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Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
I love visiting used bookstores and buying used books because I don't like buying books at full price. I also like looking for out of print or rare books on occasion, so shopping at used bookstores is fun.
BUT there are things I admit that I don't like to find in used books. Here is my top ten list of things I don't like to find in used books:
1. Used books with weird smells inside of them (or smell like smoke, mold, musty, etc). A few weeks ago, I bought a book with a really bizarre/unidentifiable smell in it. How does one even get rid of weird book smells? Is it even possible to get rid of weird book smells?
2. Highlighted passages.
3. Writing of any kind on the pages by the previous reader/owner.
4. Bookplates inside used books with the previous owner's name on them.
5. Dog eared pages.
6. Mystery stains or stains of any kind really inside or on the cover of a book.
7. Missing dust jackets on hardback books.
8. Damaged book spines.
9. Torn pages.
10. Warped pages due to water damage.
The horror!!! The pure unadulterated horror!! All these have my cringing!!
ReplyDeleteHere's my Tuesday Post
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Deletehaha, you wouldn't want any of my old books then! Although I don't write on the pages, that's sacrilege!
ReplyDeleteThe only books I don't mind so much for having some writing in or highlighting in are textbooks like when I was in college... If the textbooks are over highlighted or too much writing then it can be a problem.... Even dog eared pages in textbooks aren't a big problem for me.
DeleteI just don't like any of the above 10 things in the books I keep in my permanent collection, which are 99% not textbooks.
I agree with all of these!! I kind of cringed at number 1. I've definitely bought used books and they sometimes smelled like the person had soaked the entire book in a vat of their perfume. Yuck! Dog-eared pages are THE WORST!! Like, how hard is it to grab a bookmark! Or even a piece of paper, ribbon, strand of hair, hair tie, ETC ANYTHING BUT FOLDING THE PAGE!!!
ReplyDelete- Elizabeth @ Book Yabber
Yuck, perfume overload!! The horror of that would drive me insane.
DeleteI agree with all of these, especially the writing/highlighting in books. Why? I've even picked up a library book with writing in it, ugghh. My TTT
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DeleteHi Lisa! I agree with all of these! I would feel so bad if I tried to sell a book that I'd highlighted or torn etc. How can anyone else think that is acceptable? I love a bookplate though... although I've never filled one in lol. I prefer it signed by the author, now that is a mark that I can appreciate.
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Rachel @ Paein-and-Ms4Tune
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Deletehear! hear! And I will take your "mystery stain" and raise you "mystery crusty bits" ... i mean... ew. My TTT
ReplyDeleteOh, lord, NO to mystery crusty bits!! Yuck, just yuck!
DeleteI write on pages, I dog ear pages, I have books with warped pages due to dropping them in the bath when I was reading... *slinks off* sorrynotsorry! lol
ReplyDeleteLove your comment!! Happy reading!
DeleteOh yes, very good list. I don't like smells or stains, but, oddly, I love to find things in books. One book held a train ticket from 1946! I've often thought about that ticket, and wondered about it.
ReplyDeleteFinding old things inside books is interesting... You feel like you're on an archaeological dig! I've found money, bookmarks, and old photos in some used books I've purchased!
DeleteHaha. You should definitely stick to new books. ;)
ReplyDeleteMost used books I purchase aren't bad shape thank goodness. Thank you for stopping by and leaving me a comment!!
DeleteThis is a great idea! UGH....highlighted passages drive me insane. It's distracts me to no end and if it's leaked onto another page it's even worse. It's the same for written notes, well unless they are amusing. I found a lot of insanely funny notes in my used books in uni.
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DeleteThis is a great list -- very original, and I completely agree with most of these, but I guess not all book owners are book lovers.
ReplyDeleteFind my TTT at: https://kellyfbarr.com/2016/06/28/top-ten-tuesday-19/
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DeleteTotally agree with all of these!!
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DeleteYes! All of these! If I have a book I write in, I know I can't donate it or anything. It has to stay in my possession. Great topic!
ReplyDeleteChristina @ Books & Prejudice
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DeleteI hate when used books are missing their dust jackets. They are just so...naked.
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DeleteYes! I couldn't agree more!
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DeleteI always keep the odd bits that people were using as a bookmark that I find in used books! I hate giving away books that I wrote in, as the notes feel so personal and really bond me to the book. Odd? Probably!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by The Local Muse
It is interesting to find other things inside used books, like bookmarks! I've even found money once or twice... Someone left a couple dollars inside the use book I purchased.... Not much money, but it made me wonder if they were using the dollar bill as a bookmark perhaps??
DeleteI've even found old photographs inside used books I've purchased. It makes me kinda sad that the previous owner of the book left old pictures inside the book. The photographs would only hold special meaning to them.
OMG stains and water damage just FREAK ME OUT so much! I cannot. If I get a book from the library and there are stains I will return it. No, thanks!
ReplyDeleteHere are my Top Ten!
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DeleteStains just gross me out on every level! Like, what the hell did you do with this poor book??!
ReplyDeleteGlad you feel the same way about stains! Thank you for stopping by and leaving me a comment!!
