Linda Howard Book Junkies discussion

That would be heartbreaker for me. Is there a way to go to the link to connect with the topic of criteria for review.

I agree with you I don't like sad endings, victimization like sex slavery etc, I don't like Horror, books that go on and on with sex, however I am a fan of Christine Feehan and she does that in her books I have just found I skim those areas enough to realize they are still having sex and then go on from there. There have been times when I probably only read about half her book.

Dee wrote: "I agree with you I don't like sad endings, victimization like sex slavery etc, I don't like Horror, books that go on and on with sex, however I am a fan of Christine Feehan and she does that in her..."

I so agree with you with all your comments. I like my HEA, I prefer horror referenced and not written in detail and if a book is filled with sex I find I skip over it most of the time.

I hate the same things. As I read for relaxation, then I want to have good feelings while reading the story and after finishing it, perhaps have dreamy smile.
I dislike books that are depressing, hopeless, babble about chaffy things, have weak characters or give no character development. When reading some thriller, I prefer not to read all the gruesome details or sit in villains head. Also too detailed investigation report or stupid detectives can be turn-off.
While reading romance, I don't want to read only about sex, especially if its too detailed and takes over storyline. I want to see relationship development, friendship, connection, sizzling chemistry, humor, strong and sassy heroines, sexy and protective heroes (tired of all those ruthless millionair/billionaire heros).
I also hate books that are written so that they reveal too much too soon, so no mystery, no tension. Oh, and I hate f-bombs and dirty talk.

Hear, hear CD and Eve! I totally agree.

If it has millionaire or billionaire in the title I tend to run in the opposite direction as quickly as possible!

I dont like dark, gritty, raunchy, or manage reads (they typically contain rape and physical or mental abuse of women) so I tend to avoid MC Romances, Rock Star Romances, and Mafia Romances....I have found a couple of exceptions but for the most part not my cuppa.

Oh and nothing that contains cheating!!

I hate/dislike the same things. Please gimme something sweet, fun, emotonial, well written, thoughts provoking, with strong and smart characters!!! News are gloomy and depressing anyway, so why should I spend money on books that make you feel depressed.

Like Dee, I hate the human trafficking books, also don't care for fantasy/paranormal books. Straight romance is a bore. I want my romance with humor and mystery/suspense.

I'll second the no cheating and I'm not into the love triangles either.

I hate when authors don't write a scene logically for instance when characters talk and waste time when silence and/or exiting the scene is crucial. I think then the character(s) are TSTL. I also hate it when detectives don't investigate the crime scene they just assume the a person is guilty. I think that is lazy of both the detective and the author.

I also agree with you Eve with the F-Bombs. when I hear the H telling the h he wants to F her. I am so totally turned off I want to stop reading the book.

I agree with marika and eve. Give me a book that dies not have profanity or explicit sex scenes. I also dislike mysteries, that are too obvious, and have violence. I started sycamore row but it was too violent, because I dislike books that have suicide in them. I also don't like books that seem like they were written by a fourth grader.

I'm on the same page with all of you for my books....[no torture, physical or verbal abuse detailed... no scifi or vampires or shift changing, etc.]. I want contemporary romance with intelligent, adult characters who are basically good people. I'm ok with women escaping abusive partners like LH's Running Wild or a bit of paranormal like Dream Man , but not more than that. I don't want YA or NA, love triangles, swapping, etc.

I also want writing by people who know the differences between to and too, their/they're/there, etc. and who have had their manuscripts proof-read for grammar errors, characters' names, etc. Nothing turns me off faster than an author who has changed her characters' names in mid book or other sloppy writing.

When an author writes a scene or the dialog just doesn't feel right, it kicks me out of the "zone" and it just jars. It is hard to get back into the novel's "world" when that happens.

I so agree with you. When I read a book that has one of my pet peeves I just can't get into the book. IF I manage to finish the book it is a guarantee that I will NEVER read the book again.

Small pet peeves I can sometimes overlook if they don't re-occur, but major ones or small ones that repeat through out the book can make me so frustrated.

I'm currently reading a book where the h is named Yardley with a nick name of Yard. Naming of characters can make or break a read. I hate when I have no idea how to pronounce a name or if a name just seems to be "off" or if the characters have too many names as in being called their first name, their last name, a family nick name, a friend nick name, etc. In the current book having a nick name of Yard just really seems weird.

I agree that the name thing can be a real distraction. I find the multiple name thing in SEAL books a lot. When I have to stop and think about who that is, it is just annoying. I agree, Yard is just plain strange.

The worst "name problem" for me was Anna Karenina!
I haven't read many classics or books set in Russia since!

Or speaking of names, since I am an American I really don't know what the reason is but when someone gets a title all of a sudden their names changed to the title of whatever. For instance the man's name might me Joseph Williams and then he inherits a title like the Duke of Whatever, and all of a sudden all his friends are calling him Whatever. Can some of our members that live in countries where this happens please explain it. I would really like to understand that.

OK, I have to do a caveman slam. In the book I just finished the leading men are cavemen. Granted it's a post apocalyptic novel where you need to be tough and other readers say you have to expect it and it is what it is. But I still can't handle it. The men are throwing the women over their shoulder and slapping their a** and the women are like they don't like it but they understand it and they love the men anyway. UGH, my frustration level was so high during this book.

Ewwwww...not for me either.

I stick with contemporary romance, and the first hero that slaps a woman gets what he gets in real life....you're out of here! Don't let the door hit your a** on the way out ...forever.

