The Perils of Being a Nomadic Bibliophile

Yes, it's exactly as painful as you would imagine

I have had a very nomadic adulthood; since I’ve been out of my parents’ house, I have lived in 9 different places, one of those places was a stint of couch-surfing and there were two week-long periods (23 and before I moved to LA) where I was between homes. The hardest thing about my nomadic life is, of course, the moving of stuff. Especially books. During this last move, I finally had to really get rid of stuff. This was the hardest cut of all. I ended up cutting my book collection from 5 bookcases down to 2. I think this was one the hardest I’ve ever done to myself. Parting with all those books felt like I was slowly cutting off my arm with a rusty cheese grater.

This is what I've been reduced to 

They were not happy when they opened the boxes and found books

I had to part with a lot of things, but my books was the deepest cut. As it was, even with bringing my book collection down to a measly two bookcases, my friends still looked at me as though I was crazy and complained about having to carry them.

I have been in my current place for about 6 months now and I’m already thinking about the possibility of moving. I’ll have to pare down even further, perhaps to just one bookshelf. That will be a very difficult day and I may need some ice cream and a good cry.

I know a previous entry has extolled the evils of the Kindle and other such devices and, while I whole-heartedly agree, I can’t help but think they may be a necessary evil.

I am writing this though I know it may lead to my disownment

I love books. I love the feel of the pages, the feel of their spines as I run my fingers across them, the way the light from my desk-lamp reflects off the pages. I could go on, but it would get too long and adoring. The point is, there are so many things I love about books, but I can also be practical. I can be a very pragmatic nomad. I look over at my shelves and I realize that the most practical solution may be for me to start having a large portion of my book collection in electronic format. Now before people start telling me I’m evil and about to bring on the start of the apocalypse, I’m aware of that and I’m slightly okay with it.  

At least I'll have something to read

I’m not quite ready to make that plunge into the depths of evil yet, but I know it is coming. I wouldn’t be converting or getting rid of all my books, some are just too dear to me, but I don’t stay in one place long enough and I’m running out of friends who are willing to continually haul my books around. Is it evil? Yes, absolutely – but for a nomad, it is a necessary evil.

(Editorial Note to concerned Book Scribbles readers: Despite Arimintha's

apparent defection  to the Dark Side,

 she is neither disowned nor disinherited...and that

means 13,427 real books...heh-heh-heh)