Typically illogical behaviour of a book lover
Discussion
Zumbruk said:
You would appear to be me. When we moved in here, 6 years ago, we moved 51 boxes of books, and that was after a bit of a clearout. My recent birthday present from my wife was more books, and there are presently ~30 on my TBR pile and hundreds of unread ebooks on my Kobo. I usually have 3 or 4 on the go at any one time. One difference is that (apart from cookbooks, which are in the kitchen), we have one room lined with bookcases and all the books live in there - it's actually a bedroom but we (jokingly) call it the library.
It baffles me that there are supposedly 4M adults in the UK that never read for pleasure, and 47% of adults say they haven't read a book in the last year.
But then, there is much about modern life that baffles me.
I did buy a Sony ebook reader some years back for holidays as I could never decide which books to take and ended up taking half a dozen in my suitcase - most of which wouldn't get touched when I got there. If we ever go on holiday again I'll probably dust it off.It baffles me that there are supposedly 4M adults in the UK that never read for pleasure, and 47% of adults say they haven't read a book in the last year.
But then, there is much about modern life that baffles me.
I guess if you're brought up in a household that reads, or are just attracted to reading in school, then you "get it" and perhaps that sticks with you through life. I guess now there are many other things to occupy an inquisitive or bored young mind and some are just never turned on to reading at all. Or just don't have the patience to sit still for long enough.
I have no strong emotional bond with most books I own as physical objects , so an e-reader is fine , but there are many exceptions , including the ones with nice pictures - especially my Automobile Year 1967, Rainer Schlegelmilch Sports Car Racing 1962 -1973 (just buy it if you don't have a copy !) , Karl Ludvigsen's Colin Chapman - Inside the Innovator (signed by Clive Chapman with his dad's drawing pencil) , then there 's Hemingway's achingly wonderful A Moveable Feast (bought from Shakespeare & Co , Paris - Hem fans will know why that is important ) and a few score more I guess, including (brag alert ) the three I wrote myself .
I too am horrified at how little so many grown ups read , and , if they do read at all , what utter tosh they choose to read. I have to say that PH is often no exception, with some truly ghastly 'books' being recommended . Not a snob, really , but I despair at the cultural aridity of some. I do realise I may be sounding like Jacob Rees Mogg , so I better leave it at that !
I too am horrified at how little so many grown ups read , and , if they do read at all , what utter tosh they choose to read. I have to say that PH is often no exception, with some truly ghastly 'books' being recommended . Not a snob, really , but I despair at the cultural aridity of some. I do realise I may be sounding like Jacob Rees Mogg , so I better leave it at that !
coppice said:
I too am horrified at how little so many grown ups read , and , if they do read at all , what utter tosh they choose to read. I have to say that PH is often no exception, with some truly ghastly 'books' being recommended . Not a snob, really , but I despair at the cultural aridity of some. I do realise I may be sounding like Jacob Rees Mogg , so I better leave it at that !
A great friend of mine doesn't read books at all ('boring') - but doesn't fit that stereotype as he's well educated, intelligent, well spoken and successfully runs his own (non-manual) business.Personally, I've never understood *not* wanting to read a novel, of whatever flavour or literary standing, be it classical, modern, pulp fiction, scifi, crime etc (hell even Mills and Boon if it gives you pleasure!)
Derek Smith said:
Zumbruk said:
But then, there is much about modern life that baffles me.
I'm sure there's a book that can help you with that.https://www.amazon.co.uk/AQA-GCSE-History-Understa...
In a desire to declutter my own life before I inevitably have to do the same for my parents (see the House Clearance thread https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... ), I’ve done the only sensible thing…
…and bought a book on the subject (Swedish Death Cleaning). Like a good friend of mine has always said to me “we’re forever trying to buy simpler lives.”
Our books are in our study filling - and often double stacked - four extended height IKEA Billy bookcases. Well, not including the bookshelf in the hall, or the Vitsoe shelves of cookbooks in the dining room, the various books in our daughter’s room or the outsourced books in my wife’s office at work (she’s an academic - they like a book).
…and bought a book on the subject (Swedish Death Cleaning). Like a good friend of mine has always said to me “we’re forever trying to buy simpler lives.”
Our books are in our study filling - and often double stacked - four extended height IKEA Billy bookcases. Well, not including the bookshelf in the hall, or the Vitsoe shelves of cookbooks in the dining room, the various books in our daughter’s room or the outsourced books in my wife’s office at work (she’s an academic - they like a book).
Zumbruk said:
Derek Smith said:
Zumbruk said:
But then, there is much about modern life that baffles me.
I'm sure there's a book that can help you with that.https://www.amazon.co.uk/AQA-GCSE-History-Understa...
I avoid self-help books almost as much as I avoid any book that's not geographically based but has the word journey in the title. It it has One Woman's Journey I often throw it out of the window.
There was a delightful irony in that the book had a whole chapter on my failure to return the book. Not specifically you understand. So if I'd read it, I would not have bought it for two reasons.
OMITN said:
In a desire to declutter my own life before I inevitably have to do the same for my parents (see the House Clearance thread https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... ), I’ve done the only sensible thing…
…and bought a book on the subject (Swedish Death Cleaning). Like a good friend of mine has always said to me “we’re forever trying to buy simpler lives.”
Our books are in our study filling - and often double stacked - four extended height IKEA Billy bookcases. Well, not including the bookshelf in the hall, or the Vitsoe shelves of cookbooks in the dining room, the various books in our daughter’s room or the outsourced books in my wife’s office at work (she’s an academic - they like a book).
Not just me then. We deliberately bought a house with a spare room to completely line with IKEA bookcases (the 'library'). To keep the books Mrs L and I will re-read, also to provide an environment for grandson to understand books are a good thing. If we have to downsize, then we can always imagine ourselves in our library. …and bought a book on the subject (Swedish Death Cleaning). Like a good friend of mine has always said to me “we’re forever trying to buy simpler lives.”
Our books are in our study filling - and often double stacked - four extended height IKEA Billy bookcases. Well, not including the bookshelf in the hall, or the Vitsoe shelves of cookbooks in the dining room, the various books in our daughter’s room or the outsourced books in my wife’s office at work (she’s an academic - they like a book).
Lotusgone said:
Not just me then. We deliberately bought a house with a spare room to completely line with IKEA bookcases (the 'library'). To keep the books Mrs L and I will re-read, also to provide an environment for grandson to understand books are a good thing. If we have to downsize, then we can always imagine ourselves in our library.
Us too! Bedroom 3 is lined with bookcases (and no bed) and rather grandiously referred to as "the library". And we don't even have grandchildren (or children!)I'm not the biggest reader but do enjoy books. Illogical things I do - buy new books and keep them once I've read them even if the chance of me reading them a second time is nearly nil. I justify this as books are really very cheap entertainment on a £ per hr basis compared to almost everything else I can think of.
I've actually leant 2 books to a friend and can't wait until they are back in their correct place in my small-but-full bookcase.
I've actually leant 2 books to a friend and can't wait until they are back in their correct place in my small-but-full bookcase.
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