Reading a book so many times that I've worn out the cover.
By megamatt
@megamatt (14291)
United States
September 27, 2010 12:06pm CST
This has happened to me a couple times. There is a book so good that I have to read it again. And again and again and...well you get the picture. Books much like anything else, break down over time. I think this might have only happened a couple of times, but still, it is worth noting. Have you ever read a book so often that you wore out your copy? I have at least one book that needed to be taped together, to prevent the spine from degrading.
2 people like this
8 responses
@allyoftherain (7208)
• United States
29 Sep 10
If I love a book that much then I make sure I have a hardcover copy. Hardcovers don't break down so easily. I hate how messed up paperbacks can get after just one read-through anyway. I don't like spine creases, or pages curling up, so I prefer to have all-hardcovers anyway.
I think the only book I've ever really read to the point of destruction was Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. It's not my favorite book, but it's been a favorite of mine for a very long time and I revisit it every five years or so.
@allyoftherain (7208)
• United States
29 Sep 10
Some smaller publishing companies can't afford to print hardcover books at all, so they just have softcover books and maybe a few special editions in hardcover. A lot of my favorite books are printed by smaller publishing companies and there was never a hardcover available. It makes me kinda sad, but ultimately the book itself is what matters to me. I can enjoy a paperback just as much as a hardcover... but I do like how durable hardcovers are.
@megamatt (14291)
• United States
29 Sep 10
Yeah, getting hardcover copies are the best thing. If there are hardcover copies that is. Most books have them but it's not entirely uncommon for a book not to be in hardcover or the hardcover to be out of print. Thank you for your response. It is much appreciated and it contributed to the topic well. Have a nice day and thanks.
1 person likes this
@keeponit (45)
• China
1 Oct 10
Hey,here is a little tip.Why do not wrap cover of the book in hard paper?I always did this before started reading a copy.Books can be prevented from breaking down in this way to some extent.I owned a fairy tale when i was a kid,which my mom bought for me,that was my first book.Since we moved twice,i think i have lost it.Even if there are some old books that it is rare to find,however,the internet helps,cause we can find various of e-books and download.Anyway,life has become more convenient and easlier for us due to technological development.Have a nice day.
1 person likes this
@Kitakatidoki (20)
• Denmark
16 Oct 10
Absolutely yes. I have a certain author who made a series of books. I have read those maybe ten times each. I had to renew some of them. Fortunately I found them i book sale, so I got it cheap. Some of them is in Danish which is my language and some of them in English which I had to renew at Amazon.
@kathiawadi (245)
• India
28 Sep 10
well i have one book Think and grow rich by napolean hill..i have read it so many times now it looks like its the book of 30s.
@zzyw87 (1254)
• Philippines
7 Oct 10
Fortunately, I don't have any book that have worn out from repeated reading. I also read my favorite novels again and again. But thankfully, they are still in very good condition. I make it a point to always cover my novels with plastic first so they won't get damaged and the spines won't get creased. I just hate it when my novels get yellowish after a few years.
@megamatt (14291)
• United States
17 Oct 10
Yeah that can be bad news. Unfortunately things age but I do admit that depending on what you do, they can age in different ways. Thank you for your response. It is much appreciated and it contributed to the topic well. Have a nice day and thanks.
@Catana (735)
• United States
27 Sep 10
I've done that quite a few times over the years. Not just worn out the covers, but the whole book fell apart. Because books are just glued together these days, it's easy for the pages to pull away from the spine eventually. I have books that I've tried to reglue so the pages don't fall out when I read. Sometimes it works, and sometimes, I just have to buy a new copy. It's really frustrating if the book is so old that you can't find another copy or they're so rare that used copies cost a small fortune.
@redmaryjane (891)
• United States
27 Sep 10
The first book I owned was "The Little White Horse." My dad sent it to me along with a few others but this one stuck with me the most. The cover is way much better and more mythical that the latest reprints but the story and it's legend fascinated me all the more that I had to read it again as soon as I finished it. Right now, it's more than just a little worn out and it's held by tape. I won't be getting rid of it though.
@megamatt (14291)
• United States
27 Sep 10
Yeah a lot of those books, they have sentimental value to them. While it would be wise to get a new copy, its not exactly going to happen a lot of the time. Thank you for your response. It is much appreciated and it contributed to the topic well. Have a nice day and thanks.
@BethannTT (222)
•
27 Sep 10
i have so many books like this. I always worry that people think i don't like after any of my stuff. it's just ebecause i read them so much.
@megamatt (14291)
• United States
27 Sep 10
I think its the exact opposite. We read them so much because we like them. I read a lot of books in my time. About only a fraction of them mandate a re-reading. Only a fraction of that mandate a re-reading to the point where they are that level. So that's a badge of honor that a book is so good that happens. Thank you for your response. It is much appreciated and it contributed to the topic well. Have a nice day and thanks.
