if it’s not a little tattered and fucked up I can’t really mess with it. I like the weathered look, things written in the margins. it shows me it got the love and attention it deserved.
crack the spine, fold the corners, underline pretty sentences, leave your thoughts in margins, circle the words you don't understand. make the book feel loved.
After bringing it to the beach, lake, pool, park, whatever, and it gets a little dirty, maybe some pages got a little wet, smells like sunscreen forever, and maybe a little dog eared. Once completed and retired to your bookshelf it will thenceforth be A Summer Book for the rest of time.