Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is “My Unpopular Bookish Opinions”. Differing opinions is a good thing! If we all agreed on everything, life would be so boring. Unpopular opinions are not necessarily bad or controversial or negative. Some of them are, of course, but that’s only because of the nature of the opinion and not because it’s unpopular. Maybe you think a super unpopular book is the best ever. Maybe you really, really love a character that many people you know couldn’t stand. Or maaaaybe there’s parts of your reading life or your habits that are unique to you. Whatever the case may be, I want to hear your thoughts!
1. For the most part, bookish social media is not a fun place to be.
When I first joined the online bookish community 13 years ago, it was contained in a very small corner of the Internet and most of us were friends! I don’t remember seeing drama. I feel like every time I log in now there’s something negative happening. I miss how things used to be!
2. I don’t care about special editions of books.
It’s really fun if the first edition is special or limited to the first print run, but if I buy the book when it comes out and then months/years later a new edition comes out with a fancy cover and bonus content I really couldn’t care less. It feels like a a money grab.
3. Bonus chapters confuse the original narrative.
And sometimes they change a major part of the story. If you wanted something in the book, put it in the book! I’m not going to jump through hoops (buy another edition, preorder the next book from a specific place, etc.) to read an extra chapter from someone else’s point of view.
4. I avoid books where the title is essentially a 4-5 word summary of the book’s synopsis.
For example: Dating My Baby Daddy, Married to My Billionaire Boss, Tempted by the Werewolf Overlord, Stranded with My Sexy Barista, Flirting with My Best Friend’s Older Brother Firefighter, etc. Just please be more creative than that! (Yes, those are Jana original titles. I don’t know if these books exist or not. lol.)
5. Publishers need to stop marketing books as read-alikes of super popular, well-loved titles.
Just because a book is about fae doesn’t mean it’s just like ACOTAR. Just because a book is regency romance doesn’t mean it’s for lovers of Julia Quinn, Tessa Dare, or Lisa Kleypas. Every historical romance does not need to be compared to Bridgerton. Every spicy book does not need to be for lovers of Tessa Bailey. I think it hurts a book so much to compare it to a viral title or author. It almost always leaves readers disappointed. Let the authors and books shine on their own without forcing the reader to go in with expectations!
6. The A ___ of ___ and ___ titles should have stopped 10 years ago.
7. I don’t enjoy debating about books with people.
I will not fight someone who hates my favorite book, and I will not feed the trolls who come into the comments of my reviews and tell me my opinions are wrong. I respect you even if your favorite book is one I hate with the fire of a thousand suns! I see a lot of arguing about books, and I don’t know why people find that fun!
8. I love illustrated book covers.
When done right, they are stunning. They can truly showcase a graphic designer’s talent and creativity. But they have to be detailed and follow the elements and principles of design. Don’t just throw some generic, faceless bodies onto a colorblocked cover with no other details and say it’s good enough.
9. My books and bookshelves are not decorations.
I will never be the person who organizes her books by color, or who displays them pages out. I don’t care what height they are. I don’t buy books just because they’re pretty or cheap or would look good in a pic. My series go together, and books by the same author go together on my shelves regardless of paperback versus hardcover, size, or color. I need to be able to find things! And I love the look of a crammed-full bookshelf.
10. Romance is different than steam.
I love romance novels so much. Opened door, closed door, love them all. But I don’t go into a romance hoping for steam. I have read many extremely romantic, closed-door books. I care more about the story and the characters and the swoons. If the steam is there and it works, great. Love it. These scenes can really enrich a romance. But if the steam is thrown in just for the sake of making a book spicy, that’s cringey for me.
Please no tomatoes!
Do you agree with any of my opinions?
What’s one of your unpopular bookish opinions?
Girl reading image credit: depositphotos.com
I’m more about romance being romance without “steam” used “just because” (or because the market assumes they have to have it in order to sell a book). I think the book that doesn’t use steam as the sole way to tell a romance is actually the better romance novel. :) You’ve also inspired me to add my social media thoughts too!
I totally agree, Rissi!
My bookshelves are also not decorations. I do sort of care about book size…and that plays a role in how I stuff my shelves full, because books that are the same size go next to each other so books can also be laid across the top of them (because I have more books than I have shelf space). I hope you have a great week.
That’s a very good point, I care about book size for the same reason you mentioned. I, too, have very limited space for the amount of books I want to own!
I use my bookshelves to store, um, books! No room for decorations.
Exactly! And my space is so limited, so everything must earn its place!
I agree with everything that you have said. The first one makes me sad. When I first started Blogging and Book social media stuff in June 2021 it was a nice place to be. It may be because I just hadn’t been around for long enough, but I thought it was great. Now I sometimes don’t post book reviews (other than on my Blog) because I don’t want the backlash. Some people are very unkind (to put it mildly!).
