Bookish Pet Peeves

Hey Bookworms!

I hope you all had a great weekend! And I have one more week left until spring break! I do plan on writing and studying during that time so be on the lookout for more posts! Also, sorry for not posting yesterday. It was a lazy day for me.

On the other hand, here are some of my bookish pet peeves for both within the plot and the books itself.

Things I Can’t Stand within the Plot:

Too Fast Timeline:

This isn’t an action movie where everything is so fast it leaves you whiplashed so calm down. I get some things have to be sped up to keep the story interesting but that has to be used sparingly or if used frequently, it has to be done well. Some things just can’t be rushed… LIKE ROMANCE.

Which brings me to…

Insta-love:

I don’t exactly believe in love at first sight, I see it more as lust at first sight. I loathe instalove stories where one party sees their potential lover and becomes so hooked on them that they’re borderline obsessive. I can like some instalove stories where they feel attracted towards each other then slow things down and get to know each other and not “I just saw him 5 minutes ago and I feel as if if can’t live without him/her.” I just want to slap them and say “Yes you can, you’ve done it for X amount of years. Move on.”

Over descriptive:

For this I’m talking about most of the classics I attempt to read. I understand they didn’t have the type of technology we had and were very expressive to make the reader feel as if they’re a part of the story but come on! I don’t want to read an entire chapter describing the way the sun touches her face when she stands looking east with her head raised at a 45° angle. Or 5 pages of dialogue that’s mostly describing the scene rather than talking.

Absent Parents/ Family:

I understand there can be issues with family where the main character isn’t in contact with them or it’s a touchy subject. However, if you clearly establish parents/family at the beginning I expect them to be included throughout the book. Personally speaking, I come from a strict Mexican household. My parents are usually in my business and constantly worry where I am, what I’m doing, or if I am safe. So if the MC says their parents are strict yet go out on adventures, that’s a lie because I can’t even go out with my friends without asking for permission 3-5 business days prior to the event. And the fact that I’m  19 doesn’t mean shit to my parents. As long as I’m under their roof I obey them. I’d like to see more of that in stories. Where family and parents are more involved.

LOVE TRIANGLES:

One thing I truly hate because it never ends well for one person and I think that is unfair but c’est la vie. Love triangles are overused and overrated. If you enjoy love triangles, go you but I can’t support them.

Things I Hate About Books:

Paperbacks Peeling:

This can go two ways. 1) when sliding your book inside a bag and the corners get all banged up and start to peel. 2) the book has a matte finish and it starts to peel to reveal it’s shiny interior. While on the subject of matte covers, I hate how greasy fingerprints are inevitable. I swear I am not gross and I do wash my hands it’s just the matte cover enhances the appearance of fingerprints!

Lending Books to People Who Destroy Pieces of My Soul:

After my experience with an acquaintance, I stopped lending books all together. At this time we were in high school physical education class when we met and both were avid readers. I decided to lend her a book and she would take it out to class against my wishes and peeled off the price sticker and left the sticky part exposed. As a result of being out in the dirt, the pages began to yellow then in found blood (?!) on the side. After her I said no more! And we never talked after that class.

SPOILERS:

I feel like I know the plot to books I’ve never read because people are carefree when posting spoilers. And sometimes they don’t even tag them as spoilers. I get that some books are very well known (aka Harry Potter) and just because you know what it’s about and the people you associate with know what it’s about, doesn’t mean the entire world does too. I get that it can be tiring tagging your spoilers every time but geez not everyone has read the book (same thing applies to shows/movies). I’ve seen people argue as to how long they should wait before not tagging their comments as spoilers and I honestly believe they shouldn’t not tag their spoilers. Not everyone has had the chance to read a book at the same time as you so calm down and keep it to yourself or tag it as a spoiler.

Promising Books That Go Bad:

I don’t like to rely too much on book reviews unless I’m really indecisive and/or trying out a new genre and want to know which book would captivate me. Occasionally, I’ll get a book that has great reviews on Goodreads, but once I start reading, it just doesn’t sit well with me. Most of the times they end up going to the dreaded “Did not finish” pile. Other times, I stick through it all and share my opinions.

Being Interrupted:

Hey, yeah you. No not you, the other one. Yeah, do you not see this book in my hand? Do you know see it open and me putting a finger to mark my spot because you decided to talk to me?

I hate, hate being interrupted while reading and I may have scared a few of my nonreader friends with my death glare when they decide to randomly ask what I’m doing or what I’m reading (to which I respond by holding up the book while still reading). Thankfully my friends know better now not to interrupt me and will ask if I want to be left alone or they wait until they see me either put the book down or finish a chapter.

Well, that’s all folks!

See any of that apply to you too? If not, what are your bookish pet peeves?

Until next time!