Today is a momentous day for me

[wook77]

As much of my flist knows, I'm moving in Feb/March timeframe to a brand-spanking new house (as in, they just broke ground on building my house this past week).

I'm a book h0r. I hoard books. I sometimes pick them up and pet them as I love my books that much. When I moved to Arizona three years ago, I had 40 boxes of books and I've not gotten rid of more than 2 or 3 books since then but have bought many many more.

Today, then, is a momentous day for me. I'm purging books because I don't want to move them to the new house. I figured out that it costs me 27 dollars a box to move them (calculating the average weight of a box of books vs the rate per pound).



I'm over 10 boxes of books down and I feel like weeping. Some of these books kept me company in the lonely days of first moving across the country with not knowing a single person. Some of these books comforted me when I was in college, after my two engagements ended or when I was suffering from teenage!angst. I've tied up so much of my life in these books, they've become friends, in a way. I know when I'm in a certain mood, I can go to my shelves and pick up a certain book and thumb to a certain passage to feel better.

It was only fitting that the first book I placed in the first box was the first book I bought for myself with my first paycheck. It was a teenage romance novel abuot a girl that had to choose between two boys she liked very much during the Johnstown flood and it was called "Jennie".

I'm ready to get rid of these books and I don't mean to imply anything else. I've found that perhaps I've tied up too much of myself, my hopes and dreams, my vision of real life romance, into these books. In previous times (back when I actually dated instead of being fat and loser-ish), I would compare the boys I dated with the men in the books and real life never stacked up.

It's time to be a bit more realistic about my life and my goals. It's time to not have so much of me tied up in thousands (and yes, I do mean thousands) of books and spend a bit more time in the real world. It's time to only keep those that I enjoy leikwhoa and purge the rest.

But still, I feel like weeping because these books have meant so much to me and I feel like I'm giving away a beloved pet or something. The only thing keeping me from actually crying is that these books are being donated to the media sale at work so that the proceeds from the sales will help victims of animal cruelty. At least I'm helping someone out. I don't think that I could do this if I were to have a yardsale and sell them.


To make this less about me and my angst... do you all have a favourite book that you just can't bear to part with? Cheesy romance novel, sci-fi, fantasy, murder mystery, book read to you as a child, any of them. Is there a story behind why?

and please, I know we all can't bear to part with the HP books

Comments

[elethoniel.livejournal.com]

Just... *HUGS* I feel exactly the same about my books. They are the first things I would attempt to save if my house was burning down (This is of course assuming that my family are all out alive).

*hugs from one bookworm to another*

[yodels.livejournal.com]

I'm one of the least sentimental people I know, especially about books, which always surprises people, given my chosen profession, but I'm a big believer in free libraries. But, I know that many people are particularly attached their books and so I can see your angst over getting rid of some. I have one shelf of books, part of which is taken up by the giant HP books, so that I have a ready reference for fics. Dictionary and thesaurus, and a few fiction paperbacks that are given to me every year that I never quite get around to reading. I give away lots of books to friends and family. I like sharing books. I don't have any real favs, though I have kept the first Anne McCaffrey book I read and I like to re-read that one periodically, and Diane Gabaldon's Outlander, which is my total guilty pleasure.

It's fun to think about. Good luck with the book moving and such.

this is a long comment

[jehnt.livejournal.com]

I can't even imagine getting rid of so many books! My heart would just break. I haven't even gotten rid of the picture books I had as a kid. They're all sitting in my parent's library in the children's section, just waiting for the day when I have kids of my own to color all over the pages and put devil horns on the blondes read them.

But here's my list of books I couldn't part with except under the most extreme circumstances:

Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe
Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
Song of the Lioness quartet, Tamora Pierce
The Mediator series, Meg Cabot
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (and sequels), Douglas Adams
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (and sequel), Douglas Adams
Star Wars: X-Wing books, Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston
The Rights of Man, Thomas Paine
Second Treatise of Government, John Locke
Collected Works of Oscar Wilde
US Constitution
People, Peter Spier (This was my favorite book as a kid. It's so awesome.)

If I could pick only one ... I'd have to go with Locke's Second Treatise of Government. It's not the one I have the strongest emotional attachment to, but it's probably the one that would give me the most comfort. If I can't take what I like most, at least I can take what I judge to be most important!

