Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

Original poster

What do you do with your books?

49 replies

matchbox20 · 18/01/2011 18:11

As said above what do you do with the books that you have read?

There are very few books that I keep as soon as I have read them I pass them onto friends and tell them to do the same.

I used to store them until it got out of hand and rarely do I read a book twice.

OP posts:
greedychops · 18/01/2011 18:12

All on shelves. Lend some out but like to have a big collection in the house.

Original poster
matchbox20 · 18/01/2011 18:12

Greedychops....Do you read books more than once?

OP posts:
bibbitybobbityhat · 18/01/2011 18:13

I give them away to charity shops.

CowWatcher · 18/01/2011 18:22

Have lots of bookshelves! Am happy to loan out willy-nilly (with a few exceptions). But then I re-read, look things up & write essays about them, so maybe I'm a bit odd.

Pan · 18/01/2011 18:22

I never give them away. Lend out occassionally. all on shelves and now in boxes here and there.

read same book more than once - currently re-reading Mary Renaults The Alexander trilogy. Would never let it out of the house!

zandy · 18/01/2011 18:29

I used to have hundreds of books, until one day I got so fed up of them falling off the shelves (room high bookshelves in every room, overstuffed), and just boxed them up and charity shopped them. Was very cathartic.

Nowadays, I will keep a few special books, but otherwise will wait till i have a boxfull, then offer to friends, then charity shop.

Most of them have only been read once by myself, so they are in good nick.

Fayrazzled · 18/01/2011 18:46

I used to keep them, but TBH, now get rid of most. I too was fed up of untidy, dusty piles of books that spilled off bookshelves, coffee tables, bedside tables etc.

I rarely read a book twice and if I really wanted to again I could re-buy it or get it from the library.

I realised I prefer a less cluttered home- I think I used to feel it was a sign of how well read I was that I had all these books in the house and I couldn't possibly get rid of these old friends- now I realise it was a bit poncy of me.

comewhinewithme · 18/01/2011 18:49

I used to give them away .... then I got a Kindle.

evenkeel · 18/01/2011 18:57

I have categories of books....disposable fiction and quick reads, I'm happy to race through and pass on to charity shops. My 'proper' library is of books I've had for years and couldn't part with. Most are on shelves and double (or triple) stacked, but I need to have a serious weed atm because there are now several Teetering Piles (sounds like a nasty medical complaint) around the house.

dudachef · 18/01/2011 19:01

www.readitswapit.co.uk
It's great!!

MrsvWoolf · 18/01/2011 19:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BoattoBolivia · 18/01/2011 19:09

Special books and sets that I collect are on lots of shelves, others go to friends or charity shops, I also try not to buy too many and use the library more. Have you seen the book swapping website?

BoattoBolivia · 18/01/2011 19:14

Www.book crossing.com is great.

Original poster
matchbox20 · 18/01/2011 19:56

Book swapping will check that out........thanks

OP posts:
bulby · 18/01/2011 20:04

Second vote for read it swap it!

ballstoit · 18/01/2011 20:19

Wow, have just registered with readitswapit, will see how it goes!

stegasaurus · 25/01/2011 22:04

If I loved the book and think I will want to read it again, I put it on the bookshelf. Otherwise, I take it to a charity shop. I have also done bookcrossing a couple of times but not bothered recently.

TrillianAstra · 25/01/2011 22:07

Would love more shelves.

Chairty shop if rubbish, pass onto friends if good (with instructions to give back or do with as they please depending on if I want to keep them)

AngryPixie · 25/01/2011 22:08

Another bookcrosser here.

pointythings · 25/01/2011 22:08

We have authors we collect - these books we will keep. Every so often we discover a new author we really like, usually through the library.

The rest of the time we buy stuff from charity shops and give it back to charity shops.

Trouble is, we like too many authors so still don't have enough bookcase space.

TrillianAstra · 25/01/2011 22:08

I often read a book twice or more. If I go on holiday I try to take books that I can dispose of or swap rather than one I want to keep (more room in luggage that way).

Portofino · 25/01/2011 22:10

Some I keep. The rest I take to the Action Aid booksale. Then I buy another huge bag full. They price them by the inch.

ivykaty44 · 26/01/2011 10:21

book shelves in the house and book shelves in the attick, when it gets that there is not any space I cull the books in the house and give to a charity shop

IntergalacticHussy · 26/01/2011 10:29

in the words of Belle and Sebastian

'I only buy a book for the way it looks and then I stick it on the shelf again'

ElusiveMoose · 26/01/2011 10:39

I never get rid of a book unless I didn't like it. Even if it's something I can't see myself reading again, I still keep it - I love 'rediscovering' books that I read years ago, and I think you never really know what you're going to want to reread. Case in point - DH and I still have all our much loved children's books, which now live in the DC's rooms, waiting to be read by them when they're older. Having said that, I am now far stricter about not buying books. When I was working and still had lots of disposable income, I always bought books when I wanted something to read. Now I always get books from the library instead (or borrow from family), and only buy if it's something I know I'm going to love and want to keep. My bedrooms are still groaning with books, though.