Jayna Monroe posted this For Better or Worse comic strip on my Facebook page, and it generated a lot of discussion. Not everyone sees that page, so I thought I'd post on my blog. What do you think? How do you treat books? What's important to you?
I can see both sides of it. Though I guess I'd have to say read it, but keep it in good shape. Most of the time you can't even tell I've read a book. And sometimes when I want Amy to read something I've read I'll buy a second copy 'cause she's much harder on books than I am. So I guess that's good for the authors :-) .
I, too, can appreciate wanting to keep a book nice. However, when I was little, we were told to wash our hands before picking up a book. I thought that was a bit ridiculous even then, and it almost put me off reading. Who wants that much hassle? Since then I've eaten over, spat on, sneezed on, dog-eared countless books. Do I have no respect for the written word? I have tons of respect. I just am more interested in the words than the paper they're printed on. Probably why I have no trouble enjoying ebooks. The screen's a lot easier to clean, too.
Well, I always use a bookmark -- but I also have some books that I call "Bathtub books" and they do get the odd wet spot/page -- by no means pristine when I'm done. The bigger picture is trying to get kids and adults reading again! So many people say they don't have time to read. I can't imagine not reading.
I'm with Anne Louise, above -- I love books and when they're mine, I love them to death -- highlighting, writing in the margins, folding back pages, sometimes messing up the spine. They're like a stuffed animal might be to a kid (not sure about that since I was never into stuffed animals). They're not for show, and I'm never going to sell them, so . . .
5 comments:
I can see both sides of it. Though I guess I'd have to say read it, but keep it in good shape. Most of the time you can't even tell I've read a book. And sometimes when I want Amy to read something I've read I'll buy a second copy 'cause she's much harder on books than I am. So I guess that's good for the authors :-) .
I, too, can appreciate wanting to keep a book nice. However, when I was little, we were told to wash our hands before picking up a book. I thought that was a bit ridiculous even then, and it almost put me off reading. Who wants that much hassle? Since then I've eaten over, spat on, sneezed on, dog-eared countless books. Do I have no respect for the written word? I have tons of respect. I just am more interested in the words than the paper they're printed on. Probably why I have no trouble enjoying ebooks. The screen's a lot easier to clean, too.
I'm on the use a bookmark side. Books don't seem to be made as well as they were and anything to make them last longer is what I go for.
Well, I always use a bookmark -- but I also have some books that I call "Bathtub books" and they do get the odd wet spot/page -- by no means pristine when I'm done. The bigger picture is trying to get kids and adults reading again! So many people say they don't have time to read. I can't imagine not reading.
I'm with Anne Louise, above -- I love books and when they're mine, I love them to death -- highlighting, writing in the margins, folding back pages, sometimes messing up the spine. They're like a stuffed animal might be to a kid (not sure about that since I was never into stuffed animals). They're not for show, and I'm never going to sell them, so . . .
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