I am extremely talented at getting confused and muddled by books.
Honestly it’s the kind of talent I would take gold for in the Olympics. You could literally put money on me getting confused by the DUMBEST THINGS in books and you would win every single time. It not a talent I’m particularly proud of, but, you know what? When one’s only other truly worthwhile talents are (1) mentioning cake in like EVERY blog post until someone wants to strangle me, (2) reading so so many books because #obsessed, and (3) always losing my left socks — YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR TALENTS WHERE YOU CAN GET THEM.
Now there are reasons I get confused so often. And I will list them for you because I love lists and also I love talking about myself. Hence the blog.
- I have a memory like a WiFi connection. Which means it keeps dropping out and never coming back.
- I’m just not paying attention. Like you think that I am because I’m looking in your vague direction, but I’m really writing a book in my head which is freaking awesome by the way because my brain is great.
- Things sound the same after a while. Book titles…human names…blog posts I’ve written…current events…
- I think about doing something so much I feel I’ve already done it. Like talk to me about second-hand-fandom syndrome. I know everything about Captain America Civil War and I’ve never seen it. So after a while I just start accidentally acting like I know about something WHEN I DON’T. #ConfusingLife I do this with emails/messages too. Did I email you or did I just think about emailing you?
- I absorb about as much as a rock. Which means, I do rock. But also if there are too many words spoken or written all in a row, you know…I might be just looking at the pictures or thinking about what I’ll eat for lunch, because lunch is one of life’s greatest joys.
I’m just basically a fantastic calamity.
But an adorable one, so how can you be mad?
Spoiler: you can’t.
Unfortunately my life of confusion does bleed not my reading and book blogging life, leaving me in rather befuddling messes which I can only blame myself about but I generally blame someone else. Like my dog. Or whatever I ate for lunch. Or my bookshelf for being so GROSSLY GORGEOUS that I stare at it all day instead of using my grey matter.
So here are 10 things that have to do with books that I’ve gotten hopelessly confused about. And hopefully you will either relate or at least have a chance to laugh at me. Preferably the first though.
1. I MIX UP BOOK TITLES ALL THE TIME.
Which can be terrible when you’re trying to have a discussion with someone and are suddenly making up titles. Like me on Twitter the other day when I was adamantly recommending Queen Of the Geeks. WELL NO. The book is Queens of Geek. And FYI, Cait, no one knows what you’re on about.
I also have mixed up the titles of:
- Daughter Of Smoke And Bone vs Shadow & Bone
- PS I Like You vs PS I Still Love You
- The entire Starbound Trilogy…like aren’t the titles Their Fracture Broken Split End Hair Light World Stars? I don’t know, mate.
- History Is All You Left Me vs The Catastrophic History Of Me And You
- Everything with “Shadow” and “Queen” in the title BECAUSE C’MON GIVE ME A BREAK.
- The Impossible Knife of Memory vs The Knife of Never Letting Go
- Every Harry Potter book ever. Like it’s just Harry Potter and [INSERT A PRINCE OR PRISON OR DEAD SNAKE HERE OR SOMETHING I CAN’T SPELL HERE]
And don’t get me started on authors. Between Shirley Marr, Marissa Meyer, and Melissa Marr I just refer to everyone as Hey You.
2. I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN BOOKS ARE COMING OUT, I JUST…I GOT NOTHING.
This is actually fair because books have different release dates in different countries. This is also fair because I never look at a calendar. Calendars are evil. They remind you that your year is DISAPPEARING and you’ve not done like anything on your “2017 goals list” yet which is unfortunate.
I saw someone celebrating The Bone Witch just being published on instagram and I’m like “That came on In January??? Didn’t it???” And since it DIDN’T IN FACT, CAIT, NOW THAT YOU LOOK IT UP….I read a book 2 months earlier than I intended to.
Don’t get me started on accidentally reading The Gentleman’s Guid to Vice and Virtue * like FOUR MONTHS before release. **
* Actually do get me started because it’s my new!!! favourite!!! book!!! ever!!! And if you are not buying or reading it in June then what is wrong with you.
** Also while we’re at it. I never know remember whether it’s GENTLEMAN or GENTLEMEN. Why can’t I retain this knowledge.
3. WHAT BOOKS ARE ACTUALLY ABOUT.
I could probably solve this by reading the blurb, but WHO HAS TIME FOR THAT. * I’m forever picking up books and thinking I know what they’re about only to realise…no. No I was very wrong. I’ve just literally made stuff up.
FOR INSTANCE…
- WE ARE STILL TORNADOES = actually not a Wizard of Oz retelling. Huh.
- THE SERPENT KING = This is not an epic fantasy, as I originally assumed.
- THE GLASS ARROW = despite looking like epic fantasy…it’s a dystopian?!?
- A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU = I legit thought this was about a girl who did puzzles.
- UPROOTED = there are no dragons in this book. At all. I’m ridiculously confused.
* Smart people, probably??? People who like to be informed about what they read instead of just going into everything with grand assumptions based on covers and titles and whatever else their little brain has randomly imagined????
4. WHO IS NARRATING THIS BOOK.
Okay I admit, when I first read The Scorpio Races I didn’t realise it was two narrators. I mean the huge “SEAN” and “PUCK” at the top of the chapters apparently meant nothing to me. Sean’s nickname was Puck maybe??? I don’t know. I was just a small child. *
Least to say I got VERY confused that Sean was claiming to be aLONE and then to have BROTHERS and I was like “Dude, make up your mind and — woah now you’re a woman…wait.”
I’d like to say I grew and matured and don’t struggle from this now. But yet, no. Are there two narrators? Are they in two different time frames? Who is narrating this chapter now?? Because there is a 89% chance that I’ll forget who’s narrating in the middle of a chapter and just be chugging along hoping it sorts out.
ME READING VAGUELY
* I’m saying this to make myself feel better, but I was like 16. Although to be fair…that is totally a child. I would refer to my yesterday self as “a child” too, by the way.
5. WHY BOOKS ARE DIFFERENT SIZES.
Although I’m 99% sure this is just because Evil That Does Not Sleep™ works in publishing and likes to make bookworms’ lives difficult. I think their duty is probably also fetching coffees and asking for mid-series-cover changes and for sequels to be 3cm taller than the first book.
6. HOW CHARACTERS KEEP BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME.
At first they’re strangers, and then, nooooo that guy you met in chapter ten IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE PART OF YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE!! How does this happen. I can’t even manage to meet my mum in the same part of the house. “Come here,” she says, but when I get there, she’s elsewhere. So I yell and go elsewhere, and then she comes here.
How are you saying that fine princess managed to save that dude from a bog marsh monsters with PERFECT TIMING.
I can’t even time my tea to be drunk before it gets cold.
7. DECKLED EDGES.
Look, at risk of offending the deckled edges fandom, I want to confirm that I am neither for nor against deckled edges. I just haven’t the faintest why they exist. I’ve been doing craft with blunt scissors before and totally wrecked a page so just went ahead and “tore it artistically”. Is that what publishers did??? One day did some guy named Declan screw up and they were like, “BUT DON’T PANIC, DECLAN, IT COULD BE ARTISTIC. LET’S GO FOR IT AND WE’LL NAME IT AFTER YOU.”
I see you, Declan.
I see you making stuff up.
8. READING BOOKS OUT OF ORDER BECAUSE PUBLISHING IS ALLERGIC TO NUMBERING SERIES.
I ask myself this a lot: why can’t we have simple little series numbers on the spines?? WHY IS THE WORLD SO AVERSE TO THAT. I swear it used to be more common, but like these days finding a small “5” or “3” is almost like finding a unicorn. I forever end up buying books at op-shops/thrift stores and crying later because I bought book FIVE not book ONE.
As a small child I distinctly remember reading books out of order and being very, very confused. But pressing on because I’m not quitter.
ACTUAL THOUGHT PROCESS OF YOUNG CAIT READING BOOKS OUT OF ORDER:
Me: This doesn’t make sense.
Google: I CAN HELP!!
Me: They are eluding to things I haven’t read about.
Google: I COULD LET YOU KNOW.
Me: what if this is a sequel
Google: ASK ME. JUST ASK ME.
Me: I guess I can never know.
Google: OMGGGGGGGG.
Although to be fair Young Cait had very limited computer time because Computers Will Destroy Children’s Brains apparently * and used what computer time she did have, not to look up books, but to calculate how much money and supplies it would take her to cross the Oregon Trail with a team of oxen and her very own dog. ** Priorities, apparently.
* Obviously the intervention failed because I live inside my laptop now and also my brain was destroyed so so so long before that.
** I really wanted a dog. And I feel like I remember it being $800, but I was spending a lot on a team of four horses and I wasn’t hunting, I was bringing along salt pork. Still. Expensive for the 19th century, mate.
9. TOO SIMILAR NAMES.
I’ve confessed before that I never remember characters names. But look, it’s like authors don’t even CARE that I’m struggling here and they do stupid things like NAME ALL THEIR CHARACTERS FAR TOO SIMILARLY. Why isn’t anyone catering to my needs?
