I’m sure this isn’t a popular opinion, but I don’t like books with religious over- or undertones, especially in romance novels. If I wanted to read about religious people, I’d pick up something like a Dan Brown book.
I don't have a specific things, but I do know that life is too short and my To Be Read piles are too large to waste my time on a book that I am not enjoying on some level. If I feel like I'm forcing my way through, I need to move on.... and I try to ensure my high school students know that choice reading includes the choice to DNF
During the pandemic I found it a struggle to just read anything. I have to agree with you. I need more joy in my reading. I also need my HEA. I needed to know that after the pain and suffering, that joy and happiness will win out. Spoilers are ok.
This sounds an awful lot like The Unbearable Lightness of Being - which I had to read in college and I just couldn't. There was no joy. The title even tells you that there's no joy. It's a novel about there being no joy. Sad, dark, whatever, but let there be some hope.
And I love spoilers. I crave them. I need the hook. Unless I don't. If I'm already hooked, I avoid spoilers like the plague. Don't tell me what happens in the next Marvel movie. I'll see it when I see it and I want ZERO spoilers between now and then.
Regarding spoilers: Eek, definitely not for me! I also rarely re-read a book. It’s all about the discovery for me. I like seeing how things play out.
The Martian is an exception. Very early on, I turned to my husband (who had already read it) and said: Don’t tell me anything else, but does he survive? Yes or no. He gave me a one word response. I enjoyed the book immensely, otherwise spoiler free.
There have also been a handful of novels which I had started and quit early on, where people recommending them told me to try again and read up to a certain point, because by then I’d be hooked. I suppose those are potentially considered spoilers.
And there are the rare books when you know the ending from the beginning and the meat of the book is finding out how you get there. I’m blanking on a good example of that now, though, but they can be very fun.
I appreciate your use of the word “joyless” as opposed to “sad.” Some of my favorite books have very sad parts, but there is uplift too. One good example is Lily and the Octopus. It's literally about the death of a lonely man's dog, but there’s so much joy, too.
I’m mentally reviewing books I have not found pleasure in reading, and I think they all share a lack of joy rather than a presence of sadness. This is really changing how I think about my reading preferences.
Another factor for me is having a purpose to the sadness. Books I have not enjoyed reading are easily divided into those I could appreciate intellectually and those that felt like a waste of my energy. Joyless books I can appreciate caused me to reflect on the real world or how I think about it. I can read a couple of these a year. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. I recall finishing a very popular women’s fiction novel and thinking “What am I supposed to take from this?” There was no reason for putting my psyche through the layers of misery, betrayal, and remorse.
I agree 100%. I also don't enjoy books that preach at me. That seems to be happening more and more these days. I read to meet great characters, to learn about them and think about their lives and (most of all) to be entertained.
For me it’s frustrating people—selfish, boundary-pushing, racist/sexist/homophobic, entitled, or just cruel. So many romances are set up with the grumpy object of attraction, and I can live with grumpy, especially when the author gives us that character’s POV, but I have a hard time rooting for a relationship with an a-hole. I also struggle with protagonists who allow friends or family members to regularly take advantage of them—the boundary issue. These traits are usually obvious within the first couple chapters and there are too many good books out there for me to push through that much frustration.
I love spoilers, it frustrates my partner and kids to no end but I find I can relax and actually enjoy the story/TV Show/Film more if I know what is going to happen. I have slogged through too many books with bad/disappointing endings and I just can't invest the time and energy if it's frustrating/a waste of time. And I love what you said about sad vs joyless. I don't mind a sad book if it leaves me feeling a glimmer of hope but joyless books don't work for me. I never thought about it that way but the distinction makes so much sense!
Mine is self loathing books. Twilight was seriously guilty of this. I have never been able to complete the series (but my kids loved it). If you hate yourself that much fix yourself improve yourself. Give me characters that have secure self confidence and I'm hooked. Story lines like that hook me every time.
I've read a lot about how we like to comfort watch/read our favorite stories largely because we already know what's going to happen so it takes a lot of the worry and anxiety out of the equation. I personally don't like specific spoilers but if I have a general idea of what's going to happen rather than how it's going to happen I don't mind. There are many people who say it's all about the execution of the story rather than the story itself!
I agree on the joyless books point. I had to unfortunately DNF A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara even though it is a beautiful book and I loved the characters. it was just absolutely heartbreaking with no hope for a happy ending. I was buddy reading it with a friend who did ended up finishing it and she was able to tell me the ending. based on her thoughts, I'm grateful to have DNFed to save myself some hopeless thoughts so I totally understand where you're coming from! also on spoilers, I can handle them in books but not movies/tv shows, not really sure why.
I’m sure this isn’t a popular opinion, but I don’t like books with religious over- or undertones, especially in romance novels. If I wanted to read about religious people, I’d pick up something like a Dan Brown book.
