Anyone else have a hard time reading mass market paperbacks?

[Alexandra M]

I don't know what it is exactly, but it feels like I read at a snail's pace with these books. In contrast, bigger books feel like a quick read. It must be the smaller print and the words being cramped together.

In contrast SK's books seem to zoom by. I don't know if it's that hardcover books are easier to read or SK's writing flows well.

Anyone else get this problem?

Yes, and I am glad someone finally said it. I love to read and part of that experience is a hard cover book.

OOps. The rest of this message just disappeared into byte land

Anyways, paperbacks.... The print is difficult to read (for me) and the book gets damaged during the reading process --- binding gets creased or broken
and sometimes the ends of the cover curl, etc. etc. The only paperbacks I have ever read are Perry O'Shaughnessy books but I recently found them in
hard cover on Abe Books. Another collection waiting to happen

 

[danie]

I remember I used to tease my dad that he wore flyfocals (because a fly has compound eyes). Now I wear bifocals and I don't think it's funny anymore. My eyesight was great until I got close to 40. Now I have to get my glasses to pick up dog poop in the yard (because I can't see sh*t without my glasses). Sorry, I've used that one before. I miss my great eyesight.

To me, losing my up-close vision is the biggest annoyance of getting older. I've always had bad vision (legally blind without lenses), so somehow I thought that I would escape using readers.
I have about 10 pairs of glasses laying around now because I have to have them to see anything up close. I can't even enjoy my food because it's just one big blur on the plate...so irritating! It's 2015--you'd have thought they'd've come up with a better way to fix this.
Also, since my contacts are super expensive due to my misshaped corneas, I haven't had the money to get bifocal glasses yet. So, at the end of the day, when I take out my contacts, I have to put on my regular glasses, and then readers over those. I look like an IDIOT.
(EDIT: Now that I typed all that, I feel like this post should go under a First World Problems thread. At least I can see. I know some of you have much worse troubles....say sorry for my pettiness.)

 

[fljoe0]

To me, losing my up-close vision is the biggest annoyance of getting older. I've always had bad vision (legally blind without lenses), so somehow I thought that I would escape using readers.
I have about 10 pairs of glasses laying around now because I have to have them to see anything up close. I can't even enjoy my food because it's just one big blur on the plate...so irritating! It's 2015--you'd have thought they'd've come up with a better way to fix this.
Also, since my contacts are super expensive due to my misshaped corneas, I haven't had the money to get bifocal glasses yet. So, at the end of the day, when I take out my contacts, I have to put on my regular glasses, and then readers over those. I look like an IDIOT.
(EDIT: Now that I typed all that, I feel like this post should go under a First World Problems thread. At least I can see. I know some of you have much worse troubles....say sorry for my pettiness.)

I bought bifocals and had single vision readers made too. The bifocals are great for everyday stuff but when I do serious reading, I use the readers because it's annoying to have to look through the bottom of my glasses for long periods of time.

And your not being petty. I didn't realize how good I had it for 40 years.

 

[Sigmund]

Have you guys tried Topomax? I was having chronic migraines, and this med helped me a lot. One side effect was my hands and feet kept going to sleep, but compared to excruciating head pain, so worth it.
I took it for about 2 years, then quit. I will now occasionally have a slight headache, but Excedrin cures it. I think maybe the headaches were hormonal...

Hey, danie.

The Excedrin Migraine helped my son.It has to be the Excedrin Migraine (the caffeine makes the difference).

Peace.

 

[Sigmund]

My doctor gave me a script for one contact to see far and one to see close up. I got used to them and it was cool. Then my vision changed, again. I don't do the small print books any more. Literally, not worth the headache. <<<me with a headache. (And bald.Ha!)

 

[carrie's younger brother]

I have 20/20 distance vision but my nearsighted vision gets worse every year. I have to wear glasses for reading, eating and some cooking. Sigh.

As for mass market paperbacks, it's all in the font and the design. You get what you pay for.

And now I will blow everyone's mind and say that I read much, much faster with my Kindle. Go figure.

 

[fljoe0]

And now I will blow everyone's mind and say that I read much, much faster with my Kindle. Go figure.

Me too. I'm not exactly sure why but maybe it has to do with being able to set the type exactly the way I want it.

 

[carrie's younger brother]

Me too. I'm not exactly sure why but maybe it has to do with being able to set the type exactly the way I want it.

