I have to admit that if a book is popular on tiktok, it makes me a little skeptical about picking it up. Especially in the bookstore, the tiktok table/shelf is not the first place I go😅🤭 On booktube I'm not that skeptical for some reasons when people recommends books😂
Wheb a book has a heavy focus on a romance FOR NO REASON. Like, I picked up this Sci fi mystery for the Sci fi and mystery, if I wanted heavy romance I'd be reading a romance book! Like I'm reading a blurb and it's all about an epic adventure or mystery then the linear the top that's meant to catch your eye is all "he was a boy, she was a girl, could it be anymore obvious" (I don't mind romance in books but when I pick up a high fantasy book focused in a war and the primary romance constantly gets in the way of the main plot. Just communicate and save the romance for AFTER the war guys!)
Storygraph has an option where you can either have a "dumbed down" AI description of a book or you can read the full description. As someone who likes to go into books blind, I love this feature.
People keep saying "don't judge a book by its cover", but to me the cover is so important. Ideally, it's giving a first impression on the vibes, genre and content of the book, which I love and appreciate. I live in Germany and there is a trend with contemporary new adult books for a long time, where the cover only shows some pastel color gradient (sometimes there are traces of clouds, flowers, geometric shapes etc) and the title and it is giving me nothing. It's especially jarring when you're in a bookstore, standing in front of shelves with these types of books. They look all the same. Even if I wanted to try out one book, I'd be utterly overwhelmed and confused in the midst of these pastel color gradients.
The first edition of an Arthur C. Clarke novel in my country has a horrendous art cover: first of all, the art itself is low-quality and weird, also it looks like the artist only received a very bad explanation of what the book is about, and they just went ahead based on that. I'm still glad I read it and did not decide based on the cover, it was a fairly interesting sci-fi story.
I like crime novels, but I’m so done with detectives with an alcohol problem. Please, you can be complex and have other problems if you want to go the more dark route.
@lovelove-cs7zh of course they can have these problems. That doesn’t mean it has to be prevalent in every book about it. I don’t take away from people and families that have these problems. Don’t assume that I haven’t come in contact with it.
@lovelove-cs7zh sure, it's a demanding job, but in a book setting, having every mc be basically the same character no matter what book you read gets boring fast.
Talking about over descriptive book blurbs reminds me of when a movie trailer shows you all of the good parts and then you go to see the movie and it feels like a waste of time. 😆 My auto-no is a mass market paperback. Absolutely never.
Oh my gosh "The book recommendation that ruined my friendship!" Is so real my best friend of 9 years, senior year of highschool broke our friendship because I hated acotar and other smut fantasies. It's been a few years now and I don't think I've heard more than 5 words from her, not even when my grandma who she loved died
I hated Acotar as well. I am really sorry your friend broke off your friendship that’s a weird friend to end over a book recommendation? :😢 What was the book?
My friends and I just have such different tastes sometimes and we are all okay with that! We all know each others tastes well at this point so all recommendations (or anti-recommendations) end up being super helpful when deciding what to read next. Thanks for including my comment in the video! It was super interesting to hear other people's thoughts on this.
YES to the printed book club stickers. i will SEEK OUT the edition without ones because they are such an EYE SORE and just such a dumb idea like have the tag be part of a sign or an easy to remove sticker
Omg I HATE pictures of real people on covers! I'm not actually a big fan of people at all on book covers, give me relevant objects and abstract images please and thank you!
4:57 I had a similar feeling when I picked up the book “Wings of Ebony” there was no indication on the book that it was the first in a series, and I only got the feeling that it was going to leave me in a cliff hanger on the second to last chapter
On covers: it’s the publishers job to ensure the cover matches the vibe of the book. You should 100% judge a book by its cover otherwise the publishers aren’t doing their jobs and the author needs to find a new publisher
Oprah's bookclub had a time where her name was the biggest thing on the cover! One author ( I wish I remembered the name) turned down the opportunity to be an Oprah book club pick because he didn't want the book going out with her name on the cover being bigger and more prominent than his.
I pass on some books and for some reason, I can’t buy them for whatever reason but in my gut, I know it’s going to be great without hearing any hype about it.
I hate people on the cover of a book, especially if it´s a movie cover! Definitely pass. Also, now I´m in my 30s, I don´t have much patience for teenage stories anymore, at least not the contemporary ones. If it´s a fantasy, then I can get into it. But teenagers dealing with teenage issues, and that´s it.... I can´t. I remember this happening when I read Fangirl, which I wanted to love so badly, but I just didn´t. On the plus side, I adored Carry On, so much so that I reread it almost immediately. 💜
The author one totally agree. I have enough authors that I enjoyed that I still need to read a second book from. So skipping the authors I have not enjoyed a book from (for now) makes sense
I also groan every time my book club picks a Reece pick. I loved 1, 7 days in June is the exception to the rule. I avoid all of hers I am not made to buddy read.
love how the other side of the question is always 'will they crash and burn' 😂 i relate to waiting for the right moment to read a book i know i will love. i've had my copy of ruthless vows for a while now but i still want to find a good moment to start it.
I think I have a handful of “anti-buzz words” where if someone mentions an element or trope that I don’t like, even if they are saying, or maybe especially if they are saying, that’s why they loved it, it’s going to be a hard pass from me. I think that’s just knowing your taste.
