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This is a topic that I generally find interesting as long as everyone respects the different opinions! These are things that people often say that I disagree with.
1) You should be reading more diversity in books
I do believe that there should be lots of diversity and choices in reading when it comes to gender, sexuality, race, religion and so on, so that every reader can easily find books with characters they can relate to and plots relevant to them. It will encourage more kids to read and that is a good thing. I don't read the genres that are full of diversity like contemporary, romance and YA, I don't read plots about religion, racism, bullying, sexuality and bigotry, I have no interest in romance whether heterosexual or same sex, so I have less contact with diversity than a lot of readers. My opinion is that choices need to be there but I don't personally read a lot of the options available, and I'm ok with that. I would like to see more disability covered in horror and apocalypse though ie MCs in wheelchairs or who are blind or deaf in a zombie apocalypse or other disaster scenario.
2) All zombie books are the same crap plots
A romance reader told me that all zombie books have the same dumb plot. Now I respect why a lot of people have no interest in zombies for various reasons but zombie books are not all the same. Different ways of the virus beginning, different countries, military or civilian heroes, preppers and non preppers, fast and slow zombies, smart or dumb zombies with varying abilities, compounds or road trips, methods of infection etc. I slyly said maybe romance novels are all the same ie boy meets girl, they part, they reunite and she rushed to say about all the different variations on it...and then she fell silent as she saw the point I was making! Books might have a general plot similarity but the details make them different.
3) People who read fluffy romances are idiots
This kind of attitude really bugs me from the book snobs out there. Reading is about enjoyment and entertainment so we should read what we enjoy and not be slagged off for our choices! I really don't like romance and don't read it but I'd never say that others shouldn't be reading it! We all have different tastes and should never have to justify why we like something.
4) You aren't really a reader unless you read the classics
I get this a lot from book snobs and I hate it. I don't read classics because I don't enjoy them and find them slow, wordy and over descriptive. I have no intention of reading them to look good to book snobs or because others think I should. If you like reading classics, great, enjoy them, but don't imply that I'm a lesser species for not reading them!
5) If you read Stephen King, you're going to burn in hell
Believe it or not, my American penpal, who was a Christian, said this to me once. I gave her a right serving about tolerance and not casting stones and all that and she had to grovel in apology but I never wrote to her again! Being entertained by horror does not mean I'm lurking at the bottom of my garden ready to murder the postman!
6) Everyone has to read this book!
I don't go for that at all. We all have different tastes and there will never ever be one book that every person in the world will love. I get that people are enthusiastic about promoting a new favourite read when they say this but I don't agree with the thought that everyone else needs to read it just coz you love it!
7) YA should not be read by adults
Lots of adult readers love YA books and they should not be made to feel bad for reading books aimed at younger readers. If you enjoy it, read it!
8) You shouldn't review a book if you DNF it
I don't agree with that either. I form opinions on every book I look at and I will share those thoughts, negative and positive with everyone who chooses to read my review. If I finish a book, I give details on why I liked it, loved it or thought it was meh. If I don't like and DNF a book, I'm sharing the resons why, and I think it is a legitimate thing to do to help other readers make choices about whether they want to read it or not.
9) How can you love that book I hated?/How can you say you hate my favourite book?
This is what causes most of my fights with other readers. What gives you the right to question the validity of my opinion of a book? It is, after all, my opinion. I review based on how a book entertained and interested me and it drives me mad when people question why I felt this way. I hate the attitude people have that only their opinion of a book is correct and everyone who disagrees is an idiot! I'm ok with someone asking nicely what it was that put me off the book or having a nice chat about our different reactions to a book, but I hate this 'I'm right and you're wrong' attitude.
10) If you like *blank* then you'll love *blank*
No No No! I hate it when publishers say that! I like books based on things like great MCs, interesting sidekicks, use of action and humour, feels, writing style, tension etc. Just because I love The Hunger Games doesn't mean I'll love another book with a female in a deadly game in a future world! Just because I loved Harry Potter doesn't mean I'll love any book where kids do magic! It's the details within the books that make me decide if I love or hate it, not a vague link by plot or character!
