What do you do with books once you've read them

[myhandsareverycold]

Just that really.

I write in the book what I thought of it and ask the next reader to do the same and then pass it on.

Perhaps it's defacing the book but I like doing that and don't keep a book once I've read it unless it's a reference book.

What does everyone else do once they have finished a book?

I decide whether I am likely to want to read it again - if so, it goes in the bookcase, if not, it goes to the charity shop. I don't write in them, but have no issue with people who do.

If it's a new hard back then I donate it to our local library (they only take books published less than 3 years ago) - that way I can justify the cost of a hardback when I really can't wait for paperback.

Paperbacks I read then give to friends, my aunt or the charity shop - depending on the book and who I think would like it.

The kids books I find really hard to get rid of. We have a lot.

I've stopped buying fiction . I have a friend who is an avid reader and due to her disability gets free requests from the library. She often orders new books that I was hoping to read so she will pass into me.
I buy from charity shops and those ones will go back to charity .

I hoard them. I love books. I have thousands. I am tending to get fiction on my Kindle now, but still buy too many non fiction print books.

I buy them from jumble sales or charity shops and once read I mostly donate them to a local charity book sale and charity shops. If I'm on holiday I leave them at the hotel. I very rarely want to read anything twice.

Mostly I borrow from the library, or buy on Kindle now. Any paper books I tend to give to Oxfam.

I keep them if I like them enough to potentially re-read them. Otherwise it's charity shop or a book sale. Most of my books come from the library though.
I rather like books with notes in. I was reading one of Elly Griffith's crime books set in postwar Brighton (from the library) and someone had annotated it in pencil with comments like "in the 1950s?!" when it was written that the inspector came home to his rented lodgings and had a shower. At university a lot of books had little conversations in going over several decades.

due to her disability gets free requests from the library
@NametheCat Do you have to pay for requests otherwise? That's awful! It's free in Essex. I have about 12 books on request at any one time, I would be spending an awful lot if I had to pay for them!

Yes here in Cumbria it's a £1 to request a title to be put on hold .

I keep them, one wall in my living room that separates the living area from the kitchen is a huge L shape bookcase

When Dh had to clear out his parents house after they died he tried to donate to charity shops and they didn't take many. They were probably well thumbed and elderly. Would brand new or nearly new go down better do you think? I've had a few presents of books that I already had and would like to give them.

I hoard them like a dragon on a pile of coins, but I'm trying to change. The school book sale and the local charity shop got several large bagfuls last year.

Keep them. I’ve got about 600 give or take

I pass them on to my mum if it's anything she would enjoy. And we have very similar tastes. Then they are passed around other family and friends. Non-fiction I often ask to have back.

I slide them across into my "books completed" folder on my Kindle. Over 200 last year.

I read a lot, so I use the library rather than buy books, in the main.
However, there are many books that I do own, that I read over and over again. When I get bored with any of them, they go to the charity shop.

Keep, sell, give to a book shop, give to charity, give to a friend.

Love the idea of writing a message ... I might do it using sticky notes.

Book Fairies is a nice scheme, I was ridiculously excited to find my first while walking on the Monsal Trail!

I pass them on to friends.

Return it to the library :)

Mostly I read either on my kindle or kindle app on my iPad. If it's an actual hard copy that touches my heart I'll keep it. Some books are like old friends so they deserve a place in my book cupboard. I re read them when I'm in a particular mood. They will never be donated or removed from my book cupboard. Ridiculously I have several of them in digital content but the physical books will stay.
I decided to have a clear out and gave about 200 books to our local little hospital.

Donate them to my local nhs breast cancer unit so women have something to read during their long waits / chemo etc

I keep the ones I really loved and will read again or lend to friends. I used to take the rest to charity shops but they have hundreds unsold so now I give them to the library instead. Kids books get taken into school. Baby books and toys go to our local playgroup.

We've also recently got one of those little library boxes (leave a book, take a book) so I may drop one or two off there in future.

I registered with Bookcrossing and the first 2 times I tried to leave my book someone came running after me because they thought I had forgotten it. I was too embarrassed to try again so they go to the charity shop now.

Sell them on Ziffit app