Thanks to the Conversational Reading blog, I found out about another blog’s discussion of used book phobia. Should one buy used books? If so, how does one mark them: pen, pencil, not at all? The blogger and responders generally discuss book quirks. Mr. Esposito doesn’t understand why someone wouldn’t buy used books. Beyond that:

I’ve devised my own solution, using a combination of Moleskine and plastic sticky-tabs.

As noted in yesterday’s review, I think we live (or at least should live) in a post-tab world now that Book Darts exist. But I sincerely love the Moleskine reference.

My book quirks (although it’s my personal opinion that anyone who does the opposite of what I list below is the one with the quirks, but that’s for another post. Or not.):

1. I never write in books (paperback or otherwise).
2. I like old and used books quite a bit. Especially rare ones that have personal value.
3. I don’t mind borrowing books from the library. In fact, I think I currently have about 30 or so checked out (I’m affiliated with a university so I can keep renewing books until someone else requests them, which has yet to happen).
4. I never use highlighters.
5. I don’t use sticky tabs, only Book Darts.
6. I’m possessive of my book weights and usually have one with me in case I need a book held open sans hands.
7. I purchased a nice eraser to erase all of the pencil marks in library books (not marks made by me; see quirk #1).
8. I never break the spine.
9. I never bend the page corners to mark my page (or for any other reason). Then again, I don’t really use all of the cute bookmarks given to me over the years. A miscellaneous piece of paper (receipt, old grocery list, etc.) usually serves me well, as does the aforementioned Book Dart. I also have one free, paper bookmark that’s black with white lettering: IS SOMEONE READING OVER YOUR SHOULDER?
10. All of the above quirks have been in place since I started reading. I didn’t even mark textbooks in elementary school or junior high.

P.S. I found the following on 15 Dec. 2005:
Lifehack Your Books: Dogear, Writing In Books, and Apologizing to Librarians.