Where I share all my bookish feels about certain topics I find intriguing, fun or controversial. Basically my two bookish cents.
I can say that I'm a little obsessive-compulsive when it comes to my things and it started way back when I was little. Aside from the things I've received as a gift or as a prize, every little thing I have is a product of hard work. So when it comes to books, I treat them as a very prized possession.HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR BOOKS?
So here are my own ways, probably weird ones, of how I take care of them:
1. I put them on a shelf/case high enough so nothing could bite into them like mice, roaches or any other destructive insects (I don't have anything like that in my room thank God!) and so no water would ruin them like floods (we have a lot of that here in the Philippines) or accidents (while I am cleaning the room, while I am drinking). You get the picture.
2. The shelves that I am currently using are the ones I wall mounted myself and I wipe them with a dry piece of cloth weekly to avoid dust.
3. As much as possible, I don't make dog-ears and I just open them wide enough for me to read so I could also prevent it from ruining the spine.
4. When I travel and I need to bring a book, I put them in a book bag or big pouch to avoid getting any marks on the cover.
5. No highlighting.
6. I religiously make sure there are no finger prints left (especially the shiny covers) on the cover before covering them.
7. Plastic cover is what I use but I used to do it like how a dust jacket covers a hardbound book, but as time passes by, the tapes turn yellow and leaves a disgusting mark.
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| This is my Tuesdays with Morrie book and look at those ugly tape stains! Ugh! |
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| Examples of my sealed books. All of them are covered this way. |
So those are some of my ways on how I take care of my books. I told you am a little OC but what do you think? It would probably sound too much but what about you guys? Do you have any special way of taking care of them?
Wow for your sealed books! :o
ReplyDeleteFor me, I cover my paperbacks with plastic cover, and also the dust jackets, but in a way that I can still remove them when I'm reading my hardcovers. I also have a built-in row of shelf in my room, but I don't place my books there because I'm scared that insects will get them there! So now they're all stacked on top of my dresser drawer XD
Am so afraid of insects to ruin my books too! So, you don't tape them then? I also have a few books stacked on top of my dresser because they no longer fit on my wall mounted shelves! :)
DeleteI don't have a special way of taking care of my books. I rarely write in them but if something really strikes me, I will. I keep them on a bookshelf, and when it gets too full, I give them away. But I actually like my coffee stains, when I look at the book it lets me remember clinging to it, mocha in hand turning pages feverishly.
ReplyDeleteHaha that's cute! You remember how you felt when you were reading it and I think a little coffee stain would actually be more of an additional design because the way it marks right? I have a lot of those stains on my journals though! :)
DeleteWow! You take care of each and every one with Tender Loving Care! I feel lazy compared to you. All I do is organize my books on my bookcase and leave it there until I pick it up to read. I don't dog ear my pages or write in it. I do take care of each book when I read it so its still brand new. I have spilled water on one book before so I bought another one. Lol
ReplyDeleteHihi thank goodness I've never experienced that! Whenever I purchase a book from our local bookstore which is Fullybooked, they're kind enough to cover books so I ask them to seal it (saves me time) and you're not lazy, you're just busy! <3 Thanks Giselle!
DeleteCool post! I try to take very good care of my books. Especially hard covers. I'm careful not to open them too widely so the spines don't get worn. I got into a big fight with my husband once when he tried to borrow one of my books. I've actually lightened up a bit about it, because I figure I'd rather have people reading than treat a book like a temple, even if I think it should be treated that way.
ReplyDeleteBut there are still some books that I'm very careful with. When we moved in August, I specially packed my Twilight and Harry Potter books in one box so the movers wouldn't touch them.
Yay! Thanks Alison, you know that this post is inspired by your discussion post right? Well, I am also very careful with the spine, I don't really like it worn out and with moving, that's one thing that scares me. I don't know how to box them right.
DeleteThanks for commenting! <
Oh man I swear I'm SO BAD when it comes to taking care of books. I usually just stack them on a bookshelf and that's it.
ReplyDeleteThis discussion post is a cool idea - I might do one in the future! ;)
Heehee that's okay love.
DeleteYay! This is isnpired by Alison from Alison Can Read! Will look forward to your posts! <3
Before I read my books, I just cover them first. I don't have any tricks on that part but my cousin who's also a fellow bibiliophile have tricky way that the tapes won't stick on the book. She imitates it on how the librarian takes care of their books.
ReplyDeleteThen there are some books that I didn't manage to cover. The books that I bought on Book Sale. I guess it doesn't need to, so yeah, I'm a lousy kid. Haha! But there is one special book in there that I covered it Peter Pan.
Yay for Peter Pan!
DeleteHow does your friend do it?
As I've said, ALL of my books are covered and maybe am just pretty much scared getting them damaged or creased or whatnot because books here (esp hard covers) are kind of expensive and you know that. :D
And thanks so much for commenting! <3
Wow and I thought I was pretty obsessed with keeping my books neat! :D It's awesome that you put so much care into storing your books.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I don't dog ear, I don't highlight, I neatly put my books on my shelves, and I avoid loaning my books to people. Honestly if a friend asked to borrow my book, I would let them, but the whole time I'd be worrying about how it was being taken care of. But I rarely, if ever, go out of my way to be the first one to offer to lend my book out just because I worry that they won't take care of it the way I'd like.
HAHA Actually Ashley, I really really feel the same way about loaning. We may sound a little selfish but I understand that we just care too much about our books. I loan books to friends but I give them a lot of instructions as to what they can and cannot do with it. If they return it in a bad condition, then my friends wouldn't be able to borrow anything from me again but if they did take care of it then I would still loan them again.
DeleteThanks so much for commenting! <3
Wow. That's real TLC all right :)
ReplyDeleteMe, I mostly buy secondhand books anyway, so my books are mostly stained, dog-eared with yellowed pages. I love them though :) I love the smell of the pages, and there's just something about well-read books.
Creases I can live with, but I can't stand torn covers or pages.
Pre-loved or brand new, it doesn't matter! As long as you take good care of them as soon ay they land in your hands!
DeleteThe things is, I don't know how to cover a book. *gasp* I know, I'm capable enough (I'm 18, btw) to know how to cover books but it's just that I WAS a spoiled child before so other people do those stuff for me that's why I didn't bother learning it anymore. Now, I'm regretting of being so passive with everything before. Geeez. Anyways, whenever I buy a book in Fullybooked, I would tell them to cover it for me (yes, I still don't know who to cover up to this time and hey! And Fullybooked has a free covering of book service so I'd definitely not pass up the chance). Also, I seldom lend my books to other people. Only those very close friends of mine can borrow my book. It's because I'm already traumatized about it, before, I lend a book to a classmate of mine (FYI, the book still looks brand new) then when she gave the book back to me, it looks like a survivor in WWII. I treat my books like they're my eternal mate. :)
ReplyDeleteHAHA I also ask the gorgeous people from Fully Booked to seal every book I buy from them!
DeleteWell, it isn't too late to learn! :)