Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

What are your pet peeves about books? Could be elements of the plot, stupid characters, bad writing, or something external, like price of books, print size, ugly covers, whatever.

Cliff-hanger endings! Please, trust that your readers will WANT to read more from you, don't "force" us to get the next book to find out what happens!

Books (mostly Fantasy or SciFi in my experience) that have a HUGE cast of characters, all with names you’ve never seen. So many characters that there is a list of all of them with relationships in the beginning of the book. When I see this I quietly put the book back. Even if it’s a good story, I will be lost the whole time, not knowing who is who. I know the list is there to refer to, but who wants to interrupt their reading all the time to figure the cast out?

Multiple POVs where the character voices sound the same. This really pulls me out of the story and makes me think about how the author was writing it. It especially irks me when one POV is of an alien (sci-fi) and they sound the same as the human POVs.

When the main character is truly unlikeable or stupid. When authors essentially write the same book over and over and just change the names. And yes, the prices are getting out of control so much I just got a library card for the first time in decades.

When characters speak to each other in a different language without there being either a translation or at least enough context to make the dialogue easily understood. I understand why authors do this, but as the reader, it pulls me right out of the story because I feel like I'm missing something. I usually try to use a translate site to figure it out, but it doesn't always work very well.

Also, a probably very petty pet peeve of mine, but it annoys me when the character in a book (often thrillers) falls in love or sleeps with the police officer, lawyer, detective, etc. who is helping with their case. It ruins my immersion because I get caught up on things like how the relationship would affect the logistics of the case (ie. admissible evidence) and it just seems so unprofessional. At least wait until their case is over!

I also don't like the "bait and switch" of main characters that happens in some series. When the author sets up one particular character to seem like they are the main character, but then someone else takes greater prominence in the series and the original main character is put on the backburner. I don't mean companion books where each focus on a different sibling, friend, etc. but more like a fantasy series, where the first book focuses on one person and then the rest of the series focuses mostly on someone who originally seemed like just a side character.

Rachel wrote: "When characters speak to each other in a different language without there being either a translation or at least enough context to make the dialogue easily understood. I understand why authors do t..."

Family Lore did the different language thing! I only have very basic Spanish and it bugged me. What more for those who have no Spanish background at all.

Just a slight pet peeve is the trope where at the end of the book, the narrator says something like "And I wrote it all down and that's the book you're reading now" especially if the fictional book has the same title as the actual book. IDK why it bugs me, maybe I think it’s corny. But it doesn't really bug me enough to affect my star rating for the book though.

@Rachel A. I dislike the falls in love with the first responder trope, too. There are so many problems with it. There are laws against those in authority taking advantage of victims. It is very cringe.

My pet peeve is when a historic novel has the characters using slang or speech patterns from today's society. And why do so many female characters talk like they are teenagers?

Geographical inaccuracy. When a character gets on a train in Oxford and gets off in Cambridge (though that is in the pipeline) or when Norfolk is just south of Edinburgh.

Historical novels where the characters have phony-sounding dialogue like, "I was just passing the tavern and I heard George Washington say. . ." or "As you remember, when your father took over the business. . " - If they remember, why say it? Any phony-sounding dialogue. It seems like book characters call each other by name in the middle of sentences more than anybody in real life.

British characters using American terms, like elevator instead of lift, or American characters using Britishisms, like "I have done" in response to a question.

Also the author inserting info dumps about history/geography/science, etc.

I am actually fine with other languages in books or anything that makes it seem like you were just dumped in there. I prefer that over too much explanation. But as someone who has studied languages, I hate when a character just picks up a language fluently in a short time .

I am annoyed with books that cost over $20.00 and have big print and lots of white space. I call that a "2-hour book" (for how long it would take to read) and refuse to pay for it. I'll wait for it at the library or someday at a 2nd-hand store for 1.00. I am annoyed with the price of books in general, so I rarely buy brand-new ones except when I get gift cards as presents. (Last Christmas, I shared my GR Want to Read list with my son and he bought me 5 or 6 books from used book sites for the money it would have cost for 1 or 2.)

