It is quite shocking to see how many books I actually own that I haven’t read when they are all in front of me. For some reason 503 doesn’t seem that mad until they are all in front of you…
You might have guessed I am about to have a gargantuan cull with my imminent move. I managed to get from 978 to 412 before, can I get 500+ to about 250 or less? Time will tell but I will report back. Support and tips are welcome.
What are you doing with yourself this Saturday?
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Oh, Simon. You have a problem I can totally relate to. But how in the world will you decide what to part with?! You need to stop moving!
It is really going to just be see what the feelings are about each book. Just from the picture I spotted I somehow had two copies of Last Rituals, so that was one down… just another 500 or so to sort.
I guess most, if not all, of these were acquired for a “good reason”. I’d suggest you keep the number you feel you can cope with by random choice rather than come up with some complex system for deciding which to hang on to. If I had to use my feelings for 500 items then I suspect that a day later I’d still have 490 of them in my “I’m not sure” pile.
Best of luck!
I feel your pain, Simon. What will you do with the culled books? I donate them to our local library for their fundraiser book sale – then I go to the sale and start picking up more books. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost bought my own book back!
Haha I don’t find it so much a pain, more a challenge Jen, one that could end up going on long into the night! Especially as one of the boxes on the picture was one I forgot I had – oops.
These will get checked through by family and friends and then they will go to charity shops or the library if the library will have them.
Suggestions from your photograph – I read ‘Gentleman and Players’ by Joanne Harris a fews months back and wasn’t that thrilled by it, but ‘The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets’ is a book that you should keep and read – it’s one of my favourites and evokes the 1950s wonderfully.
Do you know I have lots of Joanne Harris in the TBR and it’s all because of seeing Chocolat. Have I read any? No. I do want to try the crimeier ones. I might just keep The Evil Seed which sounds quite gothic. We will see. I might keep them all!
I have had Eva Rice on the TBR forever. Love the sound of it. Never read it.
I’ve read a few Joanne Harris, my favourites were Blackberry Wine, Gentlemen and Players, Chocolat, and something about oranges and slices or something (oh my brain is totally off today) I didn’t think much to The Evil Seed or The Blue Eyed Boy..
I don’t even want to THINK about how many books I own that I haven’t read yet!
But I did do some culling recently, of books read and un-read. I got rid of un-read books that I just couldn’t see myself reading any time soon (meaning: in the next year or two). I’m also gradually ridding myself of books that I know I can get for free on my Kindle, thereby making space for books I must have in solid form or ones that I can’t get electronically for cheap/nothing.
Good luck! You’ve got quite a job ahead of you!
I am going to be really tough. I’ve too many authors books ‘just in case’ when I haven’t read any of theirs so am going to prune down. It’s not like I am suddenly going to be left with none.
I’m ignoring your mention of the K word.
Hahahaha! Sorry, Simon, but I love mine even more than I expected to. My two youngest children bought it for me after I had knee replacement surgery; to help with my recovery, of course! And it has helped.
I don’t travel much, but when I do… well, you know the rest.
I now have 373 books on my TBR shelves and over 500 e-books on my Kindle. I will have a move coming up this year too. And it will be to a smaller place. I am hoping for a huge walk in closet!!! I don’t have much clothes but I sure do have books.I have decided to not buy books until I move. At least I can still buy e-books. Reading them is not working so while because I have so many for review.After I have read them unless my heart is attached to them too much I sell them at Half Price Books. That money gives me a little more money for food and printer ink. I hope that you update us from time to time.
Carol
I have been taking pictures as I’ve gone through the process (I’m having a break at the moment before a re-cull, I’ve done the easy cull already next up its the maybes) so a full report will come in due course.
500 – pah! I have over twice that unread
I discovered yesterday evening that I didn’t have to go to work today, so I have enjoyed a charmed Saturday – reading a lovely book which turned out to be beneficial for my DPhil – perfect!
But aren’t some of yours at your parentals? I wish my mother would let me house some of mine there. That would make life so much easier. Or maybe a storage facility for a year for my 30th would be the ideal present lol!
True! I am very lucky that they put up with storing so many of my books – my Mum does treat it as her own borrowing facility, though, so there’s positives for her too.
I own a lot of books that I haven’t read…you’re making me feel better about my stash!
I hate getting rid of books, but lately I’ve come to realise that I have to, to some extent as I have very little room. I’ve been giving away/selling back to the secondhand shop the ones I’m unlikely to read again, or getting them out of the library instead of buying them in the first place, but there are some authors/titles that I will always buy and keep.
Glad I can make you feel better about your collection. I need to start feeling better about mine. I’m gonna have to be tough.
I’ve already started making excuses.
Good luck Simon. We are thinking about finishing our basement, and that’s where most of my books reside. I sense a big culling in my future!
It actually, once done, felt really good to have achieved and dare I say a little freeing.
