Marking Your Place: Bookmarks, Paper Scraps, and Dog Ears 

January 23, 2016     erinthebooknut     Discussion, Feature

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More than once I’ve been reading a book and suddenly found myself without a bookmark. Really, this should never happen. I have a massive collection of bookmarks from authors and publishers all over so why are they never around when I need them?

So what do I do then? I look for something nearby to use in place of my bookmark. Sometimes its an unused sticker, a postcard, a piece of mail. Other times I rip scraps of paper from magazines or grab a blank sheet from the printer. I’ve even used a napkin once or twice.

Now think of the weirdest thing you’ve ever used as a bookmark. Does setting my cat on top of the page I’m reading really count. Seriously, I have done that once or twice. I’ve used a flat from a cardboard box, a TV remote (then run around booking for the remote later wondering what happened to it), my phone (I’ve lost it more times than I can count that way), the edge of my blanket, a DVD case or even the DVD itself. No there would certainly be an easier option right? It’s something I used to do a lot as a kid.

I could dog ear the corner of my page. *shudder*

I’m ashamed that I ever decided to do that. My original set of Harry Potters have all sorts of dog ear damage on them. I’ve nearly slapped books out of people’s hands for thinking of dog earring them. So what changed?

My respect for a book. Or maybe I’m just more obsessed with how they look no that i’m older. I don’t know really. But I do know I will probably never dog ear again. So I’m resigned to losing my phone in the pages of my book every week or so. I should probably know better.

How do you mark your spot? A bookmark? A Scrap? Or a dog ear? Share in the comments.

 

From my shelf to yours,

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4 responses to “Marking Your Place: Bookmarks, Paper Scraps, and Dog Ears 

  1. I use to dog ear my books when I was younger and then I came to appreciate them more. Now I’m horrified at the thought. I also used to lose my bookmarks all the time until I finally collected them all and placed them in a jar. It has a designated spot on my bookcase and once I’m done with a bookmark I put it back.
    As for the silliest thing I’ve used as a bookmarker: does another book count?

    • erinthebooknut

      I used to have a basket for my bookmarks until my mom took it for potpourri or something. :/
      And yes, another book totally counts! I’ve done that too. Thanks for stopping by!

  2. When I start a new book I decide which bookmark to use and put that in the book, so I never find myself without a bookmark. I have quite the collection of bookmarks and I like picking a bookmark to fit my book. I never dog eared my books, but some of my older books do look worse than I would like. I had to laugh that you used your cat as bookmark once, but hey if it works. It’s better than dog earing a page at least.

    • erinthebooknut

      Oh! That’s a good idea. I want to start keeping some of my bookmarks in there matching books and then the ones that don’t have a match need to find a jar or something to live in.

      By the way, cats make awful bookmarks. They move, whether to tell them to stay or not.

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