Reading/Book Pet Peeves

[Lady Snowdon]

I was reading an ebook and had to stop so I could laugh and groan at the same time.  Paragraphs starting with "She pulled open the window, and dappled sunlight streamed through while the stars shone in the moonlit sky" just should not happen.

Is that an actual quote? And if so, which book is this? Are you sure it isn't a parody? Either way, I absolutely need to have it. It sounds utterly hilarious.

It's a Kindle ebook called Anathema, part of the Song of Eloh series by Megg Jensen.  I got it slightly wrong above.  The actual quote is "Johna pushed open the door, strode across the room and threw open the shutters.  The dappled sunlight streamed in as the clouds floated over the moonlit night sky.".  According to my Kindle, it's Location 1214-1220.  I'm almost positive it's not a parody, because it happens almost halfway through the book. 

[daen]

I was reading an ebook and had to stop so I could laugh and groan at the same time.  Paragraphs starting with "She pulled open the window, and dappled sunlight streamed through while the stars shone in the moonlit sky" just should not happen.

Is that an actual quote? And if so, which book is this? Are you sure it isn't a parody? Either way, I absolutely need to have it. It sounds utterly hilarious.

It's a Kindle ebook called Anathema, part of the Song of Eloh series by Megg Jensen.  I got it slightly wrong above.  The actual quote is "Johna pushed open the door, strode across the room and threw open the shutters.  The dappled sunlight streamed in as the clouds floated over the moonlit night sky.".  According to my Kindle, it's Location 1214-1220.  I'm almost positive it's not a parody, because it happens almost halfway through the book. 

I was about to give that a pass for merely being a brain skip followed by bad editing - moonlit/sunlit are quite close.  But once you get to "moonlit night" in there... yeah. That's less forgivable.
Amusing, though.

[RebeccainGA]

I tried freezing it! I pulled the book out of the freezer this morning and cracked the spine finally. I think I may have been overly enthusiastic, though, because now it looks like it's about to fall apart.  Oh well, I wasn't going to regift it or anything.

Glad it worked!

[lady_disdain]

Lars Brownworth seems to think that "devastatingly" is the only adverb that can describe beautiful and that no woman is beautiful without being devastatingly so.

[Twik]

I was reading an ebook and had to stop so I could laugh and groan at the same time.  Paragraphs starting with "She pulled open the window, and dappled sunlight streamed through while the stars shone in the moonlit sky" just should not happen.

Is that an actual quote? And if so, which book is this? Are you sure it isn't a parody? Either way, I absolutely need to have it. It sounds utterly hilarious.

It's a Kindle ebook called Anathema, part of the Song of Eloh series by Megg Jensen.  I got it slightly wrong above.  The actual quote is "Johna pushed open the door, strode across the room and threw open the shutters.  The dappled sunlight streamed in as the clouds floated over the moonlit night sky.".  According to my Kindle, it's Location 1214-1220.  I'm almost positive it's not a parody, because it happens almost halfway through the book.

Love it. It's sort of like the purple prose took on a life of its own.

[Lynn2000]

Lars Brownworth seems to think that "devastatingly" is the only adverb that can describe beautiful and that no woman is beautiful without being devastatingly so.

As a hobby writer I find myself getting stuck on certain words, too, which this thread has now made me more aware of! For example, my characters always seem to "chide" each other, maybe occasionally "admonish." They never "rebuke" each other. I need them to "rebuke" each other more, that sounds so much more epic and biblical. They could at least "reprimand" or "reproach." Maybe even occasionally "castigate" if they're really mad. But no, whenever I get in the situation, all I can think of is "chide," or "admonish." And I only think of the latter because I like to use the noun "admonition."

Writers are weird.

[Calistoga]

This has nothing to do with the content of the book, but dust jackets. I hate dust jackets. So much I hate them.

[Diane AKA Traska]

This has nothing to do with the content of the book, but dust jackets. I hate dust jackets. So much I hate them.

Oh eHell YES.

[Baby Snakes]

This has nothing to do with the content of the book, but dust jackets. I hate dust jackets. So much I hate them.

I also cannot stand dust jackets - I take them off and put them away until I'm done with the book.  With my Kindle, it's not an issue anymore!

[Ms_Cellany]

This has nothing to do with the content of the book, but dust jackets. I hate dust jackets. So much I hate them.

I bought a roll of paper-backed mylar from a library supply site, and cover the dust jackets of books I want to keep or those I give as presents. 

My neice is about to complete her master's in naval archaelogy. I found two thrift store books (Ballard's The Discovery of the Titanic and Pickford's Lost Treasure Ships of the 20th Century) that were in fair shape. I damp-wiped the dust jackets and covered them, and they're quite nice now for a graduation present.

[Luci]

This has nothing to do with the content of the book, but dust jackets. I hate dust jackets. So much I hate them.

Oh eHell YES.

I also cannot stand dust jackets - I take them off and put them away until I'm done with the book.  With my Kindle, it's not an issue anymore!

I bought a roll of paper-backed mylar from a library supply site, and cover the dust jackets of books I want to keep or those I give as presents. 

My neice is about to complete her master's in naval archaelogy. I found two thrift store books (Ballard's The Discovery of the Titanic and Pickford's Lost Treasure Ships of the 20th Century) that were in fair shape. I damp-wiped the dust jackets and covered them, and they're quite nice now for a graduation present.

I love them! The decorating shows say to toss them, but they have so much information on them and the art is usually good, and sometimes humorously inappropriate to the book!

I bought covers when I was a librarian, and now I just cover my reference book dust jackets with clear Contact.

I would do what Ms_Cellany did in that situation!

[lady_disdain]

Lars Brownworth seems to think that "devastatingly" is the only adverb that can describe beautiful and that no woman is beautiful without being devastatingly so.

As a hobby writer I find myself getting stuck on certain words, too, which this thread has now made me more aware of! For example, my characters always seem to "chide" each other, maybe occasionally "admonish." They never "rebuke" each other. I need them to "rebuke" each other more, that sounds so much more epic and biblical. They could at least "reprimand" or "reproach." Maybe even occasionally "castigate" if they're really mad. But no, whenever I get in the situation, all I can think of is "chide," or "admonish." And I only think of the latter because I like to use the noun "admonition."

Writers are weird.

Very true - and that is where a good editor comes in.

[Pioneer]

I have a reading pet peeve.  When I am enjoying an article in a magazine and it ends with the phrase, "for more information about Enjoyable Article, go to www dot whatever."  If I wanted to research on the computer, I would not have purchased your magazine!

[jmarvellous]

I have a reading pet peeve.  When I am enjoying an article in a magazine and it ends with the phrase, "for more information about Enjoyable Article, go to www dot whatever."  If I wanted to research on the computer, I would not have purchased your magazine!

I am really puzzled about why this would bother you (not saying it shouldn't). Books and magazinws have, for decades at least, included suggestions for further reading, be it books, journals or essays in whatever format, or addresses to write to for more information.

I admit, an expired or inaccurate address isn't exactly helpful, but otherwise this seems in the reader's best interest -- there's only so much space on a page.

[MariaE]

This has nothing to do with the content of the book, but dust jackets. I hate dust jackets. So much I hate them.

I bought a roll of paper-backed mylar from a library supply site, and cover the dust jackets of books I want to keep or those I give as presents. 

I hate books wrapped in mylar It's the worst thing about buying second hand books. I always remove it the minute those books enter my house. Please make sure your friends actually like it before you give them a mylar-covered book as a present. I'd be removing the mylar as soon as you left the house.