FOR EXAMPLE:
- THE INEXPLICABLE LOGIC OF MY LIFE: The two main characters are Sal and Sam. I mean, do you just like to see me cry??
- A GAME OF THRONES: Like the whole thing is a mess. Between Bron vs Bran, Melisandre vs Missandei, Tywin vs Tyrion, Asha vs Osha, Bryndan vs Brandon, and Varys vs Viserys — I’m just going to quit. THIS IS WHY I LIKE JON.
- LIFE IN OUTER SPACE: Two of the secondary characters were Allison and Adrian. The protagonist wants to kiss Allison but I spent most of the book thinking he was kissing Adrian because I can’t possibly read the entire name.
YOU EXPECT ME TO READ EVERY LETTER IN A NAME?? THAT’S RIDICULOUS. #NO
10. WHAT THE CHARACTERS EVEN LOOK LIKE.
I have quite a hopeless imagination when it comes to book characters. Like if I saw a movie-adaption I would confidently say, “THEY LOOK NOTHING LIKE THAT!!” But what do they look like, then, Cait?
That’s a secret that not even I know. It just wasn’t that.
I try to pay attention!! I do!! But I always get surprised when I see fanart or people discussing characters’ races and I will be like “Ooooh, so they’re not a blob?” And then when books wax on poetic about high cheekbones and an elegant nose and eyes like the noonday sun after a dragon’s war blood was spilled like…what even does it mean. I’m laughing nervously and avoiding you.
ASK ME WHAT ANY CHARACTER LOOKS LIKE AND 9 OUT OF 10 TIMES I WILL GIVE YOU 0% DESCRIPTION BECAUSE WHAT EVEN IS GOING ON.
Despite all of these confuddling bewilderments…reading is still my favourite thing of ever.
Obviously.
This blog does exist as an ode to books. (And cake.)
And despite getting confused regularly, I don’t even care! I have rereads and fanart and people to discuss things with. I enjoy myself with my books and even if I might skim details sometimes or forget important things or have no clue what anyone looks like — AS LONG AS YOU ENJOY READING, YOU’RE DOING IT RIGHT.
100% yes to every single thing on this list!!!! I forget name soooo much my friend, they just disappear. I’d forget my own dog’s name if my mother didn’t keep calling me “ella” instead of my own name. As for my own characters… I was reading through an old story the other day and one of the characters was called three different things XD
I used to do that thing with the series mixup allllll the timmmmeee!!! I remember the first time I read Series of Unfortunate Events and I was 100% confused because I did not read them in order, but I had to plough through, didn’t I.
(and that part about Declan cracked me up so much, you have no idea XD)
SAME. I do forget my dog’s name actually. I call him Cactus sometimes when his name is, in fact, Atticus. But it has like the vaguely same sounds, right?!?😂
Ohh I totally get how ASOUE would be confusing out of order! They’re confusing IN order haha, but ah I love them.
(My Declan theory is obviously 100% spot on tho, right?! I’M GOING TO BE FAMOUS FOR THIS THEORY.)
Omg, I recognise Every. Single. One. of these things from my own reading life. This is one of the reasons I love your blog so much, You just get me. I 100% agree with all the things in your post.
I never know what book characters exactly look like, and descriptions of their faces like high cheekbones or whatever, doesn’t do anything for me. I have no clue what that means, and when I imagine book characters they never have faces. They’re a human-shaped blob with hair (because.. hair’s important to me for some reason.).
I have trouble remembering book characters’ names and when it’s been a bit of time since I finished a book I can often not recall many of their names. I would have trouble telling anyone else what the book was about as I just have a vague recollection of the plot. But if I were to re-read the book I would recognise things as they pop up in the story, so I need at least a couple of years between re-reading a book or it is ‘too familiar’. Yet I cannot remember much when someone asks.
I mess up book titles all the time, especially if they are similar. I can usually remember the one of the book I’m currently reading given enough time, but other than that..
I totally agree on having series numbers on the spines or covers of books. I don’t get why a lot of series don’t do this. It makes life so much easier. Many times I’ve bought a book and thought it was book one and then it was actually book two or five. Just put it on the spine people! Or the cover, but preferably the spine so I can see it when it’s on a shelf.
I don’t like deckled edges at all. I had no idea that that’s what that’s called though, so I first had to Google ‘deckled edges’ before I understood (because English isn’t my first language). I don’t like deckled edges at all, I much prefer pages that all have the same shape and size.
Also, different sizes of books. I prefer it when all my books in one series or by one author all have the same size. Or at least have multiple sizes easily available. But why make the third book in the series bigger than the first two?! This just annoys me and it looks ugly on the shelf. Especially within series I like it when all the books in the series are the same size and in the same cover design (don’t get me started on redesigned covers. All the books must look good together!).
I try to remember when books come out but I usually can’t, instead I go onto a webshop and look it up. I wish there was an easy way to check for book releases altogether rather than one by one. I am a lover of medium sized paperbacks, which often come out later than the hardcover. But there are no easy ways to search for medium size paperback releases which happen later than the hardcover and e-book releases. I have to fill in all my favourite authors every month or so, to make sure I don’t miss something. I pre-order when I can, but my favourite webshop in the Netherlands doesn’t always have books listed months in advance. And of course, anything by a favourite author I must have it ASAP and I feel so bad if I look it up and it turns out it was released two months ago and I didn’t know about it or forgot about it. Like, I could’ve read that book two months ago?! What?!
I see my comment has become so long and rambly, so I suppose I’ll stop. Love your blog!
Awww, I’M REALLY GLAD, ATHENA!!! That honestly makes my day. <3 We bookworms are so not alone in our trials.😂😂
And YES to the blobs. My imagination is just full of blobs. It's so blob-like that do I even get to call it an "imagination"? I think I just lost my imagination rights tbh. But like faces are just hard and weird and noooo #nope. Can't do it. Same with their names. Although I have marginally better success envisioning hair. I like hair.😂
Putting numbers on spines WOULD SAVE LIVES!! I don't actually get why most series don't do it?!?
And I so don't get the different-sizes things. Like what does it even achieve?! Obviously nothing except for we bookworms to be weeping into our paperbacks that are like 9 different sizes within one series. THE WORLD TRIES OUR PATIENCE, IT REALLY DOES.
CAITTT HOW DO YOU CRACK ME UP SO MUCH???? I read this entire post word for word and was laughing so much my mum asked if I was okay or not (clearly I wasn’t because #sotrue!) I 100% agree with all these things – especially character names because I NEVER remember who is who although I remember titles pretty well.
N’awww, you make my DAY, Anisha. <3 Thank you!!😂😂 I'M PRETTY EXTRA SURE THIS IS MY NEW FAVOURITE COMMENT EVER. *gives you cake*
It was really odd because I when I was reading the Half Bad series by Sally Green I always thought Gabriel was a PoC, and then when I saw fan art I’m always really confused about who everybody is…
I saw someone say he IS POC actually! I honestly can’t remember at all because it’s been too long since I read them. Some fan-artists do white wash though, but I’m unsure if that’s accidental due to them also not knowing what characters look like? So IDK. I like to think the best of people, but I’m not sure about that one!
Uhh the whole thing with characters having similar names is a BIG problem. I have mixed up characters between books before because of that then gotten really confused when their whole personality has changed. Also the character descriptions, it’s just not a detail I remember unless it is a part of the plot. Plus authors are usually pretty vague about the description of their characters. I can talk for an hour on the character’s motivation, personality and thoughts on random topics but hair colour?? eye colour?? any adjective that actually describes them physically?? haha noo.
It’s true!! They ARE pretty vague. And like I get that for the whole “create your own character here” sort of feel…but then it backfires when they get movies and the fans are all like “THAT’S NOT HOW THEY LOOKED”.😂😂
I do agree with all of these,Cait.
Especially about similar names and descriptions of characters.The names just elude me half the time when I am reading and I definitely got confused reading Inexplicable Logic of my life and I also get confused as to how to spell the character names and I end up butchering them.
Don’t even ask me whether a certain person has green eyes or blue eyes or purple eyes(I have yet to see a person with purple eyes ) because I can never remember,mate.NEVER.
I LOVED The Inexplicable Logic but omg it really threw my head around a lot. I mean, it helped that it was in 1st person, but everytime someon said Sal, I just saw it as Sam and was like “they sure talk about Sam all the time, it’s a bit weird”.😂
What is with the purple eyes!??😂 Every time I see that I just want to roll my eyes.
