Unpopular Bookish Opinions!
As readers, we are very passionate about things relating to our beloved books. As a hardcore YA contemporary reader, I constantly feel alone in my likes and loves, but I have many other opinions, which are not widely shared as well.
- I DON'T like big books.
Something I will NEVER be heard saying - I have no problem suspending reality when reading works of fiction. I have talked about this before. Everything doesn't have to be 100% plausible for me to enjoy a story. I mean, there are even times I welcome a departure from reality. Though, I get miffed, when authors incorporate incorrect scientific principles into their stories, but I guess we all have our hot buttons.
- I prefer ebooks to physical books. I have gone on about this too. My hands hurt, my wrists hurt, my eyes are garbage -- ebooks are just physically better for me.
- I have not, nor will I ever, read a Harry Potter book. Just, nope.
- Calling a book cheesy is not a bad thing, if you ask me. Remember, Hallmark movies make me happy, and as much as people may groan, they also grin when there's a little cheese thrown in there.
- An Abundance of Katherines is my favorite John Green book. I am solid JG fan, but I get really sad, when everyone bashes this book, because I really, really liked it. I liked that it was low drama, and Hassan was fantastic. I just enjoyed the book.
- The book is not always better. I have seen quite a few adaptations, where smart choices were made, when the book was made into a screenplay.
Not always, but sometimes - I like my endings nice, neat, and tied up in bow. I like to know how things turn out. I hate to be left wondering about the fate of the characters or their relationships. And, loose ends drive me batty.
- I actually like insta-love. What can I say? I am a romantic, and I adore the idea of love-at-first-sight.
- I write in, dog-ear, and break the spine, when I read my physical books, and it's ok, because it shows that it was loved.
Go ahead! Call me a monster!
Do you have any unpopular bookish opinions?
Let us know in the comments!
I also enjoy insta-love... but then again there aren't many {any?} romance tropes I don't like. I enjoyed An Abundance of Katherines, but it's not my favorite JG book {that honor belongs to Will Grayson Will Grayson}. But I love me some Harry Potter.
ReplyDeleteTruth! I really do love all the tropes. I also loved Will Grayson, but I feel like Katherines gets bashed a lot!
DeleteI'm not a huge fan of huge books-they intimidate me because they'll take longer to read and I have over 1000 to get to so I'd rather read three smaller books than one big one! I don't read much contemporary at all but I thought An Abundance of Katherines was a decent read and one of his better books. And yes, you are a monster! *grins*
ReplyDeleteI have commitment issues, and when the page count climbs past 500, I usually tap out. Glad to hear there is another Katherines appreciator among us
DeleteLooove your list, Sam! :) I love me some big books. More to enjoy! I can usually suspend reality (to a certain extent) with fiction. I mean, it's FICTION so it's doesn't always have to follow every rule and make perfect sense. I'm good with that. Cheesy is not always a bad thing. :) Agree that the book is not always better! And you and I might be the only two people around who can get on board with some insta-love. LOL
ReplyDeleteI have seen people complain about things that while not likely to happen, are not totally out of the realm of possibilities, and I wanna scream, that it's a work of fiction, and therefore, ok
DeleteYes to ebooks! I prefer them so much more. I mostly like the physical copies to have a pretty shelf or for Bookstagram 😂 and yes on Harry Potter. I tried and just couldn't get into it. I love cheesy hallmark movies! And I get you on the reality. Sometimes I like it when the reality is there and sometimes I don't. Heck, the majority of these romances aren't even real. Some can happen, though. Dog-earing, I used to do this waaaayyyyyy too much. Every fave scene would be marked. I had some books that I would even highlight or write a heart in a corner to know there was a romantic scene there. It makes it more personal, imo.
ReplyDeleteGenesis @ Whispering Chapters
I always feel alone in my love for ebooks. Happy you like them too. I read faster on ebooks, why wouldn't I like them better? We seem to share a lot of book crimes. *high five*
DeleteI also liked An Abundance of Katherines. I’m not sure why that book gets so much hate. I thought it was better than Turtles All The Way Down.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
The JG book I always feel is over loved is Akaska. I liked it, but I knocked off points for gratuitous sex scenes
DeleteI thought I was the only one who actively avoids big books. I get bummed out when I read a good summary but then see it's like 500 pages long. Too much of a time commitment for me!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I burned out from all the fantasy infused to read, but I tend to avoid books with over 500 pages these days
Deleteyou are a monster. i agree with a lot of your statements and i really enjoyed how you put the post together. chuckles and smile go well with my coffee.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
It seems the consensus is, that I am a monster 🧟♀️
DeleteI hate long books too! BUT OMG YOU ARE A MONSTER!
ReplyDeleteI especially hate big books, that should have been shorter *cough, cough* every Zapata book
DeleteHallmark movies make me happy, too!
