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 We've a few shelves in the study with a few technical manuals etc, but these go out of date so quickly as to be obsolete as soon as they're printed, so we go online mostly.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

People just like to be offended.

If you say " I can't imagine a house with no plants in it", people won't pretend you meant you would "die", or accuse you of snobbery.

Actually, maybe they will

If I misread your post, I am sorry, @thevassal - it did come over to me as scolding, hence my response.

However, I am not simply saying my life would be less rich with books - I am saying a life without books would take away one of the main things that helps me stave off depression. Most days, I believe I’d be better off dead, and the world wouldn't miss me - and that is the good days. On the bad days I think about suicide. Books are part of my defence mechanism, against the blackest depths. You may not believe me, but it is the truth.

@Daphnise the OP hasn’t said she doesn’t like books. OP is perfectly accepting of people loving books. The problem isn’t the books giving off signals it’s the people who have books and are openly horrified that someone doesn’t have books on display. Them telling you that, is the signal.
This thread! It’s like some people are so desperate to let others know how much they read, that they don’t read the post properly! Like when you are talking and you know the other person isn’t listening because they’re dying to talk. It’s rude.

MN is the wrong place to ask this. Apparently everyone here has a private library with floor to ceiling shelves crammed full of books on every wall.

Also, someone above said books are not decor. They are though. They are both decoration and function. Keeping/reading books is completely separate from displaying books. One is a reading choice, one is a decor choice. People could make a snap judgement that I don’t read based on my decor, they’d be wrong. Books are no less valid on a kindle or in a cupboard than on a shelf. You just can’t see them.

Well I couldn't live in a house with no books in it. My childhood home was full of books, and I loved it - all those possibilities and new worlds and things I didn't know yet. I often used to pick a random pile to take up to my room. I want my children to feel like that and to have that available. Houses without books feel sad and sterile to me. I'll even go so far as to say I couldn't be good friends with someone who didn't love books (not that I'd judge them, I just wouldn't "get" them or they me).

My childhood home was full of books, and I loved it - all those possibilities and new worlds and things I didn't know yet.

There's strong evidence from across the world that having books in the house is the biggest factor in improving educational achievement - here. And unless someone is an extreme minimalist I don't quite believe than someone magically has no books or magazines in the house but is secretly reading tens of books a year. If you look at the reading threads it's clear that the people who read a lot read a mix of real books (both those they own and library books), kindle books and audio books.

I would never judge someone or their house on their reading habits. What if they have literacy problems and reading was a struggle? What if they don't have the disposable income to buy books? Or the space to store books?

I love having a library of books in my house, grew up in a book less house and would hate my kids to have the same experience. I re-read books, lend them, root around for quotes. My husband is the same. My house would be tidier without the random piles of books everywhere. Kind of weird hearing owning books described as virtue signalling, only on mumsnet.

My favourite bit about going to some ones house is having a mooch at their bookshelves. Not everyone keeps books downstairs, but I really appreciate those who do!

I’m a hypocrite though. All my books beyond cooking, gardening and birdwatching are upstairs and on the landing, so I offer little scope for people to have a nose.

We have 1 small bookshelf of books in an upstairs bedroom and the DC have books in their room. If anyone came to my house and didnt go upstairs they could be forgiven for thinking the only books we owned were recipe books that we mostly dont use I buy books for my DC and my DD uses the school library but I very rarely read books myself. If I do I buy one from a charity shop and pass it on when I have read it.

I don't read these days and don't have many books - I have some study books (which I will get rid of post exams), two cookery books which I don't open and I think 3 books which were gifts.

I used to read all the time when I had to commute and would probably start again if I did. I do miss enjoying a good book but it isn't something that I'd think to do at home, weirdly. I like the look of bookshelves full of books but I also hate clutter and enjoy getting rid of stuff. I used to get my books from charity shops and then we'd pass them about the workplace, I never kept them.

How can people be so sure who has books and who hasn't?
Unless they inspect the entire house they won't know.
For me and many of my friends, the downstairs living spaces are for watching TV, children's play, computer games, eating etc.
The book shelves are upstairs, close to where they are read in peace and quiet lying on/in bed.

Most of our books are upstairs as well.

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

MN is the wrong place to ask this. Apparently everyone here has a private library with floor to ceiling shelves crammed full of books on every wall.

yes, because that's what everybody is saying...

The real question should be: why do books touch such a nerve? If you are that comfortable with your own home, why could you possibly care?

How can people be so sure who has books and who hasn't?
they aren't, and they don't care. They have preferences about their own home....

Well I couldn't live in a house with no books in it.

Me neither. I love having books in my house.
Why would anyone have a problem with people having books - it's a good thing!

*yes, because that's whateverybodyis saying...

The real question should be: why do books touch such a nerve? If you are that comfortable with your own home, why could you possibly care?*

@thebillyotea maybe not everyone, but a lot. Seenit on other threads all the time. It's the superior attitude of the people that point it out. They seem to think it makes them better than everyone else.

Why would anyone have a problem with people having books - it's a good thing!

I think you missed the point here. The point below made by another poster is what the whole thread is about.

OP did not anywhere judge people who love to read! She judged people who judge people for not having huge bookshelve

They seem to think it makes them better than everyone else.

again, who cares?
Most people with shoes off houses think they are better than everyone else on MN.. They can think what they want

@DelBocaVista

Well I couldn't live in a house with no books in it.

Me neither. I love having books in my house.
Why would anyone have a problem with people having books - it's a good thing!

Why would anyone have a problem with people who don't have books?

They clearly do though.

As I said earlier on the thread - do the kindle owners know they don’t actually own the books on their kindle? They own the licence to access the books, but Amazon could withdraw that licence and the would lose all their books.

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius

As I said earlier on the thread - do the kindle owners know they don’t actually own the books on their kindle? They own the licence to access the books, but Amazon could withdraw that licence and the would lose all their books.

I didn't know that, actually... wow 😯

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

*yes, because that's whateverybodyis saying...

The real question should be: why do books touch such a nerve? If you are that comfortable with your own home, why could you possibly care?*

@thebillyotea maybe not everyone, but a lot. Seenit on other threads all the time. It's the superior attitude of the people that point it out. They seem to think it makes them better than everyone else.

But there are at least as many if not more people on this thread who implicitly think they're superior for not having any visible books, because they either read exclusively on e-readers, only read library books, only keep books upstairs, or pass books on to friends or a charity shop the moment they finish, and are hence superior to the book-hoarding clutterbunnies.

I’m a total bibliophile 📖 I own loads of books because I read a lot 🤷🏻‍♀️ I sometimes give books that I love away as I love sharing great work or I lend them to people (you never get them back 😤) but wouldn’t be able to give away the huge volumes of books that we as a family read, there are just too many. I think that a family who reads a lot of books will own a lot of books. We have shelves under the staircase fit to bursting and book shelves in the study behind the desk (bonus is this is a nice Zoom background) ❤️ 📚