Do you read?

[Xela]

Does anyone use, or can recommend, a book cataloguing app/site? I've got boxes of paperbacks in my spare room, which I probably need to dispose of (give to a charity shop if they'll take them) but would like to log/list them before I do. Just for my own interest. 

[mjmooney]

3 hours ago, Xela said:

Does anyone use, or can recommend, a book cataloguing app/site? I've got boxes of paperbacks in my spare room, which I probably need to dispose of (give to a charity shop if they'll take them) but would like to log/list them before I do. Just for my own interest. 

I'd have thought that's a straightforward Excel job. 

[mjmooney]

On 28/09/2023 at 10:57, MakemineVanilla said:

I look forward to that, although my pals and family might not, as my enthusiasm is known to get the better of me.

It just struck me that this latest Kynaston is not called 'Opportunity Britain', as was expected. Which makes me suspect that that title will eventually be used when the publishers later combine 'On the Cusp' and 'A Northern Wind' into a single volume; they pulled that trick with 'Modernity' - first issued in two parts as 'Opening the Box' and 'A Shake of the Dice'. Being the sucker that they take me for, I bought both parts, and then the portmanteau version as a replacement. I expect they'll get me again this time, too. Bastards. 

EDIT: But then again... 

Quote

Modernity Britain marks the third part of Kynaston’s Tales of a New Jerusalem series. The first volume – Austerity Britain 1945–51 – covered the immediate post-war years of the Attlee government, while its successor, Family Britain 1951–57, took the story up to the end of the Eden administration. Interestingly, Family Britain was supposed to encompass the two years covered in this book: the back page of Austerity Britain shows four projected volumes, with Family Britain looking at 1951–9. (The other two projected volumes incidentally were Opportunity Britain, covering the 1960s, and Crisis Britain, taking in the 1970s.) As things now stand, Opening The Box is the first of two projected volumes covering the period 1957–62 – both Austerity Britain and Family Britain also made their debuts as two-parters before being collected into one volume. Confused? You will be.

Link

If 'Opportunity' is supposed to cover the 1960s, maybe 'On the Cusp' really was a standalone 'pivot' volume, and 'A Northern Wind' (which is 62-65) is only Part One of the next volume? 

Sigh. Normal people don't worry about these things...  

Edited October 8, 2023 by mjmooney

[AvfcRigo82]

15 hours ago, Xela said:

Does anyone use, or can recommend, a book cataloguing app/site? I've got boxes of paperbacks in my spare room, which I probably need to dispose of (give to a charity shop if they'll take them) but would like to log/list them before I do. Just for my own interest. 

I've used the app My Library to catalogue all of mine. Easy to use and saved no end of time.

Simply scan the barcode and the app does the rest.  Hope this helps.

Edited October 8, 2023 by AvfcRigo82

[Seat68]

15 hours ago, Xela said:

Does anyone use, or can recommend, a book cataloguing app/site? I've got boxes of paperbacks in my spare room, which I probably need to dispose of (give to a charity shop if they'll take them) but would like to log/list them before I do. Just for my own interest. 

Goodreads used to be able to do this. 

[mjmooney]

18 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

I've used the app My Library to catalogue all of mine. Easy to use and saved no end of time.

Simply scan the barcode and the app does the rest.  Hope this helps.

Ha! Most of my books were published before barcodes were invented! 

[AvfcRigo82]

7 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

Ha! Most of my books were published before barcodes were invented! 

I didn't realise you were also an author Mr Mooney.       

[Follyfoot]

2 hours ago, mjmooney said:

Ha! Most of my books were published before barcodes were invented! 

 

[mjmooney]

[MakemineVanilla]

The problem is that every book you own but haven't read holds a promise and every book you have read is a memory and a solace.

[mjmooney]

3 hours ago, MakemineVanilla said:

The problem is that every book you own but haven't read holds a promise and every book you have read is a memory and a solace.

Quote

I love books. If I go to the bookstore to check a price, I walk out with three books I probably didn’t know existed beforehand. I buy second-hand books by the bagful at the Friends of the Library sale, while explaining to my wife that it’s for a good cause. Even the smell of books grips me, that faint aroma of earthy vanilla that wafts up at you when you flip a page.

