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What are your biggest library mistakes EVER
CicadaGrrl wrote: "I had a gray who did his own damage. May his ashes rest on my bookshelves. I read in the bath. Frankly, I think books are meant to be lived in. Dog earred. Written in. Read in baths. Spine..."
LOL! Remind me never to let you borrow any books, lol.
I have an ex who would probably have a stroke at that. I have another ex who managed to utterly destroy books and I could never figure out how. It's a complete mystery to me.
I almost drove my first serious girl away because she dogeared one of my books....
If he weren't batshit crazy, I would say you should drive down to Spring Hill & have a conversation with my ex. Sounds like on that topic you'd get along. :)
It's okay, we worked it out...and broke up later in a far more disastrous way....
I was 15 she was 17...we got serious. Things got complicated. I think over all I was too young. Problems on both sides, mistakes on both sides, I don't really have the right to say more. (Another person involved, you know.)
Chasing the older women, Eh Mike. You did good. They're more fun anyways ;)
Besides you guys, I think I’m the only one I know who kirks out if someone screws with my books. I know I drove several guys away because of their disrespect of my books. But hey, if they can't respect my books I didn't need them anyway. My husband isn't much of a reader but he respects my feelings about my books (and allows me to indulge my habit without much complaint – except space requirements :-)Oh, God!! I used to keep a HB in one guy's dorm so that when I went to visit I could do a little reading (I always juggle several books at a time). He got jealous cause he wanted to watch a (stupid) movie with me and I wanted to read so he THREW my book. Threw it!!! ACKK! Yeah, he had to go. At least the book wasn't damaged much.
I never understand what part of spending time together includes turning the lights down and watching a loud ass movie in the dark. The floor is vibrating, the walls are vibrating, you have to shout to speak to each other.
I honestly just can't get people who don't read. In my head I go "oh" like I'm thinking I'm sorry but I don't have any idea how to relate to you now. All my references are based in books, music and film in that order. If you like none of these things I'm going to give you a blank look and slowly walk away in horror at your alienness.My last freak out moment was actually a couple weeks ago when I found out one of the cats shredded one of my books on the bottom shelf. It was out of my regular sight because it was behind my storage tubs of books and I didn't find out til Sophie (Todd's tiger cat) was trying to go back there to hide her kittens shortly after they were born (note I ran after her and tried to evade this). Then i saw shredded paper and a cover that hardly contained any pages...my god the horror and the tears! It was a paperback volume of The Years Best Fantasy and Horror so less hard to replace than others on the shelf (like Black Leather Required by David J Schow and Skin by Kathe Koja both in hardback) but I was still devastated a book had been destroyed like that without my knowing. I immediately cleared the shelf of every single book and proceeded to check them all. On top of that book a few book covers were damaged (not the hardbacks themselves but the protective cover) along with a softcover copy The Tommyknockers by Stephen King needing to be pitched. Not so bad but enough to throw off my whole day. :*(
I'm so sorry to hear that! I know that must have made you crazy. I would have freaked, too.Hubby wants me to get rid of the puppy gate that is currently protecting my books. I look at hims like he's crazy. Benji is still in the chewing stage and loves paper.
MrsJoseph wrote: "I'm so sorry to hear that! I know that must have made you crazy. I would have freaked, too.Hubby wants me to get rid of the puppy gate that is currently protecting my books. I look at hims l..."
He is crazy!! I still remeber the day my sibling's puppy gnawed the corner of my Poppy Z Brite book, gah!
Exactly! The converstation in my house has already decended into short one liners:Benji! No!
Benji! Stop!
Benji! Sit!
No! Benji! Come here!
Yeah...like I'm taking this gate down...we don't have the money to replace all my books at one time...and I don't have the mental capasity not to have a nervous breakdown if he destroys them all.
*must remember to hug Daisy*We had a terrible time with D-Dog when we adopted her, but she only chewed up a windowsill, a hunk of floor, a little bit of the door, and her wicker dog bed: No books. So that's all right then. (She was upset at being left alone. Had she but known, she had a MUCH better way to get back at me!)
