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Spine breakers: What condition are your books in?

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My books are all in pretty good condition (except a couple that have fallen in the bath...) :tongue:
Original post by minimarshmallow
I never break the spines of my books. You can look through books I've read 100 times and the only sign you'd have that they weren't new is the unavoidable yellowing creeping on the pages.

My best friend bends the spine back before she's even read a word. Claims it's easier to read (which I kind of understand, I can't hold a book one handed when reading and not spine breaking) and also makes her books look 'loved'. I personally think if you loved it, you'd look after it.
She isn't actually allowed to borrow any of my books for this exact reason.

Where do you fall on this debate?

Have you avoided lending someone a book because you're worried about the condition it'll come back in?


Yes, I never break the spine and I make sure the corners don't get even slightly dogearred. Even if that means putting them in a folder in my bag.

I did lend a book once. I tried to resist it but my friend kept asking and asking. In the end I lent it (The Handmaid's Tale) and it came back creased all over. NEVER LEND BOOKS.
(edited 8 years ago)
I must be crazy then...
What I do is I keep the book intact for the first two or so months and be ever so gentle with it, i.e. barely opening the book so as to not damage the spine, but then I get so sick of doing that, that I forcefully bend the book this creasing the book :h:

Lovely
Why so sacrilegious guys! :ahhhhh:




Gollum: So bright... so beautiful... our precious.
Reply 24
Avatar for Gem2015
Gem2015
1
I love my books looking like new, hate the worn look...
No spine breaks
No turned corners
No marks or notes

I don't like lending books for this reason lol
I'm just anal when it comes to books...not sorryyyy

Gem x
Reply 25
Avatar for viddy9
viddy9
16
Original post by minimarshmallow
I never break the spines of my books. You can look through books I've read 100 times and the only sign you'd have that they weren't new is the unavoidable yellowing creeping on the pages.

My best friend bends the spine back before she's even read a word. Claims it's easier to read (which I kind of understand, I can't hold a book one handed when reading and not spine breaking) and also makes her books look 'loved'. I personally think if you loved it, you'd look after it.
She isn't actually allowed to borrow any of my books for this exact reason.

Where do you fall on this debate?

Have you avoided lending someone a book because you're worried about the condition it'll come back in?


No, I never, ever bend the spine. I hate it. I'm fine with continuing to bend the book when the spine has already been broken, if it's a library book, for example. But, if it's a new book, then I keep it in the best condition possible. If I have to put the book in my bag, I sandwich it in between, say, two textbooks or a diary and a pencil case, so that the damage is minimised.

And yes, I've avoided lending someone a book because I'm worried about the condition it'll come back in on plenty of occasions.
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
Take them in the bath with me as well, so they usually get all soggy too :bath:

I can't enjoy reading a book if I'm worrying about preserving them.


Original post by Student403
*faints*


Original post by the bear
it gets worse...


Original post by ChaoticButterfly
I dropped the book in the water once.

Still got it but it has warped in size a bit :tongue:

I tend to bookmark and underline important bits of non-ficiton books. But if I'm reading fiction for escapism reasons I force myself not to don that ****. It ruins the immersion :-/


I read in the bath, but I tend to have bubbles so there's no steam damage and I have never ever dropped a book in the bath. I nearly did once, but it hit my chest which was dry and above the water.

I had a non fiction book about the science of monsters and I wanted to refer back to parts of it and bookmark important bits. I bought sticky notes! Be kind to your books.
Original post by Captain Jack
Yes, I never break the spine and I make sure the corners don't get even slightly dogearred. Even if that means putting them in a folder in my bag.

I did lend a book once. I tried to resist it but my friend kept asking and asking. In the end I lent it (The Handmaid's Tale) and it came back creased all over. NEVER LEND BOOKS.


I saw you'd quoted me and I was like "PLEASE, NO, DON'T LET THE COMMUNITY TEAM ALL BE BOOK DESTROYING MONSTERS" so you rescued that one, thank you Jack!

Original post by viddy9
No, I never, ever bend the spine. I hate it. I'm fine with continuing to bend the book when the spine has already been broken, if it's a library book, for example. But, if it's a new book, then I keep it in the best condition possible. If I have to put the book in my bag, I sandwich it in between, say, two textbooks or a diary and a pencil case, so that the damage is minimised.

And yes, I've avoided lending someone a book because I'm worried about the condition it'll come back in on plenty of occasions.


Yeah, I picked up a copy of a book club book already broken and bent so much the spine was concave and the pages were about to fall out, I wasn't fussed on that one because it was going back to the second hand store I got it from when I was done.
Also, it wasn't a good book.
I don't deliberately break the spine but I'm not particularly careful with my books so inevitably the spines do break. If it's someone else's book though I treat it really carefully and try to not break the spine.
Original post by minimarshmallow
I saw you'd quoted me and I was like "PLEASE, NO, DON'T LET THE COMMUNITY TEAM ALL BE BOOK DESTROYING MONSTERS" so you rescued that one, thank you Jack!


Haha, you have no idea of the extent of my book nerdiness. I even had a book book. Which is a book listing all of my books, when I read them and with a rating of what I thought of them. Sadly I gave this up after every single one of my friends and family threatened to disown me over such a thing. But I still remember all of the scores.
Original post by Captain Jack
Haha, you have no idea of the extent of my book nerdiness. I even had a book book. Which is a book listing all of my books, when I read them and with a rating of what I thought of them. Sadly I gave this up after every single one of my friends and family threatened to disown me over such a thing. But I still remember all of the scores.


Oh my gosh, I'm going to do this!!!!!
I break spines, annotate my books with my thoughts, dog ear the corners, take them into the bath and they get all wrinkly with steam...

I basically commit all the book sins!

But they are my books! If I wanted clean immaculate copies I could just go into a book store y'know...
Reply 32
Avatar for Josb
Josb
6
I read *boobs*. :facepalm:
My books always end up creased with broken spines :colondollar: that's why I always end up buying kindle books instead :tongue:
Reply 34
Avatar for whorace
whorace
2
If you break the spine of my books i'll break your spine.

A spine for a spine makes the whole world mine
I cannot stand the spine of my books breaking I think it makes them look so ugly. They are much easier to read with bent spines but I can't stand it when there's a particularly deep break in the spine and the book naturally falls open to a certain page, drives me mad.
Original post by Captain Jack
Haha, you have no idea of the extent of my book nerdiness. I even had a book book. Which is a book listing all of my books, when I read them and with a rating of what I thought of them. Sadly I gave this up after every single one of my friends and family threatened to disown me over such a thing. But I still remember all of the scores.


That is nerdy. Even I'm not that bad. I have an app for that.
Original post by Captain Jack
Haha, you have no idea of the extent of my book nerdiness. I even had a book book. Which is a book listing all of my books, when I read them and with a rating of what I thought of them. Sadly I gave this up after every single one of my friends and family threatened to disown me over such a thing. But I still remember all of the scores.


Although:
IMG_20160308_210829947.jpg
Original post by minimarshmallow
I never break the spines of my books. You can look through books I've read 100 times and the only sign you'd have that they weren't new is the unavoidable yellowing creeping on the pages.

...

Have you avoided lending someone a book because you're worried about the condition it'll come back in?


I always write in my books these days, if there is anything noteworthy having read. Not books from the library, but books i own sure why not. If i have the talent to write books, then surely i can underline one or two as well?!?
I spilled coffee over half of my books at the beginning of last term :frown:

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