Great job 👏👏👏 Here’s another perspective: I live in a tiny space with no room for books at all. And yet…I can read whatever I want, whenever I want. (Also spend zero money because EVERYTHING is available from the Library) Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to have a collection of my all time favorites, but since that’s not possible, I’ll let the Library store all my books. 🤗
@@kellyadams79 True, not every library has every book. But if there’s a book you want (at least in the US) your library can probably request it. Years ago, we could only get what was actually on our own library’s shelves. But now, there’s hardly ever a book I can’t find. Just ask at the reference desk. They’re great!
Estherjane here. I have never purchased a book! I got my first library card when I was 8 years old when our village got it’s first library. I am 74 now. I think the problem some people have is they don’t have patience to wait to read a book so libraries are too slow. But for me I just read others. BTW. I kept looking for the library to have The Women in ebook as my eyesight is not what it was. I just happened to look at the right time as when I looked it said BORROW. I will be reading this starting tomorrow😊 Good for you btw.😊
I am on a book buying ban. I will read from my shelf In 2025 My sisters and I will take a trip to Ireland. So all my money I save from buying books, will go to this fabulous trip. 😊
Several years ago I did a major unhaul because I downsized to move to a smaller home. I did a spreadsheet of all that I unhauled too just so I wouldn't "forget" those books. So I feel your pain. Now I have a virtual TBR shelf which is awesome.
this was very nice & encouraging to see. I struggle severely w organizing & purging things, so the tips your husband mentioned were very helpful & eye opening. thank you!!
I understand feeling overwhelmed by a number of unread books on shelves. It's taken me three or four years to drop my number of my physical unread books from 600+ down to just under 200. I kind of went through the same process as you did. It is so difficult but really worth it to make my shelf something I can look at it and think, "Yeah, I'll read most of, if not all, of these books."
My last military move I had a literal ton of books. I never worried about the weight allowance because we never had much heavy furniture. However, I did have to worry about shelving them when they weren't being moved, lol. So I get your situation. In my case, ebooks and ereaders weren't a thing at that time, and the internet was barely there. So my books were a great comfort and the main source of entertainment. We didn't even own a TV, and we were in another country for six years so it was had to get books in English. I do think of TBR books as banked for the future, but it's good to evaluate whether you want them periodically. I find having ebooks is sufficient for some favorite series.
Thank you for unloading the books you did. The books that you can get back. The books you no longer want. I bought some and received them today. I appreciate your unhalling. It is hard for me to unhal books as well. I have been thinking about unhalling books since septerber. That is as far as I got is thinking. lol
It sounds like your husband is awesome and you made a great decision! Books/reading should not be stressful. (Anything that you consider a hobby should not be stressful.) I’ve personally been focused on Libby books and owned TBR. Haven’t bought a book since June. Difficult sometimes, but very doable!
What an accomplishment! And while hard, probably a little freeing too. Something you said after your conversation with your husband in the fall really helped me to be better about letting go of books I *might* want to reread or haven't read yet was 'you can always find them again...either repurchase or at the library.' That helped me let go of so many I had been holding onto for years!❤
Tell your husband I love him. Lol. One thing that really helped me with book buying is that I realized I didn't need to immediately own all of the books I want to read, especially if I know I won't get to them soon. That's why these days, anytime an unread book comes into my house, it's one I instantly put on a TBR so it's not sitting around and why I don't actively go out book shopping with the intention of bringing unread books into my house unless I know I will read them soon. Because they will just sit there, take up space, and the longer they sit there, the more likely I will be to lose interest in them. I also do a "gut" check. If there is even a little hesitation on my part as to whether I want to read the book, I won't buy it or if it's already on my shelves, I will unhaul it. I am proud of you for making the hard decisions!!
You have done amazing! I understand how hard it is but I agree that unhaling doesn’t mean you can’t read in the future. In the uk I buy a lot of books from charity shops so if I don’t read I think of it as a donation etc!
