From: "Strong, Lee" <StrongL at MTMC.ARMY.MIL>
To: "'WSFA members'" <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: reading likes and dislikes
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 08:13:59 -0500
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

	The theory is sound in practice, altho I have found that I have an
unfortunate ability to turn to the one good portion of the book, read it and
decide that the book is worthwhile only to discover my error after enriching
the bookseller.  Perhaps this negative ability is related to my interest in
pseudo-science...!  8-o

-----Original Message-----
From: Erica VD Ginter [mailto:eginter at klgai.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 6:42 PM
To: 'WSFA members'
Subject: [WSFA] Re: reading likes and dislikes

A friend taught me this trick at Worldcon and it has saved me buying/reading
a lot of books, because it gives you a sense of the book without spoiling
it:

Turn to page 86.
Read it.
Are you intrigues enough to continue?

Turn to page 102.
Read it.
If you like what you've read, buy it/check it out; if not, you've saved time
and possibly money.

It works for me. Doesn't guarantee a happy ending, though, Candy! Also,
check the covers, acknowledgements, and "Other books by..." page carefully
to make sure this isn't Book 2 or 3 of a series. That info can be very well
disguised, and I'm pissed as hell at the publisher when I'm tricked into
buying something that I can't read until I've bought something else.

Erica

-----Original Message-----
From: Candy Madigan [mailto:candymadigan at mindspring.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 2:53 PM
To: WSFA members
Subject: [WSFA] Re: reading likes and dislikes

At 02:42 PM 03/26/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>My question is about the editors who give us this kind if impression and
>allow us to walk into the trap.  Yes, thet sell the books, but...

I don't have a question.  I have a very definite opinion.

It's just plain not honest.  It also has me checking very closely before I
ever buy anything else by him.  And if it's not Ethshar, I just don't buy
it.  In the long run, they've hurt themselves and their author.

Candy