I don't know about any of you, but when it comes to books and reading I have quite a few pet peeves. While many of my pet peeves are minor, causing nothing more than an eye roll, the presence of others can ruin a book for me. So, without further ado, here are some of my biggest bookish pet peeves:
Weepy Heroines. I don't mind some crying in novels, especially if the subject matter is such that staying dry-eyed would be unusual, but a heroine who cries or who is on the verge of tears on seemingly every other page irks me to no end. The result is usually me giving a book a low rating.
Love Triangles. I love a good love story, but I'm growing tired of reading novels that feature a woman trying to decide between two men. It's usually pretty obvious which choice the woman will make, but, unless he's characterized as a jerk (a la Daniel Cleaver from Bridget Jones' Diary) I often find myself rooting for the rejected party -- who is usually portrayed as somewhat boring and nowhere near as attractive or charismatic as the man who, in the end, wins the heart of the heroine.
Historical Characters with Modern Day Sensibilities. It drives me nuts when a character in a work of historical fiction is portrayed in such as way that they could be plucked right out of their novel and easily placed in one set in the modern-era. Even if a character defied the conventions of the age in which they lived, they would still, for the most part, have an outlook on life that would in many respects be considered old-fashioned by today's standards. As such, historical characters should not be given modern-day sensibilities.
Terms of Endearment. Okay, this one probably bugs only me, but it drives me batty when male characters continually use terms of endearment such as 'sweetheart' and 'honey' when talking to their significant other. I can't explain why this bugs me, it just does.
Unexplainable Book Titles. Do you ever finish a book and wonder where on earth the title comes from? This has happened to me on a few occasions. Wolf Hall, a novel I absolutely love, is one such book. Even after reading Hilary Mantel's explanation for the title I still don't think it fits the novel.
Now that I've shared some of my bookish pet peeves, I'm eager to hear some of yours. Share them below.
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