And actually, I'd be pretty willing to part with the second and sixth HP books. Not so much with the third or fifth, though.

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[jehnt.livejournal.com]

PS - After reading this post, I ran to amazon and ordered books.

*headdesk*

[lurkitty.livejournal.com]

I have a paperback copy of Fahrenheit 451 that is falling apart because I have read it so many times. I finally bought a new one, but I can't bring myself to toss the old one. Fahrenheit 451 epitomizes my feeling about justice, and how it is in the hands of each individual to rise up and do what is in his or her own heart when they know the government is wrong.

I also have some rare costume books that you can't find at libraries. If you ever want to know anything about 15th C. Turkish costume, I'm your girl!

There are hundreds of books here. I have to split them with T. He came with a great many of them.

What a beautiful thing to give your precious books to help the animals! You're wonderful!

[wendy.livejournal.com]

To Kill a Mockingbird.

The bookstore I work for buys and sells used books. Trust me, a ton of people feel like you. Our last campaign tag was "love, cherish and let go."

[wook77.livejournal.com]

When I moved down here, I converted my closet into a library and now I have to dismantle it and it's quite sad because it looks so empty without the books in there. I don't really have any clothes to put in there so I'll have a big open space instead. It's actually really weird.

I'm up over 15 boxes to go to work on tuesday.

[wook77.livejournal.com]

I actually get that as you spend your day giving books to people.

I'm most of the way through my one set of books and I've only kept a bit over a box, so I'm fairly proud that I've been so harsh about it but at the same time, these books have been there for so long but it's time to pass htem on as well.

I have a stack of books to read and then a stack of books that I can't bear to part with. Other than that, they're going :(.

Although... I did just get back from Costco's and I bought 2 new books.

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[wook77.livejournal.com]

The X-Wing books are on my "no way jose i'm not even thinking about getting rid of these" pile. I've heard brilliant things aout Tamora Pierce as well. Douglas Adams pwns me.

I'm keeping most of my philosophy textbooks. I love reading the different theories of government and evolution of government and blahblahblah. I also have quite a few Stackpole books I shan't be parting with. There are a few romance novels as well. I think I'll be alright with my 10 allowed boxes of books... especially if I cheat and get bigger boxes ;)

I'd like to toss 2 and 5 personally. I liked HBP quite a bit, actually ;)

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[wook77.livejournal.com]

That's ok... after posting this... I went to Costco and saw 2 books I absolutely couldn't leave there ;)

[wook77.livejournal.com]

That is one of my favourite books. I love it and it also fairly much expresses how I feel about the people vs the government.

I'll know where to go on that then. I have Mongolian History books that I needed for a class that I'm keeping because they're so hard to find and I love the Mongols.

:) The tax break will be nice as well :). I plan on going WAY over the cap this year with donating stuff instead of moving it. I have mattresses and dressers and clothes and things yet to donate as well.

[wook77.livejournal.com]

Brilliant book. My sister is learning disabled, can't really read very well, and one summer, she and I sat down and read To Kill a Mockingbird together and that was the most amazing brilliant thing ever. It's one of the few times we've ever gotten along.

I like that tagline... was it yours?

[elethoniel.livejournal.com]

Oh Allison :((((

[wendy.livejournal.com]

No, it was in place juuuust before I got there. But, I like it too. :)

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[jehnt.livejournal.com]

I just can't imagine getting rid of a book unless I didn't like it. Case in point: Recently I got rid of Prep, which I had bought because I'd heard good things about it and it had a pretty cover. Turns out it's a really, really crappy book. I have no idea why anyone liked it. It was boring, and the "explicit and hot sex scenes" were anything but. There was this whole interview in the back about how the author felt having written something so explicit, but the sex scenes were like ... I mean, you could slip them into a fic rated PG13 and no one would bat an eye. The only good thing about the book was that I bought it at a "buy two get the third free" sale at Borders and I adored the other two books (Collapse by Jared Diamond and ... something else which I don't have at school with me so can't remember the title of).

[lurkitty.livejournal.com]

I don't have much on Mongols - but my favorite Hun book is The World of the Huns by Otto J. Maenchen-Helfen. I've read it through twice. It wasn't even for a class - just something I picked up at a book sale. I'm such a geek.

