The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

Sure, and compassion helps you to deal with it.

Humor helps too sometimes.

[Karellen]

I have boxes and boxes of my books in storage, which have been there for decades. Over the last few years I have been slowly collecting them from storage and adding them to my bookshelves.

I dislike that stench when opening the box for the first time, that paper mould smell. I avoid breathing it and let it air out in the sun for a day or so.

I then wash the books. Warm damp soapy sponge on the cover, dry it and let it sit in the sun for an hour or so. Some of the worst books, I clamp down and use a fine sandpaper to remove the mould on the page ends.

No, I don't want my ereader to smell mouldy...

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Why? It's a Vent & Rant Thread.

I just meant: In general.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I would hate it. I've always hated paper smell.

Well, on a bright note, at least my pile of Kindles, Nooks, Kobos, Things, Boox and so forth and so on don't get those damned bugs. No booklice, silverfish, spider beetles...there's a lot to be said for that. You can love your books all you want, and Gods know I do--they infest my house from floor-to-ceiling, pillar to post, banker's boxes here and there and everywhere, but DAMN, keeping up with the housekeeping on them can be tiring. Batteries and all that yield a lot less housekeeping, FAR fewer insects.

See? Cloud, silver lining.

Hitch

[nabsltd]

Originally Posted by theducks

Macular takes on different distortions. My left eye is so wavy that it is impossible to read a line of text even tho it is a normal size and bright.

I had an early onset cataract in my left eye (not diabetes-related, because I don't have it). I went from "normal" vision with my glasses to only able to see light in that eye in less than 4 months.

Cataract surgery replaced the lenses in both eyes (right eye was "just in case it happens soon"), and now I'm 20/30. Best disease that ever happened to me.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Hitch

No booklice, silverfish, spider beetles...there's a lot to be said for that.

We get none of those, nor .303 bookworm, on paper. Black mould and green algae are risks here, even on electronics because it can rain upwards.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Well, on a bright note, at least my pile of Kindles, Nooks, Kobos, Things, Boox and so forth and so on don't get those damned bugs. No booklice, silverfish, spider beetles...there's a lot to be said for that.

A few years ago, I had a mold infestation. I was able to save a few (bagging them up and putting it in the freezer, then lots of peroxide) but a lot of books were lost.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Quoth

We get none of those, nor .303 bookworm, on paper. Black mould and green algae are risks here, even on electronics because it can rain upwards.

Geeze. That, I must say, is not something that we run into here. Of course, our weather tends to be dry, dry and oh, yeah, dry to the bone here. It's moister now, than I was when first I moved here (late 70's) but still. I think I have a friend here somewhere, did have some issues with a mold thing on her old EVAP cooling system--yup, there are still homes here that only have Evap--but it's not something you run into here often. At least, not in the Valley. Can't speak for other areas, like the Nation, etc.

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

A few years ago, I had a mold infestation. I was able to save a few (bagging them up and putting it in the freezer, then lots of peroxide) but a lot of books were lost.

God. Where...did you have them boxed up in the garage, or a basement, laundry area..?

Hitch

[ownedbycats]

An apartment owned by a slumlord.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Hitch

old EVAP cooling system

Swamp coolers. Lots of them still in the desert. The dew point here is 35°F or so.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Geeze. That, I must say, is not something that we run into here. Of course, our weather tends to be dry, dry and oh, yeah, dry to the bone here. It's moister now, than I was when first I moved here (late 70's) but still.

It is often 90 to 98% RH too! When it's dry.

My son got a dehumidifier and complained it couldn't get below 59% or something. It was 92% here outdoors that day. He's about an hour away, but on a wet mountainside closer to coast.

In the unlikely event that it's too hot here we open window at night and close everything inc curtains during day. About a week a year in total, but this last September broke 120 year old records. Some big supermarkets have aircon.

Dew point can be 4°C to 16°C (when it's 18 to 19 °C with 95% RH outdoors) here.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Quoth

It is often 90 to 98% RH too! When it's dry.

It's 20% here. That's not good for my guitar.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Quoth

It is often 90 to 98% RH too! When it's dry.

My son got a dehumidifier and complained it couldn't get below 59% or something. It was 92% here outdoors that day. He's about an hour away, but on a wet mountainside closer to coast.

In the unlikely event that it's too hot here we open window at night and close everything inc curtains during day. About a week a year in total, but this last September broke 120 year old records. Some big supermarkets have aircon.

Dew point can be 4°C to 16°C (when it's 18 to 19 °C with 95% RH outdoors) here.

We have 6 months of summer and two months each of spring, fall and winter. Humidity is usually upper 90%.
Apache

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Apache

Humidity is usually upper 90%.

Yeah, but you've got Claxton fruitcake!

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Renate

It's 20% here. That's not good for my guitar.

My dad had a harpsicord for a while. He sold it and returned to piano as he had to hire a tuning person.