Top Ten Bookish Pet Peeves

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book meme run by The Broke and the Bookish. Find out more information about it here.

This week’s topic:

August 9: Top Ten Tuesday REWIND — go back and do a topic you missed over the years or recently or a topic you really want to revisit — I’ve made a handy spreadsheet to help (currently in the process of finishing it)

I was on vacation last week and am just getting back into the swing of blogging again, so I wanted to do a topic that was fun but easy as I work on gnawing away at my miles-long to-do list, especially since I just realized I only have three short weeks before I have to go back to university (cue massive panic).

So I’m doing an easy throwback topic: bookish pet peeves. Here are the top ten things I can’t stand about books, plots, characters and more.

1. Dog-Eared Pages:

I can’t stand having a book with creased corners unless it’s a school book (it’s basically craft time when I have a book for school). I like all of my pages to be smooth and perfect when reading a book.

2. Leaving the House with an Unprotected Signed Book:

I always carry my signed books outside of the house in a crocheted book cover or a plastic bag. I don’t want them to get creased, damaged, wet, etc.

3. When the Model from the Stock Photo on the Cover Doesn’t Look Anything Like the MC:

In general, I hate when there’s a person/face on the cover of a book because I’m the type of reader who gets a thrill out of picturing the world and all of the characters that an author builds in my head while I’m reading. And I like as little external influence as possible. So it’s annoying enough to have a stock photo interfering with that, let along a person that doesn’t even match the author’s vision.

4. Whiny Characters:

I’m all for characters who are having a tough time. But I can’t stand characters with voices that border on or fully enter the territory of whining. This always takes me out of a story and makes it impossible for me to fully connect with a character. Sometimes these characters can be redeeming in the end, but I find that it’s very rare for me to enjoy

5. Books That Start Off Really Great But Don’t Finish Strong:

Nothing is more disappointing than falling in love with a book and its characters for the first half and then hating the second half or wishing the story ended sooner than it actually did. These stories often don’t end up working for me and while I try to finish every book that I read, some of these are nearly impossible to read to the end.

6. Characters Who Don’t Have to Deal with Consequences:

Another thing that I absolutely hate in books are characters that always seem to get a slap on the wrist, especially when it’s used as a plot device. I love to see deep and complex plots with characters who are punished for their wrongs and have to figure out ways to make things right again.

7. Instalove…When It’s Done Wrong (Which is Often)

I love a GOOD instalove story, but generally, my favorite romances are unrequited or slow burns. If two characters are going to have an immediate love affair, I need some conflict somewhere. It can’t be the entire point of the story.

8. Books Told From TOO Many POV:

My issue with books told from too many points of view is that I always end up slogging through one character’s chapters and waiting for my favorite to have some page time. If a book with a bunch of POV is going to work for me, I have to be equally invested in all of the characters, and I have found that’s rare (or I’m not reading the right books).

9. Preachy Books:

I pride myself in being a fairly intelligent and open-minded human being. I don’t need a book to scream a “message” at me through a figurative megaphone. I have a brain and I’m going to take away something different from a story each time I read it anyway. I like complex stories where there’s a lot to take away, not just one happy adage at the end.

10. Series That Drag

I have come to love the duology. Two books. No middle lag. Usually start to finish action. But if I find out a series is going to have four, five, six books then I probably won’t even bother. I prefer standalones above anything else. To me, there’s nothing more satisfying than having the whole story in one package with no wait time for the next installment. I also love companion books because they generally don’t rob me from my love of the first book.

What are some of your bookish pet peeves? Do we share any or are yours totally different?