WoW #32: The Headmistress of Rosemere by Sarah E. Ladd

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

The Headmistress of Rosemere by Sarah E. Ladd
Series: Whispers on the Moors, #2

Thomas Nelson Dec 2013 or Jan 2014

About
Bright, sensible Patience knows what is expected of her. At twenty-five, her opportunity for a family of her own has passed, so she finds contentment teaching at her father's school for girls. When her father dies suddenly and her brother moves away to London, she is determined to keep her father's dream alive.

Confirmed bachelor William Sterling also knows what is expected of him, but mistake after mistake has left him teetering on ruin's edge. As master of Eastmore Hall he owns a great deal of land but possesses little money to manage the upkeep. He is desperate to find a new source of income, including the sacrifice of land connected to Rosemere.

When her brother returns with a new wife to take over management of the school, Patience is heartbroken to no longer be responsible for her beloved school and is forced to reassess God's purpose for her life.

Why I want to read it

There's more to the description but I felt it gave away too much of the story. I admit it's a fairly predictable sounding plot, but it still sounds interesting and the cover has an air of mystery about it. Plus, I did read book one in the series The Heiress of Winterwood and enjoyed it.

Pre-order it:

Amazon and ChristianBooks and Barnes and Noble

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Scariest Nancy Drew & Hardy Boy Book Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I don't read horror or scary books in general so at first I wasn't going to do this one, but then I remembered that the cover of one of the Sister's Grimm series books is kinda freaky. And then I started to wonder how many of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy books were on the scary side. So here's a list of the...

Top Ten Scariest Nancy Drew & Hardy Boy Book Covers

1. The Clue of the Tapping Heels

Is that a dog, cat or wolf? Not something I'd want to meet in an old, dark stairwell.

2. The Message in the Hollow Oak

Just imagine, you're walking through a lovely forest when you find a skull in a hollow tree!

3. Mystery of Crocodile Island

I wouldn't want that croc after me!

4. The Sky Phantom

Not something I want to see in front of me when flying a plane!

5. Mystery of the Glowing Eye

The eye of Sauron!

6. The Flickering Torch Mystery

And now the Nazgul are after Frank and Joe!

7.  The Arctic Patrol Mystery

That is one big polar bear.

8. The Clue in the Embers

Creepy mask. Makes me think of an Orc. Except they don't wear pink.

 9. Mystery of the Whale Tattoo

Not a guy I'd want to meet in a dark alley. Or anywhere for that matter.

10. The Secret of Wildcat Swamp

I hope he ducked in time. That's one fierce looking wildcat.

Which book covers do you think are scary?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

No Talking by Andrew Clements

No Talking by Andrew Clements. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007. 146p. (9781416909842)

Have you ever stopped to think about how much we use words? My entire job as a school librarian revolves around words. And I don’t mean just the printed words in the books, magazines and online. If I’m not talking or reading, I’m writing. Never realized how much writing there would be after graduation.

Even with this blog, if I’m not reading a book then I’m writing about it or as is the case with the Top Ten Tuesday meme then I’m writing about multiple books.

What sparked these thoughts? Well, it’s something that I’ve thought about off and on for a while, but also I just finished reading No Talking by Andrew Clements.

Goodreads Summary:

The fifth-grade girls and the fifth-grade boys at Laketon Elementary don't get along very well. But the real problem is that these kids are loud and disorderly. That's why the principal uses her red plastic bullhorn. A lot.

Then one day Dave Packer, a certified loudmouth, bumps into an idea -- a big one that makes him try to keep quiet for a whole day. But what does Dave hear during lunch? A girl, Lynsey Burgess, jabbering away. So Dave breaks his silence and lobs an insult. And those words spark a contest: Which team can say the fewest words during two whole days? And it's the boys against the girls.

How do the teachers react to the silence? What happens when the principal feels she's losing control? And will Dave and Lynsey plunge the whole school into chaos?

This funny and surprising book is about language and thought, about words unspoken, words spoken in anger, and especially about the power of words spoken in kindness...with or without a bullhorn. It's Andrew Clements at his best -- thought-provoking, true-to-life, and very entertaining.

