Bookish, Not Boring: Bookish Pet Peeves you didn’t know you had but totally recognize

What is Bookish, Not Boring?

For those who are new to my blog, The Shamelessly Bookstruck, I’d like to summarise all about this feature. Bookish, Not Boring is a weekly meme hosted by The Shamelessly Bookstruck. I’ve written tons of lists in my journals that are all about books and characters and ramblings. To share that with other avid readers, I post a Top 5 bookish list every Thursday (although if I’m unable to squeeze it into some of my jam-packed weeks- I’ll make it up to you).

Bookish Pet Peeve #1: When the movie is better than the book.

One of the universal pet peeves of book lovers is when people like the movie better than the book, or when they’ve only seen the movie and not read the book. It’s annoying, but also it’s their own choice.

I absolutely hate it when I am forced to do something. (I am terrible at completing read-a-thons and reading challenges.) So, I can’t expect others to love books as much as I do. There’s also the fact that my best friend is much more of a binge-watcher than binge-reader. I’ve had to come to accept it. *shake my head*

My bookish pet peeve is when I, me, myself like the movie better than the book. That’s soooo frustrating and soooo annoying. Angry thoughts start blowing up my mind- ‘Shruvi, you are a hypocrite!’ I liked the movie better than the book in many instances and none of which I can recall at the moment. Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Eingle is one.

But, I still recommend books are better than movies. (I never claimed that I listen to myself *shrugs*)

Bookish Pet Peeve #2: When it is visible that someone’s bookshelf is absolutely untouched.

I once visited a friend (before pandemic, of course!) and she had the perfect bookshelf. Open shelves, Placed in an open, well-lit room. And it had tons of books all colour coordinated. The only problem was that they. Were. Untouched. I know for a fact that she just wasn’t that neat-freak. The pages were moulded together.

How is that even possible that someone wouldn’t want to read the books immediately as they arrive? I do regular self-control exercises when I have to convince my brain NOT to finish the book in one go.

It’s even more annoying when the books are untouched, beautifully decorated and on my TBR. Life definitely isn’t fair.

Bookish Pet Peeve #3: When you are promised to go out for a movie when you could have been reading.

This happens to me a lot. I promise to do something fun, not only go out for a movie but go shopping or something else, and then I miss my book.

Books with can’t-put-it-down plots are both a blessing and a curse. The book is all I think about when I’m reading it. Especially thriller and SFF. Contemporary YA- not so much.

Bookish Pet Peeve #4: When I’m gifted a book I don’t want/ already have.

At the risk of being doubted as a bookworm, I admit that I hate giving/ receiving books as a gift. There are many reasons-
1. You don’t know for sure whether he/she will like the book. (Even if you have the same taste in books).
2. You don’t know for sure whether he/she even likes to read.
3. You don’t know for sure if he/she has already read it.

Unless of course you directly ask the person if they would prefer to read the book. And this is a really good idea. I was once gifted a book this way, and despite the fact that I already knew what it was, I was pretty excited to open it.

Bookish Pet Peeve #5: Books without blurbs. Just back covers saying how awesome it is.

Mostly classics have this problem. Even Goodreads doesn’t have the accurate blurb.

I absolutely need blurbs. I can’t read without them. I know they are partial spoilers in the opinion of many, but I find them necessary. I never rely only on recommendations without knowing what it is about. I’ve disliked many popular books to do so.

When a book doesn’t have a blurb on it’s back cover- or anywhere else- it’s soooo annoying. Okay yes, the book is “marvellous” or “masterpiece” but how do we know the storyline isn’t just another cliché? Not only is it frustrating, if you ask me, but it also affects the reader estimate of the book. If I am scrolling through books in a library, I won’t waste my time searching for the blurb of a book (I know, I know- I’m lazy *shrugs*) when I have tons of options to choose from. Be honest, would you?

Do you have any other bookish pet peeves? What are your thoughts on them? I’d love to hear all about it. You can comment below or email me.