Historical Ficiton Authors who fail in their accuracy of the period. Also those who do not include at least a comment on their research efforts.

I'm sure I have others, but the pet peeve that pops to mind first is when books have those feathered pages. (I think there's a word for it, but my brain is mush and it's not coming to me) It makes me turn like 5 pages at a time and I can't easily flip around if I need to.

Book prices are insane! I refuse to buy a new book for myself and even often buy used for friends and family if I'm gift giving.

My biggest pet peeve is when the conflict in a story arises from poor communication.

In romance books, I don’t like alpha male jerks as main characters, but I think those types of books are really popular! I prefer men who treat the woman they love kindly and not as a possession.

When publishers change the cover design for a series in the middle - so all the later books are in one style and the earlier books don't match (or you have to go and buy a second copy of the earlier books in the new cover art if you want them all to match)

Non fiction authors who throw in useless information just because it's tangentially related to make themselves seem smart.

Nonfiction books where the authors spend more time talking about themselves than their subject.

Books that spend 90% of the book building up to a big fight/showdown/conflict, only to have the action over in 2 pages and then spend the last pages showing how all the complicated problems were solved so the book can end as quickly as possible.

The move away from paperbacks to trade paperbacks so the stores can charge more.

Jennifer W wrote: "I'm sure I have others, but the pet peeve that pops to mind first is when books have those feathered pages. (I think there's a word for it, but my brain is mush and it's not coming to me) It makes ..."

Deckled edges, and I have a love - hate relationship with them. I think they *look* so cool, but the reality of flipping them is so annoying.

My book pet peeve is when the cover design for a series is inconsistent. Like, what do you mean the 3rd book is going to be completely different looking from the first two? My shelves deserve better!

I'm not that attached to the covers because I don't keep most books after I read them but I dislike covers that don't match the characters at all, like the heroine is shown as tall and blonde, while the story says she is short and redheaded, etc. I usually prefer not to have depictions of characters on the cover in general.

Kathryn wrote: "My biggest pet peeve is when the conflict in a story arises from poor communication.

In romance books, I don’t like alpha male jerks as main characters, but I think those types of books are reall..."

I don't care for the tall, dark, strong, silent hero either. I have a theory that he represents a father figure and girls always wanted more attention from him. I didn't have a father like that and never wanted a boyfriend like that either. I also don't have a weakness for "bad boys".

Jackie wrote: "My book pet peeve is when the cover design for a series is inconsistent. Like, what do you mean the 3rd book is going to be completely different looking from the first two? My shelves deserve better!"

I literally had that this morning! I have a copy of The Belles that I bought from Book Outlet with the original cover with a girl on it. Earlier today, I saw that not only had a third book apparently been released this year, but they've completely changed the cover designs for all three. I can get the second and third in matching covers, but if I want the first one to match, I'd have to rebuy it. Technically, it's not such a big deal since it was a Book Outlet book that I got for about $5, but it's still annoying!

Glad to see a few others understand what I mean about the language thing in books! I was a bit hesitant to bring it up because I've seen it mentioned in pet peeves lists elsewhere and met with comments about it being insensitive or "not the author's problem" if readers don't speak the same language they are using which would be realistic for their characters. I do get that, but at the same time, surely it helps the author if a reader understands their story without getting frustrated?

Jackie wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "I'm sure I have others, but the pet peeve that pops to mind first is when books have those feathered pages. (I think there's a word for it, but my brain is mush and it's not comi..."

Yes! Exactly! They even feel nice, until I'm trying to read!

I don't like it when audiobooks have a full cast and music - I prefer a single reader.

I also hate big twist endings and unreliable narrators.

Mysteries and thrillers which are fine up to the last chapter when everything gets explained very, very, very quickly.

Historical fiction that sounds out of period -usually in terms of dialogue or names of characters.

Foreign language used without translation - Thomas Hardy I'm looking at you.

Cover trends - one successful book has a cover with a green dress on it, then umpteen other books have something very similar.

We do seem to share the same peeves.