I don't have a specific things, but I do know that life is too short and my To Be Read piles are too large to waste my time on a book that I am not enjoying on some level. If I feel like I'm forcing my way through, I need to move on.... and I try to ensure my high school students know that choice reading includes the choice to DNF
During the pandemic I found it a struggle to just read anything. I have to agree with you. I need more joy in my reading. I also need my HEA. I needed to know that after the pain and suffering, that joy and happiness will win out. Spoilers are ok.
This sounds an awful lot like The Unbearable Lightness of Being - which I had to read in college and I just couldn't. There was no joy. The title even tells you that there's no joy. It's a novel about there being no joy. Sad, dark, whatever, but let there be some hope.
And I love spoilers. I crave them. I need the hook. Unless I don't. If I'm already hooked, I avoid spoilers like the plague. Don't tell me what happens in the next Marvel movie. I'll see it when I see it and I want ZERO spoilers between now and then.
Regarding spoilers: Eek, definitely not for me! I also rarely re-read a book. It’s all about the discovery for me. I like seeing how things play out.
The Martian is an exception. Very early on, I turned to my husband (who had already read it) and said: Don’t tell me anything else, but does he survive? Yes or no. He gave me a one word response. I enjoyed the book immensely, otherwise spoiler free.
There have also been a handful of novels which I had started and quit early on, where people recommending them told me to try again and read up to a certain point, because by then I’d be hooked. I suppose those are potentially considered spoilers.
And there are the rare books when you know the ending from the beginning and the meat of the book is finding out how you get there. I’m blanking on a good example of that now, though, but they can be very fun.
Hmm… maybe I do like spoilers…
I appreciate your use of the word “joyless” as opposed to “sad.” Some of my favorite books have very sad parts, but there is uplift too. One good example is Lily and the Octopus. It's literally about the death of a lonely man's dog, but there’s so much joy, too.
I’m mentally reviewing books I have not found pleasure in reading, and I think they all share a lack of joy rather than a presence of sadness. This is really changing how I think about my reading preferences.
Another factor for me is having a purpose to the sadness. Books I have not enjoyed reading are easily divided into those I could appreciate intellectually and those that felt like a waste of my energy. Joyless books I can appreciate caused me to reflect on the real world or how I think about it. I can read a couple of these a year. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. I recall finishing a very popular women’s fiction novel and thinking “What am I supposed to take from this?” There was no reason for putting my psyche through the layers of misery, betrayal, and remorse.
I agree 100%. I also don't enjoy books that preach at me. That seems to be happening more and more these days. I read to meet great characters, to learn about them and think about their lives and (most of all) to be entertained.
For me it’s frustrating people—selfish, boundary-pushing, racist/sexist/homophobic, entitled, or just cruel. So many romances are set up with the grumpy object of attraction, and I can live with grumpy, especially when the author gives us that character’s POV, but I have a hard time rooting for a relationship with an a-hole. I also struggle with protagonists who allow friends or family members to regularly take advantage of them—the boundary issue. These traits are usually obvious within the first couple chapters and there are too many good books out there for me to push through that much frustration.
I need to find joy in a book, too.
I have problems with books with TW of abuse or rape. Brutal thrillers. I don't read thrillers anymore. Just give me the HEA.
I don't mind spoilers. Sometimes I'll check out the end, but usually I don't.
I love spoilers, it frustrates my partner and kids to no end but I find I can relax and actually enjoy the story/TV Show/Film more if I know what is going to happen. I have slogged through too many books with bad/disappointing endings and I just can't invest the time and energy if it's frustrating/a waste of time. And I love what you said about sad vs joyless. I don't mind a sad book if it leaves me feeling a glimmer of hope but joyless books don't work for me. I never thought about it that way but the distinction makes so much sense!
Mine is self loathing books. Twilight was seriously guilty of this. I have never been able to complete the series (but my kids loved it). If you hate yourself that much fix yourself improve yourself. Give me characters that have secure self confidence and I'm hooked. Story lines like that hook me every time.
I've read a lot about how we like to comfort watch/read our favorite stories largely because we already know what's going to happen so it takes a lot of the worry and anxiety out of the equation. I personally don't like specific spoilers but if I have a general idea of what's going to happen rather than how it's going to happen I don't mind. There are many people who say it's all about the execution of the story rather than the story itself!
I agree on the joyless books point. I had to unfortunately DNF A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara even though it is a beautiful book and I loved the characters. it was just absolutely heartbreaking with no hope for a happy ending. I was buddy reading it with a friend who did ended up finishing it and she was able to tell me the ending. based on her thoughts, I'm grateful to have DNFed to save myself some hopeless thoughts so I totally understand where you're coming from! also on spoilers, I can handle them in books but not movies/tv shows, not really sure why.
Life is to short for books that are brining you joy. I have given myself permission to walk away from books as not every book will be for me!
I love Buffy, might have to try the watchlist order (although my OCD will be screaming loudly 😁)