jankensan

Arguing with people on the internet is completely pointless. It's like trying to catch fog in your hands and just makes you look really dumb. Sometimes you've just got to bite your tongue.

No offence meant with the next statement, but if a book cries out to you, it's worth facing the fact that it may not be good value for money in the page to price ratio and/ or borrowing a copy to read now and buying a perfect copy to own later... If a book's worth reading I'd read it whatever the condition (borrowed from friends, library or bought used), personally it's more about enjoying the work than owning it. You can't take it with you after all, but at the lowest of low moments in your life you can recall something about a book that really touched you, and whether or not you own a pristine copy doesn't come into it, whatever that book says to you is what matters. Slightly divergent course for the thread so apologies for that, but I honestly don't think the page to price ratio should be a consideration in whether or not to read a book that you obviously feel so passionately about. Seize the moment and all that jazz! I think the reason is that the raw materials to make a book are inexpensive but a small book costs just as much to promote and publish in fees and royalties etc...In fact if you think about it, thicker books are probably cheaper to print because you need to buy larger quantities of paper thus giving you greater purchasing power...???!!! There must be a logic to it somewhere!

Only after inspectors discovered the ruse did Mitsubishi begin to deal with the suspected problems, recalling over 700,000 cars for defects including bad brakes, fuel leaks, and failing clutches. A similar scandal arose in June 2000 at giant milk producer Snoe Brand, whose tainted milk poisened 14,000 people, as the result of careless sanitation procedures that had gone unchecked for decades. At Tokai's nuclear plant, Mitsubishi Motors, and Snow Brand, no worker or manager ever drew attention to a situation dozens or even hundreds of people must have been aware of for many years. Dogs and Demons by Alex Kerr It's not as boring as it sounds from this...

try etsy.com most of the sellers are in the US but they ship to Uk for the most part

Yeah, thought that after I posted... That's the rub. I don't have a particular genre I go nuts for which is why I think I'm struggling with finding something suitable. I like Stephen King, Cormac McCarthy, Brett Easton Ellis that kind of thing. But also read a lot of books about climbing/ mountaineering, manga, and Japanese horror/ crime novels. Then I also like history. Particularly Japanese, Russian and French history. French Revolution, Japan in WW2 and relations with Burma and then anything about the Russia really. I'm thinking gothic, horror, edgy but not sci fi...

I've been trawling the internet in search of some magazines with fiction books as their focus but as yet been unable to find anything. Does anyone have any recommendations? I'm reluctant to subscribe to new books magazine as looking at the back issues it doesn't really cover the kind of fiction I like... Edited to add: Sorry, the title has been changed to book related 'magazines' but I am actually looking for zines. As in collective works by independent writers/ groups. Can it be changed back? Thanks

In Japan they has a specific verb for standing reading in a book shop- 'tatemi'. Literally 'stand reading'. Personally I think each to their own, but when I worked in a bookshop I used to get VERY annoyed when people read for long periods without buying, especially if they took it into the coffee shop to read while they drank. Strictly speaking it was theft when they did that because the coffee shop was an independent concession, but no one ever said anything to anyone. What really grinds my gears nowadays is people reading so close to the bookshelves you can't get to the shelf to look yourself! If you're gonna do it, at least move out of the way!

that's exactly what i thought when i put it in the bag to go to the charity shop! i thought if i had insomnia it would probably me cure me too!

Yes! The part where Harker sees Dracula scuttle across the side of the castle really scared me. I had a nightmare about it the same night which also involved the mysterious bag that Dracula brings back to the castle around about the same time too. Dracula is one of the only books I had to be really controlled and not read it near bedtime. For me the worst part was towards the end where Mina gets bitten by Dracula and the sense of doom is just overwhelming.

haha insomnia is the only one of Stephen King's I've ever given up on, really dull start...

done that twice now! normally happnens when i pre-order something and then forget i've done it and pre-order again...

haha yes, know the feeling. Stay up late trying to finish and despite all efforts still fail at it!

