To ask how many books you have?

Merryoldgoat · 2021-10-14T09:26:35+00:00

I’m trying to declutter my house which is slow going but I’ve reached the bookcase. There are a good few books I’ll never read again but I feel funny about getting rid of books. Why is this? Do you keep yours and just get more and more bookcases? Or do you keep thinning them down. YABU - send them to the charity shop YANBU - get more bookcases you heathen.

MedusasBadHairDay · 14/10/2021 10:29

We moved over the summer, so took it as a chance to reduce some of the things we were bringing with us. And I really struggled with the books. Turns out we were able to get more bookcases up in the new place though, so now I've got loads of shelf space I can fill with new books!

gardeninggirl68 · 14/10/2021 10:30

Got rid of the lot! Any new ones now are via kindle

Don't feel 'funny' about getting rid!

CounsellorTroi · 14/10/2021 10:32

Loads. One of my hobbies and greatest joys is browsing books in charity/secondhand shops. I buy a few books every time. The problem is I don’t get through the books at anything like the rate a buy them so stacks of books waiting to be read get higher and higher. I do take them back to charity shops, but every time I take a bag of books back I buy more. At least it’s not an expensive hobby as the books are usually. 3 for a £1 or something.

Original poster

Merryoldgoat · 14/10/2021 10:33

Hmmm. Not clear cut yet.

I can’t bear kindle - it’s so sterile.

OP posts:

MilduraS · 14/10/2021 10:34

I got rid of mine and use a kindle for reading. Cookbooks are the only exception and I have about 20.

Blueberry40 · 14/10/2021 10:35

I find that having one large bookcase and only keeping my favourite books works well for me- otherwise my house would look like a library! Kind of a one in, one out policy- it feels good to give books away too, I like the idea of other people getting joy from them as I rarely read the same book twice.

CounsellorTroi · 14/10/2021 10:36

I also use Kindle and IBooks but prefer real ones. To me a room is not properly furnished without a bookcase, unless it’s the bathroom.

zafferana · 14/10/2021 10:37

I have a huge number of books and actually got my study shelved so I could house them all, but I do have a cull every now and again and get rid of the ones that either I didn't love or that I know I'll never read again.

Squirrelblanket · 14/10/2021 10:38

I have a Kindle so now the only physical books I have are cookbooks and a few I've kept for sentimental reasons.

I read a lot (3-4 books a week) so would need an enormous house to keep actual physical books.

Libertaire · 14/10/2021 10:39

Too many. Way, way too many, as in hundreds. We have three massive full height book-cases full and books piled up on top of all of them.

I had a major clear-out during the first lock down. A load went to the charity shop then they said ‘no more’ so we tried giving them away. When that failed, we reluctantly binned a load but it was still didn’t make much of a dent in the problem.

whatswithtodaytoday · 14/10/2021 10:40

I don't have room for more bookcases, so I just keep my books at a level I can fit into what space I have. Every so often I have a declutter and give them to charity or pass them on to my mum.

My books I keep are the ones I really love and want to re-read often, usually series I love (Discworld, Harry Potter, Amber Spyglass etc) or authors I particularly enjoy. That's what I want to see on my bookshelves. I get books from the library or buy on Kindle if it's something new I'm not sure about, then buy the actual book if I love it.

LatteLatteLatte · 14/10/2021 10:41

I have a Kindle. We also have a LOT of books. A lot. Did I mention we have a lot of books?

I love my kindle bc it's quite hard to lug about the bookshelves on the train.

In theory, it was supposed to replace some of the books, but it became a kindle-as-well-as-books situation.

I do thin out the books occasionally (charity shop/ziffit) but then new ones come in

ithoughtisawapuddycat · 14/10/2021 10:41

I've got about 380 physical books that are waiting to be read. But books are my one real treat after beauty and I read 60-70 books a year. I do have a lot of audiobooks and books on my kindle as well. When we do renovations next year I'm getting custom bookscases and I'm so excited.

twoshedsjackson · 14/10/2021 10:41

I have recently been wrestling with this problem, and I do feel for you!
I found it very hard to rationalise getting rid of any books, but redecoration etc has forced the issue.
I know what you mean about feeling funny about getting rid of books; I can put newspapers and magazines into recycling with never a qualm, but find it hard to part with a paperback book of similar, or less, monetary value.
One slightly morbid suggestion is based on the Swedish custom of "Death Cleaning", where older people set their affairs in order, to make things easier for their heirs. I cleared away some volumes which I would be embarrassed to explain to somebody clearing the shelves.
I managed to get over myself to some degree by "finding good homes" for some of them, such as the "free library" at my local railway station, but I did buy some new bookcases as well!

