Today I am sharing some book-related rants. This is a prompt I gleaned from “60 Blog Post Ideas for Book Bloggers” by Jo Linsdell. These little things all bother me when it comes to reading and collecting book. I wonder, what are your bookish pet peeves? Do we share any? Read on to find out!
1. When I’m collecting a series and the covers change.
While I will intermingle hardcover and paperback with no qualms, it drives me wild when there is a cover design change in the middle of the series. I love posting photos on my bookstagram account and dislike when the change in cover design messes with the aesthetic!
2. When someone dog-ears their pages.
Ugh, this one drives me nuts, perhaps with the exception of textbooks. Bookmarks, sticky notes, and random items like receipts are my methods of choice for saving my place in a book or returning to a section I need to come back to. I hate coming across library books with dog-ears and would be very upset if I let a friend borrow a book and it came back with wrinkled corners.
3. Bad formatting in ARCs.
Have you ever read an eARC that was poorly formatted? This drives me absolutely bonkers. Sometimes I can power through, but if the story isn’t going to end up being a 4 or 5 star read for me anyway, there’s no chance I’ll make it more than 50 pages if the formatting is bad!
I hate when an egalley’s formatting is completely screwed up and makes reading painful.
— winebrarian (@bitchbookshelf) April 27, 2021
4. No exposition.
When I’m reading a book, there needs to be exposition. I can’t rely on dialog. Additional text provides not only much-needed description of the setting and characters, but can add emotion and provide context. Some authors don’t have a strong grip on exposition, and I struggle getting through these books.
5. Book snobs.
Finally, all of my pet peeves are just personal qualms. If you don’t mind collecting mismatched covers or dog-ear your books, you aren’t a horrible person. If an eARC is poorly formatted, it’s not the author’s fault. And while I need exposition to make it through a story, some readers prefer books with stronger dialog. Book snobs who gatekeep other readers, book reviewers, bloggers, and bookstagrammers are the true villains.
Comment and let me know your bookish pet peeves!
Alyssa Lupo-Zulueta
Yes! I hate book “purists” or anyone who acts as a gatekeeper.
And when the book covers started changing for Maryjanice Davidson’s Queen Betsy series I was so bummed. I didn’t like the new covers at all
Kate
It is so frustrating when book covers don’t match 😭
Nadene (TtllyAdd2Reading)
I am with you on the book snobs. I have issues with person who damages the book spine
Kate
Ooh yes, another good one! Though sometimes after many many rereads that inevitably happens for me. 😂
Whispering Stories
I agree entirely with the book covers, or even the height of the books. I have a series (4 books in it), The first and the last are the same size, the middle two are different heights. This was how they were made. Also authors who don’t finish series. I don’t mean end them, I mean when they decide they have had enough of writing a series and then never complete it, leaving the reader dangling. I know of one which I was invested in. It was written by two authors. They did a series with four books and then a spin off series with some of the characters from the first series which was supposed to be four books, they wrote two and have never written anymore. Last one was about 10 years ago now. Still bugs me now that they never completed it.
Kate
Yes, I feel that! I have recently reviewed some books for indie authors and I know the indie author life can be tough, but I was promised a book two, three, four… And they never arrived! I looked into it and it seems like they were never released. And here I am dying to know what happens next, haha.
bookwormscornerblogspotgmailcom
My daughter is always amused at my unintentional gasp when she folds over a page.
Kate
Haha, I like that mental image.
Megan | Bookstacks 'n Golden Moms
Covers and titles changing is one of my absolute top pet peeves!! This is a great list 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing it!
Kate
Thanks so much!
vidya
dog-earing pages is definitely a pet peeve for me.. and of course book snobs too..
Kate
❤️❤️❤️