Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Pet Peeves

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  I'm excited to participate; after all, I make lists FOR EVERYTHING!  This week's topic focuses on bookish pet peeves; for example, things that annoy me in stories, annoying book covers, or annoying things in the book store. You know we all have them!


1.  Insta-love- You know what I'm talking about. When the girl, who barely knows the guy and probably went on one date with him to the diner, has instantly fallen in love over a plate of cheese fries.  She now cannot live without him and cannot make a decision without him either.  And she possess the mentality of don't judge me, because it's true love.  NO THANKS!


2.  Teen Speek- I don't know, like, what is for, like, homework, ya'll.  I was totally out last night at a freakin' amazeballs party and forgot to, ya know, do it.  Seriously? Teen speak, when done well, is believable, but when it's over the top, it makes me want to jump out of my window. I've broken up with a series because of this. I've said, "You know, it's totally not you. It's, like, me. Totally."


3.  Stereotypes- I can't stand them in young adult literature. They always make the cheerleader the ditzy mean girl or the jock a moron.  Then there is the dreamy Jordan Catalano type (am I showing my age here with this reference?) that is elusive, dark, and doesn't do his homework.  Can't there be the nice cheerleader that isn't hating on the nerds or a jock that isn't giving nerds wedgies?


4.  Books Out Before Their Publication Dates- Listen. I secretly love when this happens, because I feel naughty when I happen to come across a copy of a book before it is actually released, but after you read it secretly, you just feel dirty afterwards. Or is it just me? Comon' B&N...at least learn the publication date of the books you are selling! I'm such a rule follower.


5.  Everyone and Their Mother Writes a Memoir-  It doesn't matter that you are twenty years old, sure, you can right a memoir too.  Yes, Bristol Palin, I'm talking to you! You have little to no life experience and you already have tales to tell? For real? Lets leave the memoir writing to people that actually deserve it.


6.  Unbelievable Events- Oh. Man. I hate this! You know what I'm talking about...The female protagonist is in an unbelievable situation and then all of a sudden in swoops the male vampire/angel/werewolf protagonist that somehow gets said damsel in distress out of the extreme situation.  After the male saves the day quickly, things are all good...all of a sudden. 


7.  Boring Teachers- Part of me dies whenever there is a boring teacher in a young adult novel and it happens often.  Comon! There are cool teachers out there and ones that don't say in a monotone, "Today class turn to page 65 in your text book and read this chapter SILENTLY." (Insert evil laugh here!)


8.   Bookstore Employees That Know Little- Hello! You are supposed to be the YA expert! How could you be recommending that book when there are all these other FABULOUS books out there? I always cringe when I overhear a child or parent asking for a book recommendation from the "YA" expert at the bookstore and the recommendation they give is horrible and from thirty years ago.  I almost want to jump in and say, "No! Don't do it! If you liked Hunger Games, then read The Maze Runner instead!"


9.  Rushed Endings- News flash! Nobody enjoys them. Things are going well and then all of a sudden the author ends the story without warning and/or believable events to close the situation.  I'm always left saying, "What the heck just happened?"


10.  Stickers- I'm going to have to agree with Jamie when she pointed out how she loathes stickers on her books.  Whether it be a sticker actually covering over the synopsis and then you can't read the summary (the horror!) or stickers on my book for no reason-- it's a huge no-no!


So what do you think you of my list? Do you agree? I found it very therapeutic to vent out all of my bookish frustrations. So, tell me....did I miss anything that you think should make the list? Do tell!




24 comments:

  1. Insta-love and stickers totally drive me crazy!!!! Great list. I agree with just about every one! :)

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  2. I mentioned that I hate it when book stores don't have the books out ON their release date, lol. Great list! :)

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  3. I definitely agree with all the elements that make a book unrealistic that you listed (insta love, teen speak, stereotypes, unbelievable events, boring teachers). And I LOL'd at your #4! :)

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  4. I definitely agree with all of these. My major one though is the whole instant love thing. If that happens then I'll just be rolling my eyes the whole way through.

