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 We've a few shelves in the study with a few technical manuals etc, but these go out of date so quickly as to be obsolete as soon as they're printed, so we go online mostly.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?

My bookcases are in a different country. Does it count😁

Books do furnish a room.

I do have a kindle, or rather the kindle app on my iPad, but I also love real books. I love browsing in bookshops, new and secondhand, and the book sections of charity shops. Can’t wait to be able to do that again.

I did see a comment on the third thread about that big silver and white house for sale, asking 'where are all the books?'

There weren't any. But the entire back-catalogue of Star Trek DVDs were hidden behind a white wall disguised as a cupboard.

Or maybe the OP just reads crime fiction?

Impassioned defender of middlebrow fiction here: crime fiction is amazing. Interestingly enough it's also a genre that's belatedly receiving attention from serious academic critics. It also has a fascinating literary history, being twined up with the Gothic and even early epics. The Golden Age of crime round about the 1930s also speaks from an era of cartography/'puzzle' narratives, where newspaper crosswords and puzzles were increasingly popular (Hollywood later replicated that with its 'puzzle' films like Shutter Island and Pulp Fiction). P D James, for one, was a very literary writer and even Gertrude Stein wrote a crime/detective novel.

Feeling a binge-read coming on!

Some people like their gardens full of flowers and shrubs, some people pave theirs as it is less work, people are different, and have discussions about what they like or don't like. Some people use these discussions to make themselves feel superior, some people don't, but like to discuss anyway.
Discussing books versus no books, is just a discussion.

I don't have bookcases downstairs. Once I've read a book I pass it on as I won't read the same book twice. They take up space and add to clutter when you've got one living room, a house full of young kids and loads of toys. My kids have book cases in their rooms and I have a small pile of books in my bedroom that I haven't passed on yet. I read a lot, probably a book a week, but I just don't like holding on to stuff I don't use.

I have a small bookcase in the lounge... & 3 big bookcases full of books in my spare bedroom!!

Mainly non fiction history books or biographies.
Some are antique & vintage books I've collected.
I've just bought one out of print history book for £32 reduced from £47 on eBay- on Amazon the same book is selling for £186 at the cheapest!

So some of my books are investments.
But most are about subjects I like to study & read about.

When I was little I would get given book tokens as birthday presents & often went to the library for enjoyment... I was a bit of a bookworm really!!

I love re-reading books. I love choosing which old favourite to pick up depending on what mood I'm in. I also like the look of lots of books on shelves. It feels homely and comforting to me. And can be a nice conversation starter when you have people round.

@Strangekindofwoman

You're not on Twitter are you?

No?

Hell of a lot of book snobbery there. To the point of criticising people who wanted to buy books at supermarkets when they were cordoned off because supermarket books aren't good enough anyway!

"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"

Yes, but it made no difference whether the children read themselves or not.

@thebillyotea

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.

Its what my nephews are into. Every 11 year old boy in the world is different, but these two do happen to be into cars and football, and not into mainly sitting quietly reading books.

I was a reader as a child, she "got" me. My sisters weren't, and it genuinely affected her relationship with my middle sister in particular.

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

Ok OP, I'll answer your original question.
For reference I have about 400 books, I've given away about 500 over the last five years.

I keep comfort reads like Little Women and I capture the castle. Fiction that I've loved ( Ben Aaronovich, Elly Griffiths) that I've read a couple of times and would happily read again. Beautiful art books, cook books, history books, picture books that my kids adored ( Peter Rabbit, Harry the dirty dog). Gardening books. Poetry from my degree thirty years ago. Lots of sentimental stuff that I pick up and read bits of and have wonderful memories attached. I'm sure most of the people on this thread are no different. None of us are keeping books to show off and gasp, we like you go out, see friends, have hobbies etc.
I couldn't care less if people own no books but you seem to have a problem with people who do?

We do not own the books that are on our Kindles. Amazon owns the licence, and can revoke it at any time. All we really own is the Kindle itself.

