Things in books that instantly made you put it down

[IronTeeth]

I was reading a book, and it was OK (not brilliant, but had some interesting maybe potential.... and then this (image)

Ooh, you smell fresh, innocent like a good egg... not like a nasty spoiled one...

(The first in the Half-Moon Hollow series is “wry, delicious fun” (Susan Andersen, New York Times bestselling author) as it follows a librarian...)

@dayswithaY
I feel similarly. I used to read at least 100 fiction books a year ten years ago. Last 2 years really struggle to finish anything.

I can’t hear any description along the lines of, ‘she was all creamy skin and rosy cheeks’ - it’s the word all that I can’t stand. It makes me cringe.

The books where the main character has had something major and / or traumatic happen to her (usually is a her!) in the past. The book keeps hinting at it but never reveals what it is until later.

Then once the full plot is revealed, it all hangs on this 'past' incident. With unbelievable coincidences everywhere.

If its too flowery in words or construction.
I like an easy read. No challenging thought processes working out what's being said - just want to absorb a good story to relax.
Overly descriptive sex scenes put me off too, since they're so samey and bleurgh.

I have written a novel and I often wonder if it lacks description too much. When I was younger, reading the likes of Enid Blyton you had to use your own imagination as to what someone looked like, or what the river looked like. Now it is described to the nth degree and I, personally, hate it!

I've scanned all pp to see if anyone mentions it- they don't

@stillcrazyafterall

I have written a novel and I often wonder if it lacks description too much. When I was younger, reading the likes of Enid Blyton you had to use your own imagination as to what someone looked like, or what the river looked like. Now it is described to the nth degree and I, personally, hate it!

I've scanned all pp to see if anyone mentions it- they don't

I agree with you. I like descriptions of characters or details of human foibles but not at all keen on long, meandering, streams-of-consciousness descriptions of places and abstract things. Classic example being Virginia Wolf but also some modern authors like to dip into the purple prose too.

@stillcrazyafterall

I have written a novel and I often wonder if it lacks description too much. When I was younger, reading the likes of Enid Blyton you had to use your own imagination as to what someone looked like, or what the river looked like. Now it is described to the nth degree and I, personally, hate it!

I've scanned all pp to see if anyone mentions it- they don't

I love Jane Austen and there's little in the way of over-description in her novels.

You have to provoke the reader's imagination not prop it up!

Just recently, books where our protagonist's children speak to them like shit and they do nothing about it. I think its supposed to make them relatable or something but just ends up sounding like our heroine's a total bloody sap.

I skim read drawn out descriptions.
They bore the f*ck out of me

Filth by Irvine Welsh.

I was in my late teens.

The book described him having anal sex with a prostitute and there being flecks of s**t on his condom.

I couldn't go any further.

Notradespeople yes I agree about the past traumatic event that is drip feed all the way through until the big reveal at the end which is the reason why the main character behaves the way they do.

Eleanor Oliphant is an example of this same as "Something to Live For" and the wet lettuce who is the lead character in that. It's so irritating but it's meant to draw you in.

The only thing that have been keeping my attention reading wise is Phillipa Gregory. Historical drama at its best.

I also skim read long, flowery descriptions. It’s ok if they are describing something interesting, like Gormenghast Castle or the house in Piranisi, but rivers, etc, are very boring.

I can’t read or watch anything where a woman is captured. Literally cannot bear it

@MsTSwift

I can’t read or watch anything where a woman is captured. Literally cannot bear it

Yes. My OH bought me the 'Room' book once.

I didn't even bother reading it, grim.

@Whatup

The only thing that have been keeping my attention reading wise is Phillipa Gregory. Historical drama at its best.

Sorry, but no. There's no way her schlocky books are historical drama at its best. She takes the worst rumours about historical figures (like Anne Boleyn shagging her brother or Elizabeth Woodville being a witch) and runs with them. If it was just for a bit of dramatic license, it would be ok but she absolutely believes the shite she's churning out (I've seen her interviewed). Her 'Cousin's War' series was crap writing too.

