Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Books, books, books

Someone on a mystery listserv asked recently if any of us thought of ourselves as book hoarders. One woman thought it must surely be a rhetorical question. Another simply responded that she thought of it more as collecting. I simply have never thought of it. Is there life without books? I have--because I want them-bookcases in every room, but my husband drew a line at the bathroom. All of those bookcases are full. I like books. My husband does too, so I don't know why we can't cram one in the john.


Before I was ever a writer, I was a reader. I read cereal boxes, the small print warnings on cough syrup and anything else laying around. I like to read. But it has been brought to my attention lately that I have been reading more used books and books from the library. That's an okay strategy in this economy, but many small independent bookstores are hurting. I just heard about another today, in danger of having to turn off the lights.


I am an author from a small independent press. I need to support the industry that supports (or may someday anyway) support me. I'm going out tomorrow to buy a book from a small bookstore. Won't you join me? You can always wrap the books up as a Christmas present.

7 comments:

Mark Troy said...

I'm with you Christine. I don't consider myself either a collector or a hoarder, but simply a reader. My wife asks why we don't give some of our books away or trade them at a used bookstore, but I like to reread them from time to time, at least parts of them, and I never know which ones I'll want to reread. Now and then we remove all the books from the shelves and resort them. We bought a new bookcase Saturday because it's time to do that again.

Deb Baker said...

I love our local bookstore, but haven't been there in a while. Thanks for the reminder. They are so important!

Morgan Mandel said...

I have so many books in the house that lately I've been saving ones that are autographed,but giving others away when I'm finished with them. There's just no room!

Morgan Mandel
www.morganmandel.com
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

I have one wall in the living room covered with full bookcases, a huge bookcase in the guest bedroom that is filled. A stack of books to be read by my bed, and the books I'm reading on the bedside table, the bathroom and on the dining room table.

And I'm also with two small independent presses.

Jean Henry Mead said...

I'm a true bibliophile, Christine, because my house is so full of books that, like you, there's nowhere but the bathroom to place new ones. I can't give them away because they're prized possessions. I'll probably switch to ebooks before I have to start stacking books on the floor. :)

Vivian Zabel said...

Christine, I have books everywhere, not counting the manuscripts I'm going through for other writers or the books by 4RV authors. I decided, though, to "share" books that I don't necessarily want to keep.

I don't understand houses without books.

Libby McKinmer said...

I'm a reader, too -- books are in almost every room, including the bathroom! I grew up with books everywhere, and it's the natural course of events for me. I have books on shelves, in bookcases, on vanities, bedside table and in drawers. I even have a box of them to take to my sister's cottage to share there because the whole family is addicted to reading -- and where better than on a deck overlooking the lake while a lovely warm zephyr caresses you?