Shelf space has reached crisis point in Cardigan Girl's Flat (and I am still feeling extremely guilty that the majority of my boyfriend's books reside in boxes in a storage unit). Although I have made some temporary measures, I did also get rid of a few books the other day. It was a bit strange deleting them from my librarything account, but it does mean that the day that I reach 1000 books is a tiny bit further off. I contemplated offering my rejects on here, but I'm not sure about the principle of providing booklovers with books that I didn't like/didn't want to read. So I took them to Oxfam.
Thinking about getting rid of books also made me think about the stock in charity shops. Obviously many of us find wonderful things, but surely in the majority of cases they are other people's rejects - books that have been read once but not loved enough to have house room, or presents which have not been touched at all. I suppose I should be more discerning and think to myself "someone didn't like this" when I pick up something in a charity shop, but more often than not I am just grateful that someone else didn't like a Virago Modern Classic very much.
Do the rest of you ever get rid of books that you didn't enjoy reading/know that you'll never get around to reading? And what do you do with them?
A Pre-Election Reading Update
19 hours ago
I think the great thing about books is that everyone has different taste. Someone is bound to enjoy all of your rejects.
ReplyDeleteI'm slightly different as I sell books for a living, but I also have car boot sales to get rid of books I don't want. I sometimes swap them on bookmooch and give a big bag to charity every week.
Every so often I'll pop a few into the discard bin at the library. I've passed on a few titles to friends and this summer my daughter grabbed up some of my chick lit for her own bookcase.
ReplyDeleteCull books? Are you crazy?!
ReplyDeleteSigh, I am rapidly running out of space and only have a fraction of my books here.
Jackie - I think you are right, but I could not in good conscience pass on books that I hated to my friends!
ReplyDeleteDarlene - I pass my chick lit onto my Mum! Actually, I mostly get it from the library, but if I spot a bargain then I buy it for us.
Claire - sometimes I just don't feel the need to keep a book which I know I am never going to look at and which doesn't have a pretty spine...is that too ruthless? We have pretty much run out of space, hence the need to be ruthless, and plus I am scared about the idea of having 1000 books on my librarything.com
Space for books is at a premium here, too! A couple times a year, I go through the stacks and pull some out to donate to the library. The big summer sale is their major fun raiser. My goal is to donate more than I buy ;-)
ReplyDeleteI tend to put books I haven't enjoyed on ReadItSwapIt.com now. As Jackie says, each to their own tastes and all that. It's amazing how many people wanted to swap with one of my least favourite books for the year!
ReplyDeleteThere was a time I'd never do that, and it felt wrong giving away/swapping/discarding books like that. However, now I'm at a stage where quality, not quantity matters on my shelf.
I do like going to charity bookshops/Oxfam and looking for books though. Always stumble upon something delightful.
JoAnn - I think that is a very good way to proceed! Do you manage to stick to it?
ReplyDeleteAnothercookiecrumbles - I haven't come across Readitswapit.com - that sounds like a really good plan. And I agree about quality rather than quantity...
Verity - This year I managed to stick to it. I donated three huge boxes full of books and came out with only two bags full :-)
ReplyDeleteJoAnn - I'm impressed! Library sales seem to be such a big thing over the other side of the pond, we just don't get them here in the same way (which is a shame as libraries don't have the same opportunities to raise money)
ReplyDeleteI always purge (every few weeks) because I get a lot of used books to read and then usually replace the ones I loved with better copies, and then the ones I didn't I either give to my friends (only the ones I know they'll like, the ones who have different tastes than myself, which we've established among ourselves), and the rest I either trade in bookshops or give to charity. Sometimes I even give away books I liked a little, but not very much. I only want to keep books on my shelf that I truly loved or that I might reread again someday. Favourite authors. It's because of shelf space, too. And it's because I don't like clutter and I only want to be surrounded by things I love.
ReplyDelete"I only want to be surrounded by things I love" - I love that Claire, I think you are right, and that is where I am heading. I also like the policy of replacing used books with better copies - that is like me buying library books that I have loved!
ReplyDeleteI have a big issue with giving away books. I find it painful. I got rid of 50 when I moved to a smaller place six months ago and that was a wrench, but I've easily replaced them since!
ReplyDeleteI love Claire's comment about surrounding herself with things she loves...I should have the same policy and be prepared to get rid of books I didn't enjoy, but to my shame I keep some just because they make me look clever and cultured! I think when I move again I will have a big, dispassionate cull and get rid of all the books I don't adore. This will make more space for new books!
I like the idea of BookCrossing but only did it once or twice simply because I was associated with the book that I was leaving: so either it was a book that I approved of, in which case I wanted to keep it, or it was a book I didn't approve of, in which case I didn't want people to know that I'd owned it!
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday! I have an award for you...
ReplyDeletehttp://lakesidemusing.blogspot.com/2009/09/tss-sigh-of-relief-and-some-awards.html
My rare unwanted books normally go to charity shops these days, I used to wait and try and sell them on, but I have so much fun in my local charity bookshops that I want to give them something back when I can.
ReplyDeleteRachel - I liked the idea of making more space for new books...it is difficult to be disappasionate and I think we all keep books that make us look interesting!
ReplyDeleteOwen - I quite agree, that is my problem with passing on books to friends.
JoAnn - thanks for the award.
Desperate Reader - I think you're right about giving things back. At the moment my only contribution is my hard earned pennies!