Novels-Head hopping-how do you feel about it?

It's neither here nor there. Both methods can be used well and they both can be used ill. Depending on what story you wish to tell,one way will make more sense.

I'll stop reading a book that head-hops. Not long ago, a friend gave me a book she'd enjoyed, but when it was in three heads in a two-page spread on page 15 or so, that was it for me.

Be aware, of course, that changing the person from first to third and changing the POV are two different things.

I don't even like alternating or multiple POVs very much unless they're necessary to cover a story of literal epic proportions. In other words, it's fine in epic fantasy or epic fiction that cover multiple generations, but I don't like it in romance, mystery, science fiction, thrillers, or mainstream fiction.

So I have a strong preference for the author knowing why *this* character needs to tell the whole story as s/he experiences it, and staying in that POV the entire novel.

I'd follow standard novel convention and not do it willy nilly unless there was a darn good reason . just how it works across a large audience - which is why the convention is there to begin with. Otherwise, no preference However if If it's annoying, it's annoying.

I try my best not to do it in my own writing, and it drives me nuts if I notice another writing doing it. But I've seen it in a fair number of published books, so either the writer or the editor thought readers wouldn't notice it, or wouldn't care if they did notice.