I love books.
It goes just beyond loving the contents. I love the feel and the smell of them too (apart from in my house when they get a little too damp *sigh*).
My reading habits have changed greatly over the years. When I was young, I was voracious and I had ambition. I was catching up with all that had gone before and I was happy to fight with a book to get through. I loved Sci Fi and Fantasy most of all and so I battled with the greats too including some of H G Wells heavier books for istance.
As I have gotten older I have found that when I want to stretch, I read non-fiction. I like my fiction to be escapist. Easy. With a happy ending. Not to say I don't want the odd difficult or interesting concept though, I do.
I have been collecting books for years and yes I have purged occasionally but I find that i have kept a lot of books out of nostalgia. Take Anne McCaffery for instance. My favourite author for at least ten years of my life. I can't remember the last time I read one of her books now. I have certain books and series of books that are still all time favourites but others are more filler. I could fill a shelf with her books alone but do I really need to? Maybe I should just accpe that some of those series are ones I will never ever re-read.
So there are themes, certain authors who are just the best as far as I am concerned. But even with their books, there are gaps in my collection. I need to stop buying filler fiction in the supermarket and buy my favourites....
Part of the problem has been remembering which books I have from the title alone - some of the books have more than one title and the descriptions can be confusing. So many of my books have been in boxes for years. They are scattered around the house on different book shelves too, so pulling together an entire series can be tricky too....
So here is a list of the ones I really love...
Charles de Lint
Sharon Shinn
Sheri S Tepper
Jean Auel
Laurell K Hamilton
Stephanie Meyer
Charlaine Harris
Katherine Kerr
David Brin
Sarah Addison Allen
David Zindell
Raymond Feist
So I have let go all my Asimov books except the Foundation series. And I am looking at David Eddings Belgariad and Mallorean and wondering... Looking at all those Anne McCaffery books and wondering if I want all of the dragon books and every other series.... Do I want to keep all the teen pulp books I have been reading, even when I know I will still be buying the next book in the series - what happens if I forget the previous books?
As it is, I think a whole bunch of books will be making their way into work to see if my book reading colleagues wish to have any. And there are some real gems amongst the....
But you have to let go, to allow new books in. And I can only keep ones I really am going to re-read. I may find I have gotten it wrong - I have on occasions had to re-buy books, but the second hand books market is so cheap, it isn't exactly an issue. And really, i have not gotten it wrong very often and it was easily corrected. (I have only rebrought two books...)
but it is a big thing this letting go....
6 comments:
Yes, books are more than their content. It is the feel and smell of them as you read. It's sad that so many of this generation are turning to Kindle, etc. Not that the Kindle and others don't have their place. They are convenient for traveling and such, but there is a special bond (?) in holding a book and turning the pages. The anticipation as you near the end. I can so relate to what you are saying. =)
oh, and if you just need to get the books off your hands, I'd be more than glad to provide my address! ;-)
i have a hard time letting go of books...i have, i was really strong a few years ago and sent some to our local oxfam to find new homes.
yes you are right...its the look, feel and smell of them. the excitement of getting a new book, getting comfy with a cup of tea and getting lost in the pages.
i realised yesterday that i have piles of books everywhere...on my coffee table, on my desk, my bedside table, the wooden chest in the window to say nothing of the regular book case and the monster custom built on in the bedroom (both of them overflowing!)
I debate kindles often... but i wouldn't want to read one in the bath and you can't buy secondhand books for it, or lend books easily to friends. However, my house can be a little damp and sometimes books have suffered...
Shame you live over the water otherwise you could surely have some books!
I too have piles of books everywhere... but it had gotten a little out of hand - some of my most favourite books had been living in a cupboard for years stacked in boxes. I need them out and that means some need to go. Now I have started, it isn't actually seeming quite so hard. Also the more I sort, the more I find books I have not even read yet and there are some real gems there... Would love to look at your book collection Laoi!
That was one of the hardest things about selling up & moving into a caravan.... we can only carry so much weigh, and books weigh heavy.
I sent so many to charity shops & for a long time boxes of books moved between people keeping them for me & i'd swap a box to have with me. I keep letting a few more go & get quite sentimental every time i open a box i haven't looked at for a while.
I'm not sure about the kindle either... it would be so practical for me, but the experience of touching & flicking through & choosing from a pile...
I really understand about getting sentimental when you open a box of books. They are old friends.....
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