judgements by the cover will be getting some serious ‘are you sure about that?’ looks from me haha.
        Yes, it makes me so sad to hear that books like these even get published. So hurtful! Including topics like racism, etc. in order to challenge those problematic ideals (THUG) is one thing, and misrepresentation and being offensive/hurtful to many people is another. The former is what I’d hoped The Black Witch and Carve the Mark would do!
        Aha yeah, that’s an insanely long wait time?! 😂

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      2. It’s an automatic thing isn’t it? Even if you try not to judge books on their cover you always see the cover at some point and you always form opinions based on it.
        Same here, especially when there are probably loads of other books that aren’t hurtful still waiting to be published that people would love even more.
        Yeah you can imagine how you’d lose interest after that long. A year or two is one thing but after ten you just gotta give up! 🙂

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  3. Oh, the part about controversies was quite interesting. I’ve heard about the one surrounding Carve the Mark as well (I haven’t about the book since. As if someone killed the book from existence). Honestly, there are some controversies (or… maybe all) that really just greatly pique my interest instead of keeping me away from them. I guess I just like to know exactly what’s up, through my own experience, to be able to tell if what’s circulating about a book is true or nah. 😀 Great post by the way! 😛

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    1. It’s something that didn’t really occur to me as something that would turn me off books, but it did with Carve the Mark. It was all I heard about for a while but you’re right it has kind of died down since.
      I get what you mean about wanting to judge for yourself, I guess it can go both ways sometimes, depending on the book and the controversy that surrounds it.
      Thanks so much Lashaan! 🙂

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  5. IF IT HAS AN UGLY COVER, I WILL PUT IT BACK. XD Aesthetics are everything, frens. And haha, yes! The controversy surrounding it will DEFINITELY affect my decision to read that book. And aaghhh, if the series is like reallyyyyyy long, I’m just like TOOOOO MUUUUUCH TIIIIIIIIIIME. XD

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    1. Yep, the cover is the first thing we see so it needs to be pretty and eye catching in my opinion! 😀
      People seem to be becoming more aware of things like this, kind of great to see in a way isn’t it?
      Oh I am definitely the same, if a series is long it needs to have some series hype to get my interested! 😀 ❤

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  6. Such a good list, Beth! I agree with everything on this. I really don’t go for non-fiction or classic books either, for some reason they are not my thing and I have so many other books to read, I don’t think I’ll bother reading these kind of books :/ Fortunately there are other people out there to give all the love to these kind of books 🙂
    What I read depends a lot on the mood I’m in just as well, though I try to vary the genres in order not to get into contemporary or fantasy slumps 🙂

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    1. Thanks so much Marie, and yeah I think I got enough of classics and non-fiction books when I was in school. One day I may change my mind on those genres but at the same time I don’t think it’s that likely. Oh yes, for every person that doesn’t like a particular genre there are more than a few out there who love it! 😀
      I try and do that as well. I was in a bit of contemporary funk recently but I seem to have come out of that now which is kind of nice. 🙂

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  7. This is a great list, Beth! I especially relate to being turned off by negative reviews. I know I should give each book a fair chance, but I can’t help it. If I see too many negative reviews, I probably won’t read it. I think that’s probably because there are so many books out there and I don’t want to risk buying one that’s going to be a complete let-down.

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    1. Thanks so much. I think a few negative reviews here and there are fine, not everyone is going to love the same books are they, but its when you see more negative reviews than positive. I think at that point you just think that maybe this isn’t a great book. Oh I completely agree, books are so expensive you need to make sure you’re spending your money wisely. 🙂

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  9. Just like last week I pretty much agree with your whole list!
    A cover can definitely put me off of a book and funny enough it was the same for me with Nevernight. I saw all the raving and was intrigued but it wasn’t until I saw the UK cover and how gorgeous it was that I decided to add it to my TBR. Which I still haven’t read it. I tried during my fantasy slump last year and that didn’t work out at all. Controversy, tropes, and reviews are big ones for me too. If I see too many bad things about a book it can completely put me off of it. It’s really a case of us knowing what we like to read and if people are highlighting negative things we know we don’t like then it’s definitely going to make us avoid a book. And the one book you’ve been waiting for since 1999 – it’s that one we talked about before, right? The one by L.J. Smith? The length of a series is another big one for me too. There’s one I read back before I was in middle school that is still ongoing that I dropped because of too many books. Sometimes a series just needs to end. Also, I completely agree about triggers. I really like when people include trigger warnings in their reviews and I wish I caught less obvious stuff like that because I’ve wanted to do the same.
    Great picks for this week, Beth!! 😊♥

