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Here are some of my biggest book pet peeves (and a bonus reading ick!)
Thin Pages
This is going to be controversial, but I like to write in my books. (I actually prefer my books to look like they have been read, so crack those spines!) But I haven’t found a pen that 100% WON’T bleed through thin paper, which makes it hard to read when you turn the page.
Also, thin paper rips so easily. I like my books read, not ruined.
Long chapters bother me most when there are a lot of unnecessary, dragged-out descriptions. I appreciate the writer’s attention to detail, but I have a short attention span – I can’t spend pages on the background with no action.
In contrast, when chapters are so short there is not sufficient information or action, it feels like pointless fluff.
Inconsistency
I’m not the best at noticing inconsistencies, but when I do (or more likely, they’re pointed out to me), I fixate on it. It’s hard to keep things straight when writing a book, or a series, so I understand not being able to catch every single thing.
But when it’s a BIG plot point or multiple simple things to keep consistent, it drives me nuts.
You are reading a book, whether that be at home, on the train, in a park, or in a coffee shop. Someone sees you and decides to come up to you.
They ask, “What are you reading?” You tell them.
They ask, “What do you think of it?” You say you like it so far, but you just started.
Turns out, they hate it! And they go on about exactly how much they hate it and what they hate about it.
All you are trying to do is read your dang book! Why so negative dude??
If it wasn’t clear, these are not deal breakers for me personally, just little tics I could do without if given the choice. And these are my own opinions.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
My first paying job was at a bookstore (babysitting does not count in this instance – sorry!) I was a month or so shy of 16 and I had wanted a job for when I got my license and I would need a way to pay for all the fun I would have, right?
Luckily, I was able to get a job at a bookstore one town over. It was amazing – and I was devastated when 8 months later, we had to close and I had to get a new job.
Nearly 4 years later, I finally was able to work in another indie bookstore in my college town! Since starting working here, I was reminded of everything that I loved about working in a bookstore plus more, so I’m going to share them with you!
Pros
Upcoming Books
One big part of working at a bookstore is knowing what new books are being released. You can spend a bit of time browsing the shelves and when new books come in you get first dibs!
Additionally, you may get access to books BEFORE they are released to the general public through Advanced Reader Copies. These may not always be exactly how they will be finalized when officially published, but it is still neat to get a chance to read a book before it comes out!
Of course, one of the best perks is the employee discount! This will obviously vary depending on the individual store you work at, but any discount is a good one when you spend so much on books 🙂
Like-Minded People
If you are here, either reading this post, visiting Again She Wrote, or interested in working in a bookstore, I would feel comfortable saying you like books. And where do people who like books go? The bookstore obviously!
This means you get to interact with others who love to read and talk about books! Sure, you will get the people who don’t care to talk much, but I have had some fun, thoughtful conversations helping people pick out books that I feel they would love to read. And finding a book for someone is one of the best feelings I have ever felt.
There are so many books already being sold, let alone the additional new books published every week. Because of this, reading pretty much is research for your job!
You’re simply learning about new books so you can better help your customers. It doesn’t hurt that you enjoy it also!
Now it should be important to note that working at a bookstore doesn’t mean you get to sit and read all day, there is a lot more to it. However, I work at an indie bookstore in a small town, which is rarely busy on Monday afternoons.
Commonly, I’ll shelf read – where I’ll browse the shelves and make sure the books are in order and where they belong. Sometimes if it’s slow I’ll pick up a book and start reading a bit of it. Personally, I love to quickly read picture books since they are short, easy, and it helps to get to know what to recommend for our younger population.
Unfortunately, it is not all rainbows and sunshine. Although the cons don’t outweigh the pros, they are notable.
Spending Your Paycheck
The downfall of knowing every book that’s coming out (and that discount!) means it can be hard to not get every book that looks good. Yes, reading is research, but there are still bills to pay!
Long Ass TBR
Being surrounded by books and constantly updating the system with new books means you get exposed to a lot of books. Great when you’re looking for your next read, but not so great when you already have a TBR longer than the constitution.
You can overhear weird stuff anywhere, school, work, the doctors’, the park, the bank, etc, etc. But bookstores offer a little niche of weird things to overhear.
My all-time favorite thing I overheard was between a young boy and his mom:
Boy: “Why are there so many books?” Mom: “Because it’s a bookstore.” Boy: “THAT’s why it’s called a bookstore?!”
