Submitted by Sliver_wolf_1999 t3_yhnpvx in books
I dog-ear my books all the time. Just the little corner, and tbh it doesn't bug me. Actually if I pick up a book from the library and see it's dog-eared, it makes me happy. I know the book has been read and it means that the person probably liked the book. For me it's a sign that a book has been loved. What is everyone else's takes on this?
That's fair! I don't fold through text (never have) but I've gotten a book from the library where it was folded through the text and I get that it makes it awkward to read.
The books never close quite the same once the creases are made.
Hm. I've never noticed, but I feel any book that has been opened never really closes the same. Especially if the spine gets broken in wrong.
I think it adds a bit of character, but personally I’m a bit anal about my books.
If it's your book go ahead. If you're borrowing a book maybe not as it can damage and even make the pages easier to tear. I don't do it and never really saw it as a major issue but have had books given back to me with dog ears that eventually tear.
I don't care what other people do with their books. I like to keep mine in decent shape because I payed for them, and would just rather take care of them. I don't treat them like they're delicate either. They get their usual wear and tear from reading.
That's fair. Of course I want to keep mine in good shape, but I don't feel that dog-earing it (like I said in my post, just the top corner) ruins them, if that makes sense. I don't fold it through the text, and if I read it enough to the point it rips, of course it makes me sad. But also that rarely happens to me
I just use bookmarks. I used to lose them all of the time, but as obvious as it sounds I never had the idea of just putting the bookmark in a later section of the book while I was reading until I saw someone else doing it, haha. Once I'm done reading I just take the book mark out of the wrong section of the book, and put it where it belongs before I close the book. I find I never lose them now that I do that. If I just sit the bookmark down somewhere then there's a decent chance I'll lose it, ha.
Funny, you never know how things you do automatically can inspire others. I thought that this is the standard way of using bookmarks
.... I've never freaking thought of that!
😂 Yeah, it seems obvious, but my smooth brain didn't think of it either!
Dog earing isn't too bad though. I was listening to a podcast once, and a guy on there said that while he was reading IT by Stephen King he ripped each page he finished out, and threw it away because he wanted the book to get smaller as he went on. That's some psychopath stuff, haha.
.... that man is a psychopath and I hate him
😂
I saw a post of books cut in pieces, so that the owner doesn't have to carry a whole heavy book. Still not sure if it was a joke
I heard about someone who would tear off a few chapters of a paperback (that they own obviously!) so that they can pass the torn part along to friends and family who also want to read it and are eager to start !!!
This was years ago and I still cringe at the thought!
Lol, this made me laugh. Well, they can do whatever they want with their property, I use bad books as a flower press, despite having two real flower presses lol, so I'm no saint either
Only bad books though, right? I like my books in good shape but not as if untouched!
Yeah, lol, I wouldn't mistreat my fav books like that
Yeah, I was shook when he said that on the podcast!
Because all you need to do is grab a random piece of scrap paper or a bookmark to save your spot, it's really not hard at all. Of course you are free to do what you will with your own personal books, but I wonder why you feel you need your books to show physical signs of "being loved".
I don't need them to. But I always lose bookmarks and the like, or sometimes I just won't have anything to put in the book at the time. It happens a lot. But getting a book and knowing someone else enjoyed it makes me happy for some reason.
While I think dog-ears in a book are awful (as I like to treasure my things and keep them in good condition), everyone can do with their own books what they like. Dog-ear away if it makes you happy.
But imo it takes a special kind of asshole to damage books you don't even own.
I don't do it to library books or others books, only my own. But seeing it in a library book (or a book I've borrowed or gotten from a used book store) makes me happy, knowing someone else enjoyed the book and now I can too!
It damages the page. You never get the corner back to it's perfect original form.
I feel the same! I like seeing evidence of someone else having enjoyed the same thing that I’m enjoyed. It gives me a warm feeling. I don’t dogear myself, but it certainly doesn’t bother me when I see it.
Same here. I understand if someone like, folds the page in half or folds through the text, then it's a little annoying. But just the corner? I don't get it.
I'm with you. But I understand is the book is not yours.
