Books I won't read

We all have books we're tired of, disgusted by or just won't read for one reason or another. (For example, I will no longer read any book with the word "Templar" in the title.)

Here's my latest addition:

Any book whose jacket copy contains the phrase, "not only was her head missing..."

Won't read it.

Comments

[C.T. Henry]

I have an idea for a cool list. IMBA has the Greatest Mysteries of the Century. What about a list of the Best Crime Fiction of the NEW century?

Everyone has their favorite classics, but what will be tomorrow's classics?

[Neil]

Sounds like my new book's jacket copy, actually.

[I.J. Parker]

Jacket copies are written by editors, or assistant editors, or the office gofers.
I take it you object to headless corpses in crime novels. They aren't particularly rare in Japanese settings where the samurai sword was likely to be used in that fashion. Actually, limbs might be missing also, if the perpetrator was testing his weapon. :)

[David J. Montgomery]

"I take it you object to headless corpses in crime novels."

Oh, not really... I was mostly just joking.

Mostly.

I was going through a stack of new books yesterday -- at least 3 of which featured serial killers or similar in one form or another -- and 1 of them had that phrase in it.

I couldn't help rolling my eyes (which fortunately I could do, as I still had my head attached).

[Graham]

There's got to be a joke there somewhere. It starts off "..not only was her head missing..." and ends up "Templar? Damn near killer her!"

[David J. Montgomery]

THAT book I would read.

[Patrick Balester]

I feel that way about the word, "chainsaw", with one exception. The phrase "Chainsaw Ballet" in the title of a book I read...there's a phrase you don't hear everyday.

[Guyot]

Any book where the jacket compares the author to some big bestseller.

I'd rather read the real deal than a pale imitation.

[Guyot]

By the way...

Any author whose publisher is having jacket copy written by office gofers, or even assistant editors, needs to find a new publisher.

I.J. - if your publisher is having the office gofer write jacket copy, I suggest you find a new vocation.

[Cameron Hughes]

I'm always weary of seeing any hint of a real estate scam

[Pete Daniels]

"Will leave you breathless!" These words on the back of a book move it to the 'won't read' pile for me. Has anyone anywhere at any time been left breathless by a novel? Divorce papers, an IRS audit letter, a draft notice, maybe. A novel? Never.