As Amazon themselves say:

"Per our Conditions of Use which state in part: Amazon.co.uk and its affiliates reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, remove or edit content, or cancel orders at their sole discretion.Please know that any attempt to open a new account will meet with the same action."

This means they can terminate your licence and refuse you access to the books you think you have bought.

This happened to a Norwegian woman - Chicago Tribune article here.

@PuffItsGone

Loudly for those at the back...E-READERS

See my post above, @PuffItsGone.

"So some of my books are investments."

Only if you sell them. Are you going to?

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius

We do not own the books that are on our Kindles. Amazon owns the licence, and can revoke it at any time. All we really own is the Kindle itself.

As Amazon themselves say:

"Per our Conditions of Use which state in part: Amazon.co.uk and its affiliates reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, remove or edit content, or cancel orders at their sole discretion.Please know that any attempt to open a new account will meet with the same action."

This means they can terminate your licence and refuse you access to the books you think you have bought.

This happened to a Norwegian woman - Chicago Tribune article here.

Absolutely. And I'm also very aware of how obsolescent tech is -- it may be that in ten years e-readers are like videos.

I can see the benefits of E-readers. As a previous poster said, I can have a book in my hands in seconds. Or I can download a sample of a book to see if it grabs me, before I buy it.

But my real paper books have never run out of battery on me, won't malfunction or, as you say, @riverrunner, become obselete, and are ready to read the instant I open them.

I have thousands of books. I've collected them for many years, and read a lot. However I can't say I've ever walked into somebodies house asked where there books are, and then told them they have to have books on display. It's not my business if you read or not.

I do know where you're coming from OP. It comes up all the time and there's often a tone of "I'm better than you because I have lots of books on display"

DH and I are both professionals with post grad level education. I read fiction at the rate of about a book every week. DH a bit slower since he invariably falls asleep. Both DC read loads. I am not very good at throwing things away in general but particularly not books until everyone has read them.

With the exception of DS1s room though you wouldn't see any books on display if you came into my house other than a few on coffee tables and a couple on one shelf under a plant. They're in cupboards, bedside cabinets, under beds, in the eaves storage space etc.

Anyone who says "but where are the books/bookshelves" is trying to imply the house owner doesn't read and therefore that they must be a bit thick. Or at least thats the way I've always interpreted it. It isn't a comment that makes the writer come across well.

Of course you could live in a house without books - or without pictures - but I would not want to. We have LOADS of books in most of the rooms in our house - mainly non fiction including far too many cookery books and travel books which I refer to constantly. I tend to buy and read fiction on my kindle.

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius

I can see the benefits of E-readers. As a previous poster said, I can have a book in my hands in seconds. Or I can download a sample of a book to see if it grabs me, before I buy it.

But my real paper books have never run out of battery on me, won't malfunction or, as you say, @riverrunner, become obselete, and are ready to read the instant I open them.

I have one, too though only fairly recently, a 2020 birthday present and find it brilliant for not having to worry about running out of stuff to read while out/while recently in hospital. But I'm very wary of seeing it as any kind of 'permanent' alternative to paper books, or as a rationale for getting rid of my books because, after all, I've got them all on a device.

I think what makes me laugh about some of the comments on here is the implication that the right kind of person reads 'modestly' on an e-reader, or keeps their books privately in their bedroom, so you must be a terrible intellectual show off if you have books 'on display'. I no more have books 'on display' than I have the walls or floors of my house 'on display'. They're just there.

I've only ever judged people on books twice.

1st at 18, lad on holiday trying to chat me up, saw me reading. "Reading? Why are you reading? I've never read a while book!" said with a superior and contemptuous tone.

Mom at nursery school door looking inside kids Christmas present from school, said with a tone of disgust "a book? Why have they given them books??"

What virtue do you think is being signaled?

weedoogie any idea what shade your floor is please?
I’ve got to replace my 3 strip beech laminate but I really love the honey colour. Unfortunately mostly it seems to be shades of grey oak around. I need something cheerier.