Are you moving to a property with an attic?… maybe you should, then you could convert the attic into your own mini library. you’d be surprised how many bookcases you can get in an attic
Hahahaha alas no attic, wouldnt that have been marvellous. Its a downsizing exercise which needed to be done anyway.
I feel a lot better about the 29 unread books I had on my shelves at the start of this year now! I resolved to read them all before I bought any new ones (I did sort of cave and go to the library yesterday) and I’ve read 3 so far so I’m happy with that!
Well if it makes people feel better thats really good. My bedside table normally has about that many on it hahaha. I do envy people with smaller TBRs but its always a case of grass is greener really.
How far are you moving?
Where will you live? Are you going back to London?
Today I went for a bike ride and cut back some small pine trees.
I am trying to finish this for Tuesday’s book club:
“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer
I also read some stuff for grad school.
No back to London yet, I wouldnt say it will never happen as I have thought about it a little bit recently. I am sticking with Manchester at the moment.
I want to read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, have meant to for ages, I don’t want to see the film though. Saccharine looking or what?
I’m glad it’s not just me. Currently I have two months of reading material that I can’t fit into any bookshelves and probably enough for two years on the shleves! I can’t even think about moving until I cull it a little, otherwise my family will realise what a hoarder I am!
Hahahaha well maybe they will have to just move out Sam, books or them??? Hahaha.
Good luck Simon. Hope it isn’t too painful! I suggest having a good friend help you make those hard decisions. Someone to talk you down when you start making those “good” excuses. Being able to pass some off to family and friends should help too. I am always happy when a book finds a good home, you know?
It wasnt too bad actually Ruthiella. I feel quite good afterwards and they have more than likley found good new homes and made the charity shop lots of money.
I saw your possibly ironic suggestion of a storage facility for a year — of course at the end of the year you’d have the same number of books at home as you had in the storage place and then you’d have to get a bigger storage place and so on every year until you had to buy a warehouse. I wonder where you are moving to — you don’t say!
Yes good point Harriet. I would end up with the same amount. The cull was quite invigorating in a weird way.
I am moving to anothre part of Manchester, nowhere too exciting.
I’m lucky that my parents don’t mind the many shelves of books that I left, but I was the only reader in the family, so it makes their den look nice. My husband just turned a spare room into a library for me, so I’m still filling shelves, which is proving to be much fun! As for those that I’ve culled over the years, I bring in a big box to work and leave it in the cafeteria with a “help yourself” sign. They don’t last long, and it makes me happy to see so many reading on their lunch break.
You see I wish I had family like that, alas! I would have to travel around half the country if they did anyway so maybe its for the best.
I love the leaving at work idea, though I work for myself so it wouldnt work would it hahaha.
Today I’m enjoying a peaceful train journey with my copy of The Night Circus and yesterday I took Phoebe for a jab at the vets saw my Oma and went to a Burns Night Ceilidh… It’s been pretty packed!
Is it wrong that I look at the stack of books in your picture and experience a mixture of sympathetic overwhelmed-ness bit also can’t help thinking ooh they look appealing!
What I’m about to say might be counterintuitive but I say wait and see how much space you have and then maybe you won’t need to cull any! Who needs room for a coffee table when you can balance a cuppa on a stack of books
Hahahaha that was counterintuitive and thank goodness I didn’t pay attention to that advice lol.
How are you getting on with The Night Circus, I found it a mixed bag and gave up oops.
I think like any good book lover, you see this pictures as book porn and thats ok, I think most people who commented will have too.
Ah that doesn’t seem like too many at all
I am shocked to know that I have more unread books than you do. How scary… heh
But that makes me feel better Amy
I have very few unread books in my flat …
This Saturday I had my flute lesson and then more practice at home for a small informal concert in London with some like-minded people on Sunday. I haven’t performed on my flute in public for 29 years so I think it is fair to say I was a little nervous. Actually it went off quite well and although my ensemble playing is far from excellent it was OK on the day (including one piece sightread).
I always wanted to learn how to play the flute, it was the musical which most appealed. I wasn’t allowed.
Wow, and I thought my to-read shelf was looking a little crowded.
I’d love to have such a beautiful collection to have on the go, but I can see how it can be problematic, where to start! My tip, read all the backs and first pages of each book, you’ll know instantly if there are any which can go on that basis. After than just decide what will break from your usual genre reading but still keep you hooked and those you know you will always enjoy. That should help get you down to 250 or so.
I’ve been trying to downsize recently. I’ve donated A LOT of books, as moving from place to place with them is more than I can cope with. It’s mainly consisted of me keeping my very favourite and getting the rest on my Kindle.
Are these all books publishers send you?
See I am pleased that this post has made other people feel so much better.
If I had read all the blurbs I think I would still be reading if I am honest Alice, but its a good idea. Though I am a little blurb phobic.
You mentioned the K word – uh oh! No most of the books I have bought in the last 10 years.