The New York Times weekly “Metropolitan Diary” did it again. The column on Monday July 13 featured this sentimental story:
Dear Diary:
The other day I was cleaning out my bookshelves a bit. I always place unwanted books near the curb but away from the garbage so that people can have an opportunity to take a free book.
My wife finds it difficult to throw things out, so when she came home from work, seeing the books, she brought one back into the house. It was a book from her college days. Inside the book, as a place marker, she discovered an unopened letter from a friend. The postage was an 8-cent airmail stamp. The postmark was from 1966.
I slit open the letter and read it to her. It was fairly ordinary stuff, but the last line read, “Good luck on your upcoming blind date.” That blind date was me, 43 years ago. I guess it worked out; we’ve been married 41 years.
Roy Alexander
Everybody say “aw, isn’t that sweet?!?”
I ran a post about unusual bookmarks a little over a year ago. At that time, Pam suggested that I take a look at Brookline Booksmith’s “UBC Find of the Week”. This is one of my favorite features of their weekly newsletter.
Your turn: What do you typically use for a bookmark? Do you keep it in the book when you’re through, or remove all trace? What’s the most unusual marker you’ve discovered in a book?
Right now I am using a receipt for a bookmark! Because I am lazy! But I do have a collection, some I have made that are the shepard’s hook style with beads hanging from them. A couple of years ago, I got a book from the library, and in it I found a bookmark that looked like a filmstrip of four pictures from Chicago (my favorite city!). I looked up the info on the photographer, called her and ordered a bunch more…some from San Francisco, more from Chicago, some from NYC, and even one from Thailand. I shared them with all my friends! That was a really cool find!
I recently found some handpainted cloth book marks that I received for my 8th birthday! As you know, that was quite a long time ago. I loved them dearly as a child and I still think they are pretty cute.
I love that NYT story, but how could you not? I usually use a book mark, but have been know to mark my place with just about anything when push comes to shove.
Oh how sweet!
I use all sorts of things as bookmarks. I have quite the collection of store-bought bookmarks, but I also pick up bookmarks for indie bookstores I visit. I also make the shepherd’s hook bookmarks, but it’s funny…I don’t have one of my own
. And finally, if I get marketing material with a ARC I receive, like a postcard or something similar, I use that as a bookmarker as well.
I love the story, but can’t think of anything odd that I’ve found used as a bookmark. I have tons of bookmarks and always use one of them.
That is a great story! I use whatever’s handy to be honest…i always lose bookmarks!
Okay, that is sweet! What do I use? Right now there is a straw wrapper from Starbucks in my book. What was I drinking? A vanilla bean, no whip Frappacino on the hottest day ever in Seattle…103 degrees last Wednesday.
I have also used restaurant napkins which might be the strangest think I have used.
Great post!
*smiles*
Kim
Awwwww.
I bought (!) myself a cute bookmark in the Chautauqua bookstore (as I have little or no will power in there) which states simply “Here is where I fell asleep”
Sandy – those filmstrip bookmarks sound great – share the source, please!
Julie – extra fun to have something from when you were a kid!
Stacy – I start w/ a bookmark, but often have many papers flagging favorite passages before I’m done with a book.
Jenn- I use the marketing material, too, and often put my notes right in the margins of the cover letters.
Kathy – the things they’ve found at Brookline Booksmith sometimes deserve a double-take!
Kim – OK, most creative goes to you and your straw wrapper
Beth F – isn’t that sweet!??
Kristine – or “this is where I had to stop to make dinner” or “this is where I was when the kids started arguing” (my kids, not yours!)
That’s a great story. I tend to use bookmarks unless I start a book I hadn’t thought I was then I grab the nearest thing…which could be a napkin or a receipt.
I love this story!! And I don’t use bookmarks … I’m a corner of the page folder!!!
I have used nearly everything for a bookmark, I love bookstores that give me a bookmark in the book with my purchase. It’s advertising for them and functionality for me.
Serena – I usually have an “official” bookmark, plus other flags and notes – receipts, notepaper, etc.
Jenners – You’re a dog-earer! I had no idea!!
Nicole – Yes! Especially when I buy a book away from our local store; I love the reminder of where it came from
I so love that story!
When my 7-year-old niece was visiting me last summer, she asked if she could read my old Nancy Drew books that I keep in the basement. I said of course, and she selected one from the 50 or so I have on a shelf. Later that night she showed me what she’d found inside: An old letter I’d written to a publisher on Raggedy Ann stationary, asking if they were going to publish the book I’d written, titled, “Miscellaneous Tales and Poems.” I almost cried! I tucked that letter into my briefcase — like a secret good-luck charm– and when my agent submitted my novel to publishers later that summer and I went to New York for meetings, it came with me. And it worked! I signed with my dream editor, and now that messy, handwritten letter on Raggedy Ann stationary is posted on my website.
I still carry it with me whenever I have publishing-related meetings to remind myself that the dream I had as a little girl is coming true.
xoxo
Sarah
I love cool and adorable book marks, but hardly ever use them because I always lose them. I usually just use whatever scrap of paper I have on hand and then toss it away when I finish the book. I recently got some supplies to create unique home made bookmarks that I am planning on sending out with books that have been won in giveaways, so I am excited about that. Maybe I can get better at hanging on to bookmarks, then I could start a real collection.