I often read the books I like more than once, just as I watch a movie I especially liked again. And on my bookshelves I have a few books I’ve been trying to read but can’t quite finish. I keep trying.
I’ve moved so many times I’ve only kept my absolute favourites that I know I’ll reread like my Anne Rice. Everything nowadays I buy on kindle so I don’t have to worry about storage. Also the stuff I read now is a lot darker and not as socially acceptable 😂
My bf has 1000s of books as he worked for book publishers. I squeezed one book into his shelf once. It was a book I wanted to read oneday. A couple of days later he found it which surprised me.
I like owning books. I like the way they look on the shelf, I like the way they absorb sound in a room, and I also read them fairly regularly too. 😅 I’d say most of the books I own I haven’t read yet but I pull a new one off the shelf to read a few times a month. I get rid of books too, usually nonfiction that I know I won’t read again.
I have four I’m currently reading, some I will throw away afterwards. If I don’t get on with a book, I’m not afraid to throw it away. Most of Stephen Kings finish up half read and binned.
When I’ve read two books, I replace them with a couple from Amazon. That list is extensive, but changes during the year.
I have friends who read and often meet new people who may look them over. Except for a few that are valuable I'm always happy to lend someone a book if they want to read it.
I had about 600 books on the shelves in my home office, but I am steadily thinning the collection. I still use a lot of them for research and pleasure.
I can only think of three possible reasons why. The book(s) have had a great influence on them. They mean to read them and have them in that position as a reminder. They're placed to start a conversation about the book, author, or topic.
That's not itself an act of rudeness, unless you have a definite motive to expose and embarrass visitors who without evidence impute erudition to you based on your possessions. That seems at high risk of backfiring by exposing you as a misanthrope.
@AlienTheExtraterrestrial Oh. All this time I never knew they did that. That sets me worrying what podiums I've been caught occupying. And explain a few DM questions that come in the night.
So that people will think I'm incredibly intelligent after seeing my short platinum blonde hair in action. My book collection therefore, authenticates what I tell everyone about myself.