Grab the Lapels

Time to Ponder Books: reading what you own, a conversation with Kim @ Reading Matters

Melanie/Grab the Lapels: This year, you’ve noted on your blog, Reading Matters, that you’re hunkering down and reading books you own. Why now?

Kim/Reading Matters: I’ve always tried to read from my TBR, with mixed results, but last year I was a bit more focused and actually read 43 (out of 62 books read). This year’s effort is largely because I need to curb my spending. I’m the sole breadwinner and we’ve recently purchased a puppy, so my money is being diverted to dog food, toys and vet bills (instead of books). In an effort to puppy-proof our apartment I also had to put all the (unread) books lying about the house — on the low reaching shelves of our TV unit, on the bedside table, coffee table and the floor — into a secure storage box. I was amazed there were more than 60 books — that’s a year’s reading just there! I really have no more room for new books, so it seems logical to just read the ones I have.

Melanie: I never thought about how puppies and books don’t mix, but a good friend of mine recently got a puppy, too, and she hasn’t read since the puppy arrived! Part of it is the new pet steals her attention, the other part is puppy keeps trying to eat the books. I’m also trying to read books I own in 2026. I used to have a rule that I could buy physical books so long as they fit into this one clear-plastic tote. Well, now there are two more totes. I also tried being sneaky with myself and buying e-books, so I have to get around to those, too. Do you own a lot of e-books, and if so, how do you keep track of what you own?

Kim: I do own a lot of e-books … 596 in fact, purchased over a 15-year period (I was an early adopter of Kindle). But I cancelled my Amazon account last year and no longer buy ebooks. I don’t have a method for keeping track of what I own, although the ebooks are arranged in collections — Australian, Irish, contemporary fiction, BIPOC, non- fiction etc. I’m hoping to read more of these books over the coming year but I admit that sometimes I go through my Kindle and wonder why the hell I bought half of it because I think my reading tastes have changed a little over time and I’m less interested in reading best sellers or what were clearly popular books at the time I purchased them.

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Melanie: Right?! It’s incredibly easy especially when authors will sell you the first book in a series for 99 cents and then $10 a piece after you’re hooked. I keep a Google Sheet of all the books I own because I got mad one day when I couldn’t find a novel I swore I had. It was quite a project initially. Now, it’s easy peasy, though to be fair to everyone, I did buy a book in December 2025 and then read the library copy in January 2026… How are you choosing which books to read this year? Does that match or interrupt any book challenges you do throughout the year (reading Irish, November novellas, etc.)?

Kim: I’m very much a mood reader, so there’s no real plan to what I will read when. I’ll participate in Reading Ireland month in March because I have loads of Irish books in my TBR and I’m also reading an Iris Murdoch book every second month as part of A Year with Iris Murdoch (which I’m co- hosting with Cathy from 746 books) … I already had those Murdoch books in my TBR. I should probably point out I’m not reading exclusively from my TBR. I do borrow books from my excellent local library and receive a few ARCs from publishers, so they will work their way into the mix, too.

Melanie: Even though I own loads of books (I just checked, and it’s over 300), I start getting anxious about getting on to the next book. Like, I’m reading Book A and enjoying it, but the little anxiety monster in my brain thinks I should be moving on to Book B because I just bought it, and I don’t want to be that person who owns “new” books that have sat on my shelf for years. Are you choosing books you’ve owned for longer or those newer purchases? Why?

Kim: Haha, I have an “anxiety monster” in my brain but it’s never about books, it’s usually about other things like, will I be able to find a car parking space if I visit that store, or how am I going to get that work project done in between all those meetings etc! As to how I’m choosing books to read, it very much depends on mood. I guesstimate I have 1,000 or so in my TBR, some of which I’ve had for 15-plus years and have crossed hemispheres with me. It will probably just be whatever’s easiest to get my hands on at the time.

Melanie: Wait, but how do you literally find the book that you want to fit the mood, especially if they’re tucked up in different places and you don’t have a spreadsheet of what you own to confirm your suspicions — that you do indeed own the book?

