Do you have a bookshelf with books on?!

[VerrryNice]

I used to have hundreds of books on shelves around the house and loved them. Then I moved house several times and put them in boxes and they got dusty and mouldy so I got rid of them. Then I started using a kindle a lot more.

Now I don’t have any books on display in the house at all. I pass them on to friends or charity and keep a few favourites at the back of a cupboard.

I watched a programme about homes in Wales yesterday and one couple had all their books organised and on display around the house and it looked fantastic and you could really get a sense of the kind of people they were. If you came to my house you would think I was a complete non-reader with no interest in much at all! I was wondering what the norm was these days.

I think it probably tells you more about the posters tbh. I find the posturing of the minimalists and the "yards of Folio editions on display" equally bemusing.

I have thousands of the things - they represent a lifetime of reading, learning and memories to me, they are not going anywhere if I choose to keep them. Most of them are in the shelf lined study and a couple of rooms upstairs so you wouldn't know unless you know me well enough to use those rooms. What other people think is irrelevant to me.

I do agree with the PP upthread who said her fiction bookshelves look as if they stopped about fifteen years ago. I've also shifted my fiction reading almost entirely into ebooks but for larger format or illustrated I still much prefer hardcopies.

I'm actually not a minimalist. And I too love books. I have an English literature degree! I was just talking about people keeping hundreds of books that they'll never reread. I usually keep classics and reference books, but if it's popular fiction that I just read once on holiday, or maybe a cookbook I'm never going to use, to the charity shop it goes.

I got rid of a lot of books when we moved, and then again in lockdown. Still have 5 bookcases in the living/dining room, DS has one in his room (though he doesn't read), one in the spare room. There are still a lot of my books at my DPs house as well.

And the books from the lockdown clearout are all in boxes in the garage.

Also have a kindle with many, many books on it.

Thinking about it I think there is also a pile of comics and graphic novels in the wardrobe, and I think at the bottom shelf or two of the board games book case are taken up with graphic novels. And I think there are books under the bed as well. And there's a small stack by the bureau that I'm slowly working my way through, but there's not enough room on any shelves for them.

@Slipknotted my house is neither minimalist nor cluttered. As I said earlier most of my books are upstairs becasue we still have old fashioned CD's and DVDs that take up room on the bookshelves. There are still books downstairs, but I don't have room for any more bookshelves there.

I keep books that I will read again, reference books, non fictin books and several hardback books, but the typs of "read once and never again" fiction gets recycled by donating to charity. Although I mostly read fiction on my kindle now or occasionally borrow from the library.

Literally millions of books here, I emerged from the womb clutching an already well-thumbed copy of the complete works of Shakespeare and have been avidly reading and collecting books ever since.

We love books-I have shelves on both sides of fireplace in the living room full of books and also hundreds on shelves upstairs.

Am pleased to say DS aged 25 has just given up his kindle. He wants to read actual books and keep them and is enjoying building his collection.
It is really nice to see!

This thread is an uncomfortable reminder that before too long we are going to downsize, and I suspect that the second hand book dealers and charity shops will probably hate the sight of me. I shall be keeping most of the cookbooks, art books, atlases and reference stuff and a few treasured OOP novels.

I have managed to rein in my book buying since acquiring the first of my Kindles but DH reads more now and insists on physical books.

We have bookcases in every room but I do have lots that I haven't read in 15-20 years. I also had to throw away a lot when they went mouldy after not being stored properly.

I do read some books on kindle but you can't beat reading a proper book.

“Am pleased to say DS aged 25 has just given up his kindle. He wants to read actual books and keep them and is enjoying building his collection.
It is really nice to see!”

Same here. My birthday present from my 25yo was a second hand hardback copy of the Divine Comedy with Gustave Doré illustrations that I’d expressed a vague desire to own. It’s now in pride of place.
The love of books is not lost.

Am pleased to say DS aged 25 has just given up his kindle. He wants to read actual books and keep them and is enjoying building his collection. It is really nice to see

I'm sorry, but I don't understand the snobbery against kindles for reading fiction.

One book dh was reading before he died, everything else I’ve sold. I love my kobo and now I’m middle aged I love the backlit screen.

Old book had white paper and black ink, now it’s buff paper with grey ink and I can’t read it easily.

I didn't mean it in a snobbish way and I'm sorry if it came across that way-I just don't get on with kindles at all. I think just the reverse-I am showing myself as a committed luddite. 😂

And I love books. I love the whole feel/smell and I love having them and re-reading them. My sister and I really did used to take a wagon to the library every week to get as many books as we were allowed so it is a deeply ingrained love.

My DH, on the other hand, loves his kindle.

Five billy bookcases (with glass doors as I hate dusting !) in the living room.. some double stacked.
I KNOW I should get rid of some, but I just can't... once I've read a book it is my friend! And I can't resist popping into charity shops for more.
It's my only hoarding tendency!
I must admit I do somewhat judge a house that doesn't have books visible. I shouldn't, but I do. I also think it's just so important that children see them and see us reading them!

I have 'good' classics, and trashy YA fiction and everything in between!

I do use a kindle for holidays but it's not the same.

I must admit I do somewhat judge a house that doesn't have books visible. I shouldn't, but I do

Most of my books are on bookcases upstarirs as I just don't have room downstairs, so judge away.

My house is insulated with books. I just love being able to browse the shelves and thinking 'ooh, I haven't read that in years!'. I even turned the understairs cupboard into a really tiny reading room because I'm that much of an eejit. It's my favourite room in the house - it's got just enough space for an armchair, a bean bag and a small table. It's so cosy that DD and I argue over whose turn it is to use it!

@RampantIvy
At least in the case of my 25yo, so much of their daily work and study involves screens that when the precious time comes to read for pleasure they want to switch off all devices.

I have lots of books but I haven’t picked one up in years!
I can’t be doing with not being able to change the font size. What do you mean I can’t make it 150%!?
My eyesight is terrible so love me a kindle. I read everyday just not using paper. And no I don’t miss the feel or the smell of real books. Stop sniffing stuff, you weirdos! 😝

Samw with DD (23). She prefers real books as well.

I've read 88 books this year, all of them on kindle. We have thousands of paper books but I much prefer the kindle