Do you ever read the blurb for a book and then decide that’s not for me? Even if you love the author? Or if you’ve heard good things about the author? I do, all the time. Even though, many, many times if I eventually read the book I may love it. Here are some topics I generally avoid (even though there are exceptions to all of them).
1. Widowed people with kids. I know this one sounds strange, but rarely do I find children endearing in books. They can be, absolutely (Mary Connealy’s Petticoat Ranch) but not all authors write them well, and so I’m not terribly fond of romance novels that have children in them. I will usually pass on the novel unless I hear good things about it.
2. Older couples. This is kind of sad to admit, but I think since I’m in my 20s I have a hard time relating to couples in their 40s and above. When I think of an exception, I think of Gayle Roper’s Autumn Dreams. That said, I was not excited to read this book initially.
3. People with secrets. I hate when deception is used as a trope. Rarely, and I do mean rarely do I like books when the main character is hiding something, with the exception of Tamera Alexander’s Beyond This Moment.
4. Animals. Dogs should not have leading roles in books. That is all.
5. Love triangles. Why? How many people in this world actually have two wonderful men fall in love with them at the same time?
6. Silliness. You know, the couple playing games, or someone who is supposed to be on the run for their life but they have a pig and a kid and some other craziness coming with them. No….just no. If it’s obvious from the blurb that things are going to get silly I walk away. Silliness is different than humor. I love humor. And to be honest I don’t like serious realistic fiction, but silliness makes me feel like the author thinks I’m stupid.
7. Amish. Yes, I read the occasional Amish novel, and there are some good ones! But people, I just can’t get with it. Most authors, when they write about the Amish, all I can think is how strange the Amish are for allowing a group of people with interesting rules decide what they can and can not do.
8. Adultery. Particularly if the main character is committing adultery. I have to be able to trust my main character, and adultery just kills that trust.
So, here’s my list (I’m sure it’s not complete) of books I pass over when I see what they’re about. Even though there are tons of exceptions to these rules. What topics make you pass over books?
remaininhislove 
I love your list. You’ve clearly explained your reasons for everything on it. I agree with you about many. I feel the same way about most Amish fiction, to the extent that if the girl on the cover is wearing a bonnet, I’ll tend to dodge it. One other type I avoid is the novel in which a main character slowly succumbs to a devastating illness and dies in the end, or alternately, the widow who has frequent flashbacks of life with her husband, who she lost in a freak accident or illness. If I think they show signs of being morbidly sad from the blurb, I’ll pass.
Yes! I don’t want to read to cry (well I did when I was a teenager, but that should be telling lol)!
Yep totally agree with number one all the way! I feel the exact same way! However number 5…UGH! I REALLY agree with you and dislike love triangles now (I feel I use to love them when I was younger) and stray away from the book almost immediately. Sometimes I’ll step out and take a chance, but it is VERY rare now! Number 7 and 8 I also agree with.
Recently I have noticed that if the back cover sounds sad or that anyone is about to die I don’t want to read it. I read for pleasure and have no desire to cry in my books because my main person gets killed. Just not cool plain and simple! Haha!
Exactly, there are enough sad things in this world that I don’t want to spend my free time reading about made up sad stories!