As I mentioned earlier this month, I’m packing to move up to TYG in North Carolina. And being me, most of the packing involves boxes of books. So the question arises, which ones do I leave behind?
I’m not talking about leaving lots—I have maybe 24 boxes (most of them small) so far, I’m maybe half done, and I could squeeze the books I’ve rejected into maybe one more box. But that’s one less box I have to lug to the truck, so it’s worthwhile. And yesterday, I began thinking about my process of rejection.
•Duplicate books, obviously: TYG has The Lord of the Rings and several Harry Potters so I can foresake those.
•Books that were marginal in the first place. Most of Patrick Rothfuss’ Name of the Wind was incredible, but the parts I didn’t like I disliked a lot—so out it goes (if the second volume improves, I’m sure I can find a replacement copy).
•Books I kept because I have more by the same author. In my younger days, getting everything by my favorite authors, even novels I didn’t like, seemed important; not so much now. So loving Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk though I do, Rafael Sabatini’s Strolling Saint will go to charity, as will a number of Philip Jose’ Farmer’s books.
•Mysteries. There are several authors, such as Jonathan Kellerman, where I’ve acquired three or four of their books in sales, and no more. In a kind of reverse-completism, that seems kind of pointless now (and it’s not as if Kellerman or Deborah Knott would be hard to find in libraries) so I’m leaving them. Exceptions being the ones I’m really fond of, such as Erle Stanley Gardner, Emma Lathem or Ngaio Marsh.
•So-so reference books. There are a few on my shelves that had a lot of useful information without being particularly interesting; unless it’s information I really need, they’re history (hahahahaha, am I a punster or what?).
Even at that, it’s going to be a long, hard haul. Good thing TYG is totally worth it.
At the narrow passage, there is no brother, no friend, and only room for a few bookshelves
Filed under Reading
