Comments on Women of Mystery: Tossing Your Titles: A Timely Topic

Well, it's nice not to feel alone in my throes. My...

2007-08-04T14:42:00.000-04:00

Well, it's nice not to feel alone in my throes. My library has, out of self-defense, gotten stricter about what they'll take. I need to sneak to another township.

Tx, Nan, I'll try to keep the theme songs coming.

Get rid...of books? What is this of which you spea...

2007-08-02T12:48:00.000-04:00

Get rid...of books? What is this of which you speak?

I can't even give away books I don't like. It's just physically impossible for me, I cramp up and start hyperventilating. I must have some condition, or something. Even the awful textbooks my school makes me buy. I still have them all.

I keep stubbing my toes on piles of books, though, so I guess I should move to a bigger place.

Thanks for bringing up the topic - and for doing s...

2007-08-02T07:20:00.000-04:00

Thanks for bringing up the topic - and for doing such a bang-up job with your postings! (The photos aren't merely great visual hooks, they are vision-expanders on multiple levels. I swear I can hear back-up music when I come upon your postings!)

Back to the book conundrum, do you think I'll be arrested if I give away books with an old stamp indicating which high school I lifted it from while teaching there?

But I gathered the suggestions from your responders and hope to do a little sharing of the wealth soon.

Write On!
Nan

Our local library system has designated one librar...

2007-08-01T20:21:00.000-04:00

Our local library system has designated one library as the place to drop off used books and then sells them. I buy hardcover books for between $1 and $2 and the library must have tens of thousands of titles on hand at any given moment.

The stock is eclectic but what a great deal. The library takes any kind of book.

Maybe your local library system would be interested

Another good tip for book dispersal, Terrie, thoug...

2007-08-01T12:30:00.000-04:00

Another good tip for book dispersal, Terrie, though I hesitate to send a public library my Black Art of Death, a thin martial arts-type manual with only killing moves. Don't ask...oh yeah, I'm keeping that one. Watch out, burglars.

Aw shucks, Lois, you're too kind.

Thanks everyone for the nice words and good wishes. Women of Mystery BBQ?!

You found the prettiest house in three states! I s...

2007-08-01T07:30:00.000-04:00

You found the prettiest house in three states!

I seem to be the only one who can't seem to let books go at all. And each year it seems I'm spending more and more money buying new ones. I thought it was lucky we had a big house and could bring every last one of them with us when we moved here. We've accumulated three times the number now, and I'm starting to feel hemmed in. I haven't yet begun stacking them in aisles in the living room, and I have promised my husband that if it comes to that we will let them go.

Nothing like moving to realize how much stuff one ...

2007-08-01T06:15:00.000-04:00

Nothing like moving to realize how much stuff one actually does own.

Congrats on the house!

Clare, congrats on buying the house. It's gorgeous...

2007-07-31T23:47:00.000-04:00

Clare, congrats on buying the house. It's gorgeous. I wish you a long and happy life in it.

As to books: About ten years ago I broke my ankle and was trapped in the house for a week or so. I spent the time deciding who I wanted to have what after I was dead. When I mentioned this to my daughter, she said, "Mom when you die, we're throwing all this stuff out."

And I thought, "they're going to throw away my books. How could they?"

About the "stuff" in general, I had an epiphany. If they are going to throw it all away after the funeral, why don't I throw it away before? So that's what I do. Every week or so, I throw something out. Ah, but the books . . .

My gym has a book exchange so I drop books off there and try not to bring home too many new ones. I keep all the gym books together in a crate so I make sure they leave my house.

My "do gooder" book thing is www.readertoreader.org a terrific organization that sends books to economically depressed libraries. They also have helped a lot of libraries that lost all their books in Hurricane Katrina.

Take a look at the site and if you can't send books, send money.

(Note to self--make this a blog topic in a few months.)

Terrie

Nope, I can't. I do the books overseas thing, the...

2007-07-31T19:06:00.000-04:00

Nope, I can't. I do the books overseas thing, the BookMooch thing (and I give my "points" to charities like Books for Hospitals and Books for Prisons), the BookCrossing thing, even Goodwill and library sales. (If you can get enough books together, the library a half hour from me will come and pick them up.)

And that's just the paperbacks.

I also go for Craigslist. You can usually find people on there who are willing to take your books in bulk. I have no idea what they do with them, but I've done it a few times.