This meme is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, and this week's topic is bookish pet peeves. I haven't done a Top Ten Tuesday post in a while (too long!) so I'm happy to be back at it.
And so, in no particular order, my bookish pet peeves are...
1.) When the jacket description doesn't remotely resemble what the book's actually about. You think: "Awesome, this book is going to be all about {insert-exciting-topic-here}
2.) When the jacket description gives too much away and so for the majority of the book you know exactly what's going on even when the main character doesn't. This is particularly deadly if it's a mystery.
3.) When the illustration/model on the cover doesn't look anything like the main character, or there are other inaccuracies that make you go, "HUH? But there is no black cat in Hex Hall! How did *you* get in there?"
4.) When there are stickers or library bar codes that obscure the MOST IMPORTANT part of the cover image. Case in point:
5.) Love triangles where it's really obvious to the reader which guy the author wants the heroine to get with (this often means I end up rooting for the other guy because he doesn't seem quite so perfect).
6.) Love triangles where the girl flits between two guys, absolutely unable to make up her mind, and neither of them calls her on it.
7.) Books that address some psychological issue inaccurately. I majored in psychology so it really bugs me when they misrepresent a disorder or whatever because they're basing it on pop psychology misconceptions rather than real research.
8.) Plot holes. Obvious, gaping plot holes that make me wonder if the editor was on their break when the book went to production.
9.) Annoying or despicable main characters that I just can't get behind. Wuthering Heights, I'm looking at you.
10.) TOO MUCH ANGST. Sorry emo teenagers, but I can only stand so much.
I could keep going here, really, but that's 10 now so I'll stop. I actually quite enjoyed making this list!
What are your bookish pet peeves?
Great pet peeves! I especially agree with 1 and 2, they're quite common and particularly annoying. Lol at the price sticker on the boy's head, I remember looking at in in one of your IMMS and thinking of strange it was. I love the Top Ten topic this week so I think I might join in later :)
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on number one! It's so annoying when the blurb sets you up for something, and then the book is something entirely different. Number six too! I mentioned triangles in my post but the bouncing back and forth didn't cross my mind at the time. It's SO annoying when the guys are "so in love" with the girl that they put up with her practically cheating on them.
ReplyDeleteI especially agree with #7. Having lived with an eating disorder for most of my life, I really can't stand when authors portray anorexia or bulimia incorrectly, or as something glamorous.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, good post!
I completely agree about the love triangle that's actually more like cheating on them. Seriously, how many guys you know would actually put up with that?
ReplyDeleteLike you get annoyed with psychological issues presented the wrong way, I get a red haze when it comes to medical stuff. This happens on TV more often than in stories. I sometimes scream at the screen, it's not pretty.
1-4 are so annoying! I completely and utterly agree with you on those. I love the Harry Potter US covers because they so accurately depict the stories.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes! #3 makes me laugh because that darn cat is still on the Demonglass cover! I honestly just stare at it going, "WHY ARE YOU THERE?!" There's seriously no point, at all.
ReplyDeleteI love Grey's Anatomy :) They actually get it right more than other shows. Though not about the whole everyone sleeping with eachother, we don't really have that many on-call rooms here (it's really just one and you have to go to a mostly cranky secretary to get it and I don't think you'll get the key in the middle of the day). And it doesn't hurt they have McDreamy.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually glad you warned me there's no cat in Hex Hall, I plan on reading it soon and guessing when the cat is coming up in the story would be annoying.
Great list, Danya. I can't help but nod in agreement with the love triangles. If the author is going to obviously pick one of the interest then why even bother with the second option? There is nothing wrong with the main character to like just one person!
ReplyDeleteI love books about dogs and there seems to be a lot of books with dogs on the cover but not inside!
ReplyDeleteReally hate that they put a sticker in the wrong past.
Also hate the blurb says that it is a wonderful book and inside you wonder how did it get published.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
Love your first four especially (they mirror ones that I listed)....I'm not terribly into YA (sorry!) so I feel for you on the teen angst thing.
ReplyDeletehere's my complete list: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2011/03/top-ten-tuesday-bookish-pet-peeves.html
I agree with #1. I read a book recently that has a summary that didnt match the story. One of mine's is when there are too many guys after one girl. Not just one or two but like three or four, an example would be Zoey in the HON series.
ReplyDeleteI pretty much agree with your whole list although 6 is probably the winner for me. I was always seem to be cheering for the underdog too.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at 4. Did you take the sticker off?
YES YES YES! Finally someone who agrees with me about WUTHERING HEIGHTS! I just cannot like that book, no matter how hard I try, because I want to punch all the characters in the face.
ReplyDeleteOoo oo, also -- I swear someone must have placed those stickers intentionally! Honestly! LOL
ReplyDeleteMy worst pet peeve is when the main character *dies* at or near the end! It always feels like a total betrayal by the author. I mean, I've been through this long journey with the main character and come to identity with them, and then you just randomly OFF them? SO NOT COOL. Cynthia Voigt's "The Wings of a Falcon" is a good example.
ReplyDeleteAnother big one are stories with magic where you're not sure how it works, or what exactly the characters' abilities are, or a character will work magic and it's described really vaguely so the reader is left going "Huh?" Dianna Wynne Jones is the big one I'm thinking of here.
Oh gosh, YES, on all of these! You know how I feel about library bar codes on the front! What are they thinking?? That orange sticker on his head couldn't have been a coincidence. Thank you for mentioning that cat on Hex Hall. What's up with that?? I kept wondering if my memory was really bad enough that I blocked out this cat that was apparently important enough to make it onto the cover.
ReplyDeleteYes!! Yes!! I completely agree, but especially with 7!! My BS is in Psych too, and I get SO mad when I read wrong information about disorder! Do your research people or I will hate your book! I can't believe I forgot about that!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I hate it when I hear/read people misuse 'Psychoanalysis'. Almost no one really understands what that actually means, and I find it insanely annoying!