Let’s talk about books today, shall we?
How many of you love reading?
*hand shoots right up*
I love reading. It’s a favourite hobby of mine. Growing up, I read a lot. I may not have read a lot of the classics but I still read a lot. You’d find books in the toilet. You’d find me holding a book with one hand and eating with the other. You’d also find me in a lot of trouble for eating and reading at the same time. I’d be reading to the early hours of the morning and somehow still able to function the next day. Every weekend, I’d go to the book store and come home with at least one new book. I spent a lot of my allowance and later on, income on books.
Sadly, in the last few years, I’ve not been reading as much as I used to. The iPad became a huge distraction and I was consumed by the amount of magazines I could easily read on the tablet. My Kindle had also taken a backseat let alone my physical books. For someone who used to read so much, it’s a disappointing feeling.
Early this year, I was determined to read more books and a lot less magazines. Every book that has been read is noted in my Google Keep app. I don’t use Goodreads even though I’m a member simply because I’m quite private about the books that I read. Believe it or not, people do judge what you read on Goodreads so it’s best for me to just stay away.
Anyway, today’s post isn’t about my reading progress. It’s about my pet peeves on books. See, I’ve been watching a few BookTubers’s videos (that’s what they call book fans and reviewers on YouTube) and some of the things I’ve seen them do to their books just make my heart sink. Most book lovers treat their books like gold and I love them for it because that’s exactly how I treat my books too. Even though I mostly read on my Kindle these days purely for convenience, I still love a good physical book and believe that ebooks can never replace the feel and scent of a book. One of my favourite things to do when I’m shopping is go to a book store and just inhale. Inhale all that goodness in books. Ahhh …
Still, I have a huge twist in my knickers about certain things that do with books and I thought I’d share them with you. Here they are in no particular order:
- Dog ears in books. This is my biggest peeve of all. Use bookmarks! Cut corners of envelopes and slip it into the corners of the books! Use sticky notes! Just don’t fold the pages. Please.
- Books that are placed wide open pages facing down to mark the position of the last read page.
- Which brings me to my third point: creases in spine. A few inevitable creases are fine especially when the book is very thick and it takes a while to complete reading. What I cannot stand is pressing the book wide open, doing the #2 above and forcing major creases on the spine.
- Tearing out pages in any way. The Food Republik restaurant at Box Hill has decorations of torn pages of old books hanging as though it’s cute decor. It makes me want to cry, tear my hair out and scream at the employees at the same time.
- Using books to prop an uneven table up. For the love of all that’s holy, WHY?
- Throwing books on the floor. When I was young, I had teachers throw my books onto the ground simply because I did my homework wrongly (once, a teacher threw my exercise book out of the classroom and it landed in the drain). To this day, it still makes my blood boil to see books thrown on the floor.
- Using books to smack children. I’ve seen this done when I was growing up. I’m not going to go into the to-smack-or-not-to-smack debate but one thing is very clear. A book is not a smacking tool.
- Writing in books. A lot of people do this especially in textbooks. I just cannot bring myself to do so. I can’t even write my name on the fly page. Having said that, I love books that are autographed by the authors. In fact, I’m more inclined to buy the book if it’s autographed. There’s something about the literal mark of the author on his/her book that sends delicious shivers down my spine.
You may ask, if the book is well-read, what’s wrong with a few creases on the spine or a dog-eared page here and there? You see, to me, books are sacrosanct. They’re to be treated with respect. There are books that I’ve read over and over and they will still be in pristine condition.
To tell you the truth, I’m always worried lending my books to others because I don’t know if they’ll treat my books the way I do. Having said that, even though I worry about lending my books out, I do allow people to borrow them if they wanted to read them (even if I have to endure slight heart palpitations on the day the books are returned). I drive Tim nuts whenever he borrows any of my books to read because I have a list of rules for him to follow and they’re to be strictly adhered to. I’d go batshit crazy on him if I see him leave the book open pages facing down. As for dog ears, it may even lead to divorce. Okay, not really. But you know what I mean. I can’t even have him do all that to his own books. Maybe that’s why I’m reading so much on the Kindle now because I don’t have to worry about doing all that to an ebook.
