A while back I saw a post by Annie from The Misstery that listed topics she loved and hated to read about. I thought it was a fun point of conversation, so I figured I’d share mine. Definitely chime in with yours in the comment section below!
5 Topics That I Can’t Resist:
- Romantic Tension
I am a sucker for forbidden love and absolutely adore any sort of romantic tension between two people. When the tension evaporates (aka the couple is finally together), I always lose a bit of interest. It’s the WHEN WILL THEY FINALLY BE TOGETHER?! that keeps me rapid-fire turning the pages. - Cults
I haven’t read a lot of fiction books about cults (IF YOU KNOW OF ANY GOOD ONES, PLEASE REC ASAP!), but I have read a number of nonfiction books about them. I’m obsessed! - Zombies
Survival stories that take place with zombies are my jam!! I find zombies so terrifying. I love being scared, so I tend to gravitate toward zombie reads. - WWII
That war was so gigantic that there will be no shortage of unique literature inspired by the events that took place. Every WWII novel I read is different, and I love them all! - Vampires
Hands down my favorite fantasy creature! Whether they’re the heroes or the villains, I love every last blood-sucker in fiction.
5 Topics That Will Prevent Me From Picking Up a Book:
- Animals
I’m a vet and am overly empathetic. I HATE reading books that involve animals (especially animal death, but even Homeward Bound is too difficult for me to watch), because it takes way too much of an emotional toll. - Cancer
Nope. Absolutely not. Fiction or nonfiction, cancer is a mother f*cker and it makes me way too damn sad to read about it. When Breath Becomes Air? HELL NO. I started crying when I read the synopsis. - Magical Realism
I hate that genre. Gabriel Garcia Marquez? No thank you. My brain wants to fit the novel into ONE genre only, and it doesn’t like when it can’t. - Family Conflict
If there is any indication that the book revolves around familial strife, I won’t read it. Mostly for personal reasons, but beyond that, the subject is simply sad. - Medical Stuff
Before I became a vet I enjoyed reading books that involved medicine (both human and veterinary), but now that’s a hard pass. I read to escape, not to be back at my day job.
Now it’s your turn to tell me your most loved and hated topics!
A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.
Annie
🙂 Glad you did this post too! I feel the same way about romantic tension, especially in tv shows haha When they get together it’s way less interesting!
Ali
Thanks for letting me steal the idea! And romantic tension is the best – I agree, it’s just as good in TV shows!
Michelle @ Pink Polka Dot Books
I’m with you on the animal deaths. I was messed with too much as a child with unwarned animal deaths in books and movies, so I really get mad when I come across them in my reading now. Also, YES to Cults!!! I am obsessed! 2 books on TBR are Family by Michol Ostow and It Wasn’t Always Like This by Joy Preble. They both have a cult thing in them. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is also up there because CULTS and I loved The Arsonist.
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Cate
We’re the same on the second list. If something happens to the animal, I’m not reading it or watching it. XD The one book that I read by GGM totally flew over my head. Great topic!
Ali
Glad I’m not alone with Marquez! XD
Molly @ Molly's Book Nook
I LOVE ZOMBIES TOO. I am so happy to meet someone who loves zombies! I feel like everyone says they’re sick of it or don’t like it…but I am all over anything with zombies in it hahah For WWII…I love it for movies and video games but not as much for books. idk why >.<
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Ali
Hahaha yay zomb friends!! I knew I liked you for a reason. That’s funny about movies/VGs but not books. I might almost say I’m the complete opposite? But I think that’s because things would be even more heart-breaking in visual form.
Heather
I’m with you on boycotting books about animals but I still read medical stuff. I can’t stand books with vets as character though. People get it so wrong. Mostly because the vet in the book always has oodles of free time and never seems to go to work.
Have you read The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly? That’s my only cult fiction rec.
Heather
I didn’t read the comments before answering.
Anyway, did you know that James Rollins is an author who writes thrillers and is also a vet? There are always animals in his books and they never, ever get hurt. They tend to be involved in the plot in ways that would terrify me with another author. I would just know they are going to get killed. If he ever screws me over on this certainty, he will be dead to me.
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Milana
OH I like this post! For me I really dislike reading books set in WWI or WWII. I just cannot connect to that time period. Sad face.
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Ali
You should do the post, too! It’s fun to see what people love and hate 🙂