Confessional

I am a book hoarder.  There, I've come out and said it.  My teenage years were spent investing in books, books and books.  Even if I hated them after reading I never threw them out.  By the time I went to university my father had put up two lenghty book shelves in my bedroom and they were two deep and three high - and I still had books in boxes.  When I got to about 25 I decided it was time to throw out the bad books - so out went the sequel to Gone With the Wind although GWTW itself stayed.  I threw out lots, but I was still drowning in books.  As an amateur historian and writer I also have a large collection on my favourite periods of history and historical characters and I keep them because 'they might be useful one day'.  I also have an assortment of books on Norway because I was going to write a novel partly set there.

I have now found the solution for my hoarding of books, because despite loving them I get a bit creeped out when they begin to get dusty and yellow.  Some months ago I bought a kindle.  I never thought I would be the type of person to 'get into' e readers, but I played with my friend Jackie's and I was hooked.  She discovers lots of great writers and books that she passes on to me so it was only right I be guided by her on how I read my books as well.

I now have two piles of books sorted and some remaining on my shelves.  Those on my shelves are signed first editions (mainly Jasper Ffordes - including two in Portuguese I bought at the Fforde Ffiesta auction, and no I can't read or speak Portuguese) and the two piles are 'charity shop' and 'books my brother might like'.  Into the charity shop go some good books that I once felt the need to 'own'. I can now give them away knowing that the classics are free on my kindle and the others I can purchase should I suddenly have an urge to read again.

My shelves, and life, are a little less cluttered and all that knowledge and pleasure is on one small electronic device.  Twenty-first century - I have finally embraced you!