Hot Takes on Reading: My Bookish Confessions

Hello, lovely readers.

Yes, you read that right. This post is full of completely honest confessions that I feel I must make about reading! Some of them might be hot takes- ones that cause debates within the reading community, but they must be said!

So dive into this post and see what you relate with, disagree with, or maybe are surprised by!

No scribbling, please!

If I buy a second-hand book and it has pencil scribbles in it, it will be erased. Sorry, annotators! Your hard work will be washed right down the drain, because I can’t deal with useless scribbles in my books that mean absolutely nothing to me. If you are an annotator who loves writing in your personal copies, then good for you! There is nothing wrong with it, it is just my opinion.

Meeting in the middle!

Some books particularly hook me so much that I cannot bear it a single second longer without knowing what happens in the end. I have not done this so much lately (as now I enjoy a good surprise) but years ago, it was not uncommon for me to begin a book and read from the beginning forwards and from the end backwards until they met in the middle. I’ve never told this to anyone before, so this is quite embarrassing to say, but let me know if you have ever done this! I want to know!

Readers hyping up books backfires

I hate being told what to read. I will read what I want, and whenever I want! If a particular book is being overly hyped up, chances are I will not read it. Especially if you keep talking about the same story over and over again, even if it is one I had wanted to read, I might no longer be interested. I’m saying this politely: my reading cannot be influenced by the opinions of others!

Therefore: If you want me to read a book, mention it once, and it will most likely be added to my TBR pile! You will be informed immediately once I read it. However, if you continue talking about it- well- it might be removed from my TBR.

I lied

For a long time as a child, I pretended I had read the end of The Jungle Book. I never did. It was a DNF. Sorry, Jungle Book fans.

Multiple Copies

Yes, I have bought multiple copies of the same book. Why? Well, let’s say I have a book I adore. I absolutely love it, and then a copy with an updated cover releases. I have to have that version as well. Afterwards, a gorgeous copy with beautiful sprayed edges comes out. That one must find its way into my library also. I have had four copies of the same book at times. All of them are precious to me!

Library sale technique

I have deliberately checked out the same copy of a library book countless times, hoping for it to be removed from the system due to wear, and placed in the next library sale so I can snatch it up. I never damage it, I just read it over and over again emersing myself in the story, and hoping that it will somehow find its way onto the sale shelf.

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Well, you made it through my bookish confessions! What are your bookish confessions or hot takes?