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 We've a few shelves in the study with a few technical manuals etc, but these go out of date so quickly as to be obsolete as soon as they're printed, so we go online mostly.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 read all of the time, for hours every day, always have.

We all have kindles now and can download a book in a heartbeat and now have access to every book in the world!

No book shelves needed. Reading more than ever. Can take everywhere and read six or seven books on holiday without a care. Amazing!

Book shelves will become a thing of the past in my view.

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.

Can't we do those things if we read?

I love my books. I always suspect those who make a noise about how they don’t re-read books of virtue signalling, myself. And perhaps of limited intellectual capacity. Or maybe the OP just reads crime fiction?

I'm cringing at how completely you've just proven the op's point. What an idiot.

I completely understand your point op. You see it over and over again on Mumsnet.

I got rid of all of my books a few years ago. Very liberating. It's completely possible to reread books on kindle by the way. Even easier in fact. Just search for the title and there it is, in your hand instantly.

People (especially on Mumsnet) fetishise books like they don't do with many other household objects. They're just things. It's the content that's important, and that can be just as easily delivered via other means.

The post above that judges people for not having a dictionary - seriously? You see a word you don't know the meaning of, and rather than Google it and have the answer in 0.02 seconds, you go to the shelf and look it up? What if you're out of the house? What do you do then?

@Biscuitsanddoombar

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

Well, before the advent of Kindles, if there weren’t books in a house (at least library books), there was no possibility anyone in that house was reading books. Now a house empty of books could still be a household of readers, but I suppose research will show whether a climate of Kindle reading has a similar beneficial effect. I suppose one objection is that reading via tech potentially prices poorer people out, and that a child may not distinguish between an adult reading on a Kindle and an adult glued toTwitter or any other screen activity. Also that no child starts to read on a screen.

[quote DrFoxtrot]@weedoogie did you make the bookshelf yourself? Or commission someone to make it for you? I would like to steal your idea! [/quote]
I commissioned a carpenter who has done other work previously for me. I showed him where I wanted the shelves and then we discussed what would be possible. He came up with the idea of alternating the direction of the shelves, which makes them seem lighter, because there aren't those great solid blocks of books that you get in conventional shelves.

I'm honoured that you like them and want to copy - fill your boots!

Is it now a crime to read crime novels?!

I love my books. I always suspect those who make a noise about how they don’t re-read books of virtue signalling, myself. And perhaps of limited intellectual capacity.

I'm cringing at how completely you've just proven the op's point. What an idiot.

I don't think the "idiot" is who you think it is.

I agree, anyone who feels the need to make a noise about something is cringey. It goes either way, but the minute you smuggly need to announce that you do this or that, to a usually bemused audience who couldn't care less, you sound like a complete idiot.

Even you can understand the difference between a casual conversation, and a pontifying statement about your reading habits, whatever they are.

What I don't quite get is people exclaiming that they couldn't possibly live in a house that's not full of books, as though it's some sort of value judgement imo books give a house soul. Memories or books read, hopes of books to be read, collections of favourite authors. I also like photos of my kids displayed which is terribly common on MN. We don't have a lot of visitors and I massively cull my stash when we move the house around etc. but I like having them. O don't care what you put in your house.

I just love books and reading and need more shelves for my books. Some from childhood, lots collected/gifted over the years. Now I have shelves and baskets full for my toddler Dd, we just like books 🤷🏻‍♀️
On the other hand, I think only around two of them are dp’s, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him sat reading and enjoying a book in twenty years, whatever you like.

I love my books. I always suspect those who make a noise about how they don’t re-read books of virtue signalling, myself. And perhaps of limited intellectual capacity. Or maybe the OP just reads crime fiction?

"I'm cringing at how completely you've just proven the OP's point. What an idiot"

I don't really fit into any of the boxes here. One of my favourite books is Jane Eyre, I love crime fiction, we own a big fat Chambers dictionary, we have real books - fiction and non fiction (mostly history or recipe books) scattered between 5 bookshelves, I read most books once, and some more than once, we buy all new fiction as kindle downloads.

IMO books are for reading and enjying, not for showing off. I don't understand why people are so incredulous that not everyone wants to make their houses look small and poky by lining every spare wall with bookshelves.

I don't think the faux "oh how could you live without books?" is really any different to people who ask the same about having a car or anything else where people live a different lifestyle to them / have different preferences. There's far more faux naivety on MN than in rl

I don't understand why people are so incredulous that not everyone wants to make their houses look small and poky by lining every spare wall with bookshelves.

because not all houses look "small and poky" with bookshelves possibly?

What's amusing is how some posters take everything personally. It's possible to have a preference without judging someone else's house.

it's more that certain people appear to feel threatened by someone housing lots of books.

