Ford County by John Grisham
Belfry Holdings, Inc - Doubleday - Random House ISBN 987-0-385-53245-7
pg 48
Leon latched the wheelchair into place with strips of packing twine
if he was using twine, he'd be lashing, not latching
pg 235
hundred and foty acres
typo, should be forty, not foty
30 December 2009
Under the Dome, by Stephen King
Under the Dome by Stephen King
Scribner (a division of Simon & Schuster) ISBN 978-1-4391-4850-1
pg 124: Captain Barbara
pg 228: Lieutenant Barbara
pg 766: Lieutenant Barbara
It's highly improbable a Colonel would accidentally refer to a former Captain (one he'd just promoted to Colonel) as "Lieutenant."
pg 275
"There's the Dipper ... Cassiopeia ... the Great Bear.
the Dipper and the Great Bear are the same constellation (ursa Major). Granted, there's also a "little dipper," but when one leaves off the "big" or "little" designation one is referring to the big one.
pg 367
"Li'l Walter," the woman in the bloody jeans said again
she's wearing sweatpants, not jeans (see page 358)
pg 427
she had flushed all of her pills -- not just the methadone but a few last Oxycontin
methadone is liquid, not pill.
pg 429
A plastic hose was clamped to a valve on the back of tanker.
typo, left out the article "the" ...back of the tanker.
pg 433
He looked up and saw the Big Dipper, the Great Bear, Orion.
again, the big Dipper and the Great Bear are the same.
also, it's unlikely he'd see the Dipper and Orion at the same time. See: http://www.pixheaven.net/photo_us.php?nom=080927_7093-109traits
pg 513
"How about four counts of murder..."
at this time Big Jim doesn't know there are exactly four bodies.
pg 646
His good feeling... lasted until he pushed the flush-lever.
by now he should be out of water, just like his neighbors are.
pg 664
"Hell, his own son could have used it."
reads like he's referring to Coggins' son (Coggins doesn't have a son).
pg 815
...and then there was bark.
typo, "then there was a bark," or "then there was barking."
pg 854
every almost seat in the Town Hall was taken.
typo, "almost every," not "every almost."
pg 915
"Andy punched Jessie in the nose when Jessie wouldn't lend Andy his art-gum eraser."
if spelling is Jessie, it would be "her eraser." Male spelling with same pronunciation is Jesse.
pg 1025
"Was it a malfunction?" "No, it did not."
question should be "did it malfunction?" or the reply should be "No it was not."
Scribner (a division of Simon & Schuster) ISBN 978-1-4391-4850-1
pg 124: Captain Barbara
pg 228: Lieutenant Barbara
pg 766: Lieutenant Barbara
It's highly improbable a Colonel would accidentally refer to a former Captain (one he'd just promoted to Colonel) as "Lieutenant."
pg 275
"There's the Dipper ... Cassiopeia ... the Great Bear.
the Dipper and the Great Bear are the same constellation (ursa Major). Granted, there's also a "little dipper," but when one leaves off the "big" or "little" designation one is referring to the big one.
pg 367
"Li'l Walter," the woman in the bloody jeans said again
she's wearing sweatpants, not jeans (see page 358)
pg 427
she had flushed all of her pills -- not just the methadone but a few last Oxycontin
methadone is liquid, not pill.
pg 429
A plastic hose was clamped to a valve on the back of tanker.
typo, left out the article "the" ...back of the tanker.
pg 433
He looked up and saw the Big Dipper, the Great Bear, Orion.
again, the big Dipper and the Great Bear are the same.
also, it's unlikely he'd see the Dipper and Orion at the same time. See: http://www.pixheaven.net/photo_us.php?nom=080927_7093-109traits
pg 513
"How about four counts of murder..."
at this time Big Jim doesn't know there are exactly four bodies.
pg 646
His good feeling... lasted until he pushed the flush-lever.
by now he should be out of water, just like his neighbors are.
pg 664
"Hell, his own son could have used it."
reads like he's referring to Coggins' son (Coggins doesn't have a son).
pg 815
...and then there was bark.
typo, "then there was a bark," or "then there was barking."
pg 854
every almost seat in the Town Hall was taken.
typo, "almost every," not "every almost."
pg 915
"Andy punched Jessie in the nose when Jessie wouldn't lend Andy his art-gum eraser."
if spelling is Jessie, it would be "her eraser." Male spelling with same pronunciation is Jesse.
pg 1025
"Was it a malfunction?" "No, it did not."
question should be "did it malfunction?" or the reply should be "No it was not."
