Seressia on July 22nd, 2008 at 5:01 pm:

I think the fact that they attempted to change Sahara into a comedy guarantees that we won’t see Matthew as Dirk Pitt again–or anyone else for that matter.

I agree, and it’s too bad. I’m going to watch it again; I didn’t get the comedy feeling the other times I watched it — unless you were being sarcastic about how awful the movie was compared to the book 8^)

Leeann Burke on July 23rd, 2008 at 8:13 am:

As for recommendations within the books they’d only be able to recommend authors from their own publishing house (I think) and to be honest it wouldn’t influence me. What does influence me? Covers and ads online have the biggest impact on what books I buy.

I agree with the first part of what Leeann wrote. And for me, that also goes as far as other author’s recommendations listed on the book jacket/back; it’s my guess they’re pressured into supporting the house’s other authors. So I take those with a pinch of salt.

But online ads do nothing for me; I look up the author in a social book site and see what the other readers are saying. I used to look up reviews in Amazon, until I learned those are so easily gamed.

My biggest pet peeve is re-releasing of books. I understand the reasoning – to generate more readership of a certain author, or to herald the long-anticipated release of a new book – but if you have changed the title/cover/re-written the original book – tell me, upfront on the cover. I hate, hate, HATE to get a new book home only to open it and find out that I have the original on my shelves. And while I am on the subject of re-writes – QUIT DOING THAT! I have yet to read a re-write that in any way, IMO enhanced the original story. There are reasons that I fell in love with or hated the original story and you re-writing it is not going to change my opinion either way. Plus, again IMO, there has never been a re-write worth my shelling out more $$ for the same story.

As for the trade vs mass market vs hardback – I prefer all my books in a series be the same format – but if I want the book badly enough, I will purchase it regardless. I have found though, that for me, with most authors, with very few exceptions, moving to hardback signals the end of the series, even if it continues for additional books. IMO there seems to be a lack of continuation within the series from mm to hb. Almost as if the author is now writing to a different audience. One notable exception to these is the In Death series – most series lose me after the 4th book or so, I just tend to not really care about the characters any longer, but these books just get better and better. IMO Ms. Roberts can continue to write about Eve and Roarke well into the 2050’s!

Dear me, the gentleman certainly gets around! Since the closest bookstore is 60 miles away, I don’t get to browse much and admit that I had neither heard his name nor seen him on any covers before, nor noticed that he’s all over Romanceland.

Looking at this site made me go: ‘where was *I* when this all happened?’ Or maybe it’s really because I don’t pay attention to covers, except when they are as ugly as the turquoise dog or pink leg ones that SB Sarah finds for us to snark.

As for recommendations within the books they’d only be able to recommend authors from their own publishing house (I think) and to be honest it wouldn’t influence me. What does influence me? Covers and ads online have the biggest impact on what books I buy.

BLASPHEMY! I’ll take Nathan Kamp’s mug in front of my eyes as often as I can get it!

Hey! I never said his mug was ugly :) … just that the hero in the book could be an albino and they’d still put him on the cover, and I’m a big fan of at least having the hero’s colouring match the authors description.

Nathen Kamp is a lovely lovely man, but frankly, I’m so sick of his mug I often don’t bother picking books up off the shelf to read the back blurb.

BLASPHEMY! I’ll take Nathan Kamp’s mug in front of my eyes as often as I can get it!