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5 Bookish pet peeves

What is the one thing that grinds your nerves when you’re reading books? For some, it’s insta-love. For others it’s prologues. The characters are all perfect and beautiful. The writing style, bad grammar, info-dumping, killing off characters.

Here are 5 of my bookish pet peeves

 

EPILOGUES

Most of the time, Epilogues are pointless, 1 to 2 pages of needless information about the future of the characters’ lives, or the fate of the world, or some such.

Exceptions: The only time I’m cool with epilogues is at the very end of a series of books. IN HOPE because it wraps up the series, including all of the characters. Hallee Bridgeman wrote an excellent Epilogue in Topaz heat. Lovely 🙂

A LACK OF EDITING

I have read multiple stories that I would have thoroughly enjoyed had it not been for the horrible grammar and/or complete lack of professional editing. The story would have been amazing, and I’d have given some of these books 4 and 5 stars, but due to things like, missing words, inappropriate word endings, terribly passive language, the same similes used over and over again…it’s difficult to finish stories containing a myriad of editing faux pas…es…and I will put it down.

ABRUPT ENDINGS

I will not lie, it is very difficult to wrap up the ending of a book. Sometimes authors choose to use an abrupt ending with some sequence of dialogue that hopefully ties things up. Characters revealing something significant, hinting to the future, or revealing their feelings for each other. Sometimes it works. Sometime’s it’s just…weird….

Exceptions: Cliffhangers. Like the last line in Catching Fire. Best Last Line Ever!

On the other hand…

ENDINGS THAT GO ON FOREVER

Lord of the rings anyone? (Okay so I’m referencing a movie, but come on, how many times does the screen have to go black before the movie is OVER?)

Sometimes, like in Mockingjay, the ending will just go on and on and on after the climax, but there’s no real point to anything written. It’s like, the author’s trying to wrap things up, but maybe there’s too many things to wrap up…or maybe the wrap-up is taking too long…ugh

TOO MUCH SCIENCE

I’ve been complaining lately about how I don’t like reading sci fi. Well, then I sat back and thought about how much I seriously love Michael Critchon. But I could not, for the life of me, get through Jurassic Park 2. Holy Rusted Metal Batman, there was so much science in that book.

Another book heavy on science was Moby Dick. Overall that book was terribly boring anyway, (probably due to the excessive science of whales)

Exceptions: I read Jurassic Park twice. I also loved Micro, one of his last manuscripts published after his death. I think I’m good with modern sci-fi science-y-ish stuff. 

Also, I really do love sci-fi movies. The Martian was amazing. Intersteller, Gravity, Inception…all of them, Amazing! I’m a huge fan of Star Wars as well. However, watching sci-fi is so much easier on my brain than reading through a whole bunch of science I do not – nor will I ever – understand.

 

What are your bookish pet peeves? What will make you want to put a book down and forget you ever read it?

 

8 thoughts on “5 Bookish pet peeves”

  1. With your aversion to science in books, I’d be curious to see if you would enjoy The Martian. Personally, I loved it and thought the science made it more realistic. I think Weir might have perfected the ‘science’ of including the right amount of science in the book.

    As for my pet peeves, it has to be poor grammar. I start thinking about how to fix the sentence instead of staying in the story.

    Good post!

    1. I agree I am with you if the grammar is just terrible throughotu the entire book. If it’s very occasional bad grammar, I’m okay with that. once it begins to take away from the story, then I start to dislike the book altogether. Also – the Martian was an excellent movie. I don’t know if I could handle the book but who knows, maybe. 🙂

  2. Ooh, I’ll have to be careful. I have an epilogue in mine 😉
    Lack of editing, abrupt endings and neverending endings are top on my list too. I’m also averse to love triangles with the bad guy and the loyal friend and the girl who flounders between the two. My other big peeve is the one note villain in fantasy books.
    Great post <3

  3. Aww. I’ve never minded epilogues. Or prologues, for that matter. They’re like bonus features. 😀 Lack of editing, though… Yeah. Editing needs to happen.

  4. Nice list. I kind of like science/technology if it’s not overdone, and I don’t mind a prologue or epilogue if it adds something to the story. It’s grammar that kills me every time — the punctuation errors & misspellings bother me, but it’s the use of words that “sound right” that drives me up a wall (“window pain” and “peeked roof” are two I saw just today). A good editor would be able to fix all of that.

    Anachronisms that would be my pet peeve #2. Like the 16th century historical that featured instant oatmeal and the 19th century historical where the MC said “Cool!” I grind my teeth, and have been known to throw the book across the room.

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