Don’t we all have that one friend who threatens people before letting them touch her books? Some key phrases in her book care repertoire would be “If you crease the spine, you’re dead”, “If you think about dog-earing pages, dead”, and “If you write on it?”, you guessed it, dead.
But consider the fact that each book you own has thousands of printed copies floating around the world. Your copy isn’t close to the only one even within your city. So barring a worldwide apocalypse, in which case we might have bigger problems, it will always be possible to print and bind a new untouched copy of whatever your favorite book is.
Additionally, unlike a spilled cup of coffee which even I can admit is unforgivable, a couple of dog-eared pages here and there won’t hinder someone in reading the book. So, I propose changing our standards for book care.
On Dog-Earing
Dog-earing should be allowed and encouraged. Go ahead, tell your friend to mark their favorite parts and see if they match your own. Share the joy of reading.
On Creases In The Spine
Creases in a spine no longer spell out the death of a book the way they did when books were bound individually, by hand, instead of with industrial strength glue. Creases now are just a sign of how many times your book has been read and loved, how many evenings you’ve sat in your nook with a cup of tea and an open novel.
On Writing Notes
Write in your books! As long as you don’t cover the printed text, and maybe take care to use pencil, having your own first reactions immortalized in the novel would give it so much nostalgic value. Imagine giving your copy of Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief to your kids with little notes from your teenage self lining the sides.
On Sticky-Note Tabs
And finally, go wild with those sticky note tabs. Mark your favorite scenes, the ones that hurt you or made you cry, the ones that gave you second-hand embarrassment. It’ll make your reading so much more memorable.