Ms Macbeth Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 I've probably got around 100. I give most of the paperbacks away, or to charity shops once I've read them. I've still got some of my childhood books, including one that I was given as a prize when I was about 5. I've got some reference books, and quite a lot of novels that I've hung on to, although I rarely read anything more than once. I've been to the library and ordered several books today, nothing heavy these days, mainly crime fiction. Currently waiting for the latest Val McDiarmid to be available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxy lady Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 The West Indies toured in 1933:) I have my own stock of Wisdens. I guess that I have about 1000 or so books. Many read, some half read, some not read at all. That's the beauty of books. Yes it was 1935. Jock Cameron, the South African wicket keeper hit 103 not out in the 2nd innings including hitting 2 balls out of the ground. A few weeks later he died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica23 Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 I don't have enough. I love reading but I find it so difficult to find anything that makes me think 'ooh, I'll have to read that'. I'm looking for something at the minute...totally stuck . My daughter on the other hand has shelves and tubs full which get rotated. Although she's grown out of most of them now so guess what's for Christmas.............. What sort of thing are you into kittenta? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sibon Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 That's the beauty of books. Yes it was 1935. Jock Cameron, the South African wicket keeper hit 103 not out in the 2nd innings including hitting 2 balls out of the ground. A few weeks later he died. And that is the beauty of this forum. I didn't know that. What a fascinating but tragic story. Nasty stuff typhoid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cressida Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 I've always loved books, hate getting rid of any and must now have 500+ the problem is the space for them as I'm sure I could stock a mobile library easily. I collect first editions and have ones by Iris Murdock, Muriel Spark, loads of Dick Francis but the ones I use are mainly reference books. If I see a book in a second hand shop which I recall reading when in my early teens I will buy it - pure nostalgia:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barleycorn Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I have somewhere in the region of 1000 physical books which, apart from 5 or that I haven't round to reading yet, have all been read at least once, some easily over 10 times. I also have maybe 1500-2000 on the kindle many of which are digital versions of physical books I own. Of these maybe 500 or so are currently unread. jb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Sleeps Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I wonder what is the point of having hundreds of books if you've already read them. Because some are so wonderful that they should be read more than once. Some are so wonderful that they should be read regularly. I cannot think of anything more shallow than reading a good book once. I could only guess how many I own. Somewhere between 500-800, maybe more. Got around 15 boxes in the loft that I regularly go and sort through, bringing things down I'd forgotten about. I keep all my good books on shelves around the house. Got three copies of three editions of LOTR - so that's 9 books there. It soon adds up. Got most of Orwell and Joyce in hardback and softback. It's not difficult to build up a collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 How many books do you own? I had to guess as I couldn't actually say. But it must be >500 and is probably <1000. How many is too many? That would depend wouldn't it, there is no objective answer. How many do you reckon you will read in your lifetime? Is there any point in owning more than you could possibly read? I've read all of them, why would I buy them if not to read? I probably read 40 or 50 books in a year, so I could extrapolate as to how many I might read in a lifetime, but it's not a competition is it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 On the contrary. If you have a book that hasn't been read you can always pick it up and read it. If you haven't read 50% of them then I'd guess that you probably never will. I wonder what is the point of having hundreds of books if you've already read them. Are there so few books in the world that you need to read them all several times each. I do re-read books, but my answer was actually how many I have owned. I give and have given many of them to charity, I probably have <100 remaining. If I go to the library I rarely return with books I've previously read. My husband collects Autocourse. He has them from around 1970 to last season. They are great reference books particularly if you want to look up a few facts and figures. He also has 50 or so copies of Wisden. Does he collect them having read them, or to read them, or for some other reason? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vwkittie Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I voted around 21-50. I don't keep books generally - I pass them on to family when I've finished with them. I don't have space to keep very many. The ones I do have are ones I've just not yet got round to reading and passing on plus a small selection of particular favorites I'd never part with. I've not read all of the ones I've got; many were passed to me and aren't necessary ones that I would have picked myself! Now I have a Kindle I no longer buy or read real books anyway so I guess I never will finish them all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.