Athena Posted April 3, 2017 Share Posted April 3, 2017 Some books come with bonus content. What kind of content do you like? What kind do you not like? Or do you prefer no bonus content at all? For myself, I like reading an FAQ with the author after the story. Jodi Picoult's books for example, often have an FAQ and / or reader questions. I don't mind reader questions, they can be interesting food for thought sometimes. I don't care for excerpts / samples of other books. I never read them, because I know if I do start one I'll either not like it or want to read the book immediately because cliffhangers. Overall though, bonus content doesn't really influence whether I buy a book or not. It's just something extra some books have, sometimes it's nice, sometimes it's not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidh219 Posted April 3, 2017 Share Posted April 3, 2017 Very rarely I have come across a fantasy novel that will have a short story set in that universe included at the end. One of the Queen's Thief books by Megan Whalen Turner has one, for instance. I'd say that's probably my favorite type of bonus content. Interviews with the author can be interesting as well. Samples of other books I rarely read because they are almost always for the next book in a series and I'll already know if I'm buying it or not based on how much I liked the book I just read. But they have convinced me to buy a book here and there. I probably wouldn't have bought Fairest by Marissa Meyer if not for the sample included at the end of Cress, simply because it's a side novel/prequel to the main series that I probably would have overlooked since it's not necessary to the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted April 3, 2017 Share Posted April 3, 2017 I like author interviews, and usually do read the extract from the next book. Notes are also helpful, although I don't bother now with the great long notes they put in the classics, as I'm not studying them I don't really feel the need to go into great detail, although if it's a brief introduction then I'll probably read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 I do like author interviews, particularly if they give some insight into their inspiration for a story or a minor point that the author has put in a book for his or her own amusement. An example that immediately comes to mind is Stephen King calling the town in texas "Jodie" as a call-out to Jodi Piccoult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 I hardly ever read this sort of thing - I really just want to read the book, and it also annoys me if I don't know it's there because the end of the novel is pages before the end of book and it ends more suddenly than I expected. I don't read many author interviews, and I never both with any Q&A's or book group discussion points. I never read an extract from the next book as if it's good, I want to read the whole book immediately, and if it doesn't capture my interest, it takes away a little from the story I've just read because I know the next one isn't as good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 I'm just reading the introduction to "Enchanted April" before reading the book, I didn't realise it was so long but it gives a lot of background to the author's life, and she was certainly a colourful character. So quite interesting, although personally I'd rather it wold have been at the end of the book, then of course it wouldn't have been an introduction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 I've stopped reading Introductions before reading the book, as I've been caught out a few times with spoilers in there. Why don't these people realise that an introduction should NOT give spoilers, and if you want to mention specific plot points within the text that you should put this as an Afterword at the end!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted April 7, 2017 Author Share Posted April 7, 2017 16 hours ago, chesilbeach said: I've stopped reading Introductions before reading the book, as I've been caught out a few times with spoilers in there. Why don't these people realise that an introduction should NOT give spoilers, and if you want to mention specific plot points within the text that you should put this as an Afterword at the end!!! I 100% agree with you, introductions should most definitely not give spoilers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autumn Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 If I'm honest I hate bonus content and don't really see the point in it. It's usually all things that you can find online anyway and I really, really hate thinking I have more of my book to read only to find I've only got a couple of pages left because the last 20-30 pages are in fact an extract from the authors next book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted April 9, 2017 Author Share Posted April 9, 2017 That makes sense, I wouldn't like that either. When I'm reading a paperbook, I always check the exact amount of pages the story has before reading it, without looking at the words on the page as to not spoil myself. Not long after I've started to read the book, I must check the exact page number as to not get any surprises that the story would end sooner than I thought. I have read Kindle books where part of the book was an excerpt and you can't know beforehand (because flicking through pages is really awkward on the Kindle and offsets the timer). That annoyed me. I mostly read paperbooks so generally I like things like interview with the author or such, though I never like excerpts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 If there's going to be bonus content, I prefer it to be in the front of the book, before the actual book starts. If it's at the end and I didn't realise it I always get narked when I think I have more story left than there actually is. I HATE it when they put preview chapters of other novels in the back for that very reason. I do enjoy author interviews and various other bonus content though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autumn Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 On 09/04/2017 at 4:44 PM, Athena said: I have read Kindle books where part of the book was an excerpt and you can't know beforehand.... It's annoying when reading paperbacks, but even more annoying when reading a book on your Kindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 I do like the introductions that you find in series like Penguin Classics, but do agree with Claire about not including spoilers - if they have them, they should be Afterwords. I have taken to leaving reading them until after the book as I've equally been caught out by spoilers in the past. However, I like a 'proper' introduction, one that really discusses the book, not the few pages of puff that is all some introductions actually are. Otherwise, I have no real interest in 'bonus content'. It doesn't bother me if it's there, but I always check the page number the body of the book finishes on just so I'm not caught out by extra material; I read a fair amount of history and biography, some of which include loads of footnotes - sometimes over a hundred pages of them. In these cases, I do enjoy the occasional book that has a bibliography where the author offers a commentary on the various books cited or previous books on the subject, and have used them for follow-on reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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