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
30 November 2009
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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