To keep all my books?

[Brittapieandchips]

I'm moving in with my parents and nana, with my kids. Various reasons for it, but I have a kind of small bed sit room, and the DDs have a bedroom next door. Then my nana has her own granny flat and my parents have the main living room. We're not rich or anything, it's a big house because it has three houses worth of people in it :-D. Me and the kids (and everyone really) kind of roam the house, we basically just sit wherever what we want to do is happening, but we have our own spaces to be 'in charge' of.

ANYHOW. Sorting out stuff to move in, I've got rid of a lot, but refused to get rid of any books. This means that most of the wall space in my room is covered in bookshelves, but I like it, I think it looks cosy and increases heat insulation (single glazing is cold when you are used to houses that aren't full of random draughts...) and soundproofing (I'm a single 30yo, I have important discussions with my friends and netflix marathons to do without earwigging children/my parents/slightly confused old lady). They say I'm being ridiculous and that nobody needs to lose 23cm of space around the edge of an already small room to catch dust on books that I'll probably never read again anyway.

So... AIBU? Does my radically reduced personal space (but increased available living space) require a reduction in printed paper?

Yanbu you've even manages to rationalise it really well, must be all that reading!

I do still have lots of books and in my opinion they are the best ornaments so YANBU.

Ornaments?

I. Am. Home!!

YANBU!! Books are for life. I would never get rid of my books.
My exh once told me I should "throw them away" once I'd read them He was of course an idiot. And history.
Keep your books OP, they are far more faithful than any human being!!

I am a huge book collector and have been for many years. But in your situation I would use the opportunity to prune. I am hoping to move soon and have started to look at all my books. Much to my surprise I am finding it OK to clear out some of the books.

For example, I had history and archaeology books from about 30 years ago - think Michael wood - they have all been updated and republished and I hadn't looked at the ones I had for years so out they went. If I ever want to I can buy the new version for just a few £s.

I had several boxes of books from my childhood stored in my loft - I had kept them in case I ever had children. Well I do, and old musty books from the 1950 and 60s are of no interest to them. So I am clearing those out - will probably sell what I can to a 2nd hand book dealer. I just feel so sorry for my poor mum and dad - they faithfully kept those boxes of "much loved " books safe for me until I had my own home. The first box I opened I hardly remembered reading some of the books. Things change over time and I now need to have less clutter and space.

The books I am struggling with most are my star trek collection - not ready to get rid of those yet!!

“We need to make books cool again. If you go home with somebody and they don't have books, don't fuck them.”
? John Waters

But isn't that 'judging a book by it's cover' Random? Or is it just a sign of the times. That person might have quite an extensive collection on their kindle.

YANBU but as you get older they do take over.

I did some ruthless pruning. I used to keep everything including books I hated or didn't finish which was ridiculous. Now unless it's a hardback and it's pretty or a paperback which had something special about it, I don't keep books. Run of the mill, well that passed a few hours books aren't kept.

I hate my Kindle. Haven't used it for nearly two years. I need books in my hands!

I don't hate it but am using it far less than I did. It's only used on holidays now.

My only concern for you is, if your walls will be full, where are you going to put new ones? They shouldn't be commenting on your choices in your own room but if the books start to spill into the communal areas they will be justified in complaining.

I'd also be concerned that they feel they can criticise you on this small thing, is this kind of attitude going to grate when they pass comment on everything else in your life and you have to live with them?

Yanbu to keep the books though, I love my bookcases full of books!

I love my kindle. I love that it has it's own light and that I can change the font size.
I get rid of books regularly. Still need to prune more as I don't really read anything that isn't on my kindle.
I'm in my mid 50s any if I hadn't pruned the books regularly I would be like one of those hoarder people who can't get out of their house. How does anyone have enough room. Plus the time for dusting!

Oh yes the dusting - books attract dust somehow.

If you want them, keep them!

My mother made me give away books I was "too big" for to my cousins when I was a teenager. I later went through several phases of re-reading children's books for pleasure, and regretted that I didn't have them. Then a few years ago my aunt's house burnt down (her kids are all grown and left home), and I could see bits of the books in the ashes. They are now out of print and I'm unlikely to ever be able to read them again. (Obviously, my aunt and cousins were far more impacted by the fire than me! Not trying to mimimize their experience at all, just making a point that I gave away books and regretted it)

I have read almost all the books I have more than once, and quite a few many, many times. I also just like looking at them. I aspire to be a writer (a little closer than that now -- currently negotiating a contract), and lying down looking up at books is very calming.

Books are colour and texture in a room. They soften the room and add warmth.

Plus mine are a mark of my past, travel and intellectual boyfriends giving them as gifts and all that.

YANBU! Your room, your books, nobody elses problem. The hard part will be limiting yourself to only the books that will fit those shelves. When they are full, you will have to make hard decisions. (See below)

I have moved back and forth across the US, and the Atlantic Ocean, a couple of times. i have been forced to sort through and reduce my book collection to a just 22 or so boxes. My husband's collection (30 boxes) goes to his office on Campus. I have no idea what we will do when he retires. Our 6 year old son had 3 boxes!

While in temporary digs, the books stayed packed. Never fear, in a year I managed to collect enough to fill 3 more boxes! We finally bought a home and got 5 Billy bookcases from IKEA. SO, now there are just 8 to unpack, 4 of which are too big for the Bully so I need a set of deeper shelves. BESTA maybe. We got glass doors on all the bookshelves to reduce dust issues, and maybe reduce the habit of putting random things that dont have a place to go /mugs of tea/ mail in front of the books just because there is a space. At nearly 50 I sm sort of getting the hang of how to have the mess seem tidy.

I actually am trying to implement a 1 in 1 out policy in future. THIS is really supposed to be our last home, and more wall space for more shelves isnt going to magically appear. Collecting has slowed since I decided a few years ago that mysteries and various serial type sets would be best on Kindle, those were the ones that didnt make the shipping cut usually so reducing physical purchases in that range was the first step. If i decide I really want a hard copy, I get a nice hardcover version, if I can. i am replacing all the 'classics' that either if us bought paperbacks for classroom use, with hardback copies as I come across used versions, too.

Wish I preferred The Night Circus.
The Miniaturist was also really good.