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How many books do you own?


Verre

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I haven't posted on this forum for ages (more fool me) and I suspect this comment may have quite an impact!

 

My book-buying mania is so completely out of hand, I cannot give an exact figure as to how many I own; not even to the nearest five hundred. About two and a half years ago a fairly rough estimation suggested I had four and a half thousand. That would suggest (on an even rougher estimate) I have between five and six thousand now. Yes, you needn't point it out, it's obvious even to me: I'm insane!

 

I've recently started transferring my written catalogue on to spreadsheets so give me three or four years and I shall get back to you with a more definitive answer...by which time the collection will have grown even more and the ceiling finally given way (but for a few hundred in the attic, they're all in one room!).

 

 

Strangely enough I can put my hands on anything I'm after...it just might take a while. You see, I haven't got a single book on a single shelf! (The 200-plus DVDs occupy the shelves) They're all in various boxes (about 45, mainly veg boxes) and drawers. I keep certain author's works together in a specific box or drawer, so I do have a system. Of course, it constitutes an inpromptu workput every time I try to retrieve something because it will invariably be in the box at the bottom that has six others stacked on top of it, or right at the back of the wardrobe, but I always get it.

 

If I didn't have a system I'd never be able to find anything and it would be kind of pointless having so many (if it isn't already).

 

Larry, you are my idol, my angel, everything I aspire to be... :giggle:

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Strangely enough I can put my hands on anything I'm after...it just might take a while. You see, I haven't got a single book on a single shelf! (The 200-plus DVDs occupy the shelves) They're all in various boxes (about 45, mainly veg boxes) and drawers. I keep certain author's works together in a specific box or drawer, so I do have a system. Of course, it constitutes an inpromptu workput every time I try to retrieve something because it will invariably be in the box at the bottom that has six others stacked on top of it, or right at the back of the wardrobe, but I always get it.

 

If I didn't have a system I'd never be able to find anything and it would be kind of pointless having so many (if it isn't already).

 

That's awesome, Larry! Are you a fast reader? Approximately how many of those books have you read?

 

And are your books kept in boxes out of necessity or because you like it that way?

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Larry, you are my idol, my angel, everything I aspire to be... :giggle:

 

Don't say that, Frankie. You'll only discover I'm a false prophet. Following my example will bring you poverty, frustration and constant fear for the well-being of the floorboards!

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That's awesome, Larry! Are you a fast reader? Approximately how many of those books have you read?

 

And are your books kept in boxes out of necessity or because you like it that way?

 

I was afraid somebody might ask me how many I've read!

 

To be completely honest, I don't think I've read a thousand in my entire life (including kids books). One would naturally assume that I purchase as many as I do in order to satisfy a voracious reading habit. However, it's more a combination of boredom, a lifelong love of books and the luxury of having as much choice as possible (even to the point of being spoilt for choice) that has resulted in my having so many. Plus, once read I never part with them.

 

I can't say I am an especially fast reader. In recent weeks I have read seven or eight quite skinny volumes, mainly just to increase my pitiful tally for the year so far. Fifty-six might not sound too disgraceful but with the amount of pressure I place on myself, I.e. by buying more and more all the time, I feel like I should always be reading more in order to justify having so many. Incidentally, I do actually enjoy reading. My relentless book-buying is not purely a mad compulsion. I'm definitely more a bibliophile than a bibliomaniac.

 

As for the way they're kept, it's all a matter of necessity I'm afraid. To see them all on bookshelves would be like a dream come true. As it stands, everything is very orderly and I'm able to find what I want but ultimately books belong on bookshelves. Unfortunately I would need a place with at least two decent sized spare rooms to accommodate the amount of shelving required so I guess it's probably never going to happen.

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Don't say that, Frankie. You'll only discover I'm a false prophet. Following my example will bring you poverty, frustration and constant fear for the well-being of the floorboards!

 

I'm already poor and frustrated, and I reckon I could switch apartments with the neighbor downstairs, on the ground floor So why not have the life I'm having now, just with loads more books :giggle2:

Edited by frankie
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Sounds like you've got it all figured out so there's not much point my trying to deter you. Just make sure you never add Keep the Giraffe Burning by John Sladek to your collection. It's the worst thing I've ever read!

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Sounds like you've got it all figured out so there's not much point my trying to deter you. Just make sure you never add Keep the Giraffe Burning by John Sladek to your collection. It's the worst thing I've ever read!

