Monday, February 06, 2012

I Love My Books, I Hate My Books, I Love My Books, I Hate My Books, I Love...


There is no end, and I can barely remember back to the beginning when I decided that moving from a studio apartment to a one-bedroom apartment was just the thing.  

The sum and total of my life now is books and boxes.  Finding boxes.  Filling boxes.  Taping boxes.  Running out of tape and going to the store for more.  Looking through the recycling for more boxes.*  Going to the post office and buying boxes.  Going to E-Mart and carrying out my groceries in a box that I can use later.  Putting books and books and books and books in these boxes and always, always seeing the shelves more than half-full.  In this case, half-full does not indicate optimism.

I've also culled nearly 100 books from the collection.  I'm still being judicious about it, but I'm about to topple over into ruthless culling.  It hurts to cull.  It hurts to not cull.  It hurts to stand hovering with a book in my hand for a half-hour, unable to decide between the two piles.  Moving day is approximately 18 days away.

Shoulda been a stamp collector.

*I was heading down to recycling every day with a spring in my step until Teri told me that the rats run through it.  Now I approach the place less often and with more trepidation.  Thanks, Teri.

11 comments:

Sam said...

"Cull"? I understand that word in theory but not in practice. My wife is ready to kill me...

A Library Girl said...

Culling is hard. Even when I'm looking at a book I've read and didn't particularly like, a little part of me says "Well, who knows, you might want to reread it a few years from now. And you might love it then!" The last time I had to do serious culling, my collection was composed mostly of books I liked enough to reread, which made culling even harder.

Kathleen said...

Stamps would definitely have been lighter! I always dread moving since my books seem to take up so much space amidst all of the boxes. Good luck with your packing and culling!

Teresa said...

I'm impressed that you've culled 100 books so far. Moving makes me absolutely ruthless about what to keep. Not just with books but with everything.

Susan said...

"I stand there for half an hour deciding what to do with the book...." lol and there I was, thinking i was the only one who did that, just when I'm organizing my shelves, not only when I'm moving!!!

My advice, gained from years of moving: do not give away anything you really like. Honestly, you will end up buying it again because it makes a big hole on your shelf when you unpack and 6 months from now something reminds you of it and you go looking and smack yourself in the head for getting rid of it. The trashy novels, the ones friends gave you that you will never read - heck yes, let them go. But if it takes you half an hour, my dear book-twin......lol I'm not helping you, am I???? :-D

PS I always feel a little guilty at giving any book away for donation, even though I know someone else could love it.

Anonymous said...

Just think of all the space you will have to buy more books! (and whatever you do, don't think about the next time you have to move)

Nan said...

Very funny, very witty. Loved this!

Care said...

aha! Do wait until it is closer to being in your new place before sending me your addy. Is that your strategy or did it get lost in the interwebs.

Carrie#K said...

Definitely don't give away anything you like. Not only will you want to reread it, but it can be shockingly difficult to find decades later. Ask me how I know.

Tami said...

Totally understand the work of packing, sorting, lifting, hauling, unpacking, rearranging books books books! We actually lost a box in the last move. I still keep hoping it will show up, but I really don't think there are any more unopened boxes. I fear it went in the donation stack rather than the "move" stack.

On the flip side, there is nothing like the old friends in book form to make a new place feel like home.

Good luck on the move.

Unruly Reader said...

Muscles. Just think of the muscles you'll have by the end of all this. Hang in there!