THE BOOK REPORT: How many books do you own?

[Lafayette]

Tein, have you ever felt like you want to slowly torture someone to death then bring them back and start again ?
TREAT BOOKS WITH RESPECT.

My Mother always told me books are my friends. Over the years I've discovered to my joy that she was right.

Sam how can you treat your friends like that?

 

[Paul_C]

Tein, have you ever felt like you want to slowly torture someone to death then bring them back and start again ?
TREAT BOOKS WITH RESPECT.

I once lent a Terry Pratchett book to a friend who took it on holiday - he wrecked it folding it back on itself so he could hold it one hand I never lent to him again.
Mind you, lending books nearly always results in trauma so I rarely lend these days unless it's something I can happily let go without worrying if I never see it again (most of them never return, sadly ).

 

[Extollager]

Paul, I'm going to start a thread for anecdotes such as yours.

 

[Bick]

He’s trolling for some childish reason.

 

[Happy Joe]

Lets see; currently 61 linier feet of barrister shelf (21 shelves)
... with an average of 48 paper backs each and 8 shelves double stacked (2 layers of books)
approximately 1392 hard copy books; since I gave away a good portion to get shelf space.

I know its not to some tastes but also have 10.7 gig of sci-fi and fantasy e-books just in the e-reader(neglecting the computers and backup storage).... (more than 200 authors; quite a few are duplicates of the hard copy books, though).
Other than used, I don't expect to get many more hard copy books, as the shelves are pretty well occupied..

Enjoy!

 

[Extollager]

He’s trolling for some childish reason.

I still think -- maybe pulling our legs.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

I've just finished packing away all my books in preparation for a house move, and I can report that my answer to the question is: lots.

 

[Extollager]

Stephen, if you end up having to dispose of some books, perhaps you'll have a story to tell here:

Tales of Book Purges, Culls, Weeding, etc.

"This thread is intended not so much as a place for thinking about maybe disposing of some books, as of telling about having done so: why you decided to dispose of books, how hard or easy that was, what methods you used for deciding what to retain and what to loose, the sense of relief at letting go, the regret over a book you wish you'd kept -- and remember that it's (often) not all about the you (and the books), but also about the people who came next for those books: the used book dealer who bought your book or gave you trading credit for it (or didn't), the friend or family member who accepted a book (or didn't), the donation of books to Friends of the Library -- and any other relevant stories and reflections from this aspect of your book life."

 

[RJM Corbet]

When my limited bookcase starts to bulge, I just chuck out the paperbacks I'm done with. I keep most philosophy, poetry, spiritual (ok PG Wodehouse too, but don't spread it around) but otherwise once I've read it and don't think I'll go back to it, it has to go to make space for new mostly charity store paperbacks.

Now shoot me, lol

 

[Extollager]

Top shelf, middle door, towards the right, what's the Oxford UP book in blue cloth? Some standard poet, I'll be bound.

 

[RJM Corbet]

Top shelf, middle door, towards the right, what's the Oxford UP book in blue cloth? Some standard poet, I'll be bound.

Yup. Almost. Well caught: The Concise Oxford Dictionary, it is. Well, you can't throw that away?

 

[RJM Corbet]

A few more lying around the place, lol

 

[Extollager]

Since I have a few of the others, from the remaining books, if I were going to steal from your library, it might be that British Mineralogy I'd swipe. But I'm curious about The Wood.

 

[RJM Corbet]

Yes, my brother sent me that via Amazon. It was serialised on Radio4 apparently. I started it but couldnt get into it. Books received as gifts from my brother and daughter I can't give away, of course. Like the rock bios. My daughter thinks because I grew up in the 60s that's what I'm into. The Bob Dylan bio is good. Sorry the pics are so blurred and badly lit. But I fuppose it adds to the curiosity, lol?

 

[Vince W]

Glad to see another fountain pen user.

 

[RJM Corbet]

Glad to see another fountain pen user.

You spotted the ink! Well caught. I've got a few. My cousin used to give me a new one almost every year when I spend Christmas with her. If I ever want attention from the Council or suchlike, an old fashioned handwritten letter in black ink with a fountain pen seems to get straight to the top of the pile.

But I just like writing with one

 

[nixie]

I'd love to be able to use a fountain pen, anytime I've tried it's a blotted mess.

 

[RJM Corbet]

I'd love to be able to use a fountain pen, anytime I've tried it's a blotted mess.

Well it's not so hard. After filling the pen or inserting a new cartridge, dab off any ink from the nib with a tissue and just write. If the ink doesn't flow, I usually drop a few drops of water from the tap onto the bottom of the nib, then give it a shake.

Sometimes you need to press down and scribble a bit (but gently) to get the ink flowing right, like with a ball point. But once you've got the ink to flow, it shouldn't blot?

EDIT: Sorry: but a fountain pen nib doesn't work vertical to the paper, like a ball point. It works at a slight angle, so the smooth nubs on the bottom of the tip of the nib make contact with the paper.

 

[Vince W]

You spotted the ink! Well caught. I've got a few. My cousin used to give me a new one almost every year when I spend Christmas with her. If I ever want attention from the Council or suchlike, an old fashioned handwritten letter in black ink with a fountain pen seems to get straight to the top of the pile.

But I just like writing with one

I started using disposable fountain pens in university. It slowed my writing down so I could read my notes. After I finished I bought myself a Waterman that I still used daily and a couple of Lamy's.

It's true what you say, a letter written by hand gets far more attention these days than a printout or an email. I also get complements about writing with a fountain pen. It seems to impress a lot of people.

 

[RJM Corbet]

I started using disposable fountain pens in university. It slowed my writing down so I could read my notes. After I finished I bought myself a Waterman that I still used daily and a couple of Lamy's.

It's true what you say, a letter written by hand gets far more attention these days than a printout or an email. I also get complements about writing with a fountain pen. It seems to impress a lot of people.

Those are good pens!