I have such a hard time parting with my books sometimes. I would say that I can only part with the books didn't like that much. The ones I loved stay on my shelf forever. My father on the other hand, gives away his books as soon as he finishes them...even if he loved it.
So what do you do with your used books? Sell them? Give them away in hopes of getting others to read? Or keep them because you love them so much?
[question posted by krebstar5]
responses and comments:
I am the same way. The books I really love, I keep forever. The others I have read, I usually keep for a few years, and then I donate them to my local library, as long as they are in decent condition. If they have torn pages, etc. I just throw them away. [pebbles724]
What a great idea. I've never thought about donating them to the library. I will usuall donate them to Big Brother, Big Sister. Both give back to the community, but it might be nice to give back to the library as well. [krebstar5]
I keep some of my favorites, but I don't know why since I never bother to read them again. Most of the books I finish get passed on to a friend, or donated to a local thrift shop. One of my friends makes a point of reading every book at least twice just in case she missed something the first time. [Stringbean]
Reads every book twice? That's impressive. There are a lot of books i hold onto and never read again. I also wonder why I keep them. Oh, and don't even get me started on the huge pile of books I have that I planned to read and still haven't gotten to... [krebstar5]
Books i respect them, and i buy books that i really like as am lazy i don't read much so the books that i read are usually very famous so never want to part with them, hehe i even don't wanna share with my freinds also. I keep all the books that i get or buy for reading [healer]
So you basically have a small collection of high quality books? This way you don't have so-so books taking up space? [krebstar5]
I usually give them away I know I will never read them again so why not. I just cant see having them around collecting dust. I like giving alot of my things away if I can make somebody happy then Im happy. [TerryZ]
Good point. I should really learn to get rid of the book that I know I will never touch again. It's better to give them to someone else to enjoy. [krebstar5]
I have come up with a new method for myself. The books I know I'll want to keep, I'll buy in hard back. If it's something that I just want to read only one time, I will get paperback. I usually take the paperback books to the library, or to a local bookstore that lets me trade them for different ones. I'm currently trying to build up my Stephen King collection, so they are DEFINITELY in hardback. [Katlady2]
If I like the book, and think there is a chance I may read it again, it stays...If it was something I wasn't crazy about, I either swap or sell it online. Even with giving away books, my shelves are overflowing onto the floor! I don't tend to loan my books out, I've had bad experiences with that....they never come back. [Myrilia]
I know many people would like to dispose off the books probably due to shortage of storage space. Since ours is a own house, we have plenty of space, we have purchased steel racks to store the books. People who visit us would like to read some of those books. [ssh123]
Unless I think I'm going to re-read the book, I try to sell it at Powell's or give it to charity. I have limited living space, so keeping every book I ever read that's not from the library would create a problem. [thecaitycat]
I keep most of mine (I often reread them), or loan them to friends, then occasionally do a cleanout and list some on ebay or other places, the ones I haven't reread or loved quite so much. [savingstargirl]
I'll keep one or two but for the most part I just pass them on to friends or donate them to the library. [inked4life]
my husband is the avid reader in our family. i am not kidding when i say this, we have at least 1000 books at our house. if he doesnt have a book to read he goes nuts. i wish he would throw some of them out or at least give them to the library or something. hes such a pack-rat when it comes to his books. we have so many of those really big tubs filled with books in storage. anyone elses husband/wife like this? [peni88]
I never throw away my books cause i feel that one day or another it will be useful cause its books and i dont spent money on those interest that i dont like and i think may be the next generation will use or it might be costing lot if it become extinct . hey my crazy imagination is taking over now . anyway nice topic keep on posting . ] Regards Harry [varunharry]
I used to buy a lot of books when I was younger, but now that I am paying for my masters education I've become a but more choosy with my purchases. What i do is I only buy the books I really really love. If I like a certain author, I save up for her books. I go to amazon.com to check out book reviews and ratings so I know if it's a good buy or not. for the other titles that i would like to read but have intention of paying for (hehe) i ask around and borrow from people. I know there is a site that allows you to look for a book around the world and have someone send it to you - in return you have to donate an old book for yours to keep in their database so if ever someone wants it they'll send it to that person. it's a good way of keeping people literate and taking the concept of sharing to a whole new level. try looking for it on google or dogpile [mgfabia]
