Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion
General Chit Chat
Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "I was able to figure out the problem from another group. There is something that isn't working in the 'search' feature both at the top of the page and in the 'add book/author feature...."But please be careful since it's not unusual to find a book entered twice or three times and then if the author is done wrong, it is a huge mess to clean up.
Also, note that GR is now adding extra spaces between the first and last names of some authors when there is more than one of the same name. eg James McBride, the author The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother and many other books has THREE spaces between his first and last name, so if you try to look it up in the add book/author search under author, you won't find the right one unless you enter it with the three spaces in between.
I find the title search works better than the author search. I've never added any to Goodreads I feel like I have enough to do in my own job.
Mod
Koren wrote: "My husbands brother passed away last Saturday. We will be gone tomorrow and Friday for the funeral so I probably will not get here for a few days. Behave yourselves while I am gone!"I'm sorry for your loss.
Koren wrote: "My husbands brother passed away last Saturday. We will be gone tomorrow and Friday for the funeral so I probably will not get here for a few days. Behave yourselves while I am gone!"I am also sorry for your loss!
Hope your family ok Koren.Seem to be a lot of death notices lately.
I picked up a book called Long Live the Queen: 23 Rules for Living from Britain's Longest-Reigning Monarch. The hags mags were full of Prince Phillip's death which is the only time I had ever seen him on the cover. Usually they have pics of the latest princess dramas in them. The last one I saw announced that Princess Meghan (is she still a Princess??) had a baby in secret. Though how it can be a secret when the news is splashed all over the cover of New Idea I don't know.
Selina wrote: "The last one I saw announced that Princess Meghan (is she still a Princess??) had a baby in secret. Though how it can be a secret when the news is splashed all over the cover of New Idea I don't know."Two words: Kevlar corset!
Koren wrote: "My husbands brother passed away last Saturday. We will be gone tomorrow and Friday for the funeral so I probably will not get here for a few days. Behave yourselves while I am gone!"No promises.
...but seriously, sorry to hear about your BIL.
Fishface wrote: "Selina wrote: "The last one I saw announced that Princess Meghan (is she still a Princess??) had a baby in secret. Though how it can be a secret when the news is splashed all over the cover of New ..."She is still pregnant and due in June is what I found. Any links to the girl having already been born...?
Karin wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Selina wrote: "The last one I saw announced that Princess Meghan (is she still a Princess??) had a baby in secret. Though how it can be a secret when the news is splashed all over ..."I was totally kidding and had no idea she was pregnant.
Fishface wrote: "Karin wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Selina wrote: "The last one I saw announced that Princess Meghan (is she still a Princess??) had a baby in secret. Though how it can be a secret when the news is spla..."Sorry--couldn't read your tone of voice and/or facial expression and I knew she was pregnant.
Karin wrote: "...eg James McBride, the author The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother and many other books has THREE spaces between his first and last name, so if you try to look it up in the add book/author search under author, you won't find the right one unless you enter it with the three spaces in between...How is anyone supposed to know THAT? How does anyone find what they need under those circumstances?
I spend a lot of time at Goodreads making requests of the Goodreads librarians to merge duplicates, correct titles, correct the names of authors, add summaries, etc.
I'm constantly surprised at how many true-crime bios list the killer as the author of the book, for instance, even when the title explains that the book ends after the hanging "as Gawd surely intends for all Sinners of her Ilk" and even when I happen to know the killer was illiterate. A quick Google search shows me the cover of the book with the author's name embossed on it in gold leaf, more often than not. Tsk!
Fishface wrote: "Karin wrote: "...eg James McBride, the author The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother and many other books has THREE spaces between his first and last name, so if you try to l..."Ugh cataloguing errors. It irks me too.
Makes my job harder. Thankfully I can usually figure out rules to prevent them.
We have authority files in databases mean to show the correct spelling and wording. What annoys me is when different catalogues use CAPS and some use lower case, but it's the same word. Then when it gets put together you get twice as much info but in the same fields. arrgh.
Fishface wrote: "Karin wrote: "...eg James McBride, the author The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother and many other books has THREE spaces between his first and last name, so if you try to l..."Exactly, how are they supposed to know it? It's bad enough for librarians to have to learn and remember it, but for regular users it's horrible! And even then, there are people with librarian privileges who aren't very good at it, who don't know (even if they are good at it) and I don't know how much it has helped.
Brings me to the Dewey Decimal system. I don't like it much at all. Having to work with it can be a challenging in a primary school where they don't even know what a decimal is. First off, most children's books are too skinny to have a spine big enough to stick a label of 3 digit numbers on. When you add decimals it makes it even longer.
