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Can you have too many books?

  • 70 votes
  • 15 votes
Sooz 6 Mar 27
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1

If it interferes with your life, wellbeing and happiness, yes.

11

The day I knew my relationship wouldn't last was the day he said "why don't you get a kindle and get rid of all these books?". Bye Felicia.

I've been in the same situation: "But once you've read them, they're just junk..." "Get out of my life now, and never come back."

8

I am saying YES because I've moved 23 times, and most were courtesy of and paid for by the military. When I split with my ex and had to fund moves on my own, and realized I had stacks and stacks of books I was never going to read again, I started offloading all those books. I sold probably a ton of books at HalfPriceBooks. I am a Yuge fan of the local library.

Yes, I have too many books. Bookshelves are overflowing and I'm paying monthly storage on boxes of books that I haven't touched since moving back to the US 17 years ago. still, I can't resist the libraries' used book sales.... and I listen to audio books most of the time when I'm in my vehicle.

@RedRiverRogue Although we have some things in common, I could never co-exist with a guy who paid good money to store books he didn't even need or use or look at. Donate them and give the storage money to Doctors without Borders. See? I can seem controlling, but there are so many people who need help, why waste money that way? I agree with you about the seductiveness of any cut price book sale or store. Irresistible!

7

Well, not seeing an option I like, I'll just say, read a book and pass it along, if you don't wish to read the same one again.

My thoughts precisely.

6

Yes, if you are paying $500 each month for two storage units since there is no room at home.

Geoff Level 5 Mar 27, 2018
5

My goal is to have a library in my house some day.

Ldox Level 4 Mar 27, 2018

Oh, the joy! I've lived in the same house for 33 years. The front room of the house has been my son's bedroom, a "bird" room, an office of sorts but FINALLY it became my library. Although I still have books in several rooms of the house, I wanted my own library for years. It does house the computer and is the coldest room in the house so requires a space heater but I enjoy it immensely. Even restored and installed a crystal chandelier..
Make your's happen! 🙂.

5

It all depends on what you consider to be too many books. In 1999 when I was moving house I noticed how many books I had accumulated over the years. Knowledge is weighty matter, especially, when you have to carry box after box up three flights of stairs.

5

I wanted to vote both ways, I know I can (and do) have more than enough books and I will not live long enough to read them all but on the other hand, I can't help myself. A good book comes by, open to possession and I can't pass it up. Of late I have tried hard to limit my "book" collecting to Stephen King (and his son) books but I have a very hard time getting rid of excess books that I already own. Did haul 2 boxes to the library for their sale last year but have not looked at the home "library" for discards since. I rarely feel any compunction about collecting more ebooks.
This is JUST my King shelves:

5

There's no such thing as too many books. Too many bibles....yeah, maybe, if they fall into the wrong hands.

5

is that photo taken in my bedroom ?

4

I have a full wall at the end of my living room floor to ceiling and wall to wall shelves full of books and magazines with some of my mothers teapots and so forth of the very top shelves. I have so many interests and mom always said I was one that could read a book and learn how to do anything. She exagerated of course the way mothers do; but I have learned a great deal from books.

4

I don't just read all my books- I read them repeatedly. I had too many hard copies in my Kentucky home, so when I moved to Thailand, I donated the best illustrated nature books to my home-schooling-mom niece, and the rest to the local library.

Now my Kindle app storage is getting crowded, and some are books I don't read that often, or had enough the first time. The best thing would be to own a Kindle reader so I don't have to pay for new books, but can just "borrow" them.

4

The most burdensome feeling connected to lots of books is space and mobility. I like to travel a bit and of necessity, have to leave some books behind. With fiction it doesn't matter much because they've either been read, occupying shelf space or yet to be read and trip eligible. By far, most reading is non-fiction.

Except for biographies, texts and topics are often interelated and I enjoy the stimulation of cross-referencing to compare related concepts expressed by original thinkers who've assigned different labels or even coined terms applied to their ideas. Being without access to compare one text with another while away from home is very frustrating.

Kindle is no less frustrating. I mind far less losing and replaciing books loaned out to vanish, than losing a tablet containing many titles to some thief or, worse yet, absent minded old bastard...

This site can be a refreshing alternative sometimes to the, albeit better researched and articulated ideas of acclaimed and obscure origiinal thinkers. It is alive and interactive. Exchanges are still lacking in desirable quantity but quality has appeared now and then and is worth it.

I'm thoroughly confident that it will serve as a filter in meeting women with similar curiosities, knowledge and passions to share.

3

I grew up in a house where the walls were lined with bookshelves and there were still piles on tables! These days, I get most of my books digitally, but that just means more room, so why not more books too?

3

No such thing.

3

I would argue that the number of books seen in the photograph is "not even nearly enough books". Sadly, most of mine are gone forever - my ex didn't share my love of books, and so the vast majority of my collection went to a landfill site within days of our marriage ending. Many of them were virtually irreplaceable, having been first editions signed by the author, very old or discovered on book markets in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Jnei Level 8 Mar 27, 2018

Ouch that is a loss I can understand.

OMG...

@obtusethevague1 @Freedompath To be honest, finding out that had happened was worse than finding out I'd been cheated on!

@Jnei That's horrifying

Now THAT is beyond horrible. The books in my photo are about maybe a quarter of what remains of my late mate's and my collection. I am thinning it out slowly, as there are some I simply won't read ever ever.

3

Yes - if books are crowding you out of your living spaces. However - we needn't keep them all to gain their riches . So - can you READ too many ? Never !

Agreed. Unless reading utterly takes over from every other thing and if that is an issue with those you love. Beats alcohol IMO. Even sleep.

3

And I thought I had too many books! I only have a 6ft bookcase and 5 books on my nightstand. I might sell most of my DVDs I don't want anymore, just to have an empty shelf on my bookcase for more books.

2

There can never be too many books...I have been an avid reader allmy life;a bookseller, and a professional journalist. NEVER too many books! I have piles, and boxes, and shelves of 'em!

Agreed! However, I just moved from a house to an apartment and realized I really need to go through and donate a bunch. I have 3 bookshelves in a 900 square foot apartment. There are quite a few I didn't enjoy and I could easily get rid of. Some that I liked but don't really have interest in reading again. Many you would have to pry from my cold dead hands though.

2

Never too many books. Just not enough shelves!

2

I suppose, in some hypothetical alternative multiverse, there might be a time and place where it was possible.

2

It's only too much when you start collecting what your not interested in

2

I'm not a huge "book" reader but I love books so collect as many as you can.

2

Also Kindle has helped me greatly with this issue.

Less trees killed so I can re-read my favorites all the time.

I do love the ones I've got in my library in the basement though. But Kindle is cheaper and doesn't weight what book does either. (Important when you already had carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists!).

2

Fuck no. Especially now that I have a Kindle...

2

You can never have too many books...You just need a bigger house.

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