It is not hard to learn how to bind books, FWIW. It is time-consuming, in that there is a lot of "Do this, then wait," but it is not actually difficult, nor expensive when one goes that route.

Alternatively, you could treasure the impact that repeated readings make on your books and view it as a physical manifestation of your emotional connection with the book. I don't know, I am not expressing myself well. I will say I just re-read my copy of Christine for like, the 3rd time. It was used when it came to me and now the first 100 pages are essentially looseleaf, but I like it that way. The book feels well-worn and loved. It feels like a copy that I have cared about for a long time. No one could ever mistake that copy for their copy; it is clearly mine and mine alone, different from every other copy of Christine out there due to the wear and tear it's experienced, a fair amount at my own hands. Sure, I can't hand it down, but I don't plan to. Eventually I think I'll re-purpose the pages into art somehow.

I think it's cool.