June 22, 2025 (part 2)
Now that I've defined for myself what makes a good book here goes the flip side of that coin.
What makes a bad book:
Takes itself to seriously, preaches.
Author's own shit shows up in the character in inappropriate ways
Endless food and clothing descriptions- why the fuck do I care about food I can't eat, and the color of Reginald's broad cloth shirt...unless it's red and he's standing in front of a bull.
Minute detail that distracts instead of adds
Trite, predictable, overworn, plots and character troupes
Funny for the sake of being clever, I want the humor to be organic not made for the sole sake of amusement... ie the time machine does not need to be shaped like a tea pot Jodi Taylor.
Gray characters. I like them to have depth, but I need to know who they are and what they are up to.
Long periods of isolation and sadness for the m.c.
Monologues of philosophy and theory. You tend to see this in books that are trying to use fiction to convince you...(See 1984)
Magic systems without clear and applied rules
Worlds that are too alien. including aliens of the extraterrestrial sort.
100% realism, blech.
Sex scenes. Really, if I want smut, this thing here gets Pornhub
Hubris in the main character. Hate a unrelenting know it all. (other than myself, who I'm kind of fond of.)
Romance central to the text esp. when it's the "they hate each other, he's a dick but she's attracted to him" bullshit. No wonder women pick asshole men.
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