Unless the book has intrinsic or sentimental value, it'll be less time and trouble to simply buy a new copy. (I say this as a craft-impaired person.) But if you really want to repair them, here you go: https://feltmagnet.com/crafts/Repair-a-Book-with-Glue

It's best to use a glue that will not damage your books any further. There are three that I know of: PVA archival glue, Yes paste and wallpaper paste. There's also UHU which is a glue stick and considered archival though I'm not sure how you would get it into the spine of a book. In my former life I was an art teacher and I actually had my student create their own sketchbooks (from the raw materials) including sewing the signatures together and creating the end papers and covers. It was lots of fun!

https://library.princeton.edu/visual_materials/hb/cases/endleaves/index.html

Do NOT use Elmer's. It turns yellow and becomes brittle.

Michael's should have all of the glues mentioned above.

Thanks. Dry house (woodstove) and a lot of use. I have lots of cookbooks and usually, with Asian recipes) mix recipes or read for foundational ideas or basics. Each book has some good attributes.

The particular recipe book a question is a small hard cover that’s about 200 pages that I have had for > 30 years and it’s just one of many that I use for Southeast Asian and Chinese cooking. I don’t want to go shell out another $28 for it and I saw that I think I could get a used one for about five dollars for shipping. I may do that. On the other hand I am a real cheapskate about spending money on things that I can figure out a way around so I may try some best best glue. Maybe a librarian friend has a clue all the local libraries. The book is it really worth anything, but, true, I don’t want the glue to stain the pages.

I could try scanning the pages I really care about keeping for cutting them out and putting them in document protectors, but that could be a bulky and time-consuming proposition. I’ll re-read your comments everyone thanks so much for your time.

It’s funny, I have some very old paperbacks that probably cost all of $.25 in the day. And the glue is still there and pliable. Nowadays, I can buy a paperback book and it’s cracked and the glue is undone and flaking within two years.

Another paperback book is one of those HP books and I have had that one for about 30 years as well. I think I can still get a copy even used for may be about five or $10. I think the author of that one is Rose Chen and it’s got some of the best recipes in it and I don’t have to modify them to get flavor. But my middle name is modify/improve.

ETA In all fairness, some of my books have slid off the bed and landed on the floor 3 1/2 ft below.

Ed corrected speako!

Thanks again, Bookwoman and Cindy. I will check out those glues and links.

Petalique - PVA should be recommended by any librarian who know glues. Also called Poly-Vinyl-Acetate, (PVA).

After you apply the glue, you may want to add a few books on top for weight and to help the glue adhere.

Thanks. I’ll get someand will work on coming up w a way to keep the two binding pieces (spine? And signature bunches) pressed together.

You may also consider taking it to your local office supply store (office max, for example) and have it spiral-bound.

does your local newspaper make scratch pads and sell to the public. There's a red/pink paste concoction that you paint on with a paintbrush; dries rubbery ... call and ask

If it is normal books, either hardbound or paperback, I use Elmer's Craft bond

Upc 26000 00420. I get it at Walmart, Hobby Lobby, etc. It dries clear and stays flexible. Spread a generous amount on the inside of the spine cover, if the entire set of pages has come out. Use a thin line if only resetting a few pages. Close and use rubber bands to hold tight overnight or a few days. I also use the clear mailing tape I get from Home Depot to repair the covers of paperbacks if broken.

Since I buy paperbacks used, some of my paperbacks are very old, they needed help, lol. It has worked great and is not expensive.

Of course, if I had anything worth something, I would use better repair materials or even an expert. My stuff is just for me and I reread everything constantly. I have even repaired old recipe books also.

I often have to repair children's books for our rec program, since kids are pretty hard on books and we have a limited budget. I use tacky glue and binder clips to clamp until dry - or clear packing tape to wrap around the spine, and reattach interior pages.

Unless it's a valuable book, I wouldn't worry about it lasting archivally.

And there's a very funny, presumed auto-correct in petalique's first reply up there😄 Fairly certain the words were meant to say only 'hard cover'...?

petalique, I just ordered the cookbook. You are now an influencer, lol.

You folk have been wonderfu—- every one of you! I would love to invite you to ejoy some dim sum or any Asian food with me. Dinne or evening is better than morning, so we can imbibe. (Not reqiured).)

Oh, my word! iPad speech recognition sure has been around the block ;-) That secxond paragraph! When I first got an iphone and ued the voice dictation, whatever, it (sweet Siri?) plopped in a few F* bombs. Not what I said but what I got for output. FWIW, I opt out of inviting Apple to recieve my voice typing. But I guess if one allows that, the speech recogition algorhythms (sp) can be improved.

So many good suggestions. I will attempt to try some. I run out of energy easily and am apts to ”fade away” for a while. I am ”Half Gimped,” so cannot always foolow through as I’d like to. I have more ideas and ambitin than I do fitness and stamina, so please try to forgive typos, speakos and lapses in responding.

And, My goodness, one or two of you bought a book? which one? If you like cooking simple Chinese dishes, the ? HP Rose Chen paperback (I will try to get the exact title) is near foolproof. I cook half my meals Chinese or Southeast Asian. I am addicted and have been since around 1974. But I love all sorts of food, dinner and I am a but of a frugal Yankee. So I cannot help but figure out, reverse engineer, how the recipe works, what’s in it and so forth.