Oh I feel your struggle. I’ve accumulated so many books. The only difference is most of mine are read. With the birth of my first grandchild, I made a commitment to only purchase a book that I felt my grandkids would enjoy or want to keep in their future home libraries. That started what I refer to as THE GREAT BOOK PURGE. It took years. I now have 5 grandchildren and 3 entire bookcases dedicated to children’s and middle grade books and another 6 bookcases for adult Christian fiction and nonfiction as well as reference books for Bible studies. These are my new rules: I do a first read by an author on kindle unlimited or thru the library and only purchase a physical copy of books I know I or a family member will definitely enjoy reading. There are certain authors that are must haves so I keep my shelf space for them. Now my book shelves only contain books that are 3.5-5 star ratings. I utilize KU and the library to weed thru my TBR to determine which books are worthy of a spot on those shelves BEFORE I purchase a physical copy. It is still a struggle though. 😅
You go girl! I really need to do that! Sounds like we have about the same amount of physical books, and I'm not even going to announce the amount of books on my kindle! But the majority of them were free, so I'm cool with owning that amount of ebooks. I have three boxes set aside for my Pango if I ever get it started! Plus who knows how many boxes for Little Free Library's I could take some to. I'm working on it today. Actually slept a whole night last night and then napped this morning! I knew I was tired! Hadn't slept well for the past week and waking up at 3am on Friday morning sucked! Anyway, Nev to very nut day started. Have a great one.
I am very proud of you. I am loosing my eyesight, due to Macular degeneration , , so it was VERY hard for me to give away all my paperback boos. I am actually still giving them away. But thank goodness for audio books from library and online. But I so miss going to Barns & Nob le to see all the pretty covers. I really appreciate you and other book*tubers for giving me suggestions for the audio books. Thank yo
I'm sure that was a real struggle but it sounds like you've persevered! :) I struggle with just about 20-25 on my TBR. I've actually written a list of authors that I absolutely must have all of their books and I concentrate on locating/keeping those. If I try a new author they have to really WOW me for me to add them to my list. We all have our way of keeping our reading world in proper perspective. I always enjoy your posts! Happy Reading!
I think it takes practise. My biggest challenge has been to try not to keep buying books in a series or from a particular author until I’ve at least read the first one. I’ve managed to end up with lots of series completely unread on my shelves. So now, if a new one comes out, before I buy the new one I read the first one. It motivates me to pick it up and sometimes it means I actually don’t want to continue with it so I don’t buy the next one and I unhaul the one I’ve read. It’s hard to resist the temptation though! Well done for pushing through. Believe it or not once they’re gone you won’t think of them anymore…
Well done, my friend! I need to do a massive book purge myself. My unread books is not quite what you were facing, but still several hundred volumes. It's overwhelming to look at and it's just time to be more intentional. I'm hoping to start going through them in the next week or so. I wish I could say I could cut it in half, but I'm not sure. hehehe. I need a number to start from. I unhauled about 100 last year, so maybe I'll start there.
Same here. Over the past year and a half I’ve unhauled at least 400…. I have totes of books that I’m keeping but don’t need them out. I pretty much have on,y special editions from my book boxes and BOTM. and I’m reading so much more of them now. I have around 250 left on my shelf. I’m buying very sparingly and I’m so so happy to be able to see all my books and makes me happy to see them being read.
This was a great video and discussion. Definitely can relate and I’ve had many similar conversations with my partner about it as well. I’ve been better about my book purchasing lately but it still gets hard especially when watching haul videos and such. I have to exercise caution but I’m working on it. And my partner said pretty much the same things as your husband- it’s amazing to have that different perspective sometimes lol. He challenges me but I am so thankful for our relationship. Once I clear out more books (I’ve gotten rid of 50 so far- 🤞 for a lot more!), he is planning on building me a better bookcase and redecorating our space so I can have the library I always dreamed of having. I am so excited, but a bit nervous too lol. Change is always hard but it makes it much easier when you have someone who believes in you. So proud of your progress! Make sure to update us when it gets closer to summer! I’m sure you’ll be relieved and excited to reach your goal 😊
My father is retired Air Force so I remember those frequent moves even though I was seven when he retired. My mother struggled with those moves so much and I remember her talking about it especially the move from Japan back to the US. I struggle to this day with letting things go just like my mother did. I'm glad that you have a supportive husband and you were able to discuss this so realistically. I love a big tbr and hate to get rid of books unread too. Congratulations on accomplishing so much even if it was a struggle.
Good for you - not easy to let unread books go. Your husband makes a good point, the $ is already gone,,,you can find these books again - but it's hard to get yourself around that and purge! ( I really need to do this with clothes too! ) I have no problem letting books go that I've read - I don't tend to keep many, only those that have some sentimental value - or I think I will read again. Good luck with the move - you know yet where you are going?
I am so happy for you! Congrats on doing such a terribly hard task. And please give your hubby a hug from me. He sounds like an amazing life-partner. I downsized from a 3-br house to a 1-br apartment around 2012. Two of my bedrooms were basically libraries. That was when I got rid of my lifelong collection of books. My big fear was missing them because I love to reread books. I replaced the books I wanted to read with audiobooks or kindle books. It was so freeing!