I have all my bookshelves packed to bursting...and most double packed (two rows of books front and back)... BUT, except for the two cupboards I use as bookcases that have doors, the bottom shelf of each case is empty for our cats' use. They claim bottom and top of each book case. I even have a rickety one that I've partially unloaded till I can repair it, and one of the cats occasionally lays in the empty center shelf (at her own risk). So far so good. A couple of books pushed off a shelf now and then, but none damaged. :)
Tracey wrote: "*must remember to hug Daisy*We had a terrible time with D-Dog when we adopted her, but she only chewed up a windowsill, a hunk of floor, a little bit of the door, and her wicker dog bed: No boo..."
Ahhhhh
We had a similar experience with our puppy (years ago now) We discovered the joys of Wood putty.
Amanda wrote: "I honestly just can't get people who don't read. In my head I go "oh" like I'm thinking I'm sorry but I don't have any idea how to relate to you now. All my references are based in books, music an..."I am a lot the same way. My brother doesn't read. In fact, he's the polar opposite of me. I remember once we were drinking together and his jokes fell flat on me and my jokes fell flat on him. I remember looking at him and having that exact same thought. "Who is this alien?" I wondered. "Or is it me who's the alien?"
I'm so enmeshed with my reading/writing/music/movie activities that I have a real hard time connecting with people who don't read.
My boxer trashed a few books of mine when he was a puppy. We fixed his wagon, though. He's now crated when we have to go out and leave him behind...LOL
I have to be sure to tuck in any ribbon bookmarks (the kind that are bound into the books) if they are on low shelves because my cat will chew on them.
My wife was an artist and one of the things we did together was, make book marks. Most are made of ribbon and various kinds of charms and beads (I've only made a couple for friends since she passed). We sold some and gave some away but I have several in books and our cats also used to be "very interested" in them. Mostly now they've learned to leave them alone...mostly. :)
Don't worry. I believe MY books (with the except of a few firsts) are meant to be used and abused. But I treat other people's books like fragile baby hummingbirds. I respect my books by believing their ideas, rather than their paper, is important. But I respect other people's property--no matter what it is.
Yeah. I grew up in a family of readers. I have a few friends who don't read that much, but we're also all movie buffs, so we can all relate that way. Family past time: reading out loud to each other. My brother and I have both read out loud to our significant others at times. Is that creepy?
I think my biggest library mistakes, actually, have been when I was moving and I'm always like, I'm not going to read this again, right? I can pass it along. Then three months later I want to reread those books.
CicadaGrrl wrote: "I think my biggest library mistakes, actually, have been when I was moving and I'm always like, I'm not going to read this again, right? I can pass it along. Then three months later I want to rer..."I do this all the time with books and music. Sometimes movies, too. The only difference is that I'm not moving. I'll be looking through my libraries and think, I don't need these anymore, and so I'll go trade them. Then, weeks or months later, I'll be wondering where the heck I put them because I want to read/listen/watch them again.
CicadaGrrl wrote: "Don't worry. I believe MY books (with the except of a few firsts) are meant to be used and abused. But I treat other people's books like fragile baby hummingbirds. I respect my books by believ..."
Nope if I find something awesome I want to share I read it off to Todd all the time. If anything its sort of romantic :_)
I definitely have the problem of having left books in wrong places. Once a freak storm came in and because I had textbooks and novels piled up they all became soaked and got water damage. Another is leaving the books so that they get creased or folded corners. Not a good idea...
From bitter experience I've learned that IKEA flat pack can't take the weight of books!
I left my watch on the table with some books whilst I was browsing for more books to borrow. Came back and watch is gone. Hehehe. Never doing that again!
Also have had book shelves "collapse" (though they weren't IKEA). I guess double (or triple) loading book shelves isn't that great an idea...
R.M.F wrote: "From bitter experience I've learned that IKEA flat pack can't take the weight of books!"Truth.
My shelves are all IKEA. One did completely collapse and I had to replace it. But good bookcases are expensive...
The bookcase next to my "computer desk" is listing several degrees to the left now, and all the shelves are loaded with 2 rows of books. It's a flat pack bookcase...from Walmart.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "The bookcase next to my "computer desk" is listing several degrees to the left now, and all the shelves are loaded with 2 rows of books. It's a flat pack bookcase...from Walmart."Oh yes, have learned this the hard way as well. Having grown up with decent shelves, it was a shock the first time I bought my own bookcase and noticed the shelved bowing down after six months. Since then, I think of them as 'bookcases for non-book people.' Just got rid of my last one after catching a good sale.
