Emptying out the Bookshelves

So I’ve been painting. No, not beautiful landscapes – kitchen cabinets. Unfortunately, the kitchen cabinets are in a weird sort of way attached to the bookcases directly behind them. So I need to paint them too. Ugh.

And I’m getting to it. But I may wait for nicer weather. Nonetheless, I emptied all the bookshelves in case the need to remove the hardware and doors, then sand everything down and finally apply three coats of paint and two coats of polyurethane hits me out of the blue. (No, I’m not holding my breath waiting for that little miracle.)

And where am I going with this little foray into my home renovation projects? Well, cleaning out the bookshelves got me thinking about changing reading habits. As a college student, I was all about the paperbacks. Then when I could afford it, it was about the hardcovers. And now, it’s e-books.

In fact, now, almost all my fiction buys are e-books. It’s generally only my non-fiction that are physical books. That’s because I like to flip back and forth in non-fiction, which so far an e-book does not let me do with ease. (Okay, okay and occasionally I skim.)

So back to the bookshelves. There were crucial decisions that needed to be made: will I ever re-read this book again or should I donate it so that someone else can read it?

Now I’m a book lover, but I was surprised by the number of books I was ready to donate. Legal thrillers topped the list. I used to be obsessed with John Grisham books, but most of them, with the exception of A Time to Kill, ended up in the donate pile.

But I kept all of William Bernhardt’s books. I absolutely love his Ben Kincaid series. And not for the legalese. The characters are engaging, funny and flawed.

And then there are the action adventures. Now I need books where the female is not just window dressing, but actually has something to offer the story’s resolution. And I need there to be something positive. I don’t like walking away from a book feeling depressed. I want a little bounce in my step or at least an extra something to chew on.

I have emptied out a lot of space, which is good. It’s good to clear the decks and feel like you’re starting fresh.  Anyone else seeing changes in their reading habits?

On the to-be read pile right now is Ruins by Dan Wells – a YA title. I think the YA books right now offer me that glance of perseverance against incredible odds. We adults tend to overthink, overanalyze and weigh the odds a little too much. When I’m done, I’ll let you know how it is. Happy Reading!

:)