Things in books that annoy you - Page 12

barryem · 01-24-2018, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richwood

I cannot figure out why everyone over 10 or so agrees that Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy are fictional

Santa isn't real?

Barry

jackie_w · 01-24-2018, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Look at this awful cover. Clearly this 'Stendhal' is never going anywhere.

Bad covers can happen to good books.

Well I've never read it but, once again, the cover gives a valuable clue. "A new translation" indicates that enough people have bought it that it was worth someone's money to commission a second (or more) translation. Therefore not worthless.

barryem · 01-24-2018, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What rather annoys me is romance that's disguised as a different type of book. There's way too many times searching online to see way too many romance books where they don't belong.

Genre doesn't exist as pertains to reading. It's a marketing term.

When I was young bookstores had a fiction section and a non-fiction section and a science fiction section and, in most cases, that was it. Fiction was alphabetic by author and you might find a western next to a fantasy next to a mystery next to a romance. They were simply novels.

Science fiction was the only exception since it was considered disreputable and was usually hidden behind the "adults only" section, today called porn.

The problem with genre is that it tells a writer what his/her parameters are instead of letting his/her imagination soar. So, while I care little for romance novels, every sign of the breaking of genre limitations is, to me, a good sign.

Barry

JSWolf · 01-24-2018, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

So maybe if I write a five star review for Surrender to the Cyborgs, you will add it to your reading list

Go ahead. But you first have to read it.

barryem · 01-24-2018, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

I care, because I think libraries spend too much of their resources on their romance customers while not servicing other customers nearly as well.

The price of having good taste is living in a world that refuses to cater to you. That's just how life on this particular planet works. At first glance it seems unfair but if you think about it a little it does make it easier to be a discriminating snob.

Barry (a discriminating slob)

sjfan · 01-24-2018, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barryem

Genre doesn't exist as pertains to reading. It's a marketing term.

When I was young bookstores had a fiction section and a non-fiction section and a science fiction section and, in most cases, that was it. Fiction was alphabetic by author and you might find a western next to a fantasy next to a mystery next to a romance. They were simply novels.

Science fiction was the only exception since it was considered disreputable

Even in the 1990s our high school English teachers would bend themselves into knots attempting to make up reasons why 1984 and A Brave New World aren't science fiction and The Picture of Dorian Gray and 100 Years of Solitude (which features an actual flying carpet) aren't fantasy.

Because those are good books, and thus clearly couldn't be in those genres.

ZodWallop · 01-24-2018, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Go ahead. But you first have to read it.

Like I'm not on my third re-read of Surrender to the Cyborgs, a daring and provocative take down of modern genre norms.

JSWolf · 01-24-2018, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Like I'm not on my third re-read of Surrender to the Cyborgs, a daring and provocative take down of modern genre norms.

So what's the first paragraph on the first page of chapter 5?

sjfan · 01-24-2018, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So what's the first paragraph on the first page of chapter 5?

“I surrender!” I said to the cyborgs.

GlenBarrington · 01-24-2018, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Go ahead. But you first have to read it.

I read it! I loved it! I laughed, I cried . . .

JSWolf · 01-24-2018, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

I read it! I loved it! I laughed, I cried . . .

One other thing that annoys me is a fake review.

ZodWallop · 01-24-2018, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So what's the first paragraph on the first page of chapter 5?

Alas, I'm reading kePub and as we discussed, they don't have standard page numbers the way ePub does.

JSWolf · 01-24-2018, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjfan

“I surrender!” I said to the cyborgs.

That's not it. You'll have to buy it and READ ALL OF IT!

jj2me · 01-24-2018, 06:10 PM

If the covers don't reveal romances (and that includes having vines and flowers sprouting from the cover's bottom), there are plenty of keywords found in titles that generally indicate a romance, like what's below in the spoiler (because so many just flowed out of my head and I don't want to clutter the thread with a long list):

Spoiler:

My annoyance with romances ... When I first got my Sony PRS-505, Harlequin romance books were coming up free, so I gobbled them up for the women who might use my e-reader. I read several, and my annoyance with them is that the heroine generally has some creative job requiring no particular training, like decorator, and is fantastically successful at it without much lifting a finger during the story. She had plenty of time to spend at the ranch/castle and be irritated by the rogue with curly black hair and piercing green eyes. Are there any other storylines and any other character types in romances (excluding werewolf romances)?

ZodWallop · 01-24-2018, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jj2me

If the covers don't reveal romances (and that includes having vines and flowers sprouting from the cover's bottom), there are plenty of keywords found in titles that generally indicate a romance, like what's below in the spoiler (because so many just flowed out of my head and I don't want to clutter the thread with a long list):

Spoiler:

My annoyance with romances ... When I first got my Sony PRS-505, Harlequin romance books were coming up free, so I gobbled them up for the women who might use my e-reader. I read several, and my annoyance with them is that the heroine generally has some creative job requiring no particular training, like decorator, and is fantastically successful at it without much lifting a finger during the story. She had plenty of time to spend at the ranch/castle and be irritated by the rogue with curly black hair and piercing green eyes. Are there any other storylines and any other character types in romances (excluding werewolf romances)?

I was going to be funny and link to a bunch of horror stories using those words and/or vines on the cover. But your post made me laugh and I didn't want to knee-cap it.

I was just about to read The Mysterious Affair of the Wicked Cowboy-Duke of Sunset Point, but your list just warned me off.

01-24-2018, 06:10 PM	#179
jj2me Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 8820388 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505, -350; Kindle 3 3G, DX, PW 2; various tablets	If the covers don't reveal romances (and that includes having vines and flowers sprouting from the cover's bottom), there are plenty of keywords found in titles that generally indicate a romance, like what's below in the spoiler (because so many just flowed out of my head and I don't want to clutter the thread with a long list): Spoiler: Magnolia Mistress Sister Temptress Precious Friend/Friendship Mysterious Affair Bride Fire Summer Heart Love Kiss Surrender Wicked Desire Devil Pride Bride Christmas Ball Mountain Lighthouse Island Sea/Seaside Point Ridge Lake Cottage River Brook Stream Sunrise/Sunset Heiress/Countess/Duchess/Princess/[any-upper-status-"ess" (but usually not waitress] Cowboy Duke My annoyance with romances ... When I first got my Sony PRS-505, Harlequin romance books were coming up free, so I gobbled them up for the women who might use my e-reader. I read several, and my annoyance with them is that the heroine generally has some creative job requiring no particular training, like decorator, and is fantastically successful at it without much lifting a finger during the story. She had plenty of time to spend at the ranch/castle and be irritated by the rogue with curly black hair and piercing green eyes. Are there any other storylines and any other character types in romances (excluding werewolf romances)?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
[KT3] Collections and syncing (Are books uploaded? Keeping things local?)	Oibgzfka	Amazon Kindle	2	12-20-2016 06:27 AM
Content Things to try	ntamas	Amazon Kindle	0	11-11-2016 08:32 AM
Some Things to consider if you want to make a living writing books	VydorScope	Writers' Corner	6	10-10-2013 07:42 PM
disappearing books and other things...	killa	Calibre	4	09-30-2010 04:00 PM
Pet peeve: series authors who introduce things in non-series books!	ficbot	Reading Recommendations	12	02-06-2010 02:14 AM