Hardcovers

I greatly prefer hard back books. While I have some paper backs in my library they are there usually because I couldn’t find that book in hard cover. In my library there are books I haven’t read yet, or books I intend to read again...books I like or love. A hard cover book will stand the tests of time and use far better than a paper back. Personally I’m not the kind of reader who "bends" the cover back or "breaks the spine" of a book to make it easier to read. And "dogearing a page" in one of my volumes can send me over the edge. I hope to pass my books on to people who will also appreciate and receive joy from them.

This of course sets up some problems. First there are quite a few of my favorite reads that I can’t find in hard back, not even book club editions (which I will take over paper backs, though collectors disparage them). For example I think I have almost all David Gemmell’s books but only a couple in hard cover.

Then there’s this, my kids and some of my friends are starting to argue over who gets what when I die...slightly unnerving that....
 
Typically, I like paperbacks, both trade and mass, because they're cheaper for me to buy (so I can buy more), and they're also smaller so I can store them easier. Yes, some of them have more or less fallen apart over the years, but if somethings in paperback, its usually easy and cheap to replace.

I do buy hardcovers (US ones, as that's where I'm from), but typically only ones by authers I avidly follow. Sometimes I'll check a book out from the library, fall in love with it, know I'll re-read it, and buy the hardback.
 
Welcome, MersSong, to The Chrons. Here's hoping ya like the joint!:) If so inclined, stop by the Introductions sub-forum and tell us a little more about yourself.

Almost entirely hardbacks for me, at least (like others before) where my favorite authors are concerned. Interestingly, I learned that there seems to be a difference between "hardback" and "hardcover" when I had to order my copy of Janny Wurts' Stormed Fortress thru Amazon UK (I live in the States). A friend living in London placed the order for me for a copy offered as "hardcover". This turned out to be just a larger version in paperback, albeit with a thicker paper cover (closer to cardboard). Returned that one, and was lucky enough to find another copy available in true "hardback". (This would not have been possible in the States at the time; the only hardback I know of to this day is the UK Book Club version, although that may be changing now that Janny has re-release dates under her new publisher.)

So, yes, mostly hardback for me unless I'm trying someone new and can't find them at the Library or in the used book sections.
 
Paperbacks, apart from Sir Terry, and a few books that I've upgraded to h'b over the years. (JRRT, for example.)

If I bought hardbacks, (a) I'd only be able to afford half as many, and (b) I'd have to buy a bigger house.

(present state of "library"...)

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From the looks of things, your Greenness, you'd better get crackin' on option (b), 'cuz we all know option (a) doesn't really exist! (They're just deferred!);)
 
It's actually worse than that, Grimmy...those were taken over a year ago...:rolleyes:
 
*chuckles*

As noted elsewhere, we had to turn one of the spare rooms over to the cause, although with that change there's still some capacity yet (must be slacking!). I can see that my time is coming where I'll have to say the same....
 
Connavar said:
Yep there are huge paperbacks who look like a Hardcover but its a paperback.

They come out alittle after a new Hardcover book is out. Its prolly a good trick of getting paperback readers who cant wait months for mass market paperback.
It works since despite it cost alot more than mass paperback some authors you cant wait 5,6 months for.
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I hate those books... is that like the Joe Abercrombie/George Martin books I see in Borders with the soft cover? They're HUGE and unwieldy. I can't bring myself to buy one, even though reading Martin's books in mass market format is giving me tendonitis ;)
 
I prefer paperback books as well. There small, easy to carry places, fit in your hands nicely, and you can buy 3-4 paperbacks for the price of 1 hardcover. In most cases at least. Since Ace prints smaller books most of the time they only do paperbacks, but when they do do hardcovers they are usually $10 cheaper. Just about all my books are in paperback. But when I am reading a series and the latest is in hardcover I will definitly buy it. I hate doing it, but I can't wait almost a year before it comes out in paperback.
 
Pyran, that looks like what my place would be like if I didn't have 90% of my books in boxes. At some point I'll get enough space to line a room with floor to ceiling shelves...and when I do, I'll prob'ly find that even that isn't enough room.
 
Grimward, I have a friend who once told me in reference to bookshelves, "If you build them...they wil come." Seems to be true.:rolleyes:
 
So I've come to learn, TP. Heck, in my house, even the non-shelf flat surfaces weren't safe before the library....
 
You guys are my heroes. Someday I will have that many books. Right now all I have is one completely full book case stuffed in the corner of my room and not really fitting. And one twice as big and nearly half filled already.

Is it wrong to want a mansion just so you can have your own giant library to put your books? It sure would be nice...
 
Well, our library is in a spare bedroom, and I wouldn't call it giant by any means. Still, there's something obscurely satisfying about walking into it and just taking the sight in. Maybe we can get the jury to let us off with a lesser "guilty pleasure" charge instead of going all the way to "wrong"?;)
 
I sure hope so. But one of these days the cops are going to find me sneaking into some guys mansion with books in my hands. They'll probably be surprised I'm sneaking things into the mansion and not out. My excuse: "What? Look at all those beautiful giant rooms I can use for my books! Tons and tons of books placed on nice book cases just waiting for me to pluck them from there solitary confinement and read them!" That's when they put me in the loony bin and throw away the key.

Sorry, I got carried away...
 
I love hardbacks, especially the old cloth-covered ones with stitched bindings. I buy them whenever I can afford them and especially when the books belong to authors I especially care about.

... No it's not wrong to have a mansion just to have a library .... I love the libraries in several books and movies for instance.
 
I've always found it sad to see people with huge houses, lots of shelves...and no books!
 
Shingetsu said:
You guys are my heroes. Someday I will have that many books. Right now all I have is one completely full book case stuffed in the corner of my room and not really fitting. And one twice as big and nearly half filled already.

Is it wrong to want a mansion just so you can have your own giant library to put your books? It sure would be nice...
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I too have only one book shelf so far. But i have many more books in bags,boxes all over my bedroom. It bothers me there arent enough room.

Right now i live at home with my family cause i couldnt afford my own place without work before . Now that i work again im getting my own place who must have one extra room for my books,shelfs :)

Unlike my friends i dont want space for widescreen plasma tv or dvd,cd shelfs. I want room only for my books.
 
I've always loved being surrounded by books. All those thoughts silently waiting to be shared. When young I rented a place that had many problems (older house that came with it's own infinite supply of roaches. constant "bug battle".) But along with my apartment I "got" the floored attic. The roof made too low a ceiling for it to be made into a seperate apartment, so they included it with ours which was the top floor of the house. There had apparently been some "hippies" (if you aren't familiar with the term google it, I'm sure you'll get the picture). The attic was on large room with plaster walls. there was plenty of light as there were a couple of "bare bulb fixtures". It ended up being one room with nooks and crannies from the roof shape and dormers. The former inhabitants had painted the place, but had simply used whatever paint the had. the wall would be red...till they ran out of red, then it was yellow, or green, or purple..the colors simply changed with no rime or reason. My librayr then was mostly paperback so I lined the walls up there with blosk and board shelves. Believe it or not it was a rather plesant place for a young and mostly broke book lover to "get away" now and again. It kept the bus away from my books better to.

Since then, I have moved many times (it's been about thirty years) and a lot of the books I had then have worn out, and are now out of print. I have spent hours trying to run down used copies of books I suddenly remember that I'd loved years ago.

I hope that I can finally retire in a place where I can have books around me. They are, I find friends that stay.
 
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