Another pet peeve is when a book in a series can't stand alone and to top it off unless you do some investigating it don't know it is a series. When I go to the library and I pick up a book that is in a series if it says book 5 of whatever series I won't read the book unless I have the first four books. If there is nothing telling me it is a series and I get the book and can't follow it because it is number five of the series, then I put it down, forget the book and the author.

BG (before Goodreads) I would walk into the library and walk out with a bag of share paperbacks. I had no concept of a book series or reading in order, I just read whatever came to hand. Then I started liking certain authors and discovered they had books that were best read in order and I started tracking publication dates and I would hold on to the books until I had them all and could read in order.

I agree in regards to series. I don't mind when characters from earlier books reappear in later books, but those characters need to be developed in the current book and not just rely on the past books for their development.

Even when I have read the complete series I don't like when authors parade all the prior couples/characters through the current book like it's a runway of Miss America past winners. Their presence in the current book must serve a real purpose to the plot.

I did the same thing, Anita. Now if it is an author that I am aware of has a series I will look to read their books in order, but often times I am at the library and a title and then the synopsis interests me. If I know it is a series and I will make an effort to read it in order, but sometimes I just want to pick something up without having to go to the trouble of seeking out the librarian to find out if this is a series.

Dee what I Also find annoying is when the library has the book but it is under a different title. How am I supposed to know that plus they don't have half of the books in the series so I have to inter library loan the books.

Oh I so agree. I haven't found the different titles, but I have found how they don't have all the books. or they are all on e-books. My old kindle will not support the library books.

Dee, I'm on my 3rd Kindle and it can be a real pain to transfer your personal e-library. That said, I could not live without my Kindle and access to the public e-library system.

I had a Kindle Fire and a Kindle Paperwhite. The paperwhite is still working but the Fire died this summer. I haven't replaced it yet but I miss the organization and ease of it versus the paperwhite. (I think that is what Amazon called that version.)

I love my Paperwhite, but I fear that I'm getting near the memory capacity.

I know I've deleted quite a few books from my paperwhite. I could always download them again, but the ones I've deleted I would probably never re-read.

All my e-books are either in the Amazon cloud, on Calibre, or through the library Overdrive system. I've got 810 books on it right now. If I bump against the limit I can delete and not lose anything.

I think my kindle was the first one they made. I inherited from my step dad. I have thought about upgrading to a Fire or a Paperwhite, but truthfully I prefer to hold a book in my hands. I also can use my roommates Kindle if I want a book from the library. I figure I will just save the money.

Dee wrote: "I think my kindle was the first one they made. I inherited from my step dad. I have thought about upgrading to a Fire or a Paperwhite, but truthfully I prefer to hold a book in my hands. I also can..."

Dee, even with a kindle, almost everything I check out of the library is a book. I really do enjoy books, too.

I've got a new "Books I dislike or hate". Serial killers and those authors that write them. With the exception of Karen Rose, I hate them. I've got Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda Novak to read as an ARC and I just can't bring myself to do it.

So I'll procrastinate and read First Star I See Tonight by Susan Elizabeth Phillips instead. I got it yesterday and it is fantastic. Vintage SEP.

I also hate serial killers. Especially if author forces reader to read the killer's thoughts/"explanations"/actions in deep detail. Huuhhh. Way too depressing.

@Anita, so good to hear about First Star I See Tonight :)
At least SEP can deliver, love her humor and sarcasm. SEP's interview with ... Herself was LOL. She's one crazy woman. Cant wait to read First Star, it should arrive next week.

I read SEP's interview. Delightful. Loved the crack about Oprah and the books she chooses for her "book club".

I can handle the serial killers as long as they don't go into too much detail, but I cringe when there is too much detail and especially if it involves children.

I have a long wait for First Star at my library so I'll be jealous when I read your reviews...

I have to ditto what you all have said about serial killers, I normally like Brenda Novak, whereas Karen Rose is too dark for me. However, I am not sure about the subject matter so I will refrain from making a comment.

On the lighter side I am so excited SEP's book is finally out. Now I just have to wait until the library gets it. Usually not that long after the book comes out.

I just finished a book "where did you go , Bernadette which I would not recommend.

Thanks for that. Why didn't you like the book, Wendy?

Dee wrote: "Oh I so agree. I haven't found the different titles, but I have found how they don't have all the books. or they are all on e-books. My old kindle will not support the library books."

What I have had to do is look at the books by the author and do research. A lot of time the books are there, but under a different name, so after I research, sometimes the librarians have to as well. They have been very helpful. I go to goodreads, amazon, or sometimes the author's website, and it tells you the new name of the book. fiction db has been an incredible website as well.

Dee wrote: "Thanks for that. Why didn't you like the book, Wendy?"

It was not a romance, but they want you to feel sorry for bernadette. I didn't feel sorry for her, and found part of the time that her daughter was very annoying.

Wendy wrote: "I just finished a book "where did you go , Bernadette which I would not recommend."

Who wrote it. I want to make sure I don't get it.

Maria Semple. I just finished a Lucy Kevin book I did not care for, because it was too predictable. It was called The Wedding Song.

Dee wrote: "Wendy wrote: "I just finished a book "where did you go , Bernadette which I would not recommend."

Who wrote it. I want to make sure I don't get it."

Maria semple. I would also not recommend lucy kevin, the wedding song as it was very predictable.

Lucy Kevin is another pen name for Bella Andre aka Bella Riley.

The Lucy Kevin titles are supposed to be "sweet," I guess, but I was bored by the writing.

I really hate books written in first person present tense.