diff --git a/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt b/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
index c8e6ba70b..c9e0cb3d8 100644
--- a/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
+++ b/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
@@ -1309,6 +1309,8 @@ if a monster fled from hero by intentionally jumping into a vault teleporter,
 	it would teleport randomly instead of into the vault, and if the
 	teleport trap's niche wasn't mapped yet, the trap would become mapped
 	but the spot would remain a secret corridor and not become accessible
+spellbooks weight 50 units but Book of the Dead only 20, and novels only 1;
+	the Book of the Dead has been changed to 50 and novels to 10
 
 
 Fixes to 3.7.0-x General Problems Exposed Via git Repository
diff --git a/include/objects.h b/include/objects.h
index 2bf90dd5a..11de04b07 100644
--- a/include/objects.h
+++ b/include/objects.h
@@ -1401,12 +1401,12 @@ MARKER(LAST_SPELL, SPE_BLANK_PAPER)
 /* tribute book for 3.6 */
 OBJECT(OBJ("novel", "paperback"),
        BITS(0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, P_NONE, PAPER),
-       0, SPBOOK_CLASS, 1, 0, 0, 20, 0, 0, 0, 1, 20, CLR_BRIGHT_BLUE,
+       0, SPBOOK_CLASS, 1, 0, 10, 20, 0, 0, 0, 1, 20, CLR_BRIGHT_BLUE,
                                                         SPE_NOVEL),
 /* a special, one of a kind, spellbook */
 OBJECT(OBJ("Book of the Dead", "papyrus"),
        BITS(0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, P_NONE, PAPER),
-       0, SPBOOK_CLASS, 0, 0, 20, 10000, 0, 0, 0, 7, 20, HI_PAPER,
+       0, SPBOOK_CLASS, 0, 0, 50, 10000, 0, 0, 0, 7, 20, HI_PAPER,
                                                         SPE_BOOK_OF_THE_DEAD),
 #undef SPELL
 
diff --git a/src/trap.c b/src/trap.c
index e4d9b7d07..8dee860a3 100644
--- a/src/trap.c
+++ b/src/trap.c
@@ -4475,26 +4475,23 @@ water_damage(
             update_inventory();
         return ER_DAMAGED;
     } else if (obj->oclass == SPBOOK_CLASS) {
-        if (obj->otyp == SPE_BOOK_OF_THE_DEAD) {
-            /*
-             * FIXME?
-             *  This might be given when hero can't see or feel it.
-             *  The book can't be inside a container but it could get
-             *  dunked away from hero if laying on ice which melts.
-             */
-            pline("Steam rises from %s.", the(xname(obj)));
+        int otyp = obj->otyp;
+
+        if (otyp == SPE_BOOK_OF_THE_DEAD) {
+            coordxy ox = 0, oy = 0;
+
+            /* note: The Book of the Dead can't be contained or buried */
+            if (get_obj_location(obj, &ox, &oy, CONTAINED_TOO | BURIED_TOO))
+                obj->ox = ox, obj->oy = oy;
+            if (isok(ox, oy) && cansee(ox, oy))
+                pline("Steam rises from %s.", the(xname(obj)));
             return 0;
-        } else if (obj->otyp == SPE_BLANK_PAPER) {
+        } else if (otyp == SPE_BLANK_PAPER) {
             return 0;
         }
         if (in_invent)
             Your("%s %s.", ostr, vtense(ostr, "fade"));
 
-        if (obj->otyp == SPE_NOVEL) {
-            obj->novelidx = 0;
-            free_oname(obj);
-        }
-
         obj->otyp = SPE_BLANK_PAPER;
         /* same re-init as over-reading or polymorph; matters if it gets
            polymorphed into non-blank; doesn't matter if eventually written
@@ -4502,6 +4499,17 @@ water_damage(
         if (obj->spestudied)
             obj->spestudied = rn2(obj->spestudied);
         obj->dknown = 0;
+        /* blanking a novel is more involved than blanking a spellbook */
+        if (otyp == SPE_NOVEL) { /* old type */
+            obj->novelidx = 0; /* overloads corpsenm, not used for splbooks */
+            free_oname(obj);
+            /* novels weigh less than spellbooks; apparently blanking them
+               magically makes them become heavier */
+            do {
+                obj->owt = weight(obj);
+                obj = (obj->where == OBJ_CONTAINED) ? obj->ocontainer : 0;
+            } while (obj);
+        }
         if (in_invent)
             update_inventory();
         return ER_DAMAGED;