Where are the bookshelves?!

[Babysharkdododont]

Inspired by another thread, do people genuinely not believe its possible to live without shelf after shelf of books in a house, or is it, as I suspect, faux naivety / virtue signalling?

We've not got many books in our house, both adults are degree educated professionals, but feel no need to have books. When I've finished a book I pass it on, as I've no desire to read the same book twice. We've a few shelves in the study with a few technical manuals etc, but these go out of date so quickly as to be obsolete as soon as they're printed, so we go online mostly.

The dc have books of course as they don't tire quickly of rereading, but I certainly don't think we're slobs for not having lots of books.

What are these books people are so keen to keep, and tell everyone that they must have?

I don't notice at all if someone doesn't have books on display, but I do get unnecessarily excited when they do, as I love browsing and seeing what the books tell me about that person.

I tend to keep those books I will read again - mainly classics, non fiction and reference books. And then there's the embarrassingly large collection of books 'to be read'. When DP started giving me the side eye for bringing home yet more books, I got my fix by buying books for the DC. I just love books. I have a Kindle now, so not as many books coming into the house.

@TatianaBis

Inspired by another thread, do people genuinely not believe its possible to live without shelf after shelf of books in a house, or is it, as I suspect, faux naivety / virtue signalling?

The question is faux naive/virtue signally of itself.

OP knows full well some people can’t live without shelves of books, some way others can’t live without their dogs/bike/gym equipment/Xbox/hot tub/Magimix/surf board.

Nobody ever comes on Mumsnet and says in a shocked manner. How on do these people live without an Xbox/fitness equipment/magimix/bike surfboard?! OP hasn’t judged a soul here. She’s asking why some other people do judge on books on display. I’ve seen that on here too. I’ve got a kindle and a cupboard with books but I don’t see them as decor, but you’d be “alarmed” if you seen my house. People realise when you move you take your books with you? You don’t inherit the sellers book collection. Quite a few professing to be avid readers here but wildly missing the point written.

"OP hasn’t judged a soul here."

You perhaps missed the part about "faux naivety and virtue signalling"

The OP's is yet another "people who aren't the same as me =inferior" thread. So very tiresome.

What strikes me more about these threads is the virtue-signalling implicit in the expression ‘on display’, and suggestions that people with a lot of visible books are show-off clutter fans who cling to their bookshelves as status symbols to impress others with their erudition.

Many posts on these threads typically say the only ‘correct’ way to read is modestly, on a Kindle, and that if you must read paper books, which are viewed as implicitly single-use, at least keep them in a nice, dust free plastic storage box under the bed, or pass them on the second you turn the final page. Wouldn’t want them ‘on display’ attracting dust.

I'm moving house in turned few weeks and I'm not planning on taking my bookshelves with me gonna donate all the books that I won't read again. Same with all my DVD's. And the books I will take, I will put them to a regular closet in the study. I don't really buy physical books anymore.

Theyrenotdrawsmate

Nobody ever comes on Mumsnet and says in a shocked manner. How on do these people live without an Xbox/fitness equipment/magimix/bike surfboard?!

Exactly this.
It would be absolute heresy to say you don’t like books/reading and you’ll see plenty of commonly accepted judgement and virtue signalling on MN and in real life.

It’s absolutely a shortcut to telling people how educated you are, or more to the point how others aren’t. Often with a bit of home snobbery thrown in (hard to do the déclassé “matching” look with a collection of books). Even on this thread people are very keen to point out the only thing they don’t keep is chick lit or competitively how many books they have. It’s probably the only form of hoarding to be considered desirable.

Saying you don’t like dogs/gym/TV/ or other popular hobbies is perfectly acceptable and defended by “people are all different”.

@Geamhradh

"OP hasn’t judged a soul here."

You perhaps missed the part about "faux naivety and virtue signalling"

The OP's is yet another "people who aren't the same as me =inferior" thread. So very tiresome.

I don't think the OP is being "tiresome".

There is a lot of snobbery and judgement on this thread IMO. I don't see bookshelves as "decor". They are a practical piece of furniture to store books, and in our case also DVDs.

I don't have bookshelves for me. My kids have hundreds and hundreds, my husband doesn't read and I just have a few (maybe 10?) books I keep. I either borrow books from the library, pass them
On when I've finished or listen to them on audiobooks in the car.

How is having books faux naivety specifically?

I keep all my books in my bedroom.
I don't want nosey visitors seeing parts of me that I want to keep private. I dont want to share all my interests with everyone.
Some of my books are definitely out of bounds for some visitors!

