[Quiet Man Cometh]

Book might be loved but it's still annoying to read sometimes, especially when the cover keeps threatening to tear and the first pages are already working there way loose from the effort of holding the book up.

[Yokuutsu]

Well, I rarely have books like that. They haven't got to that point....yet.

And I was reading through the posts....and some people in here I'd never borrow a book from. You must open it like this! I had someone do that to me before-on their manga when I didn't open it any different than what normal people do (I didn't fold the cover over or anything-which that bothers me when people do) so the second she wandered off....I put the book back and never did read it. And I probably never will.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Well, books used to cost way more than they did now, so knowing how to preserve them for as long as possible was a benefit. Mass publishing on the scale we have now also probably wan't around at the time. I'm thinking turn of the century here, and early 1900ds.

[Yokuutsu]

These books weren't from the early 1900s.

And if you want to go with that, they should've never bought books because I was opening it the normal 180 or less and they told me I was damaging it. It's called normal wear and tear. Don't bring the book to a club meeting for people to read....if you don't want them to read it.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Not sure what you mean by "go with that" Yoku.

I get peeved when people trash my books after reading them, when I get covers that are torn or have rips or scrapes or they come back with crooked spines. It's not hard to *not* damage a book when reading it. I'm forgiving of most things since when I lend it out I know that I'm takinga risk and I accept that, but I expect the borrower to also make an attempt not to damage something they're borrowing.

As for the 180 degrees thing, depends on the book. I've seen cheap books nearly break in half from that, especially if they are thick, or warped covers making it difficult to open without cracking into the spine. Gently working the spine a bit is usually all one needs to do with a hardcover to preserve the shape. Some books do need fragile handling though, or one may as well just scrap them page by page as one goes since they'll end up the same anyway.

[Yokuutsu]

I wasn't going to take it out of the room. There was no way for it to get "trashed" unless I did something maliciously or if someone else did.

Well, I've never seen a cheap manga yet then. Very few mangas are hardcover. These are the books I know well. They don't go to hell because you opened them to 180 or less. But it doesn't matter because now I know to go nowhere near the manga if she's there. I just wanna read the shit. But she wants to act like opening it is going to ruin the book to hell so I just put it back. That's why I do the illegal thing and read scanlations...since I don't have the money to buy every manga that I want...and I refuse to deal with psychos who don't want any wear or tear on their books whatsoever. Especially when they bring it to a meeting to be read.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Ah. Gotcha. Yeah, I admit that I'm not as carefull with my larger, floppy books as I am with pockets. The heavy pages are sturdier and the spines are flexible enough that way. I've read my copy of Watchman (full set) three times and spilt and entire cup of tea (with milk!) on it and it's still in peachy condition. There's something to be said for glossy pages.

Naturally, the books that are precious to me *never* leave my possession. I don't want them kicked up but also, knowing my picky habits, I don't want to be in a position where I might get irritated at a friend, so I'm carefull about what books I lend out.

[Yokuutsu]

You're lucky on that Watchmen stuff. I mean....almost nothing would survive tea and milk on it.

Manga books are very long lasting though. They're usually not really thick which helps them. Omnibus editions are the exception to that. And apparently they have pretty good spines too :3

[Quiet Man Cometh]

I got lucky in that the part that got the most tea on it was closed so it didn't seep far into the pages. It was a good cover though, and being the nitpick that I am I reacted fast. I was as much upset that I lost my tea as I was for my book.

[Yokuutsu]

I've lost some books to water damage.

Mother got insurance money when part of our roof was torn up. She didn't get it fixed. It started raining in our dining room and she said she cleaned it all up...ONE OF MY STEPHEN KING BOOKS WAS RUINED! You don't want to know how pissed off I was...and this we figure out a month after it's been ruined. If I had known it was wet when it happened...I could've possibly saved it.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Dogs, drinks, and people sitting on them have been my main problems so far. I tend to leave my books sort of "tented" on a side table or couch arm if I'm reading and am only getting up for a minute, to keep my place. At least one has not survived.

[Yokuutsu]

I tend to take my books with me .-.

And people are rarely around and mom won't let me have a dog T_T

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Well, at least it wasn't my dog. It was a visitor. Could have been worse though. Could have minced a book I actually wanted to read right then.

[Shei_Beloved]

That's not odd at all. I hate the way some people treat books. I don't think I'd be able to sit and watch someone actually tear out pages. Poor book. I get a little OCDic about my books and keep them lock tight in a water proof container, away from sticky fingers and markers.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

I don't have waterproof containers (yet ;), or fireproof for that matter) but I do put away books that I want to save for future generations or hypothetical kids.

I've started buying the odd children's book that I see that was one I like, just in case they disappear or prove harder to find later. When my niece was about 2 I saw a copy of Animalia that I considered getting for her. I didnt' because she was so young. I haven't seen the book since, and now the artist behind it has apparently died. I've seen lots of book about Animalia or little trinkets and mementos dedicated to it, but not the actual book. Makes me sad.

[Saiyouri]

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(｡◕‿◕｡) OMG Quiet I am so glad I met you.
I do the exact same thing with my
books. I always open all of my books,
no matter if they are paper or hardcover
so far that I don't make a mark on the
book itself. I keep paper covers for
the hardcovers in perfect condition.
And if there is a mark or bend on one
of my books, I freak out at well. No
idea why I do that, but they are like
this magical treasure that only I have
so I have to keep them perfect so others
can see these amazing things.



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