Top Ten Tuesday (Top Topics that Turn Me Away) & Teaser Tuesday (Haven by Celia Breslin)

Today's Top Ten Tuesday is:

Top Ten Topics or Words That Make Me Not Want to Pick Up a Book

I actually had a hard time coming up with this list because I've never really thought about it before.  But there are definitely types of books that I lean toward and types of books that I avoid.  So, in no particular order, here is a list of topics/words/genres that just don't do it for me:

1. Non-fiction - The only type of non-fiction that I really read are Christian books (and usually those are because I'm in a Bible study or something, not because I just decided to pick up a non-fiction book). Occasionally, I will read a non-fiction book about a specific topic that I want to learn about (like photography or something), but I almost never see a random non-fiction book and think, "Oooh!  I want to read that!"
2. Erotica - I don't mind sex in my books, but when it crosses over to erotica, I start to feel a little uncomfortable.  My level of discomfort especially seems to go up when certain words are used (words that I just consider too naughty for me - I'm certainly not going to mention them here, so you'll just have to use your imagination) or certain acts are described in detail.  So, I'll generally avoid any book that is marketed as an erotic romance.
3. War - Generally, books about real-world war do not interest me.  If there is a war in a dystopian or paranormal novel, I usually don't mind, but if the book seems to center on war (meaning that element outshines the other aspects of the book), I usually won't pick it up.
4. Historical Fiction - I've actually read a few historical fiction books that were really good, but for some reason the genre itself still just doesn't really appeal to me.  I won't usually pick up a historical fiction book unless something about it really catches my eye.
5. Politics - Politics in a book just bore me to death.  That doesn't mean that I don't like to read about issues that might spark political debate, but I don't like to read about actual politics.  In my mind, there is no such thing as a political thriller.  I mean, how can politics be thrilling?!
6. Sports - Just not interested.  I don't watch sports in real life and I don't want to read about them (unless they are a small element of an otherwise non-sport-related book).
7. Southern Charm - I'm not generally a fan of books that profess to have Southern charm.  I usually don't find it charming.  I guess as a native Chicagoan (okay, suburbanite, but still), I just don't get the Deep South.  This includes books about Cowboys or books with a Western theme too.
8. Preachy Christian Books - I'm a Christian.  And not just a "go to church on Sunday and forget about God for the rest of the week" kind of Christian.  And, the thing is, I really want to want to read Christian fiction.  My problem is that most of the Christian fiction I've read is so darn preachy and cheesy!  I know about God - I want others to know about God.  But I think that a lot of these books just make Christianity sound so fake and unappealing.  Ugh!
9. Cheaters - I have a hard time getting on board with a romance where one of the people in the couple is cheating on a spouse or significant other.  
10. Chick-lit - Okay, I've got to say that I don't even really know what Chick-lit is.  It seems like generic, lighthearted women's fiction where the main character gossips with her girlfriends and chases after a boy and doesn't do much else.  All I know is that books in this category generally don't appeal to me.

Okay, well, that's it.  So, have you read any books in any of these categories that you just LOVED and that I really shouldn't miss out on?  Or have you read a non-preachy Christian fiction book that I need to get my hands on right now?  I want to know!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

~Grab your current read

~Open to a random page

~Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on the page

~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! ( make sure that what you share doesn't give away to much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

~Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

- Then go on over to Should be Reading and share your teaser in her comments section!

My teaser today is from an NA book I'm reading for a blog tour (review to be posted next week).

Haven

by Celia Breslin

"Have you ever done that binding thing before?"
"No." ...
"Is it supposed to hurt like that?  When our power exploded all over us, it was like being attacked by a giant sewing machine in a furnace inside a tornado. Or something." I frowned at my lame description of the massive cosmic event we'd experienced.

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