My Most Controversial Book Opinions

Look, I love books. I love the way they smell, the way they crackle open after years on a shelf, and the way they transport me into entirely different worlds. But sometimes… sometimes I have opinions that make fellow readers give me side-eye across the table at book club. So today, I’m sharing some of my most controversial bookish takes. You’ve been warned.

1. The “Classics” Are Overrated and Kind of Gatekeep-y

Sure, I’ve read the classics. But can we admit that not all of them deserve the pedestal they’re on? Some are just… boring. And if we keep telling people that “real” literature means reading a 500-page novel written by a dead white guy with no paragraph breaks, we’re just scaring off potential readers. Let people love The Hunger Games without shaming them.

2. I Don’t Care About World-Building If the Characters Are Bland

Fantasy authors: I don’t need a 12-page description of your magic system if I don’t care about the people using it. Give me compelling characters or give me nothing. I can Google a map if I really need to.

3. Dog-Earing Pages and Writing in Books Is Fine

They’re your books. Annotate them. Fold pages. Scribble in the margins. Cry on them. That’s how you make a book yours. 

4. Not Every Book Needs a Romance Subplot

Sometimes two people can go on a life-altering adventure together and NOT fall in love. Shocking, I know. Let’s normalize intense friendships and platonic intimacy in fiction.

5. I DNF Books Without Guilt

Life’s too short for books you’re not enjoying. I give a book 50–100 pages, and if I’m bored, it’s back on the shelf (or back to the library). I don’t owe every author my time. Sorry!

6. Audiobooks Count as Reading

If you say audiobooks don’t “count,” we can’t be friends. Storytelling started as an oral tradition. Listening to a book doesn’t make you less of a reader.

7. I Actually Like Spoilers

Sometimes I look up how a book ends before I start it. It helps me emotionally prepare, and, honestly, knowing the twist can make the journey even better. Fight me.