Just for fun, I’m creating four posts about “bookworms” in September:
“Top 5 Ways to Catch a Bookworm”
“Top 5 Bookworm Problems“
“Top 5 Reasons to be With a Bookworm”
“Top 5 Things I Would Never Tell a Bookworm’ (today’s post)
Top 5 Things I Would Never Tell a Bookworm
I’m linking up today with Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads for Top 5 Tuesday: Top 5 Things A Bookworm Would Never Do (I tweaked the prompt a bit).
***This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.
#1
I Would Never Tell a Bookworm What S/he Should or Should Not Read.
I follow some readers on social media who ONLY read one ONE genre: romance or thrillers or romcom or mysteries or nonfiction. Although I mainly read histfic, I would never criticize readers for reading in their preferred genre. However, I do think there are mashups that might warrant a second look. For example, The Nature of Fragile Things is a mashup of histfic, thriller, and mystery. Kate Quinn also includes a side of thriller in many of her histfic books (such as The Huntress and The Rose Code). Bottom line, I think that finding and sticking with a genre that works for you leads to a satisfying reading life. However, I do encourage exploration!
#2
I Would Never Tell a Bookworm that Audio Books Are Not Really Reading.
If you are accessing a story (characters, plot, and themes), you are reading! Just as I wouldn’t tell a blind person who is reading in Braille that he/she isn’t really reading, I wouldn’t tell an audio book listener that she/he is not really reading. It’s amazing to me that this is a controversy on social media!
#3
I Would Never Tell a Bookworm How To Save a Place.
If you own a book, you can dogear it if you want! There are no dogear police! When I used to read physical books, I was known to use anything for a bookmark! I’ve used my phone, a napkin, a scrap of paper, an emery board, a french fry, a catsup packet (unopened!), mail, a wrapped stick of gum, a business card, a leaf, a dogear…..rarely did I ever have a legitimate bookmark within reach. What’s the strangest thing you’ve used as a bookmark? Do you dogear your own books?
RELATED: I would never tell you that you can’t annotate or mark up books you own!
#4
I Would Never Tell a Bookworm a Major Spoiler.
Ohhhhh! This is a hard one for at least two reasons. I become overly excited and tend to overshare when I talk about books (oops!). 2. Some reviewers will not give trigger warnings because they consider them spoilers. (There is a great deal of controversy in the book review community on this topic) Likewise, some readers don’t want to read trigger warnings for fear they may read a spoiler. In the interest of mental health, I have decided to error on the side of providing trigger warnings and other content considerations in my reviews. I try to preface trigger warnings with a spoiler warning. If you are a reviewer, where do you stand on this issue? You might enjoy reading this post on the controversy.
#5
I Would Never Tell a Bookworm (through a review on social media) that a book is trash.
No Two People Read the Same Book! I might dislike a book you love and vice versa. I WILL give honest reviews that note what I did like, mention certain weaknesses (in a kind and balanced way), and perhaps provide a link to another reviewer who loved it more. I WILL provide content considerations and trigger warnings (even at the risk of giving spoilers). However, I don’t believe in “yucking on someone’s yum” or trashing an author or his/her hard work. Reading is a personal experience and just because a book is not to my taste, doesn’t mean it isn’t to your taste. Please be kind and respectful.
QOTD: What is one thing you would never tell a bookworm?
Happy Reading Bookworms!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, teach us about our world, and help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
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Never tell a bookworm that a book is banned, because they’ll just want to read it even more!
Oh good one Brandon! 🙌
This has been such a great series of posts. I can relate to each one of them.
#4 is my pet peeve, I hate spoilers!
I would never tell a bookworm they have too many books!
That’s a great one Karen! 🙌
Regarding spoilers/content, I do the same as you. I provide content warnings, but I try to indicate that it’s a spoiler if it’s unexpected content (for instance, a mention of kissing content in a romance wouldn’t really be a spoiler)
Content warnings are tricky to navigate! Thanks for your perspective and adding your thoughts!
Haha! I think I cringed a little bit at the french fry bookmark! I typically don’t use bookmarks at all, but, when I do, they do tend to be random–library receipts sometimes, scrap paper, and, if I am desperate, a clean sock! Also, yes, to my phone! But that gets inconvenient if I then need my phone.
Hmm. What would I never tell a bookworm? I would never tell a bookworm that they have to read “only on their grade level!” Or that comics are “not real books!”
Random bookmarks for the win! If I were to only read on my grade level, I would miss all the wonderful middle grade books! Thanks for contributing to the discussion Krysta!
Once again, you have hit the nail on the head Carol. I have been told that I shouldn’t read YA because I am not a teenager and I have been told that I’m not reading when I listen to an audiobook. I have mixed feelings about trigger warnings. If it won’t spoil the book, I will put them in, but I often don’t. I have used utensils to mark my place in a book, as well as another book. I have bookmarks all over the house now to mark my place when reading a physical book. Great post, Carol.
Thanks Carla! If we didn’t read MG and YA, think of all the wonderful stories we would miss! TW are soooo tricky! I think I may have used a utensil as a bookmark myself! It’s hard to remember all the random items! Thanks for commenting!
Some great points there. I agree, you can do whatever you like with your own book though it makes real bookworms cringe, right?
You have given some great advice. Thanks.
Thanks for commenting Marianne!
Not giving out spoilers is so important. You have to allow the reader the time and let them experience the magic that you experience when you read the plot twist. Same goes for movies tbh
Giving content warnings is a tricky process! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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