Here is anotrher good recipe book (Chinese) that will show you how to make your very own Mandarin (“moo shu” or Peking Duck) pancakes or Wrappers.

https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Want-About-Chinese-Cooking/dp/0812053613/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2VQEHDE2KLDO4&keywords=Book+chinese+cooking+rose+chen&qid=1645900558&sprefix=book+chinese+cooking+rose+chen%2Caps%2C46&sr=8-3

I think I picked this up at a Caldors (anyone remember that chain?) or at a fariv craft store in Burlinton, MA about 35 years ago for ~ $14. It contains a lot of ”show how” and noodle recipes and information. I think this is the book that gives directions for tofu and a tofu press/frame. $16 at the now defunct Caldors (I loved that store — it was one of the first back in the late ’70s early 1980s to sell reall good inexpensive goods like 100% cotton batiste nighties for $11. Want to see a photo?

Has anyone here ever had that sizzling rice platter called ”Wor Bar” or Guo Ba? Maybe at least Sizzling Rice Soup? The main dish, War Bar has fallen by the wayside, but its a simple, non-spicy, quasi ho hum comfort food. The book above gives info and recipes for Guo Ba — crusted rice at bottom of cooker, fried.Then served in a hot soup or main dish like seafood war bar, sizzling and steaming before the diner at table. Simple, but delicious.

The book above has a lot of illustrated techniques for making noodles, filled wrappers and triangles. Mandarin pancakes (moo shu, or peking duck wrapers are easy peasy) and my suster and I made up a bunch of ”Lobster Ranggon” packed w lobster, after the concept of the not-really-a Chinese-dish ”Crab Rangood. photo packed awy. It was fro a New Years party.

Here is a dish I make at least every 2 weeks. For yers. Lately I have modified and improved it wish more layers of flavor a a bit of zip. I will give recioe if anyone wants my take on Chinese ”Dry Fried Green Beans” with pork or chicken. (I love and eat lean clean fresh pork, but chicken or fried tofu work as well).

@petalique, yes please share your recipe for Dry Fried Green Beans. I've had something that looked similar and would love to cook it at home :-)

I worked in a library for 14 years and did a lot of repairing on books.

To repair the spine, use PVA glue as suggested previously.

If the spine cover has come completely off, use a brush to paint the glue to the spine, then attach the spine cover. Use wax or freezer paper to cover the spine, then put rubber bands around to hold it in place. Let it dry 24 to 48 hours.

There is also an archival tape that can be used to tape the spine on -- but you put this on after the glue has set in place. A high quality clear packing tape will work, since you're not trying to archivally repair the book.

If the spine cover has NOT come off, and you want to reattach it, use a knitting needle or a skewer -- slide it inbetween the spine cover & the spine to work the glue down along the spine. Again, put several rubber bands around the book to hold it in place, 24 - 48 hours to dry.

PVA is available on line, and not excessively expensive. A small bottle will last a long time!

Thank you, pudgeder. I will keep your suggestions in mind.

https://www.gardenweb.com/user/nickel-kg , shall I put the recipe here or on Cooking Forum? or at KT in new ssubject?

ETA: Okay. Here is the link:

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/6238554/sichuan-dry-fried-green-beans-recipe-video-for-nickel

@petalique, how about a new subject on the Cooking Forum and the KT? I'll look for it :-)

cindy-6b/7a VA, The original Elmer's will not work, yes it will turn brittle. The special one I gave the bar code for will work.

I have now ordered the second cookbook you listed, lol. I will be looking for your new post. I love almost all Oriental cooking and my husband does not. That rules out any restaurant, so I would like to branch out for me at home. We do have a lot of Oriental grocery stores, so that will help. I just need to learn how to cook and what I like.

Aren't Tacky and Elmer's white glue PVA? Tacky glue stays pretty flexible, IMPE.

Just don't use School glue - I believe it's starch based.

Nickel — I will try to post to KT and CF, but darn whenever I try to cross post, I can rarely locate the second forum link. I’ll try soon.

Sherry, wow, you sound very enthusiastic. Buy USED, save $. A lot of thee books offer a lot of the same standard recipes. I sympathize w your DH — he might have only had the ho hum food served at one of the many not so good restaurants — the gold plastic, oil cloth placemat, the brown glop sauce, the bland white sauce. Some of it is way too oily,

I decided many decades ago that I was going to learn to make my own — better and more affordable. Some of the older cookbooks or shows wanted us to star with some outrageous amounts of oil. I never go that route.

I have limits in how much typing or voice typing I can do, and have to limited time to connect, but I might be able to give you ideas, tips or recipes for some dishes. The Chinese Cooking book above shows how to cut items, and how to make dumplings, noodles and rolls. And it has a glossary. I have so many cookbooks because I began cooking Chinese then later Thai and Vietnamese dishes before the internet and before the graphical user interface that we all rely on nowadays.

There are many fantastic videos and blogs available to anyone with a tablet, smart phone or PC (Unless you live in counties where access is censored, constrained or limited).

We can repair appliances, learn to canoe, sew, or cook. I just found a fecipe for Salt and Pepper Calamari that is like the Chinerse dish I am addicted to. YUM!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZXAVQFhen4

Not much need nowadays to spend $ on cookbooks. And even making noodles and roll are online at YT.

No, He had never even had any seafood until we married. Straight Deep Interior South fried, with nary anything green in site. No spices, except bacon grease salt, and butter. Pinto beans, cornbread, mashed potatoes, fried meat, mostly chicken and beef or pork roast boiled on stove top. Hamburgers cooked in skillet. Fried catfish sometimes. He branched out for a while, but the older he gets, the more he just eats what he ate when five years old. If that.

And you married the guy?! ;-) That is true love! But a lot of the dishes he likes are yummy. Who doesn’t like cornbread, outhern style fried chicken, bacon and beans.

Yes, they are great, ONCE or TWICE, LOL. I like everything once every three or four years, He eats the same thing for ever and ever. Hey, we have made it to 51 years! It is either a match made in heaven or we are to stubborn to give up? Yep. Too stubborn.