LalalalalalaLand123 · 14/10/2021 10:44

I almost never get rid of books. Even when i do, i regret it afterwards. I have tons, I need more bookshelves

Usernamenotallowed · 14/10/2021 10:44

I got rid of all the ones I'd read when we moved. I never read books twice so I decided that it was time to let them go. I still by physical books as I don't like reading on my phone/kindle but now I just give them away once I've read them. I probably have about 20 books waiting to be read but that's it.

We have 100s of children's books though.

Siameasy · 14/10/2021 10:44

Far too many. My DD loves books now too and I’m never allowed to get rid of any. I do have a cull now and then

peanutbutterxo · 14/10/2021 10:44

I have hundreds!
I only ever give them to charity when I haven't enjoyed them.
Buy more bookshelves 😉

MrzClaus · 14/10/2021 10:44

I have about 100+ physical books! Some are from when I was a teenager (my first LOTR copies or HP books!) but I just love physical books. I probably buy 5 or so a month from Waterstones / other sellers, unless it's a series then I get the whole lot in one go!

Every-now and then I'll do a reshuffle and donate a few! But not many. We're two people in a four bed house with a separate office area so have more than enough storage to indulge! If we ever had children and need to reprioritise I may struggle 😬

MrsTulipTattsyrup · 14/10/2021 10:47

Thousands. Literally. We have loads of reference books we use every day for work stuff, and lots of fiction and non fiction. Bookcases in every room of the house. Older books get put in damp proof containers in the loft and cycled back into the house periodically. My work library has been collated over decades and many are out of print and have never been made electronic. It will get donated to either my workplace or a university when I die. The rest of the books are things we value and want to keep with us. I’d rather keep moving them round to re-read and hold. Books are very important here!

WhatDidISayAlan · 14/10/2021 10:47

I had a cull over the summer which brought me down to about 3000 but it nearly killed me. I took as many as I could to charity shops - like another poster at one point they said “no more!”. After that they went to the book bank at the tip where I suspect they’ll be pulped, but hopefully into new books.

I kept all my reference and non-fiction - cooking, gardening, travel etc. Got rid of ones I’ll never read again, and put my loved ones in new alcove book cases in the lounge. The rest are in the spare bedrooms in Billy bookcases.

Then I went to Waterstones and spent £100 on a few more…

Neonplant · 14/10/2021 10:49

We have loads. 3 jammed full big Billy book cases. Some with double rows. But I'm actually a big declutter. However both of us decided we'd keep books and build up a collection. For fiction mainly listen to audio books now tbh but I do love non fiction books.

If you value them keep them. But if they are just throw away novels you wouldn't read again or loan our etc just get rid. But don't feel you have to get rid just because of decluttering.

Picklypickles · 14/10/2021 10:50

I don't know how many exactly, more than I can fit on my big bookcase, there are several book piles scattered throughout the house! I only get rid of ones that I've read and not liked. I need more bookcases and a bigger house to put them in, or alternatively for the rest of my family to get rid of all of their stuff so that I can have all of the space!

EmmaGrundyForPM · 14/10/2021 10:50

@ithoughtisawapuddycat

I've got about 380 physical books that are waiting to be read. But books are my one real treat after beauty and I read 60-70 books a year. I do have a lot of audiobooks and books on my kindle as well. When we do renovations next year I'm getting custom bookscases and I'm so excited.

So you've got 6 years worth of books to read?

I read about 50 - 60 books a year, and we probably have about 1000 books in the house, nearly all of which have been read. I try to operate a one-in, one-out policy but it doesn't always work! I had a cull in the summer and got rid of about 300 books.

I don't feel bad about getting rid of books. I happily pass them on to friends and don't want them back.

I keep meaning to do a complete clearout and get it down to 100 books, all of which are "keepers". There are very few books I will reread, so why keep them? I just need to bite the bullet and do it.....

TorchFire · 14/10/2021 10:53

Somewhere in the region of 17,000, based on cubic metrage calculated by our aghast removal company (who have probably blacklisted us) when we moved late last year. We do have a big house with high ceilings, and both living rooms have floor to ceiling bookshelves on one or two walls (with ladders), and both offices/studies have bookshelves on all walls, besides smaller bookshelves in bedrooms.

We do need a cull, having said that.