Bookmarks - what do you use?

[Paul Whybrow]

This article in the Guardian shows some unusual objects used as bookmarks:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/bo...ow-you-keep-track-of-your-reading-in-pictures

I abhor the practice of turning over the corners of pages to mark where someone left off reading. I also get annoyed when previous readers have left written comments on the page, as I was brought up to value and look after books. I can just about see the point of making useful notes in a textbook, and it's something that I've done with Haynes workshop manuals for cars and motorcycles, when I've found a better way of doing a repair.

Although I'm able to remember the number of a page, for after all it's only one number, I tend to use postcards as markers these days - such as when I have four books on the go at the same time. These cards include a greetings card with a charming message from a friend, as well as some American rustic postcards from Wyoming that a photographer sent me. I've been known to use squares of tissue paper, though it's been a while since I had a proper leather bookmark with tassels.

Librarians are always finding bookmarks, and usually keep a box of them under the counter - just in case a reader asks for their return. When I worked as a librarian, I sometimes found things that we most definitely did not keep. You may find it hard to believe, but these included slices of bacon (cooked and uncooked), condoms (used and unused), combs, straws, razor blades, cocktail sticks, matches and paperclips. Weirdest of all was a squashed army of woodlice, which I think are known as pillbugs in America. Their flattened corpses marked the reader's progress through the book. This slaughter had been deliberately done, as the reader left a message declaring her hatred for woodlice beside her last victim!

 

[1408]

N'awh, poor woodlice! I like woodlice, they always look like they're in a rush, got many appointments to attend to!

I use whatever is at hand really. I have some gorgeous bookmarks but I never think to use one when I start reading a book and so it slips my mind whenever I next sit down to! I'm pretty rough with my books. I was brought up to take care of my books but that never meant I couldn't really get in to them. I like folding them back and curving the pages I've read behind those I haven't. If I'm reading on the go I'll quickly bend a corner and push it in my bag. None of that bothers me. I don't treat other peoples books the same way and I'm really careful when looking at a book in a library or book shop. But my books? Those buggers are getting some tough love! I think I'm the opposite of you haha. One of my most favourite books I ever found was an old book on hypnotism. It had notes down the sides and I felt like it told a story on its own. I like that kind of thing!

 

[Jennifer Stone]

I buy so many bookmarks, then end up leaving them partway through a book I'm reading when I start a new book. Then have to go out and buy a new bookmark.
Generally I've used receipts, scraps of paper, folded envelopes and even a comb as bookmarks. Folding pages is a sacrilege to me, mostly because it bugs me. I like nice clean, crisp pages, without folds and creases.

 

[Nicole Wilson]

I, too, hate dog earing pages as that's a crease that can never go away, nor do I write in my books because, on the occasion I do go back and reread them, the notes get in the way of the story.

My bookmarks almost exclusively consist of tickets to sport games I've been to. As (American) football is the most expensive, the game I've been to least bc of the cost, and my favorite to watch, the two Texans games tickets I have are my two main bookmarks. I have a stash of hockey, basketball, and baseball tickets that are waiting their turn

 

[Matnov]

If it is a hardback, then I will use a book mark but for paper-backs, then I am one of those annoying people who dog-ear the page. I cannot ever recollect writing notes in a book although if I am reading on my kindle, then I actually do make use of the note taking/highlighting facilities.

But for me a paper-back book should look worn. It should look a bit tatty and battered, having been dropped in the bath or had tea/wine/beer/whatever liquid of your choice spilt on it. Maybe even thrown at a wall a few times in anger. Even, on occasion, used for some other purpose such as a door stop. A hardback is that expensive, special occasions only, pair of leather shoes which you polish and keep in their box where as a paper-back should be your comfortable, seen better days, pair of slippers that your wife is constantly nagging you to throw away but you cannot bring yourself to do so.

