SFF: The 5 Reasons You Choose Not to Read a Book

The Sunday Fun Five #35

Sunday Fun 5:

#22: The 5 Books That Remind You of Spring

#23: The 5 Irish Authors Whose Works You Want to Read More Of

#24: The 5 Books With Endings that Made You Mad

#25: The 5 Sunday Fun Fives I Had the Most Fun With

#26: The 5 Book Maps That Could Be/Are Works of Art

#27: The 5 Books You've Been Meaning to Review But Haven't Yet

#28: The 5 Excuses for Not Reading That Just Don't Cut It Anymore

#29: The 5 Summer Vacations You Can Take Through Reading
#30: The 5 Authors You Just Can't Read Enough Of
#31: The 5 Oldest Books You've Read
#32: The 5 Animal Companions You'd Like to Read More About
#33: The 5 Struggles of a Fantasy-Centric Reader
#34: The 5 Video Game/Book Pairings to Experience Together
#35: The 5 Reasons You Choose Not to Read a Book
For the 13th of September #36: The 5 Types of Reading Slumps Every Reader Suffers

A Countdown of

The 5 Reasons You Choose Not to Read a Book

5. There Aren't Any One or Two Starred Reviews, and It's Been Available For Months
I make exceptions for this one occasionally, but I would hate to read a book, not like it, and then be the only one with a one or two star review on a certain site. Sure, there could be similar reviews in the works, but if at all possible, I avoid those books.

4. The Synopsis Makes Unfulfillable Promises
THIS BOOK IS THE BEST BOOK EVER- SCROLL UP AND CLICK BUY NOW!!!
^That is one example of an unfulfillable promise in a synopsis- also, terrible marketing, as I never click buy if the synopsis has that tackiness in it. Most synopses are more gentle with their unfulfillable promises, saying the book is the next big phenomenon like "The Hunger Games, Divergent, Insert Buzz-Worthy Book Here". There are other examples, but I think you get my drift. Even if they can hypothetically deliver on the promises in their synopsis, I won't be buying it without some serious nudges from other readers I know.

3. No One Has Rated It Below Three Stars- and It Has Over a Hundred Ratings
This one is a bit tricky, but I feel I must add it in here because nothing says red flag to me faster that one hundred gleaming ratings. If it's by Famous Author and it just came out a few days ago, I'd believe it. But otherwise? No. It's highly unusual not to have at least one two-star rating out of a hundred.

2. A "Bad" Review Has Comments... From the Author
I honestly don't care if an author interacts with someone who writes a positive review, but if an author interacts with someone who has written a negative review, I just find it tacky and unprofessional, regardless of what the author says (even just 'thanks for your feedback' is tacky). Almost nothing turns me off a book faster than that, especially when the author tries to 'correct' the reviewer (that happens too much on Amazon, it amazes me).

1. There Are Typos In the Synopsis or In the First Pages
As an author, you are supposed to be a master of the words, regardless of your education. If you can't proofread your synopsis and the first chapter well, it's highly unlikely that you'd proofread the entire book with reasonable skill either. If you haven't proofread your entire book well, I will be editing it to my liking in my head as I read it... and I never enjoy a book if I'm reading it that way.

Is there a reason you'll choose not to read a book? Which books have you passed on recently?