book traumas and prejudices

All is not well in my library at the moment, and though it's a wee bit off topic I thought that I'd share this trauma and see what people think.

I have alot of books! I lived on my own in a two bedroom flat for about two or three years, so you can kind of guess what happened. Yup, a library happened. I had the shelves lining three walls and I was very happy with how things were.

I was single, free to indulge my book buying habit in the way that most girls are supposed to buy shoes without any justification, and to make a mess of my tiny kitchen with whatever cuisine of the world I was digging at the time. To be honest it looked like a small tribe of nomadic book herders lived there with all the books that kept ending up in piles in the strangest places.

This all changed when I met my man last February, here was someone who actually had as much substance as a good book along with looks that make me drool.

This is all sounding a wee bit too perfect I know and he's one major flaw is that he doesn't read books except for biography's about musicians. That's right me, who couldn't give a rats arse about image and who hates going to gigs because A] I'm so bloody short that i cant see anything anyway. and B] the stray flying can of beer or larger always hits me on the head and I smell yeasty all night, has ended up in love with a guitarist!

Luckily he's actually a very good musician, so going to his gigs isn't too traumatic, although he has taken to searching my bag to make sure I haven't hidden a book inside for sneaking off with when a band that I don't particularly like is on.

Anyway I moved in with him in November, and to accommodate all of our stuff I rented the biggest room in the house separately to him.

Moving house turned into the most traumatic experience of my twenties! It took several nighttime deliveries of books in vegetable boxes that weighed a ton. And this was after the brutal culling that took place. My local charity shop got around six boxes of books along with a boot full of other items that i couldn't justify keeping anymore.

In the end it was worth it and i love the room now, particularly the boxroom attached to the main bedroom. I've managed to cram all my bookcases and books inside and it's my favourite place to go when I need inspiration.

But now I'm having to repeat the whole process again albeit on a slightly smaller scale. Our housemate is moving out so me and the boy have decided to rent he's room as storage as I don't sleep in my room anyway. This will save me £45 and him £15 a month, hes band mate is going to rent my old bedroom thus doing away with the trauma of living with someone we don't know. The only problem with this is that my man is insisting that I cull some more books from my collection.

Whilst sorting out my books it has been interesting to note my own reading prejudices and collections. Top of the list are my virago modern classics and Persephone books. the pictures above being a very small snapshot of my green spined beauts. There is no way anyone could make me part with those and whilst packing the rest I have noticed that I have a definite leaning towards women writers.

I also have alot of books set in Japan and china and I seem to have read and own alot of books set in the southern states of America.

Does anyone else notice a pattern in their choice of books? Do you read book by genre, gender, country or any other criteria?

Anyway whilst writing this post i have come up with a list of books that can't go and here they are

• my cookery books- I don't care if I have more recipes than i can physically cook in a lifetime.
• my virago's- most are out of print and they look so cool on your bookshelf
• Persephone's- these authors shan't be neglected again.
• gardening- what if i get an allotment?
• vintage fashion books- you never know, i might be well dressed one day

And others, like my Babara Pimm books that i collected before she was reprinted which my favourite secondhand bookseller was after when I sold him novels that I'd already read. It looks like I'll just have to make a small sacrifice pile to keep my man happy as I don't think theres much there that I don't want to keep.

So to end this post I'm wondering, how do others keep their books in order? how do you sort your collections? Decide what stays and what goes? Plus if you've got any tips please let me know as I'd love to hear from you. I'll also put up a list of any books I'm getting rid of. If you want them let me know. I think i have a few virago doubles sitting about.