 

[1408]

I think that's a really nice description, @Matnov ! I feel like if I ever saw someone with one of my books, and they were curled up looking all comfortable and engrossed with it, and it looked like it had been read a number of times I'd feel really, I don't know, happy I guess! Kind of like your favourite teddy bear as a kid, it's always the one most battered looking! Don't get me wrong, if I saw someone with one of my books and it had been stomped in a puddle of mud I'd be a little less impressed with the worn look haha! Maybe we're just suckers for those fantasy type libraries where all the books are ancient and covered in cobwebs. Diamonds in the rough!

 

[Jason Byrne]

I buy so many bookmarks, then end up leaving them partway through a book I'm reading when I start a new book. Then have to go out and buy a new bookmark.
Generally I've used receipts, scraps of paper, folded envelopes and even a comb as bookmarks. Folding pages is a sacrilege to me, mostly because it bugs me. I like nice clean, crisp pages, without folds and creases.

Receipts! Thank you! I always take a receipt, and never need it, so I have three of four in my pants pocket at any given time. What better bookmark? You'll always find old McDonalds receipts in my books, or Subway, or gas receipts, ATM balance receipts, or Wonderbook receipts which is a chain thrift book shop we have in this area.

If it is a hardback, then I will use a book mark but for paper-backs, then I am one of those annoying people who dog-ear the page. I cannot ever recollect writing notes in a book although if I am reading on my kindle, then I actually do make use of the note taking/highlighting facilities.

But for me a paper-back book should look worn. It should look a bit tatty and battered, having been dropped in the bath or had tea/wine/beer/whatever liquid of your choice spilt on it. Maybe even thrown at a wall a few times in anger. Even, on occasion, used for some other purpose such as a door stop. A hardback is that expensive, special occasions only, pair of leather shoes which you polish and keep in their box where as a paper-back should be your comfortable, seen better days, pair of slippers that your wife is constantly nagging you to throw away but you cannot bring yourself to do so.

I generally keep a book handy, in a coat pocket or the back seat of the car, etc. and while I abhor tearing books or throwing them away, I tend to beat up pretty much all my possessions — everything I have not tough enough to hold up tends to fall apart around me. You should see what my car looks like.

Let's face it — does that really come as a surprise to you?
I don't dog-ear pages because I always have receipts handy, but I don't really care if a page is bent; they fold back over.

 

[Stephen Drake]

I used to dog-ear pages. Now I use postit plastic strips (the small ones that you use to mark places on a physical document). They are self-sticking and don't do any damage to the pages when you remove them. I try to take good care of all my books and never write in them. I really hate it when you open an older book and the pages drop out (as some paperbacks will). I have no problem discarding a book I hate
(you know, the ones that make you regurgitate a little into your mouth at the sight of them), but tend to collect all the rest.

 

[Jason Byrne]

I can't bear for even the worst story to be destroyed; I'll give it to Wonderbook. They are all beautiful and unique snowflakes. Some are just really effing horrible snowflakes.

And I keep books with pages fallen out; you can see the ragged edge of loose pages sticking out of a few of my books. But I also wear shoes until they disintegrate. Like, it still works! Why throw it out?

 

[Nicole Wilson]

They are all beautiful and unique snowflakes. Some are just really effing horrible snowflakes.

My favorite line in this thread. You're an adorable snowflake. Just an ugly adorable snowflake.

I don't throw out books either. Though it is very hard for me to part with books--even books I hate--I have a tiny apartment with space restrictions, so every six months or so, hubby and I comb through our collection and give the unwanted to Half Price Books. And then we buy more, but that's beside the point.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

I don't use bookmarks. When I'm finished reading for the night, I memorise the page I'm on. My husband thinks that's really weird...I can tell you exactly what page my favourite recipies are on too. *hides head in shame*

 

[Stephen Drake]

I don't use bookmarks. When I'm finished reading for the night, I memorise the page I'm on. My husband thinks that's really weird...I can tell you exactly what page my favourite recipies are on too. *hides head in shame*

I used to be that way... could remember everything, now, I have to check my driver's license just to see who I am...

 

[Robinne Weiss]

I used to be that way... could remember everything, now, I have to check my driver's license just to see who I am...

