10 Commandments of Book-keeping.

This post is by no means trying to make fun of the real Catholic commandments. So please, let us all calm our –uhum…

(A/N: Philippines, is currently experiencing one hell of a storm week making my internet connection suck so bad that I can’t even post for more than a week, I apologize.)

On to post!

________________________________________________________________

I consider myself an excellent book-keeper. I mean, I read books A LOT. Ask my friends and they’d tell you how obsessed I am with reading during my spare time that I tend to even miss hang-outs just to read books in the safety of my own home.

What? Weirdo remember?

Anyhoo, with regards to this, it equates to me garnering tons of books over the years that I’ve kept close to me and blatantly refusing to sell even ONE. Books mean a lot to me, and when I read one, its story is practically engraved in my own mind that I can’t let it go. And selling that book would mean that I could never witness and reminisce over the life the book gave me. Get this, for a bookworm, books create these whole new worlds inside our minds that people cannot tarnish. It makes us potentially crazy but hey, who cares.

Now, get this. The amount of care I place on fixing my stuff on my messy desk is nothing…NOTHING.. compared to the amount of care I place upon the “keeping” of my books. I consider these my treasures and I keep them safe.

So..

I really don’t get it…like I reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally don’t get it when people do stuff on their books (its like they own it, but every little damage affects me like wtf), and maybe on mine.

Oh hell no. You ain’t gonna be borrowing my book and return it in less than pristine condition as you first got it!!! No! Die!

Woah, calm down there bud.

Here below are the 10 rules I consider ESSENTIAL to taking care of books:

1. IF I LET YOU BORROW ONE, RETURN IT IN THE DAY WE AGREED ON.

Woooh, lets get the first one outta my chest okay. The thing is, having a large collection of books (if I do say so myself, ehem ehem, yah sorry..bit too arrogant right there) people tend to want to borrow books from me. Okay, totally fine with that. I’ll let you borrow them.

BUT GET THIS

THESE LITTLE THINGS ARE MY BABIES, so learn how to pester yourself into fast-reading them just to make the date we agreed on. Okay? I don’t care if you have to cut the story in the middle just to return me the book. Gimme my baby back!

Okay, sarcasm right there. But honestly, talk to me properly whenever you feel the need to extend borrowing it. I’d consider it, I’m not mean. Just, tell me. I hate it the most when people legit ignore my  texts and totally avoid me just to escape my wrath. (Just kidding, but seriously, talk)

2. DON’T SPREAD IT

My collection in all honestly comes mixed with first and second hand books. Hey, they are still awesome as hell. Its the story line that counts right? So this means that the books have suffered years of travelling just to fall into my hands and obtain  within themselves my ultimate nemesis: Spine creases.

I understand if these happens among second hand books. But the moment SOMEONE borrows or uses my books and spreads the pages too wide (Bookworms you’ll get this), it’d create a THIN WHITE LINE THAT IS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE along the side of the spine.

Do you know how irritating it is to have your books (which you may or may have not saved months or days of money from) to be destroyed physically by that thin line? Augh.

3. WHY FOLD? WHY?

I don’t particularly fancy people not having a bookmark within close proximity to have to fold the pages just to remember where they were. Like come on, you could have just memorized the pages WHICH I EMPHASIZE TO BE 1-3 DIGITS LONG and come back to it again.

Why would you have to create a dog-ear fold at the upper side? Why? Do you know that in a span of years that crease will weaken the paper and will eventually fall out? Come on.

Have mercy.

or better yet. BUY A FREAKIN’ BOOKMARK.

4. DON’T EAT OR DRINK WHILE HOLDING A BOOK

It is what it is. Bookworms apparently are foodholics too. And when I say don’t its just like, be careful with your hands because those itty-bitty stains in your hands will last a thousand years when ACCIDENTALLY SMEARED on the pages of the book.

Don’t say i didn’t warn you.

(Honestly, I smeared nutella on one of my books, I had to resist the urge to lick it clean because I know that I’d get the book wet and just wiped it with a clean cloth. Don’t judge)

5. GETTING A BOOK WET IS HELL

Okay, yes I know a bit too much for a sub-heading but gaddamit you won’t appreciate until you’ve fully realized. Books  + Water = Hell.

That’s what it is. And having your book wet by the spill on the table you didn’t see and having the few pages BULGE BEFORE YOUR EYES is irritating at best.

And you know what’s more annoying? The book doesn’t go back to the way it was before. It stays bulgy..but dry. *cue sad music*

6. DON’T WRITE ON YOUR BOOK

Okay maybe this one is not much of a rule per se, just a personal opinion. But I think writing names or notes or even messages on books doesn’t make it look better. Yes, it practically stamps your name as the eternal owner of the book but I think it only adds mess for the book.

Let the book exist el naturale and expound its true beauty amongst its pages.

7. COVER IT. IMMEDIATELY

I guess for some people they want the authenticity of the feel whenever they handle books. I have no qualms  about that I am just really concerned about the status of the book after a few years. Cover the book with plastic cover as much as you can. It doesn’t hurt right?

AND! It protects the books for a long long time.

8. RECORD EVERYTHING

This one is an easy peasy, at least for me. But when you have in your mind the desire to collect books, like there is literally the thirst to buy and read and buy and read and— you get the point. You better be recording the titles  and authors in a teeny notebook. Why?

Because the feeling of spending money on a book that you forgot you already have is another annoying thing about being forgetful. First its a waste of money. Second, can you imagine the disappointment you have once you’ve realized that “hey, I think I already read this…wait…wait…….*initiate hulk-like anger*”?

9. GO ON AN ADVENTURE.

Challenge yourself with tons and tons of genre, don’t be scared to try out other things. I know its a great risk (even though for other non-bookworms they may say you sound insane but hey, we have your own insane brothers and sisters around the world as crazy as you are – woooo, I give amazing advice) but try it on your own sometime. You like romance novels? try the suspense-romance types, you might like it. You like horror? (I seriously don’t get why but okay) try classic-horror ones despite the old english existing there.

Yes, trying out some may lead to disappointment, and we are all afraid to waste money on a book we didn’t like instead of a book we were dying to have, but you won’t expand your own library and your own love for books without a few risks right?

Protip: (well not really) if you’re willing to try out new ones, try buying second-hand cheaper ones first so you won’t waste too much money in case it sucks but when it doesn’t suck, its win-win right? You get another awesome book and you’ve saved money? Ta-da. Logic.

10. BOOK IS BAE

Do I even need to expound on this? (haha, don’t judge.)