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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I don't trust people who don't have any books in their houses.

356 replies

WayHarshTai · 08/09/2013 21:12

I think they are a bit evil.

My sister and her DH only have a couple of Jamie Oliver books and THAT'S IT. Freaks.

I get a bit twitchy if I visit someone and I can't see their bookshelf, I have been known to snoop on the pretext of finding the loo or something to put my mind at rest.

I think it shows trerrible character and possibly criminal leanings to not have hundreds some books around the house.

AIBU? I know i'm not really, it's just common sense.

OP posts:
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 08/09/2013 21:13

Yanbu. Houses without books are terrifyingly soulless.

SPsTotallyMullerFuckingLicious · 08/09/2013 21:13
Grin

I have maybe PS I Love You lying around somewhere if that counts?

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 08/09/2013 21:13

And what am I meant to do if there are no books to nosy at? :)

SPsTotallyMullerFuckingLicious · 08/09/2013 21:14

I have several trashy magazines under the coffee table as well.

On display!

RNJ3007 · 08/09/2013 21:15

No books?!? How does that happen...???

(Says the person looking at buying super tall-skinny bookcases to put in nooks and crannies as out of space for books)

PelvicFloorClenchReminder · 08/09/2013 21:15

Yikes. Surely the one thing worse than having no books at all is having two books by Jamie Oliver?

YouTheCat · 08/09/2013 21:15

The only books my ex has are mine that I haven't been able to collect yet (it's only been 3 and a half years Hmm ).

If only there had been MN 20 years ago.

JollyHappyGiant · 08/09/2013 21:15

My parents hardly have any books now. They have 4 kindles in the house and all use them loads.

We have heaps, but you wouldn't know it if you didn't come upstairs.

GrapevineMerlot · 08/09/2013 21:15

You have a point! I'm moving house soon and have started packing. I've packed most of my books but have left half a shelf of books out because I can't bear to not have books out.

Original poster
WayHarshTai · 08/09/2013 21:16

I know, right? And then she comes round here and does a moue of distaste at my 'clutter'. It's not clutter, you nob, it's a well stocked bookcase.

OP posts:
notnowImreading · 08/09/2013 21:17

How can you even know who they ARE if they don't give your the back-door keys to their brain?

My sister had a boyfriend once who didn't like reading or eat vegetables. Thank The Lord and all his little angels that she didn't marry the spud-loving illiterate.

McNewPants2013 · 08/09/2013 21:17

I have tons of books in the attic, a few on a hidden shelf and I use my iBook app a lot.

DragonsAreReal · 08/09/2013 21:17

I don't have any books on display, looks messy.

I do however have a walk in cupboard in the hallway and if you looked in there all you would see on the left is books. Or boxes of books or bags of books and thats after the clear out my dm made me do about 6 months ago on them as it used to be both sides of cupboard full to the brim.

Original poster
WayHarshTai · 08/09/2013 21:18

Grin 'spud-loving illiterate'

OP posts:
7to25 · 08/09/2013 21:19

My husband is a book hoarder. I give away mine, either targeted to friends and family or given away to charity shops

Balloonist · 08/09/2013 21:19

I don't think I've ever been in a house which didn't have books.

I love books, reading and collecting and think of them as decor not clutter. If I had a big enough house I would turn a room into a library and catalogue everything (closet librarian).

I love looking at people's bookcases.

Dorange · 08/09/2013 21:20

pure MN snobbery

maybe you should go spend some time in a 3rd world country (e.g.:mine), where big part of population is illiterate and the richest people are highly educate (politicians, business people) and read heaps, still, they are corrupt, fiddle taxes and rob from the poor.

the evil is in you if you decide to judge people this way

FacebookWanker · 08/09/2013 21:20

I can kind of see what you mean. We had loads, but lost them in a fire and I can't see them being replaced. I'm gutted as they represented different stages of my life. I always wanted to buy a house with an extra room for a library (in my dreams). We have a few books, but please don't get twitchy if you come round. If we used to own books, will that help with the twitchyness?

CointreauVersial · 08/09/2013 21:21

I do have books, but they are all upstairs on the landing, and only our bedroom is up there, so visitors would never see them.

I don't like the look of them really.

LegoDragon · 08/09/2013 21:22

YABU. We have thousands of books on the IPad (we won it on a raffle ticket and I can categorically state that it was the best £2.50 I ever spent Grin ) and read every day. We also have a kindle, packed with books too. We have maybe a few books in the house which are picture books and are from the library. Not soulless, just don't like clutter, we still read!

Original poster
WayHarshTai · 08/09/2013 21:23

ROAR at '3rd world country'.

I love it. Only on MN.

OP posts:
SueDoku · 08/09/2013 21:23

I'm with you all the way says the woman with a bookcase in every room in her house. People without books are also without souls...

MacaYoniandCheese · 08/09/2013 21:23

YANBU. I love snooping around bookshelves. You can tell an awful lot about someone by what's on their shelves. Mind you, I also think you can tell a lot about a person based on whether they like dogs or not, so you probably shouldn't listen to me Grin.

TrucksAndDinosaurs · 08/09/2013 21:23

No bookshelves where I am so they're in chests of drawers -sacrilege

MrsJoyfulPrizeForRafiaWork · 08/09/2013 21:24

Dorange - best point-missing post evah. Well done.