My favourite author of all time, by a country mile. I love the way all his books are linked and woven together. For example, the link between Dolores Claiborne and Gerald's Game, and of course the re-occuring Derry themes. My favourite so far is probably Gerald's Game, followed closely by Misery. I also love the Dark Tower series and even bought the comic book adaptations. I thought the Gunslinger was amazing, but disagree that it was slow to start---I thought it was quite hard to follow at first, but moved along nicely for me. The only one of his books I gave up on was Insomnia, because that was just too slow for me, and I had a sneaking suspicion it was going in the aliens direction which doesn't interest me at all. He reminds me a lot of H P Lovecraft. That kind of steady build up to an unexpected conclusion. Brilliant.

I have a 42 page rule (after all the meaning of life is 42!) If I don't like it by page 42 I give up. 42 pages is more than enough good faith to allow an author. It works well for me as even though I might not finish the book, at least I gave it a good chance... And when I give up the book goes out to the charity shop or given away to friends, I don't hang on just in case, there's just too much out there to read to do that!

Exactly! You hit the nail on the head.

yairdoza, that's a good idea, i like that. I often fall asleep reading on a night, so alternating styles might help....!

Generally two on the go at once. Stops me getting bogged down. If I feel tired of one I can switch to the other. Usually a doorstop style affair and a more portable one I can keep in my handbag to grab a few minutes on my lunch break with. And then a manga and a magazine on the coffee table to dip into while the dinner is cooking!

I generally avoid books that are hyped in the media because it reminds me too much of reading lists we used to get for school where I felt obliged to read stuff I'm just not that interested in! Same reason why I don't watch much TV, because then you feel like you have to follow certain shows and know what's going on so that you can discuss them the next day at work. Too much pressure! I get bored easily too, and if I see something in the paper or on the news everyday I rapidly lose interest.

Kylie, you can make one that fits any book and it's really easy. I just googled for a pattern and followed that. Really easy to make if you don't mind sewing. Otherwise you can buy little plastic zippy bags like what you used to take your reading books home from school in...!

Haha I hate people seeing what I'm reading in public. I made a book cover for that very purpose and if the books a hardback I always take the fly cover off to make it harder for people to see!

I will have to try again with some of the recs from the thread then. I'm quite heartened that there may still be hope!

Hehe, I'm the opposite. Browse at the book shop, buy at the charity shop/ car boot sale! I always think as long as you can read the words it's all good...I agree with the sentiments that a well worn book is a well enjoyed book, but I suppose a neat and perfect book is a well protected and loved one! How about library books then, how do you cope with them? Sometimes they can have had a long life by the time you get to read them. I think we are super lucky that we can pick and choose our book condition. In the days of old all books were lent out and borrowed (I remember when I was young that people hardly ever bought a book to keep it for themselves, they were always borrowed or shared). Compared to our grandparents we probably own 100 times the amount of books they did!

I always crack the spine on books (if I own them, not library books or ones I've been lent!!!!), it's very satisfying to take a book from shop condition to used. I get really frustrated when I see people avoiding cracking the spine because I love the feeling of doing it. I think there might be something wrong with me! I do hate it when people fold corners though, especially on library books. I don't lend books I care about for this reason alone. That and the fact I rarely get back books I lend anyway! Email them and let them know, they may give you a reduction on the price. I once got a really battered book from amazon and emailed them intending to get an exchange for a better copy. they offered me 10% of the purchase back by way of apology so I was more than happy to keep the slightly battered book as a result....Their customer service is second to none.

I love it when I find 'disturbing' fiction books, that's the thrill of it for me! This thread will probably serve as a recommendation list for me...haha So far the most disturbing book I've read is 'Out' by Natsuo Kirino. It was scary to think how one could get dragged deep into a violent life and how quickly things could get out of control. I also found 'The Road' very disturbing/ upsetting. So far whenever I read any of Cormac McCarthy's work I get this sense of dread about what is going to happen, because it really could be anything. 'The Road' was the first 'apocalypse' type story that I've thought could be close to a real life situation and that's probably why it got to me so much.