This is my main set of bookcases - note that it's not all books: there's a shelf of cds by the cd player, a shelf of videotapes & dvds, and a shelf with children's books AND puzzles, etc. That little pile on the floor is cookbooks on their way out.
Or maybe I should say BUYING books is my weakness. At the beginning of the year, I belonged to five (five!!) book clubs, and not the "good" kind - the buying/purchasing kind. I couldn't resist those "Buy 4 Books for a Penny" offers. But, with the help of blog-reading about frugal, simple, buying-less-stuff lifestyles, I was able to wean myself away from all of them.
The last one to close was the best: was initially called Zooba.com - all books were $9.95, and I was able to hold myself to one per month. But eventually they ran out of books that I felt I HAD to have and I ended our 'relationship' at the end of the summer. My last purchase from them was "Big Green Purse" after reading a review on somebody's blog (sorry, can't remember which one).
The is the bookcase in the hall between the bedrooms - paperbacks, magazine, maps, etc.
The shelf unit in the other/spare bedroom with craft and holiday books - which needs straightening out.
I do regularly go through my books to see if there are any I can eliminate, but I'm pretty much down to what I want to keep. I have to confess that there are some I haven't read, or have only partly read. I'm keeping to read when I retire. Most are non-fiction - I use the Library for fiction. I find I'm using the Library a lot more - the inter-library loan system covers the whole county.
But I have to confess that I recently bought two more books - but didn't pay full price for either. I am a Borders Preferred Reader member so regularly get coupons via email. When there's a 40% coupon, I take advantage - IF there's a book on my want list. (like there wouldn't be - har-har-har) These books were both added after reading one of Sharon's postings at Casaubon's Book, and they are both great!
I doubt that I will ever completely stop buying books (sigh)...but at least I've made some progress at controlling my purchases. My daughters and I regularly trade books - that way, they're still available if we want them back (hah!).
2 comments:
Books are tough, I know I have more than enough. We're on the hunt for another book shelf, but I want something old and used in good shape, not something new and flimsy...
I'm pretty good about sticking to used books, but every now and then there's one I just *have* to put into the collection.
As I looked through my collection after the holidays (putting books back on the shelf that had been removed for holiday decorations), I realized I had more used ones than I thought. I seem to go in streaks of book-buying...
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