The meme Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
I am so happy I have this opportunity to vent. I think I have more than just ten bookish pet peeves, but the ten bookish pet peeves that get to me the most are:
1. Dog-eared books. Is it so hard to use a bookmark? You don't have to buy one; you can find something in your home, I'm sure, a piece of paper or a string.
2. People who write, draw and underline words in library books. I would take their library cards. If you feel the need to maul a book by writing in it, buy your own copy.
3. The lack of standalone books. There are too many trilogies and book series out there. I like a story to begin and end in one book. I like a few trilogies/book series, but currently the market is overflown by them and I'm almost afraid to start reading a book these days, fearing it will have ten sequels.
4. Detailed descriptions of bodily fluids. Perhaps authors who do just that think they are cool because they are not afraid to write just about anything. But detailed descriptions of vomit, sperm and a woman's period just turns me off entirely. These things simply disgust me.
5. Love triangles and instant romantic connections. I'd really love to read a book that doesn't feature a love triangle (teenage girls can't be that indecisive) or in which the couple gets to know each other before deciding that they love each other and can't be apart. Instead, what I get is one look that determines everything. Ugh.
6. Literary snobs. I love the classics and read them when I can, but I don't think they are the best thing humanity has produced in fiction. Literature keeps evolving and people who think that only the classics are worth their time (because if you say you love the classics, you sounds so sophisticated...apparently) should read some Neil Gaiman (for example).
7. Librarians who scoff at what you check out of the library (literary snobs, part II). I know two such librarians. If I check out a classic or some drama, they look pleased. If I check out a Kathleen E. Woodiwiss romance, they turn up their noses. What is their problem? Snobbish much? Very much.
8. Present tense narration. "I look through my window and see Fred./She looks through the window and sees Fred." I don't even comment on it in my reviews because then I'd pretty much have to "pick on" every second novel out there, but it does bother me. I like my narration to be done in the past tense.
9. People who ask me "Why do you buy books when you have a library card?" I don't buy books all the time. But I do indulge sometimes, the way other people buy DVDs and CDs. They don't go to the library to borrow them. There are just certain things we want to own because they have some value for us.
10. People who read the last page of a book first. Seriously - why bother reading the book if you know the outcome? So silly.
10 comments:
I really hate snobbish librarians and people who don't know what is the difference between buying and borrowing books.
Here's my meme:
Evie @ Bookish
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Happily, I haven't run across too many snobbish librarians. (Though I have worried about my literary taste being judged by library staff as I tend to mostly check out fairly silly books--I usually buy what I consider the really "good" ones :)
I was with you until #10--I love spoilers! I blame it partly on my middle school library that seemed to be full of nothing but the 2nd book of trilogies. So by the time I was able to read #1 I already know most of the secrets!
Wow, snobbish librarians! Really? I guess I'm lucky, I haven't come across that but how can you work in a library and judge people for reading!?! Also I don't understand people who read the last page first...I added that to my list because it drives me nuts too!
Snobby librarians, that is just wrong. Tsk, bad bad librarians.
And yes I dislike the teen triangle, instant love I can deal with, just as long as I get some "real love" in other books
Oh I agree with every single one! My library put in these fancy, self serve library check-out machines and I practically cheered. No more dirty looks from some librarians when I check out something other than Moby Dick.
On that note, I do love the classics. Not to sound sophisticated, because I truly do not love them all, but because I actually got lost in the story. However, I also enjoy contemporary novels, YA, thrillers, etc. Variety is the spice of life and judging people based on their reading choice is LAME!!
Rachel-Endless Reading
I buy more books than I check out from the library bc I like to write in my books...I do like bookmarks though rather than turning down the pages.
Book snobs are the worst...I don't think I've ever met a book snob librarian though ;)
This may sound ridiculous, but when I read a mystery, I often go to the back of the book to find out who did it. In that way, I can savor the clues the author has left for us. This habit makes my husband nuts!
I wholeheartedly agree with 1 and 2 (and most of your other peeves but those two especially speak to me). Have you ever seen a library book where someone corrected a grammatical error? Even though I approve of that, it still bugs me.
I try really hard, as a librarian, to not scoff or make a judgment on a patron's selection, though often I am asked for my advice. Reading is good even if the person chooses something I wouldn't.
Oh I agree with so many of your points! When I made my list today actually had difficulties restricting myself...!
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