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AIBU?

To think you can NEVER have too many books.

171 replies

hippoherostandinghere · 31/12/2012 20:51

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?

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oldpeculiar · 31/12/2012 22:43

YABU. WE have way too many.I'm going to have a new year cull.

Permanentlyexhausted · 31/12/2012 22:48

YANBU. Mine have loads of books each. Mind you, getting into the library habit is probably a good idea if yours start to read as much as mine. DS managed to read 5 (100+ page) books the other week, between me getting back from the library at 4pm and him getting up at 9am. I can't keep up!

Plomino · 31/12/2012 22:49

We are the local library .

We used to own two secondhand bookshops , until we moved counties and had to close them . After getting rid of loads of stock through two donation weeks ( people could take what they wanted , as long as we got a donation , which raised about £2k each for the Essex air ambulance and little havens kids hospice ) we still had about 20,000 or so , so we gave 4 lorry loads to charity , the kids picked their favourites , we picked ours . We currently have about 4 -6000 ish in our library , of which the fiction are read regularly , and the non fiction are all useful .

All our neighbours know we have a huge amount of books , and tend to come round for a coffee and leave with a book or three each . It seems to have become the unofficial village library . The only things we don't let people borrow are the collectible first editions.

I still buy loads from the charity shops though, but try and weed out the library so they get carrier bags back every so often.

SirBoobAlot · 31/12/2012 22:51

I'd divorce him. His wardrobe would make a brilliant book case

You can never have too many books. DS and I both have a rather large amount, and now I have a kindle as well.

glastocat · 31/12/2012 22:55

Palomino, I wish I was your neighbour! :)

CaHoHoHootz · 31/12/2012 23:01

Our family consists of 5 avid readers but I love getting rid of books. Old books get dusty and dirty and the pages turn yellow. Old books can be re-bought cheaply at charity book shops. There is no need to keep them UNLESS you are keeping them on a kindle.

YABU. pack those old books up,and give them to charity.

glastocat · 31/12/2012 23:02

And Palomino, do you have a kindle too? [:D]

glastocat · 31/12/2012 23:05

Anyone in Cork want some books?

KitchenandJumble · 31/12/2012 23:06

I think you can have too many books. My parents have thousands, probably somewhere in the neighbourhood of 15,000. It is overwhelming. They don't even remember what they own, let alone where most books are. The books have overtaken various rooms in the house.

I very rarely buy books these days. We love the library, and we are definitely bookworms in this house. But I limit book buying considerably. Even so, we probably have too many books. A few months ago I culled through our books and got rid of several hundred. It was wonderfully liberating.

My DH is the biggest offender, TBH. He buys a lot of books, mostly in his native language.

catsmother · 31/12/2012 23:15

We've got 1000s .... dunno, maybe 2 or 3 (or more) but that's 30+ years worth, lots and lots of presents, secondhand stuff, inherited books and so on. Don't really buy much these days unless secondhand and cheap.

I do periodically get rid of several bags' worth to the Brownie jumble sale etc - usually the 2 for £7 Tesco "easy read" variety, but nonetheless the overall total doesn't seem to go down.

I do read lots again and besides, I won't be able to afford to do sod all else when/if I retire so plan on doing lots of reading. Also enjoy lending out etc.

catsmother · 31/12/2012 23:17

Oh ... plus 2 Kindles (birthday present and prize) each with about 5 books on so far. When I can afford to go on holiday again I will gladly use one to save weighing down my suitcase!

mummyonvalium · 31/12/2012 23:22

We have too many books. I know we do because they are in the garage and our local bookshop has said as a joke we probably have more books than they do. I cleared out 4 bags last year and it only scratched the surface. I have tried to impose a book buying ban but it lasts about 3 days before I give in.

In answer your DH is NBU however I understand how easy it is to be in denial.

Alisvolatpropiis · 31/12/2012 23:27

Yanbu.

There is no such thing as too many books.

BOFingResolutions · 31/12/2012 23:33

I grew up in a house with thousands and thousands of books. My dad was a hoarder of them. Even though it was a 3-bed semi, I had to share a bedroom with my brother until I was 15, and my mum (and us kids) could never invite anyone round because there was no space for them to sit. My dad could have been killed when the shelves next to his usual chair collapsed, but luckily he was in the relatively clear kitchen. The front room, which most people used as a second sitting-room or dining-room, was so full that not only were all the walls lined with shelves, but there were so many boxes that there was only enough space for the door to partly open. Likewise the garage, the loft, the third bedroom.

My mum threatened divorce many a time.

So yes, you can have too many books.

usualsuspect3 · 31/12/2012 23:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MurderOfGoths · 31/12/2012 23:45

YANBU I love love love books.

I dream of having a house with enough rooms to turn one into a library!

I've also ended up with a Kindle to save space. And I'm currently databasing my ebook collection, and there are over 3000 files on there

This is ignoring the 4 bookcases we have, and there aren't that many books that appear in both collections.

MurderOfGoths · 31/12/2012 23:46

ps. It's not too many books, it's too little space

BOFingResolutions · 31/12/2012 23:47

None of you have the slightest clue of what too many books really looks like

.

nickelbabylyinginamanger · 31/12/2012 23:49

yanbu

ltb

nickelbabylyinginamanger · 31/12/2012 23:54

you can't 280 standard paperback on a Billy bookcase of 7 shelves.

that's really not a lot of books.

tell your DH from me that it's child abuse to deprive children of books.

don't get them from amazon though -support your local Indies.

nickelbabylyinginamanger · 31/12/2012 23:55

can't should have said can get

nickelbabylyinginamanger · 31/12/2012 23:59

BOF.
why the fuck did i grow up with my nutjob family when i was quite clearly destined to be in yours? :(

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Dawndonna · 01/01/2013 00:00

Up to 4000 here. Not enough.

nickelbabylyinginamanger · 01/01/2013 00:03

my tiny little shop has 8000. they barely fill a bookshop so you'd need at least 5 times that many to start being a problem.

Plomino · 01/01/2013 00:13

glasto

Yep have kindle on my iPad for the train , but still always have a proper book in the work bag as well . Bought ds2 one for Christmas as he is a voracious reader , but I can't see either of us giving up actual books . Ds2 is worse than me. Whereas I might have 4 or 5 books on the go, he'll have at least 7 . I'm just grateful he reads at all .

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