So I heard that Reese Witherspoon's book club books are basically like her picks as to what books will be turned into movies that she gets to star in. There's some kind of contract along the lines of that when with her book club books.
I am sick of vector art on book covers and it will definitely stop me from reading a book. My other ick is when I pick up a fantasy novel and the description mentions a “dark, mysterious, alluring” man the protagonist feels “inexplicably drawn to.” I can immediately tell who the love interest is, which characters will end up together, and exactly how their relationship is going to go. There’s obviously exceptions, but I’m just not that into romance as it is and I’d rather be surprised by which characters have chemistry.
I feel a little guilty about this sometimes but I will typically pass on books that have some controversy around either the content of the book (e.g. own voices reviewers saying that representation is bad) or the author themselves. But if I love an author, I absolutely have to read their entire backlog, even if some of the books suck!
When I stroll into a bookshop, I enjoy seeing all the books and they all seem tempting. BUT I barely buy one if I know what it is about/or have been eyeing it for a while or if I remembered that I had it on my long to-read list. If it doesn't fit the criteria, I just don't risk it. BUT this is what makes me immediately turn to a different section: religious books, political books, self-help knowitall kinda books (they sound too scammy for me), YA books with very artistic covers (although these sometimes tempt me). I haven't bought a book from the bookstore in a long time. If I buy something online, it's usually sth I reaaally really want and can't find anywhere else.
When you brought up the current cover style for romance novels, I could relate. I'm not a fan of the vector look. I like illustrated covers, with plenty of linework, but the vector style feels cheesy to me. It's probably one of the reasons I've avoided straight up romance, despite enjoying romance IN other genres like fantasy. I'd like to try romance, but then I look at the covers and, shallow as it is, my enthusiasm fades. As for the need to read completed series, I'm the same way. If you're a Game of Thrones fan, then you're really in trouble. There's a reason I've avoided reading Patrick Rothfuss's big series, and other series, even if I know they'll be completed, will ruin my day if there's a cliffhanger. I don't want to wait a year to find out if that character who just got knocked out is going to be okay or not. I'd happily watch a video on what annoys you AFTER you've read a book, as cliffhangers would be one of my personal pet peeves.
Has anyone else read Lightlark? I read the description and was hooked! The description just touches the serface of what the book is really about. I was looking for book reviews to watch for when I finish the book and they all had negative titles. I don’t get it. While it might have a few too many strings to keep track of, it’s a good book so far.
The characters' names is the first thing I evaluate and is a deciding factoring on passing or not. There's a very very popular author with an even more popular series within my reading niche that I have listed as a very firm "no" because the main character has the same name as my little brother. A lot of books that I pass on are because they have a main character with the same name as a family member. I just can't divorce my family members faces from the characters and I *won't* be reading sex scenes picturing my little brother or father
First-person POV, nine out of ten I've had bad luck with these types of books. I rarely end up loving the book. I mostly get frustrated, annoyed, or DNF the book.
If it is a color I don't like I'll either wait to see if the paperback is better or read it from the library and try not to think of the cover or a close up of a face don't really like that either.
I don't like when chapters are too short but I get anxious when I see it's over 20 pages. Like it better be a really good chapter if it's 50 pages for example
Mine is when a fantasy book description goes like “She is (…) and he is (…)” because you already know it’s gonna be mostly about romance and you’re already told who’s gonna end up with whom
I pass on the book when the cover is ugly (I know that’s bad) 😂 I pass on the book if the blurb in the back is too vague or detailed. It just needs to be simple but I need to understand what it’s about, Also I have to have romance in it. But I night try some without romance. Also I don’t like too much world building I want to get to know the characters more.
Not reading books I know I’ll love: currently have THREE of those on my bookshelf. It’s my anxiety tbh. I know I’ll stay up all night to finish a book, so instead I just don’t read. I read ONE book in all lf 2023…… and it was a short middle grade book that I finished super fast
I read tons of genres but if I"m in a physical book store I'm going to stick around fantasy/scifi most likely. I have to see a review/opinion or a book to have certain things I love for mystery, thriller, non-fiction, historical fiction, literary etc.... And those things are easier to come by online. For me the big turn off is that summary/blurb issue if it tells you the whole story in trying to sell it or if the main selling point is a romantic aspect as that's usually a signal to me that relationship first, development of everything else second. And it will automatically turn me off from that relationship. It will always feel forced in my head. I love me a good ship, don't get me wrong, but I prefer it to be the B plot.
One of my favourite authors does the opposite of fan-service. He finds out about a popular ship, he makes it perfectly clear next book that they're not getting together. His mother says who her favourite character is, guess who's killed off a book later 😅
@@Rebel-Blaze Derek Landy. The books are Skullduggery Pleasant. To be fair, the stories have never meant to focus on romance. I think he just finds it funny to mess with his readers' expectations. Still one of my favourite book series to this day. First book was heavily marketed to kids, but it really was a series that sort of stepped up the horror aspects as it went on
@@jessicaable5095 I’ve always hated to read them but I didn’t know if they were much good. I might try them out sometime! Honestly if he does stuff to mess with readers expectations for fun in my eyes I think he’s a great author
I don't exactly write an author off if I disliked a book, but I may be more strict about future works I pick up by them. For example, I didn't like The Gilded Wolves. I thought it lacked development across the board and various elements of it needed to be more fleshed out, but there were also clear strengths, such as the characters in the beginning, the worldbuilding in the beginning (somehow that got worse), the description of the setting and the writing itself. And because of this I saw myself really loving a work by her, and when I heard about The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, I thought that this type of story would really suit her writing and storytelling, and I ended up loving it. It was my favourite book of December last year. Another one that comes to mind is A Deadly Education. I hated that book and dnfed it, but people who liked her other works also didn't like this one and I felt they were different enough to be worth giving a chance. And I am currently reading Spinning Silver and I am quite liking it.
