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Nancy Northcott | Pruning the Keeper Shelf
September 27, 2012
Any book I like well enough to keep after reading it is one I'm likely to read
again. Okay, maybe not this year. Or next year. But sometime. Walking around
piles of books in the floor, though, recently convinced me I had to be
stricter. I realized I hadn't pruned the romance shelves in a dozen years.
The mystery/suspense, science fiction/fantasy, and general fiction shelves also
hadn't been touched in a long time, but I figured I'd start with the genre that
had the biggest overflow. Looking at the books I kept, I realized they all had certain elements in common.
They all had romance, of course, but they also involved adventure and action,
which some friends and I like to call "boom." Maybe the characters have to step
into uncharted territories in their lives or go to strange new places or dare
things they dread. Maybe they have paranormal gifts they need to master. Maybe
they're called to face unexpected destinies. In some way, though, they must
stretch themselves, and that not only creates conflict but carries an element of
risk that makes it adventurous. An example would be Kathleen Woodiwiss's SHANNA. The story of the
hero and heroine's secret marriage moves from England across the Caribbean and
ultimately to the Virginia colony. When pirates kidnap Shanna, Ruark must
defeat their captain to save her. So there're swashbuckling swordplay and
danger aplenty though such action isn't a dominant element in the book. The story is about Ruark's efforts to win Shanna's love and the way his love for
her changes her. Although she's initially a brat much of the time, he's so
terrific and sees so much good in her that I stayed with their story. In the
end, Shanna's love for Ruark transforms her into a stronger, more compassionate
person. When I look at my other shelves, the romance won't be the dominant element. The
adventure and the boom will be more prominent. On the mystery/thriller shelf, I
know Jon Land's Caitlin Strong thrillers will stay. They have a definite
romantic thread (between a Texas Ranger and an ex-Green Beret who used to be a
mob enforcer, no less!). So do C. S. Harris's Sebastian St. Cyr Regency
mysteries, Karin Slaughter's and Zoe Sharp's thrillers and David Baldacci's King
and Maxwell books. Sherlock Holmes isn't as heavy on action and has almost no
romance, but the mysteries always lead Holmes and Watson into adventure. I
could say the same for Tony Hillerman's Navajo mysteries. All of these are
guaranteed to survive the pruning. The books likely to stay on the science fiction/fantasy shelves range from
traditional science fiction and fantasy like Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy,
David Weber's Honor Harrington books, and THE LORD OF THE RINGS to
more romantic series like Ann Aguirre's Sirantha Jax and Laura Anne Gilman's
Retrievers, with a wide range in between. All involve adventure and varying
degrees of boom. An exception that doesn't involve this mix of elements is my favorite book on
the general fiction shelf, Harper Lee's TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
Built around the framework of Tom Robinson's trial, the story has no romance and
almost no boom but stretches the characters' boundaries and leads them to see
their world differently. I know this book is never leaving the shelf. What about you? Do you prune your keeper shelves regularly or only when you
must? What kinds of books do you consider keepers, and are any of the ones I've
listed among them? One commenter chosen at random will receive a Keeper Kase
(an album for keeping signed cover cards for ebooks), a signed cover card for my
November 6 paranormal romantic suspense release, RENEGADE, and a sneak peek
at the book via NetGalley.
Comments
64 comments posted.
Re: Nancy Northcott | Pruning the Keeper Shelf
Sadly our keeper books tend to have to live in the attic right now. They migrate down every now and then if my husband wants to read one of mine, say. We have too many new books coming in and not enough shelves. Currently working on renovating and when the extension room is finished boy, will that be a library... when the books come down from the attic that is when we will do the big pruning job! So many will now feel out-dated. But if we don't want books anymore I make sure they get passed on, to other readers, to secondhand book stores or charity shops. We never throw out a book.
(Clare O'Beara 5:21am September 27, 2012)
Thanks for the chance to win. I prune my books when I HAVE to and it always makes me sad. I often think of them as high school buddies I haven't seen since. I also won't throw a book away, but pass them around. Even damaged books make me sad, muchless to throw one out.