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    1. We do seem to have a lot of similar tastes when it comes to what we like to see in books don’t we?
      Exactly, and it’s a shame almost because you probably have some really amazing books out there with not so great covers that I’ve probably past by without thinking about them. In the case of Nevernight I loved that book, and if they’d have kept the US cover I may not have picked it up so I’d have been missing a great book. Here’s hoping you manage to get around to it soon! 🙂
      I think since I started book blogging I’ve become more aware of controversy and reviews than I may have been before, and it’s definitely caused me to strike a few books off my to-read list. Ha, yeah it’s only the one book I’ve been waiting nearly twenty years for. I have literally given up hope now though. Exactly, if not it gets to the stage where you don’t care about the characters anymore, or so many new ones have been added you just can’t keep up with the names of them all. It’s definitely important to include trigger warnings, being caught unaware with something that can trigger you in a book is a horrible horrible feeling.
      Thanks so much Melissa! 😀 ❤

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      1. Definitely! 😁
        Same, there has to be books that I’ve overlooked just because of the covers too. I remember when I was younger all the librarians would tell us to not judge a book by it’s cover but it’s just not possible. You see the cover before you read the synopsis, the cover draws you in. And then the synopsis seals the deal! Have they released the UK cover for the sequel yet? I’ve seen the US cover but not a UK one. And I’m going to try my hardest to get to Nevernight this year! It’s just a matter of not running into another fantasy slump at this point lol.
        I’ve definitely become more aware of controversy and reviews too since I started book blogging. There’s a lot I never noticed even while reading books. It’s had a big effect on what I read. Which I think is a good thing.
        Twenty years is so long to wait for a book! I wonder what happened. The longest wait I’ve had for a book so far is nearing four years and I’ve already started giving up hope that there will ever be a sequel for it.
        I completely agree. I so want to start implementing trigger warnings into my reviews when needed.
        You’re welcome, Beth!! 😁♥

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      2. It’s hard not to judge covers. I guess I kind of associate what a book is about with a cover, so if the cover doesn’t catch my eye then I don’t think the story will catch my attention either. And life is too short to read books you don’t like. 🙂 I haven’t even seen the US cover, from my experience the UK cover is always released after the US one, hopefully now the US one has been revealed the UK one won’t be far behind. Ohh, I’ll be interested to see what you think of it Melissa.
        Same here, I was talking to my friend yesterday about Carve the Mark and mentioned the controversy, until I brought it up she had no clue about it which just goes to show how much blogging can have such effects on what we read.
        God knows, either way I’ve long since lost interested. If it’s ever released obviously I’ll read it but I’m not really holding out hope it’s ever going to be at this point.
        Same here, I try to when it’s something really triggering either way.

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      3. Same here. There are so many covers that just fit the book and perfectly showcase what it’s about while also being gorgeous so it’s something I’ve come to look for whenever it comes to finding books to read or shopping for books. Yep! Life is too short and there are too many books to read so it’s better to read ones you love. Which is why I’ve stopped hesitating when it comes to DNFing a book lol.
        The US one isn’t so bad this time around from what I’ve seen. It’s in the same style as the first one but has a bit more detail. But still I think the UK one will blow it out of the water once it’s released given the cover for Nevernight. I checked GR and it hasn’t been released yet but hopefully soon! 😊
        It really does! And speaking of Carve the Mark even though I blog I actually didn’t know about it until Reg told me about it. Downside to not paying a lot of attention to twitter beyond authors and publishers, I guess.

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      4. Exactly, most times you can just look at a cover and have a good idea of what the story will be about and whether it will interest you or not. Important given when you’re in a bookshop you don’t have the time to read every single blurb.
        Oh I still haven’t DNF-ed any books but I don’t continue with series I’m not enjoying.
        That’s good to hear, I still actually need to check it out so I’ll have to do that shorty. Hopefully the UK one will be released soon then, within the next few weeks possibly.
        Well yeah, I only spotted it because I think it was on GR, I can’t remember actually but it seems kind of hit and miss whether people are aware of the controversy or not.

