The Great Book Clearout

OK, that's it.

I have too many books.

There, I said it.

Those of you who have been reading my blog since the early days will recall this set of posts about my bookshelves.

You may also remember when I calculated how many more books I could purchase and still manage to read them all before I pop my merry clogs.

It finally dawned on me over the weekend that there is no fucking way I am going to get all this stuff read. It simply will not happen.

No really, it won't. As well as all of that stuff on the bookshelves I have drawers full under the bed, a wardrobe with books taking up more room than clothes and piles in the eaves of the attic (which doubles up as Ethan's bedroom).

I am overwhelmed. Influxed. Booked up to the eyeballs. Slightly foxed and surrounded.

Something has to be done.

So I am having a clearout.

Now, before the bookaholics amongst you start having coniptions and spitting at the screen, allow me to explain.

I had a reasonably important job at Waterstone's for six years or so. I got sent hundreds, if not thousands, of free books. I tried to be sensible about this. I read those that it was important for me to read. I passed others on to people in the office that I thought would enjoy them. I left a load every week on the freebie shelf for anyone to help themselves. A few went to my fellow commuters at Kew Bridge station. And I took lots home. To read later. Much later.

I knew I wouldn't be working there forever, that the constant stream of free books would end at some point. I wasn't exactly stockpiling but it was something close to that. I had probably amassed sufficient books to last me a few decades.

So, you see, when I say I am getting rid of some books these aren't all books that I have paid for myself. I know many readers cannot bear the thought of ever parting with a book but in most cases these are titles that they have selected with care and purchased with their hard earned cash. Or perhaps they have been passed down through generations. Of course they wouldn't want to chuck them out. I understand that.

But the majority of my books were given to me for nothing. They were a perk of the job - one that many people would hate me for, and rightly so, but I wasn't about to turn them down now was I? - and don't come with the same sort of emotional attachment. It isn't going to be as painful as all that to wave them goodbye.

Also, I hadn't expected to still receive so many freebies. When I started the blog it had a few dozen readers every day. Now it has hundreds, many of whom are avid readers, and a fair few publishers have decided that it is worth sending me proofs or finished books to review. Rarely a day goes by without a jiffy bag or two plopping through the letterbox with some new things to read (these are all mentioned in the New Arrivals sidebar).

So you can see my problem, high class one though it is. My starting point was shitloads of books and they just keep coming. Something has to be done.

Hence the clearout.

My plan is to get rid of sufficient books so that I can get everything else out into the open. To finally release the dozens of books under the bed, in cupboards and boxes. Get them all on display so that when it comes to deciding what to read next I can actually see what I have to choose from.

Please understand. This isn't a complaint. I know how lucky I am to have all of these books. I just need to be realistic. Even with a big offload of volumes I am still going to have a huge library keep me going and to pass on to the kids. They won't be going without.

So, while the family are away for a few days camping I am going to see if I can make a dent on this book mountain.

I shall report back daily.

Comments

[DJ Kirkby]

What are you going to do with the ones you clear out though? Why not trade them at the next Firestation swap for a donation to charity?

[Adrian Slatcher]

I did this last time I moved house - got rid of several bin bags full - books won as prizes, books that I'd been recommended (and foolishly bought, that's you Sarah Waters), lots (too much) of contemporary fiction that I was never going to read now that it wasn't contemporary. The local charity shops had a ball, I'm sure - though probably weren't as enamoured by the winnowing of my poetry magazine collection. All I can say is, good luck.

[Him over there]

you could put them on greenmetropolis.com with donations to woodland trust as well as a little back to yourself for future purchases. May take some time to shift them though.

[Jeannette from Brussels]

It may seem daunting now but you'll feel great once you can see space on your shelves again. Are you getting rid of more poetry mags? Which ones??

[Sarah Salway]

I've been getting rid of books too after years of resistance. Wish I'd done it sooner.

[emma]

I know exactly what you mean. And i get rid I reckon of 300 books a year (I keep a list of what I give away so I don't go looking for it, so that's probably accurate). It's the big expensive gardening books that I get sent which trouble me the most - they must be worth £30 each at least and have such lovely pictures....

Adrian should reassure himself that there are plenty of funny people like me who are delighted to see obscure poetry stuff turn up in the local Oxfam shop... Have recently acquired almost all of Geoffrey Grigson like that.

[Doug Wallace]

If they are new books, have you considered making a charitable donation to the publishing welfare charity, The Book Trade Charity? The books could be collected/sent in bulk and would be re-sold at their booksales. The money raised could even help people who sent you the copies in the first place. Better still, set up shop at HC HQ for a one day booksale in aid of the Book Trade Charity? Just a thought...

[Scott Pack]

Don't worry, the charities will do quite well out of this. My favoured one is Thames Valley Hospice who looked after a friend of ours in her final days. They have a few really good shops in Windsor with strong, and fairly priced, book selections so that is where a lot of them will be going.

[Sally Z]

I had to have a cull (through floods of tears--I exaggerate but you get my drift) when I moved house a year ago. I also solemnly promised my significant other (who isn't a book reader) that I wouldn't acquire too many more...

Oops.

[Stephanie]

I go in phases. Sometimes I put books on Amazon Marketplace almost as soon as I finish them; other times I hoard. Lately I've been hoarding. But I've got a new strategy.
Now, when I finish a book that I know I won't want to read again, I simply give it to the next person I see who is reading. I gave ' The Piano Teacher' to the wife of a chemo patient as I finished it there. (This doesn't apply to books that I think are rubbish, as it seems unfair to inflict them on other people.)

[jem]

We have severely limited storage space, so mostly operate on a once read pass it on system. Only very special or reference books we are likely to use over and over get to stay. The way I see it, if you get rid of something that you want to read at a later date you can always get it again. Good luck with the cull.