Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Unpopular Bookish Opinions.” I honestly have to be in the mood to share some of my unpopular opinions. I don’t think I have a ton, because I’m usually of the opinion that we all should like/do what we want bookish wise and not pass judgement on others for doing things differently than ourselves. But I have shared some less-than-polite opinions in Kernels of Nonsense: In Which I Tell You How I Really Feel…For this week’s topic, I’ve come up with a few opinions and stray thoughts I’ve had that I’ve not really shared with anyone.
1. I kind of hate book trailers – They mostly make me cringe. Some of them are so bad and make me not want to read a book. And I know people work hard on them and the budget must be really tight, but I just can’t take most of them seriously. I think I’ve enjoyed a totally of two book trailers and every other one I’ve watched makes me wish they were never invented.
2. Publishers & ARCs – I’m always side eyeing publishers when 100 ARCs are being reserved for giveaways on Goodreads (sometimes more than once!) when they could be sending them to bloggers who share a book’s marginalization. Like, you have 200 ARCs to give away to random readers, but you can’t give out twenty or fifty of these to bloggers who can then write #OwnVoices reviews?
3. Coupons and B&N – I really wish I could use coupons on B&N preorders. I’d buy so much more from them. Instead I have to wait for a book’s release and by then some of the coupons I’ve been sent have expired and it’s just easier to buy from Amazon. I just want to give you my money, why won’t you let me?
4. I’m bitter when new editions are released – New editions like box sets make me glare at publishers because are you kidding me? I was a fan from the beginning, spent money every year on a new book in the series and now you want me to spend even more on these limited/special/new editions?! I can’t!
5. The Grisha Trilogy – *heavy sigh* There’s a good chance I will never finish the Grisha Trilogy and that’s in part because of my fellow bloggers. I love you all, but hearing about the Mal vs. Darkling discourse leaves me tired and I haven’t even read these books yet. I kind of don’t want to get sucked in after witnessing the discourse.
Do you share any of my opinions? Has a fandom every turned you off from reading or watching something? Let me know in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post, so I can visit.
A Kernel of Nonsense 
We took a very similar route with how we did our post this week! Love it! Totally agree about publishers. They give arcs away to people that may not even read them, let alone review them – how does that make any sense in terms of marketing for the author? Also, yes! Give more ownvoice reviewers the arcs – I hate when I’m looking for an ownvoice review and there are zero.
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It really doesn’t? I sometimes wonder how behind publishers are on the times.
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LOL, love your B&N thoughts. I didn’t realize that about them, but for me, it’s always and forever just easier to buy from Amazon. Still… I do love browsing a bookstore (B&N) when I get out to one. 🙂
I’ve wondered that about ARCs, too. I mean I know there are only a limited amount printed (especially in comparison to the final printing), but it still seems like they say they don’t have any left when in actuality they would rather not send them to those who might request them. But that’s for them to do. 🙂
..also, yes, we all like/dislike what we like, and that’s cool!
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Yep, I just want to throw money at B&N but they won’t let me.
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Book trailers are usually pretty… unimpressive, in my view. So yeah with you there. Great point about #2 also.
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I am with you on 1 and 2. While I like book trailers overall, a bad one kills it for me. Bloggers are a publisher’s best friend, so give us your ARC love.
https://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2019/06/top-ten-tuesday-unpopular-bookish.html
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Mal is the absolute WORST. I hate him. I talk about him on my list this week too haah
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I feel you on book trailers! I don’t understand them at all. And so much yes to special/new editions being released years later. I need it to stop.
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I meant to add something about ARCS on my list this week, but forgot. I refuse to read books that are ready to go. It bugs me. All I pay attention to is the boo-boos. My TTT Bookish Opinions
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I actively avoid book trailers, because I feel the exact same way you do. Sometimes, they make me want to read a book less. I also agree on ARCs! I also don’t understand why they give away copies so easily at BEA, or send certain loggers/vloggers sequels when they haven’t even read the first book. But especially with marginalized voices!! Come on, we should support them as much as possible.
