What do you do with all those books you've read?

I happen to like Wylie, Lady Diane wants to order Generation of Vipers based on what I've told her about the book.

I was pleasantly shocked when I purchased it out of a grocer's book rack. Had no clue such books exist.

I cull constantly.

Too many books survive the cull still.

Plus all the books I haven't read yet.

I am using the kindle app in my iphone as much as I can so I don't buy more paper books. It's not GREAT reading thm on the iphone screen, but it keeps my life less cluttered.

I also have audiobooks on there because they are affordable that way.

I have this really nice (& highly impractical ... yes, I know!) idea of what we could all do with our pre-loved books.

A continuous, never-ending flow of books between A2Kers all over the planet!

... from those who have read particular a book, to those who want to read it next ... & who will then pass that book onto the next person.

Now wouldn't that be good?

No, really ... think about it.

It was Tartarin, who first put such an impractical, but wonderful idea, into my head, years ago ... when she sent me her listened-to copy of The Corrections tapes, by surface mail. I suspect hundreds of her old books & tapes are now floating continuously all over the globe!

Yeah. I've donated many many books, first to Venice High School and then to various libraries, and countless times to thrift shops, and I've sold some back to a good used book store.

On my list of saves, I forgot cook books, probably sixty, some very small. They're in a hall closet of about 15" x 15" and six feet high. Before that, I culled, gave a swath of them to a friend who was avid to get them. Ha, he has probably sold some of them on amazon, but that's ok. He is teaching me how to do that too.

The ones I mean to read tend to be in hardback or thick paperback - F. Braudel, for example. I still mean to read them.. I've a couple of paperbacks on mythology, which I've mostly missed and I know reverberates in many ways.

Tartarin sent me a truly wonderful wonderful wonderful book, as she was culling her own library (I still miss her on a2k ): a portfolio of Les Jardins de Roma by Gabriel Faure, aquarelles de P. Vignal. I'd been posting about a Faure book I had re roman fountains..

So, Dys, I got interrupted back there with my mac cursor going wacko yet again.

But I meant to ask, how you felt when you had some really good books back in the day. Was it all about image?

Or hey, most architecture and decor photos. I've looked at thousands of these photos, books show up as decor from time to time. I'll agree with dys on that, for these folks.
Nothin' to do with me, although if I am in a money period I'll work up some shelves.

I'll be an arrogant pair. You seem to presume I or others of us keep books for image, like we might drink scotch, for some kind of show. Most of us keep books for interests, and sometimes for work or avocation reasons/though those can also be interest, for general education reasons, and, as edgarb said, for emotional connection.. There are 15 - 20 or so books on photography in my living room, but you'd have to wade across lots in the way to get to them. (Not a hoarder, the living room is a work room.)

On books unread, I have maybe twelve.

Good morning, osso.
You wouldn't happen to have Tartarin's current email address, would you? (If so, could you PM me, please?)
(I lost it when my computer went kaput quite a while ago.)

I used to order books from a metaphysical organization's library. They mailed the books in linen-like envelopes that were reusable to return them. They appeared used, and used again, those strong envelopes. Wonder how Tartarin set up the book loaning process. Good idea.

Excellent idea.



Pemerson, she was a strong advocate of the "read it & pass it along for free", by whatever means, theory. She was also an active participant in the various book threads here, so if she picked up that you might be interested in a particular book or author, she'd generously pass such a read book over to you. In my case, to the other side of the planet. I thought that was just wonderful!

wonderful idea.,perhaps a pool of books, a listing one could order from but someone would have to maintain a listing.

I think it's a great idea in theory, dys.
It's the logistics that have me kinda stumped!

yeah, me too. although I doubt anyone would be interesting in the books I have.

Well I'll read all your old Vonneguts (again!)

Oh I almost forgot - I also bring in books to work - we have an area where everyone can contribute and borrow books.

When people move, they often set out boxes of books for anybody wanting some. The other day, I picked out a big volume of Travis McGee stories, Schindler's List and a furniture restore guide. I don't know why. I put them down when I got home and never looked at them since. The rest probably went in the dumpster.