Kim: Most of my books are “on show” in the sense that they’re all in the living room — I have one entire wall that is lined with bookshelves behind glass doors — so I can pretty much find what I want. I have a good memory for covers and because the books are arranged thematically (Irish, Australian, Persephones, Penguin Modern Classics etc) I can usually locate things pretty easily. I also have a few in a cupboard and two boxes in the wardrobe and they’ve been in there so long unopened I have no idea what’s in them! If I ever open them, it will be like Christmas!

Once upon a time, I did use a spread sheet but that got too unwieldy and then I switched to GoodReads but cancelled my account a year or so ago. I haven’t missed either.

Melanie: Alright, last question — once you’ve read a book that you own, what do you do with it? I’ve made an argument for letting go of books that is one of the most popular posts in GTL history.

Kim: Kim: Great question… and I’m totally with you on the need to let books go. When I lived in London I had such a poky little one-bedroom flat that I simply didn’t have space to hoard books so they were given new lives. Every few months I’d have a therapeutic culling session and would take the selected titles to my local charity shop, give them to friends or post to family. For many years I was also a member of Book Mooch where you list all the books you are happy to swap with other people, but it turned out that didn’t help me get rid of books; it simply fed my addiction to acquiring more, because I’d see other people’s lists and request titles I was interested in!

At one point, I also helped a colleague set up the equivalent of a little free library in the office and stocked an entire cupboard with my books.

Now, many years later, and happily repatriated, I still believe that books need to be given away even though I do have a bit of extra space to keep them. I do keep those titles I know I would have trouble tracking down again or mean something personally to me (because I bought them on holiday etc). I collect, in the loosest possible sense, Penguin Modern Classics (although it annoys me that they keep changing the spine colours from silver to green to white), Persephones, Text Classics and other “sets” that look good on the shelves. But the majority of my books are donated to the Little Free Libarary in the basement of my apartment block, or I give away to family and friends. I also donate to local charity shops. It pleases me to think the enjoyment I experienced in reading those books gets passed on to other people instead of gathering dust — or as your post points out, attracting bugs! — on my shelves.

Melanie: Thanks so much for your time, Kim. Here’s hoping we both succeed in read more books we own, and if anyone out there is looking for some motivation to read their own books, maybe they’ve found some here. If you’re not already, be sure to follow Kim’s blog, Reading Matters.

43 comments

  1. Loved this conversation! I always find how people choose what to read next, what they think about TBRs, and if they keep or release read books very interesting. Total book nerd over here! It’s always a struggle to read the owned books vs. the library books!

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  2. Great conversation. I have followed Kimbofo for many years now and so have gathered a lot of what has been discussed here. I enjoyed having little details filled in and seeing it all as part of a whole.

    Re anxieties, mine are more like Kimbofo’s, except I’m not working now – but finding the parking space. and fitting in my commitments because I have quite a few in terms of volunteer responsibilities. These are certainly my main anxieties. Like Kimbofo, I long ago gave up the one about being “that person who owns “new” books that have sat on my shelf for years”. Its impact though is that I have dramatically reduced my book buying over the last few years because I don’t want to see those piles grow.

    My biggest problem is moving on books I’ve already read. I find that really hard. My problem also is that I write marginalia which I think makes them difficult to move on as people don’t want that in their books. I do it all in pencil so I could erase it but that would take time because I make a lot of notes!

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    • One of my favorite experiences as a grad student was when I was doing research on obscure 18th century satires at the Folger library in Washington, DC and got a broadside that had marginal notes on it made by Robert Southey–the guy Byron made fun of. His notes were clever enough!

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    • I think it’s interesting to see what someone wrote in the margins unless the book was used in a class. Then, it all seems like the comments are there because the professor said, “this is how we read it.”

