I’m preparing for a big move today! What a difference a few years makes—the last time I moved, I had twenty boxes crammed full of books, and that was after a a year of ebook reading and a massive purge. As the books which remained became available in e-format, I gradually switched them over and donated the paper copies. Now, I am moving again and I only have five boxes of books, most of them cookbooks, fitness books and other picture-heavy non-fiction.
Moving is a hassle. I spent the last week taking over framed art, kitchen stuff and other breakables. It was had work! I am currently all packed up and sitting in my kitchen staring at a garbage bag that needs to go out, and I just can’t face the stairs again. I have enough to schlep without worrying about books too! And when you move, time costs money. We are paying the mover a four-hour minimum, and he gets overtime after that. I don’t have that much stuff, but we are stopping at my sister-in-laws to get some couches and we are not sure how long that will take. I do know that I would rather pay the mover to carry the couches than to carry extra books!
The new place has many benefits. I will have space, at last, for a desk of my own and there are closets and storage options aplenty. But there is also another person, and he too has books and computer games and kitchen stuff and other items that will vie for space. He is also an avowed minimalist and whenever I have asked ‘should I get rid of this?’ his answer has been yes! His version of hell would be a table my mother has which has no functional purpose other than to display picture frames—and the twenty boxes of books I had the last time I moved!
He bought a Kobo this summer and has been sharing my fiction reads, but he does have a shelf full of baseball books that he swears will never leave. So they can share the space we do devote to physical books with my cooking and yoga stuff. I’ll keep my fiction purchases limited to the Kobo and Kindle stores. And we can rest assured that thanks to the advent of the digital age, the mover will not be getting overtime today!
Mazel tov! Best wishes for a joyous life with lots of reading and other good stuff.
Isn’t this a wrongly worded headline ? Isn’t it supporting eBook habits ? and not “putting them in their place” which is surely a negative thing …?
Hehe, I’m thinking about replacing most of my physical books by ebooks as well since my appartment is so small and I would like to have a bit more “air”. And there is also the very possible option of a future move … I feel with you and am a bit jealous that you have already accomplished what I am still planning to do.