Quirks, Habits & Superstitions

[Wabbit]

I take like to smell the pages of the books I get. I especially like the scent of the old books

 

[tarablythe]

I look to see how big the font is before I read the book. I'm not quite sure why though, it's just something I always do. I know that if the font size is big then I'll read the book quickly, and if it's small it'll take some time for me to read it.

I also hate dogears, and my grandma does that so it bothers me to borrow a book after she reads it!

I never use bookmarks..the ones you buy in the bookstore, I always lose them. But if I use a piece of paper it never gets lost. Go figure!

 

[Halo]

You know that annoying sticky patch that's often left by a pricetag? Eucalytus oil will get it off quick and easy - an absolute God-send if you're like me and *despise* that little sticky bit.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Kookamoor! My first edition of King's Dark Tower that I bought off Ebay has a great round sticky mark from a price tag, with quite a bit of fluff stuck to it - right on the front cover. I was going to ask if anyone knew how to get these marks off... Is the eucalyptus oil method tried and tested by yourself, and guaranteed not to harm the dust jacket?

 

[Kookamoor]

Is the eucalyptus oil method tried and tested by yourself, and guaranteed not to harm the dust jacket?

I learnt this about 2 years ago when I bought a hard cover of Bill Bryson's ''A Short History of Nearly Everything" from a book store as a gift. I soon realised they hadn't used 'book friendly' price tags (which is just plain stupid, in my opinion). I took the book back to the store and explained that it was a gift and could I have one that didn't have a price tag on it already. The woman pulled out a bottle of eucalyptus oil, upturned it onto a tissue so that it was just damp and gently wiped the affected area on the dust jacket of the book. Voila! It was perfect and no oily stain or anything.

I don't know if this works on all surfaces - my mother (a librarian) said it's a common method that they use also, but they don't get a lot of hard cover books (not only are they expensive, but apparently most high school kids don't read them). I would suggest trying it out on a small space on the dust jacket first if you're not sure. I know some dust jackets are made of odd materials, so I can't be positive.

Has anyone else tried this? Or have another method? Maybe this should be another thread...

 

[Kookamoor]

Halo - new thread set up for this one.

 

[bookclubnazi]

i use whatever is handy for bookmarks: receipts, bills, envelopes, torn-out bits of paper, etc. i have gone back to read a book i last read the year before and found an old grocery list between the pages. big quirk!!

"Ex Libris", by fadiman (can't remember her first name), includes a chapter about how people treat their books. some feel books are meant to be loved physically (carnally, as she puts it) and that a well-loved book will show how many times it has been read. and some others treat their books as holy, and never mark them, bend them or otherwise alter them. apparently, her brother was in a hotel in europe somewhere*, and had lain a book down, open, on the nightstand. he came back later to find it had been closed and bookmarked and left with a note: "sir, you must never do that to a book."

i, however, do that. i also write in my books (pencil only, never pen) and will frequently turn down a corner if i want to take note of something interesting on that page. and i have been known to write on the inside cover, even non-book related writing.

*note: i know europe is a big place, but i can't remember where it was exactly and would rather be vague than accidently offend an entire nation.

 

[Inkheart]

When I'm finished reading the last page of a book, I shut the book and then look at the cover, take it all in, then read the blurb again. I HAVE to look at the cover after reading the last page. It's like after being tickled, you have to scratch the spot. I just can't NOT do it!

Does anyone else have this habit?

 

[celtic mist]

i always read the back cover first and the 'about the author '
i do have book marks i just don't use them i try to memorise the page number
but end up fliping pages untill i find the right page.

 

[direstraits]

Oddly enough, one of my kitties likes to chew on the corners of book covers. I used to get very angry with her when she did; however, I have realized she's a very good judge of book quality. Most recently, she chewed on the Alchemist and Middlesex, but completely avoided chewing on Star Wars: Rogue Planet.... Coincidence??

Could I borrow your cat? I've plenty of books and don't know which ones to start reading first.

I never dog ear a page. It's sacrilege! However, if a book is old and worn and has cracked spines from repeated readings then it's fine. Although I try my hardest not to crease the spine. Once it does though I feel two things: "Ouch, that hurts", and "Whew, now I can concentrate on reading and not the spine!"


ds

 

[Erica]

If its a Brand new book
I sniff it before and during reading it the first few times ..I just love the smell
I also hate anyone to touch a book I'm reading
why I really don't know