I should have been writing this summer, but the last book I wrote was still my Redwoods book. Instead of writing, I have been traveling From the OR/CA Border Pacific Coast, to visit family in DC and then we had company visit us here and spent a lot of days playing in the Redwoods, exploring the lighthouse and the sea animals.
Then I had to rip old, ugly carpeting out of my room, and while doing that, thin out the books crowding my bedroom library. The granddaughter thought I should keep all the books and just not put a bed back in. She assured me her dolly said the floor was comfortable to sleep on.
but her grandpa assured me a bed was necessary so she was out-voted.
I did keep the first books I ever wrote
and I took the granddaughter to arts and crafts at our local library to convince both of us that we don't have to OWN every book to be able to enjoy them.
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| the books I got rid of |
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| The Virdi Goode reading picnic |
But of course I got new books. Three books by R. R. Virdi, with lots of super supernatural encounters, mystery, mayhem and adventure joined my own novels and picture books for a pleasant afternoon under the maple tree.
"to convince both of us that we don't have to OWN every book to be able to enjoy them."
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh! I have some of the same problem, but I'm working on it. As I clean out the bookshelves, I'm trying to apply my brother's rubric:
a) does it have a sentimental value?
b) will I ever read it again?
c) is it readily available in libraries or digital form?
If the answer A is yes, you keep it. If B is yes, then you only keep it if C is no. If B is no, you don't keep it, even if C is also no. It's harsh, and I probably will have quite a few books that get saved via question A, but it should help with a lot of the others. It's the ones I haven't yet read that will give me trouble.
I find that another, unsuspected criteria has popped into my 50 + life, even if I love it is the font big enough for my aging eye to reread? There are some I save for the grandkids, so possibly will someone else read it saves a few.
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