We moved the bookcase back into the lounge yesterday afternoon - to a different place than it was before. It will no longer have the sun on it which will be good as I always worried about putting good books in it for fear of them fading.
First to go in the bookcase was my bargain of the year. A lovely set of Encyclopedia Britannica that is in as new condition. We did actually already have a much older set, which I will now pass on to my son. I am really pleased with these books as I do still like to look things up in a book and these are such lovely books to have.
This is the pile I am still sorting through.
I find it very hard to get rid of books. I have been collecting Peter May books, but now wonder whether I should pass on the ones I have already read back to the charity shop as I really don't have the room. A lot of books I have been reading lately go straight back to the charity shops. The Tess Gerritsen books for example, I read and then pass them on. Hmm...a bit of a dilemma for me. Am I likely to read them again? That is the question. I am guessing probably not, so using that I should probably pack them up to take to the charity shop, especially as I still have a load of books on the floor that I currently don't have room for!
I have a almost a whole shelf on health and pain as well - an illustration of just how much it has effected my life! Always on the search for cures, and solutions and learning about different ways to possibly treat my pain issues. Of course, nothing has been successful so far.
Always hard to part with books, trouble is I always end up getting more. Finding homes for them is always a challenge, perhaps I should just go live in a library 😁
ReplyDeleteBecause I read a lot slower than I used to - I seem to fall asleep while reading - I found it was cheaper to spend £1 at the charity shop on a book than go to the library, find somewhere to park, get books out and then often forgot to renew them in time and as such incurred overdue fees. I am ashamed to say this as I am a strong believer in libraries, being a former librarian, (amongst other things!) but unfortunately that is just a fact of the way things are for me at the moment. This may change in the future and I will go back to the library for my reading matter. I also love to keep a book I have really enjoyed!
DeleteI know how you must feel about getting rid of books you enjoyed reading but probably will never read again. I gave my entire collection of Maeve Binchy books to the thrift store. That was hard. Sure have lots of free space now though.
ReplyDeleteBut what do we do with that space? Probably fill it back up again! ;)
DeleteOne of Peter Mays trilogies are based here on the Isle of Lewis, The Blackhouse, Lewis Man and The Chessmen.
ReplyDeleteIndeed they are and I believe it was Graham, comment below this, who wrote about them and lead me to read Peter May.
DeleteWe disposed of our encyclopaedias many years ago when we found looking things up on line much easier (and up to date). I still have dozens of more obscure reference books and, of course, dictionaries (even though I usually use my phone app). I have one wall covered with books but the rest are on bookshelves in the loft but have been culled down to about shelf 12 metres! It's silly really because I'll never read them all again. But if we are book lovers then we keep them because we love them - it's not really a rational thing but a matter of the heart.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Encyclopaedias won't have uptodate information, but history is history to some extent, although some Google searches now seem to try to convince you otherwise and have a certain bias! Of course anything more recent than when the books were published won't be included, but I do like to sit with a book to read information rather than on a computer.
DeleteIt certainly isn't rational, and as you say much more a matter of the heart. To me a home without a bookcase, seems rather devoid, I love seeing what other people read and are interested in. It can lead to some interesting conversations. I would love to have a whole wall covered with bookcases, and still hope to have a'library' room one day. So maybe I will just have to double shelve my books!
We love our books here - but are going through shelf by shelf and took up a full wheeled shopping trolley to donate this week. Some authors never go - and we still have a set of encyclopaedias from Wookie's childhood he'll never get rid of, even if he doesn't read them!
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