 |
| Not mine, but you get the drift, who even has a book on shells? |
Before imposing an embargo adding more books to my library,
I suppose I ought to examine why one might be necessary.
Well if I can reach the prescribed biblical age of three
score years and ten, I have about 20-odd years reading ahead of me. If I can maintain
my current reading pace over that period, say 140 books a year. Simplistically,
I should be able to get through nearly 3000 more books in my lifetime. Chances
are at some point I will slow down as my eye sight deteriorates, but conversely I may have
more time if I ever retire, not that it’s on the cards anytime soon.
At a conservative estimate, I have maybe 2000-2500 books in
various formats. Only recently have I started getting rid of books once I have
read them. If I can organise and catalogue them at a rate of 50 a week, I could
have a better understanding of whether I’m over-stocked by the middle of next
year. Plus I could then be in a position of knowing whether or not I have a
particular book and exactly where it is, if it’s the one I want to read next.
My children have shown no inclination to share my passion for crime fiction, so
I don’t really want them having to dispose of my old books once I have shuffled
on. Amongst the books are many that I have already read.......eg....John
Irving, Elmore Leonard, Andrew Vachss, but as I kept them before, they could
withstand a re-read before I move them on.
Either way, I have enough books already stock-piled to
satisfy my short, medium and long-term needs and it’s a bit daft buying
anymore.
If people want to send me books and I think I would enjoy
them, it would be churlish to decline. If family want to buy me a voucher for
my newly received Kindle, I’m not going to turn it down. Similarly if there is
something I like on Net Galley, I’m going to request it.
Rather than going totally cold turkey, I could allow myself 1
addition to the library for every 10 books read. Even this purchase, ought to
have a modicum of logic applied to it though.
10 (PROVISIONAL) RULES ON A LIBRARY EMBARGO
1. Never buy a 3rd book by a virgin
author that you have never read before.
2. Never buy another book by an author you have
previously read, if you have 2 or more books by them unread on the shelves.
3. Never request a book on Net Galley if you have
more than 1 unread title on your dashboard.
4. Don’t list your finished books on a swapping
website, as you’re only fuelling the fire.
5. Avoid the library.
6. Don’t visit local charity shops, with their
cheap pre-owned and tantalising books.
7. Avoid car boot sales.
8. Stop visiting Munsey’s.
9. Stay off Project Gutenberg.
10.Stop chatting up authors and publishers.
I could keep visiting blogs and websites and
make a list of titles that pique my interest without actually pressing the
instant gratification, purchase button.
Do these rules make sense? How many books are
too many? How many do you have at home? Am I totally out of step with other readers
and bloggers? Is my obsession/collection/passion par for the course or out of control?
I would like to get all my books
catalogued, so at least I know what I have and where it is. I made a start
yesterday – 77 books listed, labelled and boxed......McBain, McDonald x2, Macdonald,
Meyer, Muller, Miller , Millar and McGown.........2423 to go. I’ve just got the
monotonous task of entering them on a spreadsheet and probably adding them to
my Goodreads page.
 |
| 77 down, 2400-odd to go! (I added to the box after taking the photo) |
Col - I don't think these ideas are out of control at all. Let's face it; it's too easy to acquire books far too quickly. And it makes sense to have some kind of solid plan for how you're going to read them.
ReplyDeleteMargot, as much as I love books, at some point I need to say enough's enough (or at least put the brakes on!)
DeleteI have no clue what my library total is, but it's a lot smaller than it was a year ago since I did a big purge when we moved in the fall. I found it easy to donate books that I had picked up cheaply at a library book sale or Paperbackswap that no longer sound interesting to me because they were so cheap to begin with. I think there must also be a correlation to ebooks: if I downloaded it for free or cheaply, I probably did so because of the price and not because I was very interested in it. Knowing that my reading pace will be slow for the foreseeable future (2 small children, new job) is another motivator, but we'll see how I do holding off buying more books after the great purge.
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I think that moving house would have a similar effect on my books, more through necessity than choice. I hope I never move again! With 2 small children I'm glad you find time to read at all
DeleteCol- I have had many many book purges over the years but still find myself threatened by a tbr mountain. The biblical allowance of three score years and ten has almost been reached, and yet I need another 20 years to read this lot. Am I an optimist or an out of control book addict, that is the question?
