Question: What Shape Are Your Paperbacks In?

Posted February 22, 2012 by Carmel in / 40 Comments

Julie's Question - Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks

My blogging girl friend, Julie, over at Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks has a great weekly feature where she asks her followers a question. I think her questions are just awesome and asked her if I could piggy back off of her idea and she agreed! Alrighty, so on to the question…

Since I started book blogging I’ve began to treat my paperbacks a lot better because I accumulate them at a faster rate and, as a result, I either loan them to friends or give them away. I used to hoard all of my books but now I just simply don’t have the room! I was really bad in the dog-earring department and in the chucking them at the bottom of my bag one too. Now I use bookmarks and have a “special partition” in my purse to help prevent them from getting damaged. This doesn’t mean that my paperbacks still don’t get their fair share of abuse, because they do. Cracking the spine a couple of times is inevitable and when I’m really into a book and have assumed my comfy-I’m-not-moving-until-the-final-page position I can’t help but flip them back a couple of times.

What about you? What shape are your paperbacks in?

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About the Blogger
I review Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance books with a focus all things werewolf. Based out of Ottawa, Canada

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Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!

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40 responses to “Question: What Shape Are Your Paperbacks In?”

  1. Amber Hughes

    Ok…honestly my friends think I’m nuts because until I loan my books out to them, you wouldn’t even know I’ve read them! I keep my PB’s in perfect condition (unless I buy them used of course). I can’t break the spine-LOL! Once they leave me (loaned out to friends), I can completely let go of my OCD. I would never expect my friends to be like me in that department. I have no idea why I am that way about the PB’s. I told my friends I need therapy! Haha!

  3. Dana - Let's Book It

    I’m with you. Blogging has changed my bookish ways. I am also freely giving books to friends just to get them out of my house before my husband calls the hoarding authorities on me. Also, I take much better care of the paperbacks now. I think it is because I have a better idea of how much the author puts into them. It feels disrespectful to turn down a corner or plop a book open, page down, to hold a spot.

  5. Tynga

    I’m pretty anal when it comes to book condition. My books have to look brand new at all times! I carry them in thick ziploc bags in my purse to make sure they aren’t damaged, I don’t open them all the way so the spine don’t crack and I don’t lend my books unless I have double because I can’t bear to have my books looking less than perfect! The spine of Fallen crease when I read it because the book is so thick.. so I bought an hardcover for keep o.0 I know.. I need therapy.

  7. Jennifer

    If I bought them new they still look new. NO DOG EARS. NO SPINE CREASES!! EVER!!.
    I loaned out two of my Cat and Bones books to a teacher at my son’s daycare and they came back looking like something that came from a used book store. I was horrified. She raped my books. I re-bought the whole series on my Nook and I never loaned her another book.

  8. Brenda Demko

    I do not bend the pages or write in my books. I take good care of them but I don’t mind if my books look like they have been read. That just shows that they were enjoyed often! That is the idea, isn’t it?

  9. Jennifer

    I’m with Tynga…I’m pretty insane when it comes to book condition. If I buy a book (PB or HB) you can’t tell it’s been touched. I think it comes from working at the library and seeing people treat the books like garbage. Cracks along the spine infuriate me so I have to really want to read the book to buy a copy in that condition. My BF cracks all of her spines and I cry inside when II see them. LOL Everyone does there own thing and that’s cool but I prefer them in NEW condition. Great question!

  14. jackie b central texas

    PB books bought new still look new when I am done, do not go so far as to put them in ziplocs but if put them in a purse make sure they are in their own section so as not to damage spine or pages when carting book around.

    I do not crack the spines but do open the book wide enough to read easily, of course get many books now used from Half Price and Paperbackswap and those books in all formats do not look new but will not buy them if they are torn, stained or otherwise in “raped” condition as Jennifer pointed out her loaned out copies came back to her in.

    My new year commitment had been once read my paperback books will be used for blog giveaways, most of which are going to be gone in April for my blogoversary. I have started my book collection over after labor day fire last year and never want to think about 1000s of books on my shelves being burned again so that is why most of them are leaving my possession!