Second, a lot of subjects are all over the place in the Dewey decimal system, when they ought to be together.
eg. take gardening. Most gardening books are at 635 but then you get gardening books in the 740s because its part of house design and landscape. And if you have any kind of collection thats not right next to each other, so you miss them.
Or biographies. Most are in 920s by subject but there are also some in all the other categories all across the dewey decimal system depending on profession. eg civil rights activists in 300s, famous singers in 700s, plus sports figures, inventors in 600s, religious figures in 200s.
Ok if you've got time to roam and pick each book from the shelf, but a lot of people don't cos they aren't librarians who work with the books and put them in order every day! (if teacher only gives you 10 minutes to find a book, you could be sunk if its not right there).
I like the Dewey Decimal system for nonfiction books even if it's hard for younger children--at least with fiction it can be shelved more easily. Plus, some children's librarians put signs up so children can find non-fiction sections more easily.
I worked with the LC system for an Engineering Library..I think it was Library of Congress system, because if we shelved all the engineering books by Dewey every book would be in the 600s and the thousands of books would have so many decimals it would tear your hair out. Plus we put cutter numbers indicating year of publication. Having language books in 400s and literature books in 800 also doesn't really make sense, they ought to be together.
Mod
I guess I've never really thought about it, it's just always been that way. Do you have any ideas of a system that would work better?
Colour code every book lolBISAC is used in bookshops, it gives categories, not numbers.
METIS is a system used in some school libraries and there are 26 topic/subject areas (each having a letter of the alphabet) and like subjects are grouped together.
Some librarians just put books together in labelled bins or tubs so children can just flick through instead of trying to sort them in order on the shelf.
Some libraries have genrefied their collection, it works for large collections of fiction, and non fiction by grouping like subjects together but still in dewey order within that.
I'm trying to figure out the best thing to do with my school library collection, since the non fiction isn't being used that much, teachers find it hard to teach and as they are a bit lazy they would rather go on google lol.
I find it really silly to have the history section NOT in chronological order. And then New Zealand books are in the 993s right at the very end next to Antarctica. Its like we are an afterthought...
Selina wrote: "I worked with the LC system for an Engineering Library..I think it was Library of Congress system, because if we shelved all the engineering books by Dewey every book would be in the 600s and the t..."I like whatever system was used at my university library in Canada, back before it was digital. I don't remember it being the LC system, but it wasn't Dewey.
I agree that for specialized libraries that Dewey doesn't work well.
I definitely think coffee table books belong on a coffee table, not a shelf. What a nightmare shelving heavy coffee table books. If you don't have enough of them, they all fall over each other, and some are in landscape format that sticks right out of the shelf.
I have a question. Why is is that if I read a thread, I can't click a link back to General, but get taken to the main discussion board? I have never seen this on any other GR group before.
Mod
That is a good question and one I haven't noticed before. Does anyone know the answer? I've looked all over and can't find a box that has to be checked. I'll try to find out.
Koren wrote: "Karin wrote: "I have a question. Why is is that if I read a thread, I can't click a link back to General, but get taken to the main discussion board? I have never seen this on any other GR group be..."I have no idea how to fix it either and I am one of the mods of a secret group (nothing lewd or rude, just teammates of a huge reading game and we got close--had a lot of fun together).
Apparently Princess Meghan had a daughter in California and is calling her Lilibet Diana. I thought she didn't want to be royal and could pick any name she wanted for her child. I would have gone for...a totally unique name that had nothing to do with royalty. Maybe Hermione Muggles.
Mod
I thought she didn't want to be royal and could pick any name she wanted for her child. I would have gone..."
Maybe trying to make amends?
I should stop calling her Princess Meghan. I should call her Meghan Markles, as if she never got married.
Selina wrote: "Apparently Princess Meghan had a daughter in California and is calling her Lilibet Diana. I thought she didn't want to be royal and could pick any name she wanted for her child. I would have gone..."
I think that Meghan meant she wanted to avoid the official list of royal names, not names of loved ones. By choosing Lilibet, which is not on the official royal names list, Harry and Meghan together have followed the very common custom of naming someone after close and/or deceased family members. Llilabet is the Queen's nickname, but it could never be given as a royal name. Harry was close to both his mother and his grandmother, so I think that Harry had a huge say in choosing this name. I am not sure why the press is crediting Meghan with naming their child all by herself :)
Since Meghan is married, I am not sure if we are to call her Meghan Markle or not
I notice that we can't go directly to any of the folders from threads, and wonder if it might be some kind of group setting or something else that a mod can change. I tried a thread in a different folder and found the same thing as the General one.
Selina wrote: "I should stop calling her Princess Meghan. I should call her Meghan Markles, as if she never got married."Everyone in the USA still does!
Mod
I have been trying to figure it out and haven't had any luck. I don't think it's anything I can set. I've looked everywhere I can think of . Anyone have any suggestions?
