One of My Own

Ok, so I've answered Sarah's meme. Now, here's a neat one that I found on Booking Through Thursday. I may put a couple of these up and see what kinds of answers I get back. To borrow Sarah's great commission - if you read it here, consider yourself tagged! Post your answers in comments or on your own blog and then post the link in comments.

Let's get Bookin! ::grin:: (Ok, that was lame.)

1. What is most battered book in your collection? The one with loose pages, tattered corners, and page edges so soft that there's not even a risk of paper cuts anymore? Well, I have a couple of antique books dating from 1880 that are falling apart but they were that way when I got them so I don't think that counts. The most battered books in my collection are probably Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen and The Seventh Scroll by Wilbur Smith.
2. Why is this book so tattered? Is it that you love it so much that you've read it a zillion times? Is it a reference book you've used every day for the last seven years? Something your new puppy teethed on when you weren't looking?Both books are falling apart because I've read them a million times. They are two of my annual reads. Through a Glass Darkly is a complex story but it is one of my absolute favorites. I have had this paperback copy since I was in high school. Seventh Scroll is an incredible story about Egyptology - it is a great mystery and I just LOVE it. There is so much to it. What makes it so cool is that it references another of Smith's books, River God, as if it is the fictional backstory behind the modern day story in Seventh Scroll.
3. What is the most pristine, perfect book in your collection? The one that looks like it's never been opened (and in fact may never have been)? Whose binding is uncracked, the corners still perfect? Since I am a total bibliophile, I try to take really good care of my books. My hardbound books are almost all in perfect condition, even though they have all been read over and over (in order to find a place in my library, it has to be a beloved book). My paperback books are a little different - you can tell that some of them have been dropped in the tub! I have several books that I bought at some point but haven't had time to read yet. I like to buy from the bargain bin and then read them when I get a chance.
4. Why is that book so perfect? Was it a gift? Is it a coffee table book too beautiful to use? Something you simply have no interest in and haven't bothered to open? see answers to question 3

I just LOVE books!!