DeleteWhat an inventive topic! You've taken me back to some of my worst thrift shop book experiences. Can I add strands of hair and dead bugs to the list?
ReplyDeleteStrands of hair and bugs are gross too and yes, they would make my list of creepy things found in books!!
DeleteI agree with everything on this list except for the bookplates. I love that reminder of the person who had the book before me and wondering what they were like - especially if our taste in books goes beyond this one book we have in common.
ReplyDeleteBut weird stains...no thanks. That could be from a n y t h i n g .
My issue with bookplates is that the book no longer belongs to the person and now I have... It feels weird to me to have a book with someone else's name inside the book, knowing the book belongs to someone else. Plus, I've started using bookplates of my own.
DeleteOH I love this topic idea! I'm not a huge fan of used books so I cringe whenever I see books with dog-eared pages or worse, broken spines. This makes me feel SO bad ahah :)
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DeleteI agree with most of these but especially the mystery stains. Not knowing what it made the stain is just ugh. Ick, you know. Too much fantasy can make you not want to touch the book ever again. ;) Great topic.
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DeleteOh my God, I hate alllll of those things! I think the worst is dog ears and highlighted sentences. Just no!
ReplyDeleteCat @ Bubblegum Yellow
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DeleteI love buying secondhand books. I guess what I dislike is stains, torn pages and dog ears. Never encountered one with an old smell but I have come across the old,musty smell. Interestingly, I don't mind the highlighting of passages. They intrigue me lol I always try and figure out why the reader did that. This is such an interesting topic that you picked. Great post.
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DeleteI'm not going to deny that missing dust jackets, stains etc isn't to my liking, though I must admit that I have hightlighted passages and written notes in some of my academic books (but luckily it's limited to those, as the highlighting/notes are one of my study techniques).
ReplyDeleteThe only books I don't mind so much for having some writing in or highlighting in are textbooks like when I was in college... If the textbooks are over highlighted or too much writing then it can be a problem.... Even dog eared pages in textbooks aren't a big problem for me. And yes, I've written in my academic textbooks and highlighted passages too, but that to me is acceptable as it's part of studying...
DeleteI just don't like any of the above 10 things in the books I keep in my permanent collection, which are 99% not textbooks.
I completely 100% agree with all of these. I love buying old books and antique books, but I am always wary of what I might find inside them. Once I found weird little bugs...not sure what it was but I dropped the book and ran...far far away from it. Weird book smells are awful too...maybe get a sachet of a scent you really like and put it in a airtight container and but the book in there and hope it will absorb the new nicer smell?
ReplyDeleteThank goodness I've never had bugs in any books I've purchased. I think I'd freak out. I've heard other people say they've found bugs inside there books, yuck!
DeleteThanks for your suggestion on getting rid of an odd/weird book smell.
I agree! but most of all I hate dog ears, silly comments and underlinings. it´s disrespectful
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DeleteGreat topic! I totally agree with this. The other thing I have found most recently is bits of food and crumbs. It was in a library book and I found myself wanting to quit reading it after that (i mean i didn't cos i was really invested, but ewwwe!)
ReplyDeleteYes, food crumbs are a weird find in books too. I think they attract critters to books. Thank you for stopping by and leaving me a comment!!
DeleteYES to all of the above. This is why I am a bit more wary of buying used books. I have to inspect them before they get the all clear haha. I think mysterious stains would bug me the most haha.
ReplyDeleteYes, It's good to inspect used books before buying them. I've purchased used books online through Amazon before and been startled by the condition when the book arrived.... Some people have different opinions about the definition of 'Very Good' means.
DeleteI'm the same with used books! That's why when I get books, I take real good care of them and I only put bookplates in books that I am 1000% sure that I will keep forever haha. I don't understand why used books have that smell! Even the new looking ones. Great list!
ReplyDeleteAnjie @ Love thy Shelf
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DeleteHello! Elle from Perusing Pages here. I don't know how to comment with this system. It always stresses me out.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I see you are a fellow book purist. Ah! If I'd made this list, it'd be exactly the same, but MYSTERY STAINS WOULD BE NUMBER 1! I will not touch a book with mystery stains. haha People read in the bathroom, okay? *shudders*
Glad you feel the same way about the list I've made!!! Happy reading!!
DeleteOh, great topic. And I absolutely agree with you on everything! Thanks for sharing, and for stopping by my TTT earlier. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy reading to you! Thanks for stopping by and leaving me a comment.
DeleteI would hate to see all of that in used books! I used to label my books with stickers or with a stamp but nowadays, I don't do that anymore in case I plan to pass on my copy after I finish reading.
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DeleteBwhahah totally agree with these! This is why the library and i do not get along- I can't do the weird smells, or even the thought of other people's fingers rifling through the pages!
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DeleteI never buy used books for these particular reasons. I just can't stand it when books aren't in perfect condition! I've lent books to friends in the past and gotten them back with food stains on the pages. I haven't lent out a book since then!
ReplyDeleteJenna @ Reading with Jenna
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