Good for you. I’m sure that was really challenging. One simple thing that has helped me not buy books is to have a few lists I keep of books I’m considering buying. I have a priority buy and buy someday list plus I also will go in and add a tag on Libby to a book I’m interested in but not ready to buy or read now. I make myself wait to purchase anything until it’s been on the list for a few weeks, and I usually find I no longer want to buy it.
So proud of you. I know how hard and yes how freeing. Great job. I have a digital and handwritten tbr of 900+ books and then I just buy physical books when I find a book I absolutely love. Also your hubby sounds like an awesome guy.
You should be so proud of yourself! What a tough but important decision. You may have some regrets but those should lessen over time. And how exciting to look forward to filling your "permanent" library in the future. 😃
I’m definitely better about getting rid of books after I’ve read them too. I have more books on my shelves than time in the world to read them, so it’s probably time for another ruthless unhaul.
Holy wow! Great job! We had to pack up our house and move everything to the garage last Fall so a flooring crew could come in and install our new flooring. I knew I had a lot of books, but you don't realize how many until you have to pack them into boxes. It was overwhelming to see how many unread books that I had. I've been able to part with 94 of them so far. I will revisit another unhauling project later this spring.
Yes, we had to move ourselves that last time and the reality of how many I had was a punch. When you have to touch them all, it’s a whole different story!
Congratulations! Books are the one thing I have a terrible time getting rid of if I haven’t read them. I don’t collect things except for books but we can’t keep adding bookshelves forever!😂
I feel you. My husband thankfully retired from the military a while ago and I had to get rid of books for moving. Now my TBR has grown again and I feel overwhelmed. I have a hard time getting rid of it when I bought it too.
😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢I am literally crying about this video right now prayers and blessings for you and your husband and your beautiful children and your families love your Aussie family friend and number one fan John ❤❤❤
I really enjoyed this Video - Your husband is so supportive and he helps you with the way you think about your Books. You did good Sarah and I am so proud of you. Yes it is hard to get rid of books. I have moved 7 different times in my life time and each time I had three bookcases full of books to move. Each time I had to move I would get rid of some of my books. I hated to but I had to. I use my local Library to get my Books that I want to read. I don’t hardly buy anymore books. I just don’t have the room for them anymore. I love getting my books from the Library. Right now I am recovering from having a Double Major Surgery so my Local Library - the Librarian has been bringing me books that I want to read and then she picks them back up after I am done with them. Thank You for this Video Sarah and thank you to your Husband as well. Happy Reading ❤️🤗🙏🔰📚📖📕❤️
I feel your PAIN. !! It's so so hard for me to part with my unread books. Sometimes I can't even let them go once I have finished reading them. It's really really hard. I'm so impressed with your releasing 400 books. I like to drop off books I read at the free library's down the street but then I am tempted to find another book to bring home. It's a vicious cycle. Lol. I told my Sister and Husband that I'm hopelessly addicted to books.
Good girl…I donated a ton of books to the library when I downsized and moved to a townhouse…I bought 2 books last week and after I read them and loan out…if they return and I don’t feel the need to reread, they will be donated as well.
Congratulations!!!! Great Job !! Can you put them on a kindle?!! I have 94 books on my kindle.. I follow a few organizers on UA-cam and they say having too much stuff causes anxiety- I’ve been cleaning out my house and it does feel great !!!
Wow, Sarah, that’s amazing! Good for you❤️ I have moved twice over the last ten years, big moves that involved major purges. But I kept buying to the point where this year, I said enough. I’m making a concerted effort to read from my shelves and buy only books I love and want to reread. But with that being said, I’m checking out your pango shop too😊
I agree with everything you’ve said. Very easy to get rid of a book that’s less than five stars. Hard to accept that there are some I probably won’t be getting to at least in awhile.
Good for you! I am weeding shelves and sorting books for Goodwill or neighborhood Little Libraries. It is freeing and as you say - there are libraries and audio and kindle too!
Just this past Thursday a friend and I went around to the Little Free Libraries in town (small town, there aren't many) and I unloaded a bunch of books. Books I read decades ago but because they were a collection by same authors I had trouble letting go. But I did. I still have a box of books in my trunk though. And I still came home with some books I took from the LFL's.
I've been struggling with unhauling BOTM and Fairy Loot books. I spent so much money on them, and I feel like I have to read them. What your husband said makes a lot of sense. I'd rather fill my shelves with books that I love and will read again than books I'm avoiding, ambivalent about, or no longer interested in reading.
Great job!! If we have too many choices, the overwhelm definitely sets in. I really try not to buy a lot of books because I get overwhelmed with them very easily.