ReplyDeleteNorman, an optimist I hope!
DeleteI keep reducing my piles, and then just getting some more. I too am trying to reduce the overall number by Oxfam-ing them once read. The theory is good but the practice harder..... Good luck with your scheme, and thanks for explaining the rules. We'll be watching you.
ReplyDeleteRule 11, make sure your "book-ish" friends only blog about books you already have in the library, then 80% of the problem goes away!
DeleteIf I commented on this fully, it would be really long. Maybe I should do my own post on the subject. Simplified answer: I like your rules. Lots of the situations are not a problem for me, but still, they are good rules. Especially the ones about not purchasing more books by authors you already have unread books for. I too have started discarding books that I have read and don't want to reread ever. Unless they are wonderful copies with wonderful covers, but that is another addiction. I wonder how many unread books I have. I don't think I have over a thousand, but I would have to go through some boxes and shelves to figure that out. I also cannot read as many a month as you.
ReplyDeleteI love this post. It will be interesting to see how it works.
You should do that post Tracy! It is a really interesting subject, I think we all like to find out how others cope. I must say, the ONLY thing I am not guilty of (any more) is buying several books by an author I haven't tried yet - used to do it, managed to cure myself...
DeleteTracy, I will keep you informed of my progress! I do think as I sort my books I will find some gems I have forgotten about, which will make it seem like a new book on the shelf!
DeleteYou need to do that post,
Moira, I admire your restraint, that one gets me every time!
DeleteA variant on your rule #1 is the big one for me. Many's the time I've bought a book thinking I would like it because of subject matter or setting or whatever and then - before reading it - found the next three or so as inexpensive remainders. Cheap books, what's not to like. So now I have four unread by the same author and then I read the first one. And I don't like it. This isn't always the case but it has happened often enough.
ReplyDeleteGlen, I'm with you on that, I think 2 would be a sensible limit, anymore than that is daft. Book1 might be so-so, book 2 could rock....but if you don't like an author after 2, I would think you aren't going to like them fullstop.
DeleteCheapness does have an attractiveness though.
I used to have way more book in my library, I moved on some authors that came too tedious to keep track of when they issue one book a year or more. I tend to loose track of the authors.
ReplyDeleteScott, I think I have a bit of catholic-guilt trip going on, if I bought it, I should read it otherwise it's wasteful....which one of the sins was greed!
DeleteI'm late to the party going on here I see.
ReplyDeleteI love your rules. I used to buy authors I *thought* I would like. I quit that habit after being burned. I haven't visited the library in seveal years but I remember when I did the first time, I came home with six books and didn't finish not a one.
I own presently, 2,314 ebooks and that doesn't count any of the print titles that I have on four bookshelves in my library. I've done the big purse - twice. Several years ago I gave six trash bags full of books to my technician (mostly romance novels) and then gave away another six bags to a charity shop. I still have a book room with boxes full of books that I'm not sure what I want to do with yet.
I'm a collector as well for first edition hardcovers in the crime fiction genre. I don't think I'll quit buying those rare titles with the author's signature. I am presently trying to read what I own but it does get tempting to hit the buy button anytime a new book is reviewed and it sounds interesting.
Now, I just put books that interest me on a wishlist and will try to purchase only books that I am ready to read *now*. Will see how well that goes. I guess we all have no business buying new books heh. I don't know what it is but I can look at my collection and feel like there's nothing to read *shrug* Go figure.
Keishon, I'm with you on having a room full of books, but nothing to read....I couldn't have put it better. I think I have about 150 e-books maybe, give or take......the rest...phew who knows? I'll give you a total when I find out.
DeleteCol, I could have written this post, so your rules definitely make sense, except I think I've less than 250 physical books and many more that number of ebooks. The only time I buy used books now is when I see one that is truly vintage, or an occasional book that I think might be interesting, or the very authors, mostly western, whose rare books I want to own.
ReplyDeleteThat last line should have read "very few authors".
DeletePrashant, truth be told I could probably go the rest of my life without needing to acquire another book. Will I stop....hmmm, tricky one, especially as I keep discovering new authors and then just as quickly forgetting them when something else catches my eye!
Delete