Books are fun, aren’t they?
Yes, Kate, they are. Duh.
I have a lot of books. Not nearly as many as most of my friends; space restrictions mean I have to be selective about which ones I keep, and I get rid of anything I don’t love and/or want to keep around to re-read or lend out. Still, it’s been a long time since I had enough shelf space in my house for even half of my collection.
A few nights ago, I got sick of it. I went downstairs, unloaded everything from a shelf in the playroom (it wasn’t much, most of it was already on the floor), and hauled that sucker upstairs. There wasn’t technically space for it in the living room, but I didn’t need to open those desk drawers, anyway.
I went to my room, apologized profusely to the books that have been stacked beside my dresser since we moved here last June, gathered up my library books, and got the shelf set up.
Wheeeee!
That stack on the middle shelf and everything to the right of it are all TBR, mostly things I’ve grabbed when I saw them at Value Village or the used book store. I also have a few in progress or TBR on the Kobo.*
You’d think that would be enough, but noooooo. No, I had to go and remember that I still had Chapters/Indigo gift certificates left from Mother’s Day, and I ordered four more books. All fiction, all Fantasy or Dystopian, all but one YA. Read what you write, right?
I’m especially excited about Shadow and Bone, which sounds right up my alley. Adenture + romance + magic? Yup, that’s me!
And yes, all four are real, paper-and-ink, taking-up-space-on-my-shelf books. I really appreciate the prices and portability of e-books, I do. And I’m learning to enjoy reading them. But if someone gives me FREE MONEY for books? Yes, I’ll pay more plus shipping for the real deal.
Even if it means buying more shelves.
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I ALSO have a few on the Kindle app on the computer, books I got from Amazon when they were cheap or free, and not available elsewhere. Thing is, I can’t sit and read fiction on the laptop. I can’t. So until I get a Kindle or an iPad, those books are going to go un-read. It makes me sad. 😦
disregard the prologue 
June 17th, 2013 at 12:30 pm
Looks good! I also buy a book now and then even though I have my Kobo….a new book and a nice bookmark? Lifts my mood for days! As you know, our books (which I had ruthlessly gone through) were in storage for four months…they bred in captivity. And yet I, too, add to the collection. It’s no wonder you are like you are…it’s inherited!! 🙂
June 17th, 2013 at 1:27 pm
It looks like a nice collection! It’s been a long time since I’ve had enough shelf space for my books, too. It’s a relief to buy mostly ebooks now–I don’t need to find room for it!
June 17th, 2013 at 4:46 pm
I didn’t even realize how many books I own until I read this post. I have them in every room in my house. In my bedroom on my desk, dresser, nightstand, in my nightstand, under my bed, on a shelf in my closet, on the bookshelves in the family room, game room, study and both of my kids’ room. My writing room contains my collection of books on writing and those from the Modern Library’s & Time Mag top 100. Ive got a collection of cookbooks in my kitchen, books on the counter in the laundry room (just checked them out from the library), even books in the garage (to go to the resale shop). That makes me sound like a hoarder, huh? But I promise, I’m organized. Thank god for my Kindle or my house would be overrun with books! Some day I’ll get them all on Goodreads, someday…
June 17th, 2013 at 5:03 pm
You don’t sound like a hoarder to me. I have more than are in that picture (writing craft books are on the other side of the desk, non-fiction and MG books are in another corner of the room, my collection of children’s books is mixed in with the boys’, I have more in boxes downstairs), and like I said, most of my friends still have more than I do. Nope, I’d say you’re perfectly normal! 🙂
June 17th, 2013 at 5:11 pm
Good to know 🙂
June 17th, 2013 at 7:17 pm
Those are… not too many books^^
Try as I might, I can’t seem to get below the 250 mark. I tried, but somehow, books just keep turning up everywhere. They just do, I swear! oO
*achem* That might be one reason my mum is complaining a little about me moving back home – neither of us has a clue where to put all the books… and my DVD collection isn’t even included in the four shelves that are chock-full of all sorts of media… *sighs*
June 17th, 2013 at 8:11 pm
You should see my husband’s DVD collection. There are over 500 on one big shelf, plus seasons of TV shows.
As I said to someone before, that’s not ALL of my books, just the ones that got a new home. I don’t think I’m anywhere near 250, but I’d have a hard time getting below 100, for sure. 🙂
June 17th, 2013 at 8:12 pm
Wait… he’s guessing 650 all together.
June 18th, 2013 at 4:49 am
Wow. Okay, now I don’t feel as guilty anymore^^
Is it actually possible to watch that many DVDs? 😀
June 18th, 2013 at 7:50 am
He’s watched all of them at one time or another, except maybe one or two that came with those cheap sets of 2 or 3 movies in one case. That’s how he relaxes. He used to work at a video store and would watch movies when they came out, then buy them previously viewed with his employee discount when he could. He’s been collecting them for as long as he’s had a DVD player (10 years? Eight?), so yeah, he’s found time to watch them
I’ve suggested putting the discs in one of those media cases without the cases to save space. The look he gave me… it was like if he’d asked me to strip the covers off of my books or something. 🙂
June 18th, 2013 at 4:01 am
just got an sony ereader so that I don’t have to carry a ton of books around, but as convenient as it is, nothing beats the joy of a real, live book in your hands, truly!
June 19th, 2013 at 11:50 am
We’re moving, and I guess you know what that means. I wish I had all my books on my iPad—iBooks is much more convenient to read with than Kindle, in my opinion—so I didn’t have to pay for shipping! I only have one tall bookshelf, but still. Most of them are still unread.
One more thing, I also find that I read faster on my iPhone than with a paperback. It’s also much more convenient to read on-the-go or while eating. 🙂
June 19th, 2013 at 2:14 pm
I could deal with an iPad, but I find the iPhone screen is just too small for me to read fiction on it. Blog posts I can handle, but nothing I want to get lost in. 🙂