What are some of the things that bug you when it comes to reading habits, my fellow bookish peeps? I felt like it was time I addressed this issue today: top ten bookish bad habits some (let’s be honest, most) readers are guilty of. I’m not gonna lie, a few of these are my utmost worst bookish pet peeves. I’m curious to know which are some of yours?
So for today’s post, let’s discuss this subject that affects most die-hard readers: bookish bad habits. We all have them. Some of the things I listed here drive me absolutely bonkers, what about you?
For example, buying books even though your shelves are overflowing with unread books is not something that bothers me. Other readers will never be caught with more than two to three unread books at any given point.
I cannot stand dog-eared pages, but many readers are guilty of this bad habit. So what’s something that makes your blood boil when it comes to bookish habits? We all have our personal pet peeves, that’s what makes this community so special.
So let’s take a look at the top ten bookish bad habits some of us are guilty of.
Cracking the Spines
What?? I didn’t know people did that, on purpose? Why would you destroy a book that way? I can understand that it may make it easier to read the book. But the flipside is that it can lead to the book losing pages eventually. Not to mention that the outside cover might look worn-out and not in good condition. So, if you’re guilty of this, explain to me what the reasoning behind this is.
Dog-Earring Pages
What are you, an animal? In all seriousness, that’s not very nice. Why ruin a book that way? I don’t care if it’s yours, it isn’t right. Period.
There are so many beautiful bookmarks out there that really don’t cost much. If you’re not into bookmarks, that’s your prerogative. But then any receipt, pen, or anything similar should do the job just fine. Why do you fold the corner of a page? Please stop.
Writing on Borrowed Books
If you own the book, by all means, do what you want with it! If I buy a second-hand book that has annotations or highlighted paragraphs, I make my peace with it. But when you borrow a book, whether from a friend or from the library, for the love of god, do not annotate it!!! There aren’t many things I dislike more than seeing multiple side notes on the pages of a book that does not belong to me.
Insulting Other Reader’s Opinions
We are all readers, and our tastes differ. That’s the beauty of this whole bookish community: to feel free to share our opinions freely. If a book didn’t work for you, it doesn’t mean that people who love it are dumb or stupid. What works for some people does not necessarily work for others. But there’s no need to judge people’s tastes. For example, I love thrillers of any kind. Some lovely readers I met on Instagram love smut. It’s not my cup of tea, but who am I to judge? Who knows, maybe someday I’ll give it a try. It doesn’t cost anything to be kind.
Reading Multiple Books at Once
Guilty as charged. I’ve been doing this for years, and I really don’t know if I can or want to stop from doing it. Some people see it as a bad habit, I see it as a skill! I guess I got into the habit of having multiple reading materials going at once since school, and it stuck with me. I generally have at least one physical book, and one or two digital books at any given point. But I try my best to read different genres, so at least I don’t get the plots confused.
Buying More Books Before Finishing the Ones Sitting On Our Shelves
There aren’t many bona fide bookworms that aren’t guilty of this particular bad habit. It isn’t a pet peeve to me per se. Although the people we live with might find it’s a problem. Not only does it cost money, but it takes up lots of space. But that in itself is a separate hobby, as far as i’m concerned. Buying books and admiring them gives most bookworms as much pleasure as reading them. So I will continue buying books because I love the feel and look of them.
Buying the Physical Book After Reading the Ebook
This is probably one of the worst habits I’m guilty of. Most readers will understand the need to own a physical copy of a book you love but you already read in its digital version. I own several books in both the digital and physical form. Of course, I don’t do it with all of my books. But the ones I absolutely love, I must own its physical version. Even though I might not get a chance to reread them, I love looking at them on my bookshelves.
Not Returning Borrowed Books
You know who you are! That’s just rude. I lent my share of books throughout the years, and most of the time I really don’t want the book back. But if someone lends you a book and specifically asks you to return it, please do. It probably means the person really loves that book and wants it to keep it for their collection.
The worst is when the book is part of the series and it doesn’t come back to you. Sometimes you cannot get the exact same copy back for various reasons. That makes you not want to let people borrow books from you anymore.
Unrealistic Expectations
I’ve been reading some reviews on Goodreads and people make me laugh. They complain about some aspects of the book they find unrealistic. Like, for example, a fictional town. Well, duh, it’s called fiction for a reason people!! I mean, to each its own, but I don’t expect much realistic settings or behaviors from fictional characters.
That is the point of reading, as far as i’m concerned: to be lost in someone else’s imaginary world. You might not agree with the way an author approaches a story, but that’s their prerogative. If you don’t like it, move on and read something else. But badgering an author because you had certain expectations that were not met is rude. Please refrain from it. Writers are human beings that have feelings. You don’t need to hurt them simply because you can. Especially from behind a screen, where they have no way to defend themselves.
Starting a Series and Not Finish It
This is another bad habit I’m guilty of. There are so many series I started but haven’t finished yet. Although, sometimes it’s not my fault. If the publisher takes too long to bring the book out, I have no control over that.
But that’s not what I’m referring to. I’m talking here about a complete series I already own but I don’t read in order. Or I start it and take a very long time to get through it. This mostly happens because I suffer from serious fomo. I intend to get through a complete series once I start to read the first book. But then some other intriguing book catches my attention and I set the rest of the series aside. Sometimes months, even years pass by before I actually complete the whole series.
The one example that pops into my head is The Games of Thrones. I bought the complete series years ago, but I’m still only on book three. Does it sound familiar to you?
Concluding Words
On that note, I will end this post of my top ten bookish bad habits here. Which are your worst ones I failed to mention? Do we have any bookish pet peeves in common?
I’m sure there are a few more you can think of, and I’d be happy to hear your take on the subject.
Until next time, my fellow bookworms!