My Review:

Andrew Clements writes great school stories for upper elementary and middle school kids. I’ve read School Story and Frindle aloud to 3^rd and 4^th graders and they really enjoyed them. This book would also be a good read aloud.

The plot is interesting and engaging. The clever use of three word sentences is very well done. Kids can relate to the characters and teachers/administrators are not made out to be big, bad, mean adults.

I’ll be recommending this book and Clements’ other books to 3^rd-5^th graders for years to come. Any school kid who enjoys books where kids stand up for something and make a difference will probably enjoy No Talking.

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com; Buy it from Barnes & Noble

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

WoW #31: Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

Zondervan November 2013

About
Happily Ever After ...Or Happily Nevermore? Gisela's childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father's death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela learns the duke's son, Valten---the boy she has daydreamed about for years---is throwing a ball in hopes of finding a wife, she vows to find a way to attend, even if it's only for a taste of a life she'll never have.

To her surprise, she catches Valten's eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.

Why I want to read it

I love Melanie Dickerson's other books and can't wait to read her version of Cinderella!

Pre-order it:

Amazon and ChristianBooks and Barnes and Noble

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

The Soul of the Rose by Ruth Trippy

The Soul of the Rose by Ruth Trippy. Abingdon Press, 2013. 336p. (9781426767494)

What an enjoyable read! A beautiful romance, intellectual discussions, a bookstore, poetry. What more can you ask for in a novel? This is a book I will very likely be buying for my personal library, one I will certainly recommend when discussing books, and one I will very likely buy as a gift for friends.

Goodreads Summary:

After the tragic death of her closest friend, 20-year-old Celia Thatcher is sent to work in the bookstore of family friends. Hoping the new surroundings in Massachusetts will help her regain a happy outlook on life, Celia catches the eye of not one, but two men: the elite, but unkempt Bostonian-turned-hermit, Edward Lyons, who is clearly trying to run from his past and from God, and Charles Harrod, a charming Harvard law student who promotes a religious belief Celia has never before considered.
With both men vying for her attention, Celia s world is again turned upside down when one of her beaus is accused of murder. Suddenly realizing where her heart lies, Celia is now challenged with a choice bigger than man: should she follow her heart or her God?

My Review:

Celia is a delightful heroine, she’s smart as well as pretty, but the focus is on her love for books, flowers and art, not her appearance. She can hold her own when conversation involves Tennyson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Pascal, Dickens, and Josephus just to name a few. Yes, this book has plenty of literary discussions.

I don’t know anything about the author as I type this but it is amply evident that she understands literature, loves roses, understands Christian apologetics and is a talented writer who can weave all of that into a Beauty and the Beast like tale.

Roses appear in the story often, and this is one of them,
'Shailer's White Moss' Centifolia
Photo credit: Schmid Gartenpflanzen

All of the characters were important to the story and there were plenty of them. There were a few times I couldn’t quite remember which lady in the town was who but that really didn’t detract from the story and there was always a reminder in the scene or conversation that followed. Often times recently written historical romances only contain a handful of characters but I enjoyed the richness of a full cast.

Some might say parts of the book get “preachy” but it is a very important part of the plot and is line with the other intellectual literary discussions in the story – the only difference being the subject matter. The vocabulary is on a higher grade level than most fiction written today which might slow down or turn some people off as well. I ended up reading this book in two sessions even though I can usually manage a book of this length in one sitting.

The romance is clean and the gentlemanly restraint is heartwarming even as the intense physical desire is acknowledged. The tender affection that the Chestleys show for one another is endearing and sweet.

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good discussion about literature and who loves romance set in 1876 Massachusetts.

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com; Buy it from Barnes & Noble

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

WoW #31: Dear Mr. Knightley

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

Thomas Nelson November 2013

About
Dear Mr. Knightley is a contemporary epistolary novel with a delightful dash of Jane Austen.

Samantha Moore survived years of darkness in the foster care system by hiding behind her favorite characters in literature, even adopting their very words. Her fictional friends give her an identity, albeit a borrowed one. But most importantly, they protect her from revealing her true self and encountering more pain.

