That week in Portland where every swap book had a broken spine

I brought 14 books to the Tuesday meetup and all of them came back with cracked spines or folded corners, even the ones I wrapped. One lady handed me a mystery novel with a coffee ring on page 42 and said 'it adds character.' Has anyone else had a run of beat-up trades that made you wonder if people even open these gently?

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adamr142mo ago

Wednesday night meetup, 2021, I watched a guy read my hardcover with his elbows on the cover like it was a pizza box. But honestly, that's what a used book is supposed to look like after it's been loved. The coffee ring is just proof someone actually read it instead of leaving it on a shelf for Instagram. Maybe we're the weird ones for wrapping them.

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craig.john2mo ago

Honestly @adamr14, a cracked spine isn't love, it's just carelessness, and coffee stains are gross not charming.

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