The problem is that my book-buying habit outpaces my ability to read them. This leads to FOMO and occasional pangs of guilt over the unread volumes spilling across my shelves. Sound familiar?

But it’s possible this guilt is entirely misplaced. According to statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb, these unread volumes represent what he calls an “antilibrary,” and he believes our antilibraries aren’t signs of intellectual failings. Quite the opposite.

Now read on...

 

[Rds1983]

I've been recommended the Rivers of London series and curious as to others thought's on them?

[MakemineVanilla]

Quote

I love books. If I go to the bookstore to check a price, I walk out with three books I probably didn’t know existed beforehand. I buy second-hand books by the bagful at the Friends of the Library sale, while explaining to my wife that it’s for a good cause. Even the smell of books grips me, that faint aroma of earthy vanilla that wafts up at you when you flip a page.

The problem is that my book-buying habit outpaces my ability to read them. This leads to FOMO and occasional pangs of guilt over the unread volumes spilling across my shelves. Sound familiar?

But it’s possible this guilt is entirely misplaced. According to statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb, these unread volumes represent what he calls an “antilibrary,” and he believes our antilibraries aren’t signs of intellectual failings. Quite the opposite.

Now read on...

Collections of anything tend to increase with the amount of space available to store them. This was never more true than when my parents moved to a bigger house in my youth, and as a family with a propensity to hoard the amount of stuff uncreased accordingly, so your house, which seems to be big enough to afford you a music room, must offer some serious opportunity to accumulate quite a hoard of books.

Knowing myself, I have always been aware that should I move to a bigger house, I would end up collecting something or other; very likely reel-to-reel tape recorders, as well as books, vinyl, and DVDs.

I am absolutely certain that I would always find a way to rationalise my collections, as I am very attached to the stuff I already have, and "antilibrary" is as good a rationalisation, as any.

Most of my friends are actually minimalists, but one friend is a problem hoarder because her tiny flat is crammed to the ceiling with cardboard boxes, which would make it difficult to find your way out, in the case of an emergency. She is emotionally attached to her hoarded stuff and gets very upset should anyone be crass enough to mention it.

I am not quite so neurotic about it, but I am very attached to my hoard and see my identity wrapped up in it, somehow.

I don't need five copies of Middlemarch but somehow, I like having them around.

 

[mjmooney]

18 minutes ago, MakemineVanilla said:

your house, which seems to be big enough to afford you a music room, must offer some serious opportunity to accumulate quite a hoard of books.

I've never actually counted them, but there must be thousands. There are certainly books in every room of the house, except the bathroom (the separate toilet actually has bookshelves, one of the first things I built when we moved in). 

I do occasionally get rid of a few to charity shops, but it's by no means unusual for me to subsequently regret it and buy replacement copies! 

I'm not untidy, though, no random heaps on the floor, everything is sorted and shelved. 

The 'antilibrary' article makes me feel somewhat vindicated. 

[MakemineVanilla]

51 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

I've never actually counted them, but there must be thousands. There are certainly books in every room of the house, except the bathroom (the separate toilet actually has bookshelves, one of the first things I built when we moved in). 

I do occasionally get rid of a few to charity shops, but it's by no means unusual for me to subsequently regret it and buy replacement copies! 

I'm not untidy, though, no random heaps on the floor, everything is sorted and shelved. 

The 'antilibrary' article makes me feel somewhat vindicated. 

I do like to see a nicely presented collection and not only books.

I find Julian White's (of www.rocklistmusic.co.uk) CD colllection equally enthralling.

[Rodders]

I'm due a spring clean and a charity shop visit. Also bought a new book shelf, which is currently empty. Let's see how long that lasts... that said I am really trying to keep a lid on things until I've read a few more, or at least limit myself to one purchase at a time whilst catching up! At a certain point I get stress overload, even when I'm reading 4 or 5 books at a time, trying to keep on top of things. I feel I 'can't' start a new book until I've got down the list, so I deny myself the ability to spontaneously pick up a new book to read on the spot until things are normal-ish.

