to think theres nothing wrong with having a few books?

[slightlymentalmum2one]

Well perhaps few is slightly underestimating 1732 but there's no such thing as having too many right?

Up to last week we had twelve floor to ceiling Ikea Billy bookcases in the house. All with extra shelves and most shelves double stacked. We are emigrating for a few years due to DHs job so we have had to store them in a storage unit, I cried when I packed them up. We also had about two dozen boxes in the loft.

We at taking some with us and it hasn't stopped us buying books. I had a voucher for a fantastic book spa at Mr B's in Bath and bought ten books back from that to go with us.

We also have a Kindle as well with rather a lot of books on. Having a Kindle does not stop you buying books.

Having a kindle is a nightmare actually, because I have ended up buying ecopies of books I own in hardcopy! It is costing me a shagging fortune :o

RichTeas - but, right now, I don't want to get rid of all those books that I paid good money for and replace them with Kindle versions that I have to pay more good money for (and Kindle versions are by and large more expensive than the hard copies, certainly than second-hand copies).

And, no, they're not. There is a lot of stuff that I've read but DH hasn't yet, a lot of stuff that DH has read but I haven't yet, and a fair bit of stuff that neither of us has read yet (an emigrating friend split his huge book collection up between half a dozen or so friends a couple of years ago). And then there are some practical/heavily-illustrated books that I really need in paper copy. I am a re-reader where DH isn't, so I often come back to old favourites again and again.

I reckon that if I had a big Lottery win or something else that rendered the effective cost negligible I would very happily replace 80% of our books with Kindle (etc.) versions. But the cost would currently be distinctky non-negligible and the Lottery win has yet to materialise.

I have a library!!
It's my favourite room in the house. It smells of books and has no media of any kind so it doesn't tend to figure on the radar of the kids. Have run out of shelves, though, despite having a kindle so I have a growing pile of books not alphabetised which distresses me. Must sort that out.
I do like the kindle for travelling, but there's no soul.

I thought I had lots of books, and just counted them - at 650, I realise that I don't have as many as most of you so now don't need to feel bad for buying more My collection has suffered a lot in recent years due to a decision a couple of years ago to use the library for 90% of what I read, and now I only buy books if they are second hand, I read it from the library and loved it, part of a series I already own, or it will take ages to read. But, I live in a country where books are expensive. I would love to live in the UK again where they are cheap ... sigh

I mean no electronic media, of course.

Phew, glad you posted that, Nun! I had to clamp my inner pedant in irons for a while there ... :)

I also love books, I mostly use my kindle for reading samples

Numberlock I may have to pinch your method of storing books waiting to be read. My husband and I both have our own books waiting to be read in the form of wobbly stacks on our bedside tables. If they were to fall, we'd be squished.

Glad to be of assistance, HappyAsChips, if it prevents you and your husband from being crushed to death by an avalanche of books! Although to paraphrase, the Smiths, What a heavenly way to die!

Over three thousand here. Catalogued too.
Can't go with a kindle, doesn't smell or feel the same. There really is nothing like the smell of a second hand bookshop.
I too feel uncomfortable in the (very few) houses I've been to with no books.

If someone offered me kindle versions of all our books I'd jump at the chance. What's the point of them sitting up in the loft? We have floor to ceiling shelves one wall of the living room, but that's only about 30% of them.
The rest are all hidden away in crates. :(

We have a few hundreds of books and both have kindles too. Best of all worlds, especially since no one can see what you are reading on your kindle.

We had a clear out of books not long ago, but we replaced them
With yet more!

Groaning under the weight of books here. Thousands and thousands of them. DH and I just as bad as one another. Both kids shocking...no hope.

I have a few books,not loads though.

I've got 500+ books on my kindle and about the same number in my house, have run out of bookshelves and space to put new shelves.
Really looking forward to going on holiday this year without having to reserve half the car boot for me and my daughters books. We both have kindles now but doesn't stop us buying books, I do donate the 'airport novel' type books to our local library when I've finished with them as I know I'm unlikely to want to read them again. Didn't realise library's take good quality books until a couple of years ago. I feel like I'm doing my bit to support them.

