Reading/Book Pet Peeves

[Luci]

Bread crust. [cut] A piece torn from another page in the book!

I swear to the gods my heart stopped. I use the dustcover on books that have them, otherwise I use an old receipt or some such. I'm in love with paperbacks, so...

I'm sure other librarians will agree that our job just has special perks - and special jerks.

Fortunately, most of these are traceable. Well, I could trace down the owner of the $20, but other than that it's pretty handy to be able the find the most recent borrower.

[wx4caster]

My reading pet peeve is when characters make a complete 180 in their personality during the book.

Most of the time, I finish the book and give it a poor review.  However, in the case of Heinlein's Friday, I threw it and the rest of my Heinlein novels in the trash and haven't read anything of his since. I realize the man grow in a different era with different values and his books all have a tinge of sexism to them, but what he did to Friday and the smarmy way he did it outraged and disgusted the feminist in me.

In a nutshell, strong and smart female character spends the whole book fighting to become recognized for her skills and to reach her goals, finally makes it as a "Person of Importance" and then decides she's happiest as a housewife barefoot and pregnant. What a huge letdown.

[Firecat]

My reading pet peeve is when characters make a complete 180 in their personality during the book.

Most of the time, I finish the book and give it a poor review.  However, in the case of Heinlein's Friday, I threw it and the rest of my Heinlein novels in the trash and haven't read anything of his since. I realize the man grow in a different era with different values and his books all have a tinge of sexism to them, but what he did to Friday and the smarmy way he did it outraged and disgusted the feminist in me.

In a nutshell, strong and smart female character spends the whole book fighting to become recognized for her skills and to reach her goals, finally makes it as a "Person of Importance" and then decides she's happiest as a housewife barefoot and pregnant. What a huge letdown.

I loathe that book with the fire of a thousand suns. WARNING - COLORED TEXT CONTAIN POSSIBLY TRIGGERING MATERIAL:

I once had some idjit at a convention "mansplain" that book to me because when I complained that Friday ends up in a relationship with one of guys who rapes her at the beginning of the book, this guy said that I obviously didn't understand that Mr. Rapist was just as much a victim as Friday. REALLY???!!!

[Diane AKA Traska]

My reading pet peeve is when characters make a complete 180 in their personality during the book.

Most of the time, I finish the book and give it a poor review.  However, in the case of Heinlein's Friday, I threw it and the rest of my Heinlein novels in the trash and haven't read anything of his since. I realize the man grow in a different era with different values and his books all have a tinge of sexism to them, but what he did to Friday and the smarmy way he did it outraged and disgusted the feminist in me.

In a nutshell, strong and smart female character spends the whole book fighting to become recognized for her skills and to reach her goals, finally makes it as a "Person of Importance" and then decides she's happiest as a housewife barefoot and pregnant. What a huge letdown.

I loathe that book with the fire of a thousand suns. WARNING - COLORED TEXT CONTAIN POSSIBLY TRIGGERING MATERIAL:{SNIP} [/color]

O.o  Please, tell me that's a joke...

[Morrigan]

Bread crust. [cut] A piece torn from another page in the book!

I swear to the gods my heart stopped. I use the dustcover on books that have them, otherwise I use an old receipt or some such. I'm in love with paperbacks, so...

I'm sure other librarians will agree that our job just has special perks - and special jerks.

Fortunately, most of these are traceable. Well, I could trace down the owner of the $20, but other than that it's pretty handy to be able the find the most recent borrower.

I've found (while weeding books at my large library) checks (not voided or cancelled), deposit slips, dried flowers, dried leaves, recipes, notes and bills.

[nuit93]

My reading pet peeve is when characters make a complete 180 in their personality during the book.

Most of the time, I finish the book and give it a poor review.  However, in the case of Heinlein's Friday, I threw it and the rest of my Heinlein novels in the trash and haven't read anything of his since. I realize the man grow in a different era with different values and his books all have a tinge of sexism to them, but what he did to Friday and the smarmy way he did it outraged and disgusted the feminist in me.

In a nutshell, strong and smart female character spends the whole book fighting to become recognized for her skills and to reach her goals, finally makes it as a "Person of Importance" and then decides she's happiest as a housewife barefoot and pregnant. What a huge letdown.

I loathe that book with the fire of a thousand suns. WARNING - COLORED TEXT CONTAIN POSSIBLY TRIGGERING MATERIAL:{SNIP} [/color]

O.o  Please, tell me that's a joke...

Sadly, I would not be surprised if the person was serious.

[SheltieMom]

Bread crust. [cut] A piece torn from another page in the book!

I swear to the gods my heart stopped. I use the dustcover on books that have them, otherwise I use an old receipt or some such. I'm in love with paperbacks, so...

