When we were married, we marveled that we had only one book in common (it was a Douglas Coupland book - I actually despised that book so not sure why I still owned it; I've since gotten rid of my redundant copy).
When D and I moved back to the US, he sent over a partial shipping container; it contained a lot of books! (and some other stuff, but there really were a lot of books).
I don't remember when I stopped buying books and instead borrowed them from the library. D still buys books (and likes to receive them as gifts), and he won't part with books he already owns.
I think you CAN have too many books. Look at our bookshelves - wow! I dust the books every week. And I just did a mega-dust where I took every book off and dusted behind them. And aside from our reference books (one shelf) and photobooks we've had made, we rarely open those books at all. I'd also rather walk by the shelves and see only my favorites - and I do have favorites that I would never part with! (Jasper Fforde, Kate Atkinson, Milagro Beanfield War, One Hundred Years of Solitude).
So I have decided to select one book a week to sell (http://www.amazon.com/gp/seller/sell-your-stuff.html?ld=AZSOATEXTJOINT) or donate to the library.
We used to do PaperbackSwap (which is brilliant if you want another book to come into your life to replace the book you just got rid of. That was my first step to forgoing new books altogether and just visiting the library).
Book no. 1 - Animal Dreams (Barbara Kingsolver). I really loved her book The Bean Trees. I didn't love Animal Dreams, but I bought it and kept it. I am now selling it for $1 over shipping costs. It's not much, but it'd be another snowflake, right?
When I think about the money I wasted buying books I feel slightly ill.
Can you have too many books?
March 9th, 2014 at 04:44 pm
March 9th, 2014 at 05:15 pm 1394385333
The big change came a few years ago with electronic readers. Current books are free from the library without even the effort of driving over. Others are so inexpensive on-line it is crushing the publishing business.
March 9th, 2014 at 05:28 pm 1394386112
He does have a kindle, and recently bought a book for the kindle AND got the hardback version from the library. I don't get it, but I'm not going there...
With my new system, I will eliminate 52 books this year (of my own) and that will feel good! He can keep all of his books, and things will still be less cluttered.
March 9th, 2014 at 07:03 pm 1394391839
Good for you attempting to pare down your library!
March 9th, 2014 at 08:12 pm 1394395979
But it all looks so inviting ... I'd love to pull up a chair and grab something to read. I'm going into reading for enjoyment withdrawals since I become an official student again on 3/31. I've finished "Sleep Doctor" by Stephen King, a Ruth Rendell that I've been listening to, and I want to finish Winston Graham's "Poldark" series again. I love academia, but I love my books, too!
March 9th, 2014 at 08:21 pm 1394396472
March 9th, 2014 at 09:20 pm 1394400027
March 9th, 2014 at 09:50 pm 1394401813
March 10th, 2014 at 02:15 am 1394417754
March 10th, 2014 at 02:26 pm 1394461608
March 10th, 2014 at 06:55 pm 1394477713
The kindle means I can read at night without turning on a light and that I got a lot of books for absolutely nothing on line. That is kind of cool, but I still find my heart loves a room with lots and lots of books.