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Book lovers, do you ever look around your place and stop to wonder where the heck all of those books came from? Each time I buy a new shelf, a new bookcase I swear it's the last one. Really. I mean it this time! I don't think it's ever really worked.
I've tried downsizing. I really did. When I moved from Montreal to Toronto I could only afford to move a certain number of boxes and I since I was moving into an apartment that was already furnished by my new roommates (who are a completely different kind of post themselves) books had to pared down. Then when I moved out of the apartment I was sharing with my roommate (it was a joyous day) I was moving into a teeny-tiny apartment. I only had room for one bookcase and the one I had was even too big. Out it went, along with some books, and in came a new smaller bookcase. I eventually decided I had room, not mention the need, for a second bookcase.
Because at no point did I stop buying books.
When I left that small apartment in Toronto it was to move into an apartment more than twice the size in Montreal. I had space! Lots of space! Add into that the fact that I didn't have access to a library for a long time it meant even more books. Another bookcase was added. I was now up to three. By the time I moved to Ottawa a year later I was in desperate need of a fourth. I currently stand at 6 full-sized bookcases and one half-size.
There are days when I look around and wonder where on earth these books came from. (I do not allow myself to consider how many times I've moved certain books.) But when I stop and really look at each individual book I can tell you where I got it. That hardcover copy of Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs? I bought when I was still in university. It's personalized and signed by Reichs. The 1930s hardcover edition of Pollyanna? It's from my grandparents house and I brought it back on one of my last trips home. Frommer's San Francisco Day by Day? I bought it at Costco in preparation for BlogHer Food.
There are books I bought on vacation, books from my childhood, books that replace books that have gone missing from my childhood. Some were presents. Many, many of the books on my shelves are unread. Most of those that have been read will someday be reread.
Patti at Oops...Wrong Cookie has one of those lovely jobs, the kind that comes not only with books, but books you want to read. But she also hits on something else, the other place I get books...the ones I don't keep. I'm speaking, of course, of the library.
I'm not a big buyer of books. Strange and unusual, I know, since most library people tend to be book collectors. I'll usually only buy books after I've read them and like them enough to think I'll read them again.
Most of the books I read I do not own, but I can't switch to 100% library or borrowed books. The thought of it makes my heart a bit sad. I guess I'm a bit like KH Chronicles.
I get asked why I buy books and magazines rather than loaning them from the library and saving myself a small fortune and the answer is because one day, like dinosaurs and hypercolour t-shirts, books will no longer exist.
And I want to hold on to them, in my own two hands, for as long as possible.
I don't know that I can envision a time when there are no physical books. I just can't. I don't believe it, or maybe I just refuse to believe it. I've considered doing one of those "no buying books" challenges. I've purposely set out to do it for a month or two but I find it's kind of like yo-yo dieting - the more I try to restrict myself the more I resist and eventually binge. A couple of years ago Kelly Watson wrote on Romancing the Blog about how she tried to give up buying books. They were her "latte factor" of sorts.
When I returned home with my newly acquired booty I felt no remorse. I had books! Lots of books! Shiny, new books! And like a proud new mom I couldn’t help but brag