  19. jackie b central texas

    Just the unread books Carmel, do not have the money to buy almost 6000 books in Trade, PB and HB copies like the mixture I had. Have only replaced around 50 books that were on my Keeper shelf once read, most of them are used for less than half price and in fair to good condition. If ever replace all the brand new books bought from 09 to August of 2011 would need to by at least 300 MMPB’s, 40 or so HB’s and 45 or so Trade PB books so those may never get replaced or read. I need to totally start using my local public library!

  20. Na

    I’m pretty protective of my paperbacks, therefore try to keep them in tip top shape. I use bookmarks and keep them stored in a pantry. I use the shelves as a bookcase and like how the doors keep the dusk from collecting. However, I don’t shy away from a deal. If I’m at my library and they have great sales on books I want, I’m not picky about condition. Spine crinkling or dog-earing is fine so long as it’s not smelly (sadly that distracts me from reading), ripped and falling apart.

  21. DANI HARPER

    I confess to cracking spines on my paperbacks – I want the book to stay open! My books are pretty much mauled by the time I’m done, especially the ones on my keeper shelf which get read more than once!

  27. Julie

    After reading the responses on my blog and now on yours, I am in shock. I crack my spines – and thought everyone was like me! I can’t believe others don’t do that! How is that even possible? LOL

  30. Kat Balcombe

    I admit I do crack the spines of big (i.e. 500 pages plus) books, otherwise I spend so much time trying to get into a comfy reading position I can’t focus on what I’m actually reading.

    But I’m a self-confessed hoarder, and I don’t really have anyone to lend books out to, so I’ll just continue on my merry spine-cracking way 😀

  32. Bekka

    I buy a lot of my books used, so as long as they’re not torn and smelly and yellow, I’m good! When I buy a new book though, I treat it nicely. Not to the ziploc bag extreme, but I don’t dog ear, or fold them back. My hardcover books look like new though, just because they’re harder to damage.

    Whenever I lend out my books to my aunt they come back disgusting, and I hate it. My poor paperback The Hunger Games is curved and yellowed and some pages are ripped. Like, what did you do to this book! My Forever by M Stiefvater came back in a film of dirt and dust. It drives me crazy!

  35. Barbara E.

    My paperbacks are almost perfect when I finish reading them, you usually can’t tell they’ve even been read, occasionally there’s a small almost dent along the spine but that’s it. It’s a “thing” I have, I don’t like to crease the spine. I would never loan out a book I wanted back because I think most people aren’t as anal as I am about it. I know my son’s books are practically falling apart when he’s done with them.

  36. Ashley R

    The idea of cracking the spines of books makes me cringe! I’m not extreme about mine (no baggies for this girl), but my mom has been a librarian all my life and I was always under strict orders to never dog-ear, write in, or crack/break books, no matter what. It’s habit now for me to abide by those, and I think I die a little inside every time I see people who fold paperbacks all the way back while they read. If I use a bookmark (usually I just memorize the page I left off at), it’s always just a single sheet, not one of those fancy ones bookstores used to sell that are thicker – just that inside a book freaks me out that it might damage how a book sits.

    That all said, I don’t actually mind when books are in a rougher state. I purchase books used all the time and toss them in my purse haphazardly if I’m in a rush – I know some things are unavoidable, and shelf wear and/or general wear are fine. People don’t like borrowing from me though since so many of my books are in such good states! Still, I lend my books out to friends no problem, and I don’t quite mind if it comes back a bit worse for wear. (Although that poster up there who said her aunt gives books back in a disgusting state angers me – treat other people’s property with respect! I don’t think I’d be able to handle that.)

  37. Rie Conley

    It really depends on my love of the book. If I’ve read it a billion times it looks quite horrible at this point.

    I’m a book bender, I sleep with my books, I turn down pages, I take hardcover covers and use them to mark my spot. I’m not nice to books.

    I’m a strong believer in books, houses, and everything else that you love should be used, loved, and although respected it doesn’t have to remain in pristine condition.