Have a great week ☺️
Yes, yes, yes. 2021 was definitely better than it is now, but way back in like 2013 it honestly felt like a sleepover on bookish social media all the time. We were sharing recs and fangirling and hosting giveaways and interacting with authors on a first-name basis. It felt like a fun little family, at least with the people I interacted with. And some of those people have become lifelong besties that I still talk to on a regular basis. A lot of those bloggers quit blogging years ago, and now that there’s so many new social media apps and some of the OG social media has been destroyed by corporate greed and lousy algorithms it’s not the same. Plus, there’s so much more drama than there used to be. And unkind people, like you said. I keep hoping I’ll find my niche again, but I might be too oldschool at this point. LOL
Oh that sounds lovely. I have my Blog posts all over social media 😂 it is all just trying to get more followers than actually enjoying the content. On some Blog Tours you have to have X number of followers which is sad but you can see the publishers point. The soul has definitely gone.
I am completely shocked at the drama over books! It is ridiculous.
Hopefully if there are enough of us old school folk there is a chance 🤞🏼
I agree with almost all your unpopular opinions Jana! Number 4 made me laugh. There’s bound to be books with those titles. Or you’ll have given someone an idea 😄
LOL If any authors steal my fabulous title ideas I want royalties in the form of chocolate!
OMG. I am agreeing with just about all of these! I mean, I do tend to buy pretty special editions from Fairy Loot or Owl Crate if they were of favorite books and whatnot. Or if I started the series with Fairy Loot I’ll keep buying their editions to make a matching set. Guess I should’ve brought in the need for matching sets when at all possible! Lol. I also do enjoy the bonus chapters too whether it’s new content or a different pov. But I really, really relate to #5 because I HATE HATE HATE when publishers do this. Then everyone else starts doing it and it comes out negative when people are like “she’s trying to be like SJM with her fae characters” or something similar. And I’m just like that author does not have the market on the fae! There were fae books before hers and there will be fae books after hers. Not one author owns the market on tropes/characters types, etc. I feel like that really gets me into a rant. I even like her books. They are entertaining but that everyone takes them as THE written word and should not be duplicated or mimicked is ridiculous. Oh and YES to #9! I like the pretty colored shelves fine and all, but for me, I need them organized. Although most are in storage as I continue to house hunt, but I can see myself putting some pretty edges out if they happened to be one of my aforementioned duplicate copies! lol :D
Here’s my Tuesday Post
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
I will admit that I prefer matching sets as well. lol. And if I had the money, I’m sure I’d buy some of those special or exclusive editions of the books I really love! Totally agree with you on SJM’s books. I love her ACOTAR series, but to think she invented fae or broody males or magic systems is just silly. lol.
I agree with your list especially the first one. Social media is just too much lately.
It’s really sad, because I loved chatting books with people online but it’s not the same anymore.
I look at so many of the ‘aesthetic’ bookshelf photos and while they do look very pretty, they don’t seem very functional or practical – I don’t understand how people find anything. I’m pretty straightforward, alphabetical by author, series in order, stacked and overflowing and well-loved
Yessss, your shelves sound like mine!
I can agree to many of your opinions!
My TTT: https://laurieisreading.com/2025/04/15/top-ten-tuesday-books-on-my-tbr-i-avoid-reading-and-why/
I love knowing I’m not alone!
Yes to all these 🙌 Number 1 especially. I dread looking at social media now and pretty much have unfollowed most on my personal profile because I hate the drama.
It’s so sad. I’m only on Twitter during my Secret Santa events now, and my insta is all pretty places and cute animals on Insta for me now!
These are great! I love the one about your bookshelves. Agree 100%! I can’t stand the look of bookshelves set up for “looks” — organizing by color is ridiculous!
I need to be able to find my books, not just look at them! lol
Your opinions may be unpopular, but I agree with a lot of them! I remember how the book blogging community used to be also, and I liked that so much better. (To the point where I have restricted my book blog visiting to sites that don’t play up the drama, and avoid some of the more drama-heavy places like BookTok entirely.)
It’s sad, isn’t it? I avoid certain places now, too, including TikTok. I was never into the idea of BookTok anyway (I’m not a big videos/Reels person), but I’ve heard how toxic it can be over there sometimes so I’ve just stayed uninterested. lol
I never really got into BookTok (I would rather read a review than watch a video review) but the drama over there is just really sad. We readers should be encouraging others to read, not locking them out with petty (or toxic) issues.
Love your list, Jana. Made me wonder if some of these should be on mine.
Thank you!
I agree with you on the social media not being a fun place and on romance not needing steam!
Great minds think alike!
LOL I love your Jana original titles. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book with those titles, but if I did, that means it was forgettable! Also agree about bonus chapters, and I’m not sure if books in series numbered n.5 are necessary but I never read them.
Haha, thank you!
I fully agree on all except #8, which I partially agree with. I do love a solid illustration, but they’re all starting to look alike to me. Just like #4 and #6, I’m longing for more authentic originality.