I read books. I alternate one business book and then one ‘for me’ book. I dream of having a library, one of those ones where you need a ladder to reach all of the books in my collection. I want the library to cover all of the walls in the room. It will look very sophisticated – from afar.
When you get closer to my collection of books, you will notice that they are all very crappy books. You see, I love buying books, I love reading them but then if I LIKE it – I love to pass it along to a friend, family member or the woman next to me one a plane because I think they will enjoy it. I usually don’t get a lot of those back but I don’t mind. I hope that they in turn maybe lent it to someone else that they think will enjoy the book.
So as I giveaway all of the books I liked, what I am left with in my slowly growing library are all my crappy books that were just ok, that too many other people have, that I for some reason had multiple copies of etc.
In walks the Kindle
Now we add a new player to my crappy library dream – my Kindle. I love it. I can have dozens of books on me at all times. I can switch between them or read them in order. I can buy new books on the go. The books are cheaper. My carry-on luggage is so much lighter!
I just read two books that I wished I could share with someone. Last night, I finished The Help. I really enjoyed it and wanted to pass it along to a friend but I can’t because it lives inside my Kindle – like Jeannie in her bottle from I Dream of Jeannie.
I guess I could lend someone my Kindle, but that is weird and my next 4 books I want to read are already queued up in there. Other than that my options are to just tell people about it and delete it from my device. I have been able to handle that for the last 8 or 9 books I have read. Just today I started to worry about the larger implications of this – my crappy library!
How am I going to fill my crappy library if all my books (crappy and good) are stuck inside my Kindle like I Dream of Jeannie? Do I build the four walls of shelves that I would put my books in and instead just place my single Kindle and tell people – there were thousands of books read on that thing?
I am a nerd for a living but in this instance, the technology is interfering with a dream I have always had. A whole physical room or space is being threatened by a convenient, pretty, practical, little invention that I love dearly. What is a dreamer and reader to do?
Photo credit: Mr. T in DC
I too struggle with this. Love the kindle but loved the whole experience of sharing a great book with people you know will enjoy it..and also had visions of a wall to wall library in my house with a big cumfy chair.
I have the Help at the Wakefield Public Library. My patrons love that book. 🙂 Having a library in my home where I can use a ladder would be the coolest thing. I love your blog and as a librarian, I will always love all the books in my library.
My in-laws built that in their retirement home. It’s amazing…..
If you aren’t a member on GoodReads yet, join! It’s a virtual brag book of all the books you’ve read…. ever. I’ve read so many books, sometimes I’ve forgotten what I’ve read… I’ve actually gone into my account to see whether I’ve read it or not.
I launched The Page Turner, a blog with a year-long project: to read all the books on a little bookshelf in my living room (just a fraction of all the Luddite paper books I own). And there’s a method to my madness. Follow me! I’m pretty sure The Help is on that shelf. I’ll read it…. right after I finish Anna Karenina!