There are a lot of people out there who act like dog-earing pages is a crime. They insist it’s somehow disrespectful to the store and ruins the pages with the creases. Here’s a hot take: I completely disagree with this idea. I don’t think dog-earing pages is destructive at all. I think it makes a book look much more appealing to read, as well as offers me a convenient bookmark.
For starters, I think this method offers more practicality and convenience. I’m allowed to make passages I want to return to or keep track of the page I was last on without needing to carry around sticky notes or a bookmark. I can currently say without any shame that my textbook for a sociology class of mine is filled with dog-eared pages of important terms I want to keep track of for studying and assignment purposes. I’d rather not use a thousand sticky notes or bookmarks to get the same results.
There’s also an emotional intimacy involved in doing this. When I dog-ear a book, I’m keeping note of something I enjoyed, whether that be a meaningful quote, a sweet moment between characters or a funny scene. In doing so, I’m leaving behind my own personal love and connection to this story for the next person to read. When there’s creases and annotations, we’re able to both read the story ourselves and witness the joy someone else felt reading it, too. It makes the book seem more loved and appreciated, and I’d want to choose a well-loved story over a pristine copy any day.
Each dog-eared page tells a story about me as a reader. I remember why I paused, what made me laugh or the line that resonated with me. Over time, the book becomes a record of my growth, curiosity and changing perspectives. I’d love for my future children to be able to share this with me. Dog-earing isn’t about damaging a book. It’s about loving it. Each folded corner is a form of affection, a mark that this story mattered.
All in all, dog-earing pages is a form of respect, not disrespect. It makes reading something personal, carrying a part of me. Every fold is a way of saying this story is important and worth revisiting.