I am so proud of you. Books give me joy and peace. I love having them around me. It is difficult getting rid of books. My husband and I have moved several times. Books are heavy, and I can only imagine how much I have contributed to our moving expenses. My nieces bought me a Kindle several years ago for Christmas. I use it when traveling, but for me, nothing can replace reading a physical copy of a book. Once again, I am so proud of you. I also want to say God bless your husband with his wisdom. He sounds like a caring and understanding man, which shows how much he loves you. Enjoy your weekend.
With the books you regret giving away you can always get it on the kindle …. That doesn’t take up any room …. And in my reading month I read a couple of my kindle or have a kindle reading month … once read it’s easy to delete it off the kindle and if you really loved a book and would re read it then you can buy a copy…. Plus I don’t make a tbr for the month I just read what I feel like reading …. Works for me 😊….📚💞📚
Great job, this is very encouraging for me as I have over 900 unread books so not all of my books are on shelves. I want to get rid of half of my books too so that I have all of my books on my bookshelves. I am starting to think what books I am willing to let go even though I have not yet read them. It is good to know that you did this overtime. I had set my goal at 100 books to get rid of this year but now I am thinking that I will just up it to 450. Because then I will be able to see all of my books. I think I may have to set myself a deadline for doing this otherwise I will never do it.
Thanks for the motivation, I have unhauled 287 books in 3 days, my goal was 400 - 500 books. I do feel better having let the books go, it feels like I will read the books that I have left. I will continue to work on it. But at this moment I think I am done with my unhaul because now I am mentally tired. I did not make a list of what books I let go because I don't want to know, it is best that I don't know. All books purchases from this moment forward will be ebooks with the exception of the Fourth Wing Series. Thanks for the motivation.
I feel like I made this video. Lol I did t get rid of quite that many, but probably almost 300 books. I feel so much happier looking at my shelves! (My husband is also military, we’re always over limit. lol)
You should be so proud of yourself! This had to have been so hard for you but it also has to feel as if a burden has been lifted-or at least I hope so. Hopefully it also makes it a bit easier to pick what to read next when everything you have you're really excited about reading. Relieved some of the analysis paralysis? I know you mentioned ARCs which I'm sure you'll still be getting - can you ask the publishers to supply them digitally? That could help to keep the numbers from creeping back up.
I also struggle with clearing my shelves for similar reasons. There aren't any used bookstores near me, so I can't even turn them into credit for other books.
We end up being book collectors in addition to readers. I just unhauled over 300 books also. I also get rid of books after I read them with the exception of a very few. Have you thought about doing that?
I read all the books I buy and release after reading. I still have 300 books to read that have come into my life other ways. Sometimes I view these unread books as obligations rather than opportunities. I’m making it a goal this year to bring that number down by reading them. If they’re still here next year I will use another strategy to whittle that number down. My problem is that new books are released every week that I also want to read. At some point, I will make a decision to either read new books or back list books. Right now I’m trying to do both.
It’s my love of books. When I read one that I love, it brings me joy to see it on a shelf. I also like the immediate access I have to it when I’m ready to read them.
Oh my goodness! I have 200 I want to let go of, but I just don’t know how. I’ve been unhauling them for several months, and I’m almost to my goal, but I want them to go. I just have to figure out how.
By the sound of it your husband is really supportive of your reading and also loves you completely. You are lucky to have each other x
Great job 👏👏👏 Here’s another perspective: I live in a tiny space with no room for books at all. And yet…I can read whatever I want, whenever I want. (Also spend zero money because EVERYTHING is available from the Library) Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to have a collection of my all time favorites, but since that’s not possible, I’ll let the Library store all my books. 🤗
Everyone does not have a good library.
@@kellyadams79 True, not every library has every book. But if there’s a book you want (at least in the US) your library can probably request it. Years ago, we could only get what was actually on our own library’s shelves. But now, there’s hardly ever a book I can’t find. Just ask at the reference desk. They’re great!
Estherjane here. I have never purchased a book! I got my first library card when I was 8 years old when our village got it’s first library. I am 74 now. I think the problem some people have is they don’t have patience to wait to read a book so libraries are too slow. But for me I just read others. BTW. I kept looking for the library to have The Women in ebook as my eyesight is not what it was. I just happened to look at the right time as when I looked it said BORROW. I will be reading this starting tomorrow😊
Good for you btw.😊
I totally agree. It takes patience 🙏🏼 But I guess we’ve learned it (and earned it) at our age 😉
That’s amazing! Libraries are the best. I hope you love The Women. I’m reading right now and I can’t put it down!
