Being an avid reader has numerous virtues. Being a bibliophile has its own thrill. However, being both, at the same time, is a rather worrisome situation. Disastrous if you fall in a category called fussy.
For me books are not just a bunch of printed sheets bound together. They are a lot more. I treat them as if they have life. Every book I buy is chosen carefully after a thorough examination and comparison with all available copies in the store. I am very particular about the condition of the book that becomes mine.
I simply dislike the offer/ discount and other stickers pasted on the covers of books. I cannot stand blunt edges, especially those of hard covers. It breaks my heart. I've mended quite a few paper backs to near perfect but with damaged hard covers there is no hope. Crumpled pages are tantamount to murder. In short, defacing a book is just not allowed. It is a gargantuan sin. And that is the reason why I do not lend books to anybody.
I am not the kinds who can just pick a book off the shelf and begin to read. I never read in book stores. It is not voluntary; I just cannot get myself to read in the presence of other people. Reading is a very private affair for me, and I prefer to do it in solitude.
Every book that I read goes through a set of rituals. Each book that belongs to me bears my name along with the date when and place where it was bought. I sometimes even fuss about the colour of ink I use. A lot of my books are signed in with an ink of a colour that matches the colour scheme on the cover of the book. At other times it's an ink colour that catches my fancy. Which page, and on which part of the page I sign is also a little episode in itself. It has happened, and still happens that I do not immediately read a book after its procurement, because a to-be-read waiting list is always in tow. I always look at the signed details before I begin to read. And I usually remember the day I got the book - be it a gift or otherwise. For me, a book is an occasion.
After the signing ritual every book is covered, very neatly, with cellophane sheet, or glazed paper. I personally cover each of my books. This is one task that I may never outsource. I just cannot read a book that is not covered. Uncovered books, especially those beginning to wear out irk me no end. So much so that many a time I have had to quell my urges to cover books that I borrow from libraries.
All my books have their own bookmarks which stay in them, always. The bookmark is so handy just to make sure that you close the book every time you put it down instead of turning its face on the page you last read. This leaves an indelible crease on the spine and also crumples the sheets.
The way you treat your books speaks a lot about the kind of person you are. For me, it is an art and I am brazenly unapologetic about all the foofaraw. I wonder sometimes if this is the reason I find myself so uncomfortable with e-books. Yet another whimsical feather in my eccentric cap.
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