What did you do with your paper books?

[Robert]

Karen M wrote: "I'm considering buying a separate bookcase to hold the books I've read so I'll have more room for new books. I read paper books and on my Kindle."

I read on paper and on kindle too. In fact I always find myself in a bit of dilemma when it comes to choosing whether to buy paperback or ebook!

[Stephanie]

I kept all my paperback/hardback books, and I still end up buying more. It's alot cheaper to keep what I've got instead of buying copies for my Kindle. And, I can still pick up books at yard sales for WAY cheaper than I can through Amazon. I don't think I'll ever give up on the true book format.

[Danie]

Anyone feeling artistic?

http://karanarora.posterous.com/insan...

[Betsy]

Fascinating! (msg 325). An excellent use for obsolete books.

[Carl]

I still have all mine - can't quite get rid of them yet!

[Nike]

I still have hard cover and paper back books all over my house. I have bookshelves full of them. I love my books.

I just don't buy them any more...well sometimes I do, but not often.

[Jason]

In my efforts to downsize and simplify, I sold all buty my favorite print copies that I will re-read or loan to others. Even if they were great, any one-time-reads were sold. Now, if I can't get it at the library, I get it on Kindle. If I love it that much and want to add it to my permanent collection, I can then seek out an "archive" version.

[Hilary]

I've still got most of my DTBs. Those I won't read again I take to a used bookstore near me. Occasionally, I will still buy a paperback, but most of my reading is done on the Kindle now.

[Jennifer]

I still have all of mine; there are many I still haven't read! But I mostly decorate with my old paperbacks. Bookshelves really make a room look nice. Very intellectual. ;) So, my bedroom and office are full of 'em!

[Melissa]

I piled the majority of my paper books on a bookshelf in the basement. My favorites of the moment decorate my nightstand. I have bought no paper books since I purchased my Kindle. I buy all e-books now. It solves the issue of having no where to store all my millions of books. In the past I always hoarded my books so I could re-read them. Now I think I will give them to the Library to be put on the shelf or sold.

[Roberta]

Moving to e-books doesn't mean that I get rid of my old paper books. Iove them all equally :)
I can think of at least 2 occasions when I still need paper books: in the sauna and in the buthtub.

[Yue]

My paper books are my most beloved possessions, so I'll never get rid of them. Anyway, I can't help buying paper books in spite of my Kindle =P

[R.P.]

I still have some paper books. I love to look at them, remember how wonderful they are, then I go sit down with my Kindle and read the next wonderful e-book!

[Karen M]

I just added to my book collection. I found a new place to start another row of books, almost every room in the house has books except the bathroom.

[Sarah]

I kept the majority of my paper books; the kindle was especially necessary because I was running out room for the paper ones! This way I can keep all my favorites, without worrying about storage room for the new ones. Any books I decide I no longer want, I've been bookcrossing!

[George]

I've kept some of my favorite paper books. I donate a bunch to the local library, too. There are a couple of series that I've only found in paper, so those are among my "paper" treasures (i.e. Simon Brett's Charles Paris series).

[Yvonne]

I donated quite a few books. I kept a couple but I've mostly been donating books.

[Don]

Downsized house last year and unloaded books and records to charities that would take them. Interesting challenge to go from a large house with built-in book cases to a city apartment with just one. The books we kept are all precious because of what they mean to us as works of art.

[Lloyd]

I considered selling but decided to donate them to our church.

[Susan]

I donate them to Love Inc an organization that helps those in need. They have a book store with prices like 25 cents for paperbacks and fifty cents for hardbacks!

[Katrina]

I keep first editions and first books in a series in hopes of getting autographs. Otherwise I donate books to the Friends of the Library. The organization is all over the country. They donate to the local librarys and they have book sales to promote reading in the community.

[Darlene]

Since my eyes aren't what they used to be, I have registered and sent out most of the books I can no longer read. BookCrossing.Com is the way I did it. I am still weeding through the maybes, the ones that I think I might try with magnifying plate or Audible version to help me out. I, too, keep signed copies and first editions where I can. But I am beginning to be ruthless. We live in a tiny apartment and 'real estate' becomes more 'pricey'.

[S]

I still have many regular novels that I have not read. I have started reading one e-book and one regular novel to get that pile down. I prefer to read on my e-reader though.

[Karen]

I gave them all to friends except for approximately twenty reference books. I also kept three novels that where given to me but I still haven't read. They aren't available in Kindle format yet. If I read them or find them in a Kindle version I will give those away as well.

[Estelle]

gave two away with bookcrossing.com yesterday

[Ava Catherine]

I gave my paperbacks to the local Goodwill. I kept my hardbacks.

[Karen]

Estelle wrote: "gave two away with bookcrossing.com yesterday"

I just signed up with them and listed my first book. I only have a couple of books left though. I wish I had found this sooner. It seems kind of fun. I'll use it to pass on books that I get from others from now on.

