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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:
DENMAN03 · 09/09/2013 16:27

In my old house I had a library. It was gorgeous and my favourite room in the house. When I downsized I have most of the books away as had no where to put them. Some are now in the loft. I don't buy books now as use a kindle. Not quite the same though and I do miss seeing a room full of books.

BeCool · 09/09/2013 16:34

I spent a long time looking quizzically at the book sized spaces above my door frames.

Glad I swerved that idea - I'm OK without them.

BOF · 09/09/2013 16:37

My mum almost divorced my dad over his book-buying habit. Did I mention that I got rid of FOUR TONNES of his books to prevent her killing him?

BOF · 09/09/2013 16:39

I know I mentioned it- nobody reacted at all. Which frightens me that you think it's normal Grin

BeCool · 09/09/2013 17:00

respect BOF
seriously well done.

Talkinpeace · 09/09/2013 17:02

DH once phoned me to say he'd just bought 200 ex stock Library books.
Where will you put them I asked
I'm just leaving Argos with a new bookcase came the reply ....

BeCool · 09/09/2013 17:05

What does FOUR TONNES of books look like?

Talkinpeace · 09/09/2013 17:08

about 20 Billy bookcases

Dawndonnaagain · 09/09/2013 17:11

I have bookcases. Dh has a carpenter. I kid you not, his (reasonably large used to be a dining room) study has wall to wall, floor to ceiling shelves. All done for a song by a local chippy!
I need (yet another) bookcase for my study. I'm back to having books in piles on the floor again.

BOF · 09/09/2013 17:12

It was a room full of cardboard boxes, stacked floor to ceiling, with only enough room to swing the door open.

Badvoc · 09/09/2013 17:13

I have loads of books - as do the dc.
But due to space I can only keep those I know I will re read :(
So I got a kindle. Lovely - over 400 books and only takes up the space of one thin paperback :)

LRDMaguliYaPomochTebeSRaboti · 09/09/2013 17:15

Ouch, BOF. That's a lotta books.

I discovered how heavy books are when I moved house. I've got quite a lot of books and quite a small car, and the brakes were scarily soft.

nicename · 09/09/2013 17:19

You won't see many grown up books in our place. However, it's because we haven't room for ours, so my MIL has a bedroomfull and my poor sister has 40 boxes of them at hers.

We have a couple of shelves in our bedroom, so we do read really (an ex journo turned writer english grad and a copywriter, so we do pick up,the occasional book). They are dead good books too, no Mills and Boon chez Nice!

KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 09/09/2013 17:44

Well according to the OP, BOF, your dad must be the most un-evil person going Grin

MrsAMerrick · 09/09/2013 17:46

I cleared a lot of space in our house by ruthlessly going through the bookcases, throwing out any book i didn't think i would re-read, and ended up getting rid of 4 bookcases from upstairs. We still have 2 large bookcases downstairs, plus a study full of books, but I think I coudl be ruthless again.....

BOF · 09/09/2013 17:52

Oh yes, Keema. Only a benign bumbler could accumulate that many books.

juneau · 09/09/2013 18:02

YANBU at all! I grew up in a house full of books and have hundreds of the things - love, love, love them Grin We're building a house at the moment and one room is going to be my library. I couldn't be happier - it's already my favourite room and it has many future inhabitants. I need to find a reasonable chippy to knock me up some shelves however, as DH is already moaning about the potential cost.

Four tonnes of books BOF? That's impressive.

Bunbaker · 09/09/2013 18:38

We have books and kindle/kindle apps in our house.

I buy second hand books from charity fund raisers/charity shops then return them once read, unless I know I will want to read it again. I also buy recipe books - it isn't the same on a kindle. We still have lots of books on our shelves because we are old and have books that predate the kindle - mostly classics and reference books.

Shaky · 09/09/2013 21:37

I love books but I don't tend to read as much since I found MN.

We have a good system in our family. Once I have read a book I pass it on to my mum, who then passes it to my sister. Once we have all read it, it goes to the charity shop. We all do it. However, every time I take books to the charity shop, I always end up buying about 3 more.

Portofino · 09/09/2013 22:05

I luffs my kindle! None of those angsts about only having one chapter left to read and only room in bag for one book. As I spend about 1 hour 30 a day on public transport this is huge! Much easier to read and change pages whilst hanging on by one arm and checking no one nicks your purse/wondering if today is the day you might die via kamikaze tram driver flinging the brakes on and catapulting you 10m though helpless commuters. I reckon my arse is a dangerous weapon at speed.

TrueStory · 09/09/2013 22:20

Loads of people I know don't have books in their houses. I think its quite normal, esp. in older generation.

I love books, so find it a bit strange but there you go....

Bunbaker · 10/09/2013 06:51

"I think its quite normal, esp. in older generation."

I don't agree. I think it is more normal in the younger generation - post ebook technology.

Crowler · 10/09/2013 07:22

Yes, all the old people I know read quite a lot & are active "why don't young people read anymore" complainers.

Polyethyl · 10/09/2013 15:42

My husband has an excel spreadsheet listing his 5, 000 books. He has said that when his first marriage ended one of the most testing emotional moments was when they went through their bookshelves working out who would keep which book. In our small 3 bed at one of the bedrooms has been converted into his library and the baby is not allowed in there.

I operate a simple system with my books - I only have books I have not yet read in the flat. As soon as I have read my book I send it to my father's house - for him to read, store or give away.

The baby will one day inherit these two libraries - I wonder whether they will accumulate to match the 4 tonnes of books mentioned upthread!

insomniarules · 10/09/2013 15:46

Completely agree, not read whole thread so things might have moved on but we've viewed a lot of houses over thd last two years and it is frightening to see houses with no books. What's wrong with people? Books in my house are like old friends, they've been with me for years.