I just love floppy paperbacks

Submitted by shiftinganathema t3_zoik6i in books

Yep. That's the post. Now I don't have a ton of books because I'm a broke college student yadda yadda. I love hardbacks. Love paperbacks. But damn do I LOVE and obsess over the few floppy paperbacks that made their way into my collection. I mused over why I loved them so much and I think I figured it out? They're just... super light and comfy. Also, they have basically the same feeling to them as the mangas printed in France and Belgium, where I live. I do have a massive manga collection compared to my novels, about 5 to 1. Yeah. Love floppy paperback. Give me all the floppy paperbacks and I will die happy.

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eregis t1_j0n5k33 wrote

Agreed! Sure nice hardcovers look great on the shelf and will probably last longer, but on the other hand, my floppy paperback copy of Project Hail Mary was so comfy to read... I love the off-white paper they tend to have too.

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virginia_boof t1_j0ps2rx wrote

that subtle off-white colouring...

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shiftinganathema OP t1_j0n5pwz wrote

Yeses! I just finished A Study in Scarlet Women in a floppy paperback edition and it was such a comfortable book to read?

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verstohlen t1_j0n7f8e wrote

I weirdly prefer paperbacks often because of that. Something about the ol' floppy paperback, I tell ya. I prefer buying old used paperbacks too and reading them as opposed to new ones. The old ones have that patina, the look and smell of history, they've seen stuff, been around, have nicely yellowed and/or discolored pages, a rip or tear, a crease, maybe some writing, or a tiny cookie crumb particle fallen into the book that has left a small discolored smooshed grease spot and merged with the page and has become one with the paper, you know, things like that, give the paperback character and personality.

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shiftinganathema OP t1_j0n7shr wrote

I wish I had access to more old English books here, I totally get what you mean. Unfortunately it's very uncommon to find any English book at all in the thrift shops here.

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Lumpyproletarian t1_j0na2gu wrote

Wait til you get to my age. The paperbacks I bought back then now fall apart in my hands if I try to read them

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AjvarAndVodka t1_j0tb0qz wrote

I’ve always worried about creases on the books’ spines but then just embraced it. It gives them this old and cosy feeling.

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verstohlen t1_j0zw4ks wrote

Same. I used to be the same, but I now realize more creases make more cozier.

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Throw-Me-Again t1_j0o2ah6 wrote

Penguin classics have a great flop

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DeterminedStupor t1_j0ruzbg wrote

Harper Perennial Classics are my favorite. They can be laid down flat without breaking the spine.

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mybestfriendsrricers t1_j0n8s76 wrote

You must mean a Trade paperback! Mass market paperbacks are usually not the best.
Trade paperbacks are awesome! :)

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zugzwang11 t1_j0p7nya wrote

I tend to prefer mass market paperbacks. They fit in my hands better

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swirlygates t1_j0qvuu2 wrote

The mass market paperback is the GOAT book format for me. Portability. Is. Key. And I like how the pages get a little crispy.

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zugzwang11 t1_j0qw7hu wrote

And for me just. Fun nostalgia of reading Star Wars mass market paperbacks all through school. I just like how they feel. And love the price

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EdBeatle t1_j0rmjjv wrote

As someone who has sweaty hands the only inconvenience of the format is that I hate getting my books wet from sweat and having the pages turn yellow. Big issue for me so trade paperback is my go since it’s a middle point in comfort when holding and portability.

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ithadtobeducks t1_j0suum4 wrote

I feel like they’re harder to find than they used to be, in favor of trade paperbacks. I miss being able to find just about any fantasy novel in a mass market edition!

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zugzwang11 t1_j0tvgc7 wrote

Hard agree. My guess is because ebooks tend to be cheaper. But I just want to go into the SFF section and pick up a brick of a paperback

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wistfulmaiden t1_j0nkt12 wrote

I prefer cheap ass paperbacks cause I dont have feel guilty if they you know get abused a bit.

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Techutante t1_j0nm28b wrote

They used to call small paperbacks a "pocketbook" and people shoved them in their back pocket. I always had one in my coat. Before I forgot how to read after getting a smartphone anyway.

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StoicComeLately t1_j0pzgx3 wrote

I feel like if anyone would understand this, you people would.

Do you love when book pages get a little wet and they make that crinkly sound when you turn the page? 💆‍♀️

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FuzzyToday6 t1_j0t90a7 wrote

Yes!! That’s part of the reason why I’m not worried about reading a book in the bath tub lol

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VioletInADream t1_j0napvq wrote

They are great, also usually a lot less heavy than hardcovers which is a lot more convenient for thicker volumes but unfortunately they get worn out super quickly even in one read you usually can see the spine beginning to crack and the edge of the pages becoming a little twisted, so they are not the best for rereading or keeping a collection but they do feel really nice.

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head_full_of_books t1_j0o4qqe wrote

The way they stay open if you lay them on a table or pillow. The way it conforms to the natural shape of the hand without leaving you worried it won't sit flat again.... I love a hardcover book, but those floppy paperbacks are a whole other level.

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etuvie27 t1_j0srh7q wrote

And the one with matte covers. Sigh.