(Sally Hannoush 7:19am September 27, 2012)
I have the bad tendency to keep all of my books. I want the
option to re-read them sometime in the future.
(Karin Anderson 8:00am September 27, 2012)
I LOVE READING ALL KINDS OF BOOKS BUT I MY FAVORITES TO READ
ARE PARANORMAL ROMANCE, ROMANCE SUSPENSE, HISTORICALS
ROMANCE, AND ROMANCE MYSTERIES. THE BOOKS I LOVE I READ OVER
AND OVER BECAUSE THEY ARE THE BEST. I NEVER THROW OUT BOOKS.
WHEN I GET TIRED OF SOME OF THEM I GIVE THEM TO MY FRIENDS
AND TO MY LIBRARY SO OTHER PEOPLE CAN READ THE BOOKS. I
WOULD LOVE TO WIN THIS CONTEST. THIS BOOK SOUNDS REALLY
INTERESTING. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS BOOK.
(Shelly Caggiano 9:27am September 27, 2012)
Since I read over 250 books a year (and have since 1973), there is no way I can keep them all. I have about 500 in boxes that I bought before I blogged - books that I bought based on back blurbs, basically. I started blogging in 2009 and quickly realized I needed to "remember" what I'd read, so now I keep track of everything and keep the newer books (about 400, based on my new favourite authors from the blogs, plus the books recommended in those blogs and on the author web sites) in vertical file cabinets in alphabetical order by author for easy access. Once read, I pass the books on to my girlfriends (two of whom pass them on to their moms' retirement residences). I keep track of which kinds of books each person enjoys so that I know to whom I should give the books. (Boy, that sentence is a mouthful in order to be grammatically correct!) I have saved all of Sandra Hyatt's books (although I am missing a few) because she is no longer with us and I really enjoy/enjoyed her way of writing, and the rest are out of here. As quickly as possible....
(Elaine Seymour 9:29am September 27, 2012)
Because of my love for reading I usually keep all my books and reread at some point. Twilight was one of my favorite series. I read all 4 books in 7 days! Drove my husband crazy! Now with ebooks it doesn't take up room on my bookshelf. Can't wait toi read Renegade. Thanks!
(Teresa Sullivan 9:39am September 27, 2012)
I keep all my favorite authors and reread them often. This sounds like a great book and one that I will look forward to reading!!!
(Bonnie Capuano 10:11am September 27, 2012)
I have had to thin out my keeper books over the years numerous times, they tend to get out of control. I almost caused our attic to collapse into our garage once. The ceiling was sagging and the nails were popping and my husband said "What have you been putting up there?" He climbed up there and I was about to call the police for a protection order. lol As a solution he he had the crawl space finished so I could store the books there... so that won't ever happen again. See he loves me. :) But I still have to keep the boxes to a managable number. That is my agreement. I have an excel spreadsheet and the books are in labeled boxes so I can get to whichever ones I want when I need them. Addictions are bad... I am glad I chose books and not drugs.
(Patti Paonessa 10:40am September 27, 2012)
Claire, I'm so familiar with the not-enough-shelves issue. The first New Year's Eve
the dh and I were married, he spent staining bookshelves he'd just finished building
in our living room. I sat and talked to him as we rang in the new year. We figured
those shelves would last us decades. But no...within three years, they were full. The
same goes for a wall of bookshelves in an addition we built. They're now double-
shelved, and I do dread pruning them. *sigh* I can't throw out books, either, but I
know what you mean when you say they sometimes feel outdated. I try to find good
homes for them or donate them to charity sales.
(Nancy Northcott 11:05am September 27, 2012)
Sally, I also don't throw books away. I like crossword puzzles, so the dh gives
me on every Christmas. Even when those are full, I ask him to do the throwing
out. I just can't. Others, I try to find good homes for or donate to charity sales.
(Nancy Northcott 11:06am September 27, 2012)
Karin, me too! I hate not having room to keep them all. I'm looking at the
mystery shelves, and I know I should get rid of series that are ended and I liked
but didn't love. I need the space. But it's just so tough!
