What are you reading? 3
Book wrapping demo 4, originally uploaded by Koosama.
Do you cover your books in plastic?
I used to, until I noticed that the humidity causes the plastic to stick to the book covers. (In photo: Rep. Teddy Boy Locsin demonstrates his book-wrapping kung fu as Nestor and Danton watch. Those are Danton’s clasped hands in the photo. The hands are so gay.)
I’m posting the list of unclaimed books shortly. If you sent in your account of the Feb 29 rally, choose the book you want and post your choice in the comments section. If you got first dibs, the book is yours. You have one month to claim your book, during office hours at Anvil Publishing, 8007B Pioneer St. Mandaluyong, near Shaw Boulevard. Look for Jo.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
March 10th, 2008 at 16:48
Yes, I do cover my books in plastic. I use 3M transparent tapes for adhesive, and my dad’s (hopefully he’s not reading this) barber scissors (he’s not an actual barber, but it’s his past time, cuts everybody’s hair, specially mine.), because it’s sharp, the plastic is cut with precision, down to the nano-nano centimeter.
March 10th, 2008 at 16:52
guilty as charged. i do wrap books in plastic.
i think where you store the plastic-wrapped books and the humidity in that area will cause the “warping” of the plastic and the paper covers.
3M has a great product. Although its a challenge to wrap books using that stuff.
March 10th, 2008 at 17:01
no plastic. i sometimes cover them with paper if they have exceptionally horrific cover art/design. or i’m reading something so embarrassing i don’t want anyone to know.
March 10th, 2008 at 17:57
Do you cover your books in plastic?
Only after they start to disintegrate from multiple readings.
An additional question if I may, Ms. Zafra: If after getting a book from a bargain store, or after downloading a free copy from the net, do you buy a ‘proper’ copy if you really liked it and when you have the money to do so? I have this theory that book lovers are like big-game hunters. They like trophies.
March 10th, 2008 at 19:18
trend is, the first person to borrow the book after I read it is “required” to cover it for me.
though I learned from a friend that putting scotch tape to the book’s sides and edges would give it more protection than plastic covers.
March 10th, 2008 at 20:26
I used to. Meticulously too. Then I ran out of space and time. Now I like them dog-eared and sloppy, most of the time. I take exception to some books: all of Terry Pratchett’s, books on physics and astronomy, hard bound books, Neil Gaiman’s graphic novels (I am hoping that in 30 years, they will become collector’s items and I would be selling them for a fortune), Tolkien’s, Alice Walker’s.
March 10th, 2008 at 21:08
i wrap my books in plastic ’cause i like them tidy, it’s my way of relaxing and meditating (i.e. marvelling at how neat my books are), and in this way, i’d like to think that i’m trying to emulate my mother and how perfectly she wrapped my books when i was little.
March 10th, 2008 at 21:11
useless follow up: danton’s hands are indeed sooo gay. love it. :)
March 10th, 2008 at 21:51
Yeah, but it takes time for me to sit down and wrap my newest haul. I usually get a lot covered during the holidays and holy week.
March 10th, 2008 at 22:05
Yup! I cover my books in plastic. Even when I was in grade school, I’ve been covering my Nancy Drew pocket books in plastic.
March 10th, 2008 at 23:25
I don’t; my sisters cover my books in plastic. She thinks it’s necessary, I think it’s just a useless painstaking task.
March 11th, 2008 at 02:26
No. I like to feel the book’s cover.
March 11th, 2008 at 05:05
I can’t seem to find plastic covers here in the US like the ones I used to get in pinas. They only have the ones that are like transparent stickers the same size as what Teddy Boy Locsin is using. There are no need for scotch tapes but it’s so cumbersome to use since once you stick it on the book, you can no longer remove/re-stick without ruining the cover page. And especially when it form bubbles haaay…I miss National Bookstore. Now my books lay vulnerable since I usually bring them everywhere…
March 11th, 2008 at 08:24
Have to! I sometimes lend my books to friends so I have to protect it. I buy the thick plastic cover from National Bookstore. My father thought me how to wrap books when I was a kid and found it very relaxing (weird!?!)
March 11th, 2008 at 09:43
I don’t live in the Philippines so I couldn’t post a report on the rally. I did however, upload The Fireless Inferno and post about it. Do I still qualify?
March 11th, 2008 at 09:48
i wrap my books in plastic because i have sweaty hands. i also wrap any book i borrow from friends so as not to ruin them (kc, we’ll get along well).
March 11th, 2008 at 12:42
I wrap my books in plastic, because my brothers tend to be careless when borrowing them. Wrapping books relaxes me.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:48
Can I get a book even if I didn’t win anything? I’m near Anvil’s office. I used to wrap my books, but now it seemed I’ve outgrown doing it.
March 11th, 2008 at 13:30
i tried, but never succeeded covering my aliwan komiks in plastic. they’re good for wrapping though.
March 11th, 2008 at 14:01
i cover them in plastic. am so oc about how i wrap em up. no tapes. tons of hardbound to press the newly-covered book.
March 11th, 2008 at 14:56
I wrap my books before I actually read them. This way they won’t get creases when they’re inside my bag.
March 11th, 2008 at 16:48
My friend has a special technique in covering books that she doesn’t have to use adhesives. Something to do with the way she folds the plastic.
March 11th, 2008 at 18:19
Jara, sure, pick a book. Jeg, I like to rescue books I love from bargain bins and force them on friends.
March 11th, 2008 at 22:24
I like the look and feel of naked books. I take out the book jackets after reading the blurbs, put them in boxes then store the boxes in the basement. I’m not sure what I’ll do with the jackets…
March 11th, 2008 at 22:49
I do. Gusto ko magpahiram at mamilit ng mga libro sa kaibigan at estudyante kaya mas maiging nakaplastic. Mas matagal ang buhay. May mga libro ako na nakailang palit na rin ng plastic. I enjoy covering books in plastic and on many occasions offered to do that for friends.
March 11th, 2008 at 23:37
Wow! I never realized a lot of people actually cover their books. I did that before but then as I prefer previously-owned books than new ones, it just seemed like a total waste of time to do so. I like my books au naturele. But I do cover my nursing books. But not because I love them more than my paperbacks. It’s just a more natural way of doing things. I grew up thinking school books should always be covered in plastic.
March 12th, 2008 at 10:06
Jara, Im still in awe of the genius that is The Fireless Inferno, Thanks for the upload. And yes I plan to go get a ‘proper’ copy when I find one. And it will be wrapped only in the best plastic.
March 12th, 2008 at 15:28
I cover my books in plastic only after I notice that they’re worn out. I actually a TV show where Teddy Boy Locsin demonstrated the proper way to cover books. If I remember correctly, he advised against the use of adhesive tape. :)
March 13th, 2008 at 01:12
i used to cover all my books. i can’t say, though, when and why i stopped.