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      • Oh but mine are pretty inane … they are more bookmarks to myself – so I can find things when I flick back through it – rather than a commentary on what I think. I wish I could do the latter, but that feels inane to me in a different way. Sometimes I talk to the characters and write something like “good q” (ie question) or when they ask a good one “nice idea” (which is about them not the author)! On the other hand, re the writing I will just write “lang” if I like a piece of writing so I can flick through and find those favourite bits later. Or I’ll write literary techniques like “foreshadowing” or “POV change” or “humour” etc. Sometimes I try to second guess what is happening, and write “Ah, so …”. In other words, it’s not very exciting and makes my daughter laugh!

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  3. Awesome conversation! I’ve been meaning to make some nice built in library shelves for me and my wife for a few years. As a cabinet refinisher and painter, I really should have done this sooner to make it easier to see the books we own and actually read them or share them with friends and family. Hopefully this is my year to get it done!

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    • Whatever out jobs are, it’s the last thing we do! My grandfather was a dragline operator who dug ponds and yet never took care of the pond in his own backyard. It became rather gross and swampy, though he could have cleaned it out. I’ll head over to your website now; perhaps you have some photos of your work there.

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      • Wow, your link is to an actual cabinetry company! Now I’m totally curious about how you found my blog. What an organic connection. I told my spouse about your comment, and now he wants to build cabinets (haha, he has ADHD and gets excited about stuff).

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        • Haha It sounds like your husband, grandfather and I would have gotten along swimmingly (just not in those gross ponds ha). I’ve been looking good book blogs to follow as I try to dive deeper into the literary world and I found your blog by reading some of your comments on other blogs. I really enjoy your writing style and can’t wait to read more of your book reviews and other posts.

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  4. I’ve been trying to read from my TBR for a few years now – it’s amazing what I keep finding. Sometimes it turns out to be a gem and I wonder why I waited so long to read it and other times I read the synopsis and – like Kim- wonder what on earth possessed me to buy it!

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    • Absolutely! I’ve found that if I come upon a book that makes me scrunch my eyebrows, I will just put it in a donate box. I think sometimes I get books during a secret book exchange, and the title isn’t something I would ever choose myself. I’m happy to let those go. Unlike Kim, I’ve only ever found one duplicate of e-book and physical book! Then I wonder what I was thinking buying something without checking my spreadsheet.

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  5. I enjoyed our conversation, Melanie, but have a confession to make: I bought a new book, the first one since December. I did use a bunch of loyalty points so the book only cost me $1.50 (as opposed to $30) so I’m pretending it didn’t really count as a purchase. Hehehe.

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  6. I had to go to the Guildford Pub today, so that meant I had to go to Guildford Books as well. So there’s half a dozen new (second hand books). Luckily for me most of Perth’s best secondhand book shops are a fair way away. How Kim copes living in the middle of them I don’t know, My real problem is ten or so years ago I bought all the Australian stock of a closing down shop, which makes for a fine collection but also means – I only read maybe 20 physical books a year -that I still have a fair way to go.

    Loved the interview. Loved the reader above who’s a builder and is yet to build his own bookshelves.

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    • Well now, I’m just imagining that this is half pub, half bookstore, and the owner is a total gem. It is exciting to come home with an armload of used books, especially when I find some old mass-market paperbacks. I just read recently that in the US they are no longer publishing mass-market paperbacks. Yes, they are lower quality than a regular paperback or hardcover, but that also makes them more accessible if we’re thinking about the cost AND the smaller size makes them easy to carry around (I’m thinking working-class folks who maybe carry a book for a break while working at a factory; you don’t want something bulky).

      My brain knows that you do a lot of audiobooks, yet it never connected that you read only 20 physical books per year. That’s interesting because I know you’re quite the collector of books.

      The reader with the bookshelves is a new person to me! I’m not sure who they are.

