Tirade Tuesday #5: People Harming books.

So I liked my last rant about SPYDER, but I felt like it wasn't very enjoyable to read one huge chunk of text. But, I didn't want to go back to my Q&A style posts so I think paragraphs should be fine. Anyways, today's topic is: Why do people harm books?

Dog Earing:  Ok, I will admit that if it's a really worn and torn library copy (which i will get to), I've found my lazy self folding the side of thew page over to keep my place. But this is completely WRONG. Like what did the book do to you? It just wants to be read and yet you fold the pages over so that by the time you finish it and take a glance at the side it looks so creased and folded it looks like you've created origami. In most library books, they have that little card with a stamp which, please people, use to keep your place (as an added bonus you won't lost it, saving the world) If not, get some random corner of your homework tear it out (not of your work) and use that.

Library Books: I hate those people that think because it's a library book and it's "not theirs" then they can do whatever they want. Rip the pages, turn it into a coloring book, do their coke and mentos science experiment on it (you get the point). Like, I think I was reading a stack of books which I plan on reviewing, and it was a really good part when all of a sudden, it skips twenty pages. Somebody had previously torn those pages out and it made me really mad. On previous books, soda has taken away some of the ink, which is the worst, and don't get me started about my biggest library pet peeve, the wrinkly-aftereffect of spilled water. If you see those people eating lunch while trying to read a novel, or the kids that throw books around like a football, I give you permission to whack them in the head.

Book Jackets: This one doesn't make me as sad as the other ones. And I'm not even that mad because most people don't do it on purpose, it's just a natural side affect of the product. But when people shove twenty dollar hardcovers witht heir book jackets on into their backpacks, I shiver. We all know what it looks liek when we pull it out of our backpack at home, wrinkled at the sides, probably some sort of stains, it's just the worse. Like seriously, just take off your book jacket, put it somewhere where your annoying sibling doesn't sit on it or your mom thinks it some trash and throws it away, and enjoy your hardback. Hardcovered books are the best. They stay in really good shape and don't get beaten up like my least favorite type of book...

Paperback/Softcover books: This is public enemy #1. What fool came up with the idea of putting a really amazing novel into a paper cover where every time you read it, the cover looks like someone is using the force on it and pulling it up. While it is a natural side-effect, it still technically is at fault because of humans. There are upsides to it: for some reason not including a book jacket and making the covetres paper-thin saves you around 5 to ten dollars. But is it worth it? Is it worth the pain of seeing your book look bent and out-of shape everytime you read it? Is it worth it that if you want to go to your bookstore and buy a flat paperback copied book you can't because all the covers are just flapping everywhere from previous book-lovers that've read them? And what's with the big price difference anyway?

• Reason #1: The book jacket is expensive. Yes, I guess the art is pretty expensive, but does printing the same art on a cover that is pretty much the same thickness as the jacket cost more? Is it ten dollars for the book jacket? I didn't think so.
• Reason #2: It costs more for a harder cover. I guess for second it seems plausible, but in most hardcovers, it's really just a hard-ish cardboard. And how much does cardboard cost? At most scrapyard, it is basically free. The binding material is the same, so there's no plausible way you could argue changing the cover from fabric-covered cardboard to a thin paper saves the publisher enough money to slash the prices by ten dollars.
• Reason #3: Exclusive content: I'm pretty much referring to Stuart Gibbs's books. As you know, he's gained enough popularity that B&N is making exclusive editions where the cover is shiny and there's 32 pages of goodness at the end. But if you think about this, paperbacks always come out with preview chapters of the next book. It may not be the same, but it's all exclusive.

If you've bought James Patterson's books, the cover art is printed right onto the book, and those type of books sell for about 9 dollars too. I say we try to convert paperback books to these type of hardcover books where the art is right on it. They're cheap, save us money, and I experience my love for hardcover books without a book jacket to worry about. 

Reading this over, I realized I could make a whole new post over paperback books. Oh well. Do you relate to any of these pet peeves of mine? Leave a comment about your thoughts, and again, help me spread the word! I'm planning on doing an 8k post (yes we've reached it! About two weeks ago lol) to thank you guys, and at 10 thousand.... well there's going to be something special.Thanks!