Discussion Post: What makes you say goodbye to a physical book?

The word responsibility has been bouncing around my head in the past few days as I tried to figure out the last UN right that I had on the list of topics for this month. I kept saying, “What is my responsibility to a book?” And then I immediately thought, “Why is Mandy being so deep? This is so unlike Mandy, and I need to stop.” So then I went to go cry in the corner again that I finished all of The X-Files.

That whole deep question helped to sponsor today’s discussion post.

At what point, do you decide to get rid of a book?

It might be easy for some: the moment you read it and don’t like it, it’s time to pass it along. You don’t like it – don’t keep it. End of the story. Most of the time, I’m like that. If I read it and didn’t enjoy it at all, I will usually pass it along to my friends, donate it to the library, or I used to resell it to a local used bookstore. If I didn’t enjoy it, I like to think someone else can be ridiculously less picky and less book hipster than me and it could go to a happy book home.

However, there are certain things that do have to go into a decision to forever part with a book – and things get trickyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. It’s the certain criteria that have a book that I gave a ridiculous one crown still sitting prominently on my bookshelf. Shall we go over some of the reasons Mandy might stop herself from parting with a book she kind of hated?

I boughts it with my own two money

Books are expensive. New books are QUITE expensive. If I preordered a new hardcover book that I was PUMPED for, chances are I’m going to stroke it lovingly and adoringly until I can forget how much money it set me back. However, sometimes new books don’t always work out. Out of the few new books I’ve preordered such as Heart of Iron and The Wicked Deep, they each got two and three crowns respectively. I wasn’t a big fan of them, but I sent GOOD money on them. Do I see myself rereading them? Eh, crap, I kind of see myself doing it, which is so unlike me and these are now TERRIBLE examples, but STILL. I don’t usually reread two crowns books before, but ANYWAY. I had a point here. It’s really quite hard to part with a book that you just shelled out 10 – 20 dollars for and it is so brand new even though you weren’t a fan.

Don’t Go Breaking My ARC

That’s right – the pretty, shiny, silky feeling ARC. They are the elusive Holy Grail of sorts of the book world. You get one, and it sort of feels like you’re Willy Wonka…wait, is it Charlie? Yeah, yeah, Charlie in the Chocolate Factory. I’ve been book blessed to have a few appear on my doorstep whether it was from contests or the book publishers accidentally thinking I’m a book blogger worthy of one. 😉 ARCs are super special, and sometimes it’s just HARD to part with them because it’s all like PHYSICAL ARC. IN MY HANDS. IT SAYS SPECIAL ARC WORDS. Even though I may not enjoy the ARC, it still has that special ARC feel, and it feels weird to part with it.

My Precious…Cover

Um, we bookworms know how important a cover is. It’s muy importante. It can make or break us for picking up a book. I can say that I’ve passed over books that had covers that seemed a little sketch – even if it meant that it might have a good story in it. I mean, it’s the reason I almost didn’t read my beloved The Big Empty and didn’t read Cinder for such a long time. Good covers = pretty bookshelves. Pretty bookshelves = happy bookworms. Pretty is pretty, and it’s hard to part with pretty. And it’s one of the main reasons that I’ve had a hard time passing over some books.

So, what actually makes me give up a book?

Well, sometimes I get past all of those reasons, and I actually do give up the goods. If I really hated the book, it can be quite easy to part. I used to be worst about giving up my books, but I do find it easier now because I just want these books to go to happy home. And I find that I love donating to my local library because they can go back and resell these books for a profit for a place I love. Therefore, I realize this book could do better with someone else instead of just collecting dust in one of my storage bins.

Whatever you decide has to be right with you! Don’t give up a book that you hated just because you feel like you have to. You can keep bad books for all of the reasons above and more. It’s your bookshelf…although when times are tough and you’ve literally lost all room, um, you might want to skip the pretty cover and save room for the beloved. Just saying.

UN Right #29

29. Responsibility. We have a duty to other people, and we should protect their rights and freedoms.

I mentioned briefly about responsibility up above. Look at me talking about things up above for once! See, I feel like a responsible book blogger here.

What do you think? At what point do you decide to discard a book? Do you have unhauls? Do you savor each and every book? Do you keep books you hated for some of the reasons above? Let’s discuss in the comments below!