Misc. Monday: The Price of Books, and How Much is Too Much

I don't, as a habit, include a discussion of price in any of my reviews. My goal is to tell you whether to read a book, and not necessarily whether to buy a book. After all, there are always libraries and friends to borrow from, and lots of used and discount options for the reader on a budget. So why mention price?

This is not to say that I think the cost of a book is irrelevant, or that it should never be mentioned in a review at all.

Reviews That Mention Price Can Be Helpful

 

So, while I try to pretend (for the purpose of reviewing) that all of my books came from a magic book fairy at no cost to me, it is a common practice among other reviewers to mention the source of the book. Why do so? It provides us with some what that reader's investment in that book. I do feel that someone who spent hard earned money on a book is going to be inclined to really try to like it, while someone who got a book for free might be more inclined to dismiss it over tiny flaws. Or perhaps not.

What I find more helpful, as a potential reader, is when the reviewer references the exact price they paid. I know that sounds crass, but it's true. When someone says, "It was good, but it wasn't worth $12 that *insert retailer here* is charging." That tells me to hold off, wait to find it used or borrow a copy. On the other hand, "It's flawed, but for $1.99 why not give it a try?", while not a glowing endorsement, does make it sound like I don't have much to lose. I'll take a risk for $2.

Price Influences Our Book Buying Decisions

 

Obviously. How could it not? Unless you're one of those rare lucky ducks with an unlimited book buying budget, you're operating under a weekly or monthly or yearly limit. You want to get the most bang for your buck. For me, this becomes a curious game of mathematical gymnastics. If I have $20 to spend, and I buy 20 $1 books, the law of averages states that at least on of those books will make me smile. But then I've got 19 really frustrating or mind numbing books--which will make hilarious reviews, but will eventually drive me to drink. If I spend a bit more to buy books from mainstream authors that I know and like, I'm less likely to be frustrated by any of them, but my $20 is only going to get me 2, 3 books max. And what if one of them does suck?

The higher the price, the more assurance of awesomeness I need before I'll take the plunge. For a series or author that I dearly love, one which has given me multiple positive experiences and no negative ones, I'll spend my entire monthly budget to buy a hardcover. Not rational, I know, but I want it that badly. A less proven author might get $8 from me, but only if there's nothing really exciting to buy or preorder that month. Same goes with really well reviewed authors that I don't have personal experience with yet. Then there are the unknowns with few or mixed or no reviews. For those, I'm not willing to spend more than $4. And again, it really all depends on how many big releases there are in any given month.

The Issue of Ebook Price

 

I love my Kindle dearly, I really do. However, there's a special magic to owning physical books. To be honest, I usually only buy ebooks when they're cheaper, or when I'm traveling and need the portability of the Kindle.

I firmly believe that ebooks should always be cheaper. I'm not the first to say so, and I won't be the last. It's a fact that I can't lend, sell, trade, or display an ebook as I do with other books, so the price should reflect that. As in, the price should never, ever be more than $12, regardless of what the print book costs. Ever. I actually find it really insulting when publishers make the decision to put a hardcover price on an ebook.

What's your take?

 

What do you guys think? How much is too much for you? Are you willing to pay premium prices for premium authors, or do you refuse to give in? Do you mention price in your reviews, or keep that to yourself? Share your thoughts in the comments, and have a happy Monday!

Miscellaneous Mondays: On Buyings Ghosts

Yep, it's that time again: Miscellaneous Monday, the post chalk full of topics you may or may not care about!


The Secret Circle

Well, after watching episode 5 (Slither), I've decided I'm done with this show for now. When a primary character dies, or even "dies" as is typical in paranormal shows, and all you feel is apathy, it's time to throw in the towel. Why did this show fail for me? The first and most pressing issue is that I really don't care for the characters. Cassie still feels bland, even after going through so much stuff that should have helped her develop. So, until I have more free time to waste or I get word that the show is improving, I'm done.

Supernatural

Ah, I love the witch ones. Witches have been a "staple monster" in the show since their first appearance in season three. I find them pretty scary and fascinating in that they kill from a distance, leaving magical booby traps in your home and cursing you from the comfort of their cozy suburban mini-mansions. This particular episode featured a husband and wife, both witches, hell-bent on taking each other down with magic. I found this one pretty amusing.



Sweeney Todd

My fiance and I went to the local production of Sweeney Todd. I love the movie version, but that can obviously never compare to the fun of seeing a live production, even a low budget one. The actor playing Todd pulled it off really well, with the perfect look and voice for the part. Our Mrs. Lovett was decent as well. The actor cast in the role of the Judge was less than impressive, but no one was going to live up to Alan Rickman standards anyway. The bottom line is, if you haven't seen the movie version, I highly recommend it. That recommendation is doubled if you have the opportunity to see it live. It's good, dramatic, and horrific fun.

The Monster High Crew Welcomes Spectra and Clawdeen

First, I added two new dolls to my collection: Clawdeen and Spectra. I'm super excited to have a werewolf doll of any sort. The only major crisis was that her ears make her a bit too tall to stand on the shelf where the others live, so she has to stand. Josh found Spectra for me, and I was incredibly excited because she's pretty hard to come by. So now I have a Frankenstein, a sea monster, a zombie, a werewolf, and a ghost doll. It's geektastic.