Mod
I thought she didn't want to be royal and could pick any name she wanted for her child. I ..."
https://www.insider.com/meghan-markle...
Mod
Ok I think I have it figured out but I'm not sure how to explain it. I think it has always been that way and we just noticed it now. I'll try and if I don't explain it very well someone else can try.
If you go to the top of this page you should be able to click on the top line that says biography, autobiography and memoir, right? If you click on it then you will go back to the main page. The next line that says 'general chit chat' you cannot click on because that's where you are now. It can't take you there because that's where you are. I checked several other groups and they are all the same way. If you can't click on the top line then it has to be you because I can click on it.
Hope that helps. If that's not the problem you are having let me know.
Koren wrote: "Karin wrote: "Selina wrote: "Apparently Princess Meghan had a daughter in California and is calling her Lilibet Diana. I thought she didn't want to be royal and could pick any name she wanted for..."
Thanks--this makes a lot of sense! I couldn't imagine she'd still be Meghan Markle or Princess.
Koren wrote: "Karin wrote: "I notice that we can't go directly to any of the folders from threads, and wonder if it might be some kind of group setting or something else that a mod can change. I tried a thread i..."In any other group I am in, I can click on the folder, go to a topic in it and then click back to the folder :) It now works here with the buddy reads folder! Here is a link to one of the threads there. "Buddy Reads" is a live link as is "Discussion" https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Mod
yes. I see that now. There should be a link that goes back to the 'discussion' page. I don't know why it is doing that and I don't see anywhere that I can fix it. I'll try to find someone to ask.
How would you classify The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz? Some have shelved it as a biography, and to me it seems like a bit of a hybrid--it's not a life biography of Churchill, but there is a lot of biographical stuff about him in this.
Karin wrote: "How would you classify The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz? Some have shelved it as a biography, and to me it seems like a bit of a..."History usually.
Karin wrote: "How would you classify The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz? Some have shelved it as a biography, and to me it seems like a bit of a..."It is part biography but I would consider it more history. If it was a full biography of Churchill I would consider it biography.
Julie wrote: "Karin wrote: "How would you classify The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz? Some have shelved it as a biography, and to me it seems l..."Yes, that's what I think as well, but was curious when I saw how many people have shelved it biography. It's more of a biographical glimpse into one part of his life, but not a biography because of everything else that is covered.
Well Meghan Markles/Princess/Duchess of Sussex (except she doesn't even live in Sussex) you know, WIFE of Prince Harry, the spare heir, has written a children's picture book called The Bench
We have a few copies in the bookshop, but nobody has shown any interest. I read it and thought, well, nice but why did she have to mass publish this vanity book. It was obviously only meant for her husband to read, because it's written at his level.
Vlasta Krsek1937-2020
Accordionist - Best Known for her role In Ferris Bueller's Day Off
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/7/1...
Selina wrote: "Well Meghan Markles/Princess/Duchess of Sussex (except she doesn't even live in Sussex) you know, WIFE of Prince Harry, the spare heir, has written a children's picture book called [book:The Benc..."
And what would you say his level is?
Fishface wrote: "Selina wrote: "Well Meghan Markles/Princess/Duchess of Sussex (except she doesn't even live in Sussex) you know, WIFE of Prince Harry, the spare heir, has written a children's picture book called ..."
I don't know, it just seems its a book for him and nobody else to read. lol. It's very simple and some of the sentences are like 'This is your bench, Where life begins, For you and our son our baby, our kin'.
I don't have a baby son with Meghan, that's for sure. Or a bench.
Well one customer looked at this book and said the next thing she will write is 'The Tree' so it can be next to 'The Bench'They also asked me if she illustrated it, but I have to say she didn't, it was someone else.
No buyers yet.
Mod
Could be...Although is it harder to edit on social media?
My spelling and grammar tend to be poor when I am typing on an ipad, and some sites don't let you edit easily, you post something, and then see there's a mistake but it's too late and won't let you change it.
Mod
The Bench is still there, all 6 copies.If it were me I wouldn't listen to sale reps saying its the next big thing and order heaps without even reading it or looking at it first. I think they just expect you to buy whatever according to the cover, title and author.
They'll all get sent back to the publishers to be pulped eventually if nobody buys them.
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
Books mentioned in this topic
Small Fry: A Memoir (other topics)The Watergate: Inside America's Most Infamous Address (other topics)
Surviving Cissy: My Family Affair of Life in Hollywood (other topics)
Surviving Cissy: My Family Affair of Life in Hollywood (other topics)
Surviving Cissy: My Family Affair of Life in Hollywood (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Gina LaManna (other topics)Christian Picciolini (other topics)
Not every book is in the database, for that matter. You can always just add it. I've done it many times.