Bad Business, by Robert B. Parker
Bad Business, by Robert B. Parker
G. P. Putnam's Sons - Penguin Group ISBN 0-399-15145-1
pg 27
"But its important that they don't coincide."
"its" is a contraction of "it is" and needs an apostrophe.
pg 50
"On the other hand," I said "people don't report gunfire anyway."
should be a comma after "said."
G. P. Putnam's Sons - Penguin Group ISBN 0-399-15145-1
pg 27
"But its important that they don't coincide."
"its" is a contraction of "it is" and needs an apostrophe.
pg 50
"On the other hand," I said "people don't report gunfire anyway."
should be a comma after "said."
The Professional, by Robert B. Parker
The Professional by Robert B. Parker
G. P. Putnam's Sons - Penguin Group ISBN 978-0-399015594-9
pg 28
I refused to dress up to work out
refuse
pg 50
"You want me to come by and iron yours shirts, too?"
your
pg 104
"She knows, of course, and they remain friends, with a, necessarily, open marriage."
at least one too many commas.
pg 117
"Well, I guess I'd answer why would I be unmonogamous."
"why would I be monogamous." He's arguing against monogamy.
pg 137
"but in the circumstance, I was not at my most analytic."
"under the circumstances," unless he's trying to show she's somewhat illiterate?
pg 152
...still nodding to whatever music he was hearing in the spheres
what spheres?
pg 216
In the month she graduated from Tarbridge High School, she married a guy name Boley LaBonte, and divorced him a year later.
first, "in" is superfluous. "The month she graduated" is fine.
second, typo: should be "a guy named" not "a guy name"
pg 217
Up a hill past the red light
this is dialect, but not New England dialect. "past the traffic light," "past the light"
G. P. Putnam's Sons - Penguin Group ISBN 978-0-399015594-9
pg 28
I refused to dress up to work out
refuse
pg 50
"You want me to come by and iron yours shirts, too?"
your
pg 104
"She knows, of course, and they remain friends, with a, necessarily, open marriage."
at least one too many commas.
pg 117
"Well, I guess I'd answer why would I be unmonogamous."
"why would I be monogamous." He's arguing against monogamy.
pg 137
"but in the circumstance, I was not at my most analytic."
"under the circumstances," unless he's trying to show she's somewhat illiterate?
pg 152
...still nodding to whatever music he was hearing in the spheres
what spheres?
pg 216
In the month she graduated from Tarbridge High School, she married a guy name Boley LaBonte, and divorced him a year later.
first, "in" is superfluous. "The month she graduated" is fine.
second, typo: should be "a guy named" not "a guy name"
pg 217
Up a hill past the red light
this is dialect, but not New England dialect. "past the traffic light," "past the light"
Lost Echoes, by Joe R. Lansdale
Lost Echoes by Joe R. Lansdale
Vintage Books - Random House Inc ISBN 978-0-307-27544-8
pg 1 (intro)
Bodies were found in a car at the bottom of a vine and brush-covered hill
need a hyphen after vine. "vine- and brush-covered"
pg 7
Big, rusted, humped-back bugs moving in extreme slow motion toward the concealment of the woods.
sentence fragment.
pg 7
There was an old woodstove that had been converted to gas
If that's not outright impossible, it would be way too expensive to consider, except maybe as a novelty project. Maybe it's an old electric stove that was converted to gas?
pg 41
(the hand) was short fingered and thick like a catcher's mitt, scarred all over from wrenches that slipped and slammed them into bolts and sharp-edged metal.
first, short fingered needs a hyphen.
second, the subject changes from the hand to the fingers. Better would be "and slammed it into bolts...", better yet would be "...like a catcher's mitt, the fingers scarred all over from..."
pg 116
Somewhere a police car made with a whoop-whoop sound.
