Three books. A dogeared copy of the King James Bible, The Federalist Papers, Gun Care and Repair.
About 600. Enough to fill three big bookcases and several boxes.
I don’t have books IN the bed, but that’s because my husband objects. I do have books piled in every room of the house, plus a couple dozen boxes of books out in the storage shed. I have no idea how many books I have. Lots and lots, but not enough.
About 300 in the house, maybe 50-100 still at my parents’ house. That’s nowhere near enough. I’m planning to decorate the spare room soon, and that plan includes bookshelves. I’ve already started buying again, but when I’ve got the shelf space I can do it properly.
I haven’t counted them in years, but we recently moved house and there were 64 movers boxes of books. I’ve had to prune the collection a bit - it won’t fit in the new library. (You know, people think we’re pretentious when we refer to the library, till they go into the room. I’ve been in real libraries with fewer books. And I wouldn’t dream of telling you what the packers and movers said when they arrived!!)
Mystery, SF, fantasy, childrens, humour, especially American 20’s to 50’s humour, cooking, comics, reference in various science fields that Mr Mame and I work in, plus factual for other fields that interest us. Suppose eclectic is the word. Or maybe obsessive. Well-read sounds nicer.
I have around 1,100 or 1,200 books, most of them read and reread many times. I do go through and thin them out every year or so (my local Friends of the Library loves me), but still they multiple. And, Lynn? You’re right – it’s never enough!
BTW, my lousy 1,200 books mark me, to most people I know, as a Genuine Book Person. Here, of course, I am a piker. I bow my head in respect to those of you with 3,000 or more! Can I come visit you?
I probably have 750 to 1000 books. Two huge bookcases filled double deep (mostly paper backs) and boxes and bags full in closets and stacked around. A couple of years ago I sold about 300 to the used book store to make room for more. I love to read… 
No, it’s my WIFE that’s stacked. Bah-dum!
Actually, it’s TEN grand pianos. That’s what I get for relying on memory rather than double-checking.
For the full story of Those Marvelous Collyer Brothers, click here:
Once a few years ago I fell alseep while reading in bed. When I woke up I saw seven books and two notebooks on the bed beside me. I said, “Well, it’s official: Books are my mistress.”
It never even occurred to me to count cookbooks. That adds almost 100 more to my total.
I might have about twice as many as I do if I didn’t move so much. I’ve moved 5 times in the last 10 years, and my library shrinks each time. Some I give away, some just get lost in the move. Ben Franklin said something like “Three removals is worth a house fire”.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Lynn Bodoni *
**
I was asked the other night by a party that will remain innominate; if he were to offer to join me in the bed, would the books go, or would I make room for him?
I had to think awhile before answering.
Good to know your husband ranks higher. 
And for Jess, I, too, feel humbled by our contemporaries. I’m hoping to be able to buy more once I actually settle down somewhere, though. This moving every six months for the past nine years creates havoc with having more than I do. <sigh>
bibliophage, I went to clean my room yesterday and removed 32 books and six magazines from my bed. I wonder sometimes if I’m the only person in the world that sleeps in a Queen-sized bed alone, and STILL wakes up hugging the edge. The books get more bed space than I do. <sigh again> I’d feel pitiful, except I know I’m just waiting for an equally verbose man to come along. 
Probably should add that both my wife and I keep spare sets of glasses in a couple of spots throughout the houes in case the “Curse of Burgess Meredith” is visited upon us. Was that the most frightening scene in television history to serious readers or what?
TV time - second only to the episode about the gourmand who lost his dentures.
Auntie Pam, yes, that was an episode you could really sink your teeth into.
Digested his pulp fiction, didn’t he?
Lordy, I admire good puns – wish I could make one!
Are you guys talking about the Twi Zone ep (now does THAT sound like a cool frat name or what?) with the guy whose glasses break? I know what you mean. I’ve always wondered what I’d do if that happened.
Though that ep always gives me the creeps. The way that guy sort of laughs and makes those odd noises before settling down with a book. I know how strange old folks can be. Do you do that, Auntie Pam? 
Oh yeah and I haven’t counted all my books. But in my room, not counting the books I don’t really read, the ones stored in the basement, and my parents ones- I have 3 shelves. One of them has about forty/fifty books. i counted one morning when i woke up. I’ll count the rest later.
Zoggie, you don’t wanna know about some of the noises us old farts make.
:::AP slouches off, mumbling about young whippersnappers with no respect for their elders:::
I probably own around 4000 books. Read most of them, re-read about half of them. Put-near all sizes and topics. Pain in the ass to move around.
Hehehe. I love being a no good whippersnapper.
Zenster, 1,000 cookbooks? Boy, I thought I was bad with about 200.
I love the “fund-raiser” cookbooks sold by churches and women’s groups and the like. I get them at yard sales for a quarter or so. They have the BEST recipes!!
I also have several old cookbooks that were my grandmother’s. I love the ones that start with, “Take two cups of lard…”
Other books? Never counted, probably close to 1,000 or so, at least.
Books on the shelves, books in the closet, five books just on my nightstand, books in piles on the floor in my room, books in boxes in the basement…I’m waiting for built-in bookshelves to be built in the living room. We’re remodeling, but haven’t gotten to the living room yet. I do need to go through them all and get rid of some.
They are categorized (somewhat) by Biography (alphabetical by subject), Non-Fiction (alphabetical by subject), and Fiction.
The fiction is separated by author and genre.
This may a UL, but sounds perfectly plausible to me.
I remember hearing that in the weeks after that episode aired, eye docs were besieged with people wanting spare pairs of their glasses.
(It’s called “Time Enough At Last”, here’s a link to a TZ page with the episode guide)
http://www.geocities.com/john_75915/links/tzone.html