Book Blogger Hop No. 65: To Bookshelf Or Not To Bookshelf!!

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

What to Do

1.) Post on your blog answering this week's

question:

 Do you have books stacked in every

room of your house, or are you

strictly a believer that books

belong on bookshelves?

(submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

2.)  Enter the link to your post in the

Linky list on Billy's blog.

3.)  Visit other blogs on the list and

comment on their posts. 

4.)  Be sure to find out next week's

question when you visit

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

My Answer

Of course books belong on bookshelves! This is the only sane, logical answer to this question. BUT. Are MOST bookworms, especially if they're also bibliophiles, really "sane" and "logical"? Well, at least THIS bookworm/bibliophile is not! And I am being very honest here. 

I want to own as many wonderful books as I possibly can. I am totally insatiable. I am aware that I need to curb my bookish appetites, because we (my non-book addicted hubby and I) are now living in a one-bedroom condo, and there's only so much room for books.....

We used to live in a three-bedroom apartment, on the other side of town, and I had books EVERYWHERE! (Well, except in the kitchen and bathroom, lol.) In addition to having books on the living room shelves, I had books on shelves in our two small closets. Also, one of the couches in the living room was entirely taken over by books! No joke. My husband used to get on my case about it. No one could sit there! But the thing is, the living room shelves were entirely full. I had FIVE floor-to-ceiling bookcases in the living room, two more floor-to-ceiling bookcases in our bedroom, two small bookcases in one of the spare bedrooms, PLUS more than TEN boxes full of books, right in that bedroom....The other spare bedroom was really not a bedroom, but a sort of den. It was full of tools and other odds and ends, and we rarely, if ever, went in there.

All of the above changed when we moved, back in March of 2015, into a one-bedroom condo. Hubby told me that he wanted "no more book clutter in the living room". Our new, very comfortable couch was to be used for sitting and reclining exclusively. Lol.

In order to achieve this new state of affairs, I had no choice but to donate boxes and boxes of books to Goodwill. This was not as gut-wrenching, though, as I had originally thought. I discovered that many of the books I had collected were really not books I would ever read, so I was able to give them away without any qualms.

I could NOT give ALL of my beloved treasures away, though! There were MANY books that I just couldn't bear to part with. It would have been entirely heart-rending. Tears come to my eyes from just even thinking about it.... So I put them in storage. I had originally thought that a 5 X 10 unit would be enough. My husband took me to a place that had units of several sizes. The lady I spoke with there said that she would reserve a unit with the above dimensions, until I was ready to start bringing in boxes. But, when I was finally ready, it turned out that she didn't have any units of that size. Since she had promised to save me one, she then said that she would give me a 7 X 10, for the rental fee of the 5 X 10. That was really very nice of her! And I'm SO glad, too, because, as things turned out, I REALLY did need the larger unit! It's now completely full of boxed books, from floor to ceiling!!

This was my night table, 

in our old apartment.

This is  my night table, in

our current condo.

  

So, at our new place, most of the books are in my seven floor-to-ceiling bookcases in the living room. There are no books on the couch. But....I do have two tall stacks on a small table right next to me, in my reading nook. And, I also have three tall stacks on my night table. And I have a small bookcase in our bedroom that's not only holding books on its shelves, but books on top of THOSE books. AND, I have a couple of shelves holding books in our walk-in closet. I'm really starting to run out of space now, lol. The other day, I stuffed two new paperbacks, purchased at Target, inside two purses I'm not currently using. These purses hanging in one of our closets! 

Bottom line: books are supposed to go on shelves, but a book addict's love of these things can be SO strong, that said book addict will go to any lengths to keep cramming books into their dwelling, even if they really don't fit anymore! 

I am now making a REAL effort to stop buying any more books, because I don't want to risk getting nagged and criticized by hubby. I need to read the books I already own. Yes, I know.... that was my New Year's resolution in January of 2015. Of course, I have bought several more books since then.....

It would be very helpful if there were some vaccine to counteract compulsive book-buying and hoarding..... On the other hand, I wonder if I would voluntarily go and get a shot, if such a vaccine existed!        

   

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

Please leave a comment,

and I'll go check out your post!