'No More Buying Books Until I've Read the Ones I've Already Bought' Thread

InaPickle

Oooh, yes, we are in there! Well done everyone: let's keep the momentum going and tell everyone what we have read/are reading and what you think of the books. I like the discussion element the thread is getting...all we need now is tea and coffee. :coffee:

InaPickle

anne99 wrote: »

What a fantastic thread! I am an avid reader with a fair few unread, and so many bookcases we've named our second public room The Library. Well, my teenagers did, and it stuck.

But I've a confession to make that may have me shunned in this bibliophile thread.

During the really cold weather in January, we ran out of coal for our multi-fuel stove, and we had a couple of boxes of books (really trashy ones in the main) that we had put aside for charity shops. That in itself had been a difficult experience, as both DH and myself do like to have shelves of books around, as well as to be always reading. But we had got to the stage of realising that to get the other half of the collection out of boxes, we'd have to ditch some.

Then we heard on the news about little old ladies buying cheap books in charity shops to burn on the fire.

So we did. I can tell you that paperbacks burn great, hardbacks aren't worth the effort. To get the fire going, fan the pages out a bit before you put the book on. For a slower burn, put it on straight from the shelf.

I know it sounds like something from 1940s Germany (just read The Book Thief - recommended). And it did feel almost like a political act. But we live in a remote area and couldn't find coal within 10 miles....

I'll get my coat.....

Y'know, my books are flapping their pages at me for typing this, but I can't quite kick you out. So long as they were really trashy books, and nothing decent.

Get your coat off and grab a cuppa!

anne99

InaPickle wrote: »

So long as they were really trashy books, and nothing decent.

Oh, they were, they were. I couldn't part with the decent ones. The criterion was "Would you recommend this book to anyone, even if they had nothing else to read?" Only books which got a resounding NO from both of us went in the boxes at all, and even some of them got a reprieve in front of the fire.

I'm currently reading Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self by Claire Tomalin. Thoroughly enjoying it, but don't remember buying it ... so I do belong on this thread really.

Tete_en_l'Air

InaPickle wrote: »

*Pickle pre-emptively connects to printer and looks for suitable frame*

Fame at last eh? Haha! So much for momentum though, I'm still 'between' books, but I've got my sewing class tonight and am never fit for anything when I get in from that at 8.30 so going to snuggle straight up in bed and make a start

anne99 wrote: »

I've a confession to make that may have me shunned in this bibliophile thread.

During the really cold weather in January, we ran out of coal for our multi-fuel stove ... Then we heard on the news about little old ladies buying cheap books in charity shops to burn on the fire ... So we did.

:eek: But I guess it was kinda moneysaving, if the nearest coal was 10 miles away ... so you can be forgiven!

gilligansyle

InaPickle wrote: »

What, Martin's e-mail?! :eek: I didn't even notice!

I'd better go back and read. If I didn't I'm going to look like a twit (:o), and if I did, naughty Pickle for not paying enough attention! *Pickle pre-emptively connects to printer and looks for suitable frame*

Is it me? I can't find it

Anyway, who's brought the coffee? I have banana cake, and currently reading Douglas Adams 'Salmon of Doubt' which I'm not sure about.

Somebody mentioned 'Chocolat' I unfortunately read this AFTER seeing the film, and so was disappointed. Coastliners, I actually quite liked, but spent far too long imagining the coastline in question. A friend lent me quite a few of her books and they are all quite different, so don't let one put you off the others.

Tete_en_l'Air

It was in the Quick Forum Tips bit at the bottom. Am I exposing myself as some kind of MSE desperado here, who scours every last word of the email looking for tips and bargains?!

ETA - I've just thought of a literary question! A couple of years ago I was killing time in an airport (in the bookshop!), and came across and intriguing book called something like 'Love Letters in Chinese/Mandarin' or something, it was written in the kind of pidgin English a chinese person would use. That's all I can remember about it! I've tried googling but to no avail, does it sound familiar to anyone?

ETA (again) - Found it by doing a very vague search on Amazon!

InaPickle

anne99 wrote: »

I'm currently reading Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self by Claire Tomalin. Thoroughly enjoying it, but don't remember buying it ... so I do belong on this thread really.

:rotfl:Indeed you do: many of us can sympathise!

InaPickle

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

Fame at last eh? Haha! So much for momentum though, I'm still 'between' books, but I've got my sewing class tonight and am never fit for anything when I get in from that at 8.30 so going to snuggle straight up in bed and make a start

Oh don't! I started the Jo Brand book a few weeks ago, kept forgetting to briing it to work for breaks etc. and am not much further through (although, in my defence, I have been uber-busy). I think that's my problem with books, I'm a book bulimic: I will binge on books for a while, then end up not reading any for a good while, then....ad infinitum.

I think I need to get back on track and break the cycle *Pickle tootles off to find book*

Tete_en_l'Air

I started doing that last summer, for the sunny days!, I used to go and sit under a tree with my sandwiches and book but I don't do it over winter. I've noticed a definite slow in my reading since I learned to drive, I used to do so much reading on the bus!

InaPickle

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

I started doing that last summer, for the sunny days!, I used to go and sit under a tree with my sandwiches and book but I don't do it over winter. I've noticed a definite slow in my reading since I learned to drive, I used to do so much reading on the bus!

It's very true that public transport holds many hitherto unforseen advantages for the bibliophile. I'm giong to work soon, so I will make a point of bringing my book.

The funny thing is, I feel as though I never stop reading, but I think that the nature of what I read is different: websites, newspapers etc. all figurea heavily, and I just end up reading less books as a consequence. I need to try to redress the balance, as I love it when I do.

Right. Gotta go. Books to find, work to go to etc.

Happy reading!