I wish I had bookshelves of books to show you but I can’t because 1) I have very limited storage space and 2) due to the limited space, I use the Kindle. However, in my parents’ home in Malaysia, I have enough books to fill a library. I still have all of my old children’s books which I keep in a very dark cupboard with dehumidifiers to keep the paper intact. Obsessive much? Yep, that’s me. My collection of books here is absolutely paltry in comparison. Sigh.
I hope I didn’t offend anyone with my pet peeves about books, especially if you do do any of the 8 items I listed above. As you can tell, I have immense feelings for books and it’s not something I can change overnight. But don’t worry, I’ll be more than happy to lend you a book or two if you like. I won’t try to kill you if I happen to see a dog-eared page. Fingers crossed. 😛
I think I’m guilty of most of the above at some point! (Eep) though I try not to dog ear books or leave them open any more. And I agree on tearing out pages or throwing out books – no no no! I just can’t do it.
Something that I love to see though is a book that’s well loved. It might be a bit tatty, it might have some folded pages and a busted up spine, but it tells a story other than the one written in it. Someone obviously read and reread it, marking important things to them, carrying it around. And that’s what books are for. To be read – not displayed on a shelf, untouched.
See I told you I was OCD about books :P. I love a well-loved book too but my OCD-ness still couldn’t take folded pages. I don’t know why. Most of my children’s books (not MY children, just the books when I read when I was a child) have been read goodness-knows-how-many-times and yep, a lot have busted spines. I carry those books with me (particularly a few Trixie Belden ones) everywhere I went when I was much younger. But still no folded pages because I wouldn’t let me do it. 😛
“…You’d find books in the toilet. You’d find me holding a book with one hand and eating with the other. You’d also find me in a lot of trouble for eating and reading at the same time….”
Wow, I can so relate to that. Reading made meals and toilet times so much more enjoyable!!!
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Hahaha I know right? I bet KFC’s secret herbs and spices would even better with “book” thrown in! 😀
I am completely OCD about books too and my daughter is heading the same way! She gets dressed in the morning reading a book 😉
I wish I had shelvings of books but due to space restriction, I can’t. I can’t bring myself to buy a Kindle as I need the feel of a book, the physicla placement of a bookmark. Do you get used to not feel all this after a while? But I also hate the fact that ebooks are as expensive as paperbacks version when it cost next to nothing to make them! So I head over to the library.
My 2 kids have over 300 books between and I can’t bear to part with any of them.
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I got used to the Kindle quite quickly. I’ve always loved physical books and I still do. I don’t believe that physical books will die off because ebooks because at the end of the day, people still prefer the good ol’ paper/hardback. However, I cannot discount the convenience of the Kindle especially when commuting. It’s much lighter to carry, easier to hold and read, easy to flip the pages with just one hand (this is particularly important when stuck in a very crowded tram/train/bus). I got used to it very quickly. Because it’s so convenient, I tend to read more now thanks to the Kindle. Having said that, I still go to bookstores, fondle new books, take in the delicious whiff of new books, etc. I love it!
Mainstream paperbacks that are ebooks used to be less than $10 on Amazon. That was their selling point years ago that you can buy a book for less than $10. Sure there are plenty of books even less than $5 but the mainstream books are now over $10. Some are even the same price as regular books. That’s just ridiculous.
Amazon allows borrowing of Kindle books amongst Kindle readers but only if the publishers allow it. Unfortunately, most don’t, especially for the bestsellers. Er then what’s the point of having the program??
GUILTY. Love my books but guilty of #3. I prefer to crease the spine as it makes the book easier to read. BUT I do pretty much agree with everything else.