I am on a book buying ban. I will read from my shelf In 2025 My sisters and I will take a trip to Ireland. So all my money I save from buying books, will go to this fabulous trip. 😊
Several years ago I did a major unhaul because I downsized to move to a smaller home. I did a spreadsheet of all that I unhauled too just so I wouldn't "forget" those books. So I feel your pain. Now I have a virtual TBR shelf which is awesome.
this was very nice & encouraging to see. I struggle severely w organizing & purging things, so the tips your husband mentioned were very helpful & eye opening.
thank you!!
I understand feeling overwhelmed by a number of unread books on shelves. It's taken me three or four years to drop my number of my physical unread books from 600+ down to just under 200. I kind of went through the same process as you did. It is so difficult but really worth it to make my shelf something I can look at it and think, "Yeah, I'll read most of, if not all, of these books."
My last military move I had a literal ton of books. I never worried about the weight allowance because we never had much heavy furniture. However, I did have to worry about shelving them when they weren't being moved, lol. So I get your situation. In my case, ebooks and ereaders weren't a thing at that time, and the internet was barely there. So my books were a great comfort and the main source of entertainment. We didn't even own a TV, and we were in another country for six years so it was had to get books in English.
I do think of TBR books as banked for the future, but it's good to evaluate whether you want them periodically. I find having ebooks is sufficient for some favorite series.
Thank you for unloading the books you did. The books that you can get back. The books you no longer want. I bought some and received them today. I appreciate your unhalling. It is hard for me to unhal books as well. I have been thinking about unhalling books since septerber. That is as far as I got is thinking. lol
Good for you Sarah!! So proud of you!! Your husband is a keeper!
It sounds like your husband is awesome and you made a great decision!
Books/reading should not be stressful. (Anything that you consider a hobby should not be stressful.)
I’ve personally been focused on Libby books and owned TBR. Haven’t bought a book since June. Difficult sometimes, but very doable!
What an accomplishment! And while hard, probably a little freeing too. Something you said after your conversation with your husband in the fall really helped me to be better about letting go of books I *might* want to reread or haven't read yet was 'you can always find them again...either repurchase or at the library.' That helped me let go of so many I had been holding onto for years!❤
Tell your husband I love him. Lol. One thing that really helped me with book buying is that I realized I didn't need to immediately own all of the books I want to read, especially if I know I won't get to them soon. That's why these days, anytime an unread book comes into my house, it's one I instantly put on a TBR so it's not sitting around and why I don't actively go out book shopping with the intention of bringing unread books into my house unless I know I will read them soon. Because they will just sit there, take up space, and the longer they sit there, the more likely I will be to lose interest in them. I also do a "gut" check. If there is even a little hesitation on my part as to whether I want to read the book, I won't buy it or if it's already on my shelves, I will unhaul it. I am proud of you for making the hard decisions!!
You have done amazing! I understand how hard it is but I agree that unhaling doesn’t mean you can’t read in the future. In the uk I buy a lot of books from charity shops so if I don’t read I think of it as a donation etc!
Oh I feel your struggle. I’ve accumulated so many books. The only difference is most of mine are read. With the birth of my first grandchild, I made a commitment to only purchase a book that I felt my grandkids would enjoy or want to keep in their future home libraries. That started what I refer to as THE GREAT BOOK PURGE. It took years. I now have 5 grandchildren and 3 entire bookcases dedicated to children’s and middle grade books and another 6 bookcases for adult Christian fiction and nonfiction as well as reference books for Bible studies. These are my new rules: I do a first read by an author on kindle unlimited or thru the library and only purchase a physical copy of books I know I or a family member will definitely enjoy reading. There are certain authors that are must haves so I keep my shelf space for them. Now my book shelves only contain books that are 3.5-5 star ratings. I utilize KU and the library to weed thru my TBR to determine which books are worthy of a spot on those shelves BEFORE I purchase a physical copy. It is still a struggle though. 😅
You go girl! I really need to do that! Sounds like we have about the same amount of physical books, and I'm not even going to announce the amount of books on my kindle! But the majority of them were free, so I'm cool with owning that amount of ebooks. I have three boxes set aside for my Pango if I ever get it started! Plus who knows how many boxes for Little Free Library's I could take some to. I'm working on it today. Actually slept a whole night last night and then napped this morning! I knew I was tired! Hadn't slept well for the past week and waking up at 3am on Friday morning sucked! Anyway, Nev to very nut day started. Have a great one.
