How many books do you own?

Well over 200.

Thank heavens for ebooks. My home would look like an episode of 'Hoarders' without 'em. Heh.

I can't believe the highest category is >200. That barely tickles a quarter of my collection.

Ah, we're counting ebooks as well? Right, in that case the answer is way, way over a thousand.

well, I have four bookcases on which I count 343 books. There are probably at least a couple dozen more scattered throughout the house on the other several bookcases. There are also at least three large boxes full of books down in the basement of mine.

I have 70 books. Half of them books from post-secondary school.

About two thousand. When my son grew up, we pannelled his room with shelves *heart* I have an actual library!! (You can all have one when you get to my age - not before.) Also we have shelves in every other room and stuff.

I was one of those kids who always got yelled at for reading all the time. Decided when I grew up I'd have all the books I wanted. My husband did the same thing with chocolate mousse, but books, it turns out, keep a whole lot better than chocolate mousse.... He's moved on to guitars, now...

When we lived in Malaysia I lost almost all my old books because of the humidity. Damn near broke my heart...

PS: You know what's a fun site? www.librarything.com

Me abacus don't count so high.

I just took a random guess of 100 to 200, but as soon as I voted I knew that was way too low. Let me tell you a story.

I was living in Iowa when I got my current job. I called a moving company to get estimates on the move, and the guy came to my apartment.

"Single guy, no appliances, I'll put the weight at 2000 pounds," he said.

"I have a lot of books in boxes," I said.

"Oh, I'm good at this. Your move will be 2000 pounds. Trust me."

"No, you don't understand. I've got A LOT of books. That little bedroom full of boxes? Those are all books."

"Okay, 2300 pounds then. Do you want me to bind that estimate?"

"Yes, please." Estimate bound; no matter how much it weighs, I will only be charged for 2300 pounds.

Moving day comes. Estimator guy isn't there, but the movers are impressed.

"I'll bet you got 3000 pounds here. You got a great deal on the estimate."

"Well, I got a lot of books."

Fast forward three days and 800 miles to Mississippi.

"So," I ask, "what was the final weight on that move?"

"It was 5000 pounds." Dirty look from mover guy. "You got A LOT of books and you're lucky you got that estimate bounded."

"Yep, I do and I am."

Thousands. One entire wall of my basement is lined with book shelves and some are double rowed. The downstairs den has built in book shelves that are full. I have books all over the house, burgeoning out of book cases, from shelves, in stacks, under my bed, on a kitchen shelf.....lots of books.

I would have had a lot more if it weren't for the brainbusting breakdown/shitfit/God knows what went wrong in my head incident of...well, years back.

I threw out stuff. A LOT of stuff. Like I was trying to throw my life away.

Anyway.

I got through it and built my collection up again but it breaks my heart to think of all those childhood treasures I threw away, second hand books I can't find anywhere now, gifts from now-deceased grandparents...

*sigh*

And another tragedy of life is that I'll never live long enough to read everything.

This thread makes me sad.

Counting books I have had to get rid of to make breathing space, prolly thousands.

I got through it and built my collection up again but it breaks my heart to think of all those childhood treasures I threw away, second hand books I can't find anywhere now, gifts from now-deceased grandparents...

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That's how I feel about the ones I lost in Malaysia. It still makes me sad - such wonderful books, and half of them never heard of again

Life goes on -

- but, you know, sadly...

Uh, my house has its own designated library. It was necessary.

scarletpeaches said:

I threw out stuff. A LOT of stuff. Like I was trying to throw my life away.

Anyway.

I got through it and built my collection up again but it breaks my heart to think of all those childhood treasures I threw away, second hand books I can't find anywhere now, gifts from now-deceased grandparents...

*sigh*

And another tragedy of life is that I'll never live long enough to read everything.

This thread makes me sad.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the warning! I've been tempted to make a clean sweep and this is what I would have to look forward to.

mccardey said:

That's how I feel about the ones I lost in Malaysia. It still makes me sad - such wonderful books, and half of them never heard of again

Life goes on -

- but, you know, sadly...

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It probably doesn't make sense to anyone who's not a bookworm, but it really makes my heart sore to think of it. Not the money. Who cares? Some books only cost 10p. They smelled of mildew and musty boxes in second-hand shops in out-of-the-way backstreets, but...

I think I was borderline suicidal and doing that 'getting rid of one's possessions' thing.

Main thing is I'm still around, but...damn. If only I could turn back time.

Sorry.

/depression off.

Very, very few. Less than twenty. I had severe depression and got evicted from my flat and I left virtually everything. The beautiful coat I bought in France, the guitar I'd had since I was 10, my Gamecube, all my DVDs, everything. And all my books. I had about 500, but everything went wrong in my life while I lived in that flat and I just couldn't bear to go back there and get my stuff. I know it sounds ridiculous, but the very thought of going back there gave me a panic attack. So I understand where sp's coming from - clear that life out and start a new one. With my thirteen books. But I'm happy now.

It probably doesn't make sense to anyone who's not a bookworm, but it really makes my heart sore to think of it. Not the money. Who cares? Some books only cost 10p.

Click to expand...

It makes sense to me...

I'd give you a hug except you might think that's really sookie....

I'm probably the odd one out here - apart from my absolute favourites and reference books, I don't bother keeping them anymore. Although I love the feel and smell of odd books, I got sick of having to keep dust off them, and a few years back put them in the boxes in the garage, then about a year after that, decided it was really stupid keeping books in boxes.

Thousands and I have read them all.

I mentioned in another thread recently that I've given away most of the books I've read. I still have several hundred I'll hang on to, but I get much more satisfaction knowing others might enjoy books that would otherwise sit on shelves unread in my home.

Yeah, I shoot mine down to the second hand shops.

I'm not going to count all of my books, but if I did, I'd probably stop after about 10 anyway.

Most of them are text books.