(Nancy Northcott 11:07am September 27, 2012)
Shelley, thank you. I hope you'll like Renegade. It has mages and strong fantasy
elements (I hope) but is also romantic suspense. I find that my tastes are
changing. Books I would've kept a few years ago, I didn't this time around. But
that makes me afraid I may want them again a few years down the road. Ack! I
really hate the whole pruning thing. Like you, I do read books over and over.
Sometimes right after I finish them. And I want them to be there when I decide
to read them again, even if it's years down the road. Too bad we don't have a
really big house. Though I guess I'd fill that with books sooner or later.
(Nancy Northcott 11:10am September 27, 2012)
Elaine, you are way more organized than I am! I need to start a list because
there are so many books in the house now that I occasionally buy an unread one
a second time and, really, I don't need to be doing that. I can give those as blog
prizes, so it's not a total loss, but still! We have boxes, but, not being as
organized as you are, I can't keep up with what's in them, so I try to rotate the
books out for my sanity's sake.
(Nancy Northcott 11:14am September 27, 2012)
Teresa, thank you. :-) I also will blitz through a series if I really like it. It helps,
of course, if all the books are already published. S. M. Stirling's post-
apocalyptic Emberverse I trilogy (Dies the Fire, The Protector's War, A Meeting at
Corvallis) did that to me. I got the third book because I forgot to send back the
"no, thanks" card to the SF Book Club. It looked interesting, so I bought the
first one, got totally sucked in, and read them all. Same with Lois McMaster
Bujold's Vorkosigans (I'm eager to read the forthcoming Captain Vorpatril's
Alliance), Sabrina Jeffries' Royal Brotherhood. Of course, it's also kind of fun to
anticipate the next book when I love a series. Yes, ebooks are great for making
the TBR pile more manageable!
(Nancy Northcott 11:18am September 27, 2012)
Bonnie, thank you. I also love re-reading old favorites.
(Nancy Northcott 11:18am September 27, 2012)
Patti wrote: "He climbed up there and I was about to call the police for a
protection order." LOL! I love that. We also started to get nail pop and had a
structural engineer tell us the books had to come out of the upstairs.
Apparently a fully loaded bookshelf puts four times the stress on a square foot
of floor space that it's designed to handle. Who knew? You also sound very
organized about your books.
(Nancy Northcott 11:20am September 27, 2012)
I'm horrible at culling the herd of books. But I do pass them along to family members to get rid of them temporarily.
(Pam Howell 11:33am September 27, 2012)
Don't remind me! Or rather, do. I had four boxes of books I was going to
bring to work today to sell off, and then forgot them because I'm rather the
zombie in the mornings and don't wake up until I get to work. (Don't tell the
Highway Patrol!) It's hard to get rid of non-keepers because darn it, those
things cost MONEY, but also hard because I tend to forget which books I've
read. For example: Jenny Crusie's "The Cinderella Deal." I recently bought this
and on the bottom of the first page I realized I'd read it already. It's a
heartwarming bit of fluff, so it's not only a keeper but a sell. (Sell the extra
copy, that is.) Speaking of Crusie, it's interesting that so many of her books
will leave my shelves only when my hands are cold and dead, yet there are
quite a few I'm content to live without. It's rare that I find an author whose
work appeals to me across the line. Why, even Julia Quinn had an off-book!
(gasp!) However, she's taking up far too much shelf space and it sometimes
bugs me. When will the cost of ebooks come down so I can clear out her
shelves? I have Wonder Woman figurines that need to be displayed properly.
(Carol Strickland 12:12pm September 27, 2012)
Hi
After reading a book I put it on a shelf and when I can no
longer shove a book in the overstuff bookshelf I go through
them to give away or keep. Now that I have ebooks - it is
much easier to keep all the books I read. However I am
terrible about re-reading books, there are just so many on
my TBR list that I want to read!
Thanks for the chance - this book looks great.
(Pam Brewer 12:13pm September 27, 2012)
Pam, I'm horrible at it, too. When I finally get around to it, I have to do it all at
once, or it doesn't get done. I do love being able to give books I enjoyed to
other people I think will like them and maybe discover the author as a result of
the book being passed along.
