Are there key words on the jacket that puts you OFF a book?

[sweetnessandlite]

Me?

As soon as I read the words 'Cornwall' or 'Painter' or 'tea shop' or 'young mother'
I immediately Put The Book Back.

Why do a lot of female authors set their story in Cornwall? It's so boring and predictable.

Disgruntled,
The female 'get togethers' have to be the Worst.

'
*Four friends get together at a wedding, united by a family secret''

Excuse me while I slip off into a Coma.

Scrawly illustrations of a ditzy-looking skinny woman in pink, carrying oversized handbag, glass of white wine with an "Oh my liiiiiife" expression on her face.

Hilarity is guaranteed not to ensue.

Bertie, so it's basically told you the WHOLE story! :)

Anything that compares the book to Da Vinci Code in the blurb gets thrown back. If the picture on the front features a tough but beautiful looking young woman in a leather corset, possibly stood next to a hot young man who has forgotten to put his shirt on - I avoid those like the Plague.

Also:
Dystopia
Zombie
Elf

Do you think that Fiction has lost it's way?
Or has it always been like this? Having to wait through a pile of Crap before finding a couple of Gems. [

siterofmercy,

Zombies work well in films (or tv series) Not so much in books.

Except Romero's Night of the Living Dead. Now he got it right.

I suppose female get together books are the literary equivalent of male get together films (like The Hangover). There's usually a wacky older relative who might say something a bit outrageous every now and then.

I'm glad you mentioned "family secrets" - it's invariably something horribly upsetting about incest and/or child abuse that I'd far rather not have bothered to read 289 pages to get to. Somehow it's never a secret like "your great great cousin Eugenia discovered the theory of relativity first and Einstein did her in to claim the credit."

The one word that switches me off, though, is "wistful". Wistful! FFS, do I have to sit in a bow window reading in while wearing an artful headscarf whilst mournfully contemplating the past?

The second I come across an elf in a book I put the book down and back away slowly.

Dystopia, zombie and elf are definite draws for me!

A laugh out loud comedy. I have never laughed out loud at a book.
Dan Brown.
Choc lit-dunno what it is, but I know I won't like it.

heartwarming

The only Laugh Out Loud book I've read was a Ben Elton one. I think it was a pisstake on Big Brother it WAS funny

Yuck to female get-togethers, and sibling conflict.

I rather like the odd zombie, and dystopian and post-apocalyptic are definite draws for me.

The second I come across an elf in a book I put the book down and back away slowly.

Where are these Elf books?
I'm missing out!

Anything "gritty" or "harrowing", no thanks.

Or if is recommended for some book club, especially the "Richard and Judy book club".

It might as well state: "do not buy!"

Remus, have you read The Road? (a bit gloomy) but very 'post-apocalyptic'!

BravePotato,
I've yet to find a 'Richard & Judy Recommended' book that I liked!

(not that I don't like Richard & Judy - Just don't like their book recommendations)

I hate books where the plot centers around an affair.

"Helen thought she loved her husband, until dashing Paul comes along..."

Just, no.

Or if they're on holiday and they have an affair - usually with Paleo, the local Greek Goddess - in the Olive Grove.
Pass me the Sick Bucket Please.

Yep, have read, 'The Road.' Not a patch on, 'The Stand' though, and the ending annoyed me. :)

Come to think of it - I think that was my last painstaking tried to read it but failed miserably attempt.
I'm sure there was an Olive Grove mentioned and a middleaged cougar that was after her daughter's boyfriend no less.

Waste of £3.50 if ever there was one.

The Stand was amazing. This was written when he was at his best.

I liked The Road, but your're right, the end was rubbish.

''spans three generations''

Hello! I have a life, I don't have time to read and try to keep up with some Saga that spans three generations. :)