Book pet peeves + Brazilian books recommendations
Studies have shown that reading is the healthiest exercise for the brain. Needless to say, the habit of reading comes with many positive outcomes, from better cognitive functions to broader social understanding and higher empathy level. What studies have not quantified yet, are the pet peeves that start accumulating as the 'books read' list grows. I decided to point out the most annoying book-related (either plot or character related) things a storyline might contain. I narrowed it down to 5 things.
1. Therapy sessions dialogue: This bothers me not only on books but also TV shows or movies. The dialogue is often forced and unrealistic. Perhaps because I believe in the privacy that therapy provides, seeing the way these sessions are often portrayed makes me uncomfortable.
2. Female character starts throwing up = pregnancy: Similarly to the #1, this annoys me at any type of media. The timeline of the female character running off to throw up, thinking pregnancy is not a possibility, then taking a test to find out they are indeed pregnant is shockingly old, boring, and absolutely overused.
3. Miscommunication is the only cause to the plot / third act break ups: If you read romance, you know what I am talking about. I am a big fan of romance novels, and I would love to see the characters talk to each other every now and then. The structure is often the same, and the lack of communication leads to the infamous third act break up. I want to believe the couple is going to have a beautiful, long-lasting love, but if they can’t even speak to each other, how am I supposed to actually believe that?!
4. Covid-19 pandemic overexplained: For a while this was my biggest pet peeve of all - I hated every single mention of the pandemic and could not bear story lines that had Covid-related plots. At some point in 2022, I read a novel that was entirely based on the isolation of the character due to the pandemic. It was way too early for that.
After reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, I became more aware of all the war-based novels I read, and I cannot imagine how people that lived through it and survived felt seeing books being published about those years or reading about it at all. I am a huge fan of historical novels, and I realize that the Covid pandemic will be part of these in the years to come, I just do not feel ready yet.
5. Enemies to lovers, but the male character isn't well developed: Why does he hate her? We will never know because his character has no development (or personality whatsoever).
Weekly recommendations: Brazil edition
I am still traveling in Brazil, eating lots of nourishing foods and enjoying the summer. This felt like the right time to recommend a few of my favorite Brazilian authors. Here are three great books easily found translated to English:
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