I like my mysteries to be mysterious and not attempt to be funny. I dislike magic realism and claptrap romance. I did like Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, etc., the adventure romances, I suppose.

I'm with you on magical realism, Carolyn. I've never warmed up to it ... at all.

And I can never seem to muster up interest in any book described as being dystopian or postapocalyptic. Just not my thing.

Ha! I am so much with A. J. and his dislikes that that passage sounds like something I could have written about my own dislikes of particular reading material -- especially the part about literary fiction with the Holocaust or any other historical tragedy as a backdrop. I'm completely sick of the French Resistance being used for such purpose, usually romantic, as well. -- Nonfiction only, please for me, too, A. J.

I had an acquaintance ask me if I liked to read. When I said I did, she asked me, further, if I had read quite a lot of books she named that I had never heard of, much less read. When I said no to almost every book she mentioned, she shook her head and concluded out loud to me that I must not like to read very much. I swallowed a retort because it was so absolutely absurd that it was funny. I laughed instead. I wouldn't doubt that to this day she probably thinks I'm not much of a reader. :-)

Kathy, I agree with so much of the above. And would add I don't enjoy clever - clever writers using very long words that I need to look up in a dictionary, books written in the present tense "Jim walks down the lane and sees the enemy advancing". I don't read books that have been written 'on the back' of some popular TV/film . . . thinking of the Downton Abbey genre. I find the lack of speech/quotation marks difficult and I really can't stand authors who try too hard to be funny . . . and what we have too much of over here . . . the families of poor but honest/lovable rogues who's beautiful daughter, against all the odds, pulls them out of poverty by marrying some minor aristocrat. Barbara Cartland has much to answer for.

I could go on . . .

I dislike any book that forces me to switch from being a reader to being an editor. I have been known to circle overused words , correct typos or make a note regarding some glaring bit of misinformation.

If a book is that annoying it deserves to be annotated !!

I dislike authors who use over-worked words and/or expressions in their work. A.R. Siddons ruined her novels for me when she described so many people in various novels as being "spavined." After a time, the work becomes so predictable there are no surprises left. I want to say to certain authors: "Why didn't you quit while you were still ahead in the game?"

I dislike the dysfunctional family drama full of unspeakable misery or anything that features horrible things done to children or animals -- or to anyone, for that matter (ROOM still haunts me). I understand pain and conflict move the plot along, but I'm a very emotional reader and can only take so much. I avoid books that go overboard in this category -- which would by definition include literary Holocaust or other world-tragedy-as-background books. Non-fiction only here please, I agree!

That said, I am a big fan of clever -- I've adored the structures of some books (Cloud Atlas, How To Be Both) even when I didn't necessarily love every bit of the actual story. And I do like a well-done post-apocalyptic book now and again. I thought the first Hunger Games book was amazing. Vampires, though ... please don't judge too harshly, I just can't help it. I've been a fan since I read Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire when it came out in the '80s when she was the only one writing about them. I enjoy good urban fantasy, and quite often there are vampires and werewolves involved, regardless of author (Ilona Andrews' take on vampires in the Kate Daniels series is quite original, so they're not all the same). I'll freely admit some of it is schlock, but some of it is great fun.

Other than that, I'm with A.J. entirely.

Vee, I blame my daughter's early marriage on Barbara Cartland. Don't know what my excuse was.

Sheri, I haven't read a Joyce Carol Oates book since We Were the Mulvaneys. No to dysfunctional.

Any book that doesn't amuse me.

Carolyn, I thought you liked cosy mysteries? They are generally amusing.

I'm not exactly sure what 'magical realism' is...Would the Outlander series fit in that category? I read one of those and didn't like it because the basic premise, time travel, isn't something I can believe.

Don't like fantasy, horror or depressing books so I don't read those. No to the Harlequin romance/ bodice rippers stuff. (Had to read one of those for a college class.) I want to read books where I learn things and get entertained in the process so historical fiction is a favorite genre. (Loved Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series for pure escapism.) Or great true adventure stories (Undaunted Courage-Ambrose) and liked several mountaineering true stories-Everest adventures, etc.) Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer has been saved for a re-read.

Love intelligent Cold War era spy stories (Le Carre's Smiley series, for instance.)

Repetition--words, phrases, things--drives me batty. Recent example was a W. Michael & Kathleen Gear book (I was enticed to read it because they are archaeologists) where they kept referring to character's hair. Like at least once every two or three pages. I was ready to scream and start yanking out my hair!

Another thing that I dislike is when a book is peppered w/ foreign language. A lot of that in Daniel Deronda but I was willing to forgive it because of when & where the book was written...supposing that the educated classes in England during the 1800's were at least bi-lingual. Growing up in Middle America mid 20th century, as I did, didn't offer exposure to any other languages than corrupted English (chester drawers, i.e., chest of drawers, being a prime example of corrupted English. Even today, reading the Misc. Items for Sale ads in the newspaper or on Craig's list is good for when you need some comic relief!)

Another thing that I really dislike is being hammered w/ filthy language. I don't mind it when they're used in extreme emotional situations...Michener used a couple in Tales of the South Pacific. That's OK. But not the gratuitous usage that seems all too common in modern fiction. Total turnoff. Not only is it distracting but I sometimes come away feeling assaulted and like I need a to shower in Listerine.

I dont like science fiction or (like a previous poster commented) dystopian or futuristic books. I like reading about people and real life. I like books that draw me in and make me care about the characters. I especially like fiction that deals with family/marriage situations and the human condition in general. I tend to favor the dramatic/psychological over the comedic.

I love Erin Kelly and Ruth Rendell books.

Room (mentioned above) was actually a favorite book of mine because it was interesting to see how they would get out of that situation. The mom and boy were both great characters. I of course was troubled by the whole scenario, but that was the plot. There is nothing worse than reading a book and not caring about any of the people in it.

to each his/her own, as far as reading! There are so many great books out there.

I have to put in a good word for Vampires, here, although I don't like Ann Rice. One of my favorite reads was about a Vampire, Vlad the Impaler: Eliz. Kostova's "The Historian."

I generally do not like books about dysfunctional families, one reason being that I often suspect they are exaggerated for effect ( "Angela's Ashes" and "The Glass Castle" come to mind.

"The Hunger Games" is not a genre I usually am attracted to, but I must say, I enjoyed this trilogy very much.

Woodnymph, I'm curious about why you (and many others) like The Hunger Games trilogy so much even though it's a genre you're not attracted to. I have never read it, but I do wonder why it has been so popular.

I recall that I really liked the characterization of the protagonist -- a strong, independent female. I found the relationships and the settings interesting. Also, the pacing was good, in my opinion. Actually, I read the trilogy several years ago. I would read it again. The film version was also well done, I think.

I have just finished a murder mystery in record time as I skipped a lot of the descriptions of clothes and landscapes. I wanted to know who done it!

I don't like padding that slows down the action...