I once read a book where the three main characters were called Angad, Akram and Aftab and oh my goodness it was confusing. I do occassionally mix up titles, but I acutally have quite a good memory for titles. I have picked up some boks with no idea of what they were about…like I wanted to read “in the shadow of the Banyan” because I thought it was about India, but no, it was an autobiographical novel about life under the Khmer Rouge. Some books, like tender morsels, just confuse me with their content (NO BEAR SEX EVER AGAIN THANK YOU). But I mostly confuse myself. lol
Ohhh that would’ve been frustrating. I mean, THERE ARE 26 LETTERS IN THE ALPHABET, AUTHORS, USE THEM.😂 And I totally decide what books are going to be about from their titles and then get it horribly wrong. It’s the suffering of we bookworms. Halp. (I don’t even want to ask about the bear sex.) 😂
As long as we have fun between confusing ourselves hopelessly? :’)
Aha! I have found out this secret to reading your blog posts early. It’s to stay up until 2:30 in the morning. It’s was totally worth it since it’s still kind of Friday for me. Days are weird. Does anyone else think days, and time are weird?! I also totally didn’t see how many similar names there were in Game of Thrones until you pointed them out😂. I also get book titles mixed up. Why are there so many books with “Shadow,” and “Queen?” I type it into GR and it gives me a totally different book about philosophy, like what! I say specifics, smachifics *waves hand in air*. I really love your Declan theory! I also used to read books out of order when I was younger. Everytime I went to the library I was just like, “Oh, the next one (I probably just read the 2nd book and am now taking home the 5th book.)!” That all stopped when I used Google when I was thirteen and discovered the magical world of Goodreads 😊! I also used your Pinterest tips! I am really liking a new board I made to plan out a Little Prince retelling I want to write. I’m making progress! Now I must sleep, it is almost three in the morning now for me. A growing pineapple/religious reader of your blog needs her sleep. I’m also starting to squint at my screen, it’s getting hard to keep my eyes open. I will still try to read one more chapter of a book! Who am I kidding? I will probably read until I fall asleep, and my book closes. Then I will wake up and, frustratedly, try to remember we’re I left off in this, said, book. Goodnight/Good morning!
omg 2:30am?!?!??! LEAH. DON’T FORGET TO SLEEP.😂 Okay I can’t really talk because I barely sleep haha. But stillllll. Days and time are kind of weird.
Shadow and Queen probably should be outlawed from fantasy titles.😂 And throne and blood too because seriously?!? It’s like no one can think up anything original anymore.😂
AHHHH THAT’S SO AWESOME YOU’RE DOING A LITTLE PRINCE RETELLING AND ALSO USING PINTERESTING AND I’M REALLY HAPPY!!! I’LL GIVE YOU CAKE NOW!!
Descriptions and changing covers in the middle of the book series – YES, MY EXACT PROBLEMS! Where can I join your cries Cait??
WE CAN CRY ENDLESSLY TOGETHER. *shares cake of sorrow with you*
‘I absorb about as much as a rock’ – Well, I mean if this quote isn’t the most accurate sentence to describe me whilst I’m reading fantasy books, then I don’t know what is. I swear I’ll be reading a fantasy book one day and I’ll have the world and its characters (although their faces are normally just blobs, because faces are HARD to imagine), and then the next I’ve completely forgotten everything that has happened in the book as well as what everything looks like. It’s probably my most annoying trait, I hate it. Its also probably why I have to re-read the first book of a series most of the time, in order to read the next release.
Different sized books, don’t even get me started on this. My brother owns the Skulduggery series – although it’s sitting on my shelf, because he’s only 12, and he doesn’t even notice, mwahaha, so it’s basically mine – and the books are all different sizes in height, and EVERYTIME I look at it my eye twitches because WHY CAN’T THEY JUST BE THE SAME HEIGHT?!
WE CAN BE ROCKS TOGETHER. DIM BUT FABULOUS ROCKS. *hi fives* 😂 Everything is a blob in my brain, tbh. Even if I write a book! And go on pinterest and pick out character faces! THEY REVERT TO BLOB STATUS IMMEDIATELY.😂 And I spend a lot of time re-reading these days too, don’t worry. *pats shoulder*
Ugh I hear you with the Skulduggery books. I found the WHOLE SERIES at such a good price at a 2nd hand store once…but the first 3 had different edition covers and I just??? I could not buy them???😂
I’m constantly confused by characters’ looks and clothing. I’ve spent entire books imagining them to look completely different than they actually do. And then I’ll see art or it’s explicitly mentioned somewhere and I just go “What?” I’m ridiculously thankful for every book that regularly mentions something about the characters’ looks.
Also names are hard. I can’t even remember the names of half my friends if I don’t have to use them regularly.
SAME SAME. At least we’re suffering together in this.😂 The worst is when you get to the end, or a sequel, and realise you’ve had them wrong the whole time.😂😂
I feel your pain. As soon as I stop reading I forget what any of the characters names are. At all. I feel like they don’t get mentioned often enough in a book for it to stick in my mind (that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it). And I full on picture characters looking different to their description because I skim over the descriptive stuff and realise I’ve done that when someone mentions a character’s blonde hair and blue eyes and I’m sat there thinking ‘I had you all wrong you were meant to have dark eyes I was sure’. I continually skip reading the blurb because covers are so much prettier and learn that I am reading a very different book to what I expected. It is the worst, I basically get confused very easily. And if there are a lot of weird terminology in a book because the authors created their own race or language I will not learn any of it at all. My brain can’t learn that much. I am dim like that.
And it’s especially hard with 1st person, right?!? Because their name is hardly mentioned!! I have like a much better chance of remembering the love interest’s name or whatever haha. AND OMG THE DESCRIPTION IS THE WORST. I give characters descriptions based on what I *think* their name is like? So I read the Lies of Locke Lamora and IDK…Locke is just a blonde name to me!! And then it got to the 3rd book and his having dark hair was quite a big plot point and I’m like “NO??? THIS IS WRONG??? LISTEN TO ME NOW PLS???” 😂😂
I picked up a book at a used bookstore that turned out to be #4 in a series. When I got the rest of the series, they all matched — and had numbers on the spine — except for the lone used bookstore one (I know that kills you!) The not matching doesn’t really bother me, but if only the number was on the spine of that other edition, it would have been super helpful when I first spotted it!
IT KILLS. IT REALLY DOES.😂 And I get the most stuck at used bookstores too!! Like it’s not like you can ask/check generally, especially where I am because they shelve YA as adult half the time so no one’s going to know what number a book is. *falls over in agony*
OMG you don’t even want to know the number of times I’ve gone to a bookstore, purchased a book, and started reading it at home only to find out that it’s the second or third book in a series. Numbers would help SO MUCH (hopefully some publishers out there can hear our cries for help?!).
Great post!
I FEEL YOUR PAIN. 😭 I also do this a lot when buying at like op-shops/thrift stores? Because it’s not like I can check or ask anyone and then I return with the 6th book in the series when I was hoping it was the first. 😂
“Ooooh, so they’re not a blob?” #relatable
I can’t possibly remember what characters look like, AND remember their names, what their relations are and follow the plot??
EVERYONE IS SECRETLY A BLOB. I’M SURE THIS IS THE TRUTH.😂
ALL OF THIS. I despise deckled edges. They’re just not neat at all. AND YES TO THE SERIES NUMBER ON THE SPINE. Some series have them – the Morganville vampires series does! Is it just too hard for the publishers to add that tiny, little detail? They don’t even do it on Netgalley so I end up with the third book in a series with no hope of reading the first two because I didn’t even know it existed.
I also cannot stand when authors use similar names in a book, like they start with the same first letter – there are 26 (!!!!!) letters in the alphabet so make use of it!!!!!!
And books that are different sizes are infuriating. PICK A HARDCOVER SIZE AND A PAPERBACK SIZE AND STICK WITH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Make it the same all around the editions. I also wish the UK would adopt the floppy US paperbacks because they are sooooo much easier to read because there’s less chance of cracking the spine.
I just seem to forget books as soon as I close them. I put it down, go to write my review and can’t remember a thing. *eye roll*
I don’t mind deckled edges but whyyyyy do they exist? I just must need know.😜 😂 And like numbers on the spine AREN’T THAT BAD!! THEY’RE GREAT ACTUALLY! I have no idea what order half my series go in even if I’ve read them. If it’s beyond a trilogy = I’ve got no clue about anything.😂
Exactly!!😂 USE THE WHOLE ALPHABET OMG. The only excuse comes when you have more than 26 characters and then when does that happen usually?!?
#5. Like OMG what is WRONG with publishers…do they not even look at the previous books in a series before drafting the cover and book size?? It drives me nuts. The matching covers even more than the size (but when the covers don’t match usually they’ve changed the size too, soooooo). I actually canceled a January preorder I had when I realized that the Amazon cover was not, in fact, a placeholder like I originally assumed. I’m so angry now because I STILL haven’t got to read that book!
I seriously want to know why they change them. WHY. Like I’ve got the Magnus Chase series and the first book is WAY smaller and I’m just crying. What did I do to deserve this. *weeps*
And honestly I’ve ordered a book online specifically for the cover and had it come SPECIFICALLY WITH THE WRONG COVER. I checked the ISBNs and the store had displayed the wrong cover. So freaking mad. 😫😫😜😜
I get confused with multiple narrators too. I have realised that this could simply be due to Bad Writing. The author hasn’t given the characters their own voice, and is relying on people READING the names at the top of the section. Uh, no……
Also the similar titles thing is in large part due to publishers et all going ‘mwuhaha if we give Book X a similar title to Book Y then readers will think they are similar and want to buy it because readers are mindless sheep and this random sort of title was popular so it will bring us loads of moneys yes?’