@Myfanwyprice

I did finish it, but Ruth Jones Us Three, one of the characters is 18, her mum died when she was 4, it was just her and her dad for 3 years, till he met his new wife and they had a baby soon after, now she shares a room with her 15 year old sister! How! 4+3+15 = 22 not 18!

I had to put it down snd rant about how both Ruth and her editors missed such a glaring mistake!

Different sister. Weren't there a lot of siblings.

@vampirethriller

Anything set in London where it quickly becomes obvious the author went to Leicester Square once in the 90s for a school trip, and did the rest of their research by watching Hugh Grant films.

Anything set in Britain where it quickly becomes obvious the author considers themself to be Irish/Scottish/English because their five-times-great-grandmama came from The Auld Country and did their research by watching Brigadoon/Braveheart/The Tudors/Bridget Jones etc. Especially when the British characters say sidewalk or parking lot - ffs find an editor who understands the difference between American and British English.

@SOLINVICTUS

I recently panned a Robert Goddard book (Past Caring, and trust me, it was a well chosen title) for the most appalling sex scene in literature. And the bar, as we know, is set very low. It was sooooo bad. I'd already struggled through hundreds of pages of utter boredom tbf, but I just returned it to Kindle after the bad sex.

There's a pretty decent psycho-neighbour-best friend crime writer called Lucy Clarke. She is obsessed with the word "salt". All the books are set by the sea, everyone ends up in the sea (often very dead) everyone gets covered in salt, licks salt off each other, breathes the salty air, has the salty wind whipping round them. It's like she gets a fiver for each time she shoehorns the word in.

Oh I like Robert Goddard generally! I think I do remember that scene, though.

As soon as a character 'waggles' their eyebrows, I'm out, as it's a clear indication of the general standard to come. Also if the grammar and spelling is poor. It makes me think that if the writer can't be arsed to have it proofread, then I can't be arsed to read it. Also abandoned a couple of books recently which began by describing a dog having a shit. Not the best way to hook a reader.

@ThatLibraryMiss I think I've seen it mentioned on a similar thread that some editors prefer the use of words like sidewalk in order to not 'alienate' American audiences. Seems odd to me - I find it interesting to find out about different cultures etc.

I have totally given up reading fiction by men. I realise this will eliminate some really good stuff but there's enough good stuff by women that I don't care.

It really cuts down on the appalling descriptions of women and their tits and wiles but, unfortunately, not completely. The constant pander to the male gaze is soooo tiresome.

You end up knowing in excruciating detail what every woman looks like and is wearing (and can usually judge her fate accordingly) but nothing more than 'an average man with a face and some limbs' to describe the men.

I much prefer really scant descriptions - an image of a character pops into my head then the intense descriptions jarringly take me out of the plot. I'll be imagining the character as a Halle Berry type then they'll start on about her emerald (luminescent/iridescent) eyes and short cherubic blonde hair and i'll think, hold up, who the fuck is this

Clunkily described racial features are too!

Their book, their characters of course and if it's important to them you know the character is white, skinny, blonde with an impossibly small waist who looks 45 years younger than her ages, then ok. But I won't be reading any more of your stuff.

Two recent books I read gave me the rage.

One I don't even remember the name of. It involved telephatic dogs that allowed a non-verbal boy with autism (who is, naturally, very gifted with computers) to talk.
The other is called Interference, by Brad someone. Something about his research is making the husband sick. The book just goes downhill from there. A sexual harassment case that was faked, a BAME woman doing everything wrong under the sun... thing is, I really thought this was going to be a 5 star book, it was elected the best mystery of 2020 by Goodreads, but it was so shit!

Wow, people actually read trash if that appeals.

There was one years ago that Richard and Judy promoted through their book club. It was okay but towards the end one of the characters got kidnapped and put in a man's basement tied up. It said he went to examine her with a "gynaecological mirror" I was only a young gal at the time and it made me feel so disgusted and creeped out I instantly threw it in the bin. I couldn't believe R&J could promote something so grim and never bought another R&JBC book! I never read modern fiction now, it too often resorts to shock value.