ReplyDeleteI hardly watch any TV, but I tune in every week for the latest Hallmark movie
DeleteBig books intimidate me even though I read fast. I liked - but am not obsessed with HP. I like tidy little endings too. And I'm fine with cracked spines and dog ears...book should be loved.
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
All those pristine books make me think nobody read them. I have passed my books around, and it shows, but it also reminds me of sharing something wonderful with others
DeleteHaha I can get behind some of these. I do believe in instant attraction, which might or might not develop into a lasting love. I like big books if the book is good haha. A long mediocre book is a DNF for me. Cheesy is NOT an insult - I love many cheesy things so much. Abundance of Katherines IS a good book. The Harry Potter things is a bit puzzling - have you tried the books? Watched the movies? Some reason behind your opting out?
ReplyDeleteI have seen all the HP movies. My aversion to the books is linked to my distaste for the author and a run in I had with some crazed Potterheads at a con. I just cannot bring myself to read those books
DeleteI have to be in the mood for a big book these days, mostly because I know they take extra time and sometimes it feels easier to read two average size books compared to one big one.
ReplyDeleteYou get two times the story in the same amount of time, right?
DeleteI so agree with #2. I like escapist reading so suspending disbelief isn't too hard for me. I mean, if it's WAY out there I might have a little trouble, but generally- not really. And I've read the first HP book, but that was it.
ReplyDeleteI like my endings wrapped up too.
Endings are such a big thing for me, and I hate not knowing. And, like I said, I just hate bad science in books, because as a former science teacher, undoing that stuff is NOT fun.
DeleteWell that last one has me wanting to run screaming for the hills! Lol. A few have me gasping, but I know that not every book is for everyone. I do agree with the movie sometimes being better. Granted, I only have 2, maybe 3 that I enjoyed better than the book. Other times I feel like both were just as good as the other, and then of course I wonder if the movie people even read the book because WTF?! Really, only one comes to mind for that one among what I've read/seen. ;)
ReplyDeleteHere's my Tuesday Post
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
I know! You are a collector of books, so I couldn't imagine you marring them in any way, but I am all about reading it, and passing it on. I have seen a few movies, where I wondered if they read the book (ahem, The Duff, Beautiful Creatures), but I think I feel like you about many of them, and I enjoyed both about equally.
DeleteI agree some movies are better than the books for sure. Especially when they condense in a good way. I love fantasy for the very reason that nothing is real and anything can happen. I also prefer ebooks over hardback and even paperback for all the reasons you mentioned and for the fact that I can carry around my phone or Kindle and have a million books on one device. I love options and ebooks offer me the most options in a limited amount of space.
ReplyDeleteI never have to stress over which books to take with me on a trip or worry about having to pack a second book for my commute, should I finish the one I am reading, because there are thousands of books on my kindle. What's not to love?
DeleteSam, are audio-books more accessible to you than e-books? Just kind of curious about what would feel better as a reading experience. I am a hardcore physical copy kind of person and I have recently started to use sticky notes to comment on stories as I read them. Incidentally, I rarely actually write anything on the notes. Mostly, I try to keep certain sections of a story marked up for when I write about them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on Hassan. He was one of the very first (and very few) Muslim characters I had encountered in a book. I love An Abundance of Katherine's as a whole. I would love to hear more about your favorite adaptations! I tend to be more forgiving with adaptations as a whole. Except for I am Number Four...I couldn't see half of what was on screen. It was all super dark. But, that's pretty much it.
I like audiobooks, but not all books work for me. I sometimes cannot keep up with really detailed plots and tend to listen to primarily contemporary romances. I don't think I have every hated an adaptation, but one that which improved from book to screen, which immediately comes to mind, is Me, and Earl, and the Dying Girl. There were these small changes, which made Greg, the MC more likable, and I like to like the characters. The movie version of The Duff, though a big departure from the book (if you ask me), was a lot better than the book. Granted, they turned it into an average teen rom-com, but I enjoyed it more on the lighter side.
DeleteYes to loved books, and neat endings, and well adapted screenplays. But honestly, give Harry Potter a chance. Ignore JK Rowling - she went mad with power a long time ago, but she finished the books first.
ReplyDeleteIt's not Rowling. I don't tend to read books once I have seen the adaptations. The other way around, book than movie - yes, but I feel like the movies hit all the high points.
DeleteI like when my books look loved, too! A broken spine is great! I also agree that sometimes the movie is better than the book - Ready Player One comes to mind!
ReplyDeleteI have not tired to watch Ready Player One, but I DNFed the audiobook. It started out great, but because repetitive quite quickly for me. I will have to try the film at some point.
DeleteAn Abundance of Katherines is actually the only John Green book I haven't read yet. I don't even know why I haven't yet, lol.