"with" is unneccessary.
pg 163
watch when you zip up, least you hang the meat.
typo: "lest" instead of "least."
pg 229
while Talia made coffee
Talia isn't there. It's Kayla making the coffee.
pg 322
The chief parked the car at the edge of the cliff, put it in gear... "What I'd like you to do... is slide back behind the wheel, and then put it in gear..."
the chief probably took it out of gear, not "put it in gear."
Vintage Books - Random House Inc ISBN 978-0-307-27544-8
pg 1 (intro)
Bodies were found in a car at the bottom of a vine and brush-covered hill
need a hyphen after vine. "vine- and brush-covered"
pg 7
Big, rusted, humped-back bugs moving in extreme slow motion toward the concealment of the woods.
sentence fragment.
pg 7
There was an old woodstove that had been converted to gas
If that's not outright impossible, it would be way too expensive to consider, except maybe as a novelty project. Maybe it's an old electric stove that was converted to gas?
pg 41
(the hand) was short fingered and thick like a catcher's mitt, scarred all over from wrenches that slipped and slammed them into bolts and sharp-edged metal.
first, short fingered needs a hyphen.
second, the subject changes from the hand to the fingers. Better would be "and slammed it into bolts...", better yet would be "...like a catcher's mitt, the fingers scarred all over from..."
pg 116
Somewhere a police car made with a whoop-whoop sound.
"with" is unneccessary.
pg 163
watch when you zip up, least you hang the meat.
typo: "lest" instead of "least."
pg 229
while Talia made coffee
Talia isn't there. It's Kayla making the coffee.
pg 322
The chief parked the car at the edge of the cliff, put it in gear... "What I'd like you to do... is slide back behind the wheel, and then put it in gear..."
the chief probably took it out of gear, not "put it in gear."
20 December 2009
in a recipe for Taco Seasoning Mix...
6 tsp child powder
chili? and instead of 6 tsp I might use 2 tbsp (same amount)
19 December 2009
08 December 2009
Ack! It's everywhere!
Just in the past 24 hours...
On about.com: Whose Celebirty Hair do you Covet?
Celebrity
On yahoo.com: Look Younger the Nautral Way
Natural
On a bag of lentils: sort and rise
rinse
30 November 2009
Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Harper Collins ISBN 9780739486313
I didn't find any copyediting mistakes in this book, with the exception of a couple apostrophes left off words that should have had them. Most of my notes are about facts gotten wrong.
pg 83
There must be some reason you're out here to kill yourself.
trying to kill yourself?
pg 106
The (jacked up) pickup sat almost a full foot off the ground
a foot is not high even for a standard full-size pickup, let alone one that is "jacked up"
pg 137
"I seen people treat a hotel room worst," he said. "Worst" instead of "worse." His own accent, which had become very slight...
I think the spelling and pronunciation you are looking for is "worset."
pg 167
The Denny's was loud and overcrowded... The bar, just to the right of the doors
googling this, thinking there has never been a Denny's serving alcohol, I did find a few... but I doubt any in rural Virginia do. I could be wrong.
pg 247
The garage had only just been framed, beams of new pine sticking up from the cement foundation and more beams crisscrossing overhead ... plywood panels nailed up between the beams...
Those are called two-by-fours, or studs, or uprights. Beams are almost always horizontal, and much larger - 8 x 8 or 12 x 12.
pg 307
Course it's been months since he could talk
'Course is an idiomatic contraction and needs an apostrophe
pg 354
Course, the way you look, and the condition he was in...
'Course needs an apostrophe
Harper Collins ISBN 9780739486313
I didn't find any copyediting mistakes in this book, with the exception of a couple apostrophes left off words that should have had them. Most of my notes are about facts gotten wrong.
pg 83
There must be some reason you're out here to kill yourself.
trying to kill yourself?
pg 106
The (jacked up) pickup sat almost a full foot off the ground
a foot is not high even for a standard full-size pickup, let alone one that is "jacked up"
pg 137
"I seen people treat a hotel room worst," he said. "Worst" instead of "worse." His own accent, which had become very slight...
