THE PAPER:
The Wall Street Journal | January 17, 2017 | Life & Arts | A13 | Bookshelf Battle
Do you and your significant other fight over books and space on the bookshelves? I hate to gloat, but I’m so glad that I have a loving and caring husband who so happens to be more of a movie buff than a bookworm.
In the article entitled "Bookshelf Battle" written in The Wall Street Journal (cited above) I was shocked to discover that some couples actually argue over books, which books to keep and even the space on their shelves! Wow! I really don’t know what I would do if I had to contend with which books I would keep or even if my husband demanded bookshelf space; It’s unthinkable (lol)!
The article explains how books are very personal (we tea sipping bookworms must concur) and parting ways with your books could feel the same as denying your personality and personal experiences. Reading is some deep stuff!
The article even gives tips on how to settle feuds when your spouse, significant other or roommate is also a bookworm. The tips are:
1. Don't merge; keep your books separate so that there's never any confusion about what belongs to who.
2. Visualize your space; decide where exactly you want the books to go, build the bookshelf and decipher which books stay.
3. Discard equally; If I have to get rid of a book, so do you! Everyone should be fare about sharing the devastation of getting rid of a book.
4. Your books. Your Say; You should get to decide what happens to your precious property.
5. Involve a third party; sometimes it's hard to determine which books should go, a family member or close friend should know you enough to also know which books you should keep and which books must go.
"If you're getting rid of books, you each need to remove the same amount."
- Elizabeth Bernstein for The Wall Street Journal
As I mentioned, I do not have this problem at all! My husband isn’t anywhere near being a competitor for my books or book space, contrarily, he enables my book addiction (lol). Recently, he had a floor to ceiling bookshelf built in our living room for me. The bookshelf has over 30 shelves!
I still have not painted it or added a ladder but I intend to get around to it once I move from decorating the family room. What color do you think I should paint them?
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Do you live with a fellow bookworm? What is your experience?