What is wrong with you people? Did you know that GDL has a blues band? That he reads from gay sex manuals at music festivals? That he calls you "lovely" when you get his autograph?

(That last one might just be me.)

It is impossible to chuck any of them.

I have a question for the hivemind.

I need to cull some books, both to make room and to get a little extra cash. Now that college is officially over, and any further schooling will likely not be English literature related, I can sell some of the English lit books. Some were horrendously expensive and I know I'll never read them again, so it's easy to throw them in the "sell" pile.

But what I really want to know: have any of you ever sold or gave a book away that you came to regret? What guidelines do you use for selling your books? (And I need to do the same thing with my cds and dvds...)

I give away books if I don't think I'll reread them. I'm a big rereader.

But I figure that most books, provided they're not very specialized, are available for repurchase pretty cheap at places like half.com, so it's pretty easy to buy a new copy.

Right? Or borrow from the library?

I regret that my mom gave away my Trixie Belden books. But I can't think of one book I've sold/given away that I wanted back.

I've loaned out a few books that never returned and there's a few people on a list for those. (I'm looking at you, John Cleland, who still has my first edition of Sam Shepherd's Hawkmoon.)

My guidelines for what goes: Anything thing that I read and know I will never read again. Anything that can easily be pick up at a library or a second had store. Anything thing that has been on the TBR pile for an embarrassingly long time.

I have never regretted culling books. And I've had many, many pass through my life. My criteria is generally along the lines of, 1) Would it be easily accessible somewhere else if my life depended on it, 2) Have I ever reeaallyy used it? 3)Would I read/listen to it more than once, 4) Is it a significant reference.

If I can't say yes to at least 1.5 of the four, the book goes out.

I'm with ita on the FCM. I don't think David would be a good partner, in any sense of the word. John would be hugely fun and Gareth seems more 'normal' and sustainable.

I don't know of anyplace local who would pay me for my books (or CDs), so I just donate them to Goodwill. And I've never sold anything on eBay or Craigslist, so I have no experience there.

I just skipped 500 posts--hi, everyone! Drove back from NJ on Tuesday/Wednesday, with no problems but a few lucky breaks. On the PA turnpike, I was in the right lane when the three cars in the left lane were forced to slam on their brakes. When I passed by them on the right, I saw in the mirror that the first car was driving over a foot-high coil of steel that he apparently couldn't avoid (don't know where it came from). He pulled over to the shoulder ASAP (construction zone, so he had to drive for a minute before he got to an open shoulder), but if he didn't shred his tires and/or screw up underneath his car, he was exceedingly lucky. Also, lots of cops on the PA turnpike on Tuesday and the Indiana tollway on Wednesday near Elkhart and west to Gary.

I've come home to a cat who hasn't really quit meowing since 1:00 yesterday afternoon. I thought she'd quiet down today, but no such luck. Every time I get up to do something, she goes into panic mode--she's going to freak when I head out to the grocery store tomorrow morning.

Hi Kathy! Glad you're back in one piece.

Thanks for the input on the books. I'm lucky enough to live fairly close to Berkely, which has an abundance of used cds/bookstores.

The only books I've regretted not keeping were ones I didn't give up voluntarily in the first place. Fwtw.