Slightly OCD rant

[grundyscribbling]

WHY can book publishers not stick to standard physical formats?

I hate this stupid oversize paperback. (150 x 226 x 33mm) Unfortunately, Razorbill Books in their infinite fucking wisdom have decided that's what they're releasing Sabaa Tahir's Ember in the Ashes series in with the good cover art.

I have literally nothing else on my bookshelves that is this size, in height or depth. The book sticks out like a sore thumb no matter how I shelve it. The least visually offensive way for me to deal with it is to put it all the way at one end or the other of a shelf, which is not where its preferred location according to my current bookshelf scheme would be. (It's also not as comfortable to hold as standard size or mass market paperbacks, but it's the shelving that irritates me more.)

And the stupidest part of this? There's no real reason for the oversized format aside from crappy design - it's not large print, but it is 1.5 spaced - you know, the trick you used along with increasing font size to make essays you had to write for school look longer.

I have held off on purchasing the other books in the series after I got the first one because this format aggravates me so much.

Comments

[ysilme]

OMG yes, this, so much!!! I used to work in a bookshop some years ago, and editions like these were particularly annoying, as you often couldn't even shelf them with their appropriate genre. But at home it's worse IMHO.

[grundyscribbling]

I thought this was a 'just me' thing, it's somewhat comforting to know other people find it an annoyance as well!

[keiliss]

Hate this, hate, hate, hate this. My not usually very invasive OCDness rears up and screams. I'd suggest buying the set though, because at least then you'll have several together on the shelf and it won't look as bad.

[grundyscribbling]

I've been holding off on buying the set in the hope that at some point, the publishers will relent and put out a standard sized book. (With the good cover art. Because as long as I'm wishing for beggars to ride, I may as well demand they ride thoroughbreds!)