A bit of a strange one, but here we go lol I speak two languages - my first language is Portuguese and I've learned English (and I'm studying French, but that's unrelated lol). You would think that would give me more book options - I have two whole languages to pick from!...... Wrong, I became sooo picky with books in Portuguese, I barely even read in Portuguese anymore lmaooo My poor reader friends who don't speak English always complain; I keep talking about books and I either don't know the name of the book in Portuguese or they haven't even been translated yet 😅
I try and avoid romance pretty much in every book, so if I'm looking at a fantasy or contemporary or whatever and the summary mentions a romance, I'll put it down. But if I pick up a book that doesn't mention a romance in the summary but still ends up having a romance, I don't get mad. I just don't want it to be "important" or present enough that you have to mention it in the summary, if that makes sense lol
Dark romances. I know there’s an audience (a huge audience for them!) and I’m so happy they find their people. I just don’t want my romances to come with trigger warnings. I just want happy and fluffy 🤣
Any book that has romance/spice as a major selling point or plot point almost always puts me on the fence, since those storylines or themes just don't click with me. It was the main thing that put me off from reading Fourth Wing when it otherwise looked intriguing.
Book covers with the actors from the movie, I REFUSE to buy them. If I want to see the movie I will, but it was the book I was after. Not only are they ugly AF but also, when I read a book I make up my own version of what the characters look like based on the descriptions - I don't want a random hollywood actor (who might not even look "right" for the part) to ruin that for me.
At this point in my life, I've figured out my immediate reading turn-offs: fake love triangles, royalty/influencers/celebrity focused stories, magic schools, assassins, "not like other girls" MCs, domestic thrillers, unreliable narrators and any type of domestic abuse. I find that if you really hone in on the things you don't like, you'll find it easier to find your next favorite read.
Booktok recs are either a hit or miss for me. Some popular books definitely deserve the hype they get but then kf course there are the few where you wonder why so many people like this.
I feel weird but I don’t think I like slow burn. I wish more books were medium burn. I don’t mind instalove but I don’t want it all the time. I am weird 😂 I don’t like overhyped books but I will probably start reading them because I am curious. I hate toxic romance like romanticizing abuse (Sarah J Maas) does this.
i'm going to sound insane but if a book cover has either a house or just a landscape as it's cover; there has never been a time when i read a book with either of these elements on the cover and have enjoyed it.
Hard agree to the person who said overly cliche blurbs annoy them! I too will put that book back on the shelf if the blurb sounds exceedingly cliche "a girl with mysterious powers learns that only she can save her kingdom, but along the way she meets a mysterious boy. But is he really here to help her? and who else can she trust when her kingdom is on the brink of destruction" the amount of YA fantasy's that might have been good but had that kind of super generic description so i never opened the book lol
Book blurbers really do hold the life of that book in their hands. I don’t know how much those guys usually get paid, but it’s probably not nearly enough for how often they determine whether I snatch a book or drop it.
For the fan service question The Chemical Garden. Book 3 felt like every bit of world building that was criticized got re written- Felt like the author was lurking on reviews LOL
Can we talk about generic fantasy covers that are just hilt of a sword? Sure they look nice but when every book is a sword hilt I can't remember which ones I've read.
Giant eyeballs or bugs, blurbs on a sequel that spoil the first book. "After the off page assassination of the person you liked in book one" 😢 Avoid the 'Map of the Otherlands' blurb. I bought both books and read the wrong back cover. Wah.
for me its 3rd person, my brain just simply can't comprehend it and i get so confused reading it. so literally before i even read the synopsis of a book i will flip through to figure out the pov because if it's in 3rd i don't want to read the synopsis and think it sounds good, only for me to not be able to read it lolz i also struggle to read without listening to the audiobook at the same time so if a book doesn't have one, that's another factor that usually makes me not pick up a book.
This feels terrible but if the book blurb mentions a child/children I'm usually like "pass" XD Especially if the book seems to be about what it's like to be a parent. I don't want kids and I hate reading about it.
The more hyped a book by main stream media the less I want to read it. I definitely prefer the UK covers over the US covers. And yes yes yes please DO NOT print book club stickers, best selling stickers etc onto the book cover it really takes away from the book. If you need them on then at least make it where they can be removed.
This is gonna sound kind of confusing and very specific, but I’m less inclined to pick up a book of my favorite genre (horror/disturbing/thriller/etc.) when someone either on book twitter/tok/tumblr says it’s the most horrifying thing they’ve ever read in their lives, but then you find out that they don’t read horror/disturbing/thriller genres at all. They just constantly read YA/Fantasy/Romance and judge the horror/disturbing/thriller books for being the genre that they are. Of course you think it’s the most disgusting and scary thing you’ve ever read, BECAUSE YOU NEVER READ THEM.