After college, Samantha receives an extraordinary opportunity. The anonymous “Mr. Knightley” offers her a full scholarship to earn her graduate degree at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. The sole condition is that Sam write to Mr. Knightley regularly to keep him apprised of her progress.

As Sam’s true identity begins to reveal itself through her letters, her heart begins to soften to those around her—a damaged teenager and fellow inhabitant of Grace House, her classmates at Medill, and, most powerfully, successful novelist Alex Powell. But just as Sam finally begins to trust, she learns that Alex has secrets of his own—secrets that, for better or for worse, make it impossible for Sam to hide behind either her characters or her letters.

Why I want to read it

I love Jane Austen and have discovered that there's some pretty good Austen fan-fiction out there. This sounds like another good one and it doesn't sound like the usual continuation of a story or a retelling.

Pre-order it:

Amazon and ChristianBooks and Barnes and Noble

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Greetings from the Flipside by Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay

Greetings from the Flipside by Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay. B&H Books, 2013. 320 p. (9781433676895)

This was a very interesting and odd story and not what I was expecting. Rather confusing too until I read a bit further and could figure out what was going on. I understand why the authors told the story the way they did and they did a great job, but I wish they'd given a few more clues and that the summary didn't make you expect something else.

Actually the summary does the reader a big disservice in that it completely misleads your expectations. Though I think I understand why the publisher, agent, whoever it is who writes book summaries went this route.

Goodreads Summary:

Hope Landon has been rewriting other people’s greeting cards since she was six years old. There’s always a funnier caption in there somewhere. She’s ready to chase her creative dreams in New York City with her fiancé—until he leaves Hope at the altar.

That may give her something to write about . . .

Hope disappears for the time that would have been the couple’s month-long honeymoon, and upon returning learns of her own funeral. Everyone concluded Hope must have killed herself after being jilted. Needing a fresh start more than ever, she heads for the Big Apple only to discover it isn’t easy to rent a place when you’ve been declared dead.

Taking shelter at the YMCA, Hope lands a job at an inspirational greeting card company assisting Jake, the guy who shut down his organization’s humor department. She has lost her faith in love; he needs to find something or someone that will make him laugh again.

Fun and faithful, Greetings from the Flipside will keep turning over in your mind.

My Review:

The summary is correct in that what it describes does happen. Except that it doesn’t. Those events take place in Hope imagination as she lies comatose in the hospital. Yep, the story is about a woman in a coma and the man who sits by her bedside willing her to wake up. (And mentioning that in a blurb probably isn’t a great marketing idea. Maybe?)

Photo credit

I’ve always thought that people in a coma are somewhat aware of what’s happening around them and can hear too. So I found it fascinating to read a story of a character who absorbed bits and pieces of who was around her and what they were saying while she was in a coma.

Both story lines were engaging and the characters were interesting. I really liked Mikaela and her straightforwardness in the coma world. And Jake was a great hero. Sweet on Hope since childhood he never was bold enough to approach her after she bluntly critiqued his card in first grade (or was it kindergarten?), but now that he was there when the accident happened and she’s lying there comatose…well, he can’t stay away.

Now that you’ve been warned about the very out of the ordinary plot and aren’t expecting a “normal” romance where the couple heals each other’s past hurts and find their hearts restored to love. Except that’s exactly what happens. Just not in the way you’d expect. Now that you've been warned, go read this book if you enjoy unique contemporary romance stories, or stories about coma patients.

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com; Buy it from Barnes and Noble

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

WoW #30: The Governess of Highland Hall

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky
Series: Edwardian Brides, #1

Multnomah Books October 2013

About
Worlds lie between the marketplaces of India and the halls of a magnificent country estate like Highland Hall. Will Julia be able to find her place when a governess is neither upstairs family nor downstairs help?

