I would wager you have too many books. I certainly do. They overflow my shelves even though I stack them as tightly as I can. They congregate under my dresser and crowd my beside table. I am fortunate that my family allows me to take up copious amounts of space (“It’s research for my writing, really!”) with all the books I’ve read, hope to read, and plan to read again. But sometimes, you simply have to let some go. (Shock! Noooo!)
When my wonderful critique partner had to move across the country for a two-year assignment (and pay for every pound each direction), she asked my help in coming up with a way to determine which books made the cut, and which were to be left behind. What follows is a surefire way to cull your precious copies down to something more manageable.
Here’s hoping you make enough room on the shelves for the books you’ll be getting for Christmas. J
4 comments:
Funny, that's approximately how I sort through my expanding collection, however it is very elegantly presented, and I hadn't realized that was how I did it. The only exception I make is my (small) collection of Regency Novels. I have about 50, 15 of which are worn to tatters. There is one small bookshelf's worth of space allotted for them, and when I acquire a new one, I read it and decide if it makes the cut. Then another one has to go. Our neighborhood has a HUGE Put and Take library and every so often an old Regency novel surfaces. The benefit of this library is that they encourage you to take books and KEEP them! They ask that you take as many or more books as you bring.
Great minds think alike, Chemystress. :-) I love the idea of a put and take library, sort of like the Little Free Libraries people have. Always wanted one, but my current house is too far out of everyone's way to find it. Thanks for sharing!
Space is the reason I finally caved and started buying ebooks. Bookcases were getting expensive and I was running out of room put them! I probably still need to do this with my collection (on 9 bookshelves!) even though parting with books is so difficult!
So many bookcases, so few walls--I know the problem, Emily W! I did have a friend recently tell me that she actually began having the same problem with her e-reader. She bought so many e-books it was starting to fill up.
Ah, the challenging life of the dedicated book reader. :-)
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