I think the spelling and pronunciation you are looking for is "worset."
pg 167
The Denny's was loud and overcrowded... The bar, just to the right of the doors
googling this, thinking there has never been a Denny's serving alcohol, I did find a few... but I doubt any in rural Virginia do. I could be wrong.
pg 247
The garage had only just been framed, beams of new pine sticking up from the cement foundation and more beams crisscrossing overhead ... plywood panels nailed up between the beams...
Those are called two-by-fours, or studs, or uprights. Beams are almost always horizontal, and much larger - 8 x 8 or 12 x 12.
pg 307
Course it's been months since he could talk
'Course is an idiomatic contraction and needs an apostrophe
pg 354
Course, the way you look, and the condition he was in...
'Course needs an apostrophe
Mother of Pearl, by Melinda Haynes
Mother of Pearl by Melinda Haynes
Washington Square Press ISBN 0-671-77467-0
pg 2
Willie Brackett's blood was to his undershirt
on his undershirt? stuck to?
pg 2
Even saw the scar was healing up to that of question mark tilted to its side
I know what she means to say and I'm not sure if this is an attempt at dialect or if there is a word missing ("that of a question mark").
pg 2
when he was startled he took on a resemblance to that of dried-up mummy
of a dried-up mummy?
pg 58
He undid his jeans...three lines later He unzipped his jeans.
pg 80
still thinking on sow but not so much as before
the sow?
pg 156
find prosperity hand delivered
needs a hyphen "hand-delivered"
pg 192
"As I recall the Parden child was a newborn," he said, still looking down at his notebook and her shoes. "I bet she's easily a ten and a half. Possibly eleven. Wide width, too."
the 2nd bit in quotation marks is not spoken aloud.
pg 276
"'Cause your grandmother threw her knitting at her and stabbed the woman in the temple with a crochet needle...."
there are no crochet "needles," only crochet hooks. Knitting needle is what she meant to say.
pg 282
walking up and nudging Grace in the thigh like a stubborn angel, and she gave to it while she scratched out his head.
gave to it? Scratched out?
Washington Square Press ISBN 0-671-77467-0
pg 2
Willie Brackett's blood was to his undershirt
on his undershirt? stuck to?
pg 2
Even saw the scar was healing up to that of question mark tilted to its side
I know what she means to say and I'm not sure if this is an attempt at dialect or if there is a word missing ("that of a question mark").
pg 2
when he was startled he took on a resemblance to that of dried-up mummy
of a dried-up mummy?
pg 58
He undid his jeans...three lines later He unzipped his jeans.
pg 80
still thinking on sow but not so much as before
the sow?
pg 156
find prosperity hand delivered
needs a hyphen "hand-delivered"
pg 192
"As I recall the Parden child was a newborn," he said, still looking down at his notebook and her shoes. "I bet she's easily a ten and a half. Possibly eleven. Wide width, too."
the 2nd bit in quotation marks is not spoken aloud.
pg 276
"'Cause your grandmother threw her knitting at her and stabbed the woman in the temple with a crochet needle...."
there are no crochet "needles," only crochet hooks. Knitting needle is what she meant to say.
pg 282
walking up and nudging Grace in the thigh like a stubborn angel, and she gave to it while she scratched out his head.
gave to it? Scratched out?
Skin Tight, by Carl Hiaasen
Skin Tight by Carl Hiaasen
Warner Books ISBN 0-446-69569-6
pg 4
houses...known as Stiltsville...and their kids got drunk on them in the summer.
I understand the houses are on stilts, therefore one is "on" the house rather than
"in" it, but this phrasing throughout the book is distracting.
pg 195
She rolled ever
rolled "over"
pg 270
He kissed her again. This was a good one.
a good kiss, or is he thinking she is a good one? "He kissed her again, making it a good one" or "He kissed her again, thinking, 'this is a good woman'?"
pg 415
and casted a bait over the side
cast
Warner Books ISBN 0-446-69569-6
pg 4
houses...known as Stiltsville...and their kids got drunk on them in the summer.