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I always end up regretting watching them. I thought ARCs were meant to create buzz and who better to create buzz than #OwnVoices bloggers?
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So true!
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Oops… sorry for contributing to the ruining of the Grisha Verse books. 😦 I have to agree with you on special editions. And I don’t really watch book trailers. I almost never watch movies, why would I want to see the trailer?
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You do you, I just kind of wish I could mute the convo.
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I never watch book trailers… They don’t do anything for me to be honest so yeah i avoid them. And a 100% on board about the giveaways with so many arcs. Like why?
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The worst part of the B&N coupons… when they offer them and you don’t take them, they pop up all over the site, and you have to keep closing those damned popups all the time!
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I love the Grisha trilogy and I still agree with what you said. The fandom is so exhausting, it’s basically people telling each other “your fave is abusive and you’re a terrible person for liking them” and why would I ever want to take part in that.
And same, the majority of book trailers made me want to read the book less…
Great list!
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I don’t understand the point of book trailers at all. 🙈
I definitely agree with your second point!
Yep, overeager fandoms have turned me off of books and shows more than once.
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I have seen some good book trailers and some bad ones, but don’t really have an opinion on them either way. What I am not really feeling is hosting a cover reveal. I like seeing a cover and all, but since I only do one post a day, I will not waste it on that. It’s a picture. I can see it on Twitter or Goodreads.
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Great list! I finally read the Grisha trilogy this year and, I must admit, I was kind of disappointed by it – I tend to ignore the whole Mal vs the Darkling thing, because if a book’s about a war-torn country I literally couldn’t give a fig about the heroine’s boy drama.
Yes, book trailers always make me cringe! Also… do they even work? I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone mention that they picked up a book because they saw the trailer for it. I totally agree with 2 and 4, too – publishers should be reaching out to bloggers, not going giveaways where they basically don’t have to research the right bloggers and reviewers for themselves, and I am always a little bitter when a pretty new box set is released. It happened recently with Robin LaFevers new books – they revamped the His Fair Assassin covers to matched the new books and they’re so pretty, but I can’t buy them when I already own copies because it’s a waste of money. I’m still grumpy about it, though.
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Those new Robin LaFever books are so pretty! But yep, like you, I am stuck with the original hardcovers. Let’s be grumpy together.
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These are great and you know, I hardly ever watch book trailers. I just don’t get the point really. It’s also a shame about the coupon thing. I don’t really preorder things but if I did, I would find that extremely frustrating!
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I don’t even understand the point of book trailers. I don’t think I’ve ever watched one. I like how Amazon does the pre-order guarantee, so you always get the lowest price. I’ve been able to save like 50% on new releases.
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Ugh I am SO with you on the Grisha Trilogy. I finished it, but barely.
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I totally agree with you on Goodreads ARCs, especially now that they’ve made the giveaways US only. It seems a bit exclusionary… I’m know what you mean about getting tired of the Mal vs the Darkling discourse. I enjoy seeing people discuss the merits and bad points of each character, but I don’t enjoy seeing people rip each other to shreds over it. I never liked the Darkling and I found Mal a bit of a tepid character 😛 Great post!
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I only get special editions if there’s cool extra content, like short stories and stuff, if it’s just the same book in a pretty new cover then, eh, I can take it or leave it.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/11/top-ten-tuesday-215/
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I don’t buy from B&N much, so I didn’t know about that coupon situation—that does seem really silly! And I’m with you on those box sets and special editions—they’re SO tempting, but who can afford to buy a million editions of each book?!
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I think cover reveals are silly because they emphasize aesthetic over content. I appreciate good art and design, but it reminds me that we’re often judging people by how they look and not their personalities, too.
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Interesting point, but I think we’ve definitely moved into a more visually stimulating era, even in the book community. Some of these bookstagrammers out here have tons of followers based on their photos alone! I love a good cover, especially when it comes to seeing PoC on covers which we’ve never really had a lot of before.
