The condition of books...

[fajrdrako]

From October 30, 2008:

Mariel suggested this week’s question. Are you a spine breaker? Or a dog-earer? Do you expect to keep your books in pristine condition even after you have read them? Does watching other readers bend the cover all the way round make you flinch or squeal in pain?

I am very careful with books I borrow. Which is one reason I read borrowed books very, very slowly. I'm generally too busy to spend as much time reading as I'd like, so I read at every stolen opportunity - on the bus, in the lineup at the bank, or at lunch at work. Which means I always have a book with me. I often make paper covers for them, which helps to keep them from being dog-eared, but kicking around in my purse or backpack isn't generally good for them. I never turn down a page deliberately, but dog-earing sometimes happens.

I used to - and still might - cut a paperback apart if it's too big to fit in my purse. Carry half of it, or less, at a time. I read Shogun in six parts. This appalls my friends who are bibliophile purists, but it seems to me a sensible way to handle large books. If the book is good enough to keep and read again, I'll buy another copy and pitch the fragments.

Except for that, I don't deliberately break spines, but sometimes a book falls apart in my hands. Especially extremely old paperbacks. I find that Penguin books don't age well. The old Everyman series, small hardcovers, are delightfuly sturdy and handy.

I don't ever, ever highlight books, not even when it's a book I don't intend to keep. I find highlightly counterproductive to learning something: If I want to learn it, I make notes.

If I find a quote I like, and can't write it down at the time, I sometimes put a little five-pointed star in the margin beside it. More often, I jot down the page number on the handiest scrap of paper, or just try to remember it. This works well if I can get back to the book within a day or two. A week later - no chance or remembering the number.

Sometimes I have 'special case' books. Like the Karin Lowachee novels. My favourite character by far was Captain Cairo Azarcon, but he wasn't a constant presence in the books. So to be able to easily find his scenes, I jotted down the page references in the inside front covers.

I never worry about how other people treat their books. Life's too short.

Comments

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Does watching other readers bend the cover all the way round make you flinch or squeal in pain?
FLINCH *actually* flinch - my whole body recoils in terror...


You cut books in half???? *gazes at you in horror*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You cut books in half???? *gazes at you in horror*

Horrible, isn't it? I'm taking Evil lessons from the Master.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

The Master would NOT do that no... not even he.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The Master would NOT do that no... not even he.

No? You mean I have become even more evil than him?

I am in awe of myself.

And I look like such a nice girl....

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

It is careful we shall have to be of you in the future, I am thinking.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Whistles innocently.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

It's not wo-rking...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You won't give away my secret, will you?

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Of course not...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Delighted to hear it.

And that's a particularly nice Donna icon.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

So kind of you to say so :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm going to miss Donna.

Unless we have her again in one of the specials, of course.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Have you thought of buying a bigger handbag (I assume that's what you mean by 'purse'?) instead?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, but the problem is I then put too much into it and the problem is really weight, not size.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

I, too, am horrified. The only books I have ever physically destroyed are crappy romances I got from charity shops only so I could remove the hilariously kitsch cover art to put in albums. Real books deserve care.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

You put them in albums? That amuses me no end :D

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

To snigger at mercilessly. The appalling 'historical costumes', anatomically contorted poses, ubiquitous mullets, and hilarious blurb… And yet the sad thing is, technically, some of the painting is actually excellent. It seems to me sad that the dominance of the abstract/conceptual trend in art (which is now hardly 'modern' after a century) forces talented naturalistic painters to whore their talents in this way.

[itsarift-thing.livejournal.com]

To snigger at mercilessly
Yes, I got that :D

OMG Historical costumes - I'm no expert but sometimes it's like the only two clothing styles to exist before the modern day were Victorian and Georgian...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Often they pull out 'stock' pictures and redo them for different books. Regardless of when they're set.

Bizarre, really bizarre.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

What else is in your albums?

[elebridith]

I always try to keep them as good as possible. No dog-ears, no spine breaks - though this is not easy with very thick paperbacks, they sometimes break even if you're very careful. Pet peeve is when a book is lying on a table and someone sets a cup on it. You can hear me growl...
When we set up our literature circle, I very adamantly insisted that the cookies we would bring for the coffee break should have no chocolate or any coating to keep the danger for the books to a minimum. They are now lovingly referred to as "compromise cookies". *g*
The hair in my neck start to rise when I see that people scribbled around in library books. Argh!!
The bending the cover thing gives me a little shiver too... *g*
I am guilty though of sometimes using a highlighter - for very memorable quotes - and I once did notes in pencil. It was a biography about Empress Elisabeth of Austria which was the base for the musical "Elisabeth" and I wrote the corresponding lyrics on the side of the page or between the lines.
Cutting books??? *shudder* *grins*

Oh, and I sometime pet books. Yup. Before I open it to read, especially when I'm very excited about reading it, I pet the cover. I wasn't even aware of doing it at first, until one of my co-mods pointed it out and now everyone's looking and grinning and waiting for it. Oh well. *lol*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Pet peeve is when a book is lying on a table and someone sets a cup on it. You can hear me growl...

