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Small Living: Paring Down the Books

By Allen 2222

Industry Observer

June 26, 2011 06:46 PM

One of the hardest things about deciding to Live Small, is whittling down a huge book collection.

As in, reducing the collection by about 90%, into two bookcases. And that includes cookbooks, and a vast collection of fantastic kids' classics, architecture and design books, and ones on history, art and photography.

In our next home, we'll have one large black library bookcase with glass doors and one 30" wide 6' tall maple bookcase in my daughter's room, and no other bookspace at all.

As I pull each unread book off the shelf, particularly the classics I was going to read "soon", it hurts.

But, we'll be getting a Kindle, and have no intention of reducing our Amazon.com budget - we'll just be changing the way we acquire the easy-reading books like novels we pound through in a weekend.

For those of you that have moved from big houses to small houses, did you hang on to your books, give them away, or put them into storage?
Were you ruthless, or was it hard hard hard?
Do you regret it?

Please share!

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Mimi Foster

Falcon Property Company - Colorado Springs, CO

Voted Colorado Springs Best Realtor

A lot of each ~ it was very difficult, but I was ruthless. I am a cookbook freak and that was hard. I would not, however, part with my knitting and weaving books, so those are all well marked in boxes. I'm so proud of you. I have yet to get thru a book electronically.

Jun 26, 2011 06:52 PM

MichelleCherie Carr Crowe .Just Call. 408-252-8900

Get Results Team...Just Call (408) 252-8900! . DRE #00901962 . Licensed to Sell since 1985 . Altas Realty - San Jose, CA

Family Helping Families Buy & Sell Homes 40+ Years

That is one of the hardest things for me to give up. Thanks for commenting on my recent post and sharing. Happy Valley is a lovely neighborhood. I hear Austin is a great place to live, too.

Jun 26, 2011 06:59 PM

Allen 2222

Austin, TX

Hi Mimi - the knitting books are as hard to part with as the wool I gave to my MIL a few years ago! Same for the knitting needles carried home from Belgium 25 years ago, from which dozen of sweaters came to life. Do you still read your knitting and weaving books, or are they just part of what makes your home feel like home?

Hi Valerie - 10 moves! Isn't it super hard to stop collecting new books, even having just parted with the old ones?

Michelle - thank you stopping by. Is the Falafel Drive-in still around? Fortunately, Austin has a lot of great food, but still, nothing can compare to California!

Jun 26, 2011 07:08 PM

I actually still read them. I have a lot of Alice Starmore kind of books, and a spinning wheel that my husband made me out of black walnut. It is part of my soul that I have not been willing to give up. The yarn, however, is in black bags packed away.

Jun 26, 2011 07:16 PM

Mike Mayer

Mike Mayer, Broker/Owner - i List For Less Realty, LLC - Lafayette, LA

Evolving into a "living small" became difficult when it came to deciding on what to do with personal treasures: photos, mementos and the like.

Jun 26, 2011 07:20 PM

Here is something that I did a lot of ~ if you love it but could live without it, take a picture and part with it. Pictures don't take up nearly as much room, you have the memory but not the storage. I'm so proud of you.

Jun 26, 2011 07:32 PM

Peggy Hughes/pha logistix, inc.

pha logistix inc - San Francisco, CA

SF NYC LA

So, even though I'm an organizer, and I have moved 52 times... books are a real problem for me to reduce.... But, my current collection is down to 200 of my very favorite cookbooks, decorating books and others that involve my Business/Insurance Law courses, fiction, decorating and feng shui. If I needed to reduce more... big problem!

Jun 26, 2011 08:06 PM

Peggy Chirico

Prudential CT Realty - Manchester, CT

REALTOR® 860-748-8900, Hartford & Tolland County Real Estate

Hi Allison - I started clearing out the books a few years ago. I always thought I would read them, but now I know if I really want to I can download them onto my reader. I have kept my favorite coffee table books and reference books (would never give up my copy of the Wine Bible!!!) and it was relatively easy. I donated most fiction to the Senior Center (how ironic) and they were thrilled to have them. I donated any encyclopedias and text books to an organization (Lighthouse Missionaries, I think) that ships them to foreign countries for people who want to practice English. Good luck.

Jun 27, 2011 03:18 AM

Mimi - I'll bet that spinning wheel is gorgeous! I love the idea of taking photos - will do that for the holiday stuff we just won't need at all any more,, and maybe some of the quilts that are going to friends and family.

Mike - what did you decide to do with the personal memorabilia? I have a ton of scrapbooks and a few boxes of childhood "treasures" and even that is going to be hard to find a place for, even in storage.

Peggy - 52 times! 52!!!!! WOW. This is move #7 as an adult, but two of those were corporate tranfers so someone else had to do a lot of the work. :-) I can see having a hard time getting below 200 books. There are at least that many that are dog-eared and USED in our collection - especially the kids books.

Peggy - which reader do you have? Do you like it? Would you recommend it?

Jun 27, 2011 04:49 AM

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