by Susan Ideus
I recently heard an excellent piece on NPR about collecting books. Caused me to think about my relationship with the books I own.
“I believe in buying books you can’t really afford. I’m not advocating fiscal irresponsibility, but if you’re going to make a big purchase, why not make it a book?.” So says Kristin Kelly in a recent NPR This I Believe oral essay titled Books at Any Cost. (http://thisibelieve.org/essay/68795/) Such a lover of books is Ms. Kelly that she still owns a 1970s television, content to be entertained by her books instead. And while she does make use of libraries as a reader and as a college professor, she says “…I know that there is something mysterious and spiritual in owning your own good books, in spending your earthly money for a piece of heavenly art to pass down to future generations to say: This is what I loved. And I wonder if you will love, it too?” Spoken like a true bibliophile! I have two grown daughters who could happily fit into such a household. Indeed, they are each lovingly building their own personal book collections. They, along with Ms. Kelly, might appreciate this sentiment as well:
Tough choices face the biblioholic at every step of the way–like choosing between reading and eating, between buying new clothes and buying books, between a reasonable lifestyle and one of penurious but masochistic happiness lived out in the wallow of excess.~Tom Raabe, Biblioholism: The Literary Addiction
Now, I do love reading. Anyone who knows even a little bit about me knows that. I always have my nose in a book. I’m addicted to reading. Can’t imagine my life without it. I also own many books. I love beautiful books, finely crafted books, lovely old books. However, I don’t collect them, in the sense of a true bibliophile as mentioned above. I don’t have shelves of classics, and I have only a few books that I keep because I might re-read them. Included are some reference books that I keep close as I write.
The books on my shelves at any given time reflect who I am at that point in my life. One of Ms. Kelly’s statements really resonates with me: “Good books age with you; they bend and flex with your life experiences.” Those experiences determine the contents of my bookshelves.
When I first married, I began collecting cookbooks. Thirty-odd years ago, I had a big collection on babies and parenting. Next would have come lots of crafting and sewing books. Followed by parenting again—teenagers this time around. I then circled back around to cookbooks, a little more on the gourmet and inventive level. In the last few years, my shelves have filled with books on writing and memoir. Through it all, I’ve had a current selection of novels of varied genre, current bios and memoirs, and other books which piqued my interest at the time. As my interests have changed and evolved, I’ve given books to libraries, churches, shelters, friends and family. Good books should be used and shared, in my opinion.
When I think of all the books still left for me to read, I am certain of further happiness. ~Jules Renard
Where do you find yourself on this spectrum from dedicated bibliophile to avid reader/book lover?
Speaking of a plethora of books…
Announcing a new SCBR feature–Briefly Reviewed: We receive more wonderful books than we can possibly review. Here is a selection of titles, briefly described, that represent the wide range of recently-published memoirs written by strong women who have been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale. Recommended!
storycirclenetwork
Amber Lea Starfire
beccataylor
mjaneross
Janet Grace Riehl
kendrabonnett
Matilda Butler
susanideus
Susan Albert
Linda Hoye
susanjtweit
Judy
Trilla Pando
Sheila Bender
Suzanne Sherman
Susan, thanks for this post. I hate shopping, don’t buy clothes, and am not interested in the latest fads — but I do buy books. They’re my one “bad” spending habit. And I hate to give up any of them, though I have, with each move, reluctantly given books to the library for resale. I still have several collections of children’s books from when I was a little girl (the only carryover from my childhood). I have always dreamed of having my own library, with walls of floor to ceiling shelves packed with books. These days, because of a lack of physical space, and because I like their convenience, I buy more e-books than paper ones. But I know, when most or all our books are electronic and browsing other people’s bookshelves is a remnant of the past, that I will miss this peek into other people’s lives through what they are reading. And I will miss people browsing my bookshelves and starting conversations over one book or another. Maybe we need to come up with a “virtual bookshelf” with rotating pictures of book covers!
So on the spectrum? I would say I’m an avid book reader/lover/bibliophile
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Oh yes Amber, as one of my spending habits, books certainly qualify. I’m not so sure that hasn’t worsened with the acquisition of a Kindle, because it makes the books so instantly accessible. Don’t have to leave my chair to have a new book. Bliss! Love the idea of a virtual bookshelf. Platforms like Goodreads or Library Thing might be a start.
I’m a compulsive book buyer, in recovery now, mostly. I give books away and then wish I had them back. I keep books because I *might* want to read them again. My heart beats a little faster when I walk into a bookstore. In other words, I’ve got it bad.
Kathy, you make me smile! I have a similar “visceral” reaction to books anywhere, any kind of store–I have to stop and look and handle and wish for and dream…
My shelves are filled with books on writing, historical references for my writing, biographies and lots of read & TBR novels. I’ve learned in recent years to cull the novels, except for those that have a big impact on me. Even after my son built new shelves this summer, I’m running out of room after emptying the many bags , stacks, and boxes of books from every nook and cranny. Bibliophile? read hoarder/addict, etc.
Thanks for stopping by our blog, Arleta. Until we moved last year, my bookshelves were bulging too but I had to cut back to accommodate a smaller living space. Not an easy process. As we downsize due to age & travel, I suspect my Kindle will gain in importance. No book to with lovely cover and rustling pages, but I’ll be reading nonetheless.
I love this post. I was quite the collector of books. would still love to be. many moves across states and across oceans have changed my collection, significantly. I, too, had the early parenting books along with genre of the month collections, moving onto to the teenage years parenting books (I had a 2 y/o and 10 and 14 y/o) so all those books were well worn through the years. I want to collect, but I just don’t want to move them. I don’t. so, I have a precious few and use my library bunches. When I settle down for good, maybe I really will, then my love of collecting my favorite most inspiring books will resume. For now, there are the audio and kindle editions for me. Not as good as paper and hardcover, but they will do for now. they will do for now….. ;D
Carol, I don’t know that I can ever get rid of all of my print books so some boxes will always come with me. I still prefer hard copy for reference and review–I love marking these up and making notes in them. To an extent, that’s available with the Kindle but I just haven’t made that transition yet.
I love my real books and collect autographed ones from the many author visits we get here in St. Louis. I am picky, mostly sticking with historical or cultural memoir, historical fiction, and multicultural so that keeps my collection in check, and I’ve only found time to read again in the last few years. Unfortunately my husband took over our many bookshelves years ago when he had time to read, so my books are hidden away or packed every which way around his. I also saved the kidlit books that my girls or I loved. Some of those are autographed, too. I do donate books I didn’t love, and someday may need to switch to e-books and then buy in print the ones I love. By then maybe they’ll have figured out how to have an e-book autographed at an author event.
Linda, what a great idea to have autographed ebooks. I’m sure some computer guru will figure that out. I know what you mean about having more time to read and re-read in recent years. There are some positive aspects to getting a bit older. Empty nest, semi-retirement and finally actual retirement. Still not enough hours to read all I have and all I want, but I’m working on it.
I’m an avid bibliophile, when I moved half way across the world the bulk of my boxes were filled with books. But there’s a limit to the storage space i have for physical books and so my Kindle now makes an excellent virtual storage space. But if I read a book I really love on Kindle, one of those books you want to be able to pick up and flick through and have near you, then I buy it in paper as well.