I don't do that, though I do it shamelessly with magazines. Depending on the magazine. Not with Torchwood magazine, of course.

I agree about cookies and scribbling in library books.

I don't bend covers, though it squicks me more to see someone bend back the cover of a comic book than of a real book. Because they are more fragile.

Petting books: I don't think I do it, but I understand.

Another pet peeve of mine: books that are upside down in bookshelves.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I wish you would give some lessons to my patrons. I have charged people for highlighting / writing in material, and scolded them for dog-earring the pages. It is not your book and other people would like to use it in some decent condition! Please buy your books if you are to be so careless!

I am also speechless at your cutting your books in half, LOL. I never would have even thought to cut them for spacial reasons. Interesting!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I have charged people for highlighting / writing in material, and scolded them for dog-earring the pages.

They deserve more than a scolding. Unfortunately Torquemada isn't around and it's illegal to shoot them.

I hate highlighting in library books. It annoys me. It's so... inconsiderate of future patrons.

The secret of my greatest sin is out. I dismember books. With the best of intentions.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Library books are a special case for me. I feel sort of privileged to be able to read a library book and I therefore treat it with care. But I still carry it around - often with a cover on it.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

[scratches head] I thought crosses were four-pointed by definition.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oops, I should have said a five-pointed star. Sorry. Fixed it.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

I would never cut a book apart intentionally, because of early years when I had so little money for books that each one was precious just for the fact that it was now mine. But I can see the sense of your system, yup.

Highlighting... only when I'm totally overwhelmed by what's in the text and have to connect with it somehow, apart from the actual reading process. Highlighting co-exists with making marginal notes and symbols, for me. Each symbol has a significance in my own sort of hands-on shorthand.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You can still read a book when it's cut in half, therefore I didn't think of it as destroying it, just in making it more convenient to read. But I haven't done that i nyears.

I find books unreadable once highlighted, including the highlighted bits.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

I find books unreadable once highlighted, including the highlighted bits.

...Yeah. Which means, the Olga Bogdashina books I carefully went through with a highlighter before giving them to you... you were too polite to tell me what a major goof I'd made?

How about this: if you can locate them, send them back to me... and I'll send you some with no marks in them, instead. Hm? Hope that works.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

No, the Olga Bogdashina books (which I haven't finished yet) were more difficult because of the highlighting, but not impossible. I just sort of... read around the highlights.

They're okay, as they are. You had no way of knowing I had difficulties with highlighting, and I can cope.

[nishatalitha.livejournal.com]

I find a small plastic bag does wonders for keeping books (particularly other people's books) in good condition in my bag. Mine, mostly I don't worry about it. My paperbacks get covered in duraseal eventually.

Am very tempted by the cutting apart idea for the biography of Richard Burton I'm currently reading (thicker than my 3-in-1 Lord of the Rings I swear), but I might want to read it again and I got it at a bookfair... Besides, I'm nearly finished.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

How do you get the duraseal to cover your books? I've thought of doing that but I seldom see the stuff in the stores.

Richard Burton - the traveller or the actor?

[nishatalitha.livejournal.com]

The traveller.

I mostly order mine from Raeco (http://www.raeco.co.nz/category.php?category_code=02302), a library supplier, in order to get it in sufficent quantities. This is a NZ/Australian store, but there have to be equivalent places in the US. Or I pick it up cheap in 1.10m rolls in the before school starts specials.

Unroll a bit, make sure it will cover the book with a little left over (a lot like wrapping a present) and fold along one edge so you have the spine and other cover width plus extra left over. Unpeal the smaller side, lie the spine against the fold, and smooth down until it sticks properly. Trim off corners and a wedge by the spine and fold in excess. Use the cut off triangles to strengthen the corners further if desired.

For the spine, trim excess to about half a centimetre or around 1/4 inch. Fold in excess against the duraseal, and then smooth duraseal down, getting rid of all air bubbles as before. Repeat first step for other cover.

Hopefully that's not too detailed - I had friend show me how and tend to find demonstrations work best with this sort of thing. I'd recommend practicing on books that you care about less than others to begin with. Good luck!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the instructions, and the details are good. I'm sure there are places in Canada to get the stuff - I'll see if I can find them.

[nishatalitha.livejournal.com]

Canada. I knew that. Sorry.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

[g] I'll start hunting for it. The quest is on!