I am very proud of you. I am loosing my eyesight, due to Macular degeneration , , so it was VERY hard for me to give away all my paperback boos. I am actually still giving them away. But thank goodness for audio books from library and online. But I so miss going to Barns & Nob le to see all the pretty covers. I really appreciate you and other book*tubers for giving me suggestions for the audio books. Thank yo
Good for you! You will be blessing others with those books😊
I'm sure that was a real struggle but it sounds like you've persevered! :)
I struggle with just about 20-25 on my TBR. I've actually written a list of authors that I absolutely must have all of their books and I concentrate on locating/keeping those. If I try a new author they have to really WOW me for me to add them to my list. We all have our way of keeping our reading world in proper perspective. I always enjoy your posts! Happy Reading!
I think it takes practise. My biggest challenge has been to try not to keep buying books in a series or from a particular author until I’ve at least read the first one. I’ve managed to end up with lots of series completely unread on my shelves. So now, if a new one comes out, before I buy the new one I read the first one. It motivates me to pick it up and sometimes it means I actually don’t want to continue with it so I don’t buy the next one and I unhaul the one I’ve read. It’s hard to resist the temptation though! Well done for pushing through. Believe it or not once they’re gone you won’t think of them anymore…
Yes, series is a big problem for me too. Especially when I find them for a low price.
Well done, my friend! I need to do a massive book purge myself. My unread books is not quite what you were facing, but still several hundred volumes. It's overwhelming to look at and it's just time to be more intentional. I'm hoping to start going through them in the next week or so. I wish I could say I could cut it in half, but I'm not sure. hehehe. I need a number to start from. I unhauled about 100 last year, so maybe I'll start there.
Same here. Over the past year and a half I’ve unhauled at least 400…. I have totes of books that I’m keeping but don’t need them out. I pretty much have on,y special editions from my book boxes and BOTM. and I’m reading so much more of them now. I have around 250 left on my shelf. I’m buying very sparingly and I’m so so happy to be able to see all my books and makes me happy to see them being read.
This was a great video and discussion. Definitely can relate and I’ve had many similar conversations with my partner about it as well. I’ve been better about my book purchasing lately but it still gets hard especially when watching haul videos and such. I have to exercise caution but I’m working on it. And my partner said pretty much the same things as your husband- it’s amazing to have that different perspective sometimes lol. He challenges me but I am so thankful for our relationship. Once I clear out more books (I’ve gotten rid of 50 so far- 🤞 for a lot more!), he is planning on building me a better bookcase and redecorating our space so I can have the library I always dreamed of having. I am so excited, but a bit nervous too lol. Change is always hard but it makes it much easier when you have someone who believes in you. So proud of your progress! Make sure to update us when it gets closer to summer! I’m sure you’ll be relieved and excited to reach your goal 😊
Wow. That’s amazing.
My father is retired Air Force so I remember those frequent moves even though I was seven when he retired. My mother struggled with those moves so much and I remember her talking about it especially the move from Japan back to the US. I struggle to this day with letting things go just like my mother did. I'm glad that you have a supportive husband and you were able to discuss this so realistically. I love a big tbr and hate to get rid of books unread too. Congratulations on accomplishing so much even if it was a struggle.
Good for you - not easy to let unread books go. Your husband makes a good point, the $ is already gone,,,you can find these books again - but it's hard to get yourself around that and purge! ( I really need to do this with clothes too! ) I have no problem letting books go that I've read - I don't tend to keep many, only those that have some sentimental value - or I think I will read again. Good luck with the move - you know yet where you are going?
I am so happy for you! Congrats on doing such a terribly hard task. And please give your hubby a hug from me. He sounds like an amazing life-partner. I downsized from a 3-br house to a 1-br apartment around 2012. Two of my bedrooms were basically libraries. That was when I got rid of my lifelong collection of books. My big fear was missing them because I love to reread books. I replaced the books I wanted to read with audiobooks or kindle books. It was so freeing!
Good for you. I’m sure that was really challenging. One simple thing that has helped me not buy books is to have a few lists I keep of books I’m considering buying. I have a priority buy and buy someday list plus I also will go in and add a tag on Libby to a book I’m interested in but not ready to buy or read now. I make myself wait to purchase anything until it’s been on the list for a few weeks, and I usually find I no longer want to buy it.
So proud of you. I know how hard and yes how freeing. Great job. I have a digital and handwritten tbr of 900+ books and then I just buy physical books when I find a book I absolutely love. Also your hubby sounds like an awesome guy.
You should be so proud of yourself! What a tough but important decision. You may have some regrets but those should lessen over time. And how exciting to look forward to filling your "permanent" library in the future. 😃
I’m definitely better about getting rid of books after I’ve read them too. I have more books on my shelves than time in the world to read them, so it’s probably time for another ruthless unhaul.
Holy wow! Great job! We had to pack up our house and move everything to the garage last Fall so a flooring crew could come in and install our new flooring. I knew I had a lot of books, but you don't realize how many until you have to pack them into boxes. It was overwhelming to see how many unread books that I had. I've been able to part with 94 of them so far. I will revisit another unhauling project later this spring.
