Harder than I thought

[cornerofmadness]

I'm getting rid of a lot of my books. Didnt' think it would be quit so hard but the truth is I just can't afford to keep lugging them around. I have hundreds if not thousands of them. I'm not dumping them all mind you and my loss will be the local library's gain but looking at my situation I know a few things.

1) I'm doubtful I'll stay at this new job more than two years just based on location. I can't even find housing. Every apartment I call is low income housing and I can rent a 3 bedroom house for about 500-550$ if that gives you an idea of the poverty level in this area. That means I'll have to box them up again and move them once more and it's getting so expensive to move

2) Most of these books are fiction books I read as a teen or in my 20's back when I reread and reread books all the time. I barely have time to read my new books at this point (and for the younger crowd, yes this will happen to you) I'm still read a lot. I'm over 60 books at the 50bookchallenge where you're supposed to read 50 in a year. But I still don't have time to reread things

[Bad username or unknown identity: and I know I'll be 3 times busier at the new job]

[Bad username or unknown identity: 3) Some of these books I didn't like in the first place so why am I even keeping them?]

[Bad username or unknown identity: 4) I'll be keeping most of the nonfiction books that weren't boring or otherwise outdated (science books I'm]

[Bad username or unknown identity: looking at you.]

[Bad username or unknown identity: I might dump some of them to ebay/amazon if they're special in any way but otherwise, I'm not bothering. Books don't sell too well]

[Bad username or unknown identity: Sigh. This is hard. whine.]

Comments

[sp23.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain. I have books I've owned since the mid 1970s and some I've gotten off my dad that he's owned since the 1950s. I'm never going to reread most of them, and yet the very idea of getting rid of them causes me almost physical pain.

Books. Can't live without them; can't lug them around for the rest of your life.

[catlove.livejournal.com]

I'm only a little over 30 for the 50 book challenge. It's hard to leave books behind. Even though I don't re-read them a lot, I just like to knwo I have them.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

same here. I'll probably STILL keep series and what not but maybe not even that.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that's the truth. I move too much. I could rent smaller moving vans if I dumped the books. Whine. Most of mine are from the 70's right on up until today. Some I'm giving to my friend's kid, the YA ones.

[catlove.livejournal.com]

at least you can sell them and make some money out of it, even if it's just because.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

Well, at least the library will be appreciative and it's a god deed. We just gave them about 50 books that Zachary had outgrown that we had no space for. They were estatic to get them.

[afteriwake.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't mind a book that you might think would interest me. I can't afford new ones very often and my library is starting to run out of ones I want to read (shock! gasp!).

[bashipforever.livejournal.com]

Oh I so sympathize with you. I adore my books and can never let them go. I always think well one of these days I might re-read. I never do because I've always got new books waiting around to be read.


Good luck with the getting rid of them thing. :( It makes me sad thinking about it!

[adeliedreams.livejournal.com]

Any decent used book stores in your town? Last time I purged my library, it netted a couple of hundred dollars...

In credit.

[whistles innocently]

But, most of it went towards picking up one rare and very expensive book, which was a good bit more portable than the couple of hundred others.

[aaronlisa.livejournal.com]

I can imagine how hard it is to unload your books. I also know that the older you get, the more busy your life gets. I have so many books that I've purchased that I never found the time for. I have to force myself to find the time. I am quite lucky that I take transit for my commute because it gives me time to read.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I know. I was just about to give my Narnia series to my friend's son and then saw the trailer for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and now I want to reread them before I give them up (they're short so I can probably do that)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I'll have time. I could do that with some (I'd have to see how much padded envelopes and media mail would cost)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Right now I can't afford postage since I haven't worked in two months plus I owe over 1000 in medical bills but if I find something you might like I could hang on to it for a while until I have money

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

It depends on the library. Evil LIttl Dog and I couldn't take books to our library. They refused them. It was stunning. Even the tinier one in Three Lakes didn't do that to me. I never toss out a book, that's for sure.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I don't really have time to even sell most of them. Unless I can convince mom to leave them here and I take them one box at a time to my new place and sell it there (it's only about a 4 hour drive)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Mine usually sit near the toilet or tub, disgusting but true. It's about the only time I'm alone and not doing something else

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

we have the half price books store chain that will buy used. The last time I went they gave me the hairy eyeball and said, 'THESE are SF/Mystery book club and are on cheap paper, we dont' want them' Fine I'll give them to the poor or the library and write it off on my taxes, jerks. Sadly, I don't think there are any other used book stores left around here. If I were still in Madison I knew exactly where to take them

[aaronlisa.livejournal.com]

I don't blame you. Sometimes the toliet is the best place to get a chance to read!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

it's getting to be that way with me. Used to read in bed. Well I still do but it's usually printed out fanfic

[adeliedreams.livejournal.com]

Ick, pity, that.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i know.it's not like I thought my hardcovers were some rare editions or something. I just wanted a few cents for them

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

I've purged 50-75% of my book collection *every* time I moved, which was often when I was in grad school/teaching. I just didn't have the room in my car/money for shipping. I got used to the purge after a while, and kept only those books I was most sentimental about. Which worked out in the end, as now my modest collection is filled with best-loved books.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that's pretty much what I'm going to end up doing. I've been storing them in my parents and both grandmother's places and they're getting tired of it so I have to purge it

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Of course, I've collected a few junk books since my last move!

; )

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I have lots of those, not to mention non fiction books I can't even tell you WHY I bought them since I have no interest in the subject matter.

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Those are the easiest ones to get rid of, although it will make you mad if you don't have the time/opportunity to recoup your losses on them.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that's what I'm looking at here. I'm hoping they'll put up with the books for now until I can sit down the the non-fiction and put them up on amazon's used book sale

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

That's what parents are for. Storage, and spending your meager inheritance.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that's what I say. SOmehow they don't agree. Imagine that.