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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To give away some books written by my friend?

29 replies

ValsCupcakes · 07/09/2024 22:22

I have a friend, she is a reasonably well known writer of fiction, not what I would describe as chick lit or romance but contemporary fiction that does feature romance but it's not the prevalent thing in it. She's written a LOT of books. I have them all and I have read them all and she's signed them all. Here's my question. I'm having a HUGE clear out. I am running out of space in my house. I love some of her books, like some and others I wouldn't really want to read again (though they aren't bad, I just didn't like them as much as the others). Some of them I do read again and again. Would I be a bad friend if I recycled those I don't read?

OP posts:
greenwoodentablelegs · 07/09/2024 22:23

No

friends who write are a pain in the arse

Birdscratch · 07/09/2024 22:24

Lose the signed pages before you donate them.

Berman · 07/09/2024 22:29

Just donate them. If they notice, say you had to press them on someone as they were so good and they did the same. Which is you give them to a shop or book drop is essentially what happened.

SleepToad · 07/09/2024 22:39

My wife's mothers cousin was a writer. Hospital romance...mother is not a reader of anything. Nothing. I don't think I've seen her read a book in the 30+ years I've known her. She also cannot stand any sort of romance film, Rom com.
Every year a book would turn up...lovingly signed...ma would sigh, ring cousin up a few days later tell her how much she loved it....it was in the local hospice shop by the weekend
No one was any the wiser

Catza · 07/09/2024 22:43

You are fine to give them away/sell them. I am an artist and I don’t care what people do with the art I give them. My job is to gift it, the recipient can use it to peel potatoes into as far as I am concerned. Some of my friends display my prints in their home, hopefully, because they genuinely like it. I never question the ones who don’t. I imagine, it would be the same for authors.

Original poster
ValsCupcakes · 07/09/2024 22:57

I don't want it to sound like she's a bad writer, she is not. She's won awards and is rather popular. She's also a lovely person. I just know that some of the books she wrote are ones I don't want to reread whereas some I will, in fact I am rereading one of them at the moment.

OP posts:
Marine30 · 07/09/2024 22:58

greenwoodentablelegs · 07/09/2024 22:23

No

friends who write are a pain in the arse

😂😂

steppemum · 07/09/2024 23:09

I'm jealous, I'd love ot have a writer friend!

I think if you keep some and even more if she sees that they come off the shelf and get read, then she won't care about the others.

I read things once. Then they sit on the shelf because I like having books, but they aren't going to get re-read.

WTDAC · 07/09/2024 23:09

Who is the author? Maybe you could pass them on to us.

D12troop · 07/09/2024 23:10

does she ever come round your house?

Original poster
ValsCupcakes · 07/09/2024 23:42

I'm not saying who she is, as I don't know if she is on Mumsnet!

OP posts:
HeyPrestoAlakazam · 07/09/2024 23:45

greenwoodentablelegs · 07/09/2024 22:23

No

friends who write are a pain in the arse

This.

Admittedly my friends are terrible, self published on Amazon writers.

Just get rid, someone will appreciate them more and your friend never needs to know.

LunaNorth · 07/09/2024 23:47

I’m dying to know who it is!

Enoughwiththisshit · 07/09/2024 23:54

greenwoodentablelegs · 07/09/2024 22:23

No

friends who write are a pain in the arse

Lol!

My shelves are dotted with books written by several friends. I'm loath to rehome them though, because they're the kind of books that make me look far clevererer than I really am...

TealPoet · 08/09/2024 01:00

Not unreasonable and I’m sure she wouldn’t think so! You could even ask her; I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. Keep the favourites and you might even be able to make some money off the others if they’re signed.

PomPomtheGreat · 08/09/2024 02:15

Just make sure if you pass them on to tell your friends not to post reviews on Amazon if they aren't a reader of her genre.

I always ask my friends not to buy or review my books as it confuses the algorithm and sends it off down the rabbit hole of thinking someone who usually reads sci fi for example would like my books.

Ponoka7 · 08/09/2024 02:33

You absolutely have to share her gift with the world, by donating some of her books. It would be selfish not to.

NoNameNoOne · 08/09/2024 03:19

Il offer them a good home!

HoppityBun · 08/09/2024 08:51

I would let her know that you want to donate books to a charity shop and you hope she doesn’t mind that you’re just keeping a few special ones that she gave you. I do think you’ll feel happier if you’re upfront with her

saraclara · 08/09/2024 08:56

HoppityBun · 08/09/2024 08:51

I would let her know that you want to donate books to a charity shop and you hope she doesn’t mind that you’re just keeping a few special ones that she gave you. I do think you’ll feel happier if you’re upfront with her

You don't have to ask permission to get rid of books that are available on the high street!

Unless the friend checks for the presence of her books on OP's shelves every time she visits, this is anon-problem.

Poppy1999 · 08/09/2024 09:44

I'm watching the Gentle Art of Death Cleaning - you should definitely let them out into the world for someone else to enjoy.

GreatMistakes · 08/09/2024 09:48

If she won't know...throw!

If she will, perhaps find a charity running an auction and tell her that you have read and enjoyed them many times and would like to raise money with a donation of the full collection of her books as it would mean a lot to you, both to support the charity and share her work because you are so proud. You'll also have space for her newest works.

MillshakePickle · 08/09/2024 10:09

One day in the far future, your great grandkids might feature on Antiques Road show and find out they have a small fortune available to them! I'm joking.

Jokes aside. Personally, I wouldn't get rid of them. You have a complete collection of her works, which are signed. I think it's rather special.

I collect and read certain authors' books, and I have the same feelings. Some books I reread and read again, others I've read once and they didn't resonate with me. But I keep them all as they show a time line of the author's life and where they were creatively when they wrote those books.

bluegreygreen · 08/09/2024 10:41

Yes, I was just thinking that a complete signed collection of an author's work was rather impressive!

Can't you keep the ones you like on your bookshelf, and the others in a box at the back of a cupboard somewhere?

YesThatsATurdOnTheRug · 08/09/2024 10:43

I'd put them in a box in the attic as I'd be paranoid about being caught out by the signature pages! That's probably paranoia though 😂

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