Books: Till Death do us Part?

[dragon wench]

So I'm presently in the process of packing because we are moving in two weeks. Part of our plan is to ensure we do not take anything we don't want or need to the new place.

Nice idea in theory.... The only problem is that I just got to the book shelves... We have *a lot* of books..
Now, I know, many of these I likely will not read again. But I just can't bear to toss them out. Picking them up off the shelves is sort of like visiting an old friend. *sigh*


Er... am I the only one?

[Magrus]

Aside from the couch and queen size bed I put into storage, the heaviest thing I moved was my big container full of novel's. My mother assumed it was full of blankets or clothes (it was one of those large plastic bins you can buy) and nearly killed herself in the driveway trying to lift it.

I keep all of my books. I used to sell them and get more and then about 6 months later I'd be kicking myself for not having my old favorites. No, your not alone.

[Cuchulain82]

I collect books too- it's in my blood. Everyone in my family reads constantly, and as I was growing up my house would always have at least one room with floor to ceiling bookshelves, crammed with Atlases, novels, dictionaries, cookbooks, fieldguides... you name it, we have it.

Sometimes I get books just to have them: ie- I have a first edition of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, and I have a few copies of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Gathering books in the great quantities that I do is especially dangerous because I was also a philosophy major I will leave you to imagine how heavy a trunk full of philosophy texts can be (whoever said knowledge was heavy stuff wasn't kidding )

I've taken to leaving my books at my parent's house until I buy a place, or at least sign a lease for more than 6 months at a time.

[dragon wench]

lol! Good to know


Er yeah... My partner was an English major. My major was in French literature, and I did an additional degree in History.
And we both did all kinds of elective courses in Philosophy, Anthropology, Classics and similar subjects....
The result is many heavy books I pity the movers.....

[Robnark]

I'm considering moving out in the forseeable future myself, and I have far too many books in my room - many of which I haven't read for years and probably never will again. to be honest, in my house, we tend to just shuffle books around when we run out of space.

and my parents are as bad as I am. there is so little shelf space on a good day that we're growing used to the towering piles of books on the landing giving an air of danger and suspense to going to the bathroom at night. a few dozen more books won't hurt (other than physically, of course. paper cuts on the toes are evil).

[VonDondu]

You're not alone, DW. I still have most of my college textbooks, and I couldn't bear to part with them. And of course, I have acquired more books since then, including a lot of oversized "coffee table" books of art and art history. You know, the kind of books that have big pictures.

[dragon wench]

[QUOTE=VonDondu]You're not alone, DW. I still have most of my college textbooks, and I couldn't bear to part with them. And of course, I have acquired more books since then, including a lot of oversized "coffee table" books of art and art history. You know, the kind of books that have big pictures. [/QUOTE]

*grins* all of this is very reassuring to hear. I'm in much the same situation.

I mean, normally I am fairly minimalist and I don't like to clutter up my life with things I don't use.... But books.. no matter that I likely won't read them again, I just can't give them up.

[Magrus]

A suggestion? Perhaps see if the local grocery store's produce department would be willing to part with their empty crates and such for your books. Depending on how the store works and the manager on duty's attitude, they may send you home with some.

Boxes tear open under the weight of most books I've found, and that big bin of mine fit a good deal of them without breaking. Yet...this was a 20 gallon bin. It was heavy...very, very heavy.

That or small boxes...easier on shifting them around if you can get ahold of lots of small boxes. The first time I moved my book collection I stuffed them in boxes, and of course thought to conserve boxes and used the bigger ones. Yeah...books tore boxes, fell into snow and I spent moving day saving my books.

[dragon wench]

@Magrus,
that is very good advice! And I've used some of those crates before. The thing is..we'd need at least several dozen of the things...

Fortunately, we are actually getting in movers, so they will just be able to transfer the boxes of books with those little carts they use for fridges and the like.

[Magrus]

Ah, those mover's can sweat and pull muscles for you then! Even so, happy mover's are gentler.

Yeah, my uncle used to work in the produce section of the store he runs now when I was a toddler. The first time we moved, dad went and grabbed stacks of those things from the back. Some stores reuse things like that, other's have to pay to get rid of them. If you hit up one of the first, your out of luck. If you find one of the second kind, they'll probably try stuffing your car full of them.

[Aegis]

Everytime my Dad and I have moved in the past couple years, a good portion of the move is the transfering of books. Between the two of us (Him being a teacher, scholar, academic and government researcher, amongst many other things, and myself being a student) we have to move about 10 bookshelves worth of books, and that's with having had a minor flood which destroy a great deal of books. It's a frightening ordeal.

A good way of not killing yourself when moving books, though, is to not pack the boxes to the rim. Usually, we do 2/3's of the way full, and move them that way. Means more boxes are needed, but it makes it less heavy.

[giles337]

Odd... For a school english assignment, i has to right an essay under the title "Are books dead?" If I get a good mark, i'll post it here

I have cupboards full of book at home, and we're talking books from 10-12 years ago, when i was just learning to read. Nothing gts got rid of The only way I'd dispose of them, is giving to a charity, because I too feel attatched to my books, and can't bear to see them binned

[Craig]

[QUOTE=dragon wench]So I'm presently in the process of packing because we are moving in two weeks. Part of our plan is to ensure we do not take anything we don't want or need to the new place.

Nice idea in theory.... The only problem is that I just got to the book shelves... We have *a lot* of books..
Now, I know, many of these I likely will not read again. But I just can't bear to toss them out. Picking them up off the shelves is sort of like visiting an old friend. *sigh*


Er... am I the only one? [/QUOTE]

I would swear BLIND that I saw this post on enworld, and Magrus' as the first reply!

BLIND, I SAY BLIND!

[Magrus]

Sorry man, never been to that website before.

[Craig]

I swear that the thread had the same title, and that the posters mother hurt themselves trying to carry the box of books. Also the bit about visiting an old friend....

[Magrus]

Well if you find the thread on there, do share. I'm curious, I'd have to spam the place into oblivion if someone's pretending to be me!

[Craig]

I couldn't find it at all. Very odd.

[dragon wench]

Very bizarre

Don't know that site either

[Craig]

I may just be going insane.....

[Magrus]

Welcome to the club friend. How's it feel?