Haven't helped myself at the moment as just started Paul Auster's 4321 - a 1000+ page behemoth. On the other hand, a Clare Keegan novella should help the to read thing decline a bit. But it's the fact I want to re-read stuff or read a play occasionally and I feel I can't start doing those things until I've got things under control.  A comfortable single digit unread book total would make me relaxed. Otherwise stress just goes overload in terms of dominating my spare time. I end up being guilty of reading to get through to the next book, rather than enjoying the pleasure of the book itself ( with more average reads anyway )

Edited October 9, 2023 by Rodders

[MakemineVanilla]

6 minutes ago, Rodders said:

I'm due a spring clean and a charity shop visit. Also bought a new book shelf, which is currently empty. Let's see how long that lasts... that said I am really trying to keep a lid on things until I've read a few more, or at least limit myself to one purchase at a time whilst catching up! At a certain point I get stress overload, even when I'm reading 4 or 5 books at a time, trying to keep on top of things. I feel I 'can't' start a new book until I've got down the list, so I deny myself the ability to spontaneously pick up a new book to read on the spot until things are normal-ish.

Haven't helped myself at the moment as just started Paul Auster's 4321 - a 1000+ page behemoth. On the other hand, a Clare Keegan novella should help the to read thing decline a bit. But it's the fact I want to re-read stuff or read a play occasionally and I feel I can't start doing those things until I've got things under control.  A comfortable single digit unread book total would make me relaxed. Otherwise stress just goes overload in terms of dominating my spare time. I end up being guilty of reading to get through to the next book, rather than enjoying the pleasure of the book itself ( with more average reads anyway )

Do you get any freebies being that you review so many books?

[Rodders]

2 minutes ago, MakemineVanilla said:

Do you get any freebies being that you review so many books?

No , though that's probably just as well. but then I don't do proper book reviews. I don't have the patience with that, I'll give a couple of lines here, or on goodreads maybe 5 or 6 paragraphs if I've particularly enjoyed the book. Can't be arsed with essays. If I'm going to read an in depth book review I'll go with, some level of snobbishness I guess for the credentials of a professional review in paper or magasine. Some people on goodreads go on for ever; sod that. Short and sweet for amateur book reviews for me.  

[mjmooney]

46 minutes ago, Rodders said:

I'm due a spring clean and a charity shop visit. Also bought a new book shelf, which is currently empty. Let's see how long that lasts... that said I am really trying to keep a lid on things until I've read a few more, or at least limit myself to one purchase at a time whilst catching up! At a certain point I get stress overload, even when I'm reading 4 or 5 books at a time, trying to keep on top of things. I feel I 'can't' start a new book until I've got down the list, so I deny myself the ability to spontaneously pick up a new book to read on the spot until things are normal-ish.

Haven't helped myself at the moment as just started Paul Auster's 4321 - a 1000+ page behemoth. On the other hand, a Clare Keegan novella should help the to read thing decline a bit. But it's the fact I want to re-read stuff or read a play occasionally and I feel I can't start doing those things until I've got things under control.  A comfortable single digit unread book total would make me relaxed. Otherwise stress just goes overload in terms of dominating my spare time. I end up being guilty of reading to get through to the next book, rather than enjoying the pleasure of the book itself ( with more average reads anyway )

My 'rule' (in theory) is only one novel at a time, but no limit on dipping into non-fiction, short stories or poetry. I'm already breaking it with two novels. Oh, and I've just come back from a charity shop raid with a copy of Keith Richards' autobiography (hardback, £1.50, rude not to, etc.) 

[MakemineVanilla]

1 hour ago, Rodders said:

No , though that's probably just as well. but then I don't do proper book reviews. I don't have the patience with that, I'll give a couple of lines here, or on goodreads maybe 5 or 6 paragraphs if I've particularly enjoyed the book. Can't be arsed with essays. If I'm going to read an in depth book review I'll go with, some level of snobbishness I guess for the credentials of a professional review in paper or magasine. Some people on goodreads go on for ever; sod that. Short and sweet for amateur book reviews for me.  

I used to write reviews on Amazon but when I wrote a negative one, it got taken down, so I decided that if only positive reviews were allowed, reviews had no value whatsoever.