Musings on giving books away

[woolf woolf]

In the past few months I have mused giving away a handful of books. So, I gathered them on a separate section of my shelves. Over time, I've added more and more books and I've come to realize that I'd get rid of a majority portion of my collection. My shelves would look eerily empty and without a purpose. I'm not going through any major complicated situation in my emotional life, I feel like I have a sound mind and I'm in a good place (which is actually a relative peace of mind that is new and previously unknown to me). When my mother and I left our home, I had to significantly reduce my belongings so that they'd fit in a room. A long time ago. Marie Kondo was a mere whisper in Tokyo. Since then, I have no qualms over getting rid of material objects, it eases my mind and renews my spirit, in a sense, and I do it periodically. Other than a couple of gadgets, a handful of clothes and some mementos or small objects with sentimental value, I have shed everything but my books.

 

I haven't regretted losing my previous objects, so would I regret losing these books? I know most of you are avid gatherers, like squirrels getting ready for winter, and in being so you are different from me. But maybe I'm hoping that you guys have some thoughtful perspectives on this matter of material possession, remnants from the past, et cetera.

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by woolf woolf

[lunababymoonchild]

First, congratulations on reaching a relative peace of mind that is new and previously unknown to you. A major achievement, in my opinion.

 

Some time ago, I can't remember how long, I gradually realised that I was buying books that I already had. So, I got an app and catalogued all my books (this took ages and during it I was losing the will to live). At the end I had a lot less than I thought I had and as I moved through my collection I came across books that not only were duplicates but also those that I knew that I would definitely not read. As a result I gave away a great many of them. Naturally I bought more and have now had to resort to electronic books as the storage has run out in the room where I keep them. I also give away the paper books that I do read that I'm confident that I'm not going to read again.

 

I have never regretted this and indeed feel that it was a good idea, for me. I now know what I have and I did a massive clearance. I have also changed my mind about two paper books that I gave away and bought them again. But that was only two. I gave a great many to the local library children's section. I had collected them as a special offer from a newspaper and they all said on the back of them 'not for resale' so I felt that I could not give them to charity, which is what I was doing at the time. They were unread and brand new. The library was delighted with them. Our local supermarket now (unavailable at the time) has a book case where customers bring in books that they don't want any more and can buy, for a donation to charity, books that they fancy (not as good as it sounds for an addict like me!).

 

I can't offer you any advice (I have a wardrobe full of clothes that I don't and never will wear and other 'stuff' everywhere else) - my empty book shelves told me that I have carte blanche to buy to my heart's content, to be honest, and I did - other than you can only do what you feel comfortable doing.  However, if the thought of empty shelves is that bad then perhaps you should, if I may suggest, only give away one or two books at a time to see how you feel and then buy new (different) ones to take their place (a 'one out, one in' procedure if you will. I've heard of people controlling their TBR like this) and then you won't have empty shelves. 

[Madeleine]

I'm pretty much the same as lunababy, some books I give away once I've finished them, either to a friend or charity shop, they're usually the genre types such as the popular "chalet noir" or "family noir" which can basically only be read once as they get a bit repetitive after a while, if I have a book I couldn't finish, which is rare, then that will go, and sometimes I'll come across a book which I bought ages ago, and now decide I probably won't read, occasionally I have regretted giving a book away so will buy it again, but generally I don't give that many away.  I think luna's suggestion of starting slowly is a good idea.  Good luck whatever you decide to do!

[muggle not]

When we moved from Virginia to North Carolina I gave almost all my books to the library and only kept my most prized books. Since then I have given my entire collection of John Steinbeck to one of my granddaughters and all of the J.R.R Tolkien books to another granddaughter.

The only thing I regret giving away was the vast majority of my collection of Vinyl LP's

[poppy]

I had a big clear out of books some time ago. Got rid of old had-it books, ones I'd never read again and ones I'd never read. I read almost entirely on my tablet now but have kept my favourites. I had no problem downsizing my library( donated them to charity stores) but I wish I could be a bit more ruthless with all the other stuff I've accumulated over the years. My biggest problem is with sentimental things I’ve been given, find it very difficult to let go of them. 

I can totally understand the feeling of freedom it must give you to have minimal possessions.

Edited April 26, 2023 by poppy

[timebug]

I have in my life, had a 'clear out' around every ten years or so. As a book lover, I tend to amass books, the majority of which I plan to re-read at some stage. Then reality strikes and I realise I will never read some of them again, so they get passed on to family and frieds, or the local charity shops! I believe a book has 'life' and if I don't want it, probably someone else will!

[Madeleine]

i agree,sometimes your tastes change, or, as in my case, I might get bored with a particular series as it seems to have run out of steam or got too repetitive.  And then of course there are the impulse buys!🙄

Edited April 26, 2023 by Madeleine

[Chrissy]

It became essential that I become a lot more ruthless with my fiction books, and have therefore whittled them down significantly in phases. There are about 15 that I would never let go of for sentimental reasons, and there are a few that will be re read before being released to a local charity. I still have a vast number of reference books that one day, maybe, I will get tough with!

 

I have a big bookcase dedicated solely to those I am yet to read, and I plan on going through them soon to eliminate any that no longer appeal. I love having books in the house, and have book shelves everywhere. I refuse to count them, but know I haven't doubled up anywhere, so that's good. 

 

I am in the process (with my sisters) of clearing through my parents house. It has been a wonderful/awful thing to do. To help decide on items to keep, donate, gift, dump etc we have been following our instincts, and this has served us well. It is gratifying when you know you have found the right place or person for something, and I have been delighted with the no-value-but-sentimental bits that I now have. 

 

I can strongly recommend looking with fresh eyes at your possessions and (outside of practical considerations) taking a breath and deciding yes or no on keeping them. Our subconscious tends to know what's what! 😄

[woolf woolf]

Thanks for the answers, they are interesting. @lunababymoonchild thank you. I could try removing them partially. And if I don’t like empty shelves, I could also get smaller shelves. @Chrissy nice thought about the instinct. @Madeleine tastes change, and I have purchased too many books without having the time to read them or because  they’re must-reads. Now I just buy one book at a time, when I want to read it, if I have time to read it. And still the book might not reach my expectations, and in those cases I don’t want them in my collection to give a false impression of my tastes. @poppy for years I’ve been thinking of an ebook reader, they seem practical.

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by woolf woolf

[KEV67]

I have not a great deal of shelf space, but even so, there are books I keep almost out of sentimental value. The strange thing is that a lot of these are text books on various computing, engineering, renewable energy, economics, and languages. I doubt I will ever read the engineering or computing books again. I think I spent so much time reading them I don't want to get rid of them. I do sort of regret some of the clear-outs I have had. I used to read quite a bit of science fiction when I was young, then most of Raymond Chandler, and P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster books, and a lot of books on the origins of Christianity. These were mostly paperbacks, but even so. Sadly, I only have so much shelf space.

[Hayley]

15 hours ago, KEV67 said:

I think I spent so much time reading them I don't want to get rid of them.

I definitely have that feeling with a couple of text books too. They don’t even contain up-to-date information any more but there are a lot of memories connected to them as objects!