Hardcover? Or paperback?- Illustrations? Or just text?
- First editions? Or you don’t care?
- Signed by the author? Or not?
I do tend to think I collect books. I like to own them. I think it’s because I’m a re-reader at heart, even if I don’t have much time for doing so these days. I might want to read them again, and then I will have the ones I liked nearby. As for the rest, I’m not too picky about what exactly I’m collecting. I don’t keep a special edition of certain books just to have a good one. My mother does this and I’ve never quite understood. Books are made for reading, not sitting prettily on a shelf. I even prefer paperbacks because they’re easier to read. Hardcovers may look nicer, but I want to be able to enjoy the story. I love older books, but at the moment I’m happy to let them exist in the library where they belong, unless of course they are being sold for 20p, at which point I consider it my duty to save them from recycling.
I do love books that are signed by the author, though. I’ve only been to a single book signing and it was a mandatory one of a book I didn’t like in college. Every year, they send a free book to all incoming undergraduates to read and then have the author speak at orientation. Great idea, and the book wasn’t that bad, but the fact that the author’s presentation consisted mostly of him reading the book over again in a monotone voice put me off ever looking at it again. I have a number of books and ARCs that have been signed by authors which I received in the mail, though, and I love those. It’s one of my favorite parts of book blogging, especially when one of those authors is one of my favorites.
Do you collect books?
I don’t really collect books. I just get them for my own reading pleasure. I guess because I don’t re-read anything. I don’t have the time and with so many books in my TBR, I’d rather read something I haven’t read yet. I do prefer paperbacks for many different reasons – cost and space mainly.
Happy Thursday!
Yvonne’s last blog post..Booking Through Thursday
I’m not a purposeful collector. I have just accumulated a gazillion books over the years. Signed copies are great, but I don’t seek them out.
Beth F’s last blog post..Booking Through Thursday: Collectibles
I’m a lot like Beth – I’m a collector because I can’t bear to get rid of most of my precious books.
I agree, I buy books mainly because I like the content more than the format, though a nice cover and all is a plus. And paperbacks are much easier to handle and cheaper. I do love rereading favorites, too, but have too many new ones stacked up to reread much.
Barbara H.’s last blog post..Booking Through Thursday: Collectibles
I’m very much like you- I don’t really collect but love having the signed ones.
Lisamm’s last blog post..Collectibles: Booking Through Thursday
I do collect but only favourites. And, like you, I love to have them nearby, to reread passages and such.