That’s also true! If characters have all merging voices then it’s not just our fault for being muddled, right?!?😂
AND DUDE YES I KNOW RIGHT?!? Especially with fantasy. Everything is like Shadows of the Queens on the Bone Throne in the Dark or something and I’m just…??? Have we got nothing else???😂
You are soooo not alone with these. xD Game of Throne character names make me want to weep tears of coffee just so I can drink them and stay alert enough to remember who the heck is who. I also loved Arya and Jon because YAY I CAN PRONOUNCE THEM. (But then I think there were two Jons at some point? And my brain just sort of went “????? George what are you doing here’s a baby naming book handle the situation.”)
I didn’t mix up Sean and Puck when I started The Scorpio Races, but for some reason I did think Puck was a dude? I have no clue why. That’s just where my mind went and it confused me the entire time.
Fantasy titles clearly need more unique names. Seriously. Everyone’s a daughter of some queen who sits on some throne and has swords at midnight in the smoke.
Actually I think there are two Jons…DANGGGGIT. Isn’t the guy who lived in the Aerie (is that even how you spell that haha) named Jon as well? The old hand of the king who gets murdered? I THINK?? I LEGIT HAVE NO IDEA. I read them all last year but like…dude, I got nothing.😂 And I THOUGH Arya was okay until I saw the show and they do nooooot say it how I was saying it so now I’m still confused.
Our brains. So lovely and confusing. :’)
Omg YES. And shadows! Queen of Smoke and Bone and Shadows on the Dark Throne. *rolls eyes* Mind you I called my fantasy the Kill Season so I can’t talk.😂
I hate books with a lot of characters because I can’t remember who is who. I confuse character names all the time. I do this with real people too. I’m just hopeless with names.
Saaaame. Names are just impossible. I never even call my nieces/nephews the right names so I just say “FRANK” collectively. THey’ve actually started responding to it.😂
OH MY GOODNESS, YESYESYESYESYESYES to so much of this. When authors describe things I can’t picture, I definitely won’t know what the hell they’re talking about or what this thing or person looks like. And characters with similar names is a tough one — for writers, too! I have a list of all my characters — major and minor — and I keep track of how often I use the same letter for names. If I’m trying to name someone new, and I already have too many A’s, on we go to the B’s, then the C’s, etc. I also try not to over-describe people, because a) I will not remember later all the adjectives I used for whoever, and b) most readers report that it honestly does not help them to better visualize the character. Stick to the important stuff. Example — Harry Potter: dark hair, wears glasses, scar on forehead. Boom.
Similar titles and changing narration is so hard, too. Over Christmas, I accidentally ordered “Outrun the Moon” on a gift card, because I’d heard it was a charming modern fairytale…and then was confused when it turned out to be historical fiction about Asian girls in California. HUH?! So I had to look it up, and discovered that I wanted “When the Moon Was Ours.” OHHH. Insert swear words here.
The first time I read The Scorpio Races, I had a very hard time keeping up with when it changed to Sean’s parts. Then I realized that at the beginning of each chapter, it says “Sean” or “Puck.” OHHH. At least she labeled it — other authors are not so kind. Richard Carman wrote “Pulse” and the narrator changed about 15 times a chapter, sometimes even DURING THE SAME SCENE. How my son managed to finish it without his head literally exploding is beyond me. You go, dude.
I’M SO GLAD I’M NOT ALONE!!😂😂 And so many people are relating here haha, omg, we can all be hopeless messes together. And agh, I honestly spent half a book I was writing constantly checking on what my characters names were.😂 And the first book I ever wrote basically had an entire cast of characters with A names. *facepalm* I try SO hard to have no characters sharing a first letter…although I’m a little annoyed that the book I’m currently plotting has a Tova and a Tristin, but to be fair their storylines don’t cross. Or else I’ll just change one.😂
And YES. Those are the things we remember Harry for!! All characters need to be described like that.
I totally get that about Outrun the Moon haha. But if it makes you feel better, that’s an AMAZING book. There’s so much food. (Shhh. I like foodie books.😂)
And why do some authors not even bother to name who’s narrating?!?? Sheesh. I read this book recently called We Come Apart and it was in verse (so I was dead already haha, because I hate verse) AND it didn’t tell you when the chapters changed OR the narrators. It was so confusing I nearly threw it tbh.😂
THIS IS SO TRUE, especially naming. I was reading Red Queen one time and was inserting knowledge of America “Mer” Singer from The Selection into Mare Barrow because I find their personalities similar and their names are similar. Then, with the same two books there is the Maven, Maxon dilemma. Needless to say, I was very confused for a while.
Oh I get that!! I kind of merged them in my head together too..😂 Didn’t they both have red hair anyway? Totally the same person. *nods* AND OMG MAVEN AND MAXON I DIDN’T NOTICE THAT TILL NOW. *whispers* I actually think Red Queen copied a lot from other books tbh.
hahaha!! YES! To every single one of these! I get extremely frustrated with the similar names thing in books. Especially Game of Thrones. That is the worst offender. I blame most of my cluelessness (yep, that’s totally a word now) on my terrible attention span. I’m kind of like the dog from Disney’s movie “Up”….SQUIRREL! lol! Great post!
Game of Thrones is just out to make us miserable for SO MANY REASONS. I mean, they kill off everyone AND give them all impossible names. Saaave us.😂
I also have no idea what characters look like as I read books. I only see them as blobs! It gets so annoying when I’m expected to know what they look like. Um…no! I’m thankful for adaptations to remind me how they actually look (if done correctly).
YAS FOR THE BLOBS! WE ARE THE SAME! *hi fives for our blob imaginations* 😂
Wow, I get you. Especially with the character description thing. I usually skip past the descriptions just cuz I feel like I came here to hear about personalities of these peoples, not how their hair looks. But then it ends up catching to me when I have a vivid (fake) picture of how I think a character should look and then happen to glance down and realize their hair is not the color I’d pictured. Ugh, I feel like I’ve been lied to all my life. And sometimes go halfway through a book thinking a character is a boy and (awkward) figure out that is not the case. Thanks for this relatable post, Cait. 🙂 Makes me feel a tad bit better about myself.
-Sarah
foreverchanged.blogspot.com
Same! And it’s actually so good, right?! Because readers don’t judge characters on looks at all really haha.😂 But I do agree it gets awkward when something happens that completely throws you. Like there’s one book I had myself CONVINCED that the character was blonde, and then in the sequel is was a big plot point that they had black hair. And I was like “what??? this is not what I said??” and it was really disorientating.😂
We can be befuddled bookworms together. *HI FIVES* 😂
I relate to this so much! No surprise there, haha.
😂😂I’m glad I’m not alone tbh.
MY GOD I DON’T KNOW WHAT ANYONE LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE TIME AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST ME. I do the same exact thing. I see fan art and I’m like what wait huh. Oh thats from… OH. Then I have to go figure out how they were actually described in the book. I swear sometimes I am just simply a potato. I guess the way the characters look isn’t as important to me as the plot and their actual development as characters???? I DON’T KNOW I CAN’T EXPLAIN MY BRAIN.
And omg ok with the reading books out of order thing. I did this when I was in like 3rd grade and I feel like it was THE WORST THING EVER BECAUSE OF THE SERIES IT WAS. Are you ready for this? Okay, let me provide some background first. These books (more specifically, movies) scared me when I was younger. My mom and brother LOVED THEM and I saw the scene where a certain someone dies and smol me was like UM NO THANK YOU THAT’S TERRIFYING.
Background aside, I picked up the 3rd book of Harry Potter in 3rd grade and had no fracken idea it was the 3rd book and then finished it and told my mom and she was like NOOOO WHY DID YOU DO THAT THING OMG. Luckily, my 3rd grade brain was not as concerned with this and forgot the whole thing anyways. THANK GOD FOR THAT.
Bah, I am a gold-fish at heart (at brain, maybe?)
WE’RE BASICALLY OFFICIALLY TWINS NOW, KRIS.😂 I just haven’t got a clue, honestly. And then people will be like “oh they’re described with blonde hair in the book” and I’m like “WHERE WAS THAT, WAS I NAPPING”.😂😂 I just basically have blank blobs in my brain and call them characters.
Ahhhh, that story about your 3rd Harry Potter book!! But at least goldfish brains can be useful for some things right?!? *hi fives*
LOL! I’m cracking up over here. XD
I agree with the need of numbers on the titles. I mean, COME ON. its not that hard! So i just read the blurbs, trying to figure out what comes first. 😛 I get so confused with long names. XP
Most crazily, ~Olive
I’M GLAD.😂😂 And it’s so annoying when they don’t even list the series inside the covers!!
