Used Books = Nostalgic?

[Andy]

http://www.dailycardinal.com/article/20354
The truth is, there is much more to reading than simply consuming words. Listening to authors read their books aloud on tape is valuable in its own way, there is something unique about the experience of reading a physical book, especially a used book. Each crease in a book’s binding is a physical reminder of someone else’s page-turning. I feel that way sometimes with all the blue marks in my Physics textbook, that some other student actually had to go and highlight all the important things, while I see them already marked (I do read the whole page, in case anyone's calling me lazy or foolish). :D

[Shaun]

I'm prefer crisp and new, but I also buy a lot of used books. I've become a little picky about used books though. I'm not as picky as Imelda, but still. I like used books that aren't super beat up, you know? Some minor creases is fine, but unless I really really really want a book and it's a hard to find one, I won't buy it if it has a lot of damage on the cover or pages (unless it's for school and it's a penny on Amazon).

I do love used books though because you can find a lot of stuff you might never see in Borders, B&N, or an independent book shop. If you think about the fact that America alone publishes some 200,000 books a year from legitimate presses and it's been that way for the last few years (give or take a few thousand), then you know that there are a lot of books you've never seen or heard of before!

Edit: I also prefer buying new books because authors don't make money off used books. If I really like an author I want their books new so they get a royalty off me. It's only fair.

[Lykaios]

I love new books, they smell nice as well as look good. I've always hated it when paperbacks get creases down the spine or if a hardback's cover gets wripped. I think books should be respected, they're important and it's someone's work, so I look after my books. I do buy used books though, so long as they're in good-ish nick and aren't mouldy or something.

I like finding my old books from when I was small and my family's and reading what we wrote, but it wouldn't make much sense if I were to read another person's scribblings. But my own /family/friend's old books are good sentiments. :)

[Starry]

I'm not big on used books. A little bit of crease in the spines is ok, but things like ripped or bent pages and covers or pencil scribbling in the books seems like someone's defaced the book, which I find moderately painful.

On the other hand, with brand-new books, I get really neurotic about not creasing the spine, so *shrug*

[Lykaios]

I lent my brother a book once, Philip Pullman's 'I was a Rat'.

He destroyed my book. He spilt milk on it so all the ink inside ran and yoghurt too, he bent the book lin half, and bent all the pages ove, the cover was ripped and hanging from the spine. He's written 'Maths homewrk in 2moro' on the remailnder of the fromnt cover and had tore out two endpapers to leave notes for mum about washing . . .

I am never lending my brother a book again.

[Shaun]

My brother ruined one of my books before too...he was kind enough to buy me a new copy though, which was nice of him. The problem was he gave it to me for my birthday, as if I wanted that as a present :P.

[Nyx]

I'm not a fan of used books, I usually don't buy books since I practually live at the library but when I do I like new books. I love their smell, their clean and shiny look, etc.

[Majyk]

I'd have to say I like new books better. There's just something about reading a book no one else's used before. But mostly I get stuff from the library. Whenever I find bent pages in a library book, I fix the page, and writing in library books annoys me.

[Zombified]

I buy all my books brand new.

Library?
Ha!

Not me.