Some time ago I posted on this subject, and now it applies more than ever.
Buy One Get Rid Of Two applies in our case to books, and it's something I meant to stick to, but failed lamentably. The buying (or receiving) of the one is easy; it's the getting rid of two that's so difficult, as many of us know only too well. Collecting books is, I've decided, a kind of disease. In my case, there are many I shall never read again, many I don't even like, but I WANT them. I've no idea why, but there it is (or there they are, all over the house, easing out other things and climbing all over the furniture),
I had some lovely books for Christmas, but have now totally run out of space. Even the floors are gathering piles of books.
So. New year's resolution no.1 has to be BOGROT.
Wish me luck.
( This also applies to clothes. I accumulate old clothes, including those expensive mistakes that I can't get rid of because they were expensive, but ought to, because they were mistakes. These sadly include a mother-of-the-groom outfit, which made me look like a large, angry bat.)
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Could you lend the books to people - preferably very slow readers?
ReplyDeleteHmmm...it's a thought, Patsy.
DeleteI have the same problem, Frances - and I haven't found the answer yet! Although if we downsize next year or whenever, it will become a necessity.
ReplyDeleteYes. I suppose we're extending the books furnish a room thing to "books furnish a house"!
DeleteGreat idea - my pile on the floor got too big so I started putting them on top of the wardrobe and now they're going IN the wardrobe as well. I am going to sort out my bookcases in the new year and - gulp - get rid of some of my books, if they can be prised out of my hands. I wish you lots of luck (and I cannot imagine you ever looking like a bat, angry or otherwise) x
ReplyDeleteI've got a friend who double parks her books. Her shelves are two books deep. Hey! I could double the number of books I keep! I've only just thought of that! As for the bat outfit, it's going to Oxfam, Teresa. Unless you'd like it...?
DeleteBuying a Kindle a few months ago was a big help to me :) It doesn't automatically get rid of the books I already have, but at least it builds no new piles!
ReplyDeleteWe have Kindles, but the books keep on increasing too...
DeleteOh I so want to see the 'angry bat' outfit!
ReplyDeleteSorry, Libby. Some things I have to keep off this blog!
DeleteI think that one acquires rather than collects books and CDs. They have a use and one just never knows... Whereas stamps (apart from being the source whereby I learned that Magyar was Hungary) serve no useful purpose.
ReplyDeleteI would not advocate BOGROT but rather that you cash in your expensive Devizes residence and buy a HUGE house in Lancashire or Sunderland where you could store all the books in the world and have room left over.
It would be good to see you in the Large Angry Bat outfit. I can't imagine you being made to look large.
GB, you have inflated ideas about the value of our house! But you're right about accumulation. Much better word.
DeleteWhat about charity shops? Just don't go back afterwards and buy your own stuff again :-)
ReplyDeleteYes. Charity shops will certainly benefit, Meike. The problem is choosing which books to get rid of...
DeleteWishing you luck with your New Years resolution Frances.
ReplyDeleteLast year I did a HUGE clean out, and called my friends over to pick out whatever they wanted. Lots of good stuff.
I actually host a swap every year where my girlfriends and I swap items that we no longer need.(not husbands though!)
Thanks, Virginia. I wanted to have a sock party. Everyone brings all those odd socks, we place them in a pile, then when a bell rings we all swoop down and pair up as many as possible. You get to keep the pairs. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteAh, but the problem for me is that the books I get rid of turn out to be the very books my A level students decide to study for their independent coursework for which they choose their own novels. I keep having to re-buy!
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem with both books and clothes. It's a chronic disease for which there is no cure. I'm afraid you will just have to learn to live with it, Frances.
ReplyDelete