I love finding someone else's bookmark in a used book
As a book seller and someone who also works in a second hand bookstore it drives me mental because it reduces the value of the book. People come in with books that have never seen a bookmark and are dog-eared to all hell and then wonder why I’ll give them next to nothing for it or I won’t take it.
It's avoidable to the point of seeming almost deliberate; You practically have to go out of your way to be careless enough to do this.
Unnecessary damage that to me just says someone didn't care enough to have a bookmark method that takes seconds (from grabbing an actual bookmark you can often find for free to slips of paper to taking a photo of the page number etc)
If it's your own book I support your freedom to dog-ear, I just still don't think it's cool to crease pages. It's better than butchering perfectly good books for craft purposes, it's not like I'm calling it out unless I'm asked about it in some way, I just feel sad about the tiny breaks in the pages.
Edit: Consider getting a nice book jacket with an attached bookmark ribbon, they are super cute.
Like it’s not really visually pleasing and it damages the book when the same function be achieved with using a book mark or removable stickers, that said what some else does with their own books is none of my concerns maybe for them it creates character or is just more convenient or whatever so as long as you’re not doing it to other people’s books or library books, you do you!
That doesn't bother me near as much as people bending a paperback inside out while they read it.
I wince whenever I see that (or dog-earing), even on films or TV. I never even knew I was doing it until my wife pointed it out to me.
Listen, I think it's a savage practice to dog-ear pages. Even more so for a public library book. It doesn't make me happy, it makes me angry that the book's pages will have a that-much-shorter lifespan.
Solutions. Do you subscribe to any magazines at all? Have you ever seen the bountiful subscription cards that fall out? I consider those to be perfectly good emergency bookmarks.
I don't sub ro any magazines. But I only dog eat personal books, no public/ borrowed books. I would never bc idk how others feel about it
Cheers, I hear you. And thanks for your service to public/borrowed books!
Use a bookmark you savage.
I found these things called Book Darts that are the perfect solution for marking pages.
My biggest issue is I lose things like that lol
They come in a nifty tin to store them. There's 50 in a tin and they're really cheap so if you send a few back to the library, they don't break the bank.
I don't dog ear a borrowed book, but don't care about my own
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I use to do it all the time as a kid because I am prone to losing things like bookmarks. Now I just track the page I'm one through Goodreads, or in the case of my kindle it's already saved.
I love dog-earring paperbacks. I’d get mad tho if it was a hardcover. I like to keep those in as good of shape as possible.
I dont but i mean there are neat tidy people(not me) and… people like me. Idk I guess if its a signed special first edition i might be a little more reluctant to read it in the bathtub or take it to the beach? Any old book though, nah 🤷♀️
Your book, do what you like; library book, use a bookmark.
I dogear my own books (not borrowed, obviously) but not to mark my place, just to highlight, almost always in non-fiction.
Dogearing acts as a reminder to Future Me when rereading that there's something on this page which drew the attention of Past Me.
Above and beyond the information on the page, this is a reminder about what things were new or intriguing to Past Me, giving insight to how I have (hopefully) changed over time.
If its your own books, go ham. But it may damage books so make sure not to do it to borrowed books or library books.
I don't get mad if it I see it in a library book or if someone else does it with theirs. Love your books how you want. I'm not sure why, but I've always wanted to try to keep my books in as immaculate shape as possible. I don't read hard covers with the dust jackets on, for example. You do you!
Okay! I thought I was weird for not reading hard covers with the dusters on. I actually prefer paperback because I tend to lose dusters. :(
I agree, dog-earing is great
Gatekeeping.
It's a type of "fandom" behaviour that's meant to shame you for not "doing it right".
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? I've never had that issue when dog-earing books, only if I've broken the spine in wrong.
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I think you have dog-earing confused with something else because folding page corners has zero effect on spines.
I usually break in my spines before I read them, I usually lay mine flat
megan5912 t1_iueqryt wrote
As a librarian, it's because it damages the books. It makes the pages easy to tear. Also, depending on how they folded in it, it can put a large line through the text that makes it awkward to read. I highly suggest not dog-earing borrowed books.
In saying that, do whatever you want with your own books. They're yours to enjoy.