Books--Can't Live with 'Em, Can't Live Without 'Em!

Books have always been an important part of my life.  I was read to as a child.  From early on, one of my favorite gifts was a new book.  I collected biographies in late elementary school.  The signature series.  Biographies written especially for young people, with an imprint of the subject's signature on the cover.

I continue, decades later, to favor biographies.  Though I also enjoy a good novel and frequently read volumes on religion and society.  Frankly, I can't imagine my life without books.  I have borrowing privileges in three different library systems, and am on a first name basis with the owner of our local independently owned bookstore.

As you can imagine, I own hundreds, make that thousands, of books, and as I consider retiring in ten months or so, I will have to make some serious decisions about what to keep and what to give away.  Some may go to colleagues, others to family members, still others to local libraries.  And some, no doubt, will go to our congregation's used "bookstore."  But many of them I will want to keep, partly becuase I enjoy being surrounded by books, partly because some have sentimental value (my complete set of John Steinbeck paperbacks acquired in high school when I tore through everything he wrote, as an example)
and others because I will have need of them for research and comfort in my retirement.

I'm not sure I'd take on this vital task if not for the prompting of my wife, who has made it clear our condo isn't big enough for all of them.  She's an avid reader as well, but relies on the library for her selections.  I'll keep you posted.  So far--well, so far I haven't even begun!