Robin P wrote: "British characters using American terms, like elevator instead of lift, or American characters using Britishisms, like "I have done" in response to a question..."

You know what, I caught myself saying pants instead of trousers the other day, I was horrified with myself. You do hear plenty of Americanisms here these days, especially from younger people who pick up things online, so I'm actually less bothered about it in contemporary books.

My pet peeve is writers saying British accent when they mean an English accent, but I've kinda learned lately that a lot of Americans do think England and Britain is the same thing so I just quietly seethe over it now.

The unnecessary romance plot or love triangle.

Robin P wrote: "I'm not that attached to the covers because I don't keep most books after I read them but I dislike covers that don't match the characters at all, like the heroine is shown as tall and blonde, whil..."

Drives me crazy too, Robin

So man of these! I don't like when the book becomes a movie and they put the actors on the cover. I open it quickly without looking ha.

On another note, it should bother me, but doesn't when I see someone wrote in a library book correcting errors or adding some info. I wonder who did it and am reminded of how many hands the book has passed through.

I dislike historical novels where the female protagonist acts like a modern woman. Women faced many restrictions and hurdles back then, and it should be acknowledged.

Historical novels that get the facts wrong - authors who don't want to do the research should just set the book in modern times or a fantasy world.

Thrillers with "lots of twists and turns" - I know they are popular but when the twist negates the past hundreds of pages I've just read, it seems I've wasted my time.

"Misery books" where nothing positive ever happens to the main character.

Joy D wrote: "I dislike historical novels where the female protagonist acts like a modern woman. Women faced many restrictions and hurdles back then, and it should be acknowledged.

Historical novels that get t..."

I agree on these - making the characters suffer a lot for no good reason
Totally ridiculous twists - like a person was such a great actor and had such a great disguise that nobody ever realized they were an imposter, or whatever


As far as women in historical novels, I am ok with Regency romances that are totally unrealistic about women doing science, business, speaking their mind, etc. Everything else is unrealistic in most of those books with all the servants being well-treated and happy, lots of handsome unmarried young dukes, people taking a lot of baths, nobody having bad teeth, and the men doting on their wives and children. I just pretend that the whole genre takes place on some other planet called "Regency".

I can see your point about Regencies. I steer clear of them for that reason, plus I dislike romances in general.

My pet peeve is poor research. If you're going to set a book in a place or time you don't know then make sure you get the facts right. I don't mind as much for older books but anything released in the last few years has no excuse. You can find a map, biography etc. online very quickly. Or find someone who knows.

On audiobooks, my pet peeve is mispronouncing names of places, people, or even ordinary words. Look it up, people! Good editors/narrators will go so far as to call the city hall in question to confirm how to pronounce the town name. in fantasy/sci-fi books, check with the author (if they are alive, that is) and don't randomly change the pronunciation of a name from one book to the other.

Most professional readers are pretty good but I still catch mistakes regularly. Then there are more subtle ones, like mispronouncing the two kinds of "bow" - of course for hair or arrows it is "bo" and with a curtsy it is pronounced "bough". But if something is "bowed", which meaning do you intend? And even subtler is intonation. In one book, the narrator said "They went to the antique BARN", that is the emphasis was on barn. That indicates the barn was very old. They should have said, "They went to the ANTIQUE barn" because it was a place where the owner sold antiques. We also have that in expression like "The WHITE house" for the US president's home, as opposed to "the white HOUSE" in "I live in the white house on the corner."

I'm a sucker for ambiguity, subtlety, and subtext; I get annoyed with authors who don't trust their readers enough and feel the need to overexplain every emotion or development, but I understand why they do it. Not everyone wants those things. For example, I loved the ambiguous (and apparently controversial, if you look at the reviews) ending to In the Woods by Tana French. Readers who require a blow-by-blow explanation to feel satisfied seemed the most disappointed by this one.

I'll also agree with Kat: obvious lapses in historical research will take me out of a story very quickly. One popular WWII book had a main character in wartime Germany eating cereal and orange juice for breakfast. Umm...what?