Missionary Julia Foster loves working alongside her parents, ministering and caring for young girls in India. But when the family must return to England due to illness, she readily accepts the burden for her parents’ financial support. Taking on a job at Highland Hall as governess, she quickly finds that teaching her four privileged, ill-mannered charges at a grand estate is more challenging than expected, and she isn’t sure what to make of the estate’s preoccupied master, Sir William Ramsey.

Widowed and left to care for his two young children and his deceased cousin Randolph’s two teenage girls, William is consumed with saving the estate from the financial ruin. The last thing he needs is any distraction coming from the kindhearted-yet-determined governess who seems to be quietly transforming his household with her persuasive personality, vibrant prayer life, and strong faith.

While both are tending past wounds and guarding fragile secrets, Julia and William are determined to do what it takes to save their families—common ground that proves fertile for unexpected feelings. But will William choose Julia’s steadfast heart and faith over the wealth and power he needs to secure Highland Hall’s future?

Why I want to read it

It's not often that you read fiction with missionaries (or former missionaries) in it. Also governess stories are usually a lot of fun.

Pre-order it:

Amazon and ChristianBooks and Barnes and Noble

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Best/Worst Last Books in a Series

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is difficult. I read to much to be able to remember the specifics of series endings, so this list is about the last book in the series - not how the series ended. And it's not a rating of the series as a whole - it's just the titles I found first while browsing my goodreads lists. (Clicking the cover of a book will take you to the Amazon page via affiliate link.)

Top Ten Best/Worst Last Books in a Series

Worst
1. Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery

I just never cared for the last few books in the Anne series. Love the first three. (Kindle edition is free if you're interested in deciding for yourself.)

2. A Duke's Promise by Jamie Carie

I really did like the first two books, but the third one seemed to target a different audience - one that was a bit more mature, but also one that was more apt to like fantastical twists to their historical adventure fiction. Here's my review of each book: The Guardian Duke and The Forgiven Duke and A Duke's Promise

3. A Texan's Choice by Shelley Gray

Again, I enjoyed the first two books but book three seemed to try to tell too many stories at once and didn't spend enough time on the story I was most interested in. Here's my review of each book: A Texan's Honor (#2) and A Texan's Choice (#3)

And I'm going to have to leave it at three because I can't find another series whose last book I didn't really like close to the others. Now if we were talking about TV series season endings… that's another matter all together. The dramatic and traumatic endings of Downton Abbey Season 3 or Sherlock Season 2 and the seeming never ending wait (although I just watched all the episodes for the first time last weekend so I don't have as much to complain about).

Best
1. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

Further up and further in!

2. Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs

Only two books in this series, but I love how this book wraps up the story. Which reminds me, I should put this on my reread list.

3. A Home for the Heart by Michael Phillips

The series The Journals of Corrie Bell Hollister is eight books long and I liked that last two books best.

4. Falconer's Quest by T. Davis Bunn & Isabella Bunn

I didn't care very much for the other books in the series, Heirs of Acadia but the last one was good.

5. Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

A great series all the way through. Here's my review of book one and two: Dealing with Dragons and Searching for Dragons

 What series endings (story line or book) do you think are the best/worst?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund

Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund. Bethany House, 2013. 384p. (9780764210488)

I’d forgotten how much I enjoy Jody Hedlund’s historical fiction. And she writes true historical fiction – it’s based on real events, mentions real people, and yet is a work of her imagination. Going into it I didn’t remember or didn’t know whose story she was somewhat telling. I’m glad of that – it let me just enjoy the story and not wonder what was based on historical happenings and what was made up. But at the end I got to ponder of the story and reflect on the historical couple.

Goodreads Summary:

In 1763 Massachusetts, Susanna Smith has grown up with everything she's ever wanted, except one thing: an education. Because she's a female, higher learning has been closed to her, but her quick mind and quicker tongue never back down from a challenge. She's determined to put her status to good use, reaching out to the poor and deprived. And she knows when she marries well, she will be able to continue her work with the less fortunate.

Ben Ross grew up a farmer's son and has nothing to his name but his Harvard education. A poor country lawyer, he doesn't see how he'll be able to fulfill his promise to make his father proud of him. When family friends introduce him to the Smith family, he's drawn to quick-witted Susanna but knows her family expects her to marry well. When Susanna's decision to help an innocent woman no matter the cost crosses with Ben's growing disillusionment with their British rulers, the two find themselves bound together in what quickly becomes a very dangerous fight for justice.