Okay I have a confession to make Cait
because I follow your blog and so many ARC readers in twitter
I am constantly surprised that a certain book isn’t out yet and “wait I thought that was already released” and “why can’t I find this book on my library website” BECAUSE EITHER NO ONE POSTS THE RELEASE DATES OR I AM JUST BLIND.
it’s so confusing sometimes XD
OH GOOD. WE CAN SUFFER TOGETHER.😂 Honestly I read so many books out of order I’m surprised I’m even allowed around ARCs.😂 I should’ve read February ARCs by now but here I am…reading June ones…😂
rebellious queen of doom that you are
THAT NEEDS TO BE ON A MUG THOUGH. “REBELLIOUS QUEEN OF DOOM”. MAY I USE THAT?
OF COURSE YOU CAN DEAR XD
I have the same problem with 10. I don`t know their race (except it`s a huge part of the story like storys about racism) or their hair color. IDK. I heard “Percy Jackson” and had tabs open with fanart of the cast because I can`t reconize their appearance.
Than I can only remember the names of my favorite authors (maybe 5) and that is not fair 🙁
Knowing what everyone looks like is soooo hard.😂Especially with how ambiguously authors like to describe! I mean how am I supposed to picture their face when all I have to work with are their “high cheekbones”?? HELP US.😂
I CONFESS, THE NAME CONFUSION WAS 50% OF THE REASON I DNF’D GAME OF THRONES.
Windwitch and The Rose and the Dagger confused me quite a lot, as I forgot what had happened in the book before (which was expected with Windwitch – I read it 10 months after Truthwitch – but I was really thrown off by The Rose and the Dagger, as I only read it a month after The Wrath and the Dawn). In terms of reading series out of order, the Durarara!! series by Ryohgo Narita is like that – even if you read them IN order. Basically, the order the scenes are presented in in each book seems to be completely random and has nothing to do with the chronological order in which they actually take place. IT DRIVES ME CRAZY, AHHH. But the characters are some of my favorite literary children, so I read it anyways.
Ellie | On the Other Side of Reality
The only reason I SURVIVED Game of Thrones was via audio they sound differnet enough that I survived. I got super dead when they started in with Bran, Brandon, Bryidan and they all WERE IN THE SAME STORYLINE. LIKE JUST SLAY MY BRAIN NOW THANKS
Okay that Durarara series sound entirely overwhelmingly confusing!! I’ve NEVER heard of a series being written like that?!? But at least they’re good literary children for you.😂😂
YES! THANK YOU! I’m not the only one who thinks all series ever should have numbers on the spines! I am horrible at reading a book and then being confused and then realizing that I started with book 4 and not book 1. I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks about these things.
WE ARE BASICALLY BRAIN TWINS NOW, MEG. LET ME SHARE CAKE WITH YOU. And like is it that hard to number books!?? Please.😂
Ahahaha omg I so feel you with the titles Cait. XD I confuse them a lot too. Also yes to the size thing. Whut is up with that??? And I also don’t get the point of deckled edges. Whut…
I’m sometimes (all the time) confused when I read a sequel and it’s been a while since I read the previous book and I MIGHT AS WELL BE JON SNOW BECAUSE I KNOW NOTHING ANYMORE. Help.
OMGG THAT’S RELATABLE TOO. *sobs in the corner* If it’s been more than like, erm, a week…let’s be real: I’ve forgotten everything in the first book.😂 I’m really proud of myself reading the second Reckless book and then the third straight after.😂 I’M TRYING HERE. haha.
I think deckled edges are super pretty, but I also have no idea why some books do them. They make for good photos but not much else. AND THE NAME THING TOO. If I read a book with too many characters who’s names start with the same letter I get them all confused.
I know right?!? Like I have NOTHING against them. I think they’re cool but I just don’t understand whyyyyyyy they exist. I mean, I have my Declan theory but then did I just make that up just now or do I have factual evidence for it? We can never know.😂
You haven’t being confused until you’ve read The Dead House. You might think you have, but you really haven’t. I’ve thought about it every which way, and I still can’t work out if it’s supernatural or psychological. I LOVE ambiguous books! XD
For a person who really does not have her life together, I actually find it quite easy to keep series ordered, and authors seperate, and names linked to the correct characters.
Omg I still need to read that…NOW I’M WORRIED.😂😂 I like ambiguous books somewhat, but I also need some black and white facts or I just wilt away like a preciously damaged flower.
Seriously, I feel so bonded to you right now. You’ve basically described all of my same struggles! Especially with the similar names and what characters look like but really all of these are me haha.
You seriously write the best blog posts ever!
We’re practically bookworm BRAIN TWINS NOW. *comes to stand with you* I’m actually glad I’m not alone in all my delusional failings here.😂😂
OH MY GOODNESS DOCTOR WHO AND SHERLOCK GIFS ALL IN ONE POST!!!! AKDHFIDOENCJDLSNDHDOSN!!!!
Okay…. Breathe…
This post was pure awesome!!! I, too, have difficulty envisioning characters. Like, I just sort of get this shadowy silhouette that I THINK is supposed to be some guy with red hair, but I don’t know, maybe not. And this does not get any better when I actually have o CREATE characters.
Just…no.
And oh my word, the NAMES. I literally read a book once, and one of the names on the very first page was Fyria’aliola of Fra’anior.
I think a tiny part of my soul died that day.
We have imaginations like BLOBS BASICALLY.😂 But hey at least we’re suffering with faceless silhouettes together right?! *hi fives* And omg when I write my characters don’t have faces, just usually hair hahah.
WHAT. WAHHHHHAT IS THAT NAME. Sometimes I think fantasy authors just hit the keyboards.😂
Oh yeah! Two blob-like imaginations are better than one! *high-gives* Ugh, yes!!! The hair!!!! Mine always have the hair, haha!!!
That has to be it. I mean, how does one even come UP with that????
high-fives*
Ugh. My brain is so fried today, lol!
Okay, but I totally get the part about deckled edges?! I get that they’re fancier and on an aesthetic level, I adore them, but it’s so much more impractical? Flipping through the book becomes 10x harder. And then there are the series where like, the first book will have deckled edges and then the rest won’t. UGH. Also, I’m totally the same with picturing characters. Unless there’s a really popular/author-promoted art for the series, I am 100% useless.
-Monica @ Tomes Project
Oh so much agreement. They’re nice aesthetically but what else do they do?!?😂 AND YES FLIPPING IS IMPOSSIBLE. I forgot about that tbh.
And haha, exactly. I have a vague idea of what Maggie Stiefvater’s characters look like only because she’s done art for them!
Literally, just YES to everything on this list. Deckled edges? Hate ’em. Game of Thrones characters are too numerous to count, and I can barely remember my own name when I’m in the middle of a read, let alone the author’s. Also, I love the phrase “I have a memory like a wifi connection” and I need it on a tee shirt. 🙂
I think that’s why George RR Martin keeps killing everyone off. So we don’t have to suffer through remembering all those names.😂
I was chuckling to myself while reading this. I so do most of these things too. And not only do books have similar titles, but sometimes they have the same exact title! Go ahead and search for a book with the title “Gone” you will get about 5 or six books by different authors. Is it any wonder that people were ordering the wrong book between 50 Shades of Gray and Between Shades of Gray? It is maddening I tell you. Thanks for the refreshing post and for making me smile.
AHH I hear you with the same titles!! Or like just slightly slightly different? Like Shadow Queen vs Queen of Shadows? Send help.😂 And I think there’s 3939 books titled Gone for sure haha. And omg I was kind of horrified when I saw a bunch of YA book bloggers raving about Between Shades of Grey. I was like “THIS IS NOT APPROPRIATE”…only to realise it’s a different book.😂
I don’t get deckled edges, either. I don’t like them. They make it harder to turn the pages, and sometimes you end up grabbing the page that’s sticking out just a fraction of a millimetre more, and then you turn two pages at once. Then you’re completely lost…
I’ve noticed that about the numbering of series. The only time I see numbers these days is with self-published books, and then it’s a dead giveaway that the book didn’t go through a traditional publisher. Maybe it’s an evil scheme by the big publishing houses to sell more books. If someone accidentally buys the second book, they’ll have to go and buy the first one, right? That wouldn’t happen if everybody could easily see which book was “Book 1” right away. It’s just a theory…
Similar names bother me, too. I remember reading one book where most of the characters’ names started with one of two letters (there was Konrad and Korwin, as well as Jameson, Jeremiah, and Jonas). Um… you’ve got 26 letters to choose from! Don’t confuse your readers.
I’ve actually only read a few books with deckled edges so the tragedies haven’t bene huge.😂 But I just don’t see the point of them, haha. I like neat things.
Ohh, that might be IT. It’s just the publishers being elitist.😂 Actually I just finished reading Cornelia Funke’s three Reckless books and they are numbered!! Roman numerals!! FANCY. It was a big help too haha I didn’t have to keep looking them up on google to see what came next.