I also got Ghoulia a new outfit. In the webisodes, Ghoulia is a comic book geek. The extra outfit comes with a t-shirt, action figure, and tiny comic book.

Weekly  Poll: What helps you choose a book?

According to the poll, the most important factors are author and series. That's certainly true for me. If an author is new to me, I look him/her up and figure out what single title or series most interest me. I'm far more inclined to read series with several books already out. I also rely pretty heavily on reviews, when I can find ones that seem reliable. So to everyone out there who strives to write good thorough reviews, keep it up!

"New Weekly Poll: What's Your Favorite Fairytale? "can be found on the right side of your screen. Please take a second to participate!

Miscellaneous Mondays: Brains and Brainlessness

Welcome to Miscellaneous Monday, the post about everything and noting in particular.

Secret Circle, Episode 3


As usual, I'm a week behind in this show because I'm forced to watch it online due to my work schedule. Episode 3 was titled "Loner", in reference to our protagonist. Cassie is a loner in the way that TV likes to portray loners. By which I mean she's alone voluntarily--there's nothing obviously wrong with her. She's pretty, smart(ish), and more importantly, people seem to like her, despite the fact that she's deliberately  stand-offish and a bit socially awkward. They like her on sight, without knowing anything about her. This bothers me a great deal, actually. The same thing happens with Bella in Twilight--she's the new girl in school, she's bland and awkward, and yet everyone can't wait to make friends with her. Anyone who remembers anything about high school knows that this isn't how things work. If you happen to be self-isolating or even a little shy, people mostly leave you alone. You might make a friend or two, but it is highly unlikely that the most popular kids in town are going to be clambering for your company.

I've come to the conclusion that this show is really two shows--a good fantasy show and a crappy (but marketable) teen drama, squished together like play-dough. Episode 3 was less bland than Episode 2, but it still gets caught up in silly and predictable relationship drama. I'm much more interested in the magic and murder than whether Diana and Adam's relationship will survive (HINT: it won't).

Supernatural: Brains!


For whatever reason, I always enjoy the flashback heavy episodes, and this was a good example of that. The Winchester brothers were brought up in the most insane and dysfunctional manner possible. Catching glimpses of that is always fascinating. Furthermore, this episode was yet another example of Sam's fondness for making friends (special friends) with monsters. You'd think that if you're going to hunt monsters, "Don't Have Sex With It" would be rule number one. But I guess if everyone followed that, we'd have a lot fewer paranormal romances.


The Book Buying Dilemma


I dearly love book stores, but they seem to be disappearing. For a very long time our city had two Borders: one large one, and a smaller Borders Express. We also have a B&N,  and one or two small independently owned places that cater mainly to used books and trade. The large Borders used to be my favorite by far. It offered great selection, was well organized, offered reasonable discounts, and the employees were fairly laid back but helpful. But, of course, both Borders shut down. I was left with severely reduced buying options.

Our Borders Express was taken over by Books-a-Million. At first this seemed like a glimmer of hope, giving me back at least one place to browse and buy. Unfortunately, the store sucks. Right away I had trouble finding the things on my list. Not because they didn't have those things, but because they put them in the oddest places. Several series were split up, with some of the books in "SciFi" and some in "Fiction". Or in some cases, the same author might be put in both "Romance" and "SciFi". It was explained to me that they put books in sections based on whatever arbitrary label they carry on the spine. The employees don't know and don't care how the books should really be classified, and they aren't even concerned with being consistent. Furthermore, my GOD are these people sales focused. Their entire mission is to selling you things, from their membership card to magazine subscriptions, most of which you probably don't want or need.

The end result of all of this is that I'm now without a bookstore that I really like. Our Barnes and Noble has terrible selection. The used book stores rarely seem to get new product. This leaves department stores and the internet. I love ebooks, and I do appreciate the ease of shopping online. But it isn't the same. Physical book stores allow you to browse in a way that no site, however impressive, can ever offer.

My solution? My loving fiance got me a new library card. It still isn't quite as nice as browsing new books to buy, but it's the best I can do for the time being.

Weekly Poll: Helpful Reviews

Thanks go out to those of you who participated in this weeks poll!

I chose this particular question because, after years of reading and writing reviews I've realized that there are about a million different ways to go about organizing a review. No one way is right or wrong, but there are definitely some styles that I personally find more helpful than others. For example, I'm very fond of the list format (31% of you agreed). People who are able to intelligently break their thoughts and criticisms into bullet points are awesome. I find this type of review easy to read and, when it's done well, very persuasive. Unfortunately, I can't seem to write "List Style" reviews very well--my brain doesn't work that way.

Interestingly, the poll showed that short, concise reviews are strongly preferred over long reviews. I don't really have a strong preference in this regard, but the results do make sense to me. People don't have time to read super long reviews. Plus, long reviews can often get repetitive. I often have to remind myself to limit the length of my reviews. It's hard to be concise when a book get's you really excited or angry.

Finally, objective reviews and emotional reviews both got pretty low votes. Personally I find overly analytical reviews to be dull and unhelpful, unless of course it's for a text book or nonfiction. On the other hand, I've read some reviews that are so emotional and subjective that they don't manage to convey anything meaningful. Angry reviews can be funny though.

Don't forget to participate in my new poll: Your Favorite Classic Monsters. Happy Reading!