Sometimes they just are not hiring
Unfortunately, one of the worse things about working at a bookstore can simply be that they are not hiring.
I was incredibly lucky when I applied, and since I have been hired I have heard multiple people be turned away because they were no longer looking.
In this case, I highly recommend still going and supporting the bookstore you want to work at. Who knows, maybe they’ll be hiring in the future and they might like a friendly, familiar face!
Overall, my job at my little independent bookstore is the perfect job for me, and I adore it. Have you considered working at a bookstore? If you have, what was your favorite perk?
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
Christin Hume (Unsplash)
I used to believe that no book deserved to be DNF-ed; the author worked so hard, it would be considered a cruel punishment.
For those who are not aware, DNF stands for “Did Not Finish”. This abbreviation is used in multiple ways, races, projects, etc. To readers, it means they were not able to finish a book for one reason or another.
Again, I struggle with this. I hated admitting I couldn’t finish a book. In some twisted way, I was under the impression that it somehow diminished my status as a self-proclaimed “book nerd”. Instead of facing that, I decided it was better to make myself finish the book and drag my bored self through it.
It was not until COVID-19 pandemic that the idea of DNF-ing a book became even plausible to me. Due to the subsequent quarantine, I was determined to read all the books I owned. I mean, when would I get another chance?
Over 2020, I found myself in reading slump after slump. All because I kept forcing myself to read this specific list of books and refusing to read any other. What used to be a fun, leisure, casual hobby had begun to feel like a chore, like reading for school (I’m looking at you, Lord of the Flies).
Especially the times when it seemed like I kept picking books I didn’t really like, which when you are in a slump… every book is not one you like. Ah, the curse of the book slump cycle.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t any grand moment of realization that setting aside a book was acceptable, at least none that I can pinpoint. Yet I ended the year with a completely new view on the topic: I was under no obligation to read every single book in existence, let alone love and devour every single book I came across (que the gasp!). With 500,000 (even this a very low-ball estimate) books published each year, itsimply is not possible.
Pop TV Reaction GIF by Schitt’s Creek
So, When Should You DNF?
That being said, I don’t take the decision to DNF a book easily. I typically give the book about 60-100 pages, or about 1/3 of the way in before I think about it. Some of my favorite books have slow beginnings and still drew me in later on, so I try to give everyone the benefit. But if I just can’t get into it, or I find myself dreading the next time I plan to read, I’ll DNF then.
If I DNF, the reason can usually fall into one of two categories, time or mood.
TIME
When I force myself through a book I’m not enjoying, I read less overall. As mentioned before, it begins to feel like a chore. By setting aside a book that’s hindering my love of reading, I can move on to books that interest me and that I want to read.
MOOD
Additionally, DNF-ing DOES NOT mean you won’t ever come back to it. As any mood readers can identify with, very often a book does not interest me at a particular point in time, yet I might find the time, energy, or interest a week, month, even years later.
What if I can’t DNF? What if I have to finish this book?
Sadly, DNF should not be applied to school books or other instances, you really should read those even when you don’t like it. From personal experience, I have gathered a few things that have helped.
NO DISTRACTIONS
Procrastination is a real threat, as many people are already aware. By taking the precautions and lessening distractions when reading, you can eliminate (or at least decrease) the amount of temptation enticing you away from your reading.
READ 1 CHAPTER AT A TIME
It may be appealing to read it all in one go, to get it over with. However sometimes it may be helpful to read in bite-sized chunks. Because a chapter is much shorter than a full book, I personally feel as if I am not taking up so much of my time trying to get through a book.
MUTLI-READ
Mood reader hack: have another book on hand to read if the other is slumping you down. I typically read a few books at a time so if I find myself dreading reading, I can read more of one that helps me to remember why I enjoy reading.
Since I’ve started allowing myself to be open to DNF books, I’m able to enjoy reading at a higher rate than before. And just because you DNF a book does not mean it was a bad book or that the author sucks. I feared that somehow that I, a college girl in the middle of the midwest, would offend an author because I hadn’t connected with their book. But that is NOT the case.
Everyone has tastes when it comes to literally everything, food, clothes, music, art, jokes, etc, etc. It makes sense it would be the same for literature. AND THAT IS OKAY. It can still be good and well written and still not be your taste.
How about you! Do you dnf books? Why or Why not? (And if yes, when do you officially dnf?)
