How to stop a toddler from ripping their books?

I have a son who's almost 2 and a half. It took a lot of practice just to get him to sit and listen to a book or get him interested enough to look at his books on his own, but I can't trust him alone with them or they get torn up. I've obviously told him that's not how we treat our things, I've never treated books like that, he's never seen others rip up books but any minute I turn away and I look back he's ripping them all up. How do parents have toddler rooms filled with books and they doesn't get destroyed!? How do I stop this behavior? I just want to have books in his room for him to look at and for story times but every nap and bedtime I have to carry them all out with me because if I don't they will get ripped up :( why is my kid doing this and how can I save my books?