TTT #261 ~ Unpopular Bookish Opinions

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together

Happy Tuesday y’all! This week’s topic is “My Unpopular Bookish Opinions.” I did a similar post in 2019, same topic, so some of these will be repeats. I like to keep the peace around here which means I rarely put my opinions out there. I’m fairly conservative in my life, kinda straddle the line of being a moderate conservative, so a lot of my opinions are unpopular 😅 And that’s ok. Below are some of my unpopular bookish opinions (at least I think they will be), in no particular order. As always, any books mentioned will link to blog review, Goodreads, or Amazon (affiliate).

1. Listening to an audiobook is the same thing as reading a book.

I will die on this hill. The oldest form of storytelling was oral narration. We, as humans in general, have enjoyed stories in oral form since we could talk. And now, science backs me up. “Whether the words of a story come from listening or reading, it appears that the brain activates the same areas to represent their semantics, or meaning, according to new research.” (Medical News Today)

2. eBooks are better than Physical books.

I love my eBooks. While nothing quite beats the smell of a real book, I will never part with my Kindle or ebooks. I love being able to cart my entire library with me on vacation instead of packing 10 books since I don’t know what I’ll be in the mood to read while there.

3. Sometimes the movie is better than or just as good as the book.

Now, I’m usually the first to point out a bad adaptation, but there are a handful that I love the movie/TV show more than the book or the adaptation is just as good. Stardust, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Wheel of Time just to name a few.

4. Pop culture references should stay out of the plot.

When a book uses things that are relevant to today’s audience in them (i.e. TikTok dance, popular social media meme, etc), it really dates the plot. You can’t go back later and reread as the things mentioned will detract from the story. A series I read and enjoyed did this, and now it’s outdated and will have a hard time finding an audience.

5. You can skip the sex scenes.

I will own it….I’m a prude. I don’t like smut, and I don’t like heavy spice in my books. I’m a closed door kinda girl. I can use my imagination and figure out what happened behind those doors. I don’t need a play by play of each touch and kiss. So if I’m reading and come upon some sex, I skip to the next scene. Do I miss anything in the plot by doing that? Absolutely not.

6. F-bombs don’t belong in YA books. Neither does sex for that matter.

I know that teens use strong language. I know that they cuss and say things us parents would prefer they not say. BUT for the most part, these are older teens, 15 or 16 and up. What publishers and authors seem to be forgetting is that Young Adult is for readers 13 and up. I’m sorry, but my son is now 14, and I do not want him reading some of the YA books I’ve read for the blog because of the romance subplot and sometimes the language. Strong language has its place, but using it gratuitously in a YA book for shock value shouldn’t happen. I know us adults enjoy YA too, but it is for 13 and up. And we need to remember that.

7. Changing the book covers halfway through a series is a big pain.

I know for some this doesn’t matter. But for me, I loathe it. I do not buy physical books that often anymore. When I do, it’s favorite books or books I plan to read again. So when the covers change mid-way through a series and now they don’t match, it really bothers me. I want my books to match!

8. We don’t need a special edition from every bookseller.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a pretty book. However, special edition used to mean a rare copy, or a special copy with bonus content. Now, big releases or releases that are expected to be popular have different special editions at different locations. We have a Target edition, Books-a-Million Edition, Barnes & Noble edition, FairlyLoot editions, etc. Are they still special if you can get it anywhere?

9. Comparing a book to a popular book in the blurb sets unrealistic expectations.

I’ll admit that I have fallen in this trap one too many times. When you say a book is like The Hunger Games or Throne of Glass, I expect high stakes competitions and dystopia, romance and adventure. If you don’t deliver on the same scale as the books you are comparing to, I’m going to be disappointed.

10. Sometimes all I need is a good cover to read a book.

Now this one is shameful to admit. I am most definitely a cover snob. I love covers, they are the first thing I see when looking at books to read, and sometimes I’m influenced to read a book solely on the cover alone. I have a few sitting on my shelf currently that I couldn’t tell you what they are about because I never read the blurb. I just saw the pretty cover 😅

Your Turn! What are some of your unpopular bookish opinions? Share below

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