I associate certain books with a character trait of those who read them. For example, I associate Murakami with snobbery. It's what keeps me away from him.
'If you say you have never judged a book by its cover, you're lying.' I probably have at some stage, but covers really doesn't affect the book for me. A pretty cover would never make me remember a book, would never make me buy it or even pick it up to see what it is about. Pretty covers are just that, and not an incentive to do anything else. Of course I have preferences in covers, like I actually like the narrower paperbacks with the extra coloured cover underneath, but these preferences again does not affect if I will look into the book or not. I am more of a title person to be honest. An enticing title will make the book stand out to me.
Every book popular on tiktok is immediately off the table. Then, when i find a good book and read the summary and it has a really interesting main character and story but then half of the summary is just introducing the misterious guy who is obviously going to be the love interest. My experience tells me half of the book is just going to be about getting with this guy and not the actual story so that makes me put back the book and never look at it again. Another thing i don't like are the comments of other authors instead of the summary, really annoying. One thing i really hate is when the stickers are actually printed on the book, not pretty
If a book seems immature. That's different from YA or even middle grade. It's more about the way the story is handled. If it seems too caught up in high school type social games (even if it's set in a fantasy court), then it's a definite pass.
If there's a half-naked person on the cover, or perhaps a gorgeously dressed lady getting touched by a man in an inappropriate way (most likely titled something like "Seduced by the Captain"), I know immediately it is not for me. I have a feeling that my country uses these solutions more often than the original English-language editions (including changing the title to be a bit more explicit), because they know how to call the usual audience. And, luckily, how to keep away the usual non-audience.
if there are a bunch of chunky books in a series, if there are 8,9, 10 books in a series and they're all 700+ pages puts me off! I don't want to spend a whole year reading them. I ain't got time for series like that!
I feel the need to say that I am not a romance fan. But, if in a premise there is a mention of a dark brooding 'morally grey' man, you know the type, I immediately go no. I find those characters so incredibly boring and predictable. They are absolute drags to read about and even though they are not the main characters, they secretly are and they are very centred in the book. I find their scenes and dialogue so difficult to read, and even when they are the villain I still find it so hard to read because I still have to deal with them. And every time these characters becomes fan favourites and people are loving them, and part of me wants people to enjoy what they enjoy, but they also chooses the blandest slices of shadow to stan.
Calling it a "feminist retelling" of anything. 9 times outa 10 it's actually "being traditionally feminine is bad and you should be ashamed of even considering it" it's just badly covered misogyny. I'm fully supportive of someone wanting to be strong and independent but that doesn't mean it's okay to bash others that don't. Also just to clarify, I view myself as a feminist
If the entire series is out, but the books are ONLY available to purchase as a series, I'm out. Been burned too many times buying $170 series just to DNF half of them because I didn't like the first 2 books.
I feel like a good idea for a video would be books that are good, but we still didn’t like It’s how I feel w kafka on the shore the story is interesting writing is good. I haven’t been able to finish it for six months. I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me I want to know if other people have this issue with popular books
HATE real people on covers. Drawings, cartoons and shadow figures are all fine but the second there is a photograph its an instant no! I don't care if its potentially my favourite book, I hate it!
If anywhere on the book it says "for fans of Sarah J. Mass" I will pass on the book. No shade to anyone who likes SJM, but when this is the marketing tactic used by a publisher it usually means the books contain all of the tropes that made SJM popular and I can't stand most of those tropes. Especially the "everyone in this book is horny 24/7" thing
"Good cover does not always mean good book."
Can confirm this statement
*cries the tears of an impulse look-at-the-pretty-cover book buyer* 😭
That's a heartbreak we all had to go through at some point 💔
I have to admit that if a book is popular on tiktok, it makes me a little skeptical about picking it up. Especially in the bookstore, the tiktok table/shelf is not the first place I go😅🤭 On booktube I'm not that skeptical for some reasons when people recommends books😂
I also have started feel the same as you about "tiktok books"
If it’s popular I gotta check if it’s good
only tiktok books i trust are the ones that were big on booktube back in the day and are having a resurgence over there lol
Wheb a book has a heavy focus on a romance FOR NO REASON. Like, I picked up this Sci fi mystery for the Sci fi and mystery, if I wanted heavy romance I'd be reading a romance book! Like I'm reading a blurb and it's all about an epic adventure or mystery then the linear the top that's meant to catch your eye is all "he was a boy, she was a girl, could it be anymore obvious"
(I don't mind romance in books but when I pick up a high fantasy book focused in a war and the primary romance constantly gets in the way of the main plot. Just communicate and save the romance for AFTER the war guys!)
Storygraph has an option where you can either have a "dumbed down" AI description of a book or you can read the full description. As someone who likes to go into books blind, I love this feature.
People keep saying "don't judge a book by its cover", but to me the cover is so important. Ideally, it's giving a first impression on the vibes, genre and content of the book, which I love and appreciate. I live in Germany and there is a trend with contemporary new adult books for a long time, where the cover only shows some pastel color gradient (sometimes there are traces of clouds, flowers, geometric shapes etc) and the title and it is giving me nothing. It's especially jarring when you're in a bookstore, standing in front of shelves with these types of books. They look all the same. Even if I wanted to try out one book, I'd be utterly overwhelmed and confused in the midst of these pastel color gradients.
