Just a mild question here. Of most of the books that I've purchased over the last year...which would be around 24, I tend to go through two a month, I find that the paperbacks are mostly the larger sized ones. Instead of the old, familiar pocket book which was about 6"x4" now books are often bigger and glossier, around 8"x6".
The last book I bought in the smaller size was Anne and Todd McCaffrey's latest Dragonriders of Pern book. i've read every one. It seems that many of the Sci-Fi books are still in the smaller size, but history and fiction are being produced not as pocket books, but just lighter-bound big books with larger type. Is this to avoid having to print large-print books? Is it to advertise, thinking that the cover of a larger book would be more noticeable?
The big problem is you can't just carry one of these books in your pocket. My current read, Christopher Moore's Bloodsucking Fiends is something I can barely fit in my coat pocket. Same goes with David Sedaris' Naked and Son of a Witch by David Gregory. History books like David McCllough's John Adams are pretty huge for a paperback. Perhaps I too and drawn to the larger books on the shelf?
Of course, with larger books, come larger prices. A Satr Trek paperback will run $8.00 while Sarah Vowell's Assasination Vacation will run you $12.00. Me thinks they are gouging - bigger book, same or fewer words, higher price. The American way, I suppose.
The last book I bought in the smaller size was Anne and Todd McCaffrey's latest Dragonriders of Pern book. i've read every one. It seems that many of the Sci-Fi books are still in the smaller size, but history and fiction are being produced not as pocket books, but just lighter-bound big books with larger type. Is this to avoid having to print large-print books? Is it to advertise, thinking that the cover of a larger book would be more noticeable?
The big problem is you can't just carry one of these books in your pocket. My current read, Christopher Moore's Bloodsucking Fiends is something I can barely fit in my coat pocket. Same goes with David Sedaris' Naked and Son of a Witch by David Gregory. History books like David McCllough's John Adams are pretty huge for a paperback. Perhaps I too and drawn to the larger books on the shelf?
Of course, with larger books, come larger prices. A Satr Trek paperback will run $8.00 while Sarah Vowell's Assasination Vacation will run you $12.00. Me thinks they are gouging - bigger book, same or fewer words, higher price. The American way, I suppose.