Reading/Book Pet Peeves

[Lynn2000]

Oh, I have one. When authors write long strings of dialog without indicating who is speaking. I sometimes have to go back and count to figure out who's saying what, but then they'll throw in a second line by the same character, which messes up the count but couldn't possibly come from the other character!

Grr. I don't need "Tom said" and "Mary replied" on every line, but toss them in occasionally!

I did that once in awhile back when I was a fanfic-writin' man, but it was never anything important to the plot. Just having fun with characters shooting the breeze and busting each other's... butts. I get a kick out of that sort of writing when it's done well, but I'll surely admit it's annoying when it's not.

POD to both of these. When done well they can be fun and dynamic, but you have to make it really clear from the word choice who's speaking, and I HATE when the author gives one character two lines of dialog in a row, that look exactly like lines of dialog from separate people, thus messing everything up.  Reading a story should not be so much work, I think.

[Shalamar]

"croon" as a sign of anger

The heck?  Who "croons" when they're angry?

[Lynn2000]

"croon" as a sign of anger

The heck?  Who "croons" when they're angry?

I must admit it brings up some funny imagery, as I too picture someone bursting into a Frank Sinatra-style song... Like a rap battle, but with lounge music?

However, I feel like I've seen it before occasionally in a similar context. I just looked it up on Merriam-Webster online. Most of the definitions are about singing or speaking softly, but one says it's "chiefly Scottish" and synonymous with "bellow" or "boom" (if I'm interpreting it correctly). Knowing that, I could see someone using it to mean "angry yelling," I suppose.

I like learning new slang and uses for words. Though if there's too many in one story, it becomes too much work for me, and I'm likely to put it aside. Probably not the author's fault, though, if they're using the words correctly for their culture.

[Winterlight]

"croon" as a sign of anger

The heck?  Who "croons" when they're angry?

Every male in her Black Jewels books, it seems. And from context, she's not using it to mean shouting, because it's always combined with them speaking too softly.

[amandaelizabeth]

Crooning coming from someone who is very angry would not be confused with someone crooning sweet nothings in your ear.  The best person who I have heard croon in anger is Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin. You know when he gets quiet and mean and ends his sentence with 'Dearie'.  Only my cat can do it better, after yowling very loudly he gets quieter and quieter and could be mistaken for purring but the hearer knows better and keeps their fingers well clear.

[Morrigan]

"croon" as a sign of anger

The heck?  Who "croons" when they're angry?

Every male in her Black Jewels books, it seems. And from context, she's not using it to mean shouting, because it's always combined with them speaking too softly.

She's my favorite author.  But if Janelle every says something in her 'midnight voice' again...

Saeten croons.  Along with Daemon.  Usually when they're about to either talk to Janelle or when someone's in 'trouble'.

[baglady]

Got a couple of fanfic-related ones.

1. If they were in High School. 
No.  Everybody seems to be doing it, and nobody does it well.  These are totally different characters, probably classmates of the author, who just happen to have the names of fandom characters tacked on.  They rarely resemble the characters they are supposed to be.

I saw this in a "House" fanfic, of all things. The age spread among the main characters in "House" was almost 20 years, but somehow they managed to be high-school students together. Did I mention I saw this fic in the "House" MST community -- where bad fanfics get the "Mystery Science Theater" treatment?

I don't consider the AU label a requirement for any and all out-of-canon stories -- only the ones that really are in a totally different world from that of the show/movie. I remember a couple of excellent "House' fanfics set in ancient Rome and the U.S. Civil War. Those are AU. Fics in which he's still a doctor in New Jersey but married to Wilson? Not AU.

When authors write long strings of dialog without indicating who is speaking. I sometimes have to go back and count to figure out who's saying what, but then they'll throw in a second line by the same character, which messes up the count but couldn't possibly come from the other character!

Grr. I don't need "Tom said" and "Mary replied" on every line, but toss them in occasionally!

One of my favorite fanfic writers has done some good all-dialogue stories (no description, no attribution), and I've also attempted a couple. They are very tricky to write, but a well-done all-dialogue story is a pleasure to read.

[violinp]

"croon" as a sign of anger

The heck?  Who "croons" when they're angry?

Every male in her Black Jewels books, it seems. And from context, she's not using it to mean shouting, because it's always combined with them speaking too softly.

She's my favorite author.  But if Janelle every says something in her 'midnight voice' again...

