Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 ··· 19 20

Original poster

Where are the bookshelves?!

490 replies

Babysharkdododont · 07/04/2021 20:38

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 We've a few shelves in the study with a few technical manuals etc, but these go out of date so quickly as to be obsolete as soon as they're printed, so we go online mostly.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

OP posts:

LubaLuca · 07/04/2021 20:55

I know what you mean, op. There are regular threads about houses on Rightmove that have no books visible in the photos, when surely (surely!) everyone has oodles of the blessed, precious things on floor to ceiling shelves lining every wall of the house.

Most of the books I read are passed on or returned to the library. We have shelves in the spare room for books that will be read again, and reference and text books. There's no joy in keeping every paperback I've ever read - most of them didn't deserve a space on the shelf.

Laggartha · 07/04/2021 20:55

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.

I might be a target of this thread. I don't understand how somebody hasn't accumulated books throughout their life. As this is a TAAT though, I think lots of people would wonder where are the books, Christmas decorations, toiletries, wellies...

Mrsmorton · 07/04/2021 20:56

I'm about to get my first bookcase and I can't bloody wait. Books are insanely wonderful. Tiny little concentrations of knowledge and imagination that you can keep ON A SHELF!

Once upon a time I would have called someone like OP "anti-intellectual" but I try hard not to make bold judgements these days.

Bishbashbosh101 · 07/04/2021 20:57

It must be exhausting in your head, OP.

I have lots of books.
You don't have books.
I don't know why you don't have lots of books or why you don't want them. I am confused about what you do when you can't sleep.
You don't know why I don't know.
We're different.
I don't know what virtue could possibly be signalled by any of this ignorance.
The end.

MixedUpFiles · 07/04/2021 20:58

We used to have a proper library in the house. DH and I adored having a huge room devoted to books.
Then they invented kindles.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 07/04/2021 20:58

I used to have lots of books.
Now I pass them on so they can be enjoyed by others.

Most of what I keep are reference books.
Fiction is mostly Kindle or library these days.

Drowning in children's books though.

ImAlrightThanx · 07/04/2021 20:59

I used to have hundreds of books. I'm slowly replacing it with kindle copies, not because I don't want books but for space constraints.

FangsForTheMemory · 07/04/2021 21:00

@Shinyletsbebadguys I'm with you on this. I moved recently and don't know people nearby, also because of Covid nobody but workmen has been in. My books aren't for show, they're for me. A lot of them are upstairs too, so anyone dropping by briefly isn't going to see them.

I would also say that my friends are mostly big readers so they aren't going to be impressed by my books as such, but they may have a browse.

Puffinhead · 07/04/2021 21:00

I know exactly what you mean OP. I have seen the attitude you describe on numerous threads.

ComtesseDeSpair · 07/04/2021 21:00

I have a lot of books, I’ve gathered them over the years and never gotten rid of any. DP reads far more than I do but has very few books, he gave them all away before he left the US to come to the UK and nowadays reads on his Kindle so wouldn’t buy physical books.

With Kindles and other e-readers being so popular nowadays and more people moving house more often I’m baffled when people do the wide-eyed “but where are their books, how can they not read??” thing.

JackieTheFart · 07/04/2021 21:01

I re-read books all the time, but on my kindle. I just don’t have space for masses of books, and if I’m honest, I don’t actually really enjoy reading real books anymore. I need a light, my hand starts to cramp up, and sometimes the pages fall out.

I do still have a double stacked bookcase of books I either haven’t read or don’t want to get rid of - but I’ll be paring these down as soon as the charity shops open again.

Stovetopespresso · 07/04/2021 21:01

I think books are a blooming nuisance personally.
I would keep about 100 maybe that I've loved and would lend or re-read. dh wants to keep. them. aaaallll.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 07/04/2021 21:01

I reread books all the time - for me, the mark of a good book is one I enjoy over and over. If I read a book, and know I’m not going to read it again, it goes to the charity shop. The rest live in my library/office.

We’ve also got a lot of non fiction books - I love having these to refer to, if I need them, and I simply couldn’t afford to get them all on kindle.

Some of the books I keep are not available on kindle, and there is no way I would want to be without them. I can’t imagine a house with no books in - not for me. I’m sure it is possible, if, like @Babysharkdododont, you never reread a book, or you don’t need/want books for reference, but it feels so wrong to me.

Books are lovely things.

PomegranateQueen · 07/04/2021 21:02

I love reading but I find clutter stressful so I only keep a select few books. I mostly read on kindle or listen to audiobooks these days but I tend to donate books once I have finished them.

My DCs have lots of books though, I would probably find it a little odd if someone told me they had no children's books for thier DCs.

JackieTheFart · 07/04/2021 21:02

I love the idea of having a library, but tbh for me it would just be spending money to have a certain ‘look’.

Outwithreason · 07/04/2021 21:02

I'm a librarian and I don't have any bookshelves. I just don't see books as precious items. I read a lot of paperbacks but pass them on to friends, neighbours and charity shops once I'm done. I do have a box of some favourite or signed books in the loft but don't have the space or inclination to display them.

Icenii · 07/04/2021 21:02

I get you OP. It's not the having many books, it's the posters you get on MN that make judgy posts about people not having books on show, or shock horror, not having any at all. I keep my favourite books upstairs so people wouldn't see them. Only cookbooks and gardening ones in the kitchen. It's the 'what would I do if I didn't have books, stick a giant telly there instead?' post above which is a good example.

FangsForTheMemory · 07/04/2021 21:03

@LubaLuca Oh the Rightmove thing is easy to answer. Estate agents tell you to declutter for when the photographer comes round. My estate agent managed to take photographs of my flat without any books showing at all.

Bobbots · 07/04/2021 21:04

I understand people not wanting to keep loads of books but I have viewed houses where there were more TVs on display than books. I get that maybe some people keep their books in cupboards —even though that’s weird— but there are some people who have literally NO books and I find that a bit odd.

Hottesttrikeintown · 07/04/2021 21:04

I have thousands of book - I’m a voracious reader but they’re mostly crappy crime fiction (my fave) so say nothing about me beyond I have very lowbrow reading tastes!

mathanxiety · 07/04/2021 21:04

Where are you getting the idea that there are hordes of people going around telling people they must have books?

switswoo81 · 07/04/2021 21:04

I love stories, I love reading. Physical books I don't have any attachment too. I can reread my Kindle books but I never do.
I read 2 -3 books a week and live in a 3 bed semi it doesn't add up.
My DC have a wall of books in their bedroom.

Isitreally17777 · 07/04/2021 21:06

I have lots of books, I've not read half of them yet but do intend to (I read more in the summer when I can sit in the garden). I used to buy one a month, people ask me what I want for Christmas or birthdays and I give them a list of books. I've kept books that are in a series or by certain authors (I have all of Irvine Welsh's and all the Shetland series for example). I'm sure I could live without books once I've read them but something stops me getting rid of them.

DynamoKev · 07/04/2021 21:07

We have a stupid amount of books but YANBU

ThrowingAShellstrop · 07/04/2021 21:07

I couldn’t live in a house without books OP. And I have a lot. When I’m surrounded by books I feel like I’m in a sweet shop or a beautiful patisserie. Each book is associated to a memory. I love their smell, their shape, how they feel in my hand. I can tell you where each one came from and why. I love the fact my kids spend time looking at the shelves reading the words or noticing their colours. They can tell when something has been taken away or added.

To some people books are much more than printed pages. I don’t really care what you do though.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 ··· 19 20