The first edition of an Arthur C. Clarke novel in my country has a horrendous art cover: first of all, the art itself is low-quality and weird, also it looks like the artist only received a very bad explanation of what the book is about, and they just went ahead based on that.
I'm still glad I read it and did not decide based on the cover, it was a fairly interesting sci-fi story.
I like crime novels, but I’m so done with detectives with an alcohol problem. Please, you can be complex and have other problems if you want to go the more dark route.
Its either that or a depressed journalist. I’m so bored of both of those scenarios haha
This! If the only description of them is being gruff and having an addiction, I'm already bored.
@lovelove-cs7zh of course they can have these problems. That doesn’t mean it has to be prevalent in every book about it. I don’t take away from people and families that have these problems. Don’t assume that I haven’t come in contact with it.
@lovelove-cs7zh sure, it's a demanding job, but in a book setting, having every mc be basically the same character no matter what book you read gets boring fast.
If it's overhyped with no negative opinions (ahem, fourth wing)
Talking about over descriptive book blurbs reminds me of when a movie trailer shows you all of the good parts and then you go to see the movie and it feels like a waste of time. 😆
My auto-no is a mass market paperback. Absolutely never.
Oh my gosh "The book recommendation that ruined my friendship!" Is so real my best friend of 9 years, senior year of highschool broke our friendship because I hated acotar and other smut fantasies. It's been a few years now and I don't think I've heard more than 5 words from her, not even when my grandma who she loved died
I hated Acotar as well. I am really sorry your friend broke off your friendship that’s a weird friend to end over a book recommendation? :😢 What was the book?
I feel like romance has become pure fan service. Assistant to the Villain is a prime example.
Also YA fantasy
I liked this book, but I understood it for what it was. I didn't think it was anything more than fluffy and it's not. 🤷♀️
With the synopsis to me it depends on the genre, a mystery thriller does not need a lot, as it can spoil the twists in the story.
My friends and I just have such different tastes sometimes and we are all okay with that! We all know each others tastes well at this point so all recommendations (or anti-recommendations) end up being super helpful when deciding what to read next. Thanks for including my comment in the video! It was super interesting to hear other people's thoughts on this.
YES to the printed book club stickers. i will SEEK OUT the edition without ones because they are such an EYE SORE and just such a dumb idea like have the tag be part of a sign or an easy to remove sticker
Omg I HATE pictures of real people on covers! I'm not actually a big fan of people at all on book covers, give me relevant objects and abstract images please and thank you!
4:57 I had a similar feeling when I picked up the book “Wings of Ebony” there was no indication on the book that it was the first in a series, and I only got the feeling that it was going to leave me in a cliff hanger on the second to last chapter
That new Goodreads romantasy category made me laugh because all the covers looked the same. 😂
For books I think I will love and avoiding them, I'm just afraid that I won't, and I don't want to be disappointed.
On covers: it’s the publishers job to ensure the cover matches the vibe of the book. You should 100% judge a book by its cover otherwise the publishers aren’t doing their jobs and the author needs to find a new publisher
Oprah's bookclub had a time where her name was the biggest thing on the cover! One author ( I wish I remembered the name) turned down the opportunity to be an Oprah book club pick because he didn't want the book going out with her name on the cover being bigger and more prominent than his.
I pass on some books and for some reason, I can’t buy them for whatever reason but in my gut, I know it’s going to be great without hearing any hype about it.
I hate people on the cover of a book, especially if it´s a movie cover! Definitely pass. Also, now I´m in my 30s, I don´t have much patience for teenage stories anymore, at least not the contemporary ones. If it´s a fantasy, then I can get into it. But teenagers dealing with teenage issues, and that´s it.... I can´t. I remember this happening when I read Fangirl, which I wanted to love so badly, but I just didn´t. On the plus side, I adored Carry On, so much so that I reread it almost immediately. 💜
The author one totally agree. I have enough authors that I enjoyed that I still need to read a second book from. So skipping the authors I have not enjoyed a book from (for now) makes sense
I finished the shatter me series and wow I love it
I also groan every time my book club picks a Reece pick. I loved 1, 7 days in June is the exception to the rule. I avoid all of hers I am not made to buddy read.
love how the other side of the question is always 'will they crash and burn' 😂 i relate to waiting for the right moment to read a book i know i will love. i've had my copy of ruthless vows for a while now but i still want to find a good moment to start it.
I think I have a handful of “anti-buzz words” where if someone mentions an element or trope that I don’t like, even if they are saying, or maybe especially if they are saying, that’s why they loved it, it’s going to be a hard pass from me. I think that’s just knowing your taste.
So I heard that Reese Witherspoon's book club books are basically like her picks as to what books will be turned into movies that she gets to star in. There's some kind of contract along the lines of that when with her book club books.
I am sick of vector art on book covers and it will definitely stop me from reading a book. My other ick is when I pick up a fantasy novel and the description mentions a “dark, mysterious, alluring” man the protagonist feels “inexplicably drawn to.” I can immediately tell who the love interest is, which characters will end up together, and exactly how their relationship is going to go. There’s obviously exceptions, but I’m just not that into romance as it is and I’d rather be surprised by which characters have chemistry.