👏👏👏
And feeling threatened, they go on attacking people saying they are are ‘virtue signalling’ assuming that really no one in their sane mind would want to have that many books anyway.

I love this thread btw.

It has just reminded me of a few books I meant to get. Im just hesitating now between going online or waiting until next week and going into a proper bookshop

My DM loves being able to see her books. It genuinely brings her so much joy seeing them
. She reads like a beast and reads most genres. She is really into Art so has dozens of huge reference books. Which, she will pick up at least 1 a week to read through and brush up on her art knowledge.

Books are an object of decoration and function for a lot of people. For some it's as nice as looking at framed pictures and taking time to glance at it each day/week and it fills you with joy.

We have 2 small kids bookcases downstairs, 2 kids bookcases upstairs and my books are just in a pile where a crappy shelf was but I still like looking at them

@JaneJeffer

Is it now a crime to read crime novels?!

In fairness, I think that poster’s point was that potboilery crime novels (or indeed anything where the main point is whodunnit or equivalent) are probably less likely to be reread once you know the identity of the killer or whatever.

Having said that, I do reread Dorothy L Sayers and PD James for settings/characterisation etc, even though I know the ‘solution’.

I really love my favourite books and I enjoy seeing them on the shelf etc.
I occasionally look around the room and my eye will fall on various titles and I get a little reminder... Love them.

We have a house full of books but they’re mostly DH and DCs. I have one shelf of books from university but otherwise I use a kindle so have them all on there instead. If I lived alone I’d have barely any books but it doesn’t mean I’m less educated or intelligent than I am in a house full of them.

My mother is one of these people who gets sneery about houses without books. She absolutely fetishises reading and owning books. As a child I thought it was normal (as you do when it's your own mum), but as I've got older, its just started to annoy me. She moans about the fact that my very sporty nephews are either running around, kicking balls or "gawping at screens". Yes, Mum, thats because they're 10 and 11 and that's what boys of that age do. Point out that they do read books if they're about cars or football, and she tuts and rolls her eyes. I genuinely think she thinks they should be reading Heidi or Jane Eyre, like she did at that age.

It's virtue signalling to have bookshelves??
Erm...no... it's a handy way to store books.

I couldn't keep all the books I read, I read about 100 a year. My 'keep shelf' is famous among my friends-very few books make the cut. I think you can tell a lot about someone from their favourite books. The keep shelf has started many conversations and cemented a lot of friendships
Different things are important to different people. Owning books is not important to you and that's absolutely fine.

My dad was an avid reader, but we had no bookshelves when I was growing up. There were these buildings called libraries ... My sister and I inherited his love of reading, again mostly library books. I spent my pocket money on books and had my own small collection lovingly shoved under the bed. All along people must have assumed we were all a bit thick ... who knew?

I have a fair few bookshelves now and have lost count of the number of books I've regretted giving away because suddenly I want to read them again. So the Kindle comes in pretty handy. But I always spend a stupid amount of time mourning the physical book. Even DP, who thinks my books are 'dust collectors', says 'STOP AND THINK, before you toss those books away' because he doesn't want to listen to me complaining about that one book I should have kept.

We've got a bookcase in every room...and a lot of the books are crime fiction...and a lot of those are Agatha Christie...and I honestly don't care what people think. We like re-reading books. If I'm feeling under the weather I know where I am with Murder on the Orient Express. I don't want any shocks if I'm feeling poorly, I want the book equivalent of a duvet and hot chocolate - the books I've read in the past where I know I'm safe and cozy! I love rediscovering books on our bookshelves. DH has a few that he won at school - that's 40 plus years ago! But he likes them and DS has now discovered them!

All of us also have Kindles so we use those when we're going away but I do like the 'feel and smell' of books. It's a pleasure.

I don't honestly know if friends have bookshelves as I really don't look. I may see a book lying around and say 'oh, I've not read that, any good?' or 'oh, I've read that, what did you think of x?' but that's about it. But we do discuss books we've read if the subject comes up - like a film adaptation or a TV series based on it and that'll lead to similar books discussions.

I have no thoughts at all about whether people have bookshelves, rely on Kindles or don't read a book ever. Some people like to repair bikes, some people like to do gardening or do craft stuff to relax. I like my books. Horses for courses.

thats because they're 10 and 11 and that's what boys of that age do. Point out that they do read books if they're about cars or football,

THAT really get on my nerves actually.

It's perfectly normal for 10 and 11 year old BOYS to be into football, and all sort of "boy things" and interested in books, that are not just about cars or footballs.

It's also perfectly normal for 10 and 11 year old GIRLS to be just as active and just as interested in books.

The concept that boys are narrow-minded idiots who know nothing but football is so outdated.

@Nonmaquillee

It's virtue signalling to have bookshelves?? Erm...no... it's a handy way to store books.

😂