So Many Books, So Little Space

I live in a house that is storage space challenged and I am an avid re-reader; bad combination!

Bookshelves struggle to hold the weight, as over-stuffed boxes clutter up tiny closets. Two stacks of books, new reads and old favorites, teeter on my bedside table. Now, don’t get me wrong, not every book is a keeper. Many go back to the used book store. With the amount of reading I do, this is necessary unless I want to pay for a storage unit!

My newest problem is e-books. I know it wouldn’t be safe for me to lounge in bed with my lap top. Almost every night, I fall asleep reading and I’d be really pissed if my computer dropped onto the floor as the books do when I drift off! So what do I do? If I order a book by a favorite author, I automatically print it. If it is from a new to me author, I read it first, sitting upright at my computer, and then decide if it’s print worthy. The piles of 8 x10 sheets of paper are beginning to take over! At first, I was using binder clips, but then, helpful hubby bought a whole bunch of plastic report covers, which work very well for the shorter books but not the longer ones. He suggested getting hard binders, but that makes them bulky and hard for me to hold.

I can hear you asking, “Why doesn’t the ninny buy an e-reader?” Well, there are a few reasons. I’m freakishly frugal (I almost typed cheap), technology challenged and stubborn! Being the head of the family’s budget department, I can’t justify buying something that only benefits me. And, there’s a strong possibility I’d buy the wrong one, or not be able to figure out how to use it properly, or God forbid, the little devil would crash and I would lose everything on it. And finally, I’m used to holding the printed pages in my hands. See, now we’ve arrived at just plain stubborn!

Would anyone like to help guide me further into the 21st century? What’s your e-reader of choice and why?

Tessie
http://www.tessiebradford.com