Stars_And_Sunsets

Last night my mother asked me to PLEASE clean out my book shelf that I keep in the guest room (because I have already got one in my room ) because it was over loaded with books so that I even had piles sitting on the floor against the wall.

I'm the first to admit that many of those books I've read once and probably won't read again, but I just like the feeling of having them there in case I ever want to read them.

Anyway, I've just spent two hours cleaning out the book case and have collected a huge box of books to donate to the local Salvation Army store. I KNOW that other people should be able to enkoy the books I probably won't read again, but it's still sad that I won't have them there any more.

Does anyone else feel like this, or am I just being an idiot?

22 Umbrellas

No, I totally know what you mean. I don't even like to give away books I don't like, partly for fear that I will pick it up in a year or two and love it (happens every once in a while) and simply because I guess I'm used to seeing them on the shelf. I feel the same way about throwing away old school work. That's why my room is a mess.

Soz

I don't have any problems getting rid of books I didn't like, unless they are in a series. I tend to keep the whole series, even if some books aren't as good as the others. If I didn't offload some of my old books, I'd quickly run out of room for new ones. Which reminds me, I should start going through the pile of old romances I "inherited" from a neighbor (she was moving into a nursing home and her niece was throwing the books away, so I took them because I couldn't bear to see them thrown in the trash).

BehrItAll

I'm like Soz. If I didn't like it and don't see myself ever reading it again then I will donate it to the library.
But if I even moderatly liked a book I will keep it because I like having it on the shelf.

How could anyone ever throw out books! I can't even imagine.

Lemurian

I try not to think of it as getting rid of books but as sharing with others who would like to read them; after all, I buy used books all the time, too.

Sunnyolaf

I'm awful about getting rid of books. I have a ton of cheap romance books in storage that I will never bother to read again and can not make myself get rid of. My biggest problem is when I do get rid of the books I take them to a used bookstore and get trade credit. So I end up buying a ton more books and end up back where I started.

I took some books down to the laundry room in my building and after a week half of them where still there so I ended up bringing them back home because everytime I went down there they taunted me. When I get rid of a book it feels like parting with myself. Even if I never read the book I always feel like I wanted it for a reason and what if I decide I want to read it and don't have it.

The real funny thing was I had gotten a set of books and read the first one and thought it was okay but got stuck on the second one. I thought they where awful and had no trouble getting rid of them. About a month ago my mom picked up a book she thought I'd like and it was the from the set I had gotten rid of. I read it cause she was so proud of herself picking out a book for me. To my great surprise I wanted the second one. At this point I am ready to start the third and don't understand why I ever hated them. I learned my leason never get rid of a book unless you have at least read it whether you want to or not.

Crossbow

I don't keep any books unless I'm sure I'm going to read them again. Of course, that doesn't always work; I just realized last weekend that I had got rid of a book I wanted to read again, not because it was so great but because it was part of a larger story arc and I can't remember what happened.

I prefer to pass my books on to people I know, because then I don't feel like they're "gone."

In all the apartment buildings I've lived in, people have always left books in the entryway for other people to take. Guess I live in a reasonably literate city. (It should be; there's a college on practically every corner.)

Also, if you donate them to the library, you can always check them out again if you need them.

AlexEvans

I can never get rid of books... I never know when I might want to (or need to in the case of textbooks) read them again! That's why I've filled my bedroom at my parents' house, another bookshelf and some boxes on their porch, my apartment and my share of my office with books. I never buy new, but if I find a good deal I'll get a big box of 50c-$1 books, like I did Saturday.

Lady_Primrose

I'm a total pack rat when it comes to books. I don't mind getting rid of the ones that I don't like but when it comes to those that I've already read and enjoyed I'd prefer not to part with them for fear that one day I might want to read it again. Usually I trade them in at a used bookstore and buy some that I like. I have two bookshelves at my house and one is completely full and the other doesn't like too much more. What can I say, I love books.

Soz

I kind of neglected to say that I could never get rid of books I love. I'm a frequent re-reader when it comes to my favorites. Then only books I've gotten rid of were ones that either didn't interest me much (I couldn't tell you how many people give me free books) or ones that I read and ended up hating. My favorite used bookstore has a quarter shelf and I buy way too many books from it. I figure they don't cost much, so I won't feel too bad if I don't end up keeping them, plus it's a great way to try new-to-me authors that the library might not carry.

soulstarshine

Last summer I did a major clean out of my house. I went through all my books (it took me a long time) and then I donated them to the library. I got rid of all the crappy books I have, books that I've read once, books that I'll never read, etc. I donated them to the library, lol. I could never part with books that I loved as a child though.

Carrie99

As an adult so far I've never gone through a big book purge/cleaning out. I probably need to do that. I do however regret that I sold/gave away a lot of the books I read as a child and preteen.

Kimberly

I love my books. I actually collect them. I think right now my collection is at about 800 or 900 and my Mom has another 300 hee our house looks like a library But I could never part with the books.

barelylegal

I could never just get rid of books. If that were to happen, then it would be solely with a book that I would find boring/uninteresing... otherwise I like having a nice book collection.

Niffler

oh man, no, i completely know how you feel. i guess i just have this fantasy that one day i'll have four walls lined with bookshelves filled with books i've read. but i just have no room for them right now, so i donate them to my local public library.