Musing Mondays: Keeping Books

Musing Mondays is hosted by Just One More Page and today's theme is about what you do with all those books you collect over the years.

Do you keep all the books you buy over the years? Do you just keep the ones you really enjoy or the ones you have a particular fondness? Do you keep certain series or do you keep them? What do you do with them if you don't keep them?

I can't actually remember a time when I didn't have books in my life or when I didn't get a thrill from either receiving or buying books. Going to the bookstore or to the library was always exciting and I will admit that I still get excited when I see a new book I've been dying to read on the bookshelf. My husband just rolls his eyes, but has learned wisdom over the years and says absolutely nothing now. It must be especially trying for him as my son has developed the same passion for reading that I have and my daughter is tripping merrily along the same path too. I can't imagine what he now thinks when they both clamour to go to Chapter's instead of Home Depot, and I don't ask.

As for me, I have a difficult time giving up my books. A few years ago, I donated a huge stack of them to local charities and almost cried, but it had to be done as we were moving again (my husband is in the military). I receive a lot of my books as a book reviewer and I find those books easier to give away than books I buy personally for some reason. I just don't want to be the person who has books in every room of the house when I grow older and I don't want to be the person my grandkids shake their heads sadly over when they send me off to the retirement home one day and have to clean my house and it's full of books and that's it.

I host giveaways for my students, will hopefully host giveaways on my blog one day very soon, and will continue to donate books to charity. I will keep those old favourites that I am loathe to part with and that I know my children will want to read one day. And I will continue to frequent the local library and continue to donate money to them as I pay my overdue fines as I return yet another overdue book because I have taken out too many.

Happy reading everyone!