And continuing on with historical attitudes, it's a pet peeve of mine when historical characters have modern attitudes. It's another writing trend that is understandably popular with many readers, but feels like a cop-out to me, a way to gloss over interesting ways characters can realistically engage with difficult, complicated historical attitudes and themes.

@Robin, I agree with the audiobook pronunciation peeve. I was listening to a Canadian book in which the narrator kept pronouncing toque or toke. One is a winter hat. The other is smoking a Marijuana cigarette.

The first time, it was funny. The subsequent times, it was annoying since it was an important clue for the mystery.

* That is toke instead of toque.

"Liberry." It annoys when people IRL say it but even more for an audiobook. If you're a book about a library, make sure your reader says the darn word right!!!!

I hate books set in libraries or bookshops. They are overused settings, and I think it shows a lack of imagination by the author. I groan whenever I see this on a plot summary. It’s a big turnoff for me.

However I have read a few books that I have reluctantly loved with these settings!

Kathryn wrote: "In romance books, I don’t like alpha male jerks as main characters, but I think those types of books are really popular! I prefer men who treat the woman they love kindly and not as a possession.."

Even more, so the book where the male character does some violence against a woman (not even as far as rape- although we all know Rhett Butler raped her!) and then she falls in love with him. No wonder women are so messed up about such things! And the fact that one of the most popular series of books today is based on such a relationship and when you say something, the fans make excuses for Jamie..... grrrrr,,,,,

I am tired of dual timeline books where a young woman finds a diary/ring/dress etc. and finds out something about her mother/grandmother/neighbor. She goes to another country and finds about the previous woman being a spy/expert in something/part of a doomed love, etc. There is always a young, handsome, single man in the new place.

I also dislike books where the blurb says "Jennifer had a perfect life, with a great job and happy family. Then one day. . ." Basically something horrible happens to her.

Just came up with another - a book is set in the past, or a character time travels to the past and they become another Forest Gump, meeting lots of famous people just by chance.

Lots of good ones here that I wholeheartedly agree with.

This one may seem a little petty, but I’m sick of the use of the word “padded” to refer to walking, as in “She padded over to the door to let her murderous black cat back inside.”

I generally dislike novels that are written in the present tense rather than the past tense unless there are very good reasons for doing it that way and it’s well-written in other respects, e.g., interesting characters, creative plot, snappy dialogue, etc. I’m also not overly fond of novels that feel like scripts for action movies or video games, which often seem to be written in present tense.

I find it irritating when the author of a non-fiction book spends way too much time talking about where they traveled while they were researching the book and describing the people they met rather than talking about the subject they were researching, as in “I flew to Iceland to talk to Erik Johansson, a silver-haired glaciologist with a sparkly wit. He met me at the airport and took me to a local restaurant where we talked about volcanoes while sipping local mead that was strong enough to defrost a frozen mammoth carcass. He told me my questions were very good ones, but that I’d be able to get better answers from his colleague in Honolulu, Sarah Langenpfeffer. That was the next stop on my itinerary so I bid him a fond farewell and headed back to the airport to prepare for a very long flight.”

Books written in second person. I just really hate that, and there's really only been one book that I'd put as an exception (The Night Circus) and it's mostly in third person with just a few sections in second.

Kendra wrote: "When publishers change the cover design for a series in the middle - so all the later books are in one style and the earlier books don't match (or you have to go and buy a second copy of the earlie..."

Yes!!!! I also hate the new trend of covers that basically look like boxy AI - come on! I adore Stephen King, but his new novel has a cover like that, and I am seriously considering waiting until a better cover is released before I buy it. (knowing that I will absolutely cave and get it because - well - Stephen King.)

Andrea wrote: "I don't like it when audiobooks have a full cast and music - I prefer a single reader. "

Me, too. There are a few that I have thought were okay that had different readers, but it has to be well done and for a good reason. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo had different narrators and it worked. I really don't like the full cast that has music - and I'm a professional musician! LOL.

Robin P wrote: "On audiobooks, my pet peeve is mispronouncing names of places, people, or even ordinary words. Look it up, people! Good editors/narrators will go so far as to call the city hall in question to conf..."