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  7. I love reading these posts, it always makes me feel so seen. My bookish thoughts are shared by so many, which is comforting LOL

    I suppose I’m quite lucky that I don’t feel the need to keep most of my books, this protects my shelf space, and my back, should I ever have to move LOL

    Also, funny that puppies and dogs distract one from reading, yet my cats almost encourage me to read more (we curl up together, they like when I’m sitting down in one spot for a long time haha)

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    • I think you are one of the few bloggers I know who happily let go of books. I just don’t like the idea of them sitting there getting dusty and no one is enjoying them. I know you get a lot of ARCs, so that makes sense that your collection keeps on increasing. It’s a good reason to let more stuff go!

      That’s so lovely that your cats hold you hostage so you have to take time out of the day for you and your books. Any recent pictures of them? I can’t think if I’ve seen them on your blog.

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  8. I really enjoy these posts about people’s reading lives! I do keep a fair chunk of my books and don’t feel the tiniest flicker of guilt about it. For so long I only had a tiny amount of room for books, and I feel very lucky to have a big home library now. Because most of what I read was published a long time ago and is second hand when I get it, I know it would be hard to track down in the future. Plus, if I am talking to a friend and I suddenly think of a book they would like, I love being able to just pull it off my shelves! This happened to me just a couple of days ago – a friend came round for lunch after church, and as we were talking I thought she would like a particular book that I read many years ago. I do clear out my books every few months and take any that I didn’t enjoy/won’t read again to the charity shop, but I don’t have a strict one-in-one-out policy.

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    • I think I am very Marie Kando about my books. If I think I will read it again or feel distressed that I’ve given it away, I keep it. I used to keep books that I thought I would teach from, and I still do, oddly, even though I haven’t taught since 2018. I’m not so sure I’ll never teach again. I don’t think I would want to teach interpreting; I would probably go back to writing again, if I wanted to diversify my working life. I’m glad you have space for a good-sized home library. I was wondering how that worked for you, and if your apartment was pretty big.

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  9. This was a great conversation to follow along! I (surprise, surprise!) own a lot of books. Part of that is definitely that I’ve spent a majority of the last 20 years in the book business, though I actually get very few of my books brand new. I love scouring thrift stores and library sales but in the past couple of years I’ve worked at being much more discerning about what I bring in to my house and what books I keep. Books don’t earn their place on my shelf unless I’ve read them. Until then they are stacked up in a corner of my bedroom, behind the closet door. (I counted and there’s about 50 there.) Any book I purchase has to be listed in my TBR, otherwise I’m at risk of forgetting about it. My tactic this year is to alternate between reading a new addition to the TBR and then going back to read the oldest book on the TBR. I’m not sure how it’s going so far.

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    • I’ve done that exact strategy before, and I find it satisfying. You remember why you were so excited to add that old book to the list in the first place AND you get that dopamine rush by reading a new book. The concept went wonky for me when I joined a book club at a bookstore (the one where I no longer go) and ended up buying a bunch of brand-new books. Then I felt awful that those were on the shelf and didn’t want to read older books. I’m not really buying books right now, so things can get back to normal.

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  10. Loved this conversation too.

    When I moved two years ago I took the opportunity to scan all my books onto the LibraryThing app as I shelved them in their new bookcase (can highly recommend this app for anyone else looking to move away from Amazon and Goodreads). So now I can check to see if I already own a book before being tempted by it in a secondhand shop…or a little street library. I put a lot of my finished books (with pencil underlining and marginalia) into our local ones, but unfortunately I take almost as many back home again with me!

    Mr Books and my friends, who read my books after me, (apparently) love the underlining and marginalia, trying to work out why it was significant to me and what it says about me!

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    • I also like to see what people wrote in books unless it was a student reading for school because then they seem to be jotting down comments about the lowest-hanging fruit in terms of theme and characterization. All I end thinking is, “oh, you sweet summer child.” I do find it ADORABLE that you put books in the little free library and then bring them back home! It reminds me of a post I saw about a young woman who wanted to throw away a backpack with a broken zipper. Her boyfriend saw the backpack as she carried it to the dumpster and said in a cute, muppet-like voice, “Ooohoo, am I going for an adventure?” She felt so bad that he anthropomorphized the backpack that she kept the thing for several more years.

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