If the blog has been a little bit light lately, it’s because we’ve been working on our new newsletter, The Essential. That project should debut in a few days, at which point, I vow to post some really, really good stuff here on the blog. In the meantime, this blog post at the Avery Anthology blog has me wondering about something: What do you do with the books you buy? I know, you’re first answer is “Read em, duh.” But what about when you’re done reading them (or, as is sometimes the case, when the urge to read them passes and the books are left sitting there, unread). Do you loan your books to friends, as Edan does? She even has a little library system in place to track where her books are at any given time. Do you sell your books to a local used bookstore? Do you donate them somewhere? Or do you keep them?
I’m interesting in this partially because, well, I’m the curious sort, but also because much is made about the ability to loan, re-sell and giveaway ebooks. I guess I’m just wondering how prevalent each of these activities is when it comes to printed books.
Anyway, I shall return soon with a podcast interview with Emily St. John Mandel, as well as more wonderful stuff. Until then, feedback would be appreciated.
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Rarely loan ‘em. Then I have to worry about getting ‘em back.
Either keep ‘em or give ‘em. If I read one that I like and that I also have a strong feeling that I might end up wanting to give it away, I buy one or two extras. I also do that if I had a weaker feeling that I might end up wanting to give it away and I later find it on a remainder table.
Wife has a Kindle. I don’t.
The last time I moved (nearly 10 years ago), I concluded that it is possible to own too many books. It doesn’t keep me from accumulating more on a regular basis. I understand that need to hang onto books that you read and loved, or to books that you read and maybe didn’t love but finishing them proved to be something of an accomplishment. The books I really wish I could let go of are the ones I haven’t read but I cling to because I hope they’ll somehow change my life: if I ever do get through one, it will move me/make me smarter/provide some profound, life-changing insight. I’m guessing Dracula Unbound by Brian Aldiss really isn’t that sort of book, but you never know, and so it remains on my shelf.
A couple of years ago I got rid of about 500 books on BookMooch. When you look at my bookshelves, you can’t even tell, because they’ve already been replaced by more books I’ll have a hell of a time getting rid of someday.
I collect them.
I keep most everything I get. Occasionally I will give them away or loan them out. Once in a great while my wife and I cull our collection. I like the organization of having them in my house in their different sections and can go back to them.