I'm sure that has a lot to do with it! Silly me.

 

[fljoe0]

And your not being petty.

you're you're you're you're you're you're you're you're


what makes me do that???? drives me crazy when i see that.

 

[danie]

I have 20/20 distance vision but my nearsighted vision gets worse every year. I have to wear glasses for reading, eating and some cooking. Sigh.

As for mass market paperbacks, it's all in the font and the design. You get what you pay for.

And now I will blow everyone's mind and say that I read much, much faster with my Kindle. Go figure.

I was one of those die-hard-I'll-never-read-an-ebook people...until I tried it.

Now, like you, I prefer to read on my Kindle. The only books I buy in hardback are King's and Robert McCammon's Matthew Corbett series.

I have two Kindles. My first one is the no-frills, no-touchscreen that requires an outside light to read. I use this one to read outside on my deck or in the hammock. My second is the Kindle HD that is touchscreen and has its own light, like a computer screen or tablet, and I use it to read inside, in the dark, and for Internet access. LOVE them both.

And the best thing--as soon as I finish a book, I can immediately download one by the same author, or the next in the series, and start reading it within seconds. I don't think I ever would've bought a Kindle for myself...it had to be gifted to me for me to try it!

 

[danie]

you're you're you're you're you're you're you're you're


what makes me do that???? drives me crazy when i see that.

Well, I didn't even notice it (and I usually do), probably because of oldness!
I posted last night and wrote that I didn't want to read King's new book "to" fast...ARGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!
too too too too too too too too too too too too

 

[carrie's younger brother]

you're you're you're you're you're you're you're you're


what makes me do that???? drives me crazy when i see that.

Capitals, capitals, capitals, capitals, capitals, capitals, capitals.

 

[DiO'Bolic]

With the aging of America, you’d think there would be more paperbacks produced with larger print. I have 3 paperback novels in the car that I grab from when I have to wait for one of the kids at their functions. But I find myself reaching for them less and less because it's becoming a strain to read them, even with bifocals. My brother just had cancer surgery and I’m taking my niece for her SAT’s on Saturday, which is over an hour away, and I’ll have 4 hours to wait around. I’ll reach for one of the books, but if it becomes too much of a PITA, I’ll just grab my fishing pole and look for some water.

 

[arista]

This is why I wonder why Apple made the I watch so small. It would have to be the size of Flava Flavs for me to see.

 

[muskrat]

I can still do the average mass-market PB, it's those mouldy-oldie attic-scented tomes that cross my eyes. Most of my old E.R.Burroughs MARS books are like that, and about anything from the same time period. I guess the criteria back then was "cram as many goddam words as possible in the sucker and sell it dirt cheap--if they gotta use a magnifying glass to read it, so be it" and God bless em for it. Trades are a rip off and always have been.

And everyone just chill about the typos. Way I figure, these post are just us talkin--ain't like we're submitting them for publication. Like I ain't never wrote bad before, derf...I tend to write phonetically when writing here, like speech and what not.

Funny how 'phonetic' is spelled 'PH' insteada 'F'.

 

[Sigmund]

I’ll just grab my fishing pole and look for some water.

 

[DiO'Bolic]

Well, now you've convinced me. Thinner is out, bucketmouth bass is in.

 

[Sigmund]

I can still do the average mass-market PB, it's those mouldy-oldie attic-scented tomes that cross my eyes. Most of my old E.R.Burroughs MARS books are like that, and about anything from the same time period. I guess the criteria back then was "cram as many goddam words as possible in the sucker and sell it dirt cheap--if they gotta use a magnifying glass to read it, so be it" and God bless em for it. Trades are a rip off and always have been.

And everyone just chill about the typos. Way I figure, these post are just us talkin--ain't like we're submitting them for publication. Like I ain't never wrote bad before, derf...I tend to write phonetically when writing here, like speech and what not.

Funny how 'phonetic' is spelled 'PH' insteada 'F'.

Hey, Muskie! (I've missed you.)

I agree with you, phuc it .

 

[fljoe0]

This is why I wonder why Apple made the I watch so small. It would have to be the size of Flava Flavs for me to see.

I need a watch the size of a laptop.

 

[snake9785]

I don't like the mass market paperbacks either. I stick to hardcover and tpb. I just don't like how the words seem so crammed together. I don't like ebooks much either because looking at a screen for extended periods triggers a migraine everytime. I think I like hard cover best.