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Post by onlyaworkingtitle on May 31, 2011 16:54:34 GMT -5
Books: We all love them. But is it better to love them visibly (dogearing pages, writing in margins, etc) or invisibly (maintaining clean, crisp pages)?
Discuss.
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Post by Silva on May 31, 2011 16:59:05 GMT -5
I dog ear because I inevitably lose bookmarks when I set them down or they fall out. Additionally, I feel that a book is obviously more well-read and loved than another if it's a bit grimy and dog-eared.
The only exception I make is for my leather-bound classics. I use the ribbon hanging out of the book to mark my place.
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Post by flute88 on May 31, 2011 17:12:41 GMT -5
I dog-ear, too. I used to just remember my pages, but then I picked up dog-earing from a friend who does it to her books. I've tried to use bookmarks, but they inevitably end up lost, so I've pretty much given up on that.
I don't dog-ear other people's books, though, unless I know that they do it too/don't mind.
I never write in books, though. I hate writing in books. But I find it kind of exciting when I get a used book and there's writing in it (as long as it doesn't obscure the text, anyway).
I wouldn't really say I find one way better than the other - if you want to keep your books pristine, that's your right. But I like it when I get a used book and there's some character to it.
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Tucker
Armadillo Pup
';..;'
Posts: 23
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Post by Tucker on May 31, 2011 17:14:15 GMT -5
I like to treat my books well. I avoid dogears, breaking spines, or whatever else.
There was a girl in my anthropology classes that I was totally jonesing over, she read a lot but she ALWAYS just destroyed the crap out of the spines of her books. like would fold it back on itself, and crease it intentionally. I almost died every time I saw her do it.
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rayyychul
Armadillo
On ne voit bien qu'avec le c?ur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.
Posts: 159
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Post by rayyychul on May 31, 2011 17:15:30 GMT -5
I would never say one way is better than the other. It's all personal preference!
Personally, I prefer my books to remain in perfect condition. I don't dog-ear pages, I don't bend the spines, I don't write in them, I make sure to wipe my fingers if I'm eating, etc. I don't think a book needs to be tattered to seem well read.
The only time I frown upon dog-earing, etc., books is when they aren't yours. There have been many times I've lent someone a book and it has come back in far worse condition than when it left my bookshelf!
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rayyychul
Armadillo
On ne voit bien qu'avec le c?ur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.
Posts: 159
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Post by rayyychul on May 31, 2011 17:17:53 GMT -5
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Post by flute88 on May 31, 2011 17:18:50 GMT -5
There was a girl in my anthropology classes that I was totally jonesing over, she read a lot but she ALWAYS just destroyed the crap out of the spines of her books. like would fold it back on itself, and crease it intentionally. I almost died every time I saw her do it. Heh, I do that. To me there's nothing better than the first time you can crease the spine of a book. I *love* it. I'm aware that's a little weird, but there's just something satisfying about it. |
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Post by Lizzie on May 31, 2011 17:26:12 GMT -5
I dogear my books all the time, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I also dogear library books since they're so beat up anyway, but I don't dogear books I borrow from my friends.
I also write in my books and the spines usually get pretty beat up as well.
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Post by onlyaworkingtitle on May 31, 2011 17:46:24 GMT -5
I few years ago, I realized that one of the books by my favorite childhood author was missing (dun dun DUN!). Needless to say, it was a Big Deal. But I went on amazon's marketplace, found a copy of it from the same edition as all the others in the series for $0.01, and had it on my doorstep within the week. The only problem: my much-loved books had been wringled, wrangled, and dropped in bath water, whereas this one was, despite minor yellowing, pristine. So I spent a week banging it up -- bending the spine, rubbing the oils from my hands into the pages, and hitting it against anything that needed hitting -- giving it a decade of hard loving in seven days. It fits in beautifully now.
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Post by Dodger Thirteen on May 31, 2011 18:24:33 GMT -5
The only damage I will do to a book is breaking the spine. Other than that, it just...makes me feel dirty to injure a book. I had to convince myself just this past year that underlining my textbooks for school is OKAY.
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alyoshka
Young Armadillo
Vous etes un chanteur des pommes.
Posts: 94
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Post by alyoshka on May 31, 2011 19:09:30 GMT -5
I always try to keep my books in nice condition, but I end up spilling coffee on them! Most of my books are bought from used book stores so they are pretty much in bad condition from the beginning. I do write in my margins. I love reading my old notes; it's interesting to see how much I have grown. The only books that are in good condition are the ones I have not read yet.
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krista
Young Armadillo
Warrior of Words
Posts: 52
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Post by krista on May 31, 2011 19:43:53 GMT -5
A lot of the books I bought in college were used, so they already were in very poor condition. However, I loved seeing notes and highlighted passages in them and I decided to do the same to my own books/future books. There is not one book that isn't dogeared, written in, or highlighted in my numerous shelves of heaven. However, I do have a few leather-bound classics that I refuse to do this to--especially my Complete Works of Shakespeare--I'd faint!
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Post by tastyink on May 31, 2011 21:23:35 GMT -5
I can never bring myself to dog ear books but it works out since I buy/make bookmarks obsessively. I always right in my college textbooks because they're used anyway, but I never write in my own books because I never felt the need to. Also, I don't really worry about cracking the spine. The spine gets cracked no matter what so I don't bother trying to prevent it.
People always tell me I wouldn't have to worry with any of this if I would just get an e-reader. I'm sure I'll end up getting one eventually, but not right now.
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Dobby
Young Armadillo
Posts: 80
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Post by Dobby on May 31, 2011 21:35:42 GMT -5
Most of my favourite books end up getting pretty beat up, because I read them so many times and take them everywhere with me. My first copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is falling apart at the spine so badly that I can barely open it for fear of pages falling out. But I love it, because it shows how many times other people and I have read that book. My copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderand is my dad's old copy, and it's full of underlined phrases, which fascinates me. However, I have some really nice old hardcover classics, and a beautiful edition of all three of the Lord of the Rings books in one volume, and I insist on keeping those books as pristine as possible.
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Post by afontofnothing on Jun 1, 2011 0:10:41 GMT -5
All of my favorite books have been pretty much destroyed. Some of my Harry Potter books are held together with duct tape and many of my books have creased spines and dogeared pages. There's just something really satisfying about doing that and seeing it on someone else's book (saying that makes me feel a little bit sadistic). It's nice to know that a book has been loved.
Of course, for the books I really love, I've bought second copies that I keep in pristine condition.
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