About once a year I will go through my books and take them to the used book store to turn in for store credit. I do not get rid of all of them, but it usually seems to be the same books stay year after year. I rarely add more than a few as keepers every year. [kjscrafts]
It really depends on the book. I have some books that I could read over and over, and have actually had to purchase several copies over the years. Then there are other books that I could care less about once I have finished reading them. I keep a little quote book in which I write down my favorite lines from the book, so I wouldn't really need to see the book again. I'd prefer to swap books with friends or give them to a charity or something, rather than see them rot in a box in the basement. It would be impossible to display all the books that I've owned. [rubyming]
i really like reading books epecially books of my favorite author..after i read them i won't sell them, instead i'll keep them in a safe place and collects them..books are important to me, not only me but for all of us..i believe we can't live without books.. [yvonitz_marian]
well.i am someone who is very careless.but this is only thing where i am a bit careful.i do take good care of books that i read. [shummy]
I love books, I do hate parting with them but then if a book I have read was brilliant it gives me great satisfaction in passing it on to someone else, what happens where I live is you finish your book then put it inside a clear bag with a note saying please feel free to read this book then leave it in a place that is used by the public, ie. bus shelter,and mark your name in the inside cover. Of course you are relying on the honesty of the public so dont give away a book that is sentimental to you, but at least this way others have the opportunity to read your book which is nice. [BettyBooAmy23]
books are actually not collection of few pages, but it is the part of daily life. i always keep my books safe and place it in my shelf after reading them. thanks! [rajeev2629]
I tend to keep mine. It really depends on the type of book it is. Romance I tend to give away, unless I really like the story line. A lot of my books are still in boxes as we just don't have the room yet. I need to get some more bookcases. I still have a lot of book in Alaska. One of these days I'll get them shipped over. [spiritwolf52]
Yes Friend i always keep my computer programming books because i love my all computer related books, so i have a small collection of programming books, i don't have shelf but i like to keep my all books, thank you. [kingadnan]
hey i cant even part my school books though now i am in college i find it very painful to sell or give them off i atill have some of my first standard books funny !! but what can i do i jus keep them with me though my mother scolds me fr piling them up [chetan87]
I will usually keep most of the instructional references such as cookbooks, home repair texts ect. but I will give away fictional novels, as well as most magazines... Because I live near four major colleges, it's almost a guarantee that I will find some excellent books from just just taking a simple walk around the neighborhood. When students move out, they always have books to go on the trash heap. Sometimes, I will find loads of books that are in excellent condition and resell them to a local bookseller or donate them to the city's bookbank. I believe in the "Returning Of Knowlege" and I certainly hope that more people get back to reading books, it's not only good for the body, it's good for the mind! :) [peaceful]
I also live near a major university. There are free books everywhere. In fact, there is a bog of free books in my apartment's lobby right now. Sometimes I will add books to that bag when I'm feeling lazy and know that I will not read the book again. [krebstar5]
I don't like to give away my books whether they are of any kind. even i don't like to delete any ebook from my Hard Drive or mobile. I have a huge collection of books of many languages and would never give away them [dweeptheone]
My room is always scattered with books.Open the door of my room,you may see books here and there.My mother was angry with me about my untidy room.And also she had complained of cleaning my untidy room many times.But I am so sorry that I can not correct this bad habbit. I am interested in reading.I almost spent all my free time in reading.I think if I put books on my shelf that I have to take much time to find the book which I want to read.On the other hand,if I put the book besides me. You know it is easy to touch the book which I want to read. Actually,it is a good idea of the lazy man! [Maggie1989]
I keep the med books...I toss the rest...ha ha [Druscilla34]
I find it really difficult to part with books, I regard books as close friends and should be kept. Unfortunately I don't have enough room to keep all the books I love, so I have some boxed up and in storage at the moment. I love my books and can't bear to get rid of them [recycledgoth]