Oh dear my heart just skipped a beat there. Don’t mind me. 😛
i have similar rules to yours except #3, i don’t mind slightly creased spine if the book is well-read, by ME. lol. i went all nuts when i found out my sister lent my book to her friend and it came back in unrecognizeable condition. my heart truly broke. i am now happy as my hubby built me a sizeable bookshelf with stairs at home. the rest of my books sit nicely at my parents’
OMG I would cry, I really would. That happened to me before. I blacklisted that friend from ever touching my books. 😛
Oooooh that’s awesome! Built with love and all that sweet jazz. 😀
I’m the complete opposite! I love it when my books look well-read, especially if they’re by me (since I have a hoarding problem, lol). I won’t intentionally destroy them or smack anyone with them, but I do love seeing annotations and I dog-ear books all the time. I don’t see it as disrespectful, honestly, but I do think that when you borrow books and return them all dilapidated, then that’s a different thing altogether. I hate it when the spine creases, though, but I like seeing a little wear and tear in my books. 🙂
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Nah, I don’t find dog ears disrespectful. I just can’t stand the sight of them, is all. Y’know, OCD and all that. 😛 What I find highly disrespectful are torn pages and people throwing books. It really sh*ts me when I see mothers smacking their kids with their own books.
I’m guilty of #1, 2, and 3. Especially 3. I never understood how people can read a book without creasing the spine. It is SO uncomfortable. Besides, I like my books with a bit of tear and wear too. Books with creases, dog ears, writings on them etc, have obviously been used and appreciated, which I think is lovely. Having said that, when I borrow a book from a friend, I’m always super careful with it and try my best to return it in the same condition I got it. If some accident occurs anyway then I apologize and offer to buy them a new copy to make up for it. These days, though, I’m reading mostly books on my Kindle, simply because I’m running out of space at home. 🙂
I agree on all the other pet peeves. They drive me nuts too.
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I should show you my secret of holding a book comfortably without creasing the spine. I’ve perfected it over the years. It kinda makes my fingers look crazy twisted but I swear it’s comfortable! 😛
Oh! You and I are so different even though we’re book lovers! I’m actually terrified of books that are in pristine condition! LOL! When someone offers to lend me a book they have just bought and not read because they have so many others, I’m always hesitant to take up the offer. I feel that trying to handle a book with so much care takes something out of the joy of reading.
I love well thumbed-through, dog-eared, creased-spine books! For some reason, it makes me feel happy to know that a book has been well read and served it’s ultimate (and sole?) purpose in its life. Yeah, I’ve got a weird mind 😀 I would gladly lend my books to anyone who wants to read them. In fact, even if they don’t return them, it doesn’t really bother me unless it had some sentimental value (like if it was a gift from someone significant). I can always buy another copy. It gives me joy to know that my book is “making its rounds”.
The first thing that I do when I buy or receive new books is to write my name it it – a habit I’ve carried from the time I was a child and which my mother taught me. My textbooks were always highlighted and scribbled all over.
But I do get the need to treat books with respect. No throwing and no using it as a smacking tool although I do use it as a prop sometimes. I also have books all over the place and don’t have the need to stick them back in their rightly slot on the bookshelf. A home littered with books makes it cosy in my opinion. Books should be treated like a friend or lover. I take mine to bed with me all the time … sometimes a few at a go O.o !!!
It’s interesting that we all have different ways of savouring the same thing but heigh ho! That’s what makes the world go round!
Oh I cannot borrow a brand new book, I simply cannot! It’s just like not being able to drive a brand new car. What if I scratched it?! 😛
I agree with your last sentence wholeheartedly. Different ways of savouring the same thing! 😀
PS: The only time I’ve highlighted books were school textbooks. Funny thing though, I’ve never written in them. I don’t know why.
Uh oh. Guilty of 1, 2 and 3. But agree with you on all the rest, especially the tearing pages one. I don’t even understand why anyone would do that! When I was younger I was constantly being told off for reading a book at the table during dinner. It wasn’t my fault that dinner conversation was never as interesting as whatever book I was absorbed by at the time hehehe.. but it did lead to a few food/drink-on-book situations at times. Oops.