I understand the houses are on stilts, therefore one is "on" the house rather than
"in" it, but this phrasing throughout the book is distracting.
pg 195
She rolled ever
rolled "over"
pg 270
He kissed her again. This was a good one.
a good kiss, or is he thinking she is a good one? "He kissed her again, making it a good one" or "He kissed her again, thinking, 'this is a good woman'?"
pg 415
and casted a bait over the side
cast
Smoke and Mirrors, by Neil Gaiman
Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
Avon Books ISBN-13 978-0-380-78902-3
pg 184
As I reached her, one elegant hand swept up the cards, wrapped them in a silk scarf, placed them gently in a wooden box.
hard to imagine doing all that --especially the wrapping-- one-handed.
pg 339
I carried a silver basin, and a basket in which I had placed a sliver knife, a silver pin, some tongs, a gray robe, and three green apples. I put them on, and stood there, unclothed,
first, I assume she put on only the robe, or else put everything ON something... a windowsill, or a table.
second, if she put the robe, or everything, ON herself, then she was not unclothed. A confusing paragraph.
pg 339
took the red apples from the silver bowl
I understand the green apples turned red, but better phrasing might be, "the newly red apples," or "the apples that had become red"
Avon Books ISBN-13 978-0-380-78902-3
pg 184
As I reached her, one elegant hand swept up the cards, wrapped them in a silk scarf, placed them gently in a wooden box.
hard to imagine doing all that --especially the wrapping-- one-handed.
pg 339
I carried a silver basin, and a basket in which I had placed a sliver knife, a silver pin, some tongs, a gray robe, and three green apples. I put them on, and stood there, unclothed,
first, I assume she put on only the robe, or else put everything ON something... a windowsill, or a table.
second, if she put the robe, or everything, ON herself, then she was not unclothed. A confusing paragraph.
pg 339
took the red apples from the silver bowl
I understand the green apples turned red, but better phrasing might be, "the newly red apples," or "the apples that had become red"
Perfect Circle, by Sean Stewart
Perfect Circle by Sean Stewart
Small Beer Press ISBN 1-931520-11-9
pg 9
...turned out to be a homicidal maniac just bust out from a Louisiana prison
busted, or is "bust" as past tense acceptable as dialect?
pg 24
and sifted over one lane, letting traffic drift into place around us.
shifted? drifted?
pg 35
"You've got to do for me, Will."
got to do it, got to do this?
pg 89
The Lady and the Tramp
there is no leading "the" in that title
pg 225
...and arrived at the medical office where she worked just before noon
better wording could make it sound like she works there all day, not only "just before noon."
Small Beer Press ISBN 1-931520-11-9
pg 9
...turned out to be a homicidal maniac just bust out from a Louisiana prison
busted, or is "bust" as past tense acceptable as dialect?
pg 24
and sifted over one lane, letting traffic drift into place around us.
shifted? drifted?
pg 35
"You've got to do for me, Will."
got to do it, got to do this?
pg 89
The Lady and the Tramp
there is no leading "the" in that title
pg 225
...and arrived at the medical office where she worked just before noon
better wording could make it sound like she works there all day, not only "just before noon."
The Last Hotel for Women, by Vicki Covington
The Last Hotel for Women by Vicki Covington
Simon & Schuster ISBN 0-684-81111-1
pg 46
He's heard if you toss a penny from way up high, it'll growing heavier and heavier
keep growing? grow?
pg 68
Connor bolts from her chair
Connor is male, and might be bolting from beside her (Gracie's) chair, or from his own chair.
pg 132
He-
's
here and on other pages, contractions are split at lines' ends.
pg 205
I-
'm
split contraction
pg 269
it-
'd
split contraction
Simon & Schuster ISBN 0-684-81111-1
pg 46
He's heard if you toss a penny from way up high, it'll growing heavier and heavier
keep growing? grow?
pg 68
Connor bolts from her chair
Connor is male, and might be bolting from beside her (Gracie's) chair, or from his own chair.
pg 132
He-
's
here and on other pages, contractions are split at lines' ends.
pg 205
I-
'm
split contraction
pg 269
it-
'd
split contraction
16 November 2009
What it's about
Mistakes in books not only annoy me, they leap out at me. This blog is a list of the mistakes I find in the books I read. I'd like someone to hire me to do what I'll be doing here for free.
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