The Favourite Books That Would Make People Walk Out of a First Date

Twitter users have been sharing the book titles that would make them walk out on a first date.

“You’re on a first date with someone, and they tell you the name of their favourite book. You immediately leave. What’s the book?” was asked originally by @OGBrenna, and then by @TheMicheleWojo, and the court of public opinion answered!

Many were predictable answers, citing popular novels of the past decade and political books, and others included literally anything by their least favourite author.

Ayn Rand seemed to top the poll, along with her novel Atlas Shrugged, with one reader calling it “a 1000 page long manifesto about everything a 14-year-old believes about free market economics,” and another saying that “if you made it all the way through that book and decided it was your favourite, you are very likely an extremely boring person and probably not a good date.”

Others that predictably made the list included Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf, any book by Donald J. Trump, and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series which prompted one reader to beg their imaginary date to read another book, saying “if a person hasn’t progressed beyond YA literature, I suspect we’ll run out of things to talk about sooner rather than later.”

A few surprise answers came up, such as Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, Roald Dahl’s The BFG, and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Some very popular book series like 50 Shades, and Twilight also made the list, along with some titles people just feel were overhyped such as George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, and, amusingly, The Bible.

Some people said they’d be glad just to be on a date with someone who reads, and that enjoyment of a book shouldn’t be judged. One person replied with a post by a librarian about how literary choices should not be looked down upon, and that there is really no such thing as an inappropriate book for grown ups.