Do you save books? I don’t just mean “keeper” books that you read over 
and over, but books that for some bizarre reason you feel you have to keep.
Here is my predicament. We just finished our basement. This means a lot more space to fill up with stuff–and do we have the stuff. Now, my husband and I have decided we won’t just fill up though–no this time we are actually going to purge. So, more space, less stuff. Sounds good, doesn’t it? But how do you decide?
I have already done some major toy purging. (Okay, I need to do a ton more, but I’ve made a good start.) But now it is time for books–where to begin? I mean, I can’t get rid of the my autographed books. Then there is the entire collection of Isaac Asimov (me and DH); Lois McMaster Bujold (DH); Agatha Christie (me); books from childhood our children will someday surely read (me and DH); bizarre possible research books on topics like: great pick up lines, 
history and how tos of blacksmithing, history of fairies, the civil war in St. Louis, etc. (me); just weird books like The Great Big Book of Fun (me and DH); and around twenty books on antiques and collectibles (me). I mean, obviously, every one of these is in desperate need of space on my new bookshelf –How do I choose? I mean heaven forbid we had to (gasp) look for something at the library–or (bigger gasp) rebuy something.
So, what do you keep, and what automatically gets resold, donated or passed on? I need guidance here, people.
Lori
p.s. So you don’t think I am completely weak–I’ve already sent a giant box of books to Operation Shoebox, and donated another huge shopping bag to St. Vincent de Paul’s. But some of these other books I stole from my parents when I left home over twenty years ago–I KNOW them. They’re mine now. How can I let them go?
