When is it time to throw the book across the room?

[Sunday21]

When do you discard a book?

For me, I allow one "f" word.

When they start describing a male character's physical attributes in loving detail. Puke.

If a cat is a detective or sends messages

If the main character is very selfish or violent

Too much violence or violence described in detail

I allow one sex scene and that one scene has to be easy to skip over

Anything with ancient Scottish people described as sexy or noble - these are my ancestors, they were smelly barbarians. I''ve done my family history. You can't fool me!

Incest used as a plot device. Very common in Canada.

any Canadian novel with the main character who is a budding author from a small town with mean parents. I've read too many of these.

Gross out descriptions. I do not wish to know about anything which happens or should happen in a bathroom.

Long descriptions of someone's character. Show me what they are like rather than tell me.

[Guest]

If I can't find the story in a mess of flowery descriptions, it's gone.

[Backroads]

If a junior high student could have written it better. 

 

Too much focus on sex.

[pam]

If you are wanting to throw books across the room, might I recommend a book on anger management?  

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

If you are wanting to throw books across the room, might I recommend a book on anger management?  

 

LOL! Actually I remember listening to The Good Earth on CD and I got to one point where I wanted to toss the CD out the door and run over it with my car because I was really mad at the main character.  For a moment I was tempted not to finish it, but then I decided that a book that could evoke that much emotion was worth finishing.  I'm so glad I did.  It's one of my favorite books now.  I wonderful analysis of "the pride cycle" even in the main character is a jerk.

 

On the other hand, I remember getting to a point in Atlas Shrugged where I wanted to throw it across the room.  I put it down--and never picked it up again.  But that was different because the author was promoting a certain philosophy, one I did not agree with--really Dagny? Just change partners like you change shoes?  Ugh.  

 

But believe it or not I don't really have an anger problem.  I'm just passionate about my reading apparently.  

[Kawazu]

Steel World by B.V. Larson.

From Amazon:

 

In the twentieth century Earth sent probes, transmissions and welcoming messages to the stars. Unfortunately, someone noticed.

The Galactics arrived with their battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined their vast Empire. Swearing allegiance to our distant alien overlords wasn't the only requirement for survival. We also had to have something of value to trade, something that neighboring planets would pay their hard-earned credits to buy. As most of the local worlds were too civilized to have a proper army, the only valuable service Earth could provide came in the form of soldiers...someone had to do their dirty work for them, their fighting and dying.

 

 

It's basically a science-fiction, space Marine, adventure, first-person narrative. The milquetoast protagonist made me put the book down. I couldn't get a handle on the main character's point of view. He was like a caricature of how some people view 20-year-olds. He seemed without depth or panache, and shallow. I couldn't take it. A better experience was Old Man's War by  by John Scalzi. It's the same sort of story but the leading character shows a more interesting inner monologue.

[mrmarklin]

Book?

What's that?

Not destroying my Kindle because of one bad download.

[Sunday21]

If you are wanting to throw books across the room, might I recommend a book on anger management?  

I was thinking of Dorothy Parker's book review: this book should not be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.

[Roseslipper]

I do not know how to copy and paste another person's quote like I could do in the other store only had previous so I wanted you to know that I am laughing out loud at Pam's quote about anger management classes.

[Roseslipper]

PS. not store but site

[pam]

I do not know how to copy and paste another person's quote like I could do in the other store only had previous so I wanted you to know that I am laughing out loud at Pam's quote about anger management classes.

You don't have to copy and paste.  You just go to that persons post and hit the quote button to the bottom right of the post.  It will quote the person and then you type your response under it.

[Lakumi]

At the present time, I myself am reading Stephen King's It, a book I am sure no one here would or has read before.

I only get annoyed with books if they are too easy, or boring-especially boring!

[pam]

At the present time, I myself am reading Stephen King's It, a book I am sure no one here would or has read before.

I only get annoyed with books if they are too easy, or boring-especially boring!

 

Which Stephen King book?

[Jenamarie]

The only time I throw a book is if I see a spider. They go squish.

[Lakumi]

Which Stephen King book?

"It"

the one with the supernatural killer clown who kills and eats children and takes form according to your fears and such.

[Guest]

I research the book before I read it... so, if it doesn't fit my "criteria" in reviews, i don't even touch it so I don't have to throw it.

[Latter Days Guy]

"It"

the one with the supernatural killer clown who kills and eats children and takes form according to your fears and such.

I've read it, a good few years ago though!  Borrowed it from the lad who introduced me to his friends the missionaries!

[Lakumi]

I've read it, a good few years ago though!  Borrowed it from the lad who introduced me to his friends the missionaries!

It's one of my favourites, I am almost certain the town I live in has some supernatural monster living under it

Writing a book about it, more of a what if, so far seems more sex, less violence. Originally it was just a short story about a monster who hypnotized some Mormons out of the meetinghouse so it could destroy it (it wanted them to know they weren't welcome, if they had died more would just come and come).

[Guest]

Twilight/Hunger Games/Mortal Instruments/Divergent - all books I read that I wanted to throw across the room.  I can't stand stupid female lead characters.

 

Hermoine Granger - that's a fine example of a great female lead character.  Let somebody like that have a book.

[Wingnut]

Twilight/Hunger Games/Mortal Instruments/Divergent - all books I read that I wanted to throw across the room.  I can't stand stupid female lead characters.

 

Hermoine Granger - that's a fine example of a great female lead character.  Let somebody like that have a book.

