We all have them: those things in a book that just drive you crazy. Otherwise known as-
Bookish Pet Peeves
Here are my personal top 5 bookish pet peeves:
1. Editing Mistakes
Whether it's a typo, grammatical mistake, or spelling error, once I see an editing mistake, I can't ignore it. It's there, tugging on the back of my mind for the next chapter or so. The worst, though, is when there are multiple, frequently. One or two I can live with, but when every page seems to have an error- it drives me crazy!
2. Instant Romance
I'm sure most people would agree that instant romance is extremely annoying. It throws the reality of the plot off center. What's worse is when the plot is driven by the romance, because then the entire storyline is centered on this unrealistic "love".
3. Models on the Cover That Look Nothing Like the Character
I know there are some of you out there who just dislike models on the cover of books in general, but I can live with it. However, I can't stand it when the model looks nothing like the character they represent. I don't mean small, insignificant details, but the color of their hair, the tone of their skin, or the color of their eyes are all things that should coincide with what the author describes. I also dislike it when they're wearing something the character never wears. If the character doesn't ever wear a dress in the entire book, the model on the cover shouldn't be either.
4. Printing Mistakes
I recently read a book that was covered in these random specks of ink. And not pen ink, printer ink. The specks obscured letters, showed up in the margin, and were just everywhere. It was just so annoying, because I kept trying to brush them off... but they wouldn't go away! Another printing mistake I can't stand is when the page is not aligned correctly, meaning it's off center or crooked, the words leaning one way or another.
5. Dust Jackets
Don't get me wrong, I love hardback books. I love how I don't have to worry about the spine breaking or the cover creasing. However, the dusk jackets are just exasperating. I like being able to look at the actual cover of the book, but it seems I (along with many other people, I'm sure) end up slipping the cover off the book until I'm done with it. Whenever I try to read the book, the cover slowly creeps up or down, and it seems like the jacket gets creased or bent while traveling in my bag. Dust jackets, while good looking, are simply impossible.
So those were my bookish pet peeves! What are some of your annoyances when it comes to books, and do you disagree with any of mine?