My Review:

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were fun and witty. There was suspense, romance, danger, a wise and unconventional grandmother, plenty of wit, and it shows a side to pre-revolutionary war colonial American politics that I haven’t read a whole lot about.

Braintree is near the bottom ~14 miles south of Boston

The story takes place mainly in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1763. The war at this point is over a decade away but already people were grumbling against the taxes, many were unhappy with having to feed and quarter British soldiers and smugglers honed their sailing skills.

The mystery was well written and I could feel the icy fear of the girls as they ran through the forest. The author did a great job of balancing out the evil with good.

Oh and the romance was really rather scandalous considering the time period; but quite good and it somehow managed to be proper for the most part. Bit of a contradiction I know, but it’s still true. The author has a knack for writing a great kissing scene without it being too much.

If you like historical, clean romance set in pre-revolutionary war America then you should read Rebellious Heart. 

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com; Buy it from Barnes & Noble

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

WoW #29: Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley
Series: The Brides of Last Chance Ranch, #3

Thomas Nelson October 2013

About
In a case that could change her career, Miranda uncovers a love that will change her life.

When Miranda Hunt sees the classified ad for an heiress to the legendary Last Chance Ranch, she knows assuming the identity of Annie Beckman is the perfect cover. As one of the finest agents for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Miranda has been tasked with apprehending the Phantom – an elusive and notorious train robber thought to be hiding on the sprawling ranch.

But she isn’t the only one there with something to hide. Wells Fargo detective Jeremy Taggert is working the scene undercover as well. And although their true identities are a secret, it is impossible for Jeremy and Miranda to hide the spark that flares between them.

But neither is about to let romance interfere with such a huge case. Besides, Miranda hasn’t removed Jeremy from her list of suspects yet. The closer they come to uncovering the identity of the Phantom, the more dangerous he gets – and no one on the ranch is safe.

But neither are their hearts – the longer Miranda and Jeremy spends working together, the harder it becomes to keep their feelings in check. Their careers – and their lives – depend on solving this case. Love will have to wait.

Why I want to read it

That cover is eye catching, as is the title. The first book in the series, Dawn Comes Early, has been on my to read list and since this one sounds quite interesting I'll have to start the series sometime soon.

Pre-order it:

Amazon or ChristianBooks or Barnes and Noble

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Make You NOT pick up a book

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is book turn-offs but I'm going back and doing words/topics that will make you not pick up a book. They are rather similar and I had started but never finished this list. Some of the following are quite popular these days, but it's just not for me. Everyone has their own tastes and preferences.

Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Make You NOT pick up a book

1. Erotica
Yeah, no, see Philippians 4:8

2. Horror
I've got a good imagination when it comes to reading, not a fan of giving myself nightmare material.

3. Steamy covers 
See #1

4. Vampires, Zombies, werewolves, witches, etc. 
Not a fan of creatures from the dark side being the main focus of the story. And see #1.

5. LGBT 
See #1

6. Futuristic 
I like history, the future is just all speculation (and rather far-fetched speculation at that).

7. Love Triangle 
Usually involves a silly female who can't make up her mind and a guy who's going to get his heart broken. Well, a bit of an over generalization, but still it's not my cup of tea.

8. Dystopian 
Similar reasons to #6

9. High school relationships 
I've read two good ones, but for the most part, what's the point of dating in high school? It just leads to heart ache; distraction from family, friends, school, etc.; doesn't last; and why rush into adulthood? And thus, why read about it?

10. Paranormal 
Guess I kinda already covered this with #4, but angels fall into this category and not necessarily into the other. Yes, I believe there are angels and enjoyed the Hallmark Mrs. Miracle movie but no, they don't fit well into fiction. I don't mind miracles happening in fiction, but having an angel or angels as characters… I'll pass.

What are some book turn off for you? What topics make you not start reading?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.