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!

We don't but both dc do In their rooms.

I don't know where you're seeing the moral superiority.

Would I be accused of moral superiority if I expressed a preference for teapots in making tea, green tea instead of builders', or children's art on the walls, or if I turned up my nose at minimalism or feature walls or Orla Kiely style wallpaper or grey decor or dogs or indoor cats or SUVs or honking big TVs or growing roses?

You've identified bookcases full of books as a marker of middle class identity that people choose because they feel it distinguishes them from the hoi polloi for reasons including the assumption that books need lots of space, but that might well be a you problem.

Yes ! I grew up with books ( dad was a professor of education). He tells folk I would read the cornflakes packet at breakfast!
So my house has floor to ceiling bookshelves in both the front and dining rooms. A mix of fact and fiction.

I was a childminder for a few years and i recently met an ex mindee (after school care) who was about to start university- she is going to study English literature. She said my bookshelves inspired her and she made her own collection in her bedroom. She admitted she 'borrowed' books ( I had noticed) and my shelves introduced her to the war poets and Shakespeare.

I walked on air after that conversation

When did you last read a Shakespeare?

In my case at school, 50 years ago. I am an utter philistine when it comes to Shakespeare. I find Shakespeare indigestible. However, I enjoy Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and various other classical authors, just not Shakespeare and absolutely no poetry.

Yes, a lot, and some of the shelves are double stacked.
I do use my Kindle too, though - largely for the 99p deals from Amazon. I read too fast to pay full price for any but a very few books now, but I do get some from charity shops, too.

Yes, kids books but while I read everyday I use my kindle and the library so only have a small collection of books which I reread. DH on the other hand has loads of books, some of which he hasn’t read for 25 years. It’s a waste of books which someone else could be reading and space.

Would I be accused of moral superiority if I expressed a preference for teapots in making tea

Only if you said a house without teapots is a house without soul. Perfectly fine for people to have any preferences they want, life would be boring if we all liked the same things, but “a house without X is a house without soul” reads awfully like a moral judgement to me.

Funny, isn't it? I've always had books around the place, but I wouldn't look down on people who don't. I might be slightly baffled by it, but we're all different, aren't we?

Books are a must for us. We have nine bookcases and I imagine over 1000 books. Mostly non fiction and craft books (for me), books on trains and history for DS and fiction for DD. I always feel sad when people dont own at least a shelf of books.

Ahhhhhh try some Carol Ann Duffy. Or Warsan Shire. Bloody wonderful stuff!

But no, Shakespeare isn't intended to be read. In the flesh productions.

@mathanxiety saying a house that has no visible books is a house without soul is judgemental beause the implication is that the residents of that house don't read.

I agree with a pp that reading is more important than owning books.

I don't understand why you don't think it makes someone sounds morally superior. I prefer to read on my kindle and most of our books are upstairs because that is where we have more wall space.

Do you read daily?

Why would you feel sad for others? Plenty of people (many on this thread I wager) who have hundreds of books and never crack a spine.

We both read a lot but we don't have bookcases filled with books because once we've read them, we sell them or donate them or take them back to the library. We have a small bookcase of books that we are intentionally keeping for reference, but neither of us has any wish to re-read 99% of the books we read, so don't see any point in keeping them.

I read/studied 12 of the plays for the last course my OU degree, and enjoyed them far more than I’d expected to. However I watched DVDs of most of them, too. Shakespeare was intended to be watched, not read!

EXACTLY!!!! My books are upstairs. Not that there are hundreds of them. I hate clutter and books aren't aesthetically pleasing. They're for doing, not looking at.

LOVE this comment.

and books aren't aesthetically pleasing. They're for doing, not looking at.

Yes!!!

Thank you, it was tough. We lost loads of other stuff as well, but the books really hurt.

But when we did have books, they were tucked away on shelves in our study. We didn’t feel the need to show off our intelletctualism and midldle-class-ness by having shelves ALL OVER THE HOUSE.

Honestly, the smugness of so many people on this thread who seem to think they are somehow better than others because they have sooo many books, like it’s something to be mega proud of, is frankly quite bizarre.

how many people re-read their books? I get going back to a reference book but I can't think of a book in the last 10 yrs plus i've read twice.

I re-read favourite fiction books and particularly favourite short stories.

Honestly, the smugness of so many people on this thread who seem to think they are somehow better than others because they have sooo many books, like it’s something to be mega proud of, is frankly quite bizarre.

@RockaLock you have summed up my BIL nicely there.

No need to be sad or baffled about my lack of books. I don't need to make a show of how much I read.

@wipeywipe ,I don't re-read usually but some books are even better when you re-read them.
If it's a page turner then I won't read again, but I've read some classics more than once.

Many of my books are reference books or classics, but I need to have a cull.

@Stealer , my books aren't for show. they're just everywhere. I have dozens of cookbooks for a start but I'm only slightly past the toast or pot noodle level of culinary expertise.

Why? There's no way you're reading those 1000+ books regularly, so what's the point?

I use books in my work everyday. But despite this, the book's I've reread for pleasure probably amount to no more than a hundred. I've read and reread The Handmaid's Tale (favourite book) and some others, but not a lot.