This is it, the extent of our book collection. There are books listed for sale on Amazon and hubby has some Portuguese language books which he’s using daily, but this is all the other books we own.
I fully intend to read more in 2011….just not buy more.
I talked about conscious spending and this is my main area of downfall. Book buying. It has to stop. Reduce, reuse and recycle is my theme for this year and I’m sticking to it!
Also, how much does your book collection say about you? Mine possibly says it all. 
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Absolutely with you on this one. I did better last year than in 2009, but in 2011 I’m pulling the plug on book and DVD buying. I get a fair number of free books passed my way, there are lots of decent free e-books I want to read (just read Nina Yau’s Minimalist Freedom), and then there’s the good old library. Some one on this blog suggested keeping a list of books you want to read – I think that’s great advice – I’m going to do that and source them for free wherever I can.
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Laura Reply:
January 3rd, 2011 at 8:15 am
Tony: I’m with you on pulling the plug. I did better in 2010 than 2009…but still bought far too many.
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I very rarely buy books to be honest… i’ll buy them used if they’re a good price ($1-2′ish or less), but other than that, 99% of my books come from the library. I will pay full price for a book if my kids ask for them as gifts and reread them a lot, and will for myself if it’s a book that I will reread/reuse. So novels don’t fall into this category…
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Laura Reply:
January 3rd, 2011 at 8:12 am
Carla: our library is so small, but I am going to make more of an effort to use it.
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oh amazon is my down fall. I should really join you on this one….
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Laura Reply:
January 3rd, 2011 at 8:10 am
Mo: it’s so easy to order from them, isn’t it. I’ve deleted my card details from the site in the hope that this will help!
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Oh, this is really bad. This post just prompted me to count the number of books on the bookcases in our living room. There are over 300. 300! I had to recount twice because I didn’t believe it. Should I add this doesn’t include the other book shelves elsewhere in the house? Or the three big boxes of books in the cupboard under the stairs? Or the boxes my parents are storing for me in their attic until we move? Clearly I have a problem!! AND I go to the library once a week…
PS I have 4 of the same books as you! x
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Laura Reply:
January 3rd, 2011 at 8:09 am
Shoestring: I’m intrigued…which ones?
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I’m currently selling a lot of books. Every time I look at the back to see the original price we bought it at, I’m doing a palm slap in the head. Sure, we’re recouping maybe half of the cost, but we would have that much more if we didn’t buy the book in the first place.
Definitely a good goal. I want to read more books too. Have any good fiction recommendations?
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Laura Reply:
January 3rd, 2011 at 6:50 pm
Lindy: I know what you mean about buying then selling…at least you’re getting something back for them, which I didn’t mind for a book that I loved…it’s the one’s I’ve bought and not read that annoy me
I loved the book in the picture: One Day, David Nicholls.
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New York, Not Buying It, One Day and, one of my absoloute favs of all time – TWILIGHT! Just off to drop Stephenie Meyer a line about hurrying up with Midnight Sun…
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