[Joseph]

I give them away and donate when possible.

[[deleted user]]

I've given away the majority of my books, to my best friend and my mother - both of whom think I'm some demonic beast for using a Kindle. ;)

[Mirvan.]

I treasure all my paper books. To be honest, nothing really beats a paper book. Kindle is easy to use and to carry around but I still believe that the best books are better in paper version.

[Andrew]

I'm keeping my existing paper books. I'm not chucking out some of my most treasured possessions just because it suits Amazon's marketing story. You can't get an e-book signed by the author, after all.

[Karen]

Andrew wrote: "I'm keeping my existing paper books. I'm not chucking out some of my most treasured possessions just because it suits Amazon's marketing story. You can't get an e-book signed by the author, after all."

I really don't think Amazon cares whether throw your paper books away or not. I got rid of mine to save space and de-clutter; it was my choice but I see nothing wrong with keeping them.

You can't get an e-book signed but you can get your Kindle signed, not that I would want to do that but this guy did....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39952434...

[Chester]

I find it difficult to get rid of paper books. I started reading Cold War thrillers about the time the Cold War began. I still have books by Helen MacInnes, John Le Carre, Len Deighton and a few others that are getting yellowed with age.

[Carl]

I've still got all my old paper books on my bookshelf -I just can't quite bring myself to get rid of them!

[Kate]

Andrew wrote: "I'm keeping my existing paper books. I'm not chucking out some of my most treasured possessions just because it suits Amazon's marketing story. You can't get an e-book signed by the author, after all."

not yet...Docusign maybe?

[şahan]

Burnt them. With fireworks. Was quite a show.

[Irene]

Donated them to the local library :)

[Tim]

As much as I love my Kindle and iPad, I not only save all my paperbacks, I continue to buy them wherever I can. I just buy them at yard sales and for pennies, that's all. Why? Those who know me know that I'm (gasp) a prepper at heart. We may not always have power, so paperbacks go into the storage area right alongside the canned goods. Hey, gotta have something to read when the power is out!

Tim
http://authortimyoung.com/books/

[Escape Into Reading]

I donated most of them to the Salvation Army. The signed books, I kept.

[Yassemin]

I've kept all the ones that I loved and will probably re-read. Everything else with little re-read value etc ended up getting donated.

Still buy them, if it's by an author I want in hard copy..I'd rather have those in hardcopy format as opposed to kindle. But the kindle helps for my series books and stuff, would be such a pain to have so many series's all over the place!

[Lazarus]

Elena wrote: "I send them to the troops
operationpaperback.org"

That's a great idea ... going to tweet that! Thanks :)

[Autumn]

Still have them. What I like about Kindle is that I can buy out of print books seller want $200 or more for and download them via Kindle for $10. I don't think it will replace paper books for me, but at the same time it gives me an outlet to share my work with people for less than they could pay for one of my books and I can also offer it for free for five days. I think it is a great thing for new authors. Yet at the same time, once I have my novels solid, I will make pretty paper versions of them.

[Janet C-B]

I donate my books or pass them on to a friend. If it is a new release, I read it then sell it on E Bay. It is my goal to not own paper books.

I still read paper books, primarily library loan and new releases. I enjoy reading books on my kindle, kindle app on my i Pad, as well as hardcover and trade paperbacks.

Recently, I finished 11/22/63 by Stephen King. I read the library hardcover in the eves, but used an e reader during the day while I was on a break or at the pool.

[Caitlyn]

Some of my paperbooks are like old friends, Would't want to get rid of my favorites. But I donate or give away to a friend when I'm done.

[Nora]

I finally recycled my old college versions of Dickens, Eliot, etc, because when/if I want to read them again, they can be had for free or very low cost. I've sold, taken to the thrift shop, or given away books--always. And of course, I keep a houseful no matter what.

[Diane U]

I dropped most of mine into a Books Donation box. But lately I've been buying books because I have found lots that are cheaper in paper than kindle version. I just price shop now!

[Kathleen]

I mostly pass them on to other people or take them to a retirement home up the street from me. The people there prefer paper books and really appreciate them.

[Gwen]

Some of my print books aren't available for Kindle (yet, I hope), so they're clearly in the keep pile. Some books get kept because I have an attachment to them, like Harry Potter hardbacks and my Stephen King collection. Other books get donated if I'm never going to read them again or if they're available for Kindle.

However, sometimes this bugs me due to the whole "my Kindle books vanish when I die" thing. So I'm still not really 100% sure on how to handle things.

[Bonnie]

I still love the feel of holding a book and turning the pages. I use my kindle for travel, to download free e-books and for books that I want to read but have no reason to keep, after all e-books do tend to be cheaper.

[Stephanie]

I gave most of my paperbacks to goodwill, but I admit that I kept most of my hardcover books. They're my favorites, and I just couldn't let them go.