Hmmm... Book Numbers...

Booking Through Thursday

Size Matters

What's the largest your personal library has ever been?  What's the greatest number of books you've ever owned at one time?  (Estimates are fine.)

Is your collection NOW the biggest it's ever been?  Or have you down-sized?

What's the fewest number of books you've ever owned (not counting your pre-reading years)?

Gosh...  Tricky questions.  I have always preferred not to actually count all my books because that might make me realise I probably have more books than I actually need.  This is only an estimate because I didn't venture into the attic which also has shelving for books...  I have 10 large bookcases (6 shelves per book case and 1 metre wide).  The novels, autobiographies etc are packed fill their shelves at 2 books deep and averaging 15 books high...  approximately 30 shelves of these 2700 books... and about 30 shelves of non-fiction including recipe books, gardening, art, knitting, patchwork, historty etc...  Okay, that works out at approximately 4000 books in our house (I haven't included all the books that live on shelves in the attic nor all my books that have crept down to inhabit bookshelves in my mum's house... they would be another story for another day)...

I think I can quite honestly say that my book collection is the largest it has ever been.  Now and again, I try to send a few to the charity shop or I sell a few on Amazon but invariable a month later I am searching for the book that I thought I no longer wanted.  I do try periodically to get rid of books that I don't think I will read again or the odd book that I thought I would enjoy reading but never did.  No choice really because I am running out of space and do have piles of books sitting around in front of book cases and use the tops of the bookcases as additional bookcase shelving.

I cannot remember not having books.  My mum always had lots of books.  When we were in our early teens my brother and I used to love going around all the second hand bookshops in Smithfield Market looking for new interesting ones to read.  Then I went to university and continued working my way around the second hand bookshops in Leeds.  When I was travelling home...  (my mum had a friend of a friend who offered to put my stuff into the back of their lorry on their way back from dropping off a load)  I think he was a little shocked when my boxes of books started to come down the 4 flights of stairs...  I even got rid of half of my clothes as I knew I only had a certain amount of space... but the books all came home with me.

I suppose the thing that has changed is what I like to read...  I don't read the classics Hardy, Austen, Dickens etc quite as often as I should and find myself reaching for a fantasy novel more often...

How many books inhabit my To-Be-Read pile?...

Book Blogger Hop

I have never taken part in book memes because my blog Nicolette's Notebook is mainly devoted to photographs, walks and crafts, so I decided that I would like to start a separate book blog.  This will have thoughts about books I am reading.  Themes I am mulling over for my creative writing and inspiring quotes and links that I come across and find interesting.

The Book Blogger Hop often poses interesting and thought provoking questions.  However, this particular question made me laugh out loud.

Question:

How many books are currently in your To Be Read (TBR) pile?

After all, I live in a house that has at least one book case in every room including the attic (exceptions being the bathroom and kitchen where I find steam and paper do not go hand in hand).

Our small bedroom has been nicknamed the book room and has a lovely blue futon sofa bed (very comfy to lounge on when relaxing with a great book to read) but has long since ceased to be used as a spare bed as it cannot be opened out de to the number of bookshelves that now line the walls.

Now and again I ponder the issue of rehoming some books that I think I may no longer want but I invariably regret such rash actions.

I have books on many diverse topics both in fiction and non fiction but particular favourites are biographies, history, creative writing, fantasy novels, mythology, folklore, classics and the natural world.

So many books.  Many read.  Many more waiting to be read.

Imaginary and real worlds hidden between colourful covers.  All of which I fully intend to explore and lose myself in as I turn the pages and disappear into exciting and diverse emotional landscapes.

In answer to the question above

too many to be counted.

My mum taught me to read when I was 2 1/2 and by the time I started school the week before my 4th birthday I had already read al the reading books for primary 1.

The highlight of my world when I was tiny was the arrival of the mobile library van which pulled into the parking area just beyond our gates.  Climbing the steps to a peaceful retreat of bookshelves filled with books.  My excitement building for the books I would be able to read and choose from.  The impossible decision to be made on which books to borrow until the next time.