Ugh, I know right?! So many letters in the alphabet and they gotta use the same one? IT BREAKS MY BRAIN. I told my mum she failed this cardinal rule by naming my brother and I names that both start with “Ca”. SERIOUSLY NOW. I WOULD EDIT THAT OUT.
I am easily confused with the physical descriptions of characters, same as you. The author has to be very explicit with their descriptors or I’m screwed and I’m off imagining them as something that is apparently the total opposite of what they’re actually supposed to look like. Ugh.
The other thing that confuses me in books is the layout of a room or a town with multiple buildings. If the characters are going too fast or they aren’t saying where they’re going, or they contradict where they are versus where they’ve been, it’ll drive me crazy!
I always just imagine the total opposite. Like usually on accident, but I CAN’T HELP IT. 😂 I just get it into my head that a certain type of name = a certain type of look. Like I read the Lies of Locke Lamora recently and Locke is just a BLONDE name to me. And then the character turned out to have dark hair in bk 3 and I’m like “excuse me no we didn’t discuss this”. So rude.😂
Oh I agree about the rooms!! That’s a big one for me too. And battle scenes. Omg send help.😂
This post is 100% my life. The lack of series numbering is a serious pet peeve — an it’s even WORSE when they don’t even list the author’s other books in SERIES order on the inside — no, SOME publishers think it’s a fun little joke to just list ALL of the author’s other works so you stand there staring at it, scratching your head, thinking “But which one of these are in THIS series?!” Thank god someone invented Goodreads.
The names in Game of Thrones drove me up a bloody wall. the only reason I was remotely able to keep track when I read the first book is because I had already watched the ENTIRE TV series. And even in THAT it took me a good three seasons + a rewatch to actually GET the difference between Tywin and Tyrian and between Varys and Viserys. Just … WHHHHYYYYY???!!!! This is why in MY books I try VERY hard to make sure that every character’s name starts with a different letter. Is that realistic? Probably not, but I DON’T CARE. Because at the very least I need to be able to keep them straight. At some point.
I do also struggle with the narrator thing. And it’s why I always RAVE about books where characters have strong/distinct enough voices that I can always tell who’s narrating. Because if I can ACTUALLY tell without keeping track of which bloody name appeared at the beginning of the chapter (I will inevitably forget) then you’re a skilled author. But so often I can’t, and I find myself spending more brain power trying to figure out who’s talking right now than actually paying attention to what I’m reading. GAH!
WE ARE 100% LIKE BRAIN TWINS THEN OBVIOUSLY. THAT’S NOT A WORRY AT ALL. *hi fives*
And dude, YES to the lists inside the covers. Or like they list them but still don’t tell you if the book in your hand is like book 6 or book…3? Or ONE??!?! I just give up honestly. And also want to work in publishing so I can smack the person behind that decision.😂
I only survived GoT because of the audios! Somehow I’m actually better at auditory memory?!? I don’t know why since I love to read. But an audio has me 100% more likely to keep up. 😂 BUT LIKE THE SPELLINGS THOUGH. Bron and Bran just made me angry. LIKE THAT’S ONE LETTER. C’MON, GRRM. USE THE REST OF THE ALPHABET.
And yesssss. I love it when you can tell who’s narrating due to the voice! BEST EVER WRITING.
I have the same problem with the Game of Throne names! I have no idea who is who but just keep on listening – because how has time to read huge books so I am doing audiobook route for this series. plus when is the next book coming out!
I am always confused in books that flick between time – I have no idea if I’m reading the past, present or future – even though apparently the chapters are helpfully named for the year they are set in.
Great post!
Audiobook is the BEST way to go. I think it’s the only reason I survived. I took a peek at the actual spellings of things once (like “ser” instead of “sir”!? WHY???) and closed it rapidly.😂
Ugh and books have to do the past/present thing REALLY well to work.
I can definitely agree on a couple of these, so you’re definitely not alone! XD
I can’t picture characters either! Unless there’s a lot of fanart for the book/series or if it’s already become a movie, then they do just look like random blobs in my head, or just a generic character template where I change the gender or race of the character if applicable. Really, I have a hard time picturing anything in terms of books. Settings and fight scenes don’t work out on the page for me, either.
I never used to know the release dates of books either, but now that I’m interested in ARCs and using Netgalley and writing up “Anticipated Releases” posts, that really helps to keep everything in order. So, at least I know that blogging’s improving one thing pertaining to reading!
And for not knowing what the book’s about: yes, yes, and yes. Most of the time, when I’m choosing a book from my TBR, I’m like, “I vaguely remember what this was about, and it intrigued me, so let’s choose this one.” For some reason, I’m too lazy to search up the summary again oops. XD
*hi fives for our confusing bookworm failings* 😂😂
Random blobs FTW…well, sort of the win.😂I mean, if it gets a movie, I generally just envision them as that face from then on, but if not? It’s all random blobs until then. Maybe with hair, if we’re lucky.😂 I’m with you on fight scenes!! I generally just skim them to get to the outcome because it’s just confusing haha.
I’ve been trying to write down lists of anticipated books in my bullet journal but I STILL KEEP MESSING IT ALL UP. I’m just doomed tbh. 😂
I love this!! When you read a lot, things do tend to run together. I’m super bad a remembering characters names, book titles, and even what the FINAL REVEAL was. I recently asked someone on twitter when the If I Stay movie was coming out and how I was SUPER excited about it—- I meant After I Fall. The person was like– it came out 3 years ago weirdo… opps!!!
I also have trouble with the narrators thing. I thought Colby (the narrator) in The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour was a girl really far into the book. Like embarrassingly far. I also thought a book (The Light Fantastic) was narrated by one person for a long time too– it’s narrated by probably 7 or 8 people. I had no clue that the chapter titles were names.
Also, DOWN WITH THE DECKLED PAGES. And PLEASE can we get series numbers?? My son wanted to buy the first Land of Stories book ay the book store today and it took me far too long to figure out which one was the first one!! And this is on books for 10 year olds??????? And don’t get me started with Sara Shepard books. How do you have 999 books in a series and NOT number them??????? I don’t want to look it up every time I buy one of your 999 books!!!
I still didn’t get that right– I mean BEFORE I FALL!!! I just can’t with the titles!!
Ohhh I totally get that too!! But like time gets away on on us right??!? I keep thinking I’ve caught up on books and then the sequels are out and the author has 93890 new books and just HELP ME. I’M DROWNING.😂
And don’t feel bad! I’ve done that before too hahah. I don’t know if you’ve heard of We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan (it’s out just recently I think? lol there I GO AGAIN not knowing release dates) and it’s inverse with two narrators and NO warning when it switches. So disorientating and confusing. Ughhh.
I know right?!? Why don’t they put numbers on the spines?!? IT’S NOT HARD. It saves lives.😂
You made me laugh, good post! So, in order to help you with the characters in my story, some infos here about some of them::
0) Shadyia : me, courtesan and warrior girl as I discover a bit lately
1) Verthandi: Ashkan, almost god-like, pain in the crack
2) Deresi: my sweet lover
3) Aaron: powerful magician, he knew my mom
4) Luun: Viskar, almost god-like, way less annoying than Verthandi, has also a real cool armor that I might borrow one day
5) Demos Azari: magician, massive pain in the crack, wants so much to become someone that he puts Verthandi in a box to help him. Like that would be a good idea!
Thanks again for the lovely post!
I’m glad you liked my post!
AHAHAHAHA can’t even find your mum in the same house. Legit me. But yep, books are constantly confusing me. Especially epic fantasies. Just too many people’s names and too much to think about.
But to be fair, I think families are super sneaky and wily and make themselves hard to be found. UGH FAMILIES. Can’t live without them, can’t live with them.
That’s why you kill everyone off in epic fantasies. Save on remembering their awful names. #CaitLogic 😂
God this post and the one in which you answer your search terms, I CRACKED UP SO HARD OMG. But like titles should be relevant? I think the best in this scenario is the Lunar Chronicles. First names of characters as title of the book. NO CONFUSION WHATSOEVER HERE. And Uprooted sounds like someone uprooting trees and doing construction work in a forest to me. Clearly I haven’t read that book. And as for characters, I imagine them as blobs of blood and flesh SINCE WHO CARES FOR DETAILS?? Or they can be potatoes! POTATOES IT IS. XD
WELL I AM VERY PLEASED IT MADE YOU LAUGH.😂 MY WORK HERE IS DONE. hehehe.
Uprooted totally confuses me haha, but then I was super mad at it for having a character named Dragon who WASN’T A DRAGON. Like…lies. So many lies. I’ve been betrayed.
Pfft, this made me laugh. And no, I don’t get deckled edges either, and I knew a Declan who would be a perfect candidate for inventing them…
I’m SURE my Declan = deckled pages theory is solid and science. IT MUST BE.