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      5. Yep! Especially when you’re with someone who doesn’t want to browse in a bookstore for a long time too. I always seem to go with someone who wants to leave after about 10-20 minutes lol.
        I think I’ve only DNFed one since I started blogging and then one beforehand. It’s pretty rare for me but I think that’s a sign that we’re good at judging if we’ll like a book or not. 😊
        I think the one time I checked GR for it was before all the controversy talk and saw nothing but good reviews. Sucks considering I did love Divergent.

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      6. Oh I’ve spent hours in bookshops, well, longest was probably just over and hour but you know what I mean. I can never be rushed when I’m in Waterstones. 🙂
        Well yeah a lot of my books are given quite high star ratings but it’s because I genuinely enjoyed them.
        There are still some good reviews, I dunno whenever I think about it I just think of the controversy now and not the good things the book could have. 🙂

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      7. I have too! Once I was stuck in a bookstore for three hours because my mom dropped me off on her way to do something else. Best three hours! My bank was sad by the time I left though. 🤦
        Same, I can’t either. And I don’t think I could even bring myself to read it because all I would be thinking about is the controversy.

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      3. RG is well written, but it talks about a family ‘secret.’ That secret is a repeated, terrible violation of young girls, with some physiological abuse thrown in.
        Not for me at all!

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  12. I completely agree about Nevernight. That cover for the US is absolutely hideous. I love the UK one though. I’ve been debating on adding it to my TBR but I can’t decide yet. I also agree with the author. I’ve tried and tried again to read a book by VE Schwab and I can’t do it. I can never get too far into her books because I get so bored. It’s come to the point where I just get turned off when seeing books by her at the bookstore.

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    1. Yes cover designs are so important for that reason aren’t they? I know we shouldn’t judge books by their covers but they’re the first thing we see so it’s hard not to. Well I hope if you do add Nevernight to you to-read list that you enjoy it.
      Also that’s a shame about V.E. Schwab’s books, she’s a favourite author of mine, but yeah if you know you’re not going to like them what’s the point. There are other books out there you’re bound to love more! 😀

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  14. I definitely agree with you on covers, authors, reviews and genres playing into whether or not a book is going to interest me or not! I am usually also less likely to pick up a book if it’s part of a long series that is already entirely published – I have serious commitment issues. xD

    People who are able to stick to their TBRs are pretty awesome! I can’t even stick to a TBR that is literally just ‘Re-read ACOTAR and ACOMAF in time for the newest release.’. It’s a week until the release and I’m only about a hundred pages into ACOTAR. I was binge watching shows on Netflix rather than reading this month! XD

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    1. They’re so important. Covers are the first thing we see when looking for books so they need to be eye grabbing. I guess we just know what we like when it comes to authors and genres, and reviews have been influencing me a lot more since I started blogging.
      Well if you know you’re not going to be able to finish it why start a series that’s too long? 🙂
      I was supposed to re-read ACOTAR and ACOMAF before the new release and I haven’t managed to either. You’re definitely not alone when it comes to not sticking to TBR lists! 😀

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  15. You make some really good points. I’m only half joking when I say I’m a “serial nonfinisher”. THere’s a handful of authors who I will stick with, but for the most part, I’m just not interested in reading anything beyond a trilogy, and often not even interested in that.

    And yes, on the genre. It takes a REALLY interesting looking book to even faintly make me want to read something in nonfiction. The latest one I read was Tomorrowland, which was about science fact turning into science fiction.

    Our TTT

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    1. Thanks, I’m glad there were items on this list you could relate to, and yeah if you know you’re not going to finish a series then what’s the point of starting it. Waste of your time and money in the end.
      I’m not sure what it would take for me to read a nonfiction book, because there’s never been on I’ve wanted to read. Who knows there may be one out there just gotta find it! 🙂
      Thanks for the link, I’ll be sure to check out your TTT post. 😀

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  16. Most ppl’s lists I didn’t agree with, but I agreed with 80% of your list. Which is pretty good! I don’t go by GR reviews anymore bc I feel if you haven’t read the book, you shouldn’t review it. You can totally comment and whatever, but Stars and reviews are for readers, not heresay. (Ppl don’t agree with me on it, but it’s cool)

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    1. Oh that is good to hear. 😀 I was going to say, and I may be completely misreading your comment here so let me know if I am, but don’t most people only review books on GR when they have read them. Or do you mean when people just add star ratings before the release because they think they’re going to love/hate the book? That annoys me as well, you can’t rate a book you haven’t read, no matter how good you think it may be!

