Book Collector

40 years ago a mover suggested to me that I might want to get a library card:) Of course, he was telling me nicely that I had too many books. I grew up in a house that had four floors of floor to ceiling bookshelves, so I didn’t really think I had that many books, but I smiled and assured him that I did have one. My parents worked in publishing and usually brought their work home with them. Then there were the encyclopedias, the cookbooks, the field guides and the dictionaries in multiple languages. Now I realize that we did have a lot of books. I don’t really think we were hoarders, I just think we had a lot of interests and we liked to look things up. Since then I have acquired many more books and bookshelves.

One of the things I have missed most during the pandemic is not being able to browse in a bookstore. Hands-down that is one of my favorite past times. Everywhere I have lived I have found the local bookstore. When I travel I check out the local bookstores too. Every now and then I get lucky and find a used bookstore -those are so much fun – like a literary treasure hunt. I have been known to go out and purchase a copy of a library book after I finished it and decide I want own it. I also can’t deny owning more than one copy I some titles that I love with a capital L.

One problem with having books everywhere in your house can be trying to remember which shelf is housing the title you are looking for. Now, there is an app for that. Book Buddy let’s you scan the books barcode and record it’s physical location. If, like me, many of your titles pre-date barcoding – Not to worry,you can also search for the title on line or record it manually. Book buddy also lets you keep track of who you’ve lent your books to- it’s not the Dewey decimal system but it’s pretty cool. Being able to search and find a title is magic. I keep mine backed up to dropbox.

Another app that I am a big fan of is Goodreads. Goodreads let’s you keep track of everything you have read whether you own it or borrowed it from the library or a friend. You can rate each title with stars and write your own reviews. For me, it is super handy to actually remember Titles when I’m sharing with friends. You can also let friends see your reading list and vice versa

Benefits of Reading

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