Yeah, that was me while pregnant! Seriously, it is F-ing terrifying to forget your own name...pregnancy-induced migraine with my second child was one of the scariest things ever (forgot my name, my son's name, my phone number, my husband's name...wandered into the hospital and tried to explain what was happening to the ER nurse, and all she could say to me was, "You're scaring me." (right helpful woman, that. Good thing for me there was someone else there to take charge)).

 

[Jason Byrne]

Yeah, that was me while pregnant! Seriously, it is F-ing terrifying to forget your own name...pregnancy-induced migraine with my second child was one of the scariest things ever (forgot my name, my son's name, my phone number, my husband's name...wandered into the hospital and tried to explain what was happening to the ER nurse, and all she could say to me was, "You're scaring me." (right helpful woman, that. Good thing for me there was someone else there to take charge)).

WOW. Good job there, nurse.

 

[Jason Byrne]

My favorite line in this thread. You're an adorable snowflake. Just an ugly adorable snowflake.

Exactly.

I don't throw out books either. Though it is very hard for me to part with books--even books I hate--I have a tiny apartment with space restrictions, so every six months or so, hubby and I comb through our collection and give the unwanted to Half Price Books. And then we buy more, but that's beside the point.

Hahahaha, so true...

 

[Stephen Drake]

Exactly.


Hahahaha, so true...

That is not to say I throw a lot of books away. I haven't thrown any for many years. The ones I have thrown were really old programming books.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

That's why I love my Kindle...takes no shelf space! That makes more room for more books!

 

[K.J. Simmill]

I am the same, I hate throwing books out. Sadly about two years back the chimney leaked and we ended up had a massive mold problem during the 9 months it took the landlord to repair (the builder kept not showing up). I threw out 2 black bags of books, after doing the hovering them and trying to save them with no joy.
I was mortified. Some of them are really hard to get hold of now as well, especially a few of my old faves.
I managed to save a few through the hoovering, wrapping in clingflim, freezing, hoovering again and rewrapping and storing method, but very few.
I have always preferred paper books over kindle but I am now finding myself wanting more kindle, as I was really upset at losing a collection I started when I was about 12. But there is something special about holding a book, and that new book smell. As for bookmarks, I had an extra made for my charity giveaway so I use that, but before that it could be anything, normally hospital appointment letters so I wouldn't lose then lol.
Since it's the weekend and this is just a flying visit to the colony, I hope everyone has a great weekend.

 

[Stephen Drake]

That's why I love my Kindle...takes no shelf space! That makes more room for more books!

Kindles are electronic and like all electronics they work great...until they don't.

 

[1408]

@K.J. Simmill Oh my goodness I feel your pain! I had a very similar thing happen and lost a lot of my books from my teen years. All my Anne Rice books! My adult heart was broken and my inner teen was stamping her feet and asking how I could have been so stupid! Also, with an elderly cat, some of my books get chosen to receive a terrible critique. It's only happened a few times, but once she got one of the books I really didn't like. I felt bad that the book had to be thrown away, but I was happy my cat held the same opinion as me!

 

[Robinne Weiss]

I agree--I love a real book. But there's a lot to be said for the electronic ones, especially when you live in a tiny house on an island in the middle of the South Pacific, where books cost at least 3 times what they do in the US.

 

[Jason Byrne]

I agree--I love a real book. But there's a lot to be said for the electronic ones, especially when you live in a tiny house on an island in the middle of the South Pacific, where books cost at least 3 times what they do in the US.

There is that then.

 

[Emurelda]

Sometimes I leave it open face down....shock horror. But right now the leg of my ironing board is a makeshift bookmark...next to my bed! I was interrupted by my kids and had to call for desperate measures...hence the ironing board leg. Also sometimes, like @Robinne Weiss , I memorise the page or most likely the chapter as I like to read to that point - makes it easy to remember.

I find dog-earing the page is a no-no and resist hurting my spouse when he does it to my kids' books...that Paddington Bear book will never be the same again . Luckily my daughter likes to keep her books pristine and now my son has moved onto her Shakespeare collection they've made their own book marks and are not afraid to use them.

 

[Meerkat]

I have to admit, I work my books over.