Yes, we had to move ourselves that last time and the reality of how many I had was a punch. When you have to touch them all, it’s a whole different story!
Your unhaul is such an achievement! I am glad you love the books you have now. That link to Pango doesn't work when clicked.
Congratulations! Books are the one thing I have a terrible time getting rid of if I haven’t read them. I don’t collect things except for books but we can’t keep adding bookshelves forever!😂
I feel you. My husband thankfully retired from the military a while ago and I had to get rid of books for moving. Now my TBR has grown again and I feel overwhelmed. I have a hard time getting rid of it when I bought it too.
😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢I am literally crying about this video right now prayers and blessings for you and your husband and your beautiful children and your families love your Aussie family friend and number one fan John ❤❤❤
I have cut back on my TBR too.
A spreadsheet of your unhauled books is a good idea
You motivated me in the fall and I got rid of 200 books! It felt good.
That’s amazing!!!!
I’ve been feeling the same, and have started getting rid of some. You have a wise husband.
I really enjoyed this Video - Your husband is so supportive and he helps you with the way you think about your Books.
You did good Sarah and I am so proud of you. Yes it is hard to get rid of books.
I have moved 7 different times in my life time and each time I had three bookcases full of books to move. Each time I had to move I would get rid of some of my books. I hated to but I had to.
I use my local Library to get my Books that I want to read. I don’t hardly buy anymore books. I just don’t have the room for them anymore.
I love getting my books from the Library. Right now I am recovering from having a Double Major Surgery so my Local Library - the Librarian has been bringing me books that I want to read and then she picks them back up after I am done with them.
Thank You for this Video Sarah and thank you to your Husband as well.
Happy Reading
❤️🤗🙏🔰📚📖📕❤️
I feel your PAIN. !! It's so so hard for me to part with my unread books. Sometimes I can't even let them go once I have finished reading them. It's really really hard. I'm so impressed with your releasing 400 books. I like to drop off books I read at the free library's down the street but then I am tempted to find another book to bring home. It's a vicious cycle. Lol. I told my Sister and Husband that I'm hopelessly addicted to books.
Good girl…I donated a ton of books to the library when I downsized and moved to a townhouse…I bought 2 books last week and after I read them and loan out…if they return and I don’t feel the need to reread, they will be donated as well.
Congratulations!!!! Great Job !!
Can you put them on a kindle?!!
I have 94 books on my kindle..
I follow a few organizers on UA-cam and they say having too much stuff causes anxiety- I’ve been cleaning out my house and it does feel great !!!
We are probably moving in November and your husband’s advice hit home for me. Just because I bought it doesn’t mean I have to keep it.
Wow, Sarah, that’s amazing! Good for you❤️ I have moved twice over the last ten years, big moves that involved major purges. But I kept buying to the point where this year, I said enough. I’m making a concerted effort to read from my shelves and buy only books I love and want to reread. But with that being said, I’m checking out your pango shop too😊
I agree with everything you’ve said. Very easy to get rid of a book that’s less than five stars. Hard to accept that there are some I probably won’t be getting to at least in awhile.
Good for you! I am weeding shelves and sorting books for Goodwill or neighborhood Little Libraries. It is freeing and as you say - there are libraries and audio and kindle too!
Just this past Thursday a friend and I went around to the Little Free Libraries in town (small town, there aren't many) and I unloaded a bunch of books. Books I read decades ago but because they were a collection by same authors I had trouble letting go. But I did. I still have a box of books in my trunk though. And I still came home with some books I took from the LFL's.
I've been struggling with unhauling BOTM and Fairy Loot books. I spent so much money on them, and I feel like I have to read them. What your husband said makes a lot of sense. I'd rather fill my shelves with books that I love and will read again than books I'm avoiding, ambivalent about, or no longer interested in reading.
Very thought provoking video. I am glad to hear this video as I picked up 5 more books. I don't have nearly that many but my shelves are getting full.
This was very relatable and encouraging! 💛
It is very hard to get rid of books! You did a great job.
Good for you! Remember audio books and ebooks don't add any physical weight!
Great job!! If we have too many choices, the overwhelm definitely sets in. I really try not to buy a lot of books because I get overwhelmed with them very easily.
I am so proud of you. Books give me joy and peace. I love having them around me. It is difficult getting rid of books. My husband and I have moved several times. Books are heavy, and I can only imagine how much I have contributed to our moving expenses. My nieces bought me a Kindle several years ago for Christmas. I use it when traveling, but for me, nothing can replace reading a physical copy of a book.
