New book topics to argue about
Molly Templeton writes Perhaps We Could Find Some New Book Topics to Argue About covering DNFing, reading the classics, are audiobooks books, 'performative' reading, gendering books, and genres. But the article doesn't actually propose new topics, just recaps these old ones.
I really wanted to think of some funny new book topics we could argue about. But it turns out people really do argue about everything. Cover art, is revealing that reader she married him a spoiler, different book sizes in a series, colour coded shelving, pseudonyms, content warnings, tropes, font size, writing accents, the death of reading.
So I've tried to come up with some new ideas people can argue with me about.
How many times should 'comestible' be allowed in an average-length book? It's a lovely word. Should it be used four times? Should it be used as often as the author jolly well likes?
Bookmark choices. I have 'real' bookmarks, mostly gifts, but generally favour the book's own receipt. There are definitely debates about folding over the corners as markers.
Fines for TBR piles. A year ago I calculated my TBR pile at 1539. I've read books since then but almost certainly added more to the pile.
Would we Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind our rereads? That thrill of reading something for the first time versus being able to pick up all the foreshadowing.
Translator notes. Reading The Mulai I loved having the translator step in. All translators should get a notes section in the book to discuss their work and choices.
Behind the scenes or author edits. To borrow from visual media, I'd absolutely take an annotated edition where the author talks us through, like a director going through a film.
Maybe we should just declare author blurb bankruptcy. We know they are quid pro quo marketing whatever. We know they are only going to be glowing, perhaps we can just assume them and skip the charade? People have definitely argued about blurbs before - I've never seen it but I just know they have.
There's also some genuinely interesting stuff in How ebooks should work covering ideas by Robin Sloan.