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

[WayHarshTai]

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.

[jessieagain]

Actually I just realised my dp has a couple of work related books, he keeps them in a drawer in our bedroom.

[Talkinpeace]

1/3 of UK households own no books

Luckily DH and I make up the average - thousands of them and only about 100 are fiction - in every room in the house except the Utility room.

Neither DH or I read fiction normally.

[BreconBeBuggered]

I agree it's suspicious behaviour. And I'm proper working-class council estate lowlife, by the way. I can't accept the Kindle argument. Nothing wrong with a Kindle in its place, but if you regard books as clutter you are deeply deeply flawed. Don't hide them upstairs either. How can I nose at them if you keep them in your bedroom?
Plus, if you have a good book, the second read is always better than the first. Every time. Hang on to your books (unless you want to give them to me).

[sandiy]

You won't find books in my house I keep them in the garage I hate dusty book shelves.I used to have millions they were like old friends but I did a massive cull now I only have hundreds The children bring loads in I'm forever taking them back out again.

[VaultFullOfTwizzlers]

Does anyone else remember the thread in AIBU where the OP was unhappy to have been given a "manky" book by MIL or someone and gave it away but it turned out to be a rare first edition?

[JumpingJackSprat]

I adore my kindle. everything in one place, dont have to store books in the loft, then hunt them out when i want them... best thing is no dusting, no clutter, not having to find space for yet another book and £8.99 for a paper book (made of trees) compared to FREE for one made of nothing. keep your books, kindles are the future... book lovers may as well jump on the bamdwagon now and save themselves years of trying to find somewhere to put just one more book :D

[PrimalLass]

have a literature degree and work in publishing but all my books are packed in boxes because we have no room. And I have a kindle.

[TrickyBiscuits]

I don't think I'd ever really thought about this much until my DH and BIL told my MIL that they couldn't install her huge book case in the entrance hall of her new house (due to its size)

She actually cried and shouted 'but how will visitors to my home know I am a 'woman of books'?!' (seriously)

Thing is, her book cases (and FIL's, remarried, but has similar ideas) are ALWAYS dusty, they're not actually read, just there for show.

So yeah, I guess I judge that sort of attitude more than no books at all!

FWIW, toddler DS has lots of books, DH doesn't like story books so has a few science type ones and lots of journals, I consider myself a book addict so have a well stocked kindle. There aren't many books in our home. I left most of my paper books at my parents when I moved abroad. Even then, there aren't that many there, if I read a book I liked I just passed it on so somebody else could enjoy it too

I never knew before that I was being judged

[ReindeerBollocks]

We have a large bookcase which is full of books, which are then mostly stolen by my best friend when she comes to visit. Her bookcase was suspiciously fuller when I last saw her - but there all my bloody books!

The kids have book boxes in their room and it's full. Not helped by the fact they just seem to amass them from nowhere.

I wouldn't trust someone without books either OP

[justmuddlingthroughit]

My dream is to one day have a library, with books lining every wall, and a big squishy leather chair in the corner. Bliss...

I once dated a manchild who never read. At all. Ever. He was the most boring sod I ever knew. I don't give a shit if that makes me sound like a snob.

[WafflyVersatile]

I don't want anyone looking through my music collection!

[VaultFullOfTwizzlers]

I always mmmmm at built-in bookshelves when I am property-porning.

[MiddleAgeMiddleEngland]

We have thousands of books, shelves or bookcases in every room except the bathroom. But that's because we're all bookworms and prefer real books to e books.

I don't think anyone who comes here judges us one way or the other. All our friends seem to have a lot of books, too. Our neighbour only has a few cookery books, but I know she has a well-stocked kindle. Each to their own.

Actually, I'd rather be reading a book than this thread

[MumToKandD]

Before I had the DC I read lots and we lived in a house with bookshelves. We've had to downsize through circumstance and we have no where to put bookshelves (really, we really don't) so have none on display anymore.

When they were babies I was too exhausted to read and I am out of the habit now and, shockingly, I don't miss it. I had always been a reader so I am surprised that I don't miss it.

The DC have their books in their rooms and we have a crate in the lounge full of books which we read together, and whilst I read plenty for work, I don't read for pleasure anymore. I honestly don't think it matters.

[ShadowSummer]

I love reading books, have loads in the house, and can't really imagine not having them around, but I really think that calling people who don't have any books on display 'evil' is a bit harsh. Although I do think that people who don't read anything for pleasure are a bit weird.

And it's possible that people may have their books in a non-public part of the house, or have switched entirely over to e-readers.

[MumToKandD]

I should add that we still have all our books, but they are in the attic and have never been unpacked because we arrived at this house exhausted parents of young babies and have never caught up on sleep since

[ShadowSummer]

Actually, on consideration, we visited some of DH's colleagues recently.

No books on display in living rooms etc. But when I went to the toilet, they had a shelf full of a variety of humourous and cartoon books right next to the toilet.

I thought that was weirder than having no books at all on public display.

[Zoe789]

I just give away books when I've read them. I always have a few I haven't read yet though. Usually in my room as I read in bed. the price of decent book shelves omg

[MrsOakenshield]

we have squllions of books, I wouldn't say they were 'on display', they are simply on the bookshelves that we have in every room (where else would we out them?). There's quite a lot in the loft too, and some in piles as we've run out of shelves.

We get far more comments about the amount of CDs and DVDs we own.

we are total luddites.

[Talkinpeace]

Our books are mostly hardback reference books ..... don't work well on kindles

[ShakeAndVac]

YANBU. A house with no books is a house with no SOUL.
It's just an empty shell, a husk if you will.
We trip over bloody books here, we have that many. I really should get a kindle. As luffly as that'd be though, and the bookshelves would be happy again and not cry under the weight of all the books, how does a kindle compare?!
A kindle would be handy, yes. All compact and easy to cart about.
Can you stroke a brand new kindle and get some kind of high from smelling the spanking new pages, though?!
Can you feel the juiciness and meatiness of the brand new tome in your mitts?!
Nope. It's a soulless screen full of words lol.
If I wanted that I get that from my MN fix

[Bodicea]

Most of my books go in drawers under the bed in spare room. Cook books in a cupboard in utility. I also have a kindle. I give most of my books away once read. I read an awful lot but there is v little evidence of it. So if you came to my house you might think I was not a reader. Hmm maybe I need a bookshelf

[DeathByTray]

I sniff the books in Waterstones, then go home and buy it for my kindle.