Once again, I am so proud of you. I also want to say God bless your husband with his wisdom. He sounds like a caring and understanding man, which shows how much he loves you.
Enjoy your weekend.
With the books you regret giving away you can always get it on the kindle …. That doesn’t take up any room …. And in my reading month I read a couple of my kindle or have a kindle reading month … once read it’s easy to delete it off the kindle and if you really loved a book and would re read it then you can buy a copy…. Plus I don’t make a tbr for the month I just read what I feel like reading …. Works for me 😊….📚💞📚
Great job, this is very encouraging for me as I have over 900 unread books so not all of my books are on shelves. I want to get rid of half of my books too so that I have all of my books on my bookshelves. I am starting to think what books I am willing to let go even though I have not yet read them. It is good to know that you did this overtime. I had set my goal at 100 books to get rid of this year but now I am thinking that I will just up it to 450. Because then I will be able to see all of my books. I think I may have to set myself a deadline for doing this otherwise I will never do it.
Thanks for the motivation, I have unhauled 287 books in 3 days, my goal was 400 - 500 books. I do feel better having let the books go, it feels like I will read the books that I have left. I will continue to work on it. But at this moment I think I am done with my unhaul because now I am mentally tired. I did not make a list of what books I let go because I don't want to know, it is best that I don't know. All books purchases from this moment forward will be ebooks with the exception of the Fourth Wing Series.
Thanks for the motivation.
I feel like I made this video. Lol I did t get rid of quite that many, but probably almost 300 books. I feel so much happier looking at my shelves! (My husband is also military, we’re always over limit. lol)
Hope you are reading something good. Best wishes.
I’d love to see the spreadsheet😮
For me, it would be more stressful to get rid of books I wanted, but I don't have to move them.
You should be so proud of yourself! This had to have been so hard for you but it also has to feel as if a burden has been lifted-or at least I hope so. Hopefully it also makes it a bit easier to pick what to read next when everything you have you're really excited about reading. Relieved some of the analysis paralysis? I know you mentioned ARCs which I'm sure you'll still be getting - can you ask the publishers to supply them digitally? That could help to keep the numbers from creeping back up.
Yes, definitely! There are a lot of digital options for ARCS that I’ll be utilizing when I can for sure.
I also struggle with clearing my shelves for similar reasons. There aren't any used bookstores near me, so I can't even turn them into credit for other books.
We end up being book collectors in addition to readers. I just unhauled over 300 books also. I also get rid of books after I read them with the exception of a very few. Have you thought about doing that?
Yes, every time I finish a book I’m good about knowing whether or not I want to keep it. If I don’t, I post it on Pango right away.
@@SarahsNightstand lol I posted the question before I got to the end of the video!
I read all the books I buy and release after reading. I still have 300 books to read that have come into my life other ways. Sometimes I view these unread books as obligations rather than opportunities. I’m making it a goal this year to bring that number down by reading them. If they’re still here next year I will use another strategy to whittle that number down. My problem is that new books are released every week that I also want to read. At some point, I will make a decision to either read new books or back list books. Right now I’m trying to do both.
Obligation over opportunity! YES!!!
Way to go 🎉🎉🎉 maybe I can do this with my stamp sets. 12:33
You are correct when you click the link it just takes you to the site but you can’t really figure out who’s books or whose if that makes sense
Yeah I don’t know why it’s so weird. Are you able to search my name?
Nope
I have a serious question for you. What is the attraction to owning so many books and spending so much money on them versus using the public library?
It’s my love of books. When I read one that I love, it brings me joy to see it on a shelf. I also like the immediate access I have to it when I’m ready to read them.
Great going!🎉
well done! I'm interested to know how you decided what to keep and what to let go of. Did you use some method or just your feeling?
I basically said to myself, “Would I be excited to pick this up and read it right now?” If the answer was yes, it stayed.
If not, it went away.
@@SarahsNightstand often the simplest approach works the best ☺
Oh my goodness! I have 200 I want to let go of, but I just don’t know how. I’ve been unhauling them for several months, and I’m almost to my goal, but I want them to go. I just have to figure out how.
You can do it!
Do you give away or donate books that you did not like? I am starting to do that for myself, and now I am considering using my kindle more.
Yes, if I didn’t like a book I will pass it on or sell it.
Does this mean we need to take a trip to McKay’s to sell some books 😏
YES GIRL!!!
Just put them on your kindle or audiobook and get rid of the physical books
Where are you moving?
Nothing’s final yet, so we haven’t made it public. But I will as soon as we can!
I’ll keep my comments about the public library to myself.
Can’t use pango in Australia