Sorry...but did you take the covers off all your hardbacks? Where did you put them?
I feel a little guilty about this sometimes but I will typically pass on books that have some controversy around either the content of the book (e.g. own voices reviewers saying that representation is bad) or the author themselves. But if I love an author, I absolutely have to read their entire backlog, even if some of the books suck!
When I stroll into a bookshop, I enjoy seeing all the books and they all seem tempting. BUT I barely buy one if I know what it is about/or have been eyeing it for a while or if I remembered that I had it on my long to-read list.
If it doesn't fit the criteria, I just don't risk it. BUT this is what makes me immediately turn to a different section: religious books, political books, self-help knowitall kinda books (they sound too scammy for me), YA books with very artistic covers (although these sometimes tempt me). I haven't bought a book from the bookstore in a long time. If I buy something online, it's usually sth I reaaally really want and can't find anywhere else.
If I find the cover uncomfortable: like brains, (some) bugs or it’s triggering my trypophobia.
When you brought up the current cover style for romance novels, I could relate. I'm not a fan of the vector look. I like illustrated covers, with plenty of linework, but the vector style feels cheesy to me. It's probably one of the reasons I've avoided straight up romance, despite enjoying romance IN other genres like fantasy. I'd like to try romance, but then I look at the covers and, shallow as it is, my enthusiasm fades.
As for the need to read completed series, I'm the same way. If you're a Game of Thrones fan, then you're really in trouble. There's a reason I've avoided reading Patrick Rothfuss's big series, and other series, even if I know they'll be completed, will ruin my day if there's a cliffhanger. I don't want to wait a year to find out if that character who just got knocked out is going to be okay or not.
I'd happily watch a video on what annoys you AFTER you've read a book, as cliffhangers would be one of my personal pet peeves.
Has anyone else read Lightlark? I read the description and was hooked! The description just touches the serface of what the book is really about. I was looking for book reviews to watch for when I finish the book and they all had negative titles. I don’t get it. While it might have a few too many strings to keep track of, it’s a good book so far.
The characters' names is the first thing I evaluate and is a deciding factoring on passing or not. There's a very very popular author with an even more popular series within my reading niche that I have listed as a very firm "no" because the main character has the same name as my little brother. A lot of books that I pass on are because they have a main character with the same name as a family member. I just can't divorce my family members faces from the characters and I *won't* be reading sex scenes picturing my little brother or father
First-person POV, nine out of ten I've had bad luck with these types of books. I rarely end up loving the book. I mostly get frustrated, annoyed, or DNF the book.
If it is a color I don't like I'll either wait to see if the paperback is better or read it from the library and try not to think of the cover or a close up of a face don't really like that either.
I was waiting for this video from the moment I saw that community post. It's here yaaaay
I don't like when chapters are too short but I get anxious when I see it's over 20 pages. Like it better be a really good chapter if it's 50 pages for example
If the cover looks like every other book that’s popular rn aka pastels with cartoon characters on the covers 😮
i pass romance books, i cannot read books that are romance focused, they’re too boring for me 😭
i agree with the romance book cover thing - all of these just blend together in my head 😅
Mine is when a fantasy book description goes like “She is (…) and he is (…)” because you already know it’s gonna be mostly about romance and you’re already told who’s gonna end up with whom
I pass on the book when the cover is ugly (I know that’s bad) 😂 I pass on the book if the blurb in the back is too vague or detailed. It just needs to be simple but I need to understand what it’s about, Also I have to have romance in it. But I night try some without romance. Also I don’t like too much world building I want to get to know the characters more.
Not reading books I know I’ll love: currently have THREE of those on my bookshelf. It’s my anxiety tbh. I know I’ll stay up all night to finish a book, so instead I just don’t read. I read ONE book in all lf 2023…… and it was a short middle grade book that I finished super fast
I read tons of genres but if I"m in a physical book store I'm going to stick around fantasy/scifi most likely. I have to see a review/opinion or a book to have certain things I love for mystery, thriller, non-fiction, historical fiction, literary etc.... And those things are easier to come by online.
For me the big turn off is that summary/blurb issue if it tells you the whole story in trying to sell it or if the main selling point is a romantic aspect as that's usually a signal to me that relationship first, development of everything else second. And it will automatically turn me off from that relationship. It will always feel forced in my head. I love me a good ship, don't get me wrong, but I prefer it to be the B plot.
One of my favourite authors does the opposite of fan-service. He finds out about a popular ship, he makes it perfectly clear next book that they're not getting together. His mother says who her favourite character is, guess who's killed off a book later 😅
I’d do the same XD What author is it if you don’t mind me asking?
