To break the spines of paperback books and treat them like they're nothing?

[ChasTittyBeltUp]

I remember someone telling me that the first thing to do to a paprback is break it's spine to make it easier to read. I also fold corners down.

I think a paperback is sort of disposable...can be recycled...unless it's a chershed gift or signed etc.

DH thinks I am very wrong to do this and he is (imo) ridiculously and annoyingly precious about them. He sits with them open three quarters so he doesn't damage them and all his look new.

AIBU?

No Kindles here. We like books.

Oh my Quenelle! Now I want to sidle up to a Kindle and see what it can do...

(Love your name, by the way )

Kindles are extremely touchy feely. I have the older model with the keyboard and I like running my fingers across it as well as stroking the back

I have to keep mine pristine, even though I read them again and again. My Pratchett collection has been read loads and apart from the faded spine, still no breakages.

Mind you, I have two copies of Jane Austen's books - one for everyday wear and tear, one for show

It's not so much that paperbacks are 'disposable' - just hardbacks have an inherently better spine, which does not 'break' either purposely or accidentally. They also have thicker pages, which discourage folding.

I never had new books as a DC, but read mountains from my local charity shops - which I feel has saved me from getting obsessive about 'perfect' books.

Actually, I rather don't like keeping books. Feels a bit like a zoo. I'm making a bit more of an effort to keep hold of the best ones, with half an eye on my growing DC - but in general I much prefer to set them free by gifting them to a friend or charity shop.

I'd have been sick in her bag

I read my kindle in the bath .......... I read books in the bath for 30 odd years and never dropped one so I figure it is a calculated risk (and is insured on home contents)

I do however fall asleep reading it sometimes and drop it on my face which is a bit more painful than a paperback used to be.

All my books have been stuffed in a corner of a rucksack, covered in tea and chocolate ice cream, read one-handed whilst doing a variety of tasks, and left in various positions all around the house.

I collect books, I re-read them constantly, I love them. They're a constant presence in my life. My life is scruffy and so are my books.

What will you guys do when your DC reach up to look at a book? Scream and grab it out of their hands?

I had a much loved aunt at whose house I read virtually the entire chalet school collection. It would never have even crossed my mind that I'd be spoiling her books by opening them...

I believe that many of us feel the same way, NotYet - books are also precious to us, but we're not afraid to be demonstrative of our love! Playing with DC is the same - I'm not afraid of muddy clothes and random scrapes. (Not making any judgements here, just explaining that I think we're all book lovers - we just go about loving in different ways.)

I am having a cold sweat reading this thread. I'm off to cuddle and soothe my bookshelves.

Broken spines?, corners folded, COFFEE STAINS, children touching?

Jean - scruffy life and scruffy books

Thanks LauraIngallsPalmer Actually DH loves the feel of my kindle so much I had to stop him rubbing himself with it. No danger of papercuts I suppose...

I have my "special books" that no-one is allowed to touch without permission. And I mean no-one.

Among them are my great-grandfathers' first edition collection of Sherlock Holmes and my first edition hardback of Stephen King's "It" that DP bought me a month after we started going out. It set him back almost £150 from a second-hand book shop and I've read it exactly once.

Paperbacks I tend to treat like rubbish I fold the pages down, read them in the bath and on the toilet, take them into the dry-heat sauna at the gym, break the spine...

You can tell when I enjoy a book. I spend half of my life searching for copies of books I already own, because the current copy is falling to pieces!

My theory is: If it's a special book that holds a certain significance, then you treat it with respect. If it's a book you purchased specifically for the enjoyment of it, then do what you need to do in order to have the best experiences reading it. And if you need to replace it in 6 months time, so be it!

Oh, ad I'm not sure if anyone has put this website up, but...

FOR ALL YOU BOOK LOVERS
This website is like your Jerusalem.

Bookshelf porn, indeed. I'm set for the afternoon!

I'm like you Stealth, there are some very special and some rare books in our collection that hold very important positions of power on our shelves. No dark-chocolate-eating fingers on those.

Oh I prefer paperbacks because I can fold them over and then they don't get too wet when I'm reading in the bath and no I don't think I would ever want an e-reader for this same reason. I'd drop it and what a waste of money that would be.

"I'd drop it and what a waste of money that would be."

Not if you have this

hmmm now then that is something to consider. I still think I'd prefer a book for the smell though Xx

I love books & have shelves full of them.

Also have a Kindle & tbh I love it also.

Great for travelling, when you can´t find the book that you want, stuff that you only ever borrowed...

I have just been reflecting on all your comments and must admit to be currently reading a hard back copy of MR Fox by Helen somebody or other, anyway, it happened to be in the bathroom the last time the dc flooded it and got saturated. It has dried out now and the front cover has developed a really pleasing crinkle that makes a nice sound when played with. It is quite distracting from the actual story though.

eReaders are the work of the devil. I hate them!!

Sorry

I'm not normally much of a traditionalist, but something I refuse point-blank to do is give up my books. There's something... satisfying and sensual about reading the page and turning it yourself. I love the smell of second-hand books and old books and books that have been in boxes for 20 years. The musty, stuffy kind of smell. I love it. It smells like knowledge. Pure, unadulterated knowledge.

The charity shops around here are on a first-name basis with me, because I'm forever trawling through them. I am such a bibliophile!

I have so many books that I can just open to a random page and carry on the story, knowing that I haven't missed anything. I do that a lot. I must have read the "Riddles In The Dark" chapter of The Hobbit about a million times. It's my go-to book when I can't sleep.

Just out of curiosity, did anyone ever get asked the most irritating question in the world, or was it just me? "What are you reading for?!". I used to hear that daily when I was in school and it's the most irritating bloody question I have ever been asked, and that includes "Are you sure it isn't twins" and "Did you cut your hair?".

I'm so bloody tempted to answer "I'm reading so I don't become an intellectually-stunted philistine with a lack of imagination - like you for example".

I have used that response stealth to my ex. well my version. Fair enough he's dyslexic (so he says or he may just be a lazy twunt that chose to never expeand his mind) so doesn't read for pleasure. His daily paper is the daily sport!!

You're in my thinking about the smell of books. DS seems to have my idea too he loves getting books from the charity shop.

Spine breaker and corner folder here. But never on Hardbacks.
Or iBooks.