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HAHAHAHAHA I should have used that reason you just said for reading at the table during dinner! “Sorry mum, sorry dad, you guys are talking really boring stuff!” 😛
Omgosh! I wana give you a hi-5! I totally understand your pet peeves because they’re exactly the same as mine! I gotta make sure all my books are wrapped too in order to avoid the sides going rotten. That’s seriously the first thing that I do to my books when I get them home, wrap them and place them nicely in my shelf.
I seriously can’t bear to highlight or write on my textbooks. They continue to be clean and crisp even after I finish using them. I remember it was so difficult for me to buy 2nd hand books because I just can’t stand having writings or highlights in those books back in uni…..
Sue, you and I, we could be besties when it comes to books. Every single one of my books in Malaysia are wrapped. Every time I bought a new book, I’m not to read them at all unless they’ve been wrapped in clear plastic. After that, they go on my shelf. THEN I’ll start reading them. I can’t wrap my books here in Australia as I can’t find clear plastic to wrap my books but believe you me, if I find them, I’ll be wrapping ALL of my books!
Oh and I forgot to mention one more pet peeve: sticky price tags on books that I can’t remove. How annoying are those?!
seriously! I know what u mean about finding clear wrap in Australia. It was such a devastation to me when I was there studying coz I had to buy new textbooks but they don’t have those clear wrappers! Imagine my horror to it…
Argh! Sticky price tags… superbly, superbly annoying. I will always end up trying to figure out how to rip them off no matter what tho @.@
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Haha yeah I can totally imagine your horror. 😛
Before Borders closed down, they had the best price tags. Non-sticky and never leaves a mark. So easy to remove!
I’m not very OCD about my books but only if they’re handled by me. I actually dislike lending books to people (except for family) because 1) I’ve lost many books this way and 2) I never know the condition of the book when it returns. I used to buy a lot of secondhand books since they were much more affordable, so I couldn’t be too fussy about the way my books looked, but I do try to take as good care of them as possible. Oh one pet peeve I have is placing books upside down. When I was a kid, I had a book where the boy placed the book upside down and the words all fell out! Ever since then, I never place books upside down and when I do see books placed upside down, I right them 😛 Don’t want to open them to see empty pages!
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Sigh I’ve lost count of the books I’ve lost when I was much younger. There I was, so generous lending my Enid Blyton books to mates but I seldom get the books back. Sigh.
HAHAHAAHAHAHA oh that’s a good one! All the words falling out! I love it! 😀
I have all your pet peeves Tine, hahahaha. The first thing I do when I buy a book is to write my name and date of purchase inside and to wrap it with plastic wrapper. LOL. I have also had bad experiences lending books to friends – they are either lost or returned in bad condition. But how do you get annoyed with a friend for doing that? I just choose to ignore it. I have a bad habit of hoarding books and never reading them because of time constraint. So I have to stop buying books because 1. I hardly have time to read them 2. Lack of storage pace in my home.
How do you prevent the pages of your books from turning yellow and eventually falling off because its too old? I had a book that was only like 7 years old and its already turned yellow and a few pages coming off. I plan to place my books in a plastic container because of a lack of storage and to add dehumidifiers inside the box. Do you think this would help keep my books in better condition?
Yep sounds like me all right. Phew, I’m not the only one. 😛
The best way to keep the pages from turning yellow and falling off (for me, at least) is to keep them in dark space (I have them kept in my cupboard which is now very rarely opened because it’s in my parents’ home) with dehumidifiers. I only do this for the books I really want to keep for a very long time. Most of my books now, sad to say, I can’t be bothered. 😛
These days, the more expensive books come in acid-free paper. That helps keep the books in better condition.
I have this treasure of my books from childhood, since I was 4YO to about 15.. thats roughly 12 years of books in various stages of mind development 🙂 Managed to stack away 3 different monthly magazines of 10 years, each S-I-N-G-L-E issue.
All this lies in a 80 year-old old chest in a non-descript corner 🙂
My faves are the dinosaur books, I still breeze thru them once a while 😉
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WOW that sounds absolutely terrific! I’d love love LOVE to see your collection of books. 😀