 

Ok, I'll stay away from that title :D

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I have about 600 books in the house but they are a mixture of my mums, dads and my own. Think I must have over 100 books of my own.

I also have a load of children's books from when I was little which I am keeping for if I ever have my own kids one day. I think there are about 150 of them, they're in safe storage in the loft.

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  • 10 months later...

I own 368 books, 100 are fantasy/ Sci fi. The rest mostly crime thrillers. My fantasy and sci fi mostly consist of sets by 5 authors.

Edited by dex
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I think the maximum I owned is around 300 books - but have been slowly giving them away.

I've resigned myself to being a book-reader and not a collector - all as part of trying to live with as few physical possessions as possible.

I have around a 80 books now (30 of which are Agatha Christie's :)) - all at my mum's place, though.

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I fill two floor to ceiling bookcases in my small flat and because i have no more room, i have had to buy a bookcase for my old bedroom at my parents and then I have boxes full of books in my parent's attic. Not sure exactly how many books i own, but it is a lot :)

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I'm actually afraid to count them I have about 150 I various places in my kindle , 6 in my pocketbook, around 50 in my bedroom and am absolutely clueless as to how many are in the shed or waiting for me when I finally get my stuff from my last job

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I envy lots of you with your large collections. I only really got into reading as a hobby recently so still have a fairly small amount but I would love the look of lots of bookcases filled to the brim, all that knowledge!

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I envy lots of you with your large collections. I only really got into reading as a hobby recently so still have a fairly small amount but I would love the look of lots of bookcases filled to the brim, all that knowledge!

 

Oh you have lots of time to catch up! If you haven't already noticed, this place is dangerous: it's packed with people's reviews on books, and recommendations of great reads, ... soon you'll find you'll be spending all your free time in (secondhand) bookshops, buying books and looking for titles on your wishlist... Then you'll realise you spend more time buying books than actually reading any, and then you'll realise the envy was all in vain :giggle:

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Oh you have lots of time to catch up! If you haven't already noticed, this place is dangerous: it's packed with people's reviews on books, and recommendations of great reads, ... soon you'll find you'll be spending all your free time in (secondhand) bookshops, buying books and looking for titles on your wishlist... Then you'll realise you spend more time buying books than actually reading any, and then you'll realise the envy was all in vain :giggle:

 

This pretty much sums me up. When I joined the forum I only had about half a dozen fiction books, a few years down the line and I am scared to count them.

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I was doing a lot of re-organising and shelving yesterday and I counted all the books I own, and I got up to 523, give or take ~10 (there may be miscalculation, books I've given away but are still listed as books owned, books I've bought but haven't remembered to list as owned).

 

This was only 1 year and 5 months ago... I cannot have bought so many books after that. I blame all the members on here who send me books by mail! :giggle:

 

I've just counted my books and I now own 825 titles. When I joined the forum, I remember looking up to Kylie, in awe, when she was nearing 1,000 books owned. But I never dreamed (or wanted to!) own that many books myself, I thought it would be a nightmare to own that many books in a student apartment. Think of the backache when I have to relocate all these books some day! :(

 

This pretty much sums me up. When I joined the forum I only had about half a dozen fiction books, a few years down the line and I am scared to count them.

 

Go ahead. I dare you!

:P

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My pile is now at 409! This time last year i had well under half of that. Its going to take some serious reading time to get through all these books. I think my main problem now is i download a lot a free books onto my kindle as they sound so good and i can get them within a couple of minutes some times. I have cut down on the actual 'book buying' I think I've only paid for around 20 books this year which for me is very good. I really need to start reading more and not downloading so many kindle books!

Edited by lauraloves
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My pile is now at 409! This time last year i had well under half of that.

 

As I've read through this thread, I've noticed a few posts where members say they've doubled their collection within a year or two. It's always a pretty terrifying thing to happen :D

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According to LibraryThing I own somewhere in the region of 1700 books.

 

^ That was then (a pretty rough estimate, I think). This is now: according to my cataloguing software, I have 1882, but there's probably around 300 that haven't been catalogued yet. I intend to know the exact number soon!

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Good Grief - you people make me feel quite humble ... is it nice living in mansions, then? :D

 

I have to admit to a mere 250-ish altogether - but I do live in a small flat, so have to pare it down to my dearly-loved friends.

 

Don't think too harshly of me ... :cry:

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