On that note, does anyone secure their bookcases to the wall somehow? I had never thought about it, since I don't have kids and it's never been a problem.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "The bookcase next to my "computer desk" is listing several degrees to the left now, and all the shelves are loaded with 2 rows of books. It's a flat pack bookcase...from Walmart."My last Walmart bookcase collapsed...
My first IKEA bookcase fell into pieces (literally) as we were moving. It broke itself down to it's flat packaging state. While in someone's hands...
Carol wrote: "Oh yes, have learned this the hard way as well. Having grown up with decent shelves, it was a shock the first time I bought my own bookcase and noticed the shelved bowing down after six months. Since then, I think of them as 'bookcases for non-book people.' Just got rid of my last one after catching a good sale.On that note, does anyone secure their bookcases to the wall somehow? I had never thought about it, since I don't have kids and it's never been a problem. "
I don't but I will. One day...
I have Sauder bookcases from Walmart, and haven't had a problem with them. The shelves are nice and thick and I haven't noticed much in the way of bowing. (Not that they don't bow at all - just not enough to be problematic.)The biggest issue I have with these ones is that there aren't enough shelves - there was all this empty, unused space. (I don't like laying books on top of each other.)
I built little half steps for them, though, so I can put books two deep, and the back ones are raised up a bit so you can see what's there.
Ironically enough, I have one bookshelf that I bought from somewhere else, which was fancier and more expensive, and the shelves on that thing are like freaking cardboard. They're terrible. I can only use it for MMPBS, and even that's pushing it.
@Carol - I've never secured mine.
Colleen wrote: "I built little half steps for them, though, so I can put books two deep, and the back ones are raised up a bit so you can see what's there."Oh, what an awesome idea, especially if there are a lot of paperbacks. I'm going to keep that in mind, because usually there is one extra too-tall shelf.
They're really easy to make, too - and this is from someone who has very limited DIY capability. ;)
I have 3 bookcases I got from Walmart that are heavier and have glass-front doors for each shelf. Those I've secured (they came with a short strap that can be secured to the wall). Those have 4 shelves and as Colleen said have a lot of dead space. I tend to stack books on their sides to use the space, though it's not as esthetically pleasing. :)
Colleen wrote: "They're really easy to make, too - and this is from someone who has very limited DIY capability. ;)"Pics... :-)
Hey all...been a while. @Carol, I don't have any of my shelves secured because I tend to move them every few months or years and it's a pain to bother with screws and straps. I always use the bottom shelves for heavier books, hardbacks and trade paperbacks and those weird dense books that have paper that weighs a ton. They stay pretty balanced that way and I've never had a problem with them moving on me. Shelf bowing on the other hand...yeah, very familiar with that problem.
Sophie--welcome back!! I hear you on securing related to moving. I've mostly had the shelves on wood floors and they were basically stable. Now there are two on a carpet, so I could see where the potential was for tipping, especially my cheap pressboard one.I'm sure eventually, all my furniture will consist of bookshelves, a bed and a couch. ;)
Welcome back, Sophie!
I have several different configurations of the EXPEDIT bookscases from IKEA, from the little 2x2 to the big 5x5 and I love them. Heavy freakers. Dread having to move the big one when I move as it's glued together.
Hi Sophie.Carol...why do you need a bed AND a couch?????
:)
So I have someplace to go when the dogs are hogging all the space ;)
Tell them to share. :)I'm one to talk. I put off doing leather work and other hobby "stuff" when one of the cats is sleeping on the table under the lamp.
It's one of those necked work lamps and they love to sleep under the bulb because it gets warm...
LOL ..Mike...sounds like your kitty is suffering, better turn on the heat!
There are 4...(their pictures are under my profile, LOL). There's a rule of thumb for thermostat settings. If the cat isn't sleeping on the radiator/vent/heat air flow, the house is too warm. :)They sleep under the light in the summer. In winter the only way I get to do any hobby work is to leave them a spot where they can enjoy the heater and even then I usually need to move one from under the lamp.
Martha is on the arm of my chair right now as I type this.
Fantasy Aficionados
Books mentioned in this topic
A Is for Alibi (other topics)The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (other topics)
Shadow Moon (other topics)
The Omen (other topics)
The Hero and the Crown (other topics)
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I read in the bath. Frankly, I think books are meant to be lived in. Dog earred. Written in. Read in baths. Spines broken. Chewed on. Stepped on and otherwise tortured. I have a couple of firsts I'm careful with, but that's it.