What Do You Do With A Book When Your Done Reading it

[AlexisReed]

I tend to keep mine on the shelves, but some of my friends give them away, donate them or sometimes sell them? I once knew someone who just threw them away!!!

Do you ever re-read a book again?

[Linkhorn]

Depends on the type of book. We don't generally keep paperbacks, they have a short lifespan anyhow and aren't really worth keeping. We give them to friends, and occasionally take a dozen or so to the local cafe or (when we're in England) an Oxfam bookshop to free up space. These are often the ones my wife or I showed an interest in after the other read them, but we haven't read after a year or so and probably won't bother with.

The exceptions are books for work, that I want to reference, or that are rare and we might not be able to find a copy of in future should we want to.

If I do want to read a book again (which happens quite often, normally with more than 5 years between readings), or think my children will enjoy it one day, I generally buy a hardback copy, which is what our shelves are full of. These just sit there collecting dust and looking pretty until such time as anyone wants to read them.

[tracy19]

I save it on a separate folder on my laptop

[Fran]

Once I've read a book it either goes on my bookshelf because I intend to read it or because I loved the book so much I can't countenance parting with it. Otherwise, after it has done the rounds of friends and coworkers, it goes to the Oxfam bag.

[Bananacat]

I also keep my books when I have finished reading them. Most of my friends find it weird but I will re-read my books generally more than once depending on how much I enjoyed them the first time. My friends feel that re-reading books is a waste because you already know how the book will end. I find this isn't the case because I read so much that keeping track of the exact endings of all my books is impossible so I when I re-read books I generally only have a vague idea of what happened.

[casper]

Some books are worth a second read, especially if I've read it fast to find out what happens next, so I'll keep those on the book shelf to go back to. If It's a book that I don't think I will get anymore out of after the first read, I'll give it to family or friends or a charity shop.

[julianfroment]

I tend to keep pretty much all of my books, storing them on an ever increasing number of bookshelves lining the walls of the house. I almost never get rid of a book, in any way. I often want to read a book again, or at least have access to it to refresh my mind on certain points.

[m_buckner]

I do re-read books that impact me or that I just find truly enjoyable. I keep those on the bookshelf, others I trade at the used book store.

[jsinard42]

I either keep mine or sell them, assuming that I've bought the book rather than borrowing it from the library. If it's an snooker I might delete depending on whether I enjoyed the story or not.

[Heather]

They go on my shelf. I read my favorites over and over. Very rarely I give away or sell back a book that I really didn't like. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean someone else won't.

[urica]

I keep the books that i fell in love with. I give away other books to those who would appreciate them.

[SarahPapesh]

I have never been able to re-read a book unless it was required or I had completely forgotten that I read it. No matter how much time had passed since I last read it, I just don't enjoy re-reading books, even my favorites - which is odd, considering I sure do love to have them on hand and let them pile up, just taking up space. Hmm - perhaps I need to re-evaluate my routine.

[Sine_Ni_Ceallach]

I don't usually buy a book unless it's one that I really want to have in my collection and there's a high likelihood I'd read it again. However, I have bought the odd book that I didn't enjoy, and I would either trade it in to our local used-book store, or I might try and sell it.

[sugarbearmama]

Normally I keep the ones I absolutely loved for instance my odd Thomas collection that's mine aNd no one else gets them ! But other books I've read more than once I eventually give it to the local nursing home or school library. I used to work in the nursing home and let me tell ya they don't have the best selection of books and hardly ever get rotated if at all so it's nice to give them something different to read and the library well just call it charity I guess. I know they'll be read eventually so there ya have it.

[Tigania]

I keep mine, because I do re-read quite often. Although the ones I borrow from the library, I do return. They get a little miffed if I keep them.