(Nancy Northcott 12:25pm September 27, 2012)
Carol, you wrote: "I'm rather the zombie in the mornings and don't wake up
until I get to work. (Don't tell the Highway Patrol!)" LOL! I also sometimes
forget I've read a book--but that's usually a sign I should pass it on. I think
every author is going to have an "off" book now and again. Or at least one that
doesn't resonate as much with me. I loved the late Dick Francis's mysteries, but
there are some I could let go, as well as some I'll keep forever.
(Nancy Northcott 12:28pm September 27, 2012)
Pam B., you sound like you're much better than I am at keeping your shelves
current. One thing I love about ebooks is that they add absolutely zero to the
book clutter in our house! I've even bought some favorites I own in print so I
can have copies to travel with me, and they don't take up any room on the shelf.
*g* Thanks for the kind words. I hope you'll like Renegade.
(Nancy Northcott 12:30pm September 27, 2012)
No I like to keep my keepers and am running out of shelves and room... the up side is that I have been increasing my e-book collecting...
(Colleen Conklin 1:32pm September 27, 2012)
Hi Nancy!
*waves madly*
Great to see you here at Fresh Fiction. Your cover is absolutely beautiful!
To anyone wondering about this book, it's a great read. Nancy write fantastic action, and heart-twisting emotion. You'll love her writing.
As to the question...pruning the shelves is one of the hardest things I have to do. And I need to do it again. They've spilled over into the floor. I've recently given away some books I've bought but never read. I have so little reading time now. I know I'll never get to them, and that makes me sad.
(Cassondra M 1:38pm September 27, 2012)
Colleen, the boon of ebooks for conserving space is a common theme today.
Our house is at capacity for books--passed it some time ago, actually--so I
completely understand.
(Nancy Northcott 1:42pm September 27, 2012)
Cassondra, thank you so much! I'm glad you liked Renegade, and it's nice of
you to come say so.
You know, I think I'm going to have to give away some unread books. There's a
bin I haven't looked into in a long time. I think I need to weed it, and I hate that
because every single book in it interested me when I bought it.
(Nancy Northcott 1:47pm September 27, 2012)
Yes, I have to weed out books which I give to friends and
donate to a retirement home.
(Sharon Berger 2:16pm September 27, 2012)
Sharon, I find letting go of a book easier if I know it will find a good home.
(Nancy Northcott 2:41pm September 27, 2012)
I have always loved to read. it is one of my pastimes when i
am doing work. It is one of the best hobbies to me. I mostly
read paranormal romance or romance. I have read a lot of books
and i still continue to do so. i always keep all my books.
(Anthonia Sharp 3:11pm September 27, 2012)
Hi, Anthonia--I can't remember a time I didn't love reading. At different times
and with different books,it's an escape and an education and a simple pleasure.
I'm glad you're able to keep all your books.
(Nancy Northcott 3:26pm September 27, 2012)
I don't prune my keeper shelf very often and when I do I don't get rid of much. Most of them I've had for years and they are out of print books that I re-read every so often.
(Sandy Giden 4:35pm September 27, 2012)
Sandy, that's the thing about popular fiction. So many of the books go out of
print that if I get rid of them, I have to figure they're gone for good. It's tough!
(Nancy Northcott 4:47pm September 27, 2012)
i would really love to take a read of your work and cover look great too
(Kimberly Hoefs 4:55pm September 27, 2012)
I love the Sherlock Holmes stories, too, and I'm mainly a mystery reader but I also read Jane Austen sequels. I swap on PaperBackSwap and BookMooch so that's how I get rid of books. I've also swapped on Title Trader. I have books in the garage, garage attic, living room, and bedroom. I do keep most of my books and there are tons that I haven't read because I'm always accumulating more! I don't do e-books because I don't have an e-reader or computer.
I keep a list of books that I've read. Can't imagine reading 250 a year like one of the commenters. I've finished 28 this year. I do start lots of books and don't get back to them.
(Michelle Fidler 5:09pm September 27, 2012)
Kimberly, thank you. I love the cover, too.
