Have you ever thrown a book in the bin?

[HopSpringsEternal]

I did yesterday for I think the 3rd time in my life.
The first was that book by Gina Ford when DS1 was about 2 weeks old. It was all the rage at the time but DS definitely didn't want to follow the rules. In fact it was DH that threw it out and I was definitely a lot more.content.
The second was when I got out my old Doctor Dolittle books to read the kids and I realised they were littered with the N word. In a sort patronising racist way "the nice n man". Didn't want that word seen or normalised by any other kids so in the recycling it went.
The last was yesterday. Lying in bed realised their was a Neil Gaiman book on my book shelf. Didn't not want a book of that vile bastard staring at me so into the bin he went.
Foot all other books if I don't want them anymore.I just take them to the charity shop. But I didn't want to inflict the above three on anybody else.
Has anyone else?

Perhaps "flung it across the room" is the negative equivalent of "couldn't put it down". We have two primitive literary reflexes -- finger clenching, around an enjoyable book, and the fling reflex.

I think if you love books and writing an awfully written one or one with repellent subject matter can take you that way. Perhaps you just haven't come across something sufficiently awful...

Oh, I've encountered plenty of awful (offensive, upsetting) books, but I've never been taken by the violent impulse to fling something. I'd be more likely to rant about it to my husband.

I've binned books, and in my wicked, rebellious youth I once used the pages of a Bible as cigarette papers (do not recommend), but I've never been so overcome by anger as an adult that I've, on the spur of the moment, impulsively thrown an item. I'm not a small child; I don't randomly hurl anything in anger.

Oh, good point! As a figurative description it makes sense - but I do hope people aren't all literally throwing books across their sitting rooms in fits of uncontrollable anger. Ornaments, pets, children, and partners could be put in danger 🤣

@Brefugee Thanks for your passive aggressive “support” reaction to this post.

A few of you have used it on other threads in the same way.

I can now see why the laughing reaction was taken away.

I feel sorry for people who feel compelled to do this as the internet has taken over their ability to behave like adults.

Take care.

i am assuming the "thrown at the wall" type stuff is a riff on Dorothy Parker's (apparent) quip of "This is not a book to be lightly tossed aside. It should be thrown with great force.”

Angels & Demons (Dan Brown) is another - Da Vinci Code was passable fun to read by the pool one day, but the others? urgh

it wasn't passive agressive. I agree with you. FGS perhaps you need to step away for a bit?

for the attention of the sensitive types here: I use the "support" reaction for exactly that. I agree with you or support what you are saying.

If you are too sensitive to realise that, and can't cope with reactions, perhaps time to step away from the internet for a while.

Well, considering your post about JK Rowling, I don’t think I was out of order thinking it was PA.

For the record, I think she’s despicable.

And I hate feeling like that as my children loved HP. We had every book. Up until last year I had a painting of HP and Hagrid on my middle landing ffs which everyone coming in the front door could see!

My youngest son has a birthday two days after Christmas so his parties for his friends , as everywhere else was closed, were one year - HP films at the cinema, next year - LOTR films.

But, if you’re being genuine then I apologise.

the post where i said what has she done that's so awful? which you apparently agree with?
ah misunderstood you. consider it removed

You obviously have not read and understood what she has written about women's rights.

I have. We’re never going to agree on this particular subject as I have no issue with trans people.

However we may agree on other things.

Thank you for removing it and letting me know it was a misunderstanding.

Appreciated 😊

I hated that too! Absolute drivel, pretending to describe profound insights into something the author clearly didn't understand at all.

I literally threw the book I was reading across the room at the wall - the one I mentioned earlier that was set in a place the author had no understanding of. I was in the bath as it happens. It annoyed me so very very much. No ornaments, pets, children or partners were in the way.

It's my favourite book also, I have owned three copies of it

I LOVED Seven Husbands. I was almost sad when I finished it because I wanted to read it for the first time again. However, I can concur with One True Loves. I was reading it on my kindle once on holiday and was half way though before I realized I'd already read it but it was so bad my mind had apparently blocked it out.

I think the great thing about having a Kindle is, if a book is really awful, you can just delete it and be done.

I’ve sent a few back after a few chapters and got my money back!

Some true crime books when the gangster types love their muvvers and only hurt their own kind.
Read once and it's bin time.

Thank you for this. They are not sacred objects, and if you think a book does more harm by sterotyping eg girls as needing to be pretty to be likeable, it's a (minisculey) small service to a better world to remove it from circulation IMO.

Nina Bloody Ford

Surely reference books need to be thrown away more. Because they are out of date. And text books.
We have a bookshelf at work and people dump stuff on it. I throw away old annuals, Guinness book of records, O level text books. That sort of stuff. Otherwise it would be just lollunmanageable.
Fiction? Just old cheaply printed romances that have gone yellow and musty.

I think the only book I’ve ever thrown away was The Delta of Venus by Anais Nin which I’d heard was a feminist classic, but which turned out to be pedo central.

Never. Until I learned about Noam Chomsky's connection with Epstein. In the bin, where they belong.

I’ve NC’d for this.

I’m a writer. If my work is not good to you and you throw my book in the bin then that’s fine. It’s okay. As a writer and prolific reader, whilst books are very special, you don’t have to love everyone’s words, every story or every author. You don’t have to find the nuance just because it’s a book. If you don’t like it to the point where you want to throw (recycle) it, then that’s grand. All the pearl clutching over it is wild.

Banning certain books as the are doing in America I don’t agree with, however throwing a book in the bin because you hated it, don’t see the problem.

Several, but only because they were in a physically disgusting state (they weren't mine). Normally if I don't like a book I just donate it.