Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Between the Pages of Books

”I know every book of mine by its smell, and I have but to put my nose between the pages to be reminded of all sorts of things.” - George Robert Gissing

Between the pages of books on my shelves I have occasionally discovered an old receipt or shopping list. However, if you work in a bookstore that handles rare and used books, you may find items of a little more interest. Such is the case at forgottenbookmarks.com. The premise for this site is “…personal, funny, heartbreaking and weird things I find in those books.”

For instance, she’s found an old valentine in a book published in 1901, a handwritten recipe in a 1947 cookbook , and a postcard postmarked, July 1, 1941. Found in Look Homeward Erotica: The Kensington Ladies' Erotica Society, was a note that said “ Do not Remove from This Page!” The note was found on page 85, which, according to the blog, was “rather juicy.”

Have you found any ‘forgotten bookmarks’ between the pages of your books?

Tags: Gissing, bookmarks, rare and used books,

5 comments:

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I once found money! Not much, but hey!

L. Diane Wolfe
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
www.spunkonastick.net
www.thecircleoffriends.net

Anonymous said...

I pulled out an old Bible that my Grandmother had given my wife and I at our wedding - it was a special gift, it had been Grandma's personal bible for many years. Hadn't read or touched it in maybe 20 years - I have newer version King James that I like better but always kept it of course as a keepsake. Anyway, I pulled it out after all that time and found a sheet of paper that she had stuck in it with special scriptures noted on it that she used for her daily devotions. It was a touching moment, one of those reaches back through time that transcends death and life.

Jane Kennedy Sutton said...

That would be a good find, Diane, in any denomination! Marvin, I bet your find meant more after 20 years than it would have had you discovered it right away.

Helen Ginger said...

I haven't found important things like what you described. But I've found business cards, money, receipts. I have one favorite bookmark, but if it's in use, I'll use whatever's handy.

Morgan Mandel said...

No, I've never found anything strange used as a bookmark in any book I picked up. I have heard some people use dollar bills and other paper money as bookmarks.

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

Jane's Ride - Novelist Jane Kennedy Sutton's journey through the ups and downs of the writing, publishing and marketing world