 

I won't read Twilight.  I enjoyed Hunger Games, until halfway through the second book, and I just couldn't deal with the politics anymore.  However, I definitely didn't think that Katniss (other than her ridiculous name) was a "stupid female."  She was strong in the first one, and then crazy and PTSD-ed in the rest.  I've only seen the movies of Mortal Instruments (City of Bones) and Divergent, so far, and I'm inclined to somewhat agree on the first, but not the latter.  Not so far, anyway.  I plan to read the Divergent series this summer.

[Quin]

1) ALMOST good writing.

It just makes me want to choke the editor.

C'mon! How hard is it to say "Tight this part up a bit, show don't tell here, and THEN I'll buy it."

It just kills me when a book could be GREAT with some polish, but instead reads like a first draft.

2) Bad writing.

The only example of which I have at hand is "Encalve".

It could be the poster-child for "show don't tell, write what you know, research, research, research, & check your math".

Show Don't Tell

Characters LITERALLY change their entire outlook on life for NO discernible reason.

1 paragraph = running and in love with their way of life / fought hard to get to where they are

2 paragraph = has decided that the entire way of life is a sham

Sha-what??? WHY??? No reason. Wait. Except, clearly, in the outline... Character needs to reject their way of life.

Face. Palm.

Write what you know

- On multiple occasions author (I actually cringed typing that) has her characters running -without stopping- for HOURS. 8, 10, 12+

All of which is not only impossible (even for marathon runners) but the character has NEVER run long distance before, and the distances are insane. Sprinter speeds. In pitch dark. With no training. Day in & day out. Gaaaaaaah.

Research, research, research.

- The diet she has her characters eating would have killed everyone via malnutrition GENERATIONS ago.

- Subway glass, previously solid, does not punch out like in the movies when superheroes punch glass

- Running without a break, at top speed, for all day, all night, and all the next day (and almost every description of running in the book, period) is impossible for Homo sapiens.

- 10,000 other "No. That's wrong." examples...

Check your math (the part where you add 1+1 and it equals 47).

This is both continuity & premise. Including a bunch of stuff about rape & rape victims, which should be criminally offensive, instead of horrifyingly offensive (premise), as well as # of days or hours doing XYZ coming up wrong (continuity).

Q

[Guest]

I won't read Twilight.  I enjoyed Hunger Games, until halfway through the second book, and I just couldn't deal with the politics anymore.  However, I definitely didn't think that Katniss (other than her ridiculous name) was a "stupid female."  She was strong in the first one, and then crazy and PTSD-ed in the rest.  I've only seen the movies of Mortal Instruments (City of Bones) and Divergent, so far, and I'm inclined to somewhat agree on the first, but not the latter.  Not so far, anyway.  I plan to read the Divergent series this summer.

 

I used stupid as a general adjective for non-desirable traits.  Katniss is stupid because she's an annoyingly selfish girl who can't see past her own nose.  I hate the way she treated Peeta.  Peeta is my favorite character in the book.  And of course, the good female - Katniss sister - had to be killed.  Of course.  Let's kill the good ones and call the stupid ones Heroes with Strong Character.  Puke.

[Sunday21]

I used stupid as a general adjective for non-desirable traits.  Katniss is stupid because she's an annoyingly selfish girl who can't see past her own nose.  I hate the way she treated Peeta.  Peeta is my favorite character in the book.  And of course, the good female - Katniss sister - had to be killed.  Of course.  Let's kill the good ones and call the stupid ones Heroes with Strong Character.  Puke.

So true!

[SpiritDragon]

I mostly spend my reading time in learning pursuits, especially health, exercise and nutrition. I get annoyed with poorly referenced regurgitated drivel about how bad the evil carbohydrates are and how especially vile grains are. When these author's do cite sources they tend to be misrepresented or inadequate. I hate this... a book can be great in many other points but I still can feel like stopping once they go off on the evil carbs. The biggest problem with this nonsense being there is no dispute that highly refined carbohydrates are nutrient poor, but when this gets extrapolated out into high quality fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes it quickly loses all credibility as these are the most nutrient-dense foods available. 

[Quin]

I mostly spend my reading time in learning pursuits, especially health, exercise and nutrition. I get annoyed with poorly referenced regurgitated drivel about how bad the evil carbohydrates are and how especially vile grains are. When these author's do cite sources they tend to be misrepresented or inadequate. I hate this... a book can be great in many other points but I still can feel like stopping once they go off on the evil carbs. The biggest problem with this nonsense being there is no dispute that highly refined carbohydrates are nutrient poor, but when this gets extrapolated out into high quality fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes it quickly loses all credibility as these are the most nutrient-dense foods available.

Thread jack!

Hallelujah.

Not to mention that we NEED sugars in our diet, our brain can only "burn" glucose.

Without simple or complex sugars, our brain fries, starts sending out bad orders (organ damage galore & homeostasis completely whacked), and then we go into seizures, coma, and death. No difference between diabetic coma & death & ketoacidosis coma & death. Both caused by there not being enough blood sugar for our brain to function at even basic, much less optimal, levels.

I get cranky about this since I was working in the ER during the Atkins craze.

People just couldn't seem to realize that carb = nutritional name for sugar.

We have lipids, proteins, carbs, vitamins, & minerals... And need all bleeding 5 to be healthy.

Cut out ALL carbs (as people were doing) meant for months and months we had diabetic pure glucose candies in our pockets as part of our uniforms. ANYONE who came in disoriented or worse got a candy popped in their mouth as part of the triage procedure., and a sharpie line drawn on their havd (can't do the image, IIII with the little slash meaning 1-5) for each candy given.

This was a hospital in a posh part of town, so we had more than our fair share, but sakes alive!

You're wealthy, educated, successful... READ. And not just what someone's trying to sell you!!

For the cost of this hospital visit, you could have gotten liposuction or a mommy-makeover.

And. Breathe. Rant (and thread jack!) over.

Q