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Ah, yes! Seeing people of color on the covers is definitely wonderful! I hadn’t thought of that when I made my comment. I guess that in most cases a cover, no matter how beautifully photographed, will make me read a book. Now, a wacky title will suck me in an ol’ day. . .
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Yeah, I’m not a big fan of book trailers either.
My TTT.
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I know what you mean about Mal vs Darkling, and I just don’t get it myself haha, I have my own Alina opinions and neither of those two come in to it. I would say try and read the Grisha books regardless, because the world is amazing.
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
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I do have them. Maybe I can hide out and read them in peace.
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I’m with you on the book trailers. Argh, I’m always annoyed when coupons can’t be used for what you really need. Not really related but.. I just spent $200 on ink cartridges for printers here at work and Staples said, “Nope, sorry, not valid on the things you actually need, sucker!”
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thanks!
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Curse the fine print!
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“Like, you have 200 ARCs to give away to random readers, but you can’t give out twenty or fifty of these to bloggers who can then write #OwnVoices reviews?”
ALL OF THIS! I totally agree!
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Yup and it’s sad because it reminds me yet again that publishing is not our friend.
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New editions really annoy me!
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Oh I hear you on new editions! Like, hey there you’ve been a fan on Harry Potter since the first book came out? Oh, well, here’s fifty new editions of the book you should buy after you’ve already been around the block with the fandom, eh?!
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And they all have to be so pretty too!
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I haven’t read The Grisha Trilogy yet, but it’s on my TBR. I have the first three books cause the bundle was on sale on Amazon. I feel you on Book Trailers, I try not watch them because I feel they take away the the experience of reading the book, and make me want to read it less. I’m with you on Arc’s and B&N coupons!!! I have not encountered it all that much, but yes bookish fandoms can be exhausting. Here is my post -https://paigesofbook.blogspot.com/2019/06/top-ten-tuesday-unpopular-bookish.html.
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I have the first three books too and they are just sitting there, collecting dust. Maybe someday.
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I’m not into book trailers either. I also don’t like preview excerpts.
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I don’t mind the preview excerpt, but I honestly usually avoid them because I want to go into a book not knowing too much.
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That’s me. I guess that’s why I don’t like them!
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I skipped this week’s prompt because I prefer (for the most part) not to go negative. But while we’re here, I’ll say that book trailers do nothing to interest me in a book. Covers, however, can definitely cleave through the noise and make me go HELLO! I also don’t get the appeal of owning six copies of the same book. I love a good cover, but if I already have a copy…I don’t need another one?
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Haha, yes! I love a great cover.
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I don’t get the point of Book Trailers either! I’ve stopped watching them all together because I don’t want them to ruin my excitement for the book.
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They can do that sometimes can’t they? I think I prefer my own imagination over them anyways.
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Ha ha, with you on new editions. For my favorite books, I’m so excited to have pretty copies on my shelves… and then there are new ones? It’s so hard to justify getting new versions of the same exact book, but sometimes I just can’t resist.
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Lisa, you understand me. I don’t do it much anymore, but it used to be so hard to resist a pretty P&P edition. They make so many pretty ones.
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I feel the same about book trailers. I rarely ever watch them anymore, because I just can’t deal with it lol. It’s pretty lame that you can’t use coupons on preorders.
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I feel the same way about new editions. They always look gorgeous, and I desperately want them, but it’s hard to justify it when I already own copies of the books.
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It really is and I feel like they don’t necessarily bring in new fans, so it’s kind of like, okay, publishers I get it, you just want to get more money out of us, the original fans and I’m left with a bad taste in my mouth.
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This is the second time the Grisha trilogy has come up today…. I’m surprised I hadn’t heard of it before if it’s seemingly that popular.
I’m definitely with you on the ARC’s thing though.
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I’ve never really been a fan of book trailers either.
Lauren @ Always Me
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