Do you have bookcases filled with books at home?

[CatteryCatss]

I grew up without books at home, but my DM frequently read magazines.

Surprisingly, I turned out to be a big reader in adulthood. I have bookcases either side of the chimney breast filled with books (as well as LEGO sets and a couple of ornaments) I also have a bookcase on my stairs and in the office, which are filled.

Whenever I visit my DM, I’m reminded of my childhood without books and it makes me quite sad!

Hail and well met fellow bibliophile.

My feelings exactly.

I'm drowning in books. I bought another two only last week. Then I've got a huge amount of digital books, plus heaps of audiobooks.

I love reading and I love an actual book. I do prefer reading on my phone though - as much as that may make me a philistine.

Er, yeah but I'm not really am I? If people don't want to have books then all power to their elbow.

My pointing out there are extremely beautiful books out there, if you're happy to spend the money, is just a statement of fact.

I have loads. I re-read a lot. Sometimes decades will go by before I fancy reading something again. Anything I'm sure I won't look at again goes to charity.
I love to nose around other people's book collections, but so many have theirs on Kindle these days. I like the look of filled bookcases.

Yes, we read a lot but also have loads of reference / non fiction.
We’ve just lined a room with lots of bookshelves. We had loads in boxes for 5 years after moving and have only just starting getting a lot more out though so still lots of boxes to go.
Its great to have them unboxed, particularly the non fiction which we use for reference all the time. There are also fiction books that dh has read that I haven’t so nice to go through them all too.

We also collect first editions, they are shelved but behind doors to prevent fading.

Literally all the time, for work and for pleasure. And when the urge comes over me to reread The Fountain Overflows or Virginia Woolf’s diaries or Judith Flanders’ The Victorian House at 3 am, I don’t want to wait till I can get to the library.

Agree @Yellowbananasarebetterthangreen and @Arraminta books bring me an enormous amount of joy.
and lining a wall with some of your best friends brings peace and tranquility.

My SIL took an immediate hate of dh and I because we have too many books apparently……What a crappy judgmental attitude.
Live and let live I say.

I tried but 90% of the books they offered zero. A few unusual academic books they offered a few pounds but it all seemed too much trouble. It's actually quite hard to get rid of books.
Charity shops don't want non-fiction or reference books. I've taken most of them to charity shops but only in small numbers at a time.
Vinted / eBay who could be bothered to try and sell 1000s of books one at a time.

Yes, I think of my books as good friends (weird, I know). But they bring me so much happiness, support and contentment. Reading a favourite book is like sitting down and reminiscing with an old friend.

Yes, possibly too many despite regular clear outs. Unusually, most of my books are non-fiction.

I do have a large classic fiction section, but no paperbacks allowed - they get recycled to other people, I only keep selected hardback fiction, generally the classics and ones I will read again and again. I belong to Slightly Foxed and can't resist adding to the collection regularly and scour the charity shops for old books that might be interesting.

However, as I said, most of my extensive library is non-fiction. A lot of my books are related to my PhD and my field of work. These take pride of place and are referred to regularly.

I went through a phase of buying art books, again collectables from publishers like Taschen and have a large collection of them and I do enjoy looking through them from time to time.

I also have a huge number of educational books left over from home educating my DCs, as well as those used for my current teaching and many that I hope to pass on to GC eventually.

My DD suggested I should open a specialist bookshop, and if I had been in this position 50 years ago, I probably would have, but now most bookshops are closing unfortunately.

First editions should be easy to sell

Have you tried your local library ( if you have one still ) or local school. They are always desperate for reading material.
Academic, reference books and classics will be snapped up by colleges and Universities as well.

Yes, thousands. They are my most valued possessions.

It's interesting how people view books differently. For me they are a means to get immersed into a story or a topic that fascinates me or to follow a recipe.

I don't view books as ornaments or friends. They are a means to an end ie a way to absorb knowledge or enjoy a story.

I would ruin a beautiful book by bending back the spine as I do 99% of my reading in bed. I can't have the light on as it would keep DH awake so that is why I use my kindle.

I find the conflation of hoarding books and being a reader bizarre. I think some posters feel physical books are a status symbol - the whole "a home without book.." gubbins. Yeah, I get it, you feel superior and cultured, good for you.

Why keep it if you aren't going to read again soon? There are things called libraries that I would argue real readers are keen to support otherwise we'll lose them.

Feeling smug because you have a few hundred ropey old paperbacks on display - well.

I find this attitude so bizarre. It comes up every time there’s a thread about books. For this type of person, obsessed with eradicating ‘clutter’ and not having anything ‘on display’, the only acceptable way to read is in secret, preferably returning every book to the library the moment you read the final page, or, if you must have books in the house, keep them under the bed in a shoebox. Not downstairs ‘on display’, because that would be boasting and showing your ‘superior’ habits. I mean, God forbid.

OK. Bit dramatic. Sorry for just reading my books and donating them or sharing them with friends rather than stroking them and saying 'my precious'. Stand corrected.

There is a middle ground, which I think is what we have.
We have hundreds of books, about two thirds of which are on kindle.

Yes, some shelves in my downstairs office and then loads in a spare bed room floor to almost ceiling and some in another bed room

I think I own about 17 different editions of LOTR? Promise I don't stroke any of them though (yet).

@FreedomandPeace @Arraminta Yesssssssss! Books are my friends. They bring me joy, tranquility and peace. Swoon.
Its a happy weekend activity for me to tidy, dust, rearrange, look at, read my book collection. Get rid of a few, add in a new one etc. A huge percentage of mine are charity shop finds - new treasures for the collection.

I picked up my copy of Wuthering heights recently - reading the first page was such a joy. Made me so happy. Totally the equivalent of rediscovering a favourite poem.

Its always been my dream to have a room or even just a wall devoted to books. Alas my bookshelves are all over the house - different categories on each. Its my plan to count them......... I gather from Jack Edwards (a fellow book fan on you tube) that a library requires a minimum of 1000 - Im keen to know if I have a library!

As for getting books from a library - Ive done that many times of course but tbh I find that a bit stressful. That means reading that book..... now. And finishing it within a deadline so I can return it, not reading it when the mood takes me.

But if you've really loved a book, don't you enjoy remembering the story and all the characters you "met"?

But if you've really loved a book, don't you enjoy remembering the story and all the characters you "met"?

Yes I do.

I guess I just like seeing them and them triggering the memories. There's no right or wrong way to see it really.

Yes! Tall huge ones built either side of chimney in the dining room, one on the landing, a tall wide one in DS' room and a tall but slimish one in our room, a small horizontal one above the desk in the spare room and I still have books everywhere 🤦‍♂️ , I was talking to the builder working on our kitchen this week about putting another floor to ceiling one (10ft ceilings...) on one side of the chimney breast alcove in the living room. DS is 6 and his teacher is astounded by his reading. I truly believe it's because it's just part of everyday life in our house, he loves it as much as we do

Yes, in every room except the bathroom and downstairs loo. Have one wall of the hall shelved as well.