Book Shelf Or Shelve Books?!

[shadforth]

Both my wife and I are avid readers,with very different tastes,but once she's read a book she either passes it onto a friend or drops it off at the nearest charity shop. I'm the exact opposite,if I've read a book I really enjoyed in paperback I shop around for the hardback to add to my collection. I've just finished Fell by David Clement-Davies and my wife said, "Oh well,send it to your sister,or drop it off at the charity shop". I must've looked horrified as she shook her head and mumbled something about 'now it's read,why keep it'!
I've been living inside this story for the last week,and to just discard it seems totally wrong! Maybe my wife's right,and I shouldn't clutter the place with books I'll never read again,but....! What d'you think?

 

[Wells83]

If it's a classic, I'll keep it. Otherwise, unless I really love it, I'll swap it out for another book. If I had a bigger house and more of a disposable income, it would be a different story. As it is, I can rarely afford new books and I've already got four bookshelves crammed full.

 

[sparkchaser]

Book shelf.

I you're going to clutter the house, it's better to do it with books than porcelain figurines.

 

[angerball]

I'm the same as you. If I read a book that I enjoy, then I keep it. I expect to re-read it at some point, though, so I don't really see much point getting rid of it.

 

[Anamnesis]

I only get rid of books I really dislike. Otherwise I end up keeping most of them. You never know when you're going to want to re-read them . . .

 

[SFG75]

I like to have a ton of books around the house personally. We have purchased a lot of shelves and quite frankly, we need more! My habits are slowly changing though as I have begun to rely more on used bookstores and the library, now that president knuckle-head has messed up our economy.

 

[Peach]

i tend to keep every book i bring into the house, regardless of whether i will ever read it again.. altho i do re-read, and i know there are lots in there i could enjoy again. sometimes i'll take a few to a book exchange or second hand store and come home with as many as i left with, or more.. yes, i'm hopeless..

 

[Gilgamesh]

Are you going to read it again? If not, sell it online or garage sale or best would be to donate it to a local goodwill store. I'll buy it next time.

 

[arnuld]

I do the same. If I like the book I go for the hard-copy and then it remains with me forever. Rest I give to my friends but since no one in my circle reads books, you read it right, I said no one, or sell them or throw them away.

but you man, you gave me very good idea about it. This evening I will give gift "The Difference Engine" to the Old Age Home nearby my office. Thanks for the nice advice .BTW, i don't understand why people throw their old aged parents into Old Aged Homes and then they come with their fancy and shiny cars on every Sunday to meet their Father and Mothers. Selfish people .. Huh.

 

[alliterati]

I keep everything.

 

[page turner]

I keep everything - I still have most of my early childhood books too (they're at my mum and dad's) I figure I don't smoke, drink or do any drugs so why can't I have books as my addiction? I also know that when I'm old andgrey and get shoved in a nursing home I'll be bringing with me a massive book collection - that I can share.

 

[brookiedawn]

I keep everything that I enjoy. If I have duplicates (which happens quite often, as people buy me books as gifts), or a book that I wasn't really enthralled with, I will either pass it along to a friend or donate it. But, 9 times out of 10, I keep them. I have built in book shelves in my closet, so why let that space go to waste?

 

[Snork Maiden]

Book shelf.

I you're going to clutter the house, it's better to do it with books than porcelain figurines.

I couldn't agree more!

I keep most books, however if I've brought something home from the library where I work that's from our 'withdrawn from stock' table, it's usually in pretty tatty condition so I tend to pass those on after I've read them.

 

[Robert]

I make room for new books by donating the books I don't want to the library. When that isn't enough, I get more book cases.

 

[dude]

Yeah same as most in here. I keep the good ones and re-sell the bad ones. Or if it's an author that I really like who happens to put out a bad book, I still keep it for completion purposes.

 

[Ryouko]

I most definitely have an addiction to books. I've only recently been able to learn how to decide which books I actually want to keep.

I just love being able to scan through the titles on my shelves, remembering all the stories I love and looking forward to the ones I haven't gotten to yet. Also, I hate borrowing books, whether from friends or the library. I feel some need to own the books I read. Then again, I almost never buy something that I'm not reasonably sure I'll enjoy. I'm pretty good at judging how I'm going to like something before I read it.

 

[letterHead]

I have one bookshelf for my permanent collection, which consists of non-fiction and a handful of fiction authors' works, and a second bookcase for transient titles. These are books that I buy to give away, or light reading - thrillers, mysteries, humour etc. with a shelf for my to-be-read pile.
I have books on a third bookshelf at my favourite pub, so any overflow makes its way there. Those books are available for patrons, customers and other visitors to take as they wish.

 

[Nothing]

I keep everything unless its absolutely awful. I dont generally pick anything awful, so Ive got a massive collection. My Goodreads list says Ive got about 1200, but it must be more than that because I will buy duplicate copies of stuff that Im obsessed w/. Ive got a whole garage-sized room filled w/bookshelves that are overflowing. Im lucky. We had to buy a bigger house just because of my book collection. heh

Also, I dont understand people buying hardback books! I loathe hardback books. I wont purchase them unless a paperback isnt available.