Bad book buying/book owning habits

[muninnhuginn]

Prompted by lark_ascending's comment about their love at first sight (if that's the way to put it?) experience with some books, I was beginning to muse about my methods of finding new authors, when not following other folk's recommendations or reviews: my browsing methods. These were, I'd always thought, pretty unexceptional. All the same, when I've mentioned them to folk they've not been unanimously in agreement. In fact, some quirks were deemed to be actually morally reprehensible methods of selecting books (and probably other things in life, tho' my strategies vary according to what I'm seeking).

So here, to my shame, are some confessions of bad book buying and book owning habits (in no particular order, although alphabetical would probably be virtuous):

1. I read the last page in the book shop. Always.
   I honestly can't think of a better way of choosing a book about which I otherwise know nothing. If I don't want to get to that last page, why bother starting?
2. I read the first page with my proof reading eyes in. Always.
   If I find a typo, I put the book back on the shelf. This applies equally to authors I don't know--Alastair Reynold's Revelation Space I rejected several times because of the misuse of the word "crescendo" on one of its opening pages--and to old friends--there's a Brian Stableford (don't know which one, can't check, see mood below) I didn't buy for ages, despite my love of his writing, because there was some horrid misspelling or substitution on the first page.
3. If it's got a thick, black spine I'm almost always sold.
   Well, it's probably why I gave in on Revelation Space (which I eventually acquired and enjoyed). It's also my excuse for *whispers* Stephen Donaldson. One of them. I've made many over the years. I am unrepentant.
   And yes, for several years, I shelved all the black-spined books separately, above the head of my bed. (Now I just display the Folio Society volumes more prominently than the random books of humour folk have gifted and I can't quite persuade us to get rid of).
4. I can't get rid of, even unwanted, books. Ever.
   Some things smack too much of sacrilege. Period.
5. I overbuy books.
   The result of which is the unread piles. These fester against a party wall so they don't even pass for extra insulation.

I know the last one's hardly news round here. I don't think I know many people who don't have that problem. Still.

That's me done. In the spirit of mutual filthy(-ish) confession, what bad book buying/book owning habits do other folk have--and are willing to own up to?

Comments

[pickledginger.livejournal.com]

I will buy almost anything, in a pinch, and read it, cover to cover.

I have destroyed a couple of books on purpose (pseudo-SF neo-Nazi propaganda).

"Unread books"? Those are the ones still in the store, yes? (And too few of those ... every month or so, I'll buy a book, get 20 pages in, and discover I've read this one a decade or two ago. Those new covers are particularly deceptive!)

I trade in books. There's a used paperback shop near me that takes cash or tomes. The exchange rate is about 2.5:1, based on dollar value when new; this leads to much hunting for earlier, cheaper editions.

I don't trade in nearly enough books. A book has to be pretty bad to be relegated to the retread pile.

I need a much bigger house, full of shelves and comfy chairs, to appropriately house my books.

[ci5rod.livejournal.com]

4. and 5. I will definitely own up to; I've only ever got rid of a few books, and those were duplicates acquired by mistake, and I have a thoroughly overflowing bookcase full of books I haven't read yet.

1. I will always read the last page at some point, not necessarily when I buy the book. I'm not sure why, I just always have.

My own filthy habit: I've started so I'll finish. Once I've embarked on reading a book, I will get to the end. Even if it's truly crap, I'll still persevere. There's only ever been one exception to this rule; an "ancient Incan meets spacemen" story that was so very, very bad even I couldn't stomach it. It's also the only non-duplicate I've ever thrown away.

[pickledginger.livejournal.com]

*g* I think I've had two books that I decided not to finish.

There've been a few others that I was reading someplace and couldn't find again to finish, but that's a different category, I think.

[headgardener.livejournal.com]

Thank you for asking. I have Officially Given Up Buying Books. But somehow, I keep finding that they've just followed me home... Current weaknesses:
1) Art/craft type books, preferably with lush piccies. I tell myself I will get around to making things in them -- but buying them may well be a compensation for not actually having time-with-energy enough to get anything much at all done outside Werk.
2) New Terry Pratchett -- which must be consumed Immediately...
3) Kiddie books: with the intention of sending them on to niecies and nevvies...

I used to be a fast reader: but having my close-up vision go all blurry has really slowed me down. Yes, I have reading glasses, which I use when the blurriness is consciously noticeable. But even when the type seems clear to my naked eyes, the words just don't whizz by as fast as they used.

[muninnhuginn]

Art/craft type books
Ah, stitch pr0n. The current reshelving activities have rather highlighted just how many embroidery books I own. I'm never going to do even one project from each--not without several extra lifetimes.

Kiddie books
Never stopped buying them. Now I buy some for me for immediate consumption and to be passed onto Looby Loo later and some I borrow back from her when she's not looking.

My book buying policy is currently: finish three, buy one. But looky here, it's Easter, my major book buying time of the year.

I was a fast reader until I went to uinversity to read booksstudy English. Twenty years on I've still not got out of the habit of reading as if studying (and writing notes).