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[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

Star Wars: X-Wing books, Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston

YAY! God, I love those books, and I don't care how cheesy other people think they are!!! And one day, I really really really want to write Face/Ton!! *loves Rogues and Wraiths*

[drusillas-rain.livejournal.com]

I've been slowly letting go of some of my books too. But then SO built me a bookshelf, and my mom needed to move out of her house to an apt, and I now have more books than 5 years ago. But I'm content with my library for now.

As far as books I can't let go of, Agatha Christie is high on my list. They're not the kind of thing you can reread. But they were the first "adult" books I read as a kid.

*hugs*

[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

I so rarely throw out books. When my parents moved back in 1991-ish, I had about 6 huge boxes of books in their garage - my childhood books, school textbooks, and some others I hadn't taken to my apartment. They threw them out in the giant dumpster. I managed to salvage the two boxes with my Bobbsey Twins and Trixie Belden books and a couple of others tossed in but I was DEVASTATED when I lost the others. Broke down in tears.

The books I won't part with now? Too many to list, but they include:

anything by Dan Simmons
Frank Herbert's Dune books
David Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean and companion books
Harry Potter
most of my Star Wars books (espcially the X-Wing books!)
my Trixie Belden books
anything by Madeleine L'Engle
Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series (including the Lord John stories)
George RR Martin's ASOIAF series
Orson Scott Card's Ender series
Good Omens

[fiona-fawkes.livejournal.com]

I cannot look at that icon without thinking that guy is smelling his own arm pit. I know that he's now, but still.

Just thought I'd share.

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[wook77.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed the books but I don't much anymore. Some of them, I haven't looked at in two years. It's just time to let someone else enjoy them.

I've not heard of Prep and at this point, I'm quite glad I haven't bothered with it.

BTW - I so have a favour to hit you up with if you ever have free time, etc.

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[wook77.livejournal.com]

*coughs* You know, there's this multi-fandom exchange thing called slashfest where a person that might be me *coughs* requested Face/Ton and it got claimed and never written and I, I mean, the mods, had to ban the person so it's still available and you'd have until december to write it. *coughs* (and yes, I'm the mod and am trying to get loads of participation and to get that request written...)

and omg, I love those characters.

[wook77.livejournal.com]

I converted my closet into a library and now it's all empty and sad :(. I've no clothes to put in there so I'm trying to figure out what to do with it now.

I must admit, I've read one Agatha Christie book and I didn't enjoy it much for some reason.

*hugs back*

[wook77.livejournal.com]

OH man, if my mother had ever done that, I think I would have weeped. Thank the maker you got some of them back. That's so rough. I go dumpster diving for stuffed animals as well. I can't stand to see things like that, that obviously could give comfort or whatever, getting tossed. They're totally donate-able and I don't understand throwing away something someone else could use.

Madeleine L'Engle!!!!! I have so many of hers! I felt like such a grown-up reading her stories when I was very small. She's brilliant.

I've never been able to make my way through Dune, quite honestly. It was very dry for me and I couldn't do it.

[wook77.livejournal.com]

Teehee. That's actually a very romantic picture in its entirety. I love Farscape and especially Aeryn and John.

You always excel at making me laugh when I'm being all emo ♥.

[fiona-fawkes.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it is. But now I've ruined it for you and you'll never look at it the same way again.

I actually feel kind of proud of myself.

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[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

OMG! I think I may just have to do this!!!

Eeep!

Better go re-read the books again!!!

[mordyn4]

You're adorable. I actually went to look at my bookshelves and I would have to take my Statistics books (about 5 of them), my Calculus books, and my Demography books. Most important is THE RED BIBLE, which is out of print, called The Methods and Materials of Demography by Shryock and Siegel. It's the book the census bureau still uses, and it's just... even if I don't write my dissertation, I'll always being using statistics to study people, it's just natural for me. So... erm, those are the books I can't leave behind, and they're really heavy, so I empathise. We paid to move them across the country. O.O M.

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

you're doin great work here and i'm sending lots of (((hugs))) remember to breathe and realise that it is more than okay to cry, to sob, to be sad. there is a lot of energy tied up here and it will be a great relief when it is released, but that doesn't mean you can't weep during the process.

the books i didn't give up when i came to nz? my photo books by viggo, my complete shakespeare, jane eyre, phantom toolbooth, lotr, hp, my selected terry pratchett

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[jehnt.livejournal.com]

Clearly they don't understand that CHEESE IS GOOD.

