The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

When multiple books are consolidated into a single ebook.

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the...nium-trilogy-3

I usually end up buying the "consolidated" versions because it's inevitably more bang-for-your-buck when they go on sale, but number one, the covers always look awful. And secondly, I just finished reading the first book in the above trilogy, and I should be getting that nice dopamine hit of satisfaction when the book gets marked as "read" and it disappears from my Kobo shelf, but instead it's still there, taunting me with "17 hours to go", because I still have two books left to read in that single EPUB. Grr!

Also, $0.99 at the moment. I think I'll crosspost that to the deals thread.

Unavailable in United Kingdom

This item can't be purchased in United Kingdom.

Or Ireland.

That's a rant in itself. Geolimited offers, or even the ebook totally unavailable.

Fortunately in this case I'd got the first two or three in a Charity shop, and had no wish for more after finishing the first. I can see how many people might like them.

Edit: It's £9.99 in UK, €10.99 in Ireland.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

I don't think this is true. I looked at my order history, and a bundle I bought a year ago says the redemption deadline has passed. It appears you can redownload your books within a year or so of when you bought them, but that's it.

I'm looking at a bundle I bought September 7, 2023 and I can still download it.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm looking at a bundle I bought September 7, 2023 and I can still download it.

I looked it up and it depends on bundle. Files directly provided by HB don't expire, but redeemable codes from publishers or Kobo may expire.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I looked it up and it depends on bundle. Files directly provided by HB don't expire, but redeemable codes from publishers or Kobo may expire.

Yeah, but the Kobo ones end up in your Kobo library once redeemed though. So you can still redownload them, just in a different place.

[ownedbycats]

Overdrive, one of my library's Sci-Fi sections is polluted with romances. Not even romances disguised as sci-fi, but completely mistagged stuff like "Brooding Rebel to Baby Daddy" and "The Boss and His Secretary."

[Renate]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Overdrive, one of my library's Sci-Fi sections is polluted with romances.

That's one of my standing beefs.
I don't begrudge my library spending 90% of its budget on "bodice rippers" but I don't want to see them.
The same goes for the 98% of languages that I don't speak.

[DNSB]

Perhaps we should try to remember that the biggest reason libraries tend to skew towards romances, though I, personally, consider bodice rippers as an insulting term, is simply because those books are what their clients are reading. Would you expect the library to budget for purchasing more books in genres that you would prefer to read but that are not as popular at the expense of those who do not read those genres?

[Renate]

I've referred to the genre otherwise but have been corrected by others so I thought that I'd skip a step.

As I said, I have nothing to say about how a library spends its money, but when there are more books listed that I have no interest in vs. ones that I have interest in there should be some way to arrange things that I don't have to see them.

If this genre has such definite parameters why isn't there a checkbox in my profile "Exclude Genre X"?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Overdrive, one of my library's Sci-Fi sections is polluted with romances. Not even romances disguised as sci-fi, but completely mistagged stuff like "Brooding Rebel to Baby Daddy" and "The Boss and His Secretary."

I really do dislike these romances that try to disguise themselves as Sci-fi or fantasy when they clearly are just awful romances. And it's not nice when romances are mislabeled.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Renate

That's one of my standing beefs.
I don't begrudge my library spending 90% of its budget on "bodice rippers" but I don't want to see them.
The same goes for the 98% of languages that I don't speak.

What I wish Overdrive would do is separate comic books and magazines from books. Then when I go to see what's new, I won't see any of them.

[Renate]

I was just going to mention Anime.
It's probably a moral failing of me, but I don't dig it.
I don't want to see it.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Perhaps we should try to remember that the biggest reason libraries tend to skew towards romances, though I, personally, consider bodice rippers as an insulting term, is simply because those books are what their clients are reading. Would you expect the library to budget for purchasing more books in genres that you would prefer to read but that are not as popular at the expense of those who do not read those genres?

Well, romances are what some of their clients are reading. And those who read romances are likely to read a lot of romances; many books in that genre are short quick reads.

My own opinion is that libraries overconsider churn with quick reads to drive their purchases (in part because this inflates their numbers, leading to more funding, and I also suspect they're relatively cheap) in favor of serving their entire population. Someone who likes serious history, for example, is never going to be able to get through as many books as the typical romance reader. So from the library's point of view, one history book that is kept out for its entire lending period isn't nearly as effective a purchase as two or three romances that turn over in days. Unfortunately this means that one portion of their clientele is served while another is largely ignored and I don't this is just.

(Am I looking at you, New Hampshire OverDrive?)

[Renate]

Originally Posted by issybird

My own opinion is that libraries...

What I find the worst is the general neglect of classic 20th century literature.
Maybe the copyright holders are holding out for exorbitant amounts of money.
Or maybe the libraries think, "We already have that in hardcover."

Apparently Neville Shute has just entered the big time. My local library has 14 of them, all borrowed.

I've been wanting to read "Das kunstseidene Mädchen" (1932) and my library even has a physical copy. But I haven't touched a pbook in a decade.

[John F]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Overdrive, one of my library's Sci-Fi sections is polluted with romances. Not even romances disguised as sci-fi, but completely mistagged stuff like "Brooding Rebel to Baby Daddy" and "The Boss and His Secretary."

I was curious about this for one of my overdrive libraries (I would guess that they are all the same, as far as genres).

For books added in the last seven days:

Fiction: 603
Romance: 181
Science Fiction: 35

Looking through the "Science fiction", one seemed like it wasn't Science Fiction. The blurb:

A poignant and provocative story of adoption, self-discovery, and the meaning of family, Being Lara by author Lola Jaye (By the Time You Read This) is an unforgettable tale of three women—British mother, Nigerian birth mother, and 30-year-old daughter—the choices they made, and the fragile bond they try to create across time and continents. Intelligent and touching, BeingLara is exquisite contemporary fiction with heart and soul that will resonate with readers of Cecilia Ahearn, Thrity Umrigar, and Shilpi Gowda.

And one looked like it was Fantasy.
And there were 2 Sonic the Hedghog.

[JSWolf]

For February, there are WAY too many romance eBook purchased because of Valentines Day.