@@Rebel-Blaze Derek Landy. The books are Skullduggery Pleasant. To be fair, the stories have never meant to focus on romance. I think he just finds it funny to mess with his readers' expectations. Still one of my favourite book series to this day. First book was heavily marketed to kids, but it really was a series that sort of stepped up the horror aspects as it went on
@@jessicaable5095 I’ve always hated to read them but I didn’t know if they were much good. I might try them out sometime! Honestly if he does stuff to mess with readers expectations for fun in my eyes I think he’s a great author
I don't exactly write an author off if I disliked a book, but I may be more strict about future works I pick up by them. For example, I didn't like The Gilded Wolves. I thought it lacked development across the board and various elements of it needed to be more fleshed out, but there were also clear strengths, such as the characters in the beginning, the worldbuilding in the beginning (somehow that got worse), the description of the setting and the writing itself. And because of this I saw myself really loving a work by her, and when I heard about The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, I thought that this type of story would really suit her writing and storytelling, and I ended up loving it. It was my favourite book of December last year. Another one that comes to mind is A Deadly Education. I hated that book and dnfed it, but people who liked her other works also didn't like this one and I felt they were different enough to be worth giving a chance. And I am currently reading Spinning Silver and I am quite liking it.
A bit of a strange one, but here we go lol
I speak two languages - my first language is Portuguese and I've learned English (and I'm studying French, but that's unrelated lol). You would think that would give me more book options - I have two whole languages to pick from!...... Wrong, I became sooo picky with books in Portuguese, I barely even read in Portuguese anymore lmaooo
My poor reader friends who don't speak English always complain; I keep talking about books and I either don't know the name of the book in Portuguese or they haven't even been translated yet 😅
I try and avoid romance pretty much in every book, so if I'm looking at a fantasy or contemporary or whatever and the summary mentions a romance, I'll put it down. But if I pick up a book that doesn't mention a romance in the summary but still ends up having a romance, I don't get mad. I just don't want it to be "important" or present enough that you have to mention it in the summary, if that makes sense lol
Dark romances. I know there’s an audience (a huge audience for them!) and I’m so happy they find their people. I just don’t want my romances to come with trigger warnings. I just want happy and fluffy 🤣
Any book that has romance/spice as a major selling point or plot point almost always puts me on the fence, since those storylines or themes just don't click with me. It was the main thing that put me off from reading Fourth Wing when it otherwise looked intriguing.
This one feels basic but...When a comp title includes a book that isn't my cup of tea, I'm very likely to pass on it.
Anytime I hear an hyped book making the rounds online, I usually wait till it reaches my library. In case it sucks, you save yourself twenty bucks!💲💲
Book covers with the actors from the movie, I REFUSE to buy them. If I want to see the movie I will, but it was the book I was after. Not only are they ugly AF but also, when I read a book I make up my own version of what the characters look like based on the descriptions - I don't want a random hollywood actor (who might not even look "right" for the part) to ruin that for me.
If I’ve heard way too much about it I’m probably not going to pick it up. I want a little mysticism and unknown when going into a story
At this point in my life, I've figured out my immediate reading turn-offs: fake love triangles, royalty/influencers/celebrity focused stories, magic schools, assassins, "not like other girls" MCs, domestic thrillers, unreliable narrators and any type of domestic abuse. I find that if you really hone in on the things you don't like, you'll find it easier to find your next favorite read.
Booktok recs are either a hit or miss for me. Some popular books definitely deserve the hype they get but then kf course there are the few where you wonder why so many people like this.
Spill the tea. Which author said that?
One of your BEST reviews!! 🥰
I feel weird but I don’t think I like slow burn. I wish more books were medium burn. I don’t mind instalove but I don’t want it all the time. I am weird 😂 I don’t like overhyped books but I will probably start reading them because I am curious. I hate toxic romance like romanticizing abuse (Sarah J Maas) does this.
i'm going to sound insane but if a book cover has either a house or just a landscape as it's cover; there has never been a time when i read a book with either of these elements on the cover and have enjoyed it.
Hard agree to the person who said overly cliche blurbs annoy them! I too will put that book back on the shelf if the blurb sounds exceedingly cliche "a girl with mysterious powers learns that only she can save her kingdom, but along the way she meets a mysterious boy. But is he really here to help her? and who else can she trust when her kingdom is on the brink of destruction"
the amount of YA fantasy's that might have been good but had that kind of super generic description so i never opened the book lol
Love the passion!
Book blurbers really do hold the life of that book in their hands. I don’t know how much those guys usually get paid, but it’s probably not nearly enough for how often they determine whether I snatch a book or drop it.
For the fan service question The Chemical Garden. Book 3 felt like every bit of world building that was criticized got re written- Felt like the author was lurking on reviews LOL
I never look at author blurbs at all 😂
Can we talk about generic fantasy covers that are just hilt of a sword? Sure they look nice but when every book is a sword hilt I can't remember which ones I've read.
Giant eyeballs or bugs, blurbs on a sequel that spoil the first book. "After the off page assassination of the person you liked in book one" 😢 Avoid the 'Map of the Otherlands' blurb. I bought both books and read the wrong back cover. Wah.
for me its 3rd person, my brain just simply can't comprehend it and i get so confused reading it. so literally before i even read the synopsis of a book i will flip through to figure out the pov because if it's in 3rd i don't want to read the synopsis and think it sounds good, only for me to not be able to read it lolz i also struggle to read without listening to the audiobook at the same time so if a book doesn't have one, that's another factor that usually makes me not pick up a book.
Interesting and since most books are written in 3d person, I imagine it's frustrating. For me it's the opposite, I can rarely read 1st person.
This feels terrible but if the book blurb mentions a child/children I'm usually like "pass" XD Especially if the book seems to be about what it's like to be a parent. I don't want kids and I hate reading about it.
