I did it again. I organized my bookshelves.
And when I say I organized them, I mean I was too tired to alphabetize them or put them in rainbow order or anything fancy like that. No, I just went through my books and got rid of some.
Yes, I’m getting rid of some books.
I know a lot of people think it’s a sin to give away books. And honestly, I don’t like to give away books. If only because I want a library in my future home as big as my local library. Still, there are so many books of mine that just collect dust that I’ve never read before.
I took all my books off my shelves (six shelves total between two bookcases). There were plenty of books that I have read before I said to myself, “I’m keeping that,” and immediately put it back onto my shelf.
There were a few books that I had to think about. For example, a few of them I read when I was very young. Would I enjoy them now? Probably not. But I kept them for nostalgic reasons and I’m sure, if I read them again down the road, I’ll still appreciate them anyway.
There were a handful of books that I didn’t enjoy, but I kept them anyway. I like to keep books I don’t particularly care for a few reasons. One, someone I know might enjoy it down the road. Two, if I ever re-read it I might find a new appreciation for it. And three, as a writer, I think it’s good to keep books you like and don’t like. It’s a reminder, in a way, and you learn how you want to write your own stories.
Pretty much all the books I gave away were books I bought years and years ago and never read. Reading the summaries now, I know I most likely will never read them. I’ve held onto them for so long saying that I’ll get to it and never do. Instead of them collecting dust, I’ll donate them to my thrift store or library and other people can put them to good use and enjoy them.
It’s always a good feeling to go through your books. You find a lot that you forgot about.
How often do you go through your books? Do you tend to keep every single one of them? Let me know in the comments below!
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