If you visited my home you would thing we had no books.

You're right OP. I read loads, mainly charity shop/Ebay/Kindle. I did an English degree and had loads of books. Moved a lot and eventually gave away bags and bags as so heavy to move. Now have far fewer in the house and got rid of some bookshelves.
Some people do just like having them around, but there's a snobbery and assumption in what you describe which is indeed about signalling and judgement. Some people definitely feel a need to show others that they are educated and cultured. Some of the responses on here are weirdly defensive so I think you're the one who has hit a nerve.

@Theworldisfullofgs

How is having books faux naivety specifically?

The faux naivety is the "where do you keep all your books" people.

My BIL said this once, many years ago before kindles were invented. In spite of our 5 bookshelves he still thought we were philistines for not having enough books.

I pointed out that we had a perfectly good library that we regularly made use of.

It just depends what you like, doesn’t it? I like to reread books, and I like to have a lot of books in my ‘to read’ pile. I like having many shelves to browse from. I also like books as decoration, and I think there is some evidence that growing up in a house with lots of books encourages children to read (but there are very likely reasonable doubts as to whether that’s actually causation).

It’s fine to be someone who doesn’t like having books around. Benign personal preferences aren’t moral issues.

@Theworldisfullofgs

How is having books faux naivety specifically?

Theworldisfullofgs

You’ve misread . It’s the incredulity that some people can live without books that the Op says is faux naivety.

I agree with somebody further up the thread, no point in keeping them.

Once I've coloured mine in I get rid of them. I've tried rubbing them out to re-use as presents etc. with not a great deal of success, often the pages get creased and the ones I've done with wax crayons are impossible - so they have to go to the Charity Shop.
That way a lazy person gets the benefit and has had all the hard work done for them. I like to help where I can.

I read but don't get attached to books. I dont like clutter in general so I have a major clear out and give bags of stuff to charity shops a few times a year. Any books I've read and haven't already given away go in those bags. Also use my kindle a bit.

I kind of get what the OP is on about. I've read snarky comments about wide screen TVs and no
clutches pearls books to be seen anywhere. As if the house is a bit of cultural desert.
I think it's a class thing, w/c bling (see the comments about home decor) v middle class sophistication/superiority and obsession with self improvement. Same with threads about names, dress sense, school choice and extra curricular activities with kids.

Its optional - would get worked up about it

I love houses with books and trinkets. I keep books as one day I dream of having full walls of book shelves.

I guess if I think people lightweight readers it's mostly if they have too many nonfiction books and not enough "real" books.

I don't understand this comment. DP and I have got thousands of books, both fiction and non fiction as we both love books and reading. What constitutes "too many" non fiction books? I don't think it would ever occur to me to consider whether someone was a "lightweight" reader or not by looking at their books.

I have loads of non fiction books, and fiction books, plus the aforesaid kindle - and a wide-screen TV

I loathe trinkets and knick knacks. They are just dust gathering clutter to me.

I read about 4 books a week but have hardly any physical books because I have a kindle

When I was growing up and up until about 10 years ago I had tons though. I remember it being said regularly that children who didn’t have a house with books in did less well at school than those that did so I assume it’s a hangover from that ie no books = you don’t read

Some people prefer to be out, see friends, excercise, study, DIY, whatever, rather than spend lots of time reading, and I'm one of them.

here it is

so you DO feel insecure because you chose not to read.
despite being a "degree educated professionals" (aren't we all....)

It's your issue, in real life people don't actually care if you read or not.

They are still allowed to want a house full of books, the way others want a house full of plants (or pets or whatever) to feel it's a home. Do you feel judged if you don't have plants too, or are you just being rude to people with books?

I find the snobbery from SOME readers about books quite amusing though. The ones looking down at "girly books" or "inferior books" tend to show a lower level of intelligence and general knowledge than they think they have, but apart from that...

My kids have bookshelves in their bedroom. We rotate the books they read. When dd is too old for a certain book we pass them on to ds so he can practice his phonics, early reading etc.

Dh doesnt have any books which is his choice, I have lots of different collections that I reread and hope my kids will want to read as they get older. I also have lots of professional magazines that I receive every quarter that I like to keep for cpd. I have cookery books, ideal home magazine and some books on pregnancy.

I don't judge others on how many books they have in their home, I couldn't care less. My dh doesn't enjoy reading but I do and so far so do my kids.