I'm sure other librarians will agree that our job just has special perks - and special jerks.

Fortunately, most of these are traceable. Well, I could trace down the owner of the $20, but other than that it's pretty handy to be able the find the most recent borrower.

I've found (while weeding books at my large library) checks (not voided or cancelled), deposit slips, dried flowers, dried leaves, recipes, notes and bills.

I used to use a picture of my kids. Once I walked into the library and saw a picture of my kids on the wall above the front desk. Yep, I'd left it in a book, and someone was kind enough to turn it in. It was a bit surprising.

[Firecat]

My reading pet peeve is when characters make a complete 180 in their personality during the book.

Most of the time, I finish the book and give it a poor review.  However, in the case of Heinlein's Friday, I threw it and the rest of my Heinlein novels in the trash and haven't read anything of his since. I realize the man grow in a different era with different values and his books all have a tinge of sexism to them, but what he did to Friday and the smarmy way he did it outraged and disgusted the feminist in me.

In a nutshell, strong and smart female character spends the whole book fighting to become recognized for her skills and to reach her goals, finally makes it as a "Person of Importance" and then decides she's happiest as a housewife barefoot and pregnant. What a huge letdown.

I loathe that book with the fire of a thousand suns. WARNING - COLORED TEXT CONTAIN POSSIBLY TRIGGERING MATERIAL:{SNIP} [/color]

O.o  Please, tell me that's a joke...

Sadly, I would not be surprised if the person was serious.

He was totally serious. The sad thing is, I do like some of Heinlein's other work, except for the baby obsession, which really bugs me.

[Jocelyn]

Dobby dies?

Oops, sorry, I'll spoiler that out.

Don't feel bad, I was pulling your leg. If I could have embedded a video of me doing a 'The Shriek' imitation as I spoke those words with great anguish, I would have. 

[Piratelvr1121]

Dobby dies?

Oops, sorry, I'll spoiler that out.

Don't feel bad, I was pulling your leg. If I could have embedded a video of me doing a 'The Shriek' imitation as I spoke those words with great anguish, I would have. 

LOL!  Okay, phew!

[Jocelyn]

I haven't read the book yet...but plenty of other people have provided me with the major events occurring therein, which sort of decreased the intensity of the need to read it.
I've kind of lost track of key plot elements from earlier books, so sometime when I have time to read them all consecutively....

[girlysprite]

Dobby dies?

Oops, sorry, I'll spoiler that out.

Don't feel bad, I was pulling your leg. If I could have embedded a video of me doing a 'The Shriek' imitation as I spoke those words with great anguish, I would have. 

LOL!  Okay, phew!

E irony is that, due to this conversation, the original spoilering out is kinda useless now. Well, I already knew though. But this stuff sorta falls into the 'it's his sled' category anyways

[cabbageweevil]

Well, there would have been enough time by mid-1600s to get potatoes and pumpkins to Britain.

Apparently, the French were cooking pumpkin pies by that time: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PieHistory/PumpkinPie.htm.

Far-fetched explaining-away mechanism working overtime: just perhaps, with the 1667 Christmas meal, the father of the family was a great enthusiast for, and promoter of, the colonising of North America; and decreed a "thematic" Christmas dinner accordingly? (That aside, we've established that the author dropped a clanger with the spinach.)

[Elfmama]

Well, there would have been enough time by mid-1600s to get potatoes and pumpkins to Britain.

Apparently, the French were cooking pumpkin pies by that time: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PieHistory/PumpkinPie.htm.

Far-fetched explaining-away mechanism working overtime: just perhaps, with the 1667 Christmas meal, the father of the family was a great enthusiast for, and promoter of, the colonising of North America; and decreed a "thematic" Christmas dinner accordingly? (That aside, we've established that the author dropped a clanger with the spinach.)

Happens to lots of authors who just aren't thinking through the details.  I think it was Jean Plaidy (who also writes as Victoria Holt) who mentioned William the Conqueror's favorite meal: potato soup.

[Library Dragon]

I used to use a picture of my kids. Once I walked into the library and saw a picture of my kids on the wall above the front desk. Yep, I'd left it in a book, and someone was kind enough to turn it in. It was a bit surprising.

This is common.  Recently we found $500 in $100 bills as a bookmark.  Fortunately we do a very thorough check and could immediately telephone.

Onto Topic.
Articles and reviews that give away major plot points.  In high school I read an article that mentioned the ending of Gone With The Wind.  I had not yet read the book or seen the movie. 

Jacket descriptions by people who have obviously never read the book.  I recall a Margery Allingham book where the character Robin was referred to as a woman.