THE BOOK REPORT: How many books do you own?

A year ago my count was 4,086 books. Today the count is 5,054 -- despite the fact that I have acquired more than I expected to since then. I've given away a lot of books, too -- 56 in the past few days.

(groan)

I have got to read my postings before sending them.

I typed 5,054, but the correct number was 4,054. I have, officially, fewer books, despite acquiring so many since last year.
 
A year ago my count was 4,086 books. Today the count is 5,054 -- despite the fact that I have acquired more than I expected to since then. I've given away a lot of books, too -- 56 in the past few days.

Never was good at numbers. That shouldn't have been 5,054, but 4,054.

But today, though I have acquired a number of books lately, my count stands at 4,031, because I have given away more books.
 
I might have to have a recount sometime soon - I have acquired books (both paperback and ebooks) at an alarming rate since I joined the forum. :)
 
710. I have 460 just on chess that I picked up remarkably cheap over the years including the core of my collection that was given to me. Chess players are well-known to be bookophiles. One acquaintance of mine who passed away recently had his whole apartment packed when they went through his belongings. It seemed he ran out of places so he had the oven stuffed as well. Bachelors rarely use an oven! But I guess he did use his oven well. I have been making war on the pile recently by making stops at the used book store for swaps. Darn pile still seems to grow. Grrrr.

He never went out without a book under his arm, and he often came back with two...
Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
 
710. I have 460 just on chess that I picked up remarkably cheap over the years including the core of my collection that was given to me. Chess players are well-known to be bookophiles. One acquaintance of mine who passed away recently had his whole apartment packed when they went through his belongings. It seemed he ran out of places so he had the oven stuffed as well. Bachelors rarely use an oven! But I guess he did use his oven well. I have been making war on the pile recently by making stops at the used book store for swaps. Darn pile still seems to grow. Grrrr.

He never went out without a book under his arm, and he often came back with two...
Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

Please don't get me started on the number of chess books that have passed into and out of my collection over the years. :rolleyes:
 
I was watching a program the other day about the psychology of cat hoarders.
These are people who start off with two of three un-nuetered cats.
And before you know it, it's wall to wall moggies.
The expert was saying there are lots of types of hoarders, including books!!!
I always considered myself just an avid collector.
But with 10000 plus could it be I am indeed a hoarder???
I'm which case HELP!!!!!!!!!
 
I was watching a program the other day about the psychology of cat hoarders.
These are people who start off with two of three un-nuetered cats.
And before you know it, it's wall to wall moggies.
The expert was saying there are lots of types of hoarders, including books!!!
I always considered myself just an avid collector.
But with 10000 plus could it be I am indeed a hoarder???
I'm which case HELP!!!!!!!!!

Like Extollager, I still have some shelf space and would be happy to help.


Randy
 
I suppose we might (if one wants to get serious) oppose a habit of buying too many books by reflecting on this:

Is it possible that, in modern liberal* society, we get our day-by-day sense of who we are far too much by

--what we follow as fans (e.g. who we follow on social media, the sports teams we love, the brands to which we feel attached, the popular musicians and movie directors we keep up with, etc.);
--what we buy;
--who and what we oppose?

If you're under 40, you might add to that list, the places you've been.

If we stop to think about it, sure, we know there's more to ourselves than these things. I'm wondering if, though, in ordinary daily life, they don't account for a great deal of our sense of ourselves. If that's not satisfactory, then perhaps efforts to disengage ourselves from some of them would be advantageous.

*By which I refer to the modern western European and North American political, legal, and cultural norms
 
Well, I am disappointed that no matter how many books I buy by him, I can't write like Jonathan Carroll.


Randy M.
 
This reminds of another disease I've come across being a lover of guitars and it has an abbreviation G.A.S. that the possessors brag about. It stands for Guitar Acquired Syndrome. These guys (yes it is usually guys) like we book lovers can never get enough guitars. It always one more guitar and it is usually, but not always expensive guitars.

I think we book lovers should also have an abbreviation. Why don't we have a contest? The winner receives a new set of reading glasses.
 
Have never counted my books but anyone who see's them says "that's a lot of books". I do cull them down regularily and now that ebooks are here I seem to be reading a lot of those instead so the pile is shrinking.
 
I’m with warrior mouse.

Ebooks are a great way to go. I only get physical books from my favourite authors now..
 
REF:Randy.M
What would you like.
"Calculus With Analytical Geometry" (all 700 pages), or "The Feynman Lectures In Physics", volumes 1 to 3.
P.S. Warrior Mouse, I like your icon!
 
Last edited:
Current estimate 3,920, thanks to culling about 173 books in the past few weeks.
 

Similar threads


Back
Top