Books, books, and fewer books!

We got rid of a lot of books this past week.

Some books are difficult for me to get rid of because I tend to feel an attachment not only to the story but to the physical books themselves. I used to read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy, and they are often reprinted with new covers over the years for various reasons. The covers are in a completely different style and that just feels odd.

Some of those – the really influential ones – I may keep. They are on my one shelf to take to Portugal. Stories with women shown as equals, with gay and lesbian characters, and gender non-conforming characters written in the late 70’s.

I go back and forth about whether to take books from the past. My favorites are well worn; one is even in two pieces. I’ve enjoyed them several times and may read them again. But the particular ones on my “keep” shelf are not easy to find. Well, they weren’t. I hadn’t looked since ebooks became popular, and it looks like are. Time marches on and digital improvements continue!

In contrast, all the books in the picture above went away (well, one or two may have been pulled back by Paula – these were the ones I was ready to let go of).

The Vonneguts were important, and I’m sure I can pick those up in physical or ebook form.

And then there are books like “In Our Time – Memoir of a Revolution” by Susan Brownmiller. It is about 60’s/70’s feminists and (according to the cover) the legacy of feminism today. I bought it; I wanted to read it; but I never did. But after having it for years, I realized I thought I should read it, and I just wasn’t going to do so. And it is getting easier to let go of those kinds of books.

Goodbye! I’m ready to let go of the idea that I should read you.

There has been a major shift in my thinking about things. It was a lot easier to go through a bunch of books and say, nope, not gonna want it in Portugal and won’t need it before we leave.

I’ve been able to hear the “but what if…” crop up in my head for a while, but now it is easier to answer it back with “it will be ok. If necessary, I can handle it then.”

I can handle it when it happens. That’s progress.