If you had lost all your books in a fire, would you replace them, or just get them all on a Kindle?

[PeekaPeeka]

Just that, really.

We had some stuff in storage while we're having some building works done at home, and everything was completely destroyed in a huge fire at the storage unit on New Year's Eve.

Some people have lost literally everything they own, so I am trying to feel lucky that we have "only" lost a relatively small proportion of our belongings.

BUT amongst other things, I've lost every single book that I owned. I'm gutted. A collection that I've built up over the last 30 years or so. Books that I've cherished and loved. Maybe 200-300 in total

I already have a kindle, and it's useful, but I don't love it in the same way as actual physical books.

So: if this were you, would you try to replace your collection, however gradually, via a mixture of second hand and new?

Or would you just think fuck it, it's fewer bookcases to dust and less "stuff" in the house - and just buy everything (eventually) on a kindle instead?

Your thread and posts have made me all shivery, as a lot of the books I have are very rare - some rare and valuable - and it has taken me years of searching to find them. I would thought that container storage was relatively safe from fire, it's very scary to think it isn't particularly.

I do have a Kindle as we thought it would save on having actual physical books, but it turns out that the actual physical books are very dear to me in themselves and I can't bear to be without them. I just didn't like the kindle very much.

Sorry about the loss of your stuff, I hope that if you're happy to replace them electronically it doesn't cost too much

Oh, LBOC, that's terrible. I'm so sorry.

I'd never put anything in storage ever again. The website is full of how everything is so safe, and the generic email said "despite all safety precautions..." but I just don't see how they can possibly have had adequate alarms, sensors, sprinklers etc. At least not ones that worked properly. I've emailed my local MP to ask him to intervene to try to get some answers for us all, but I've not heard anything back yet.

It's just such a shit start to the year

I’d replace the reference books, but not so much the novels.

I'm so sorry for you loss OP and @LBOCS2 I can't imagine how devastating this must be.

I read fiction on my phone, tablet, or Kobo ereader. I don't use Kindle as I'm boycotting Amazon until the day they get round to actually paying tax. Some fiction has to be real books though, my absolute forever favourites that are comfort reading. And non-fiction and reference is far better as a real book, especially if there are maps diagrams or photos.

We've been affected by the storage fire and thinking about what to replace. I think we'll replace some cookbooks but not all books.

Oh no @PeekaPeeka and @LBOCS2, my absolute commiserations. Regarding the books: for everyday I read on my Kindle, fiction and literature, the books I used to have on my shelves and regularly swapped for new ones from the charity shop. So those I would replace with ease. BUT most of the books on our shelves are non-fiction, obscure and subject-specific, and mostly out of print. I was so excited when I found one second hand in Belgium after having failed for years to find a copy online. One my husband bought at auction (it's only just over 100 years old, not a super priceless manuscript). I'd be quite devastated for a while but it's just 'stuff' really. Personal effects and photos are a different matter though.

Replace but I am a book lover.

Oh, Who, I'm really sorry that you've lost stuff in the fire too

Thanks again to everyone - I am reading and appreciating all posts, even if I'm not directing replying to you all.

@PeekaPeeka and @WhoSaidWhat - have either of you heard from them today? I got a second generic email last night, continuing to assure me that they'd be in contact within 48hrs of the incident. I've not heard a thing...

Sorry to read of your loss in the fire. I might not wish to replace every book, but those with some sentimental value (for example given to me by a loved one) I would. I also have one written by an ancestor and so would want to replace that for sure.

I'd want most of the books as objects. Kindle's OK but it's not great fro reference, or for comparisons between books. I use lots of books in teaching and students prefer to see the real thing. It's nice to have a break from screens, and the whole sensory thing of the look, feel and smell of a book is important.

I hope the storage units' insurance covers complete like for like replacements, including books that have been signed by authors.

LBOC, we've only had the 2nd generic email as well - no phone call yet.

I can see on Twitter that some people have been called, and then sent a claim form, so I guess they must just be working through a list.