ReplyDeleteYou probably haven't read it, because people always talk about how much they hate it. I think, because it doesn't have any super sad "hook", it gets overlooked. Honestly, I think that's what makes it appeal to me.
DeleteI guess we all have certain things we're ok with being unrealistic and others that bother us.
ReplyDeleteI don't like instalove, but I love that you do! It just shows how everyone has different taste and tropes aren't automatically bad and there are readers out there for every book :-)
I don't think tropes as a whole are bad, but they can be done poorly. If I had to define the type of reader I am, I would say I am a romance reader, and tropes are the core of romance novels. Some authors just do them better than others.
DeleteI'm with you... Call me a book monster but I dont care what people do to their books. I like broken spines and signs it's been read and re-read and well loved.
ReplyDeleteI prefer ebooks, don't care about instalove (if it's written well) and NEED things tied up neatly or I lose my marbles.
We monsters must stick together. We really are kindred reading spirits.
DeleteI agree some book adaptations are better than the book!! I know off the top of my head is To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I actually didn't like the book at all, I felt the writing was just off. Great list!! Loved it!!
ReplyDelete~Kendra @ Kendra Loves Books
Funny you mention TATBILB. My daughter read the series after seeing the film, and was disappointed in book Peter. They cranked up his swoon factor in the movie, whereas, I don't think it had it that high until book 3.
DeleteI really like An Abundance of Katherines! I also don't mind cheese in books, because yeah, some things are just cheesy, but it's fun. I'm also someone who has dog-eared their books and written them. Definitely shows it's well loved. And the book is not always better, I agree. I liked the Dumplin' movie a lot more than the book.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
I don't know if it's because I am old, and life can get too serious, but I enjoy my cheese. I don't know if I enjoyed the Dumplin' film more than the book. I probably hold them in equal regard, but I did like the subtle changes they made, and that ending was so, so feel good, and the casting of Millie was perfection.
DeleteAgreed about books vs adaptations.
ReplyDeleteI never go in expecting the book transposed, word for word, to the screen. I think having that expectation allows me to really enjoy the adaptation.
DeleteSam, I had no idea you were a monster!! I guess it's a good thing you love ebooks so much. LOL! :-)
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Yep. Certified monster.
DeleteI'm with you on e-books. I prefer to read them over physical copies.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I read them faster too, which is always a plus for someone with a TBR the size of a mountain.
DeleteI loke insto love too! But now sam may I ask why you are so dead set against reading Harry Potter?
ReplyDeleteA bunch of things the author said and some bad interactions with Potterheads turned me off the whole thing.
DeleteHey, fellow monster! (*shakes hands*) I write in books too - though I use a pencil these days. But I used to kind of deface books (and even musical albums' inner sleeves) when I was younger LOL.
ReplyDeleteI've never read HP (or watched the movies) either, but in my case, I just wasn't interested. I'm always turned off by the hype, but I would never purposely avoid something just because of that if there were a chance that it sounded up my alley (something I used to do in my younger days). I'm sorry that you got to meet the wrong side of the fandom though.
Fun list, and as usual, fun gifs! 😉
My notes are usually in pencil or I highlight, but since I read so few physical books, it minimizes the amount of damage I can do. I give in to the hype, if the book sounds like a good fit for me, but I hardly read any fantasy, and don't really have any FOMO where HP is concerned.
DeleteQuote: "but I hardly read any fantasy, and don't really have any FOMO where HP is concerned."
DeleteLOL, ditto and ditto!
My life is ok without it, you know? Glad there are two of us XD
DeleteI do agree that sometimes the adaptions can be better than the book! I am someone who loves their ereaders but I still prefer paperback :P But prefer what you want to prefer. I just finished reading all of harry potter and don't recommend them so you stick to your rule about avoiding it! I think there is nothing wrong with some cheesiness as well. I love it <3 I think it's great that you find it easy to suspend your disbelief and hehe short books and medium size books are great :D
ReplyDeleteI remember me and another man at the station were sitting near each other reading - he a physical book, me on my ereader, and this other man comments, that it was good to see someone reading a REAL book. I swear! I am just a bundle of stigmas - romance, ebooks, the list goes on and one. I have zero interest in HP. I don't really gravitate towards fantasy, I have seen the films, I have no FOMO where it's concerned, and have not interest in reading anything written by Rowling. She put a bad taste in my mouth with some of her pontificating.
DeleteI usually never write in my books, I have dog-earred when no bookmark was available. I prefer physical but a nice ebook is good too, sometimes ebooks are just easier but best of all i notice is a audiobook. I like instalove but not all the time. Don't really like Hallmark, John Green and I also have or EVER plan to read Harry Potter - JUST NO. =)
ReplyDeleteMary
So, we are pretty much opposites except where HP is concerned. I like audiobooks, but I definitely ingest the story more fully, when I read it. I'm a visual learner, so seeing it goes further than listening for me.
Delete