Saeten croons.  Along with Daemon.  Usually when they're about to either talk to Janelle or when someone's in 'trouble'.

See, I would call that a whisper or hiss. Croon is what people do for a lover or a little child.

[Betelnut]

"croon" as a sign of anger

The heck?  Who "croons" when they're angry?

Every male in her Black Jewels books, it seems. And from context, she's not using it to mean shouting, because it's always combined with them speaking too softly.

She's my favorite author.  But if Janelle every says something in her 'midnight voice' again...

Saeten croons.  Along with Daemon.  Usually when they're about to either talk to Janelle or when someone's in 'trouble'.

See, I would call that a whisper or hiss. Croon is what people do for a lover or a little child.

That's why it is so creepy when done by someone who is out to hurt you.  Just imagine someone saying, "I'm coming to get you" in a croon.  Very scary but moreso in a movie than on the page.

[Jocelyn]

I saw this in a "House" fanfic, of all things. The age spread among the main characters in "House" was almost 20 years, but somehow they managed to be high-school students together. Did I mention I saw this fic in the "House" MST community -- where bad fanfics get the "Mystery Science Theater" treatment?

Oh. My. Word.
HOUSE wasn't House in high school. Prior to his injury and drug addiction, he HAD to be a totally different person.

[Betelnut]

Thinking that you are reading book 3 in a trilogy and realizing, as you get close to the end of the book, no, there are going to be more books.  Yes, I'm happy that the series is continuing but I thought it was a trilogy!  (Wild Rains Chronicle, by Robin Hobb--ALL of her series have been trilogies before!)

[Lynn2000]

Thinking that you are reading book 3 in a trilogy and realizing, as you get close to the end of the book, no, there are going to be more books.  Yes, I'm happy that the series is continuing but I thought it was a trilogy!  (Wild Rains Chronicle, by Robin Hobb--ALL of her series have been trilogies before!)

Yes, that happened to my friend with, I think, Eragon? She was reading the third book, assuming that was going to be the end, then realized there was actually going to be a fourth book, which was nowhere close to being available yet.

My friend and I got into a young adult series that had twelve (small) books--it was a really fascinating premise and pretty well executed. But as we started to get into the last few books, we started to wonder how they were going to wrap everything up in the time they had available. Turns out... they didn't! I think one big villain was defeated, but the twelfth book ended with the heroes still on their quest to defeat the other bigger, badder villain, and permanently cut off from returning home. It was pretty depressing, actually. And, it doesn't seem like the story was ever continued anywhere--it's like the author (or publisher) just got tired of it.

[Spring Water on Sundays]

Thinking that you are reading book 3 in a trilogy and realizing, as you get close to the end of the book, no, there are going to be more books.  Yes, I'm happy that the series is continuing but I thought it was a trilogy!  (Wild Rains Chronicle, by Robin Hobb--ALL of her series have been trilogies before!)

Yes, that happened to my friend with, I think, Eragon? She was reading the third book, assuming that was going to be the end, then realized there was actually going to be a fourth book, which was nowhere close to being available yet.

My friend and I got into a young adult series that had twelve (small) books--it was a really fascinating premise and pretty well executed. But as we started to get into the last few books, we started to wonder how they were going to wrap everything up in the time they had available. Turns out... they didn't! I think one big villain was defeated, but the twelfth book ended with the heroes still on their quest to defeat the other bigger, badder villain, and permanently cut off from returning home. It was pretty depressing, actually. And, it doesn't seem like the story was ever continued anywhere--it's like the author (or publisher) just got tired of it.

This is how the Pretty Little Liar series is. It was supposed to end, and actually was wrapped up pretty neatly, with the 8th book. I guess the publishing house decided the series was still profitable, because there are now 14 books out, with a 15th being release shortly. The series has a silly and unbelievable premise to begin with, but each book that is released is just sillier and more unbelievable than the last. I'm still reading them because they are highly addictive and very quick to read

[rose red]

That reminds me of The Vampire Diaries.  A trilogy in the early 90's and I thought it ended really well with a bittersweet ending.  Then a 4th book came out.  Ok, that's fine even though I didn't think it was necessary.  It was like a visit with old friends. 

Almost twenty years later, the author continue it.  I didn't even bother reading after hearing some bad things about the new books.

[Piratelvr1121]

That makes me glad for series like Harry Potter that had a well defined end to the series with an author that would not add any more to the series once it was done.