Books: Do you look for them when entering somebodies house for the first time ?

[Shosha1]

I must admit I do. I love to see what people are reading. It always gives me a sense of them.
Absence of books make me feel uneasy for some reason.
Which is absolutely stupid, as you wont find one in my house.
I cant hold a heavy book now as Lupus has affected my hands, so I read on a kindle, but most of my 500 odd books are on audible.
DH has all his on audible too.
We do have childrens ones for DGC tho.

I have no books on display as I don't own any. I listen to audible instead. I read so slowly I get bored so getting someone else to read it to me works for me. I make sure my children have a lot of books though as I think growing up with little access to them held me back.

My favourite books are in a large bookcase next to favourite chair in the lounge.
My other books (including ones from my childhood) are in another large bookcase in my hallway.

I do have a kindle in a drawer somewhere but it's not the same as an actual book so it is never used.

I told my husband that I was reading this thread and looked up to realise that I am sitting in our tiny sun room, surrounded by four book shelves.

"Five" he said, pointing behind me.
There are no bookshelves in the kitchen or bathroom

My parents had a collection of about 15000 books, they were a mill stone

My parents had over 10,000 and I miss those books still. My house is far too small to have been able to keep them.

I wouldn't consciously look but do love a well stocked bookcase and if I've read the same books as someone then I'd love to discuss it with them or ask for recommendations.

@MitziK Thank god he’s your ex. What a dreadful thing to do to anyone. I couldn’t forgive that.

This thread is a fascinating study of how having a chip on your shoulder can poison everything around you.

OP: It's a joy to look at other people's books
MN: How dare you judge me rhubarbrhubarbrhubarb froth!

Hilarious

I do have a kindle in a drawer somewhere but it's not the same as an actual book so it is never used.

What is so unappealing about a kindle?

One advantage of paper books over Kindle is precisely that you can see them on an acquaintance’s shelf or in their hand and get chatting. It’s a nice way of finding something in common. Sadly the only books we have on display downstairs are cookbooks, a DIY book and a large dictionary. We’ve got high ceilings and specially installed shelves at 7 feet and upwards all around the upstairs landings. Very handy.

This thread is a fascinating study of how having a chip on your shoulder can poison everything around you.

OP: It's a joy to look at other people's books
MN: How dare you judge me rhubarbrhubarbrhubarb froth!

Except no.

This thread is a fascinating study of how having a chip on your shoulder can poison everything around you.

Or how some people look down on those of us who prefer to use a kindle. I simply find a kindle more practical to hold and read.

There’s nothing wrong with reading on a Kindle, it’s just that the physical book has more history and presence. I can glance over a shelf and immediately have an internal response to the books that are there - some are very well loved others are new delights and some feel more shadowy and hidden. I own quite a lot that are out of print and wouldn’t be found on a Kindle. Then there’s the different appearance and feel of each book, they are a unique pleasure.

I love my Kindle. Currently enjoying The Mirror and the Light on it.

I don't buy paper books any more. I've got rid of almost all except for one bookcase full, which I never look at anyway.

I am truly a philistine

Ginfordinner well, that would be a different form of chip, but same principle

I still have books, but the only real books I buy these days are recipe books or travel guides/maps and reference books. A kindle is no substitute for these. However, I don't buy fiction real books. I just download them on to my kindle.

@Ginfordinner a kindle has no soul, it has no scent, it has no place in my life.

Books have no soul either. They’re (mostly) mass produced pieces of paper with ink on them.

Absence of books make me feel uneasy for some reason.

This does imply an element of judgement.
I say that as somebody who has lots of books in my front room because I have just collected them and I love the look of a bookcase.

I do love to have a look at people's bookcases though, I know mine in some way tells the story of my life - books I have collected over 20 years - only it doesn't as so many are on my kindle

Absence of books make me feel uneasy for some reason.

You must be very fragile.

I hope people don't look for books when they come to my house. Unless they are being nosey fuckers shown around the bedrooms they won't see any. But there is at least 1 in each bedroom. Plus a box of overflow books in mine!

Oh or if they use the bathroom as there is one upstairs on the landing as well.

I have bookshelves in almost every room, some built in. They look wonderful and make a home attractive far more than crushed grey velvet sofas and awful canvas photographs on the wall.

We have books, a crushed velvet bed and canvas photos.

Yes, anyone who said they kept their books ‘upstairs’ either lives in a mansion or doesn’t read much. I don’t keep every book I read, some are crap and others I circulate/swap, but I have a copy of every special one.

We have a wall of books in our living room, that couid just as easily be a wall of books an upstairs hallway, bedroom or study

a kindle has no soul, it has no scent, it has no place in my life.

The text is exactly the same. If a book has a soul, surely it's the contents? The don't exist to look pretty.

This thread is comedy gold!

Keep it coming!

I’m very nosey and I think that I take everything in when I visit people’s houses. Book shelves are familiar as I grew up with parents that loved reading. However I don’t understand keeping every single one anymore. Give them to charity! I also love libraries for my kids, so they don’t have huge bookshelves as they are rotated so often.

What I do notice more, is how untidy and chaotic and just SO MUCH STUFF in some of my friends houses. And mostly the more middle class friends! Maybe I’ve become a tidy snob as I’d never noticed it before, now it irks me. I want to physically tidy and just get rid of all that stuff!