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What do you use for bookmarks?
Me, it depends entirely on where I am. If I’m at home, I have small (or not-so-small) stacks of old tickets, passes, business cards, and forms of identification scattered anywhere I’m likely to be reading (which is to say, in at least one spot in almost every room). I also keep such things in my purse, my wallet and the car, you know, in case of a reading/place-holding emergency. I love using these things as bookmarks; now not only is my book something I’m enjoying, but so is the reminiscing caused by the bookmark itself. An added bonus, if you will. Hooray, she said!
If I’m in a store and have just bought a book, I will almost always take a bookmark if they are freely offered. Not as many places give you a free bookmark anymore though, which stinks. Ironically, most of the large chains (the only booksellers who claim to be making a profit) no longer offer free bookmarks, while most of the small, independent bookstores (who claim to be increasingly suffering if not being outright pushed out of business by large corporate retailers) still do.
Incidentally, I will almost never pay for a bookmark. Most of the ones that are sold are goofy or over-the-top cutesy things; I don’t need to look at a kitty stuck in a tree or a puppy with overlarge paws while I’m reading, thank you very much. Nor do I need inspirational sayings or quotations or tassles or glitter. I’m good, thanks.
If no freebie is readily available, I will first check my purse or wallet (if I’m still in the store) or the car (if I’m heading off somewhere else to read). I will use the store receipt if I don’t have anything from my usual stack on-hand or if I want to make sure that I don’t seem like a freeloader or book thief. I don’t love using receipts though – the paper is often slippery and then those little suckers don’t stay where they’re supposed to, which is just plain aggravating. If I’m reading a hard cover, I will, in a pinch, fold the inside front cover flap to my page as a marker. And if it’s a soft-cover or a book without a paper sleeve, I will either try to remember the page number in my head (dangerous) or will text it to myself (god bless cell phones).
If I am absolutely stuck, I will use a straw wrapper or gum wrapper, string or a tag torn from some piece of clothing, lint from the bottom of my purse. There is almost always some random shred of something usable that can be found somewhere on hand. WHAT I WILL NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES – INCLUDING THE PAIN OF DEATH – DO IS BEND THE CORNER OF THE PAGE. Gasp, shudder. You might as well stab me in the eye. Or intentionally break the spine of the book. EEK, she said! Honestly people, we are not animals – let’s have some respect, hm?? 😉
* “Schnibbles” for those of you who are unfamiliar with one of Ann Arent’s favorite words (hi mom!), are small bits of things. This isn’t a “Jill using a big/weird word” moment (see previous post on my feelings on unusual words) – it is a “Jill using a word she’s heard her whole life” moment. Honest.
Brilliant post! 😀 I love these random ‘schnibbly’ thoughts (I have to add this word to my vocabulary!) I’m like you and I’m glad I’m not the only person who will use a bit of fluff from the bottom of my pocket if needs be – though this is rare as my bags are little stuffed with old receipts and tickets….my bus pass etc.
BUT I recently made my own Literary Relish bookmarks and like to leave them in bars, cafes etc and I try to use my own because they inevitably fall out and its free marketing! ;*)
Tell me about it Lucy – my bags/purses/pockets/EVERYTHING are stuffed with tidbits left over from places I’ve been/things I’ve done… One day I may literally drown in a sea of paper. Oh well – I really don’t mind, it lets me relive all the things I’ve done! and I LOVE that you make your own bookmarks – you’ll have to send me a picture or tell me where to find one the next time I’m in the UK! 🙂
I’m glad you were listening when you were little and remember all those “endearing” words I spoke to you. Thanks for the reference. Mom
Of course I listened mom – and it must be reassuring to know that at least *some* of it actually even stuck! 😉
I never understood buying fancy bookmarks, you always lose them somehow (lol). On occassion, I used whatever was near me, bits of tissue, a nail file, business cards, etc.
I went back to making my own bookmarks though. I just cut up cardstock paper or I fold copy paper four times over horizontally. This way, I can write notes and keep track of memorable pages without graffiti-ing my book!
Yeah Rosanna, I totally always lose them – or they end up being too fancy/big and end up stretching pages out or something equally annoying like that! I like the idea of making your own out of folded paper so you can keep notes – I may have to steal that idea… 😉
Feel free to! It was an idea given by my grade six teacher. We got extra points (and it proved we actually read the book) with our book reviews.
I am in the minority here. I collect bookmarks and love them. I have bookmarks from all over the world that I have mostly received thru bookmark exchanges. In Europe they still give free bookmarks out at their booksellers. I have many free ones from libraries, book stores, and authors. But I do like to purchase bookmarks as well although I do not purchase as many as I used to as the prices are a lot higher than they used to be. I do not like to have my bookmark hanging out of my – rather have them totally inside the book that way they don’t fall out. I usually pick my bookmark according to the book I am reading even. If I am reading a historical fiction book – I may use a bookmark with a Native American on it – a chick lit book – flower or something fun. I also make sure the bookmark is not bigger than the book therefore the bookmark fits within the book. This is just my little quirk in life. Whenever I or my family or friends travel they try to find me a bookmark from where they are whether it be free or bought and I have many handmade ones as well. I guess I have a little obsession with bookmarks and have had since I was a teenager.
I think that if fabulous Angela! If more places in the US still offered free bookmarks, I would probably feel differently – I definitely like to pick them up whenever they are available from the store. I have also noticed that as I review ARCs and pre-publication books, a lot of authors/publishers will stick a promotional bookmark into the book they send me to review – I love that too, having the book marked by a reference to the book itself (my own mini-version of your selecting a bookmark to match the book I guess!). I rather like it that you have a collection amassed over time – thanks for stopping by and taking the time to share how you feel about bookmarks! Hope to see you again here soon… 🙂
I have a big stack of bookmarks I keep on my currently-reading shelf and one of them goes in the book as soon as I pick it up. I developed this system after one day I actually needed the only band-aid in my purse, and it was, of course, the one I was using as a bookmark. (I lost my page rather than dog-ear the corner.) I hate bookmarks with beads on tassels, they just get in the way, but I do have a very nice ribbon bookmark, weighted on both ends, that is one of my favorites for large paperbacks. I’ve been thinking about making some more like it, actually…
Teehee – oh Jen, I’m so glad to hear that you picked the corner over the page… I do that too. I have been known to write the number on my hand rather than fold a corner!! The ribbon one sounds like a good idea – one of my biggest complaints is that “fancy” bookmarks are either too delicate to be helpful or that they have frills and/or furbelows like tassels, beads, clips, etc. that get in the way!
Fun post. Yup. Besides random bits of paper from my nightstand, the pages from my Onion off-the-wall daily calendar work great as well (and give me a little laugh when I look at them).
Hope you’re having a good weekend.
Paul D. Dail
http://www.pauldail.com- A horror writer’s not necessarily horrific blog
I like the daily calendar/funny bookmark idea Paul! That’s a big part of why I like using leftover ticket stubs and things like that – the little bit of something extra I get when I see the bookmark!
Jilla, you are the inspiration for my collection of bookmarks. I keep them all in a little basket on the shelf under my coffee table (which is where you, also, used to keep a huge supply). I especially love the reminiscence aspect of using ticket stubs, etc. I’m not a photo albums with accompanying paraphernalia, so how else do I get to enjoy (over and over again) that entry ticket to Stonehenge?
Awww – thanks Lynna! I do in fact still keep my bookmarks in a dish on a shelf under the coffee table – and do relish my tickets from Stonehenge and the Matterhorn railway, Brussels coffee receipts, public transport tickets from across the U.S. as bookmarks in exactly the same way!!