Related: I don’t think it’s a badge of honor to have pristine books. The purpose of a book is to be read, and reading is disruptive. It’s a process that changes you, it’s hard work even if it looks and even feels peaceful, and it’s perfectly normal that both you and the book come out the other side looking different.
I knew a guy who said he took pride in treating his books carefully. No bends, no creases, no marks. He said he wanted someone to look at his shelves and never know he was there. I thought that was a sad dream. I also wondered whether this delicacy felt like love or abandonment, and what his wife thought about those sneaky hands.