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yesitsdelicacate t1_j0p4kgx wrote

I've never seen someone appreciate a type of books so much, this post is so cute and you can't change my mind

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Vyndygo t1_j0o95vy wrote

It all depends. If I start a series in paperback I have to read all of them in paperback. Usually why I stick with hardcover. I'll end up having 2 copies of nearly every book I own just to have a paperback to loan out or abuse.

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Run_nerd t1_j0ogb24 wrote

Paperbacks are great. They’re relatively cheap so I don’t feel that bad when they get a little beat up.

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dscottj t1_j0pa1sy wrote

I looked forward to floppy paperbacks for much the same reason I switched to a Kindle: ease of handling. Reading at lunch time has been a habit of mine since high school, and it was such a hassle trying to keep everything balanced/not snapping shut/out of the ketchup with one hand while trying to eat with the other. I'd put a floppy book down on the table and it... just stayed there! So nice!

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shiftinganathema OP t1_j0pac9m wrote

I love my kindle for that reason too! I use it during lunch and to read before bed so the lights can be switched off and my fiancé can sleep. But I also like having some books in physical form, whether I loved them in ebook or really want to read them and having them in my bookshelves is a stronger reminder haha

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dscottj t1_j0paqet wrote

I've got a library of ~ 300 books on my first floor, a collection I started ~ 1986. It pretty much dominates that room. If I hadn't switched to a Kindle ~ 8 years ago that count would've more than doubled by now. I'd probably be sleeping on them and in a different place because I'm pretty sure my wife would've divorced me. :)

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Acp55722 t1_j0q74le wrote

There’s an omnibus edition of His Dark Materials that is so big and floppy. I buy it every time I see it at the thrift store so I can give it away, and your post has made me realize it’s not just the book itself, it’s the way it feels. Several hundred pages of just big ole floppy book.

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shiftinganathema OP t1_j0q79ct wrote

I wish I could get my hands on it! I never managed to find an edition of HDM that would be comfortable to read

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shiftinganathema OP t1_j0pc23h wrote

Hahaha I have over 500 mangas and about a hundred novels on my shelves I think, though it's been a while since I did a proper count

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Significant_Cow3573 t1_j0reegp wrote

American paperbacks are really good, no spine, fold in half, absolutely no resistance whatsoever. English paperbacks are like little bricks.

I've got a few US paperbacks from a second hand bookstore I used to go to a lot and they're just so nice. I don't know why UK paperbacks are so rigid, I can only guess the binding might be stronger in the UK ones which is good I suppose but the flippy floppyness of the US ones is just so fun.

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DeterminedStupor t1_j0rvfp5 wrote

> I don't know why UK paperbacks are so rigid

Now that I think about it, you’re absolutely right. Floppy paperbacks really do come from American publishers, like Harper Perennial and Modern Library. I hate those rigid paperbacks.

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blackmillenium2 t1_j0o4a7z wrote

Part of why I love my copies of Fahrenheit 451 and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Floppy as hell, I can read them with the book in any position without damaging them.

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SirMaxwellCharacter t1_j0ooe08 wrote

This is the most wholesome and wonderful post of all time. Additionally, I share your love for floppy paperbacks, so yeah, everything about this is great.

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Humble_Lobster_3240 t1_j0opomt wrote

I think I prefer them too I love hardback books but they stress me out since I don’t want to damage them, paperbacks are more nostalgic and fun for me because the damage or wear to them only adds character and I love the flop of them they are easier to read imo

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CableCoShow t1_j0osiy1 wrote

What's up with the material for the covers, though? They are almost fuzzy and show every fingerprint.

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lyrasbookshelf t1_j0p37lz wrote

Yesss, the floppier the better! They open so nicely, so there's no need to be rough with the spine. Some books are so stiff and open very little, so you have no other choice but to crack the spine (yes, even after doing the library technique of loosening the spine).

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StoicComeLately t1_j0pzsjb wrote

>(yes, even after doing the library technique of loosening the spine).

Umm, what? I must know what this is.

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Barrel_rider48 t1_j0qec4t wrote

Yes, especially ACE's trade paperbacks are great 👍

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Newton1913 t1_j0qj0o8 wrote

I used to be obsessed with only getting hardcovers. But now have found love for paperbacks. Their usually much lighter, I don’t have as much of an obligation to keep the book if I didn’t love it.

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Sm19944 t1_j0s9ga5 wrote

I read the picture of Dorian gray in floppy paperback form and it was so nice, I could put it down open on the page I was reading without touching it! Was a breeze!

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FuzzyToday6 t1_j0t9at2 wrote

Omg yes, they’re just so weirdly comforting, they almost mold to your hand. Reminds me of school days getting a well used, slight beat up trade paperback from the library. I love how the covers don’t have much bulk and I can slide them them into my bag, and how they look stacked together with my journals and planner, idk something about it is just so nice lol

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USAintheWay t1_j0o10v9 wrote

I read almost Kindle exclusively, but as ab alternative I like a hardback. Paperbacks are hard to read in bed.

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wampa-stompa t1_j0q7ku3 wrote

A big floppy one is fun for just playing around, but when it's time to get serious it's gotta be hard

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