Reading Deal-Breakers: A Top 10 List

Like those with mating-dating deal-breakers, I can be a little finicky with reading peeves too.

Creating this list came to mind as I was sitting in a meeting viewing hundreds of books sitting in boxes. I could barely concentrate I was so distracted by these books partially hidden in boxes. I wanted to excuse myself, and right then and there unpack the boxes to fashion a library. So make this my number one peeve, I do not store books in boxes.

#2 To the opposite end however, I do not loan my autographed books. So sad, but so true. For as much as I promote reading and talk up my library, it is difficult for me to part with any of my books.

#3 I don’t appreciate marked up books either. Nope. Refuse to read them. I (sssh) return them!

#4 E-books I as well don’t read. Besides the fact that I read too much on screen as it is, I prefer that the content in a book be still, or stay fixed. In other words, when I purchase a product such as, let’s say, a redwood 10x5 oblong 3-legged dining room table, I don’t want to come home and find my table turned into an 8x8 aluminum 10-legged beach table…all because the designer changed his or her mind, or made a mistake. I appreciate authentic products. Glitches often enhance authenticity.

#5 If I come across one key word in the synopsis I’ll shun the book too. No, I’m not sharing what that word is, but will leave a hint. It’s okay if the word is in the book, or threaded through its overriding theme in the story, but please don’t make it the story’s selling point.

#6 I don’t make my reading selections based on reviews. (Author bio and synopsis is generally how I select books.)

#7 To the other end of the above peeve, I also tend to avoid books with a lot of reviews. I pine to find gems, that ten out of ten times have as few as zero reviews.

#8 And might as well throw in, the only genre I do not care to read are self-help books. While I see the advantage in paying for help that actually helps, something about paying for ‘opinions’ grab me wrong.

#9 I also don’t have a favorite author I like to read over and over, which follows…

#10 …with the exception of my own books (and I'm speaking of once they are in print), I otherwise do not read books more than once.