LOL - we could be friends. :) Yes to everything you said. I recently read a book that mentioned a town that is a Denver suburb, and they mispronounced it (I live in the Denver metro area). I yelled the correct pronunciation out loud. My husband thought I had lost my mind. :)

My biggest peeve of all is bad editing, in which I include books where the editor could have tightened up the page count considerably (a certain c.1,400pg thriller published last year immediately comes to mind - sorry, no thriller should be longer than War and Peace). I edit for a day job (financial research) , so when I find poor editing in books, it really annoys me.

Rachel wrote: "Also, a probably very petty pet peeve of mine, but it annoys me when the character in a book (often thrillers) falls in love or sleeps with the police officer, lawyer, detective, etc. who is helping with their case."

Oh, I'm with you on that one. Especially when said first responder/lawyer is also part of a "love triangle" - I'm so over those, especially in Cozy Mysteries.

There are a lot of peeves in this list I agree with, especially Tracy's "too many characters" one, Denise's TSTL characters (another issue I have with some Cozy Mysteries), poor research - both historical and generally - and confusing UK English and American English terms. I'm currently reading a book by an American author set in England and she has British characters (as well as her American author character) talking about "subdivisions" - that grated. Yes, housing estates may sound odd to the American ear, but that's what we call them. And I've read a couple recently where poison ivy comes up - not something you get in Britain, which even Wikipedia can tell you.

Also, like Kendra, I'm really not a fan of second person narration. It just feels wrong, even when occasionally it turns out that there was an actual reason for it - as I discovered when I finally finished Harrow the Ninth on the third attempt - rather than just the author sounding pretentious.

Another one for me -- when two characters have very similar-looking names. I don't skim but I tend to read fairly quickly and it's easy for me to mix up names when they look too much alike.

I also don't like when there are lots of characters in a book but the author hasn't done enough to make them distinctive. I read a book recently where I literally forgot who most of the characters were from one day to the next, so by the time I picked it back up, I had to keep flipping back to see who everyone was. It pulled me right out of the story.

Agree with many, even if I haven't yet read books where some of these things occur. And definitely agree with Perri on the book made into a movie with actors on the cover. I'm lowkey disgusted every time I see those in a bookshop.

I also really hate the "love at first sight" trope. What do you mean you're in love after three bland conversations? At least if the actual banter was good and they had chemistry I'd be a bit more convinced, but that's never the case.

Another romance pet peeve is when it's revealed that the love interest (most often the male love interest) has had feelings for the main character since the very beginning or even further back. It just feels like the development of the relationship through the book is cheapened.

Trish wrote: "My biggest peeve of all is bad editing, in which I include books where the editor could have tightened up the page count considerably (a certain c.1,400pg thriller published last year immediately c..."

Thanks for reminding me of some more - the female amateur detective who goes alone someplace at night to "investigate" (without telling anyone, of course). Lawyers, police, military people who do totally unprofessional things (including falling in love with their clients and enemies.) The "talking killer" - a staple of movies as well - when the sleuth is captured by the killer, the guilty party doesn't bump them off right away, instead they describe in detail how and why they did the crime, giving time for someone to arrive and rescue the hapless detective (or for the detective to grab a weapon, untie themself, etc.)

A new one for me is when a story is told out of chronological order, and it doesn't seem to be necessary for how the story is told. I feel like it's just a sign that the story itself isn't strong enough so the author is trying to make things seem more complex by scrambling it. I had this feeling lately with Age of Vice, Ninth House and Hell Bent, and Fayne.

I think I was particularly annoyed with it in the Bardugo books because I did think the story was strong enough to be told straightforwardly, and many of the jumps were small enough - back and forth on months within a season that it was really hard to keep events straight.

Robin P wrote: "Thanks for reminding me of some more - the female amateur detective who goes alone someplace at night to "investigate" (without telling anyone, of course)...."

And without a working cell phone, or a flashlight, or a winter coat, or .... (name a necessary item that ANY sensible person would bring)