Sandi Shilhanek | To Keep or Not To Keep, that is MY Question!
Saturday afternoon, the DFW Tea readers celebrated Valentine’s Day with a special tea. A lot of people were in attendance, we maxed out the tea house's largest meeting area, and books were traded amongst the members.
One very important book trade rule is don’t bring a book that you want to get back. It might or might not come back to you. So it's better to solve future problems by just having a simple rule.
This rule really doesn’t apply to me, as I don’t keep anything but the books that have been personalized to me from various signings I have attended. Naturally, those books don’t go to tea, and rarely get lent to anyone, even my closest, nearest, and dearest friends. You just never know when there could be a book accident.
I am continually amazed at how amazed people are that I don’t keep books. Since I don’t keep them you would think I would be a more regular library user, but I really don’t use the library as much as I should. I like the idea of buying a book and being able to share it with my friends, should I want to, or should they want to read it.
So, are you a keeper? If you are do you have a keeper copy, and a loaner copy? That is something I also find fascinating…the idea that people will have two copies of a book just so they can share.
Hope you had a happy Valentine’s Day, and I’m off to rejoice in the new books I picked up at the tea.
Until next week...
Sandi
DFW Tea Readers
Readers 'n 'ritas...celebrating literary obsessions
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posted by Fresh Fiction @ 11:29 AM
19 Comments:
I guess you could say I am a keeper. My house is full of books. I do let some go but I keep all autographed books and then I have my favorites that I keep. I also have one author that I have all of her books.
I have a keeper trunk and I'm only allowed to keep what fits in the trunk. If I didn't set this rule I'd be swimming in books. And I used to lend books, but not anymore. Some of my friends never returned the books they borrowed.
I'm definitely a keeper. I have a few thousand books. I don't loan books since all my friends are from the internet and live far away.
I'm not a keeper of books that I have read. I don't use the library because I have too large of a TBR pile (make that 3 5-shelf bookcases full) just waiting to be read. I choose what I want to read next from the books on hand. I will buy books new or used and I also trade books at Paperback Book Swap or Title Trader. I don't loan out books either because I never get them back.
I only keep my current favorites, the rest I giveaway to friends or to the local woman's shelter.
Although I tend to be a keeper, I've had to retrain myself to let the paper copies go ... at least, all the ones that won't fit on the shelves labeled for keepers (which are limited by the shelves for the unread books, which are separate from the shelves for books on gardening, herbs or cooking, etc....).
One reason I went to an ereader, now that they are better than using my old Palm - no more having to give them up or facing up to the pennies you are given as a trade-in at a used bookstore.
I actually had 2 other books with me for the trade, but ended up keeping them when I realized I had not read them yet. Eeek.
I'm a keeper of books. Books I've read, books to read. Even the books I've read that I hated.
Im a temporary keeper. :) I very seldom read a book more than once so I try not to keep books more than a year--or else there would be no room for me! (I have accidently purchased a book a second time and didnt realize I have already read it until I get it home and read the first chapter).
I NEVER bend, write or tear a book. Usually, even the binding has no crease. Im that careful with books--even if eventually they leave me. :)
I'm a book keeper. I have lots and lots of bookcases. When I moved overseas in the mid-90s I had to get rid of a lot of books. I don't think I've ever gotten over that. So I do not get rid of books. I just figure out where I can squeeze in another bookcase! I don't loan books. I just can't be sure how the book will be treated! :)
I am a keeper. If I lend a book out, it is usually just to my mother because I know I'll get it back!
Margay
Hi Sandi,
I am a keeper, no doubt about it. The best gift my dh could get me is more bookshelves. When I was a kid, I had a loaner list. Unfortunately, I didn't pursue these librarian tendencies. I still lend out if someone want to read one, though.
Julie
I am a keeper or more accurately a pack rat. I have about 2,000 books or so. LOL! I have never counted them all. I have let go of some of my books, most to the USB stores.
Marcia, I have been called that name myself! And I do not know how many books I have either, but they're in every room in the house. Hubby wants to put some in the shed, but i like to be surrounded by them. It's comforting somehow!
Julie
I have way too many in the TBR pile that if I were to add a keeper pile I know that there would be no room for the family!
The idea of putting the books in the shed scares me, because what might be getting into the books besides me?
I'm glad that everyone feels happy and comfy surrounded by the books they love, and are for the most part willing to share with friends and family!
Spread that love of reading!
I'm a keeper who in some authors I have a keeper and a loaner copy - although I don't loan out books a lot since people say I'm too anal and don't crease anything so they are nervous to read my books..LOL
Sandi, I feel the same way about the shed. Of course, they would be in plastic bins. But still, what's the point of that?!
Julie
I only keep autographed books (not that I have many of them) and that's about it. I almost never re-read so there's no point in keeping them. I give my sister-in-law the ones she wants to read and donate the rest to the library.
I used to keep all the books I really liked, favorite authors, books in a series (Travis McGee for one.) But now I have so many TBR that I have given most of the read books away. Lots went to my mother and then to her condo library. The kids and grandkids get their pick. Others get donated to ARC or the local crime fighters annual booksale.
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