Why we keep what we keep...or...fly away little books

I have no idea.....why I keep things others throw out. :~) But it's hard for me to part with books.
Some months, after I buy books, there might be money left for rent and food!!! (that is a paraphrase of a quote I read in a "book". LOL )
and books are my friends. the rest of you? pffftttt!!

from Linda:
I keep books because they're about someone I know or have had contact with
in some way. I keep books because they're written by someone I know, like
a relative that was number one on the Best Seller list. I keep books
because they say something special to me or remind me of something
special. Sometimes I keep books because they are a good read and I want
to read them again sometime down the line.


from Jolina:
Textbooks are expensive, so if it's a topic I like, or think someone can use again, I keep most of those. History books in particular I think the girls might be able to use as they get older.

Novels and such, I keep the ones I enjoyed reading. Most all our book club books I've kept. I have passed a few on to my niece in Boston. But I have to really like those books to mail them to her.

from Cherrie Lou Who:
I keep the books I keep because they are important. ALL books are important. Don't you remember reading about Abe Lincoln walking miles to return a book, this is due to the fact that not everyone has access to books or the books they get are the ones their governments decide they can have. Remember when we learned about the soviets BURNING!!!!! BOOKS!!!!! we were shocked and appalled. We need to realize that the access to both fiction and non fiction publications is limited in other places and we should cherish the rights and freedoms we have. even the little freedoms that seem small and that say we can read what we want.
Even after tons of school and college I still have a hard time writing in a book, mostly because that alters the authors original publication.
It's kind of like buying a music CD that had been edited. . . . . edited for gods sake! If the creative or even not so creative Artist who wrote that song did not want certain words in there, he or she would not have written the song that way!
We who save books do it because we know deep down inside that we are lucky to have them. . . . . Or maybe I'm just a collector(packrat) of things.

from Diana:
Jeff has asked the same question and I never have a good response. I
suppose it is because some books touch me in some way and I want to
keep it. Others not so much.

from Sadie:
I have always loved books. Since I learned to read (at 3) the best present I could ever receive was a brand new book of almost any kind. I became a collector of books and can't imagine having to part ways with them (I don't think I've ever gotten rid of a book) and I look forward to the day when I have my own house and I can have a floor to ceiling shelves to hold my ever growing collection. I love them.

when we moved into this apartment I took that as an opportunity to catalogue my books. I made an excel spread sheet of each book I had (Marcus though I was the hugest dork ever, but he said it was kind of cute what ever that means) of course it's already outdated as I think I've added something like 50 books since then (Yale makes you buy millions of books each semester). I can see the books.


from Georgann:
Good question....I give my books to friends or to Friends of the Library here in S.L. The library has a used book store. I buy books there and give them back when I am finished with them. I also prefer to use the public library, saves me money and I don't have room to keep books. Bob on the other hand, keeps his books forever! That is until I sort them out and give some away.

from Shelly:
I keep the ones I like. Sometimes I loan them out. If I get them back, that's fine but I don't stress over it if I don't. Poke and Peek gets the others. I don't really have an answer to "why"...I just do!


me/debbie:
and Traci started it all.......

from Traci:
Tell me............why do you keep your books?? I only ask this because Larry asks me why I keep some and get rid of others. I never had a good answer for him! hahahaa

me/Debbie:
i don't know if any of you recall this, but I signed up to be a "book crosser".... I have my labels printed out to put in my books to see where in the world they go.......
when you finish your book, you leave it in public and leave it to fate.
hopefully someone somewhere will pick it up, check in with the website and then pass it along and along and you can see where your book goes.

some books have traveled far across the ocean. and some never find a new home. :~)

It's weird, I know.

from Sadie:
That's what I thought, that makes me kind of sad. I don't know if I could just abandon my books. I love them too much and I'd be afraid the right person would never find them. But if it works that might be neat too.

from me/debbie:
we'll see if I ever hear from my little books. I'm going to push them out the nest.
(after I catalog them all of course ) (which I am doing...check link below for requests..... you FF book crossers )