The more hyped a book by main stream media the less I want to read it. I definitely prefer the UK covers over the US covers. And yes yes yes please DO NOT print book club stickers, best selling stickers etc onto the book cover it really takes away from the book. If you need them on then at least make it where they can be removed.
I’m reading If only he been with me and Let’s see if I will end up having a cry fest
This is gonna sound kind of confusing and very specific, but I’m less inclined to pick up a book of my favorite genre (horror/disturbing/thriller/etc.) when someone either on book twitter/tok/tumblr says it’s the most horrifying thing they’ve ever read in their lives, but then you find out that they don’t read horror/disturbing/thriller genres at all. They just constantly read YA/Fantasy/Romance and judge the horror/disturbing/thriller books for being the genre that they are. Of course you think it’s the most disgusting and scary thing you’ve ever read, BECAUSE YOU NEVER READ THEM.
I associate certain books with a character trait of those who read them. For example, I associate Murakami with snobbery. It's what keeps me away from him.
Fun video :D
'If you say you have never judged a book by its cover, you're lying.'
I probably have at some stage, but covers really doesn't affect the book for me. A pretty cover would never make me remember a book, would never make me buy it or even pick it up to see what it is about. Pretty covers are just that, and not an incentive to do anything else. Of course I have preferences in covers, like I actually like the narrower paperbacks with the extra coloured cover underneath, but these preferences again does not affect if I will look into the book or not. I am more of a title person to be honest. An enticing title will make the book stand out to me.
Every book popular on tiktok is immediately off the table.
Then, when i find a good book and read the summary and it has a really interesting main character and story but then half of the summary is just introducing the misterious guy who is obviously going to be the love interest. My experience tells me half of the book is just going to be about getting with this guy and not the actual story so that makes me put back the book and never look at it again.
Another thing i don't like are the comments of other authors instead of the summary, really annoying.
One thing i really hate is when the stickers are actually printed on the book, not pretty
I have a hard time picking up a book if I don’t like the names of the main characters
Cannibalism 🤮 and Vampires 🧛🏻♂️
"Meow" 😂
I generally pass on anything that says it is dark and gritty
If a book seems immature. That's different from YA or even middle grade. It's more about the way the story is handled. If it seems too caught up in high school type social games (even if it's set in a fantasy court), then it's a definite pass.
If there's a half-naked person on the cover, or perhaps a gorgeously dressed lady getting touched by a man in an inappropriate way (most likely titled something like "Seduced by the Captain"), I know immediately it is not for me.
I have a feeling that my country uses these solutions more often than the original English-language editions (including changing the title to be a bit more explicit), because they know how to call the usual audience. And, luckily, how to keep away the usual non-audience.
11:15 Hey! It's me! :D
Swearing, tiktok, instagram. I only trust booktube
pass on book in a series that isn't the same format/size that i already own 📕📕📙📕 😵.
lol not this dropping after Jack Edwards had a whole video on appreciating cover art.
if there are a bunch of chunky books in a series, if there are 8,9, 10 books in a series and they're all 700+ pages puts me off! I don't want to spend a whole year reading them. I ain't got time for series like that!
I feel the need to say that I am not a romance fan. But, if in a premise there is a mention of a dark brooding 'morally grey' man, you know the type, I immediately go no. I find those characters so incredibly boring and predictable. They are absolute drags to read about and even though they are not the main characters, they secretly are and they are very centred in the book. I find their scenes and dialogue so difficult to read, and even when they are the villain I still find it so hard to read because I still have to deal with them. And every time these characters becomes fan favourites and people are loving them, and part of me wants people to enjoy what they enjoy, but they also chooses the blandest slices of shadow to stan.
Calling it a "feminist retelling" of anything. 9 times outa 10 it's actually "being traditionally feminine is bad and you should be ashamed of even considering it" it's just badly covered misogyny. I'm fully supportive of someone wanting to be strong and independent but that doesn't mean it's okay to bash others that don't.
Also just to clarify, I view myself as a feminist
If the entire series is out, but the books are ONLY available to purchase as a series, I'm out. Been burned too many times buying $170 series just to DNF half of them because I didn't like the first 2 books.
This is kinda obvious but I can't read books that are ridiculously long (aka. Stephen King books)
I feel like a good idea for a video would be books that are good, but we still didn’t like
It’s how I feel w kafka on the shore the story is interesting writing is good. I haven’t been able to finish it for six months. I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me I want to know if other people have this issue with popular books
I just want to say one thingand one thing only:
or will they crash and BURN?
Sorry 🤣🤣🤣
HATE real people on covers. Drawings, cartoons and shadow figures are all fine but the second there is a photograph its an instant no! I don't care if its potentially my favourite book, I hate it!
Long, convoluted descriptions and descriptions that seem to give the entire book away. The latter is a big one for me.
If anywhere on the book it says "for fans of Sarah J. Mass" I will pass on the book. No shade to anyone who likes SJM, but when this is the marketing tactic used by a publisher it usually means the books contain all of the tropes that made SJM popular and I can't stand most of those tropes. Especially the "everyone in this book is horny 24/7" thing
Tbh lately it's been straight people 😭 I'd rather read about the lgbtq community
I hate the romance book vector-ish covers!! Its fucking everywhere