Haven't counted the books - in the thousands, I'd guess. They DO furnish a room but we do have a big house. That's not why we have them, it's because we love reading.

We now have a recently-bought-but-not-read-yet bookcase.:o

As opposed to bought-ages-ago-and-still-unopened books.

What I don't like about electronic texts is they're not as fast as my brain. I don't use bookmarks, turn pages or remember pages numbers; I remember what I was reading, and I'm way faster than the machines, as I suspect most humans are.

The other thing you don't get with a Kindle is the Unexpected Bookmark. In my case, this can be an airline ticket (used to travel a lot with work), a greeting card (found a 5-yo letter from my mum recently), a drawing one of the children have done for me (the kids got wise - now they make me bookmarks ) and once, thankfully, my driving licence (had been looking for that for aaaagggeesss).

I have loads of books and the DCs are all going the same way. And I get the sublime pleasure of rereading to the DCs the books I loved as a child - some of them are even my own old copies.

Of course YANBU! :o

I am lucky to work with books all day as I work in a library. I would love to qualify as a librarian one day so that I can do all the hardcore stock work, I find it fascinating. NCIS - my county is actually doing a 'donation drive' at the moment, we are strict on quality/age though. We aren't closing any of our libraries so it was our stock budget that had to be cut. It's greatly appreciated when customers donate books to us (even though some don't get added to our stock - they get sold instead so still benefit the library) :)

I used to volunteer in a charity shop and agree it is really frustrating seeing books go unsold - it was devastating sorting through donations and chucking out readable books because they didn't make the grade. They do get recycled for money though so they aren't going to waste.

I have a kindle too, not nearly as well stocked as some people's - I am trying not to clutter it up. I use it mainly for 99p daily deals and free classics as I refuse to pay full price for books - I would never go into waterstones, I just can't afford it, unless it was for a present or a uni book in which case I always look online first. If we had an independent bookseller here though I would use it when I could, as I do with a toy shop. Anyway, generally I use the kindle or the library for fiction, as I am very unlikely to read a book more than once. For non fiction though I much prefer real books. That 'thud' as I used to find the right Encyclopaedia Britannica with my dad when doing my homework, and set it down on the table. So happy :) I have to say those interactive textbooks you can get on iPad look pretty incredible though - just can't reasonably afford any.

My real weakness is children's books - as well as all the amazing modern books available I also have an obsession with finding the ones I loved as a child, including books my two aren't old enough for yet. They have an enviable collection of non fiction - usborne and dorling kindersly type stuff. I am stupidly excited about the day they start getting research type homework from school.

I have hundreds of books but no bookshelves, as DH is a bit weird about things like books or dvds being on display, he thinks it looks messy so mine are hidden in various places over the house, one large box in a bedroom cupboard, three storage boxful's on top of my wardrobe, one of the big drawers under our bed and we recently got one of those headboards with hidden storage so I can keep more there :)

It looks like DD is following suit, she has two shelves full of books in her room, a storage box under her bed, a big drawer under her wardrobe and a pile of story books too large for the shelves and box piled up next to her bed!

Oh Nun I'm SO SO jealous, having my own library is my ultimate dream!

I used to be a librarian so all my books are categorised - each shelf is a different category (fiction, non, sci-fi, history etc), and in alphabetical order. God help you if you mess with my system. I think I need help

Houses are too small to keep books these days, - especially in towns.

I hate them personally.

I wouldn't like a houseful off books,I sell mine at the car boot.

Maryz get over to England for your hols, it seems to be law that every high street has at least 6 charity shops, (and happily no Next, Top Shop etc.) lots of them are selling 3 books for £1. I need to know who has colour coded their bookcases it sounds great, must give it a go.