(Nancy Northcott 5:31pm September 27, 2012)
Michelle, I'm always have books waiting to be read, too. I need to keep a list,
too, but starting one seems daunting at this point.
(Nancy Northcott 5:32pm September 27, 2012)
I really got into reading over 35 years ago when my oldest son was only two. When we built our first house, we didn't have central-air conditioning (an oversight by us and the builder). So during the hot, humid summer months, I would go to our basement guest bedroom (where is was cool) and lay down on the big bed with him to read a book, while he took his afternoon nap. He always went right to sleep, and I enjoyed my quiet, relaxing time reading. When we moved out of state and built another house, we made sure we had central-air and plenty of bookcases built-in along each side of our fireplace across the entire wall of our family room that go to the ceiling. I had very few books starting out to grace the many shelves. In the next five years, they started filling up. They are all full now and then some, because I ran out of shelves, so I resorted to storing the overflow in boxes (ones I haven't read). I, too, have even mistakenly purchased books I already have.
Nancy, you've got me wanting to go through my books now and start doing some "pruning" (weeding them out)! I know it will be a big project to let go, but it's time! I have a few favorite authors that I have most all their books. I do have a couple of Kathleen Woodiwiss's including SHANNA. Thanks for your great blog today, and I'm enjoying reading everyone else's (knowing I'm not alone in my addiction)!!
(Linda Luinstra 5:51pm September 27, 2012)
Linda, I'm glad you enjoyed it. What a great story about reading during your
little boy's naps. There's something about sitting next to a sleeping baby that's
just so heartwarming.
It's nice to meet another Shanna fan. I just love that book.
Your family room bookcases sound wonderful. The dh's parents have a wall
that's entirely a bookshelf, and I envy it every time I see it. Plus the image of
books next to a fireplace is very cozy. I'd say you're definitely not alone in your
addiction! :-)
(Nancy Northcott 6:07pm September 27, 2012)
I bit the bullet and boxed all mine up, then took them to the book store.Quite a bit of money i received in trade value also..Still have a lot left over to use up.. So hard to go in that store, I never leave with out a "couple" of books.
This looks like a good one to read as well.. Thank you for the opportunity...
(Holly Vanderhule 6:10pm September 27, 2012)
Holly, thanks. I have trouble leaving a bookstore without books, too. There are
just so many that look appealing!
(Nancy Northcott 6:22pm September 27, 2012)
Oh,I HAVE to prune, but the clippings are packed away. :) Fun blog today, Nancy
and congratulations on your debut book RENEGADE. (tip to everyone - I've read
it and loved it).
(Dianna Love 7:18pm September 27, 2012)
I prune my keeper shelves on when forced to do so---I just love books.
(Sue Farrell 7:32pm September 27, 2012)
Thank you, Dianna. :-)
(Nancy Northcott 7:34pm September 27, 2012)
Sue, I wouldn't do it, either, if I couldn't avoid it. I love books, too.
(Nancy Northcott 7:35pm September 27, 2012)
I have a big old house, so I just hang on to them. One thing that's helping on space is ebooks.
(Lisa Elwood 7:45pm September 27, 2012)
Lisa, ebooks are a definite boon when it comes to space! It's nice that you have
room for all your books.
(Nancy Northcott 7:57pm September 27, 2012)
I keep a list of the books I read, but I read too many to keep them. I pass them on to others or donate them to the library.
(Wilma Frana 8:01pm September 27, 2012)
Wilma, several other people mentioned keeping lists. I wish I'd started one long
ago. I also read too many to keep, obviously. I like to think the ones I give up
find good homes.
(Nancy Northcott 8:04pm September 27, 2012)
My family calls me the book hoarder, lol. I do reread my favorites,
especially Pride and Prejudice, I am a hopeless romantic at heart. I do thin
the herd,so to speak, every so often. I have a friend who loves it when I
bring a "goodie bag" to work.
(Ann Sheiring 8:41pm September 27, 2012)
omg!! i love the cover!!! cant wait to read!!
