I love my Kindle, but there is nothing like holding an actual book in your hand. I know that's passé. I realize that the physical book may one day be a thing of the past, like vinyl records. But I hope that day will be a long time coming, because for me, an actual book is something to be treasured.
Perhaps this all began in my youth, when I would read a book cover to cover, then flip back to the beginning and start again. If you are going to read a book four or five times, you better make sure you're careful with it. To this day, I treat my books gently: the spines remain unbroken, the book jacket carefully removed so that it with doesn't get torn or damaged, and the pages completely unmarked, except for a small sign of a corner turned down occasionally.
I've learned that this obsession is not shared by everyone, and believe me, it is a hard lesson. Many of my books come from the library, and except for the occasional grocery list or library receipt tucked inside, most are in excellent condition. Tonight, however, I opened my borrowed copy of Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann, and I literally gasped. There was highlighting! And underlining! And writen notes! In a library book!! The horror!!!
Recently, author Lisa Lutz posted a question on her Facebook page: "What are the biggest gripes for librarians or patrons?" It was no surprise that most of the complaints were about the books themselves and how they are treated. The answers ranged from hilarious to downright disgusting. Dead spiders, food particles, and hair found stuck inside; photos, a bag of pills (!) and receipts used as bookmarks; dog-eared pages (yep, that would be me); books that reek of smoke. Need I go on? It makes me want to grab my bottle of Purell each time I sit down to read.
So this is my fervent plea: if you borrow a book, treat it gently. Some day, these lovely tomes will be a thing of the past.
