Rodney Anonymous' Snot-nosed Bastards discussion

I need to invite my husband to join this group, because he's much more into books than I am. He likes to own a copy of every book he's ever read (unless it was completely lacking in any substance or quality whatsoever), as well as "important" literary works. His biggest loss in life (I might be exaggerating for effect here) was when he left many big boxes of books at a former roommate's house for a couple years, and they were picked through by scavengers. He lost a huge chunk of his collection.

In any event, to answer your question, we have a ton of books at home, and we're unlikely to give very many of them up. One of the first things we did when we bought our last house was put up bookshelves all along the back wall of our living room. It's just about filled up. We're going to need a bigger house. :)

I keep every book that I have enjoyed, and I trade the rest on paperbackswap.com. I am very quick to lend my books to friends when I think that they might enjoy one... I actually probably push books on people a lot. Because of that, I don't expect to have them returned, and so I buy replacements in order to keep my collection intact. I have bought several books more than 5 or 6 times, but I can usually find them used and cheap. I like used books more than new anyway.

I trade some paperbacks on paperbackswap (mostly popular fiction that won't become classics.) I keep all (ok, most) hardcovers. I belong to a signed first edition club...I'll never sell or give away those. When I was younger I would sleep with books instead of stuffed animals. I take them seriously. :-)

I have a pretty long wish list on paperbackswap.com, but once in a while one of them gets posted and I score. I've been suprised at what I have found on that site, you should check it out. I only get rid of my crap books, and there's always someone who wants them, and I get good books in return...

I guess I can't judge you for sleeping with books since I used to sleep with my baseball mitt, but I still had stuffed animals. D - *cough cough weirdo cough cough*! LOL

I had stuffed animals...I just didn't sleep with them. A baseball mitt? ha! And I thought I was strange.

I am new to this group, and so am commenting on this very old topic...

I am going to have to go to a support group for people who buy too many books. (But is there really such a thing as "too many books"?)

I compulsively buy any book that looks interesting to me, whether I plan to read it within a week or 2 years.
My friends all chide me for my obsession, but my reply to them is "at least I am not buying crack".

I don't like getting rid of books. And when I loan one out (if by some miracle I am persuaded to do so) I think about it constantly and mourn the loss if I don't get it back.

:)