One reason I never go to the library is because I HAVE to underline and annotate in books I'm reading. I'm compulsive about it. I literally get fidgety if I can't. So I only read books I own.

I dogear to mark my place, underline, comment, gloss, annotate, and so on in all my books. I think of it as leaving Easter eggs for whoever inherits my library.

 

[Meerkat]

I had the amazing experience once of living in a town where a Penguin truck overturned. Literally thousands of books were then "unsaleable," according to Penguin, and they took them all to the VFA hall and said, come get 'em. I took home literally a dozen medium-sized boxes of free books. It was heaven on earth.

Sadly, I've moved a total of 24 times, and whenever I've moved, my books have usually been the majority of my stuff, and since I've often had to move into a single room for me and everything I own, I've usually sacrificed the books. I mean, they are the one thing I can replace.

However, I bought my first house a year and a half ago, and I never plan to move again, so I hope I never have to get rid of another book. I had three good-sized bookcases already, and then I had my husband build me a built-in bookcase that fits half of one wall. We've run out of room already, though.

This is it right after he built it. It's more finished-looking now.

 

[Meerkat]

I think that's a really nice description, @Matnov ! I feel like if I ever saw someone with one of my books, and they were curled up looking all comfortable and engrossed with it, and it looked like it had been read a number of times I'd feel really, I don't know, happy I guess! Kind of like your favourite teddy bear as a kid, it's always the one most battered looking! Don't get me wrong, if I saw someone with one of my books and it had been stomped in a puddle of mud I'd be a little less impressed with the worn look haha! Maybe we're just suckers for those fantasy type libraries where all the books are ancient and covered in cobwebs. Diamonds in the rough!

For serious, the doll I loved the most as a child has bald patches on her head, is missing both legs and an arm, lost her eyelashes, and has some sort of substance blocking her mouth where it seems I once tried to feed her. She is the only doll I kept. Things I love, I'm rough on.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

In an ironic twist of fate, after saying that I dislike books with dogeared pages and comments written in, I've just bought one. The universe must have been listening, for a writing handbook that I acquired on eBay was delivered yesterday with vast tracts of it highlighted in fluorescent orange marker pen! Never mind, though I find myself wondering what it was that the previous reader found so significant about the passages. This book is written by a Zen meditation trained writing coach Natalie Goldberg, and is called 'Writing Down The Bones: Freeing The Writer Within'.

It's rather different to other guides, in that it encourages a free-flowing approach to writing, including making mistakes and not anguishing about it, to get to the heart of one's creativity. It's tremendous so far, really rather inspirational in how the author encourages one to sidestep doubts and just do it.

I wonder if it worked for the original owner, as the book was given as a gift from Pete to Marie, with a charming dedication about "making writing a routine to lift the grey" - beneath that there's a coloured drawing of a winding road going towards a rainbow, with a shining star chasing away a grey bucket with 'ten tonnes' written on the side of it. Presumably the recipient was prone to depression, and writing can be a good way of leaving that gloomy realm.

 

[Meerkat]

I have that book! It's amazing. A great one.

I love the dedication!

 

[James Marinero]

I use my own. I had some printed for promos. Tacky, but they put the word about. I leave them in the library, airport bookstalls and the like.

 

[Marc Joan]

I had the amazing experience once of living in a town where a Penguin truck overturned. Literally thousands of books were then "unsaleable," according to Penguin, and they took them all to the VFA hall and said, come get 'em. I took home literally a dozen medium-sized boxes of free books. It was heaven on earth.

Sadly, I've moved a total of 24 times, and whenever I've moved, my books have usually been the majority of my stuff, and since I've often had to move into a single room for me and everything I own, I've usually sacrificed the books. I mean, they are the one thing I can replace.

However, I bought my first house a year and a half ago, and I never plan to move again, so I hope I never have to get rid of another book. I had three good-sized bookcases already, and then I had my husband build me a built-in bookcase that fits half of one wall. We've run out of room already, though.

This is it right after he built it. It's more finished-looking now.

You've got loads of space on the bottom middle shelf. Go and buy some books.