There are very few things in this world that drive me NUTS. And sometimes will stop me from buying a book I want. Here’s some to name a few:
I hate when stores insist on putting their “sale” stickers on the cover. Target is notorious for doing this. So does HPB, but at least you can take those off easily.
When a show or movie adaptation come out, so the covers are updated to the movie / actor’s cover. BOOO.
(And this one is for all my series obsessers) When the books covers or sizes are not the same. Like they had the series looking one way and decide to change it up half way. The last book in the ACOTAR series is like a smidge taller than the rest and it makes my bookshelf very unhappy!
Stickers of any kind they leave a sticky film and I totally agree on changing the covers to be a movie tie in. Also my Bridgerton series looks odd because one was only available as a hardcover all the rest are paperbacks. Multiple covers for the same book which can trick you into thinking the book is new.
I dislike when subscription services like BOTM pick books by authors and don’t choose the rest of their books/series as picks or add-ons (for example Arsenic and Adobo) as I have one hardcover and the rest of the series in paperback.
I never use BOTM! Mainly because I don’t like the BOTM logo on the side of the book!
But yes, that would drive me crazy! If it helps, I can usually find multiple versions of a book on Book Depository. https://www.bookdepository.com/
I heartily agree with all three issues - very annoying.
My #4. I like Oprah, but I don’t need the permanent circle of “Oprah’s Book Club” on the cover.
I will give you a follow if you don’t mind I don’t think I qualify as a bookstagram but I do post my giveaway wins. And my weekly reading that aren’t wins.
Those publishers’ fake “stickers” are even worse than bookstore stickers – and excessive front-cover blurb quotes – especially when they cover up part of what would otherwise be a beautiful artwork of a book cover
Agree! I can’t really think of any things besides what you have listed. I think I detest the changed of covers to show the actor(s) from a movie/TV show adaptation even more then the gummy “sale” stickers.
A new bookish pet peeve of mine is authors putting different bonus chapters in each edition of the book. So if you want all the content, you have to buy THE SAME BOOK multiple times. I wouldn’t mind so much of like 6mos after the release date they put the bonus chapters on their websites for everyone to see but usually the only ways to get the content is to preorder the MULTIPLE editions or illegally look it up online to see if someone posted it. They say these chapters are usually ‘not crucial to the main story’ but I have read many people saying otherwise and that a lot of times the chapters contain hints about upcoming releases, etc. At the very least, you are getting extra character development and it’s not like these chapters are always only 2-3 pages. I’ve seen bonus chapters go all the way up to 16 pages!!! That’s insane. I love special editions but I don’t think it’s fair that if you can’t afford so many editions of the same book you don’t get all the content. Stephanie Garber has multiple endings for the final book in her new series. Sarah J Maas just announced she has 5 separate bonus chapters scattered across different editions!!! And what if you don’t live in the US and can’t get those copies!? I think this is blatantly taking advantage of your fans/readers. I’m sure it’s mostly the publishers and not the authors but it has gotten really bad the last couple years. If you wanna pay extra to get nice edges, illustrated endpapers, a new cover, foil on the hardcover, etc. than that’s fair to shell out a bit extra but at least if you couldn’t afford that you were always getting the same story whether you got a special edition, hardcover, paperback or just borrowed from your library!!
Yes! Finally someone has said it. It drives me crazy because I don’t need 5 copies of the same book! Or, I found out about the special edition after ordering the regular copy.