If I liked a book, especially if I loved a book, I'd keep it. Why? Because what if I wanted to read it again later? It would be silly to give it away! [sylviekitty]
I also have a hard time getting rid of books I love, but the reality is that I'm highly unlikely to re-read it. I hardly have the time to read new books! I really like passing on books to friends that also may love the book that I loved; a 'pay it forward' kind of thing. I also have friends that have done the same for me, in kind. It's a great way to diversify the things that I've read. I do however, have a rather extensive "library" of books I just can't seem to part with though, despite giving away a lot. I love to read! [monkapie]
Since joining Bookmooch (bookmooch.com, I'm 500ml there!) I've been trying to give away some of my books, but I really have a hard time parting with any of them, especially if I know I spent too much money on them in the first place :/ [5000ml]
If I think I will read it again, i keep it. if I think that I will not, I pass it on. I have soooo many books that I have had to pass on the ones I am not going to read again. There are special ones like my collection of CS Lewis books that i will keep forever and pass on to my grand daughter, but for the most part, I pass them on. [mealyea1211]
I have a very hard time letting go of books. Basically every once and awhile I try to force myself to go through them and decide am I really going to reread this one/have I reread it, and if I am I keep it till the next review - if not, then I Try to give it away to a library first so other people can get good use out of it vs. selling it, as I want others to enjoy it as much as I did. [JJLoa44]
I do keep my books. Then, between going to the library, I will re-read different ones. I really should take some to the library and donate them, I have the ones I really didn't like packed in boxes in my basement. The ones I loved are on my shelves! I really had not thought about taking the ones I really didn't want to the library. I'm sure someone else might like them, I mean everyone has different tastes in books. [wickedstepma]
I have a hard time getting rid of books too-at least the ones I love. If it was a really good book I want everyone to read it and then I will loan it out. Otherwise my favorites stay on the shelf to maybe be read again. The rest I pass along to others. I usually take them into work and lay them out in the teacher's lounge for anyone to take. [turtle1061]
I keep them. If they are good I read them all over again. I have books that I have read atleast 100 times =) I do not have the heart to throw them away - at the worst i will put them in a box in the basement. I often buy used books at a reduced price - I wish I would sell some of mine to leave room for new ones! [Marie2473]
Most of the time I keep them for a couple of years. Although, I do have my favorites that I will never get rid of. I end up reading quite a bit so I can not possibly keep every book I read or I would not have a place for them all. I usually sell them back and go off to buy a new book or two. [kerjostalit]
Keep them coz you love them so much. In any case (as they say) when you finish reading a good book you feel you have lost a good friend. Giving them away would be worse. I have books which I had read 20 years ago and I still have them. Sometimes I read them again like 'The Eternity' by James Joyce. [robuelpan]
I do my keep my books in fairly good conditions if I like them. Otherwise I don't really care about them. So the books which I like are still with me. But I am not sure about others. [rkalia73]
I don't usually even buy a book unless I think it's worth keeping, but sometimes a book is a disappointment. I used to give my discards to one of the local thrift stores or to the public library, but now I'm swapping them. I found the best book swap site on the internet and I've been using it for the last couple of months. It's free, you swap one for one, and the only cost is the postage for the books you send out on request. The site is paperbackswap.com [unusualsuspect]
I keep mine even though after I have read them they sit on the shelves for yrs I must have hundreds of dollars invested in them but just cant seem to part with them even though I know ill never read them again! [revdauphinee]
If it's a book that I know I will read again, I keep it, so I only keep my favorites. I usually give my books to my mother in law after I finish reading them. She reads the same types of books that I do, so I pass them on, and she gives them to another family member when she is finished. I get a lot of them from my mother or from a free group that I am on, so I don't have to spend very much on them. If they are books that my MIL wouldn't be interested in, them I pass them along on the free group that I am on (Freecycle on Yahoogroups for my area) or donate them to the library. I read a lot, so there is no way I could keep them all. [lisado]
I never sell my old books i like to keep them in the same condition or to say my books are as good as new [lesterdsa]
