Of course books go on shelves! Also on tables, in stacks on the floor, piled next to the bed, in cardboard boxes, and pretty much any other place where there is room for them! Of course, we only have about 6000 books, and most of them are paperbacks, so we don’t qualify as having “bookshelf wealth”.
Our “book room” converted from half the garage does have a nice library ladder, but the bookcases in the bedrooms, the living room, and the dining room do not.
I’ve made a retirement project of rereading all my science fiction and fantasy books (in reverse alphabetical order by author). I’ve worked my way back through the middle of the S authors—I figure I have about 20 more years to go (but I keep getting sidetracked by buying more books, which have to be read before I can shelve them).
gasstationwithoutpumps: I love your retirement project. But my take on a house overfull of books has gone all bitchy old lady. Our house is much like yours, with books (and large old stacks of Economist magazines) all over the place. I enjoy reading these things, but now see their unmoving profusion as more about the collection of bronchitis-friendly dust than enjoyment. Most of the reading material hasn’t been picked up in ages, and it’s just, as they say, collecting dust.
March 5th, 2024 at 10:44AM
Oh they have to be arranged on SHELVES?! Forget about it.
March 5th, 2024 at 11:09AM
Anon: Without the proper display, you may fail to impress.
March 7th, 2024 at 1:08AM
Of course books go on shelves! Also on tables, in stacks on the floor, piled next to the bed, in cardboard boxes, and pretty much any other place where there is room for them! Of course, we only have about 6000 books, and most of them are paperbacks, so we don’t qualify as having “bookshelf wealth”.
Our “book room” converted from half the garage does have a nice library ladder, but the bookcases in the bedrooms, the living room, and the dining room do not.
I’ve made a retirement project of rereading all my science fiction and fantasy books (in reverse alphabetical order by author). I’ve worked my way back through the middle of the S authors—I figure I have about 20 more years to go (but I keep getting sidetracked by buying more books, which have to be read before I can shelve them).
March 7th, 2024 at 8:28AM
gasstationwithoutpumps: I love your retirement project. But my take on a house overfull of books has gone all bitchy old lady. Our house is much like yours, with books (and large old stacks of Economist magazines) all over the place. I enjoy reading these things, but now see their unmoving profusion as more about the collection of bronchitis-friendly dust than enjoyment. Most of the reading material hasn’t been picked up in ages, and it’s just, as they say, collecting dust.