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      1. Oh, no, I mean people are reviewing books THEY HAVEN’T READ. The “problematic” books, while they may indeed be problematic, are being rated and reviewed as if the person read it, but instead of a review, they post the reasons why the book should be avoided and then a link to someone else’s review. I get that you want to affect a book that makes you upset, but imo if you haven’t read it, you can’t review it. You can comment all you want, but the Stars and the actual reviews are for people who have read the book. So that’s what I meant. And it’s happening a lot more now.

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      2. Ahh yes that is what I thought but best to double check. And yeah I know what you mean because that can annoy me as well. There are some controversial books I won’t read, simply because I no longer think they’re for me, but I’d never rate them without having read them. I haven’t actually seen much of that happening but I’ve seen people talking about some controversial books recently so I can imagine the ones you mean that you’ve seen it on.

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    1. Oh exactly. Given that a cover is normally the first thing we see, and what makes us decide to pick up a book and check out the blurb, it’s even more important to have an eye catching one. The phrase “never judge a book by it’s cover” doesn’t really apply in this case. 🙂
      Thanks so much.

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  18. I’m curious which book you’ve been waiting for for so long?! I’d definitely have given up but there’s always that little bit of hope that it will come out and be brilliant haha. My mum would definitely relate to the length of the series and it juts going off in tangents, she felt like A Song of Ice and Fire kind of went that way. Really enjoyed the first novels, except a couple of characters, but then the writing just seemed less interesting.

    I’m not sure that there’s anything that would put me off a book, personally. Usually I’ll try just about anything but then I may DNF it half way through if it’s not what I’m into.

    Actually, there was one I received from Netgalley which sounded like an amazing fantasy-adventure but ended up having multiple graphic assaults against women and young boys that just made me sick. They didn’t contribute to the plot. It was violence for the sake of violence. That definitely is a no-go for me.

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    1. It’s called Strange Fate by L.J. Smith. It was supposed to be released in 1999 and nearly twenty years later still hasn’t been. Honestly I think I’ve pretty much given up on it too by this point. Oh that’s a shame about your mum and A Song of Ice and Fire, then again I know how she feels given I still haven’t motivated myself to start the fifth book yet!
      Well it’s great there’s nothing that really puts you off books, guess you’ve got the whole world to pick from when it comes to choosing your next read. Oh that sounds like a dodgy book, and I feel someone else mentioned it in a previous comment. What was it called if you don’t mind me asking? That would definitely be a no-go for me as well. 🙂

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      1. It was called ‘The Bastard’s Grimoire’ by Joseph Hirsch. I was expecting sex-scenes, and a bit of violence given the themes are all about evil and Satan and ruining towns but there was just so much of it that I couldn’t even see the story line for the trees!

        It was very difficult to read, I only got through the first few pages and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, unfortunately.

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      2. I haven’t heard of that book before, and after what you’ve said it’s not likely I’ll be picking it up myself either. It’s a shame it wasn’t what you thought it was, but I suppose at least you gave it a try. That’s something. 🙂

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  19. I never thought of the trigger one, I never thought about adding that as a warning but I do see why it’s important now that you mention it. I definitely agree with needing a good cover and tropes! Nice post 🙂

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    1. Oh I think triggers is the most important one of this list, and it can be a main one for some people. I have things I don’t like to read about so I do appreciate it when people put a warning in their reviews. Coming across something like that out of the blue can hurt people sometimes.
      A good cover is definitely important, and making the tropes they use unique kind of ensures we’re not just reading the same book over and over again.
      Thanks so much Melissa. 🙂

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    1. I think for me when it comes to the genres I don’t enjoy reading no amount of good reviews can change my mind. It’s almost like I know I won’t enjoy the book so why put myself through reading it?
      It’s great you’re more open about what you read though. Have you found books from other genres you wouldn’t normally pick up that you ended up really enjoying then?

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      1. Yes, I have! I read some non-fiction last year, which I didn’t think I’d like, but I actually loved! I’ve wanted to read more lately, but I’m failing at that aspect. 😂

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