The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Tasers also aren't that safe. They might cause a cardiac arrest.

And might not stop someone. Or they might otherwise be injured. The deployment rules need tightened. People have been killed.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by HLS

Expurgated -ed. Take a pill. When typing on an ipad the spell check automatically changes the spelling of calibre to caliber.

Surely there is an "turn of auto-replace" and only have auto suggest? Or does Apple/iOS know better.

The first thing I do on every tablet, phone, word processor and spreadsheet is turn off auto replace, except for so called “Smart Quotes” where even there I have to manually fix ’tis, ’90s etc and remember to type prime ′ and double ″ for feet, inches, minutes and seconds.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

There's also the fanfiction meme of using the word 'orbs' for eyes. Fanlore has an entire article about the use of 'cerulean orbs.'

Oh, ghastly stuff! Obviously I've not encountered that.

Edit:
An FTS on Calibre suggests I might have, but not noticed, or will. I've not yet read "The Radium Pool"

Towering high above Sands and me, the strangers looked down through great eyes that blinked slow and deliberate like owls’ orbs in the night. Instinctively my hand shot down to my gun butt.

Not as bad as she bored me with her cerulean orbs.
Mostly orbs seem limited to planets or large round objects.

However, as the link suggests, Bram Stoker in Dracula has

Lucy’s eyes in form and colour; but Lucy’s eyes unclean and full of hell-fire, instead of the pure, gentle orbs we knew

[issybird]

I've read a novel published this year, Darling by India Knight, which is a retelling of Nancy Mitford's Pursuit of Love and it uses "orbs" (facetiously) to refer to breasts.

FWIW, I didn't think it as good as the reviews; it was too close to its original source.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by issybird

I've read a novel published this year, Darling by India Knight, which is a retelling of Nancy Mitford's Pursuit of Love and it uses "orbs" (facetiously) to refer to breasts.

FWIW, I didn't think it as good as the reviews; it was too close to its original source.

"It is both good and original. But the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good."

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by Quoth

And might not stop someone. Or they might otherwise be injured. The deployment rules need tightened. People have been killed.

All true, but I'd still rather be tasered than shot. Which is more or less the alternative if it gets that far.

[issybird]

I'd like to read Tom Holland's new book which is coming out next week, Pax. I was checking "Coming Soon" at one of my OverDrive libraries for new history listings and it wasn't there. Oh well; they did have the other ancient history title I wanted. But wait! I searched by author and there it was, under religion. Those pesky Latin words just have to mean religion, apparently.

It's a case where the subtitle helps: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age. Once a book is miscategorized, it will be unfindable for someone making a general search (as I was).

[Quoth]

I thought EVERYONE knew pax meant peace.

Though one Roman wrote something like Pax Romanus is the peace of a desert.
Ask Carthage and Jerusalem.

[Renate]

Pax vobiscum

Despite its origin I think it's a friendly greeting.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by issybird

Once a book is miscategorized, it will be unfindable for someone making a general search (as I was).

Isn't that fixable? (I'm not an Overdrive user, so I have no idea what sort of experience contacting them is.)

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Isn't that fixable? (I'm not an Overdrive user, so I have no idea what sort of experience contacting them is.)

As far as I know, there's no way for a user to report an error.

[ownedbycats]

Rant: When a book makes you want to hurl it against the wall, but you don't want to destroy your eReader.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Rant: When a book makes you want to hurl it against the wall, but you don't want to destroy your eReader.

This is definitely a drawback to ebooks. Deleting from calibre and doing a secure erase doesn't give the same feeling.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

This is definitely a drawback to ebooks. Deleting from calibre and doing a secure erase doesn't give the same feeling.

I guess you could gather your hurlable ebooks on a cheap flash drive and when enough of them are there, then hurl it against the wall. Still, it won't be as satisfying, to say nothing of the expense (the price of the drive).

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Rant: When a book makes you want to hurl it against the wall, but you don't want to destroy your eReader.

Keep a really annoying paper book and hurl it at the wall each time. Having a goat on the cover is optional. It's almost a religious thing.