Friday Coffee & Bookish Speaks – Glossaries in Books

Today I am drinking a fresh roasted coffee from Papua New Guinea with cream.

What are you drinking?

Today’s topic is a little weird. I don’t think books have glossaries very often.  I’ve come across two books that start out with a glossary. I have to say that I wasn’t a fan. To me, a glossary in the front of the book means there’s going to be a lot of terms the author is going to expect me to come back to the glossary. I don’t want to do that. My feeling is that if you need to define something do it in the story. It may seem a little harsh but that’s my opinion.

One of the books I DNF because it was so ludicrous starting with the glossary. The other book was really good and I went back and read the glossary it added to the story. I felt that I didn’t need it to get through the book.

I think if there is going to be a glossary it should be in the back. I find glossaries in the front of books daunting. I like when books don’t have glossaries but I’m coming to understand that some authors feel they are needed. On rare occasion, they might be necessary.

What do you think about glossaries in books?