I think I'm making a terrible mistake (book related, nothing sexy to see here).

[Loiosh]

My mother asked me if I had anything to donate to her church bazaar, so I decided this was the time to get rid of a wall of books I'm never going to read again. I just spent a couple of hours going through them and packing them into boxes, I'm keeping a few hundred and giving away the rest. It's a collection I've spent forty years putting together, but for a very long time it's just felt like a waste of space. This isn't even my first purge, I've given away hundreds over the years, usually before a move.

This feels different because I'll be left with so few, but why keep them if I'm never going to read them again?

Once upon a time all my friends were voracious readers, and visits here almost always left with books being loaned, but that's no longer the case. It's been a year or two since I loaned a book.

So, tomorrow she drops by to pick them up.

I hope I don't regret this.

 

[BisexualMMA]

If you come to miss the books, at least you'll know they went to help your Mom achieve something she thought was important.

 

[michal001]

You will. Don't do it. Legacy to share with young

Either donate to library so get tax break and can still read them. Or save and read them to kids of family.

 

[Loiosh]

If you come to miss the books, at least you'll know they went to help your Mom achieve something she thought was important.

That's why I'm doing it this way instead of bringing them to a book market.

Her church is small, every penny counts.

 

[Loiosh]

You will. Don't do it. Legacy to share with young

Either donate to library so get tax break and can still read them. Or save and read them to kids of family.

Do children even read books any more?

 

[Thai Otoshi]

What's a book?

 

[Loiosh]

What's a book?

Exactly.

A few years ago I developed tinnitus, and as a result I don't enjoy reading nearly as much any more.

 

[michal001]

Do children even read books any more?

Yes but less common. Reading with paper in hand,eyes on unlighted material, is so comforting. Even to kiddos. Read to my nieces and nephews all the time. They love it.

 

[Estrogenblocker1078]

I came here for the sexy, where is it dammit?!

 

[MusterX]

I have a rather large library. I can't give them up, I just can't.

 

[BisexualMMA]

What's a book?

 

[Exi]

I've purged 2 excellent book and record collections now, and it has come to bother me a bit. I intend to build a timeless classics book collection again.

Just keep the best of the best, otherwise...

 

[HomeRun916]

Can't even vote. It's totally your call, sometimes it is time to let things go.

 

[ICHEERTHEBULL]

If you come to miss the books, at least you'll know they went to help your Mom achieve something she thought was important.

This. I'd keep them though

 

[sh1tehawke]

I voted keep them but it's for a good cause so it's cool either way.

I like keeping hold of books and cds even if I'm unlikely to read/listen to them again because I feel they are a part of your past and played a part in making you who you are.

 

[Kardashians]

I used to have lots of books, prolly not hundreds like what you've got there lol. But I went through them all and donated boxes of them to some charity. They were old books and now and then I get a little sad about it I guess? But then I think it through. I wasn't going to read those ones again, but now somebody else can enjoy them. And holy fuck it just wasn't worth lugging them around in every move lol.

I just keep the ones that are important to me (like was a gift from grandmother or s/t) and the ones I really liked of course lol. I try not to hold onto too many material possessions anyway.

Maybe just double check the pile that you're giving away, so you can be sure nothing has slipped in there that you'll miss.

 

[mushishi]

I'm a bit of a pack rat so my place is full of random shit. Every few years I donate the things I haven't used in that time span. If you ever plan to have a huge library, keep the books. If not, ask her for a donor receipt.

 

[DIABOLUS]

I miss some of the books that I used to have back in high school. Mostly science fiction stuff. But not enough to actually want to own them again. I don't have much time for reading nowadays, and I don't want them just taking up space on a shelf gathering dust.

 

[Loiosh]

OK, so the books are gone.

Now I guess it's time to ditch my vinyl, turntable and cassette deck.