Picture of Karl Lagerfeld's Home Library

Do You Keep Your Books?

January 11, 2011

I once dreamed of having a house filled with books I'd read through the years, but three cross-country moves, one break-in to a storage unit, and a mother who is decidedly not a hoarder — at least of my things — and that dream seems more like a fantasy. This photograph, taken by photographer Todd Selby, is of Karl Lagerfeld's library. It's a little messy if you ask me, but you can tell he's a man with a reading plan.

Are you keeping books to build a library?

13 Comments

RedVixxen 2 years 18 weeks

If I had the space and didn't dread packing them all up every time I move, then I would keep more of them. I have a small collection of special ones or reference books that I do keep. However, the rest of them are given to friends to read, or donated to libraries...or, my most recent discovery, swapped on GoodReads.com!

KeLynns 2 years 18 weeks

I did. Until I moved and it was a humongous pain in the ass to pack up and move my whole library. Now I have a kindle. I romanticize libraries and love them in theory, but the convenience of a kindle is just too good!

spacekatgal 2 years 19 weeks

iPad.

spacekatgal 2 years 19 weeks

iPad.

esmerb 2 years 19 weeks

I dream to have a library like this one day!!

amber512 2 years 19 weeks

I agree. I get books from the library, so if I do happen to buy a book it's for keeps!

Deidre 2 years 19 weeks

I'm also one of those folks who don't buy a book unless it's a "keeper." Otherwise, I'm borrowing from friends or going to the library. But even with my pickiness, I still manage to have 3 bookshelves worth of volumes that I have to keep. But I actually do re-read books that I own, I promise! It probably doesn't help that I have to hold on to certain volumes for my daughter for when she's older (A Wrinkle in Time, the Little House books, etc).

spaa649 2 years 19 weeks

I once worked with a girl who said after she read a book she always threw them away! i never understood that, if you didn't want it any more at least donate them somewhere. Why throw them away?

Aitch3 2 years 19 weeks

that's fucking awesome.

Aitch3 2 years 19 weeks

that's fucking awesome.

gingirl 2 years 19 weeks

RoaringSilence, I do pretty much the same thing. I worked in a library for a number of years and hope to again, but am constantly checking out new books. I don't want to waste money on a book I hated. But as it stands with this strategy, I have a pretty eclectic library

RoaringSilence 2 years 19 weeks

How weird to stack them horizontally! I only buy and keep books if they're either classics, which I think are a great thing to own, or if I've gotten them from a library before and enjoyed them so much that I know I'll read them again. Of course that way, my library won't be huge, but I'm okay with that.

RoaringSilence 2 years 19 weeks

Link Love

13 Comments

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