Do you keep your books after you've read them, or do you get rid of them? Apparently, this is a pretty hot topic, based on the blog posts and articles I've found about it (here, here, here and a cool one here). I understand it; books can be powerful, so tactile and evocative. I love them. Historically, they've been potent stuff. Just think about a time when every book had to be hand written. Or when printing became feasible (thanks, Gutenberg!) and to own a single book was heretic.
So, clearly, we're a keep family. My husband is an even bigger book addict than I am. When we moved into our little loft, we downsized everything except books. I got rid of two or three books that were in pretty bad shape, and my husband was startled that I would even get rid of that many. Now, we have 5 very large bookshelves, and our collection keeps growing.
Keep, keep, keep!
ReplyDeleteI try hard to only keep the books I love and the ones that I haven't read yet. Unfortunately that is still piles & piles. And my husband is worse than me, just like yours! I can hardly complain when I have stacks of books sitting everywhere.
Oh well, it's not such a bad addiciton, as addictions go.
I want a library. A LIBRARY. I want to have not just shelves, but whole rooms devoted to books. I don't really have the room for it and I know it isn't practical, but I love the idea that I have hundreds of books in the house. It is a clear expression of my love of books and reading.
ReplyDeleteI have become a keeper, and I'm also a lender.
ReplyDeleteLisa,
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, I totally agree. I would love to have a real library. Heaven.