OMG BOOKS CONFUSE ME ALL THE TIME. Probably because I, like you, am a very forgetful munchkin. I get really confused between Lewis Carrol and C.S Lewis? WHY DO AUTHORS HAVE TO HAVE SIMILAR NAMES I DON”T GET IT. Also sometime books have similar names (like there are at least 3 books with bone titles and I’m just a confused person because WHY ARE THERE SO MANY BONES HALP). I also constantly forget character names, unlike Shanti, who can remember the names of characters in books she read about 10 years ago ARGH. Usually when I write reviews I have to look up their names again.
I also get really frustrated when there are multiple narrators but they all sound the same. The only ways to solve this is to have the character name at the top of every page they are narrating, or for their voices to be really distinct. like, get it together, authors.
I hadn’t noticed the similarity between Lewis Carroll and CS Lewis but now that you SAY IT I’M NEVER GOING TO UNSEE THAT. 😂 And omg Bones in the titles…like seriously they need to stop. I legit got upset reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone because it wasn’t Russian…and then I’m like “okay wait that’s an entirely different book”.😂
You should just steal Shanti’s brain. #SolidLifeAdvice
I so agree with you on the character description! 9 out of 10 times I have no clue how someone looks apart from all the fan art I’ve seen.
Also I was reading a book the other without reading the blurb and I was first very confused then very disappointed because it was not about what I imagined AT ALL.
And YES why are there no numbers on books? And why are not ALL books EVERYWHERE the exact same size? That would be great thank you very much. I expect you as our overlord to fix this 😉
And it’s not even our fault because blurbs are usually either waaaay too vague or say too much and then give spoilers! And that’s so annoying!! 😫😫
Deckled edges are such a problem. They are. Thank you for not making me the only one in the world who feels that way. They are so strange.
I can’t tell what characters look like half the time, so I’ll come up with a mental image of someone and then a hundred pages in the author will say something like, “Her gold hair streamed down her back” and I’m all, “Whoa, where’d this come from? That’s not what she looks like.” And then I throw the book across the room.
And for heavens sake, why can’t they put numbers on the sides of the books? I did this with the Lunar Chronicles. Having no idea which book was first (or even whether or not they were a series, I got Cress first and was a third of the way through it before I realized, “Oh, whoopsies, this is a sequel.” I finished it anyway, but…. Yeah.
*hi fives* I just don’t see the point in them at all?? 😂 BUT HEY if they make some people happy then I say go for it. I think I prefer things all even and neat though.
And I’m THE EXACT SAME with the descriptions!! I’ve had this series that I just imagined the narrator was blonde and then in the 3rd book it’s like a big plot point that he has black hair and I’m like what??? This is wrong???😂
And it gets worse the longer series are!! Save me with The Mortal Instruments. I have no clue.
Oh my goodness. Yes. Why does that always happen? I mean, I understand that you aren’t supposed to tell about appearances, but MAYBE try to give us at least an idea two books in advance?
A FEEL ALL OF THESE!! Especially the book sizes, confusing titles, and deckled edges. Like wtf with deckled edges? They look pretty and rustic but make it so easy to accidentally turn to the wrong page!’
The narrators is another thing that gets me. If their names are at the start it’s okay if I’m reading a physical book, but things can get hairy on audio. Like in The Kiss of Deception audio, I kept confusing the two guys because the narrators sounded pretty similar (and I was listening to it at like 2.5x which didn’t help)
I know right?!? I prefer when things are neat.😂 And they’re only good for bookstagram aesthetic so whyyyyy.😂
I listen to audios at 2.5x speed too! *HI FIVES* I mean, they sound kind of like chipmunks but also hey we have a lot of books to get through here.😂
Yes to series being numbered, matching & the same size please!!
I have totally been mixing up & combining The Impossible Knife of Memory & The Knife of Never Letting Go! Which is probably why I couldn’t find them lol
I have this thing were I will read a book, or part of a book.. and then try to find it again. And I will remember bit of the plot & random details that are important only to me but not things like oh-
-the title
-the author
-the main character(s) name
-anything that will help me in any way lol
I was talking to someone about The Knife of Never Letting Go but using The Impossible Knife of Memory title…we both got SO CONFUSED.😂
True story, I almost sent a book back to Amazon once thinking it was damaged because it had deckled edges 😂 So that is where I am. I get things confused too. The whole genre thing a LOT. I agree, I thought a lot of the same things about those exact same books, actually! And of course, you know I end up avoiding books, like The Raven Boys, if I get some kind of notion that they are about bird people. And the different sizes? That is just RUDE, no other explanation!
OH and I NEVER know what characters look like. Even if the author has described them completely, my mind still sees them as… nothing. Definitely blobs. UNLESS I see who plays them in a movie, and then they always look like that until the end of time, even if it isn’t right. It can’t be helped, it is how my mind works!
I DON’T BLAME YOU. I actually nearly complained to Book Depository for sending me Scarlet with this uneven cover. But in reality the cover is MEANT to be like 1cm shorter than the pages to show this strip of red through?? But like what even. It’s dumb and unmatched and I can’t look at it.😂
BUT YOU WILL FIX IT WITH THE RAVEN BOYS AND STILL READ IT AMIRITE? BECUASE I’M HERE BEGINNING YOU WITH MY CUTE FACE.
I remember the numbering system from when I was growing up, and like you, I wonder where it went? Like, did a bunch of rogue dragons swoop in and eat all the numbers off the books? Or eat the people who put the numbers on the books? Because if that’s the case, I have five words for them: Let them eat cake instead! (Loosely paraphrased from Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution.) If you’re really, really lucky, you might actually see the phrase “First in a brand new series!” on the cover of a new book, letting you know that yay, there’s another series out there to be read and obsessed over and blogged about. But also that you are starting in the right place, and not halfway through the series that of course your local library (or bookstore, if you’re lucky enough to have a local bookstore—we don’t) only has books 1, 4, 5, 7 and 9 in the series, and none of the rest are anywhere to be found on the planet apparently, since it is obviously asking too much for the library to get every single one of them. Nowadays you’re lucky if the entire series is listed on one of the front pages of a book, and even luckier if they’re actually listed in the correct order. Whoever decided to do away with the numbering system should be made to re-shelve the entire Library of Congress while listening to annoying Christmas carols. In July. With fake snow falling from the ceiling. And the thermostat turned up to 2000 degrees. Except that would hurt the books as well, so make sure they are protected from the excessive heat.
I know right?!? It’s ridiculous! There never seem to be numbers ANYWHERE!
Wow, I never knew I was in such a minority in absolutely LOVING deckled edges! The first time I saw a book with them I thought they were sooooo pretty and unique! If I could find a way to self-publish my own books with deckled edges I absolutely would! Or maybe not, seeing as how universally disliked they seem to be…though I admit, this now has me second-guessing one novel I’m working on where three of the main characters are named Tin, Tulio and Tweak…oops.
Hahah, I don’t think they’re universally disliked!! It’s just me being confused to them haha.😂 I mean I don’t HATE them, I just don’t understand them.
HAHAHA. This made me laugh, I find that I can NEVER give a good description of a character in a book, live ever. It’s a little pathetic, (I know) but eh…
I totally am the same so you’re not alone. *hi fives* 😂 Characters are all just blobs to me.
This explains most of my reading experience almost 100% of the time! Especially lately, I’ve been terrible, buying up beautiful looking books and making terrible assumptions based on their names. For what it’s worth, I would totally buy a book about a girl who makes puzzles 😉
And for the record, I am generally always and most of the time confused when reading Game of Thrones 😉
As always, your posts make me smile and make me glad to know that I’m not the only one suffering 🙂
Stay well, my dear!
I know right?! So would I!! I’m disappointed that A Thousand Pieces of You was actually about time travel. Boo.😂
LOL oh man this post was glorious Cait! I’m completely useless with remembering character names and book names as well, in fact I didn’t even like ACOMAF at all and Jenna was wondering why I was excited about ACOWAR. Until I realised it was the wrong series I was excited about. BUT WE ENJOY WHAT WE READ SO WHATEVER.
Bahahah THAT’S HILARIOUS AND YET I FEEL YOUR PAIN.😂😂 I was recommending someone The Knife of Never Letting Go…but actually saying The Impossible Knife of Memory and they were like “Cait, wut???” 😂
Haha, I personally like the comparison of your memory to a wifi connection. I feel like I have that as well. It’s strong enough to do whatever you’re doing in the moment but if you try pulling back open tabs from the past, it crashes and burns. Those cookies don’t get stored any longer than necessary (because cookies, nom).
I’d say what characters look like is the one I definitely relate to the most. For some reason, I just don’t ever imagine characters and what they look like in books. I may see the word “fair-skinned” or “fiery hair” or whatever but it doesn’t actually create an image of a person in my mind. I guess they’re always just this shapeless blob to me, more defined by their personality and actions than anything else. Which yeah, is totally fine while reading, but gets real confusing in relation to fan art and issues regarding representation.
The deckled edges, too. Why are those considered to be such a good idea? I guess I usually find them in relation to historic fiction so maybe it’s supposed to add to the feel that the book is old but still, definitely not a fan. I actually steer away from them.
