Petty things that have put you off a book

[RosieLemonade]

I have just finished a book based in 2017. Teenagers called Tim, Paul and Sarah. It really took me out of it.
Anyone been put off a book for a petty reason?

@Arbadacarba

Oh yes, that's reminding my of a book written after, but set in, New York during September 2001 - no mention of the trivial little terror attacks or anything...

My example is a book, written by an American, set in Victorian London. The idea was a good one and the plot decent. What got to me a bit was the use of contemporary Americanisms but what made it unreadable was the constant use of italics for emphasis.

Just why? I'm quite capable of interpreting writing. I don't need a motorway sign!

"Tom Cruise playing Jack Reacher. Never read another after that"

Snap

@Shodan

I can't stand books written in the present tense. DS2 bought me a book for Christmas and not only are the characters unlikeable generally, it's also in the present tense. I'm gamely trying to read it but it grates so much.

Also- any author that has pet phrases. I think it was Jilly Cooper who had heroines who wore dresses that 'swooped to positive indecency' or some such. Another author used 'rushed in' as an alternative to 'replied' or 'said' etc. Very irritating once you've noticed it.

There are many, but two stick in my head for some reason.

The words "contenace" appears no less than 48 times in Frankenstein. I know this because when I read it I thought I was going around the twist and looked up the frequency.

If you ever read any of the Walking Dead books "supine" appears I don't know how many times. Too many would be my guess.

@Bloodypunkrockers

A Val McDermid one that had a group of friends from a normal state secondary in mid Fife. All went together to St Andrews University

So unlikely for even one of them let alone a whole group of friends.

I'm another one who can't engage with novels written in present tense

I went to a normal state secondary in Fife and me and some others from school went to St Andrews in the same year! Not that unusual.

One of last year's Booker nominated books, The Mournable Body is written in the second person, so 'you walk down the steps and you see your friend...' I loved some things about it but couldn't read that. I've no idea if that carried on for the whole book but I read the first few chapters and they were all the same. It might even have been present tense as well now I come to think. I just found it unreadable after a while.

@alloverthecarpetagain

One of last year's Booker nominated books, The Mournable Body is written in the second person, so 'you walk down the steps and you see your friend...' I loved some things about it but couldn't read that. I've no idea if that carried on for the whole book but I read the first few chapters and they were all the same. It might even have been present tense as well now I come to think. I just found it unreadable after a while.

Is it a Choose Your Own Adventure?

Anything by Lynda La Plante - I can't believe she wrote so many good TV scripts because she literally can't write dialogue!

Every character speaks in such a clunky. awkward way without any contractions - eg 'I did not do that' or 'I do not' or 'I am hungry'

The one thing that I love about kindles is the ability to report typos and inconsistencies.

Anything that uses bit of foreign language.
I want to read the book, not spend time on Google Translate, thanks.

@britnay

The one thing that I love about kindles is the ability to report typos and inconsistencies.

Really? Actually I uee a reader on an ipad but will look into that

I read a book where the main character was constantly feeding the guinea pigs. It felt like it happened about every 3 pages and was really irritating as it was so pointless.

It got to the point where I wondered if the guinea pig would turn out to be the murderer, I couldn't see any other reason for the constant mentions!

I was nearly put off a Val McDermid novel when one of the British characters asked for the check in a cafe or restaurant.

@GreenSlide

I once put down a book because it included a description of the protagonists co worker as a woman of about 17 stone, who didn't even seem to notice or mind her weight at all! Fuck me, the horror of a 17 stone woman existing and going about her business like everyone else! Couldn't enjoy it after that.

The Strike books are similarly annoying.

He's described as 6'5", and sixteen stone, and is described as a 'fat bastard' several times - even in comparison to other bulky, "built" characters.

A man that tall would NOT look especially fat at sixteen stone. Not necessarily trim, but nothing more than a slight belly.

In general, I don't like reading books where every single character is described in terms of their attractiveness. Tell me what they look like and I'll decide for myself thanks.

@Number3BigCupOfTea

Not great at km to miles but roughly yes!

@MsIreneWinters

I read a book where the main character was constantly feeding the guinea pigs. It felt like it happened about every 3 pages and was really irritating as it was so pointless.

It got to the point where I wondered if the guinea pig would turn out to be the murderer, I couldn't see any other reason for the constant mentions!

Brilliant! I know exactly what you mean about author mentionitis

Someone on here pointed out how many female characters 'pad' around the house and now I can't unsee it. Women are padding about everywhere!

Probably me!! I'm always harping on about it on these threads.
As soon as 'she pads' anywhere it's game over for me, pile of shite.

I don't like books where they don't use quote marks when the people are speaking. Like normal people.

I thought it was just me on the Americanisms. Some plot point where a very English man (“tally ho, pip pip, afternoon tea with the queen”) was giving directions to someone who spoke English as a foreign language but had learned from British missionaries. 3 blocks downtown then up to the 5th floor in the elevator. They wouldn’t have got there! And London hasn’t got blocks!

That and British police routinely carrying guns, hardly an unknown fact that they don’t, and even more so to the criminal fraternity.

@StealthPolarBear You highlight the text, and it brings up a small menu and you press the button on the right and then press "report content error". It gives you a few different options.

I don't know how much gets fed back to the author, but the anal side of me feels better afterwards :D

@guiltynetter

I don't like books where they don't use quote marks when the people are speaking. Like normal people.

It was so weird. I don’t know what Sally Rooney’s problem with them is.

@MrsDoctorDear

Someone on here pointed out how many female characters 'pad' around the house and now I can't unsee it. Women are padding about everywhere!

Probably me!! I'm always harping on about it on these threads.
As soon as 'she pads' anywhere it's game over for me, pile of shite.

My arsehole ex genuinely thought that women were supposed to move around the home on tiptoes if they were barefoot. Like it was a natural law or something, and women that, Heaven forfend, used their feet like human beings rather than cats, were unnatural, unfeminine and disgusting.

I agree with the Val MacDiarmid one about the 4 best friends from Kirkcaldy who all got into St Andrews and remained in their clique of best friends but called themselves something stupid like " the laddies fae Kirkcaldy ". Highly unrealistic.

@NeverDropYourMoonCup 😂 my (very slim) DD sounds like a baby elephant, walks on her heels.

I remember reading a book series when I was a teen where one of the characters had a pet sheep. Throughout the five part series the sheep switched from he to she and back to he again.