Both cheese that you eat and the more ... metaphorical kind. Or whatever. You know what I mean.

And oh yeah, Face/Ton FOR THE WIN. It's so obvious that it's not even really subtext. I mean, Ton leaves Face money to, well, fix his face? TRUE LOVE FOREVER.

I'm also a fan of Janson/Hobbie because they're such opposites. With that one where they go to that planet where there are those people?* OH MY GOD THAT'S HILARIOUS.

*Starfighters of Adumar. I had to look it up. *is sheepish*

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[jehnt.livejournal.com]

BTW - I so have a favour to hit you up with if you ever have free time, etc.

This is a long weekend, so I do happen to have some free time. Can't hurt to e-mail me the details so I can see if I can fit it in.

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[wook77.livejournal.com]

I'm so doing a happy dance over just the THOUGHT of you writing this...

[wook77.livejournal.com]

:) what an unexpected list of books. I love it!

Yeah, I moved them cross country as well... hence the cost per box. I'm not doing that again. I just really don't have the space either. My bedroom doesn't quit support them all now so I'm going to be reconfiguring the rest of this weekend. Well, that and writing slashfest stuffs that were due a month ago...

[wook77.livejournal.com]

:) thanks... I did cry over one of the books and have pulled it out and put it back into the pile to get rid of multiple times today.

I figure the chi flow in my house will be better as I'm letting go of all these things and just keeping the memories. That and my closet will be alot more "sell-able".

Oooooh, photo books by Viggo! BTW - have you seen the limited edition dvd special features? OMG so worth the money just for the extra footage.

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[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

Eeeeee! And I just got my Smutmas assignment a little while ago - and you know the happy dance you were doing when you got yours?

OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

NOBODY is going to guess which story is me this year! Well, maybe. *g*

And as soon as I get my Smutmas story outlined, I'm SO re-reading the Wraith books! (And did you see my Xwing pilot icon thingies on my userinfo page? *g* They didn't have Ton though :( )

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[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

LOL! I LOVE those books! I wish Allston (and Stackpole) would write more! (But there's no Ton anymore... *pout*)

I was glad we got to see more of Hobbie - he was sadly neglected before that. And Wes is totally awesome! Yub Yub Commander! *hee*

[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

Lots of people have issues with Dune. I didn't like it the first time I read it, then I read it again a few years later and I did. Well, not the second book. Didn't like that one. But I loved the last two, which a lot of people don't like. There's a lot of philosophy and other crap to wade through, and that can get really tedious, not to mention keeping all the characters and family lines and ancestors straight.

I don't usually rec them to people though because people either love them or hate them and since they're rather famous, people will usually pick them up on their own and at least read the back cover to decide for themselves.

I love Madeleine L'Engle. I read Wrinkle in Time in 6th grade and immediately went out and bought the other two in the trilogy, and gradually picked up the others. And read them over and over and over. Every year I re-read them. And even as an adult, I was stalking the children's/teen section of the book stores waiting for new releases! They're my most read books. I love them and would never part with them. Even when my niece is old enough to read them, I'm buying her her own! *g*

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[jehnt.livejournal.com]

More X-Wing books WOULD be awesome. But instead they're doing all this blah far in the future weird enemies everyone is divided crap and I'm ... not really reading. Because that Dark Nest trilogy was teh suxx0rs.

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[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

I stopped reading when Jaina and Jacen and baby Anakin started to get older. I wasn't really that interested in the next generation. And I don't read the prequel books either. I'm a huge Star Wars fan, but a very picky one, too! *g* And I love me my pilot boys! *hee*

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[jehnt.livejournal.com]

Ah, I love the next-gen kids. Overall, the New Jedi Order series was really good. After that, though, it seems to have gone downhill. I'm holding out hope for this new nine-book series though, since three of them are being written by Allston and I usually like his books. The Dark Nest trilogy was written by Troy Denning, and I haven't liked any of the Star Wars books he's written.

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

i want to hurt them for making me buy a third version of the bloody movies. but i'm almost desperate for costa's documentaries, i saw the first one at the wellington film fest and i'm dying to see the other too [*weeps*] have not actually bought them yet as they aren't versions here in nz yet (though i'd probably get region 1's anyway).