What I Don’t Understand About Books
I’ve been a reader since I was six years old, a writer for decades and a member of Instagram since 2020. There are just some aspects of the book world I don’t understand. Can anyone explain these to me?
Nine random things I don’t understand:
Why are so many characters irrational to the point of being unlikable? Just so they can self sabotage? “Oh, I can’t be with this guy,” the character says, “because he’ll eventually dump me.” —Or— “He’s just with me until he gets bored and finds someone else.” These characters need some serious psychotherapy to work on their low self esteem and chronic anxiety.
Why are so many sex scene unintentionally funny? My husband and I have had a good time laughing at so many of them. Not to mention, many of these scenes use the same ridiculous dialogue verbatim with only the characters’ names changing. On the flip side of the coin, the sex scenes where an alpha male is involved make me want to kick the guy in the balls. Being spoken to in the bedroom as if you’re a slave he has no respect for is supposed to be a turn-on? Not in my universe.
Speaking of sex scenes, why do so many books have 16 pages of foreplay but the characters have sex for two paragraphs…or less?
Why are so many virgin characters on birth control? This just screams plot device.
Why do people need multiple versions of the same book? This is something I’ve only seen on Bookstagram. Why do you need to buy the eBook, paperback, hardcover and audiobook of the same story? And painted book edges? Why would you waste your money on that?
Why do people consider audiobooks reading? By their logic, listening to an album would be the same as performing music, or watching a cooking show would be the same as whipping up a meal. You’re not reading when you listen to an audiobook, you’re being read to. The activities use different parts of the brain. Reading uses the temporal lobe, Broca’s area of the frontal lobe, and the angular and supramarginal gyrus while listening uses the brainstem, thalamus and primary auditory cortex.
Why do the words “best seller” on cover mean the book is poorly written? I haven’t read one yet with that label that I felt was worth the accolade. I think it’s proof that best selling just equals best marketing.
Why do people take books on vacation and read at the beach, pool, park, etc.? Vacation is supposed to be a time to enjoy the real world and experience a change of pace. You can read at home the rest of the year.
Why are so many middle age characters portrayed as if they are elderly? I’ve read multiple descriptions of characters who sound as if they are 85, and it turns out they are 40. It’s not realistic and it’s ageist.
You're actually right about #7. I read that they figure the list by how many books are "ordered" at a time. It has nothing to do with how well the story was written. I laughed when I read this. That's one of the reasons why Indie Authors have a hard time with those certain lists. Amazon's Best Seller list, yes. Now that list is more accurate because it is based on sales, not number of books ordered for print and then stored in a warehouse to be sold later.