Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Bookish Pet Peeves

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Here we are at Tuesday again. The rain continues, but I should have an easy day today. Hopefully, I didn't just jinx that. LOL! 

Proving that I am doing my best to think positive and not complain (too much), I haven't talked about bookish pet peeves since July 2014. Funny thing is, those three pet peeves still apply. Today, for your reading pleasure, I give you my...

Top Ten Bookish Pet Peeves

People who don't return borrowed books will forever top my pet peeves list. It has led me to buy books simply so I don't have to loan mine out. Last month I bought someone a book who suggested they would like to read it once I was done. Um...no way. I have lost too many good books because people don't return them.

Bad editing drives me batty. I am the worst self-editor on the face of the planet, but at least I admit it. Don't publish a book unless you have had it edited by a professional. If there are a few minor things I won't call that out in a review, but if poor editing distracts my reading then I will talk about it. 

When people dog ear books. Free bookmarks are everywhere! I've also used slips of paper, a postcard, or even a string of yarn to hold my place. Please don't hurt that poor book by folding over its edges. What did it do to you? 

Too many curse words in a book. I don't find cursing offensive, but too much swearing is distracting and unnecessary. I would have enjoyed On Writing by Stephen King a lot more if it weren't littered with so many swear words. 

Books released with movie covers. I get it. Change the cover and make more money because people who have seen the movie want to read the book. What drives me crazy, however, is when you want to order the original version and can't find it. If I order a book with the movie cover it is simply so I can read it over and over again while keeping my original version pristine. 

People judging a book/series they have never read. Though I admit I won't usually read a book or series when it is wildly popular--just look how long it took me to read the Harry Potter series--it's not because I am judging it/them. I'm simply not a very good follower. I have known people, however, that speak poorly about a book but have never read it. What are you basing that on? 

Characters who act out of character. Have you ever read a book where you totally get invested in the storyline and the characters, but then a character does something that makes no sense for no darn good reason? That drives me insane. If I can't reconcile a characters actions, if they seem to serve no purpose, then it will turn me right off.

Finding my Kindle dead. I'll be honest, I am much more of a printed book reader than an e-book reader, but digital saves space. In addition, virtual book tours sometimes only offer digital versions of books for review (next pet peeve). It seems, however, that when I go to use my Kindle, it's dead. I guess I am watching too much Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. 

Authors only offering digital book review copies. Admittedly, this isn't always the author's decision, but if your book comes in print and digital, you should offer it to reviewers--at least in your own country--in printed form if requesting a review. I am going to spend my time reading your book. I should get it in the format I prefer.

Not knowing I started a book in the middle of a series. Many books in a series stand alone, so it's not unusual to pick up a book, read it, and then realize you just read book three, four, five... Ugh! That is why these days I look for a list of other books by the author on the inside cover. I am just one of those crazy people who likes to start at the beginning. 

What are some of your bookish pet peeves?