When I see someone's bookshelf full of completely new books in perfect condition it paints a picture of someone who doesn't actually read their books. Well used for me = well loved. Also I just don't like buying new books in general, I prefer buying used. I also don't like keeping my books past when I've read them. I donate them.

You can get similarly insightful rules for life from many other people. To put it in perspective, JP was a prof at the University of Toronto, and everyone else in his department hated him and thought he was a phony basically

I love physical books but I always buy used. I personally like the aesthetic of a used book vs. a new one.

I'm super averse to owning a lot of stuff, mainly because I have been relatively nomadic in my adult years.

Because of this I don't like hanging on to things that don't have recurring use value. For me I hate the idea of owning a bunch of books that I will never read again. If I am going to own a book for a long period it would have to be something that holds value either in use (i.e a reference book that I will use over and over and over again such as a Sibley Bird Guide), have sentimental value which is greater than the memory itself, or is something that is rare (signed copy, but I only have one of these at the moment and I'm thinking of selling or gifting it).

For this reason I don't buy new books. I do however buy cheaper used books, but with rules:

1. I have to read them within the same year
2. Once read, I donate them to a little library
3. I can't buy more used books until there are spaces on my shelf for them (which limits the number of books I have at once). My shelf capacity is about 25 books.

The vast majority of the books I read (probably 80% or more) I borrow from the public library or my University library.

I used to force myself to read one at a time but I've found I much prefer reading several at a time, usually ranging from 5 - 10 books on the go at once.

What this lets me do is:

1. Have several options available depending on what kind of mood I'm in (like for instance fiction or non-fiction)
2. Give me the freedom to pick up a book that I stumble upon and want to read immediately, without the guilt of "i'm already reading X..."

Right now I'm reading:

Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center
The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity
Stranger Faces
Treacle Walker
Meditations
The Bell Jar
Happiness, Like Water
Of Love and Other Demons
Out of the Ruins

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".

lmao @ Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Indeed

I was just wondering if you wanted to expand on your point at all :)

Could you explain what you mean by this?

I understand this argument and it's certainly a common one. In this case, though, the art and the artist are quite intertwined as his work is very personal. For instance, as mentioned in the article, one poem starrs with "I like for you to be still: it is as though you were absent." The artist and his work are also intertwined in this case because Neruda has been raised to a level of being a symbol of Chilean poetry. At this point he has become a figure that represents more than just his words. So by supporting his writing a person is supporting him as a figure and as a public icon and as a part of Chilean culture in a way that's arguably detrimental to Chilean culture