And yes to the names/narrators. It takes me a good 100 pages to sort out different characters so anything that happens in those first pages is just a mish-mash in my mind of who-what-when-where-why. I don’t know if it’s just my inability to quickly pick up on characters or that authors throw too much at me in the beginning, but I often struggle to get everyone sorted at first. It’s like being tossed in a class of first graders and knowing they’re all important and watching them all shout for your attention but really getting confused if the girl you saw pick her nose five minutes ago is the one playing with your hair now or if that’s the one that just got back from having lice. (Wow, wasn’t expecting this hypothetical situation pop up to appear to. How bizarre.)
As always, lovely post Cait 😉
Why store a cookie when you can eat it? :’) And omg my WiFi is so sketchy in my house hhaha…I think it takes after me…
I’m glad I’m not alone with the blobness!! I absolutely only ever imagine blobs, but sometimes they get hair. If they have spectacular hair. And I also get confused between like tanned skin?? Like what does that even mean? 😂 At least we’re lovely people who don’t judge characters off their appearances. 😇
I really prefer when characters are introduced like one at a time. IT SAVES LIVES, AUTHORS, C’MON HELP US OUT HERE. I usually spend the first 100 pages of reading something a panic of “who is who and why”.😂
Do not even get me started on DIFFERENT SIZES! Like, why are there 156894263 different paperback sizes???? What evil purpose does this serve? Now it does NOT look good on my shelf! Also: deckled edges. Why? It’s more expensive, and it makes it harder to read.
I just read the Scorpio Races, and I was confused by the water horses at first. Like, are they made out of water? Do normal horses just live in the water? How do they breathe? I had lots of questions.
That is EXACTLY what I want to know. Whyyyyyy. WHY?!??!? What is the reason?!?! There seems to be like ZERO reason for books to be different sizes except to torture us.😭😂 And deckled edges just do nothing for me haha, except make me ask why too. I tend to ask “why” a lot about books I think.
Oooh, I LOVE The Scorpio Races!!😍😍 I just imagined them as normal horses though, with like gills, because the cover has a normal horse on the front.
I think books being different sizes is the one thing that irritates me the most. Why would amazon sell the same books in a series/trilogy by different publishing houses? I never bought Ruin & Rising because my copies of Shadow & Bone and Siege & Storm weren’t the same size already and I didn’t know which size Ruin & Rising would end up being… I actually went as far as taking out my copies of ACOTAR and ACOMAF to MEASURE them to make sure my copy of ACOWAR would be the EXACT same size. #problems xD
Can I just say, I just stumbled upon your blog through your link on The Broke And The Bookish and I’m absolutely having the best time reading your posts? I really like the way you write and talk!
I relate so much!! I’m actually terrified to buy series online because they never seem to match?! And yet I don’t have a good bookstore nearby SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE SUFFERING I GO THROUGH. *weeps* I literally measure my books before I buy too. 😂 We do what we gotta.
OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY!!! That makes my day!!
YES. PUBLISHERS REFUSE TO PUT NUMBERS ON THE SPINES.
Me: (at library) This must be book one because it says ‘the beginning’! Okay! (ditzes along home)
Me: (at home) (is reading) ? I feel like I should know these people…. But they no introduce me! (looking inside book more closely) WHAT THE HECK THIS IS A PREQUEL? Or maybe, “The logical progression from princess would be to read this one with ‘queen’ in the title next.”” NO WAIT HAHA THE ONE ABOUT ASSASSINS IS NEXT BECAUSE YOU KNOW ‘princess, assassin, queen’ is the proper ranking system.
ACCURATE SITUATION IS ACCURATE. *has small mental breakdown over this all* I also recently started an audiobook and my stupid iPod started it in THE MIDDLE and I spent like an hour going “so why doesn’t anything make sense this is so weird tho”.😂😂
Also: I kidnapped your blog button and am currently forcing it to hang around with all the others I have kidnapped. They’re listening to Ruth B. and generally enjoying themselves, though, so don’t call the internet police.
Lol, this cracked me up. I’m very bad with details, so I feel the pain. Even watching Game of Thrones, every single time Stannis Boratheon walks on screen, I’m like, “Who’s that?” I have been accused of having potential face blindness because of this, but I’m sorry, there are too many white-bearded dudes! And I also never get plot twists in that show about people being related to each other because I do not know anyone’s last name and never will and yes I’ve seen the show twice, whatever.
It also means I have some particular challenges when writing fiction too with keeping details straight. Me: *flipping through notes* “What’s that character’s last name again?” Beta: *incredulous stare* “That’s the main love interest.”
You have such an engaging voice! Looking forward to reading more.
I totally relate!! 😂 I don’t technically have faceblindness but I CAN’T watch black and white movies because everyone looks the same.😂😂😂 Especially the old old ones. And like recently I was watching Into The Badlands and one girl randomly appeared and I had NO idea who she was for several episodes because she had her hair/clothes different.😂 AHH. LIFE IS FUN.
Names tho. NAMES ARE SO HARD.
(And thank you!!)
Always losing your left socks xD poor Cait. You know what? They say you should buy tons of same-colored socks. That way they’re… replaceable. Except I know it’s boring to have like ten pairs of black socks. Get cute ones with hearts. IN BULK. SOLVED.
Honestly, I don’t blame you about book titles though. Especially fantasy books! They… Have a certain algorithm to it. xx of fire. xx of bone. cool word and cool word. xx’s wife/daughter 😀 I mean… They ARE kind of the same a lot..?
Good thing they have covers, huh.
WAIT. THOSE ARE DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
So just another way for publishers to mix you up xD
Anyway. I also rely on other blogs about when books are coming out 😀 some of them are doing SUCH a great job at it that why would I worry/try to do the same..? I DID, however, once ask several of the bloggers where they get the stats. You know what the mystery is? Nobody said ‘catalogs’. Everybody said ‘other blogs’. Which brings me to the idea that it’s one big Ouroboros, and WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?? Initially, there’s gotta be some source? 😀
xD four month before release, wow xD however! I don’t think it did the book disservice. Publishers are only starting to talk about the Vice and Virtue Guide (thingie), and I guess you made like an initial wave. That’s also good. This is my inner marketer speaking 😀
Why books are different sizes is a question all readers have. Even me, and I have 437 e-books which makes up most of my TBR. So that should tell you how important a question that is. WHY MAKE THEM DIFFERENT AT ALL?? I DON’T EVEN…
Huh. Learn something new. I didn’t know deckled pages existed. I… am not sure I like it. My OCD is screaming.
I actually started on Murakami out of order, but since he’s, you know, impressionist and crazy, that worked out for me 😀 I loved it (at the time). I was 16. Not sure I’d love it anymore now 😀
Great post, Cait 🙂
My dog likes to eat socks so I DON’T EVEN KNOW BY THIS POINT.😂
And so true, right!? It’s like fantasies have to either pick blood/bone/queen/shadow in order to be taken seriously by their peers.😂 And I think publishers do just enjoy watching we bookworms spiral into dismay because tbh it’s our aesthetic anyway. Or just mine? Probably just mine.😂
I get my news about books from Goodreads actually! And cruising Netgalley if I cave and actually let myself go over there.😂
I read so much I forget the names of books and their characters. I’ll often remember the author cos I’ll have to link to their sites in blogs etc… but everything else sometimes blends into one.
And I NEVER know what’s coming out unless I’m waiting for something by a particular author. I’m always impressed by those who do the ’10 books I’m looking forward to in 2017′ and I’m like… “How do you even know that?” I mean, I get publishers’ media releases but not all of them do handy ‘what’s coming this year’ lists. And if it involves research… #forgetaboutit.
It totally does blend!! It’s so hard.😂 Plus names are just really hard to keep a hold of for some reason?!?
I do round-up lists of books coming out in a year but WHAT MONTH?? I have no idea.😂 Unless it’s my favourite author of ever and then otherwise it’s just like a stab in the dark at all times.😂
Dude!!! This is so true!!
Particularly when the narrator is rather ambiguous??? This is my biggest confusion. Because I AUTOMATICALLY assume things, after like TWO SECONDS or ONE PAGE because apparently I like to figure it all out like a little detective. So I’m hapiky reading, right, and assuming that the dude saying “I did this” and “I did that” is a female teenager or a middle aged man with a brown beard and blue eyes and then out of nowhere WHAM! I am smacked with REALITY. The narrator has been a boy all this time???? And he’s eighty???? And has purple hair???? LIKE WHAT???
So that’s my smol problem. The lesson here is DON’T ASSUME, I guess. 🙂
REALITY SHOULD NOT SMACK IN THE FACE LIKE THIS. IT’S SO RUDE. Let’s launch a formal complaint. *nods sagely*
(I mean, we could stop assuming and read blurbs and like do research before starting a book??? But who has time for that. Seriously.)
Haha I love this! I always wander off while reading. Especially if I’m listening to music!
I can’t multitask music and reading at all, haha, so I relate!