What Do You Do With Books When You're Done Reading?

[Deborah]

I keep very few books that I've read - I have four bookcases and they're overflowing. I usually donate them to our tiny library, which operates on a tiny budget; they put the books into circulation or, if they already have it, they put it into the annual book sale.

[Christen]

I usually keep them until the next time I want to read it again which usually happens to me in all the books I read. :)

[Lindsay]

I am the worst kind of hoarder when it comes to books. I never give away/sell any of my books, and rarely even loan them out for fear that other people won't treat them as lovingly as I do. My apartment is pretty small though, so to make my hoarding worse, I also occasionally take books back to my parents' house when I get there a couple of times a year. They're not allowed to get rid of my books either. Reading this post over makes me worry a bit about my own brain.

[Elyse]

I have books everywhere!!! I feel like a hoarder of books because I can't give them away because I MIGHT READ THEM AGAIN. I bought a nook a year ago and it was the best thing I did because now I buy all my books on the nook so I don't have them all over my house!! Now I buy books for my daughter so I have kids books everywhere. My 2 year old LOVES books so I can't complain!

[Diane]

I keep some that I really like by certain authors. I also like to share books that I have with friends and I give a lot of them to the library. They either put them on their shelf for others to read or they go to the sell rack that we have at the library and the money goes to buying books for the library.

[Leonard]

I would keep the books I like and sell the others to used book stores.

[IndieHeart]

Hoard them. Absolutely. Although I did manage to throw out an MS-Dos manual last year.

I'm working on purging a few. I really am...except that I keep bringing home more when other people clear out their collections. :-)

[Olivia "So many books--so little time.""]

I keep the books I think I might want to reread sometime. The rest I swap at a used book store or donate to the library.

[Diane]

I keep the books I think I will read or have a collection by a author I enjoy. Others I pass on to friends to read or give to the library

[Sandra]

The books I fall in love with go on my bookshelves. Others that I think maybe I'll read again someday go in crates. Then I donate books that I either didn't care for or just know I'll never read again. All of this is after sharing and swapping books with my friends, of course.

[Kelly]

I generally keep them, but they usually end up in someone else's hands before they come back to my shelves permanently. I'm an English teacher, so a lot also end up on my classroom shelves in an attempt to lore kids into reading more.

[Diane]

I love to keep some of my books, but also enjoy sharing them with friends. When returned to me I pass them on to our library for others to enjoy. I do use a kindle but I still like to hold a book.

[Kayla]

I usually keep the books that are my favorites and donate others to libraries or take them to the flea market.

[Yue]

I keep all my books, but lately I am thinking in giving a few of them (only the books that I did not like so much!) cuz I have so many books now, and no shelf for all of them.

[David]

As long as I can keep my wife away from them they live with us. Once she trips over a pile more than once though I have to thin them down then I usually give them to nieces and nephews, that way they stay in the family.

[Maggie the Muskoka Library Mouse]

When I am done reading a book, I write down any quotes I made a note of in my Book Journal. If I think someone in my circles will enjoy the book, I pass it on. If not, I donate the book to the ReUse store or the Library Book Sale.

[Jim]

The vast majority of the books I read are borrowed from the local public library, then returned when finished. After reading a book I've purchased, it is added to those on the book shelves located in my den. Currently, they number 110.