Good Morning, and do I ever relate to you. I love books, and for years saved and collected them, read them and bought some more. Finally I had to do something as I had no more room,I had a yard sale, Not a good Idea as people just criticize you for not having what you want, and those that do like what you read want it for pennies, So I closed down the sale and called a local second hand store and donated all the books, That way I got the satisfaction that any proceeds would go to a good cause, I would have found a home for my books, and My new rule is one book in one book out. It was very difficult as I have so many favorite authors and collected their entire collection, Now I just go to the same second hand store and pay my few dollars and read my book , and donate it right back. I find that this gives me a bit of satisfaction, because I live on a very limited income,and can not as a rule give to charity and read or purchase books, this way I am able to do both. [RobinJ]
i keep most of mine, and its getting a bit out of hand, i have them now in boxes and no place to put them, but when i try to go throw them to see what ones to get rid of, i find myself thinking that i will re-read it again. [fayzah]
never... I alwayz though of doing so when I clean the mess but again I act like a careless spreading them here and there .. alwayz get scolded by mom for these things but the bes part is this that i do clean up all the mess before going to bed in night .. [nawaab]
We keep them. We have, however, resorted to selling the ones we don't like as much to the used book store, because that way we can buy more books. [cutepenguin]
i usually don't keep any of the books i've allready read. i usually take them to a used book store and exchange them for a new book. i don't need clutter in my house and have no where to store books that i will never read again. [poppoppop111]
No I do not keep my books, what I do is trade them, on this site called paperbackswap.com. [michele609]
i keep all my book's so that i can read them again later i really like to read lol... [amjjam]
I keep my books. In fact, I've even "rescued" books that my best friend was going to get rid of, that I had read and didn't want to see disappear. I spent a lot of my childhood alone, and books were both my friends and my entertainment. I guess I kind of still see them that way, so it's really hard to get rid of them. [thyst07]
Sometimes I sell them, sometimes I give them away, but the ones I really enjoy, the ones I'll read again and again and again, I keep on my shelf. I do donate books to the library a lot because I live in a small area and even the big library thirty miles from home doesn't always have the widest selection. [jennybeans]
I like to collect the ones that I really love, but if I buy a book and then realize I probably won't read it again I'll either pass it along, sell it on Ebay or sign up for this site to swap paperbacks for free. I have received about 20 books on this website already... many of them popular titles that we are reading in my book club. Click on here to sign up: use my link and I get a referral credit for a book! www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n&r_by=toolgirl2%40yahoo.com [marciadotcom]
I tend to keep the books I like and read them a couple more times before I get rid of them. Sometimes I buy them again a few years later. I have limited space so I don't ahve room to keep loads of books so I have to be selective in what I keep. However when I was younger I used to have loads of books and never wanted to get rid of any of them. [michelledarcy]
I love books and hate parting with them but I also do not like to reread them. I always remember them and it is no fun knowing what is going to happen again. I usually give my books to others to read, donate them to the library or sell them on half.com. Right now I have a huge stack waiting for a new owner. LOL I do keep a few, like ones my children grew up with so I can pass them down when they have little ones to share them with. [bunnylady01]
I keep nearly all of my books. I'm sure to re-read them if I've enjoyed them once. I can only remember giving away one book lately, 'Dreamcatcher' by Stephen King. That was only because I gave up trying to read it, I just couldn't get interested in it. I still managed to keep it for a year and a half though, in the thought that I might read it one day. [randomosity_prevails]
ya i`ll kepp the books once i finished reading them... It is a good habit to make large books collection... [udayasms]
When I really, really love a book, I keep the book. But if it's only a so-so and it's a sell-out, I don't keep it. I donate it to charity or Salvation Army instead. Among the ones I'm keeing are; The Little Prince by Antone St. Exupery, Out of Egypt by Ann Rice, Five Peope You meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger , !00 Yrs of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez , etc. [bingkaycoy]
