Today’s She Said-She Said is with the wonderful Ms. Kayla from The Thousand Lives! We’re here to battle it out over…whether or not you should read hardcover books with the dust jackets on!
So what’s YOUR opinion? Do you read hardcover books with or without the dust jacket? Have you ever bought a dust jacket-less book? And what’s your favorite dust jacket?
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Off! Dust jackets get ruined so easily and while I admit I’m not the most careful person with my books, I hate seeing my dust jackets all tattered up. At least if I get a stain or a little rip on the actual book, I can hide it with the dust jacket! The plus side is that dust jackets can double as a bookmark but usually, the cons of having them on – like how freaking cumbersome they are and how I should place the book when I’m reading without ruining the shape – outweigh the pros for me. So it’s off for me as well! The only, only time I’d read with a dust jacket on is if it’s a book from the library… in which case I can’t really take it off either so it’s not like I have a choice.
And gosh, I don’t know if I’d ever buy a book without a dust jacket! I don’t mind rips or having tattered books but the idea of having a book without the dust jacket just makes me so uneasy. So I don’t think I’d ever do that even if it were at a really good price.
And yes, Since You’ve Been Gone has such a pretty dust jacket! I love it!
I never got the whole “use the dust jacket as a bookmark” thing! I’ve literally never done that in my life haha. But it’s probably because I don’t read with them on 😛
Oh that’s a really good point about library books! I always read with those on too, because you can’t really take them off. But I find that the way the library attaches them to the book makes it SO much easier to read with them on.
I love that we both put Everything Leads to You xD DAT COVER!!!
Twinsies!!
…don’t make fun of me for just saying that 😛
I would never 😉
1. I read without the dust jacket, but I used to be the other way around. When I did read with them on, I used the flaps to mark my place in the book. At some point this started to annoy me some, plus I didn’t want to get the dust jacket messed up, so I made the switch to start taking them off and use a bookmark.
2. I have not… whether or not I would do this would depend on the book (is the dust jacket really pretty and I would miss it), the condition of the book (is it otherwise pristine), and the price (it’d have to be pretty cheap. If I’m getting a hardcover I want that pretty cover!
3. I think maybe For Darkness Shows the Stars. It is GORGEOUS.
1. What is up with people using dust jackets as bookmarks? Even when I was a kid and used to read with the dust jackets on, I’d never do that. But apparently a TON of people do…so maybe it’s just me haha.
2. Yeah, I think that was only a one-time deal for me. I probably wouldn’t do it again
Even for only $1 it’s just not worth it to lose the prettiness haha
3. That IS a pretty cover! My copy is paperback, though, so I guess it really doesn’t count for “favorite dust jacket.” But, still…gorgeous. I haven’t read it yet, though! I definitely need to get on that.
I love it, but I love the sequel Across a Star-Swept Sea even more!
I always, always, always read hardcover books without the dustjacket. I’m probably over-obsessed with keeping them miraculously neat and pristine and it just wouldn’t be possible unless I took it off
I have never bought a jacket-less book and I’m not sure I would ever because I love they way series look all together on my shelf and I think with out that it would look weird! My favorite dustjacket is the OLD (original) version of Crewel. I love it, LOVEEEEEE it 🙂
Ooh is that the one with all the swirly covers? That did look pretty!
The one that I bought without a dust jacket wasn’t part of a series and I don’t plan on keeping it after I read it, so I feel like it’s kind of okay. I would NEVER buy a dust-jacket-less book if it was part of a series that I wanted to display on my shelves. I love my pretty books too much for that! haha 🙂
Oh yes it is, and her face is there and it’s almost metallic! It’s absolutely GORGEOUS. It’s definitely a case of cover changes for the worst, the new ones just seem kind of generic and boring. And definitely don’t fit the story line.
Oh yes if it’s a standalone I could see that. Yes to pretty books 🙂 Although, some dustless jacket books are almost too pretty to cover up now that I think about it. Like Katie McGarry’s books? And The Program by Suzanne young? I love that new cover under a cover trend!!!
I love that trend, too! I totally forgot that some books have started doing that when I wrote this post. I think it’s really cool!
I don’t read a lot of hardcopy books as I usually buy e-books or paperbacks, but when I do read a hardcopy I remove the dust jacket. I don’t want the dust jacket to get damaged and I think it reads easier as well without the dust jacket. Although i do think the book looks weird without a dust jacket. I usually put the empty dust jacket on my shelf where the book used to be and when I finished the book it goes back in the dust jacket and back on it’s place on my shelf.
Interesting tactic! Where I live, it’s SUPER humid (at least in the summer). So I’ve been having to weigh down the dust jackets with other books while I’m reading so that they don’t get all curly and weird. But I think I’ll probably start doing it your way once fall/winter rolls around 🙂
I could never leave the dust jacket on considering I put books in my backpack to read at work/on the treadmill. They’d be in shredds after a few days. I barely like leaving plastic covered taped on library dust jacket.
I love how your comments are always so well written 😛
And, yes, I know this about you haha. xoxo
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Dust jackets are THE WORST! I agree with everything you’ve said, Miranda. Haha. I’m sorry but I have zero empathy with Kayla on this one (I still think you’re an awesome person, Kayla <3). The only reason I tolerate dust jackets is the fact that the cover design is printed on them, so they're integral for bookshelf display purposes. Haha.
But yeah, dust jackets are partially why I prefer paperback books to hardcovers. When it comes to hardcovers, I prefer it when there're no dust jackets and the cover designs are directly printed onto the panels.
I do however, read hardcovers with their dust jackets on when it comes to library books. They're usually plastic wrapped, then firmly taped into place, so at least they don't slip around.