This point was driven home to me recently, during a conversation with a friend. We were hanging around a bookstore and I mentioned needing to get a duplicate/loaner copy of a book. She stared at me as if I had just suggested we build a pillow fort there and sip Scotch while reading in the middle of the aisle (which is, incidentally, every real book lover's fantasy...at least their G-rated fantasy). When I asked if she had ever gotten a loaner or accidentally ended up with multiple copies of a book, her stare segued into something more like concern that my brain had stripped its gears. Pointing out a book with a particularly shiny cover served as a convenient way to change topics and the conversation moved on more smoothly from there.
But the experience got me thinking more about books and the accidental or intentional possession of multiple copies thereof. A little thought made it clear that there are actually a fair number of reasons why a book lover might have extra copies of a book. Strange to say, the number of such reasons is actually INCREASING. And the fact that Snohomish has the coolest bookstore in the known universe doesn't help.
So just in case you find yourself having to defend this perfectly valid lifestyle choice, here are some excellent reasons for having duplicate copies of books. If they don't make sense to you, please try not to judge.
1) Accidental duplicates
Cause: You can't find a book and think it just might have accidentally ended up in a pile sent to a used bookstore. Or maybe you had a pet that chewed books (e.g., dogs, rabbits), haven't seen a favorite book in a while, see it in a bookstore and know you just HAVE to get a copy in case it's gone
Examples from my bookshelf:
"The Man Who Never Missed" from Steve Perry's excellent Matador series (only one pictured because Accidental Duplicates make natural Loaners)
"Ellison Wonderland" by Harlan Ellison
2) Ebook and paper
Cause: The advent of readily available eBooks raises the question of whether the future of book publishing will favor paper books or eBooks. This is arguably a silly and pointless discussion because each has advantages in some respects. eBooks are great for taking along on road trips where you don't want a separate backpack full of books. Paper books are more stimulating to the senses and can never run out of batteries when you're 2 pages from the end of a book. So making this an either-or proposition is a fool's game, in my opinion. Since reading a favorite book is one of those things that can make a hard day of travel more fun,
Examples from my bookshelf:
"Living the Martial Way" by Forrest Morgan
"The Stars My Destination" by Alfred Bester
"Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future" by Mike Resnick
"The Atrocity Archives" by Charles Stross
"Steppenwolf" by Herman Hesse
3) Best. Book. Ever.
Cause: You read a book and it's like opening the toy you wanted most on Christmas Day. You realize that it has changed your life forever. That it has provided you ideas or insights about life and the world that will serve you for the rest of your life. And you know that you will always want to have at least copy of this book to take with you wherever you go. Bonus points if it inspires you to get a literary tattoo.
Examples from my bookshelf:
"East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. My blog post about it. The paper copy on the right also has tremendous sentimental value because I read it just after moving to Northern California, an hour's drive from Cannery Row
4) Loaners and Set Asides
Cause: You have a book that you want to lend out to friends but can't stand the idea of not having a copy available to read yourself when you need to. Or maybe the copy you have has deep sentimental value and the thought of it being lost is completely unacceptable.
Examples from my bookshelf:
"Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - possibly the most hilarious book I've ever read and the copy on the left was given to me by my friend Deirdre, who has since passed away with breast cancer. I will never have it off of my shelf again. The edition on the right is my Loaner copy.
"Star Trek 10" by James Blish - a simple adaptation of some Star Trek original series episodes, this was the first science fiction book I ever bought. I have had the edition on the left for some 40 years and have fond memories of climbing a tree on Summer days and sitting there, reading this book. It was autographed by Leonard Nimoy, who seemed a little impressed at how old it was and how well-loved it obviously was. The edition on the right was purchased to have a new, fresh copy on hand...because cool cover, right? (This was before the Klingons were our friends)
5) Multiple versions
Cause: Some books are periodically re-issued with new content and older versions are still desirable because they also have unique content.
Examples from my bookshelf:
"Adventure Motorcycling Handbook" by Chris Scott. This is one of the books that has inspired thousands of people to to chuck the daily grind and go out and see the world. I long to have this book and ones by Lois Pryce, Austin Vince, Ted Simon in eBook form too.
There you have it - my personal reasons for having multiple copies of the same book. Most of these books overlap multiple categories, e.g., I have all of these favorites that are available in paper and electronic form. But to me, these reasons all highlight the vast importance that books have in our lives.
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