Mini Rant lol

[bla]

I have noticed a continuing bloat with ebooks as regards all the crap you have to wade through to get to the actual book.....Acknowledgements.. reviews... etc maybe I didn't notice it all with a paper book but it's becoming very annoying .. sometimes 10-20 pages I care not if you, Mr/Miz author feel the need to thank everybody including your granny who wiped your bottom when you were a snotty nosed brat.... but I don't need to know.. seriously....

[susan_cassidy]

Usually with Kindle books, the first reading page (that the book opens to) is the first page of Chapter 1. Of course, that way you sometimes miss a prelude, if you forget to page page, just in case, but you skip all the review stuff, etc.

[DiapDealer]

Never understood the need to get to the very first word ASAMFP. Chill out. Press the "Next" button (or swipe) a few times. Your thumb/finger won't wear out. What's the rush?

... and yes ... it was all there in the paper books too: "Praise For, Other Books By, Title Page, Copyright Page, Dedication, (Forward, Preface), Epigraph, 'What Has Gone Before'," etc, yada, yada.

[HomeInMyShoes]

i think paper books were easier to manipulate to get to the first page of the story though.

[stepberr]

I agree with DiapDealer there does not seem to be any increase in the e-books I have read.I got out some old paper backs that I have e-book versions of and there was no difference that I could see.

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by stepberr

I agree with DiapDealer there does not seem to be any increase in the e-books I have read.I got out some old paper backs that I have e-book versions of and there was no difference that I could see.

Not sure about increase but I can see why the OP might think so. My pbooks seem to average about 8 pages of 'garbage'. My ebooks seem to average about double that but IMO it's because I'm 'instinctively' comparing pages to screens. When I actually read what's there it's about the same.

[Katsunami]

Some time ago, I felt the same as you do, with regard to ebooks *and* real books. I'd always think: "Ditch that stuff. Gimme the book itself and nothing more."

Now, however, strangely enough, I like all that stuff. It makes the (e)book feel like a real book instead of some sheets of text stuck between two covers and stapled together, or a flat text file with a cover slapped on the front of it.

The "More works by this author" often gives me reading suggestions, and when reading in a shared universe, new authors also.

[Ripplinger]

I like all the usual content before the actual ebook, just like it always is in paper books. That content has always been there. Not sure why it's a big chore to swipe to the beginning text, or use the TOC to get there (which you weren't able to do with paper books).

The only time I don't like it when they insist on adding every book the author ever did with images. Those images just bloat the size needlessly. I don't mind the list of other works done by the author though, if I liked the book, I'll often seek out other books by the same author.

[speakingtohe]

Most books have a TOC which you can use on your T1 by touching the page number at the bottom.

Helen

[Yapyap]

Basically all my bought ebooks seem to start on the first chapter (or prologue, if the book has one).

Mostly that's okay but it does mean I miss out on all the beginning matter - and sometimes, one really shouldn't (yes, most acknowledgements etc are somewhat dull if you're not particularly close to the author - a list of names of people you've never heard of doesn't make for a fun read, but they're easy enough to skip, but then every now and again there are authors and books whose acknowledgements and author bios are well worth the read; author bio blurbs on the back cover flap are one reason I buy the Skulduggery Pleasant books in hardback as well as ebook, because it's the one thing that doesn't get included in ebooks - acknowledgements fortunately do, although one needs to page back to get to them!).

Anyway, yes, most books these days tend to have a decent enough table of contents, and even if for some reason your bought books start at the cover and don't skip automatically to chapter one (I'm not sure if that's a reader or shop thing? on my Kindle, both Amazon-bought and sideloaded books tend to start on the first chapter - I assume there's a publisher-specified "start here" in the books?), all that front matter is easy enough to skip completely, if one is impatient and knows it won't hold anything of interest.

[bla]

I take all your points.... it's not really a big deal... I just got annoyed at one book that had 20 pages of crap BEFORE I got to the Foreword... granted...I could use the TOC but then I would be thinking.. "what if I missed something" lol...........can't win....... lol

[faltradl]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Some time ago, I felt the same as you do, with regard to ebooks *and* real books. I'd always think: "Ditch that stuff. Gimme the book itself and nothing more."

Then you will miss in the bookshelf-view the cover.

[elemenoP]

I have a Kindle, which skips all that stuff, and I always go back to "Location 1" (and then page back to the cover) so I can page through it all! To me, that is part of the experience of starting a new book. Except sometimes if there is a lengthy introduction (especially if it's written by someone else, for example in the re-issue of a classic book), I will read the book and then go back and read the introduction if I'm still interested.

I wish I could set my Kindle to start at the cover, and not the first page of the text.

I don't think they are adding more of this kind of stuff to ebooks. I think you just never noticed it when you read pbooks, because it's faster to skip through.

eP

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

Basically all my bought ebooks seem to start on the first chapter (or prologue, if the book has one).

Kindle books do that, but there's no equivalent (to the best of my knowledge) for ePub. ePub books always open at the first page.

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Kindle books do that, but there's no equivalent (to the best of my knowledge) for ePub. ePub books always open at the first page.

Hmm. I could have sworn this also happens with books bought as epubs and converted into mobi for Kindle, but I just randomly checked a book I bought from Kobo the other day and sideloaded to the Kindle and you're right, it does open at the front matter (not cover but the page immediately following that).

I guess I've been lucky enough with all my epub-bought and sideloaded books that they've had only a few pages of copyright & TOC etc stuff to page through that I've never even noticed it's there, and instead only actively notice when it's NOT there and the book opens on first chapter!