I don't quite read 25 books in 3 weeks anymore...but I do read almost every single day. My bedtime routine is to curl up with a book for 30 minutes before going to sleep. Right now I am reading my way through the Lord of the Rings series again (I last read it in high school).
Now, you may have noticed that I don't have a lot of books in this condo. In fact, I only really have one or two shelves of books on display!
Here is the secret to books in a small home- you don't need to have them all on display. I only keep out my favourites, new books, and ones I like to read more than once. I don't think living in a small space means you have to have less books, you just need to be more careful about storage!
1) Keep What You Love, Give Away The Rest
I have a few friends that I share books with! We will buy a new book and then pass it on. If we don't feel we want to read the book again, we don't ask for it back and let it be passed on to new readers. Sometimes I go through my books and donate a whole bunch that I am done with. I really only hold one to the ones that I love. I also often buy my books at smaller stores or resellers so I pay only a few bucks for a paperback! Very handy when you are heading to a beach or on a trip and don't want to care for a new book or Ipad.
2) Get a Library Card
My library card expired last summer and I still haven't gotten around to renewing it because you have to go in person and I don't live near a library! But it seriously is amazing. I would download all sorts of books to my Ipad and read through the night. The best part is that when you finish a book you can instantly download another. The only downside is that they only have so many digital licenses so sometimes you need to wait a bit for a popular book.
3) Check Out Free Books
A lot of older classics are actually free to download because their copyrights have expired! I actually just finished reading 2900 pages of Sherlock Holmes (anyone else watch the TV show? Love it, but it is different from the books in a way that sometimes irks me). I have also read my way through lots of Bronte, Austen, Anne of Green Gables, and other classics. All for free!
4) Pack It Up
I have boxes of books that I am not willing to part with sitting in boxes in my storage lockers. I don't think all books need to be on display because a tiny space can quickly look cluttered with too many bookshelves. If you don't have a storage locker, you can put books in drawers, an ottoman, or in pretty boxes on a shelf so they are still accessible to you!
Another tip would be to buy digital copies of books to replace paperback. But you know what? If I love a book...I just prefer the paper version so that I can keep it on my shelves or pass it on to others. So if digital copies work for you- great! But I am not so big on them!
How do you deal with books in your home?
I don't keep many books in my house. After university, I had dozens of novels, what people didn't want I gave to goodwill. I very rarely read a book more than once, so I don't need them around the house. I do love the e-books from the library, that's how I deal now :)
ReplyDeleteLibrary ebooks are so amazing!! I really need to renew my card...
DeleteI have such a hard time getting rid of books! I'm a big fan of buying books second hand. I've also sold books to second hand stores and on Craigslist/Kijiji. Before I had a car, I used to read SO MUCH while on the subway. Having a car changed everything for me and now most of my reading is blogs lol
ReplyDeleteI dont read too much on the subway (motion sickness!!) but if I do the time flies
DeleteI have all my books on bookshelves spread around the house. I have a hard time parting with books, so I just keep getting Dan to build me more shelves. :P
ReplyDeleteVery good tips though. I really need to check out my local library, it's been on my to do list for a while now.
Yes you must! and maybe put a cheap ereader on the christmas list because instant checkouts from home is amazing
Deletei like thrift shops for books, too! one of the ones i go to has 50 cent paperbacks, and will occasionally drop them to 25 cents so they move faster! typically i pay no more than a dollar for thrift store books. i also like the dollar store. if you keep an open mind, you can find some good ones :) and if they're not my favorite, i have no qualms about giving them away or donating them because they cost, at most, a dollar!
ReplyDeleteThe dollar store sells books?? who knew!
DeleteI am with you. Reading is my favourite. I am taking a break from Game of Thrones and I just finished The Rosie Project (LOVED!) and am about halfway through Sea of Tranquility (really liking so far). Blogging was really cutting into my reading time for a while, but I think I have found a happy medium now.
ReplyDeleteI have always been really big on owning and displaying my books...but I have two huge bookshelves full of them and I don't have room anymore even in my moderately sized condo, and like the other commenters I have such a hard time parting with them! So I have started reading them on my iPhone with the books app. It's actually really great for reading at night in bed 'cause you can easily read in the dark and it's less cumbersome than a book. I assumed I would hate reading like that, but I'm getting used to it... I still love a physical book, but it's working out well.
I actually prefer my ipad now. That Lord of the Rings book is uncomfortable to hold! I keep straining my hand muscles
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