Inspired by a conversation Garrett and I had last night about how I totally have a “type” when it comes to books, along with a discussion on Facebook yesterday about the movie version of The Help (PS — Have you ‘Liked’ HollyWouldIfSheCould on Facebook yet? ) and then MimiSmartypants’ post this morning (Whew! That’s was a lot of inspiration!) I thought it would be fun to make a list of Books I Always Want To Read and Books I Never Want To Read. You should play along too!
Books I Always Want to Read
- Books About The South — I don’t know why but if a book makes a mere mention on it’s back cover about palmettos or balmy, low-country nights, I’m in. Even if it is some trashy romance type novel I would never normally read. I think it’s because I’ve never been there. Related:
- Books About Savannah — I totally blame that terrible, short lived Aaron Spelling TV show from the 90s for my obsession. God, tell me I am not the only person who loved that show and was totally devastated by the post-cliffhanger cancellation. WHO KILLED TRAVIS PETERSON? I will never know.
- Memoirs of Food/Eating/Cooking — I can’t pass them up, sorry! These types of books tend to either be transcendent and amazing or ridiculously awful, but I’m always up for a suggestion.
- Books By/About Celebrities — I don’t mean your Tiger Beat glossy covered Justin Beiber biography, but celebrity memoirs (OBVI) and of course celeb forays into fiction. It’s kind of a compulsion and I’m totally unashamed. I don’t even need to like the celeb, it’s the morbid curiosity that pulls me in.
- True Crime Stories/Mysteries — You know the books — the ones that could totally be a 48 Hours Mystery or a Dateline story. Yep, I’m a sucker for those.
Books I Never Want To Read
- Experimental Fiction — I read to relax, to get lost in a good story, to become informed. I don’t need innovation in style and technique – I have HGTV for that. I know this is sort of a sad admission since I think you are supposed to love this stuff if you have a degree in English but I just…I just can’t. Or at least haven’t yet.
- Zombie Books or Recreations of Classic Books Involving Zombies — I know, I know, I read vampire books and cheesy witch books, but draw the line at zombies. Why no love? Mostly because I don’t really GET zombies and why they are cooler and edgier that other creatures. Besides, no one wants to make out with a zombie, right?
- Worst Case Scenario Handbooks — Also something I just don’t find the slightest bit appealing. Not because I don’t have a desire to know what to do in an actual precarious situation, but mostly because it seems to be the manufactured “clever” way to talk about stupid things I’m not really interested in anyway.
- Books With Post-Apocalyptic Themes, Young Adult or Otherwise — Oh, I’m just soooooo hesitant to read books like this. I mean, listen people I find the real world depressing enough. I read to escape, remember? Not to escape to a reality that requires a Worst Case Scenario Handbook – No No No!!!
- Books With Dragons On The Cover — I mean, this one is pretty self explanatory I think. Not a fan of dragon-type literature.
- Books By Famous Bestselling Authors And “Some Other Unfamous Completely Unknown Author” — Why is this happening? Whenever I see this it just makes me feel like Famous Bestselling Author is just trying to churn out books factory-farm style so they can roll around in their beds made of money. It just turns me off. You became famous writing books by yourself — WHY CAN’T YOU DO IT BY YOURSELF ANYMORE? Complete sidebar: this is exactly how I feel about famous bloggers who say things like, “Oh I just don’t have time to read blogs anymore, I’m just too busy to connect with others.” Dude. DUUUUUUUDE. Don’t even get me started.
So — what books do you Always/Never pick up?
I thought the same way about zombies until I read World War Z. Seriously turned me into a post-apocalyptic zombie lover. I never get anthologies about a particular topic by multiple authors. Oh and NEVER companion guides or extra stories. Cheap trick to sell books. I try to avoid self-help books at all costs. They are usually just a pamphlet of materials decorated in extra words to make a buck. Always: “Smart” zombie, vampire books, crime books, and antics of snarky teens (Youth in Revoltish) and/or women.
OHMYGOD, I absolutely LOVED Youth In Revolt! Maybe I will try World War Z if I am feeling adventurous someday.
Sad but true: dragon literature is pretty much my favorite.
HA! Love it. It’s basically Garrett’s preferred genre as well. Also, books with sword swingers on the cover. 😉
I cannot – CANNOT- read personal memoirs. I just… ugh, I just have no interest. This has extended slightly to celeb memoirs, but they’re not as bad.
I was never into post-apololypticalwhatever stuff, but Hunger Games MAY have turned me around on that. (My stepdaughter lent it to me, it took me FOREVER to start, but then I read all three in one week.)
Books about pretty people with fabulous lives will ALL get picked up by me. Highbrow? Not even close. Do I love it anyway? YES.
Yeah Hunger Games appears to be the only sort of Post Apocalyptic type series I could maybe get into but the whole genre itself has been what has held me back. We’ll see. Maybe I’ll spend an entire month reading only post-apocalyptic books with zombies and dragons on the cover just to see what happens. No, maybe I’ll spend a year doing it — AND WRITE A BOOK ABOUT IT. ugh. I should amend my Never list to include “A Year Doing blah blah blah” type books.
Books I always want to read:
Old Cookbooks
Anything about Medieval England
Biographies of movie stars from the 30’s and 40’s
Books I will never read:
books about politics
zombie books (they freak me out, just seeing commercials about the show Walking Dead give me the creeps)
True Crime