Less Books, Less Books...

We had a bookshelf collapse.  Its happened several times before, and isn't surprising given the quality of the bookshelf (so very very low) and the weight of the books.  I have been ignoring it for a few weeks now, but yesterday the time had come to do something about it.

Third shelf down gave up the ghost

I've cataloged the books I've read online for many years.  Originally with LibraryThing, we had a parting of ways when they deleted my book list, and now I'm a big fan of Goodreads.  Yes, call me fickle.

The iPhone version of Goodreads has a book scan app, so you can scan the barcode of your book and import it into your Goodreads account.  So as I removed my books, sadly adding many to my Donate To The Library pile, I was able to make sure their memory will live on in my Goodreads account.

Donations to the Library

The books in the house are getting fewer and fewer.  I read so much on my kindle now.  Its good, furniture wise (the shelves are less likely to collapse), there is less clutter and less dust.  I've still kept all my old friends, up on the top shelf.  Read so many times they're falling to bits.

Neat and tidy and with a  lot less books

I couldn't believe how many books had Borders stickers on the back.  80% if not higher.  There are few bookshops here on the Upper Upper North Shore now that Borders are gone, and only one tiny one in Hornsby Westfield.  I'm told reliably (by Kat at BookThingo) that out in the Western Suburbs its even bleaker.

Interesting too, that Sydney is the largest city in the country.

I'm a big fan of digital. Obviously.  Cost wise and convenience wise you cannot beat it.  But even though I'm a digital author it still irks me that there are no wonderful bookshops nearby where I can let the kids loose in a huge kids section and let them find the books of their hearts, the way I found mine.