To think you can NEVER have too many books.

[hippoherostandinghere]

DH said today he would divorce me if I bought any more books. Joking I think but he was pretty serious he didn't want me to buy the DC's any more books. I'd say they have about 250, they are 3 and 1. I was looking at a few Julia Donaldson ones on amazon that we don't have but he doesn't understand how pleasant they are to read. I love adding to our collecting and see it as a good investment. He's being unreasonable isn't he?

[womblingalong]

My DM and DF were very keen on books for us a children, and we had thousands, a little box room, with shelves all round just for our books - bliss. I am still book obsessed.

However, I am really sad hat my parents gave away all our childhood books when we moved country when I was 16. I can't remember the names of some of the books I loved, just the stories IYSWIM, and would love to track them down, but can't

[ArbitraryUsername]

Picturebooks take up very little space. If you were thinking of buying jack and the flum flum tree: do it. DS2 (3) got it for Christmas and he thinks its hilarious. He was almost hysterical laughing at it tonight (for some reason 'i can't swim for toffee' makes him dissolve into fits of giggles.

He got superworm too and loves it. He woke up from a nap yesterday saying 'help! Disaster! Baby toad has hopped on to a major road'. It's obviously made an impression.

[noblegiraffe]

Join the library?

[Ilovecake1]

250...that's not a lot of books! My LO has autism and was able to read and recognise words and 9 months! She probably has about 1000+ books easily. Books are the best!! Keep buying.

[OutragedFromLeeds]

YABU

Read and get rid. Use the library. Just keep the real favourites.

[hippoherostandinghere]

Superworm and jack and the flum flum tree added to the list. I deliberately didn't buy room on the broom as DS is quite sensitive and doesn't like witches etc but we watched the tv version that was on over Christmas so suggested getting the book, plus a few other JD I've had my eye on.

DS got the pirates next door for Christmas which is great, as is Tiddler which DD got.

[quoteunquote]

OP, can I be the first to say ,

Leave the bastard,

You can not have too many books,

plenty of ideas here of how to integrate them into your home

[CaptainNancy]

We live in a 2-up, 2-down workers cottage... but every room is filled with bookcases and books!
The children had 27 and 18 respectively for Christmas!

[hippoherostandinghere]

Haha quote, I'm loving some if those rooms, that may be the final straw for DH if I suggested one of those.

[CheerMum]

Dd is currently reading the second twilight book so I can safely say we have one too many books! (I thought it was all absolute drivel but she likes it anyway)

Though, it is on her iPad and not easily thrown away taking up any space.

I do still have a small selection of her toddler books which I can't bear to part with ( v.hungry caterpillar, humphreys corner and some Julia Donaldson)

[ZebraInHiding]

Ya nub. Love the link quote.

[ZebraInHiding]

Yanbu . Damn auto correct!

[Floggingmolly]

Yes, you can. We've got in excess of 5000, the rooms are literally lined with bookcases, but it's ridiculous really. I find it really hard to cull them though, they're the one thing I'm so attached to it hurts.
To the point where I've developed a kind of love/hate relationship with them; can't get rid of them but they're also almost suffocating, how ridiculous is that? . (I don't have that problem with any other "things")

[BridgetBidet]

You can have too many books. I adore books, I spent more than a decade working for Books Etc, Borders and Waterstones. About 7 years of that was working part time one day a week purely so I got the staff discount (not for the pay) because I spend so much money on books it is a good investment.

However I have so many (and I have a lot) that I currently have one massive attic room full of books plus piles in the bedroom, living room lined with them, piles in the kitchen etc etc.

Cluttering the house up, they create a lot of dust, plus I have a little boy now and he is going the same way. My New Years resolution is that I will have a cull.


I have come to the conclusion that you should only keep favourites that you genuinely will read again - be selective about what you keep, quality of the books you have is better than quantity.

Have a cull of books you won't reread and that your children have grown out of. They will do a lot more good being resold for a charity so that people who can only afford second hand can make use of them - they will be reread and enjoyed again rather than sitting unloved and unread.

And also make use of a library rather than buying books - it helps support a valuable local resource, saves you money and means that you have less clutter.

I agree lots of books are good, but from my own experience I know that it can get to much, my own DH is also making the threats of divorce if I buy any more books. Or cats.

[WhenAChildIsBawnTigga]

One word: Kindle

YouCanNEVERHaveEnoughBooksTiggaxx

[cocoachannel]

YANBU. DD is nearly two and has a full bookcase! I will often pick up DD books as a treat. She loves them, and frankly DH and I would get bored stupid reading the same books over and over again!

I remember when DD was days old and the HV visited. She went on and on about ensuring DD got a library card ASAP in case we didn't encourage her to read. The fact DH and I both have English degrees so we were sitting in our house surrounded by 1000s of books was lost on her.

[hippoherostandinghere]

I have a kindle. I don't have a problem with books for myself. I just love buying good kids books. I have a particular style I like. In a big fan of Redhouse/ book people.

[MissPricklePants]

YANBU! we love books in the PricklePants house and dd has 100's of books, we read all the time together!And we visit the library weekly too. I am a total bookworm and hope dd enjoys them as she gets older as much as I do.

[AfterEightMintyy]

Of course you can have too many books. They can be clutter in just the same way that too many anything else is clutter.

[CaptChaos]

My name is CaptChaos, and I am a book hoarder. I am unashamed.

I have lost some over the years due to various reasons, but I have hundreds left. We have moved 5 times in the last 5 years (DH is military) and my books take most of the moving lorry. We are emigrating when DH leaves, and I am slowly trying to replace book horde with a new Kindle horde. It's not the same.

DH would go if he ever issued an ultimatum about my books, he has never said anything, but I think he is secretly very happy that I am very slowly culling to a more acceptable level.

[Imaginethat]

Recent research revealed that children with easy access to 500 books during their 0-5yrs perform much better at school than those who do not. However, the books do not all need to be at home all the time.
I hate stuff, I have one cupboard of books, door closed, but obviously I can easily access books online etc. my children, however, have stacks of books in their rooms and weekly trips to both school and local libraries. And repetition is part of the literacy learning journey for children so having their own collection is important. but for myself, no i don't want to be surrounded by piles of books.