I think it all depends on the book...lol. I collect 12 different authors right now :) If it's one of their books - of course I keep it. If I really really like a book; I'll keep it and probably start another collection. If I feel that one of my friends might like a particular book, I'll pass it on to them. The rest I put up in the used bookstore @ Silver Sity Mall (link on my page). That's with novels anyways - Cookbooks, natural remedies, any sort of reference book and anything dealing with wicca; they all come in my house and never leave (unless I lend them out - but I have to really really trust a person before I lend out a book.. I've lost so many books by lending them out and never getting them back. [imsilver]
If I have bought the book myself then I certainly keep it with me even after completing it. and if the book belongs to my friend then I return it and buy it myself that book if I liked it even I have read it. Its difficult for me also to part from my books. [nehakalley4]
For years I never got rid of anything, but it just got to be too much. I sold a lot to Powell's Books here in Portland, because I realized that even though I liked a lot of them when I read them, I'd had them kicking around for years and was unlikely to re-read them. I recently started selling them through Amazon Marketplace and am getting much better rates than when I sold them to the bookstore. Another good way to make money from home, which is a popular topic here on myLot! [mitdasein]
Yep, I keep both the printed and the audio books. Audio Books are mostly from my own shop http://www.AudioBooksCorner.com My wife is an avid reader and listener also, we have nearly all walls full of book shelves..... [aaaaudiobookworm]
I haven't really parted with too many of my books. I would be more likely to give them away to friends than think of reselling them, although I could surely use the money. I would just get more satisfaction out of knowing that a good friend was getting to read something that I had personally also enjoyed. Most of my books were bought at used book stores, in the first place. Most of my reading material has been from the library. I don't buy many books these days. [shywolf]
PS Krebstar makes the best products! [mitdasein]
You should take his books and sell them online at ebay or amazon, you can ship them media mail rate so it costs a lot less than regular mail. I collect Halloween books so those are ones I never get rid of. Most of the time I donate my old books to the library or the local schools. [freak369]
I have sold a few of my books on ebay and they actully sell for pretty far prices so it's worth doing. [Shaun72]
i'm a fool for giving away so many of my books from college, not only textbooks but personal ones as well. i really regret it but then i know that they would probably just collect dust in an attic somewhere. [charlazio]
I keep the books that I really liked, that have special meaning to me or that I might read again. The rest I give to friends or swap or send as random acts of kindness on www.bookcrossing.com Sometimes I donate to the library. A lot of times I give them to my mom to read first. Some of those she passes on to an aunt. Others she gives back and I get rid of via bookcrossing. [Withoutwings]
Once I've read a book I own it. I don't even know why I feel that way since I seldom read a book twice. I guess I just like having them around. A room without books seems kind of barren and unlived in to me. [irisheyes]
I'm for the most part the same way. The books I really really loved I keep and reread at a later date. Then there are books that I liked and bought I've kept them for usually about a year then donate them to the local libraries if I hadn't had the erge to read them again. I give them to the libraries because depend on donations to 1 stack the shelves and 2 for their book sales to pay for supplies and service. [beadedserpent]
donating is a nice idea:) i usually trade the ones i didnt like to local used books stores. the rest i keep forever, for sentimental reasons and also because ive been known to re read a book 12-429384729384732 times lol [Rhapsody1851]
I have such a problem getting rid of books. Our house is cluttered with them. It doesn't help that my husband reads every book he likes 3-5 times. He reads so fast that he is always running out of books, so he re-reads. But I'm a pack rat and have a night stand next to my bed of 7 or 8 books I have read or am currently reading. Under the bed is full of books and then we have book shelves that are overflowing. I just forced myself to throw out some of my old college books last year. The ones the school didn't by back. It's kinda sick really. I'm gonna become one of those old people that lives in a house with stacks of books to the ceiling. Then one day the neighbor will call the cops cuz I've been missing and I'll be buried under a pile of them. [aleura]
Yes, I usually keep the books after reading them. Well, they are mine to keep after all. And I also borrow books from my sister and I keep the ones I like on my bookshelf. Haha! Books are precious to me and I don't simply lend them or give them away. Once I lent some books to a friend and it took ages to get it back. Call me stingy but I'm not going to lend my precious books again. I'd try to sell the books I don't like on eBay though. It's so that I can earn some money to buy more new books. I think that reading can be an expensive hobby because money keeps flowing out to buy new books but money does not come in. Well, as a student, that's how I feel. [Josette_J]