Does anyone still read books?

[fiberoptik]

Free ebooks are nice, but they just aren’t the same thing. I like books ! I’ve loved books since I learned to read! Mom would ground me from tv and I’d just grab a book. She’d say that I was un-grounded & could now watch tv. & I would say that’s nice, but I’m not done reading yet. I practically lived at the library.

[gwpercle]

I wish I didn't ... but my mother read to me as a cxhild , taught me to read and love reading books and all the wonderous things that are cointained on the pages of real books .
I've filled all the book shelves in our house with books , old and new .
I have a large Louisiana cookbook collection ... and after 50 years I'm oput of room . Too old to move or add on ... just going to read what I got ... Sitting in my easy chair , turning the pages making notes in the margins !
Gary

[Rickf1985]

I wish I didn't ... but my mother read to me as a cxhild , taught me to read and love reading books and all the wonderous things that are cointained on the pages of real books .
I've filled all the book shelves in our house with books , old and new .
I have a large Louisiana cookbook collection ... and after 50 years I'm oput of room . Too old to move or add on ... just going to read what I got ... Sitting in my easy chair , turning the pages making notes in the margins !
Gary

Louisiana cooking! When I was working down in the bayou areas in the 70's on a surveying crew we were surveying the lines of all of the government owned lands. As anyone familiar with Cajuns knows they are very distrustful of anybody doing work for the government but once they found out that most of our findings were working out in their favor we were fully accepted into the fold. Which meant we were invited to all of the cookouts and those people can COOK!!! Can't understand most of what they were saying, and at that time I did know and speak passable French, but the food was a very good interpreter. Also found out that Cajun made liquor was about the same potency as Sake!!!!

[gwpercle]

Louisiana cooking! When I was working down in the bayou areas in the 70's on a surveying crew we were surveying the lines of all of the government owned lands. As anyone familiar with Cajuns knows they are very distrustful of anybody doing work for the government but once they found out that most of our findings were working out in their favor we were fully accepted into the fold. Which meant we were invited to all of the cookouts and those people can COOK!!! Can't understand most of what they were saying, and at that time I did know and speak passable French, but the food was a very good interpreter. Also found out that Cajun made liquor was about the same potency as Sake!!!!

Awesome story ... and so very true !

You do know there are three ways you can become a Cajun ...
The first is by Birth ( the blood ) , second is by Marriage (the ring) and the third way is by the Back Door (assimilation ) ... Yeah , you hang around long enough and you start talkin funny , hunting and fishing a lot ... but man you sho gonna eat some good food while you are learning to be Cajun !

Thanks for posting ... it put a smile on my face !
Gary

[Bazoo]

I keep a list of books to acquire that I’ve ran across that seemed interesting. Sometimes it’s a book that was mentioned online in a forum, sometimes it’s a book that was on a shelf in a picture I saw. Once in a while I splurge and buy one.

[curiousgeorge]

My wife and I have thousands of books (and yes, I do mean thousands). Everything from the classics, mystery writers from the early 1900s, how-to manuals, several hundred Gun Digests / Reloaders Digests / reloading manuals / Handloader Magazines, and anything that interests us. From Shakespeare, Faulkner, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margerie Allingham, Stephen King, Cormack McCarthy, John Wooters, Elmer Keith, and etc., etc., etc.

To us, there is no comparison between real books and something online or electronic. And as someone stated early on, one EMP and no more electronics. Depressing but true.

[challenger_i]

Whilst searching for something else, I came across this little jewel in my stash:

A General History for Colleges and High Schools.

Inscription shows it to have been entered into the Library of Congress 1889.
This may be keeping me up late, for several nights!

[starbits]

You can tell a lot about a person by the books they have on their shelves. When I am visiting someone I always check out their books if I can. Like many others here I don't care for the ebooks and much prefer an actual book. I generally only purchase non-fiction reference books, and get fiction books to read from the library. My shelves include the expected guns and shooting to blacksmithing, knots and ropework, flint knapping, early American tools, woodworking, Seleucid coins, meteorites, art and drawing, real estate investing, math and physics, etc.

[challenger_i]

I would give an Indian Head nickel for your first thoughts upon viewing my library!

[MaryB]

You can tell a lot about a person by the books they have on their shelves. When I am visiting someone I always check out their books if I can. Like many others here I don't care for the ebooks and much prefer an actual book. I generally only purchase non-fiction reference books, and get fiction books to read from the library. My shelves include the expected guns and shooting to blacksmithing, knots and ropework, flint knapping, early American tools, woodworking, Seleucid coins, meteorites, art and drawing, real estate investing, math and physics, etc.

I no longer display my books... all signed first editions... Heinlein autographed inside the front cover "Stranger in a Strange Land" in mint shape is valued over $20,000 now... they are locked up in a climate controlled case where no sunlight can reach them... have some others worth over $10k... many over $1k... "Foundation" trilogy signed first editions... $17k+++ They get treated like I would gold, an antique gun... locked up for safe keeping!

[Woodtroll]

I too prefer physical books, and I prefer nonfiction and particularly enjoy books from the mid-1800s to mid-1900s.

The good thing about e-readers, though, is that I have access to probably thousands of old books in electronic form that I would never be able to find or afford actual copies of. I'd rather read them on a Kindle than not at all!

[BobT]

I read books every day and have been an avid reader since I learned how some 60 years ago. My interests are pretty eclectic but, among other topics, I enjoy US history, especially the fur trade era but I also enjoy the typical hunting, fishing and firearms books. I'm currently reading The Book Of Rifle Accuracy by Tony Boyer, next in the que is Grimm's Fairy Tales. I envy those of you who have all of Louis L'Amour's books, I have a fair pile but am always on the lookout for more.

[10x]

Currently reading Volume 1, A History of the Inquisition.
Not a history of torture and violence, but a description of church politics between 900 and 1200 that have strong parallels to the politics and corruption of today

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3945...-h/39451-h.htm

[challenger_i]

10 Xray, they called it the "Dark Ages" for a very good reason! When you get done, hunt up "The History of Europe 1450-1879". And, again, compare to "Current Events"...

[waksupi]

I read books every day and have been an avid reader since I learned how some 60 years ago. My interests are pretty eclectic but, among other topics, I enjoy US history, especially the fur trade era but I also enjoy the typical hunting, fishing and firearms books. I'm currently reading The Book Of Rifle Accuracy by Tony Boyer, next in the que is Grimm's Fairy Tales. I envy those of you who have all of Louis L'Amour's books, I have a fair pile but am always on the lookout for more.

I gave up on Louis L'Amour, when I realized they were the same story told over and over.

[10x]

10 Xray, they called it the "Dark Ages" for a very good reason! When you get done, hunt up "The History of Europe 1450-1879". And, again, compare to "Current Events"...

Only the names and dates change, the content and context are the same as today.
The axiom "history repeats itself" is an apt description

[10x]

I gave up on Louis L'Amour, when I realized they were the same story told over and over.

I got that after the third book, I still read them all to see if the theme and plot changed.

[JoeJames]

I have been a voracious reader for about 60 years. My favorite gun books are:
Shots Fired in Anger - John George
A Rifleman went to War - McBride
Ordnance went up front - Roy Dunlap
With British Snipers to the Reich by C Shore and Peter Senich. Attaching a picture of some of the others:

[Plate plinker]

Yes, but not as often as time is scarce. Someday I will get to read again.

[Alex_4x4]

Question: does anyone present here take up restoration and binding of old books as a hobby? Or can someone suggest links to sites for those who like to restore old books at home?