January 27, 2016 · 10:30 am
We all know what we hate to see in book, but what makes us giddy with anticipation? As a follow-up to my Bookish Bitching post, I will now list 20 things I love to see in books.
- Leather-bound, embossed, gilded books
- Artistic book covers
- A series that matches yet each cover is unique
- Vibrantly colored book covers
- Old book smell
- Box sets for series, especially with pretty/illustrated sleeves
- Complex characters
- Maps at the front or back
- Characters who are romantically involved yet their relationship isn’t based solely on sexual attraction
- Books with diverse casts, especially main characters
- Antagonists who are morally ambiguous
- Atmospheric settings and genres
- Male and female characters who are just friends
- Authors who write a finite series in a timely manner
- Books that cross genres in a unique and surprising way
- Books with illustrations to match the text
- Characters who are human (have strengths, flaws, dreams, moments of weakness)
- Authors who enjoy interacting with their readers
- Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes and Noble recommendations that lead to new favorites
- Books that hit the spot and make it so you can barely put them down
What are some bookish things you love?
Filed under Writing
Tagged as author, authors, bitching, bookish, books, characters, complex characters, diversity, favorites, friends, love, maps, writing
January 25, 2016 · 11:21 am
As readers, we all have things we see in a book that make us roll our eyes or want to immediately put it down. This week, I was inspired by Nate Philbrick’s 20 Bookish Pet Peeves to write my own list. It’s Monday, so why not bitch about it?
- Covers that change mid-series
- When paperbacks are released six months after the hard cover
- Ebooks that cost as much (or more) than a paperback
- Highly sexual book covers
- Poorly done photo-manipulated covers
- Publishers who give authors super short print-runs
- Love triangles
- Characters will oddly apt names, like a werewolf named Luna Woolf
- When side characters are more interesting than the main characters yet get very little screen time
- The “tragic queer” trope
- Invisible people of color (when characters are only revealed to be PoC by the author AFTER the book has been published and widely read, yet there’s no textual evidence in the book)
- Mary-Sues/Gary-Stus
- Complex female characters being called Mary-Sues because they can think and act like a capable human being
- Books that flat-line in the middle in terms of pacing
- Unlikable characters only being “bad guys”
- Lack of diversity in many genres (in terms of race, sexuality, gender-identity)
- Books with no back blurb, just “reviews” by big name papers or authors.
- Authors who put out one really great book and never write again
- Certain genres being seen as lesser or more important than others
- When the dust jacket won’t stay on your hard cover
What bookish things do you bitch about?
Filed under Writing
Tagged as authors, bitching, bookish, books, complex characters, diversity, mary sues, pet peeves, publishing, tropes, what i hate, writer, writing
