The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[ownedbycats]

Basically, anything to do with reading, or buying books, or the readers themselves, etc.

Rant: Here in Canada, the federal portion of the HST (or PST + GST, in some other provinces) doesn't apply to paper books. But it does apply to eBooks. Combined with some publishers charging a premium for the digital copy often makes things pricier.

[Bookstooge]

Shouldn't this be in the Lounge where the other Vent threads are?

[Quoth]

Same in Ireland. VAT on ebooks and zero rate on paper books.

But all the magazines and books distributed in Ireland from UK by Easons have a currency hedging surcharge. The Irish currency was an illusion from 1922 till 1979 when Ireland became more European and UK didn't, so though the Irih pound was replaced by the euro, the currency hedging by all UK->Ireland middle men has been since 1979. Some bookshops import from USA.

It started be significant in the reign of Elizabeth I because she blocked all mainland Europe trade to Ireland and insisted everything had to go via England.

It's got more complex with Brexit. Brexit hardly affects large companies like Amazon, but has almost killed all UK exports by small companies that mainly traded to EU. So though postage rates are similar for Germany to Ireland and UK to Ireland, English language books are mostly more expensive from Germany than UK. German Amazon prices for other goods mostly don't have Free Shipping, but the UK prince (free shipping over £20) can be more expensive in total.

Customs now from UK (unless it's Amazon and such like) is now like Customs from USA or China. Irish VAT at customs (on price inc Shipping) and some more expensive orders will have Duty too.

It used to be anything under €20 inc shipping was VAT & Duty free. That's gone.

Still, no gaps on shelves (except some British owned supermarkets) or lack of physical books etc.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Bookstooge

Shouldn't this be in the Lounge where the other Vent threads are?

I think not, as it's about reading. The vent threads in the Lounge can be about anything.

[Bookstooge]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I think not, as it's about reading. The vent threads in the Lounge can be about anything.

So that's the difference. Thanks.

[John F]

Friggin authors not updating their website with new releases.

https://john-irving.com/

I've been waiting for his new book for a while, and been checking the website for months (maybe a year) for updates. It's been the same progress report, no changes.

So today I do a google, nothing pops up on the first page of hits, and on the second page I get this:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/boo.../9781501189272



As an aside, the reason I checked, I'm reading a Emily St John Mandel novel, Last Night in Montreal,and it reminded me of some John Irving novels. I checked literature-map, and there was no reference, so I guess it's just me.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Bookstooge

So that's the difference. Thanks.

The Lounge:

"Friendly banter and discussions unrelated to e-books"

[Quoth]

No doubt the Mods will move it if it's a problem.

I can appreciate that Pricing isn't based on costs but "what the market will bear". What does it suggest when some paperback books (inc "free" shipping, it's not really free, but included) are cheaper than Kindle versions and a load of old books by a long dead author (d. 1957) are coming out this Autumn at prices x2 to x3higher than typical kindle books by authors not so long dead?

They aren't even Disney titles.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by John F

Friggin authors not updating their website with new releases.

https://john-irving.com/

I've been waiting for his new book for a while, and been checking the website for months (maybe a year) for updates. It's been the same progress report, no changes.

So today I do a google, nothing pops up on the first page of hits, and on the second page I get this:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/boo.../9781501189272



As an aside, the reason I checked, I'm reading a Emily St John Mandel novel, Last Night in Montreal,and it reminded me of some John Irving novels. I checked literature-map, and there was no reference, so I guess it's just me.

An excerpt is available here [Free]:

https://www.amazon.com/Buzz-Books-20...s%2C124&sr=8-2

The actual book, as you know, will be available October 18.

I, too, look forward to reading it. I find his writing mesmerizing.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by John F

Friggin authors not updating their website with new releases.

https://john-irving.com/

I've been waiting for his new book for a while, and been checking the website for months (maybe a year) for updates. It's been the same progress report, no changes.

So today I do a google, nothing pops up on the first page of hits, and on the second page I get this:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/boo.../9781501189272



As an aside, the reason I checked, I'm reading a Emily St John Mandel novel, Last Night in Montreal,and it reminded me of some John Irving novels. I checked literature-map, and there was no reference, so I guess it's just me.

I just look at Amazon. I have the author link in Calibre set to open the search results (sorted by date, newest first) at Amazon, so I can see immediately whether a new book by that author is out or not. That doesn't mean I'm going to buy it from Amazon; mostly I buy from Kobo or Google. But it's excellent for keeping up to date with new releases. One can set the link to open at Kobo instead, but I've not bothered.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by Quoth

No doubt the Mods will move it if it's a problem.

I can appreciate that Pricing isn't based on costs but "what the market will bear". What does it suggest when some paperback books (inc "free" shipping, it's not really free, but included) are cheaper than Kindle versions and a load of old books by a long dead author (d. 1957) are coming out this Autumn at prices x2 to x3higher than typical kindle books by authors not so long dead?

They aren't even Disney titles.

Kindle books are worth more to me than any print book. Multiple readers at one time, adjustable font sizes and line spacing, ability to be read on e-ink or tablet/phone device. They don't take up room, need to be dusted or packed up to move. Immediate delivery, etc.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Kindle books are worth more to me than any print book. Multiple readers at one time, adjustable font sizes and line spacing, ability to be read on e-ink or tablet/phone device. They don't take up room, need to be dusted or packed up to move. Immediate delivery, etc.

Yeah. I never even look at the paper book prices, as I'm not going to buy them anyway, no matter how little they cost.

Of course those of us who still buy paper books probably can't help but compare prices between paper and digital editions. But for me there's no point in doing so. I don't want to read on paper.

[Quoth]

If I have books in a series on paper, I like the paper edition. I don't mind paper books, so i buy the paperback, including shipping, if it's cheaper.
If an ebook is very cheap I might buy the ebook even when I already have the paper one. I might need bigger text next time I read it!

Also I like being able to make a backup copy of the library and having all the ebooks on the ereader, so 2G and 4G readers aren't big enough, 8 seems OK without PDFs, but the larger ereaders are all 32G

[ownedbycats]

Books that heavily rely on layout (e.g. coffee table books) I'd probably also buy the physical copy of rather than eBook, though I haven't gotten one in years.

A rant, related to fanfics: Authors tagging a character who only appears for half a paragraph and says one line. Or even worse, only appear in a mention.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Quoth

If I have books in a series on paper, I like the paper edition. I don't mind paper books, so i buy the paperback, including shipping, if it's cheaper.
If an ebook is very cheap I might buy the ebook even when I already have the paper one. I might need bigger text next time I read it!

Also I like being able to make a backup copy of the library and having all the ebooks on the ereader, so 2G and 4G readers aren't big enough, 8 seems OK without PDFs, but the larger ereaders are all 32G

32 GB would not be enough for my whole library, but then I don't want to keep my whole library on an ereader. My backup libraries are on external drives and for off-site backup also in Dropbox.

I've bought all the paper series I have and am at least somewhat likely to read/reread as ebooks. I'm not going to read them on paper, unless the zombie apocalypse happens and then I'll probably be dead anyway.