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The State of the Books, 2007.
Dec. 7th, 2007 05:28 pmSo I was thinking recently about some people I know in RL! who have commented upon the state of my books.
I own probably around 2,000 books, and they are catologued (or, at least, three years ago they were--I'm a little behind). They are triple (or in some places quadruple) stacked on a floor-to ceiling shelf in my room made up of those cubes they sell at Target (about 18x18x18, and every inch of them is used). I am very possessive of them.
However, some of them are not in very good shape. I know I've got a few with ripped covers, many with dog-eared pages, some snapped spines, a few hardcovers (though hardcovers hate me and I them, so I avoid them like the plague) with broken bindings, some with water/coffee/tea/etc. stains, and some are a little (or a lot) dirty.
Now, it's not like I try to mistreat my books, or that I'm careless of them. I've bought ALL of my manga (around 200 volumes) and probably 500-700 of my books with my own money. When I was a kid, books were some of my only friends. In fact, I began fanfic writing when I was probably 8--I would, in my mind, have characters come out of their books and be my friends, and we would have wild adventures. I love my books, a lot.
But I get people at my house, or see my incredibly worn copy of, for example, The BFG (which is my second copy, as I wore the first copy completely out until it nearly fell apart), and go, "How can you treat books like that?"
All right. Here. My books are like a security blanket (which I also own...XDDD I think it's a great sign of maturity that I've admitted to the public--at an opportune and in-context time--that I own a security blanket and, still in fact, sleep with it). Have you seen a little kid's security blanket? It goes with them fucking everywhere. That thing gets so worn out because it's cuddled and smelled and hugged and cried into and thrown up on (though I've never thrown up on mine, I did once babysit a kid who got sick and threw up on his) and washed and slept with and loved. That's my books. No matter where I am, I've always got one with me, no matter what. They get rained on, they definitely get smelled (I love the smell of books!), some have been cried on (*cough*The Road*cough*Les Mis*cough*Zazoo*cough*), they get dogeared if I don't have bookmark, they get ripped cause they're in my bag, or I drop them. If you ever saw me in real life, I've got a book in my coat pocket that has a hole that goes into the lining so I've got a lot of space in that pocket, and then at least two in my purse at all times. I don't mistreat my books on purpose. They're loved. I try, yeah, but I'd rather have that damn book with me, where I can read it than have it rotting in a case at home where all I would do was look at it. My books might not be perfect, but at least they're not just there for show. At least I read them, love them, cry over them, laugh at them, enjoy them.
So. RL! idiots who don't even know I have a livejournal. Take that. If you'd actually open a book for once in your life maybe you'd see why mine are a little bit too well-loved. So fuck off until you figure it out.
I feel much better now.
No, I am not passive-agressive! What are you talking about?
nebulia out.
I own probably around 2,000 books, and they are catologued (or, at least, three years ago they were--I'm a little behind). They are triple (or in some places quadruple) stacked on a floor-to ceiling shelf in my room made up of those cubes they sell at Target (about 18x18x18, and every inch of them is used). I am very possessive of them.
However, some of them are not in very good shape. I know I've got a few with ripped covers, many with dog-eared pages, some snapped spines, a few hardcovers (though hardcovers hate me and I them, so I avoid them like the plague) with broken bindings, some with water/coffee/tea/etc. stains, and some are a little (or a lot) dirty.
Now, it's not like I try to mistreat my books, or that I'm careless of them. I've bought ALL of my manga (around 200 volumes) and probably 500-700 of my books with my own money. When I was a kid, books were some of my only friends. In fact, I began fanfic writing when I was probably 8--I would, in my mind, have characters come out of their books and be my friends, and we would have wild adventures. I love my books, a lot.
But I get people at my house, or see my incredibly worn copy of, for example, The BFG (which is my second copy, as I wore the first copy completely out until it nearly fell apart), and go, "How can you treat books like that?"
All right. Here. My books are like a security blanket (which I also own...XDDD I think it's a great sign of maturity that I've admitted to the public--at an opportune and in-context time--that I own a security blanket and, still in fact, sleep with it). Have you seen a little kid's security blanket? It goes with them fucking everywhere. That thing gets so worn out because it's cuddled and smelled and hugged and cried into and thrown up on (though I've never thrown up on mine, I did once babysit a kid who got sick and threw up on his) and washed and slept with and loved. That's my books. No matter where I am, I've always got one with me, no matter what. They get rained on, they definitely get smelled (I love the smell of books!), some have been cried on (*cough*The Road*cough*Les Mis*cough*Zazoo*cough*), they get dogeared if I don't have bookmark, they get ripped cause they're in my bag, or I drop them. If you ever saw me in real life, I've got a book in my coat pocket that has a hole that goes into the lining so I've got a lot of space in that pocket, and then at least two in my purse at all times. I don't mistreat my books on purpose. They're loved. I try, yeah, but I'd rather have that damn book with me, where I can read it than have it rotting in a case at home where all I would do was look at it. My books might not be perfect, but at least they're not just there for show. At least I read them, love them, cry over them, laugh at them, enjoy them.
So. RL! idiots who don't even know I have a livejournal. Take that. If you'd actually open a book for once in your life maybe you'd see why mine are a little bit too well-loved. So fuck off until you figure it out.
I feel much better now.
No, I am not passive-agressive! What are you talking about?
nebulia out.
