topic Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home? in Home

How many books do you have displayed in your home?

house_cat — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:52:14 GMT

I've pared down to about two dozen history books that I find it hard to part with.... but I'm thinking of getting rid of them, as well. I don't have a lot of room for display or storage, and I never revisit the books, so why am I holding onto them? I don't know...

The last few years I've done all my reading on my Kindle, saving me lots of money and precious space.

I'm wondering if I'm not the only one phasing out of hard-copy books. My brother and his wife have THOUSANDS, which makes me wonder why they choose to clutter their lives this way.

Any thoughts?

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

RipleyGirl — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:59:43 GMT

Too many

I've pared down quite a bit, but there's some I just can't give up.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

jlkz — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:02:17 GMT

Years ago I decided to donate all my foreign language books to my French professor to use in her classics classes. This was easy as my career path serendipitously became corporate management...in English !

Just this past weekend, at my 50th college reunion, I ran into her and she told me how every year her students use these books as they study classic French authors. She smiled as she said she sees my maiden name on the inside cover and relates what I am doing ( have done ).

There are probably a number of places you can try that will welcome your donations...and " visit " them productively.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

ID2 — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:04:05 GMT

Displayed? None

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

Iwantcoffee — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:08:01 GMT

I am not phasing out hard-copy books. I do not like reading on a small screen, so I do not have a Kindle.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

toria — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:08:41 GMT

None are really displayed, I do have some in a book case in a hallway. I've greatly pared down my books and donated them to my library which has book sales every year. I will keep a few of them and some cook books I like. I don't really use cookbooks much as most recipes are on the internet.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

ChynnaBlue — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:10:04 GMT

I keep hard copies of cookbooks, reference books, children's books, picture books (architecture, photography, etc) and books signed by the author. Anything I'm actually reading is digital - Kindle or an Audible audio book.

At this point, even if I buy a hard copy book and get it signed by the author, I don't actually read the paper book and instead use a digital copy. That way the signed copy doesn't get damaged and I don't have to worry about carrying a heavy book with me.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

wildcat fan — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:10:27 GMT

I have thousands of books in my home, and I don't view them as "clutter." My books are my friends, my windows to knowledge and entertainment. Several shelves are full of elementary and middle school reads (in excellent condition) which I plan to share with future grandchildren. A few cases are full of books that belonged to my father--all great reads that I revisit from time to time. I have many attractive, and some rather expensive, shelves to display and organize them.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

qualitygal — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:14:02 GMT

I love books, so to me, it's a decoration all on it's own. Kind of like peanut butter is a food group of it's own.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

jaxs mom — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:20:35 GMT

More than 500

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

birkin baby — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:28:15 GMT

Oh, this is an ongoing process for me. I had so many books and then I begrudgingly got a kindle Paperwhite before a trip to London. I love it so much but some books are just too sentimental to part with. I got rid of so many that I knew would not be read again. I kept childhood favorites, signed copies, beloved odd books,and favorite first editions. I donated most cookbooks that were not handed down from my mom and grandmother, church compilations,etc. All my history books are gone. I am a history major but know that is all online. I have so much more space and all my real loves are easier to find and see on the shelves. I get real satisfaction from that. I still buy books but only from goodwill, eBay,etc usually. Then I pass them along. I always complete series if I have kept the previous ones. It's definitely a hard thing to purge books.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

athenian — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:34:54 GMT

Too many to count. We have bookcases in every room but the dining room and laundry. I, too, mostly read on kindle now, but still buy hard copy art books, and frequently revisit old favorites. Having known a few true bookaholics, I don't think there's a problem unless they're stacked in front of the bathtub.

"An education by books...is an ornament in society and a solace when alone."

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

luvsbulldogs — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:40:49 GMT

I have a lot of display books throughout our home. Some are classics and I do not see books as clutter! I love the feel of a book in my hands while reading. I have a cabinet in our kitchen of all the cookbooks I have collected over the years and I still use them often. I also have some beautiful art books that I have displayed in our home.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

Sooner — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:55:04 GMT

@house_cat wrote:
I've pared down to about two dozen history books that I find it hard to part with.... but I'm thinking of getting rid of them, as well. I don't have a lot of room for display or storage, and I never revisit the books, so why am I holding onto them? I don't know...

The last few years I've done all my reading on my Kindle, saving me lots of money and precious space.

I'm wondering if I'm not the only one phasing out of hard-copy books. My brother and his wife have THOUSANDS, which makes me wonder why they choose to clutter their lives this way.

Any thoughts?

Because different things are important to different people. I wonder why people do a lot of things. We shop at different stores, have different interests, and things that are valuable or seem sensible to one person won't to another. It's what makes the world go around.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

Marsha2003 — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:56:07 GMT

I love books so I do not see them as clutter. While I enjoy the convenience and space-saving aspects of e-readers, I don't really like using them for books that feature photographs or drawings. For that type of book, I would rather have a hard copy.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

DoneTryin — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 17:17:19 GMT

No "displays" at my apt. They're scattered around all over, some on bookshelves, some on tables, some on floor. Not clutter or messy to me. Every couple of years I go through them to purge what I don't want any more. Several years ago I got a Kindle for the express purpose of minimizing & taming my book collection. Turns out I don't like reading on an electronic device. Now I have about 30 books in my Kindle yet to read. I have lately started collecting Audible books & plan to knit for charity while I listen to books in my retirement.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

ECBG — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 18:21:57 GMT

I don't display any books except for a few antique bibles that have been in the family.

I do have my magazines on the coffee table because that's where I read.

My books are in a closet on a five shelf bookcase.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

RedTop — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 18:40:14 GMT

I have always been an avid reader, and book lover, but realized a long time ago how easy it was to be overrun with books. Outside of the kitchen bookcase with my cookbooks, I only have a small bookcase in my bedroom with the few books that have great meaning in my life.

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

CelticCrafter — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 18:40:53 GMT

Enough to make you think Barnes & Noble threw up in here!

Re: How many books do you have displayed in your home?

house_cat — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 18:59:29 GMT

Thank you!

I always enjoy reading your responses and getting different perspectives.

Those of you who have hundreds of books - have you ever had to move them? We've moved five times in the past 34 years, which isn't outrageous, but it seems each time we move we take a little less along with us.