Apparently there was an interview on ITV today where a spokesman basically admitted they had no sprinklers. If this is true, then I am even more furious than I was before

@PeekaPeeka & @LBOCS2 I had a phone call today from them but it wasn't convenient to talk. I did ask them to call later which they did not. They have however sent me the claim form and the email address to forward it to which I should get round to doing in the next few days.

I’d replace most books with Kindle editions, but those with illustrations are not so good on a kindle, so I’d replace those with paper editions.

I’ve just got the new 2018 kindle Paperwhite, which also has the Audible synchronisation and Bluetooth to speaker/headphones functions, and is waterproof. I did look at the Oasis, but I like the compact size, feel & shape of the Paperwhite better - and it’s £100 cheaper.

That's so awful
I think I'm like you. The contents of the book can be read on a kindle - it's the physical existence of the book I value. You do remember buying them and reading them in a way I find I lose with the kindle.
I would do what you're doing - not make any hasty decisions.
Can you remember everything to claim?

Cookbooks and reference books I’d buy as books but everything else would be an ebook. I read everything on my e-reader. I don’t really understand people who insist on paper books. Advantages for ebooks are a) take up no storage space b) text can be easily made larger and smaller to make them easier to read and c) they are lighter than books which is good for carrying them about and for people like me with arthritis who find holding books hard on the wrists.

It's a real mix of opinions thank you all.

We're still waiting for our call from the storage company to go through the claims procedure, so I don't even know whether they'll want to replace things or just give us money, or maybe a mixture of both.

Itemising all the books might take me a while...

I definitely wouldn't replace physical books. I tend to be a buy, read, send to charity shop person but if I do keep books they tend to be something I've had for years I can't bear to part with but replacing them with a new copy wouldn't be the same thing so I wouldn't bother.

In fact if an insurance company was going to pay me to replace a number of books I'd buy entirely new ones I hadn't read before !!

I wouldn't replace them unless they were useful. They won't be the same books you had before so the sentimental value is gone.

I know quite a few people have commented but my two pennies worth is that my collectible books I'd source again no matter what but everything else would be kindle fodder.

However my collectibles are incredibly expensive now (the author has died since he signed all of my copies) so replacing them wouldn't be easy for example and that's not even a signed copy!

I value my books, I had over 1000 and have recently had to part with them through giving away to friends and charity shops. This was a big wrench but due to having to move it would cost too much to put the large amount into storage. I suggest that you can replace them buy purchasing from second hand book stores and charity shops and even through amazon where they sell some books quite cheap. I feel for you at the loss of your books and know that reading a book and turning the pages is far better that a kindle. Good luck with whatever you decide, I have listed my books with more to list so that if any get damaged or lost I know which ones I want to replace. I can part with once read if they are not special to me.

I’m in the process of replacing a load of mine after my mum charity shopped a lot of them because she ‘thought I didn’t want them anymore’, so I’m your circumstances I would replace them

My parents gave away my collection of childrens books to my cousin's daughter, just didn't think to check ti was OK with me. I was gutted, as some were rare editions/1st editions, many pristine dust jackets with beautiful illustrations. I'd been collecting them for years and gradually upgrading copies to old really nice copies and had planned to save them forever. (Cousin's daughter apparently sent them to a charity shop).
So once I had DD, over the many many years of car boot sales, bookshops, charity shops and online I've got many of them back, gradually upgrading to the 1st editions. I've swapped a decent DJ off a poor quality book and put it on a good quality book w/o a DJ and sold the less good book etc.

I think any really nice books I'd enjoy re-reading even if to the grandchildren or if I valued their feel/appearance/illustrations etc I'd buy again, anything else I'd question even whether to buy on Kindle.

I would buy some on Kindle, but most I’d replace with real books - I don’t mind my kindle, but prefer my books to be papery!

I do have a spreadsheet of all my fiction books (that was several days’ work last year), and fully intend to add all the non-fiction books to the list this year. I do realise how sad this makes me look.