(Jennifer Beck 8:45pm September 27, 2012)
Ann, I'm sure I have relatives who see me as a book hoarder, too. Lucky for me,
the dh loves books, too. It sounds as though your books find a good home
when you pass them along.
(Nancy Northcott 8:49pm September 27, 2012)
Jennifer, thanks! I really love that cover. As we say in the Romance Bandits'
Lair, the cover fairy was extremely generous. :-) I hope you'll enjoy Renegade.
(Nancy Northcott 8:51pm September 27, 2012)
Oh I hate to prune the keeper shelf! Every book I've ever read is a keeper to me. I do however force myself to thin the shelves every once in a while or my husband threatens to do it for me!!!
(Christine Mead 9:08pm September 27, 2012)
Hi, Christine--I always hope every book I read will be a keeper, but I know they
can't be. I just don't have space. Getting rid of them certainly is tough, though.
(Nancy Northcott 9:12pm September 27, 2012)
This is the way I look at it. When I put down hard earned money to buy a book, it hurts me deeply to part with it. I try to purchase the book in hard copy as opposed to paperback, so to throw one away would break my heart!! They're all my babies, and I have a special reason to purchase the book in the first place. Because I have my hobbies on top of reading, my reading collection is a bit larger than normal. Due to the fact that we lost our house 5 years ago after my Husband lost his job (long story), I wasn't about to give up my books, so I packed them away in boxes. My Husband did have a debate with me about them, so I did have to part with a few, but they were paperbacks, so even though it hurt deeply, I did get rid of some. Right now I have a few boxes that are still unpacked, and I'm waiting to get some spare change together to purchase a bookcase. It's extremely hard to do when you're on Social Security, since he's now retired, and the cost of living is so high. I don't even own an e-reader, but the thought of not owning one doesn't bother me. I prefer to hold the actual book in my hands anyway. Your book looks interesting, and I hope to be able to read it as well.
(Peggy Roberson 9:51pm September 27, 2012)
Peggy, I find getting rid of hardbacks more difficult, maybe because, as you say,
they cost more. I'm sorry about the loss of your house and your husband's job.
It's hard to pack the books away.
I'm glad you think Renegade looks interesting. It will be available as an ebook
and as a print on demand paperback only, but I also hope you'll be able to read
it.
(Nancy Northcott 10:02pm September 27, 2012)
I go through my books regularly since I have limited space. I weed out the books that I don't see myself reading again. Although, it's really difficult to part with signed copies. Those are rare to me and I treasure them. Thanks for the giveaway. This sounds like a fabulous read.
(Kristin Bingham 11:24pm September 27, 2012)
Kristin, thanks! I also find signed copies harder to part with. I stood in lines for
some of those signatures! There are always a few books I know I'm unlikely to
read again, but I naturally give the others the benefit of the doubt, and that
makes them tough to let go.
(Nancy Northcott 12:09pm September 28, 2012)
Wow, all these readers sound just like me!
Thanks for coming back with your comments Nancy, this makes it feel like a conversation.
(Clare O'Beara 8:43am September 28, 2012)
I never get rid of my keeper books. There are certain authors I will read again and again.
(Rita Wray 10:39am September 28, 2012)
Ooh! Prune the keeper shelves?! I'm almost a hoarder when it comes to books...there are certain authors that I will NEVER get rid of their books - some I may even have to be buried with... ;)
(Kelli Jo Calvert 12:04pm September 28, 2012)
Nancy, I'm like that in the morning. I'm on automatic mode which is basically get ready to go to work, drive to work and than get that java. I don't response to anyone until I take that first sip of coffee. What can I say...I'm not a morning person.
(Kai Wong 12:54pm September 28, 2012)
I'm not really a pruner, but when I think a friend can use a book, I part with one that is suitable.
(Alyson Widen 1:38pm September 29, 2012)
Most of my keepers are presently in storage. I can't even tear myself away from the books in my apartment. They are are mostly t-b-r. Both my brother and my landlord have warned me about leaving too-many-things-to-dispose-of. Books make up the largest part of that, along with a collection of fossils, minerals, travel slides, postcards, etc. which take the place of children.
(Sigrun Schulz 3:33am September 30, 2012)
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