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  5. Stickers are horrible!! I forgot about "Teen Speak" That drove me crazy in The Uglies series...

    You have a great list :)

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  6. I'm so with you on the insta-love. I just tire of it, whatever happened to taking the time to get to know someone? Instant attraction, sure. Instant I'll-die-without-you love? Pass:)

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  7. I'll shut a book in a heartbeat over "insta-love"...WHATEVER! I learned a long time ago that real life ain't no Cinderella story ;)

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  8. Amen! I'm with you all the way!

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  9. I'm with you on all of these and will add on the following:
    1)Whiny "heroines" whose life aren't actually that bad. Yes, I'm looking at YOU, Bella Swan.
    2)The helpless idiotic female always having to be saved by her competant sexy boyfriend. Again, I'm looking at you, Bella Swan because I totally blame your author for this trend.
    3)Telling and not showing writing. I hate this kind of writing. It's boring and bland and lazy and half the time the author doesn't back up what they're writing.
    4)Making your MC have a really high GPA to show that she's "smart" but then having her make really dumb decisions in the book but still expecting the reader to buy that she's smart. Having a high GPA doesn't automatically give your character a pass. I know plenty of people with high GPAs who are actually quite dumb real life wise.

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  10. so agree with so many points! i have to say working in a book store that if i didn't know the answers or couldn't find someone that did know then i'd just flat out say because it's better than lying to a customer.

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  11. ugh instalove :( also love the one about teenspeak. even worse is adult books who are trying too hard to be hip and trendy and oh so cool.

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  12. Good point on the boring teacher bit!

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  13. I completely agree with all of these! Great list!

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  14. Insta-love!! HATE IT. The first time I watched West Side Story (I think I was 10) I looked at my mom and said "This is dumb." when Tony started singing "Maria." *true story*

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  15. LOL! Amazing post! And agree with all of it. Especially the recommendation part. I have to hold myself back several times from ambushing a poor unsuspecting book browser and recommend stuff. XD

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  16. Great list! I am so in agreement with you on the insta-love!

    I heart Jordan Catalano forever!!! :)

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  17. I'm constantly at bookstores where the sales staff knows nothing about any book in any part of the store. I am constantly helping people especially in the YA section, seriously the staff needs to learn a little bit about books. Or if they don't want to learn they should just pay me for going around and doing their job, just like re-shelving books because they are in the wrong place.

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  18. Oh, great post! Loved number 7. Haven't they heard of Mr. Feeny? :)

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  19. Bristol Palin has a memoir? Seriously? I did not know that! That really is mostly ridiculous!

    Agree on so much - insta-love, too much over the top teen speak (that really dates a novel), clueless bookstore workers!

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  20. Stickers ARE horrid!!! Why put them on when the price and barcode is print on the back of the book. I guess some stores scan their own barcodes and use different prices, but stickers are still pitiful! You cant ever get them off with exponential effort! guck!!

    lovelylit.blogspot.com

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  21. I couldn't agree more with everything you said. Bravo! It seems like it's become a prerequisite in YA to incorporate the "insta-love"- I wish it would be outlawed! Same with all the other stereotypes--the mean girl/cheerleader, the hot supernatural guy who no other defining quality except for his "hotness", the absentee parents (why are there never any real families), etc etc...I could go on and on! GREAT post.

    PS I was obsessed with Jordan Catalano too :)

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  22. I dislike insta-love as well. Why do authors do that?

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  23. Yeah, the memoirs. Usually I like a good memoir but there are so many out nowadays that it's hard to tell what's worth reading anymore. I've come across some real stinkers in the past couple of years.

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  24. i love your list...insta-love and teen-speak both drive me crazy! also, books where the apparently popular stylish girl is described as wearing completely hideous clothes...

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