I’m currently packing up my apartment. In the process, I’ve determined that books comprise about 40% of what I own. (Sorry, robbers. If you don’t want paperbacks or old T-shirts or shoes with an odd wear pattern because apparently I walk funny–you’re out of luck.) Right now they are strewn across the floor of our living room/office/storage area/guest room (life in small spaces, yo) and slowly making their way into poorly packed boxes.
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| A poorly packed box. |
I think books might actually be the Very Worst Thing to Pack. Worse than glassware. Hear me out: books are heavy, they come in wildly variant trim sizes, and they are dusty (at least if they belong to someone who hates dusting, like me). Putting them into boxes feels like the world’s most frustrating game of Tetris. There’s always ONE art book that is super long and won’t fit in the box and screws everything up, so another box full of tcotchkes that normally could live in the back of a closet in the new place (never to be unpacked–almost as good as actually dealing with the clutter) now contains a book and therefore has to get unpacked and dealt with.
Anyway. Can you tell that I’m at the point of moving at which I wish someone would hit me over the head with one of my rarely used kitchen appliances, or the copy of Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia that I haven’t opened since college, and I could wake up once we’re settled again?
I love print books. Always have, probably always will. Given the choice, I will opt to read in print form as opposed to on my iPad. But damn it if moving doesn’t make me want to bring my entire collection to the Strand and go digital. To think I could have every book in the mountain of brown boxes that currently prevents me from walking from my desk to the closet door on my 0.68-pound tablet . . .
What about you? Does moving (or dealing with piles of books in your home on a regular basis) make you want to convert to e-reading?
All the clothes and all the books came out to be packed at the same time. Layer in books till the box is about half full, then fill the rest with poorly folded clothes. The clothes take up lots of space but are relatively light, so you wind up with boxes you can actually lift.
I also splurged on boxes from the Container Store when we were moving. It was expensive at the time, but I know have all the reusable plastic totes we will EVER need (all future moves, and someday an attic full of whatever attics get full of.) And they stack into each other, so they don’t even take up that much room now that they’re empty. (I assign Liz Lemon-like mystical powers to the Container Store, and containers in general.)
P.S. Also good luck with the rest of packing!
My books/writing and kitchen stuff make up probably 75% of everything in my apartment. The last time we moved, I would shove a few books into every box, in an attempt to not have a bunch of heavy boxes. Oh, how times have changed from the first time I moved (about a half dozen times ago) when I had every box labeled by content and room it went in.
Good advice about mixing the books and clothes. I suppose I should pull out stuff to wear for the next week or two and box the rest. Although, this time of year, that could be dangerous with the fluctuating weather!
I also have tons of books. I’m in the process of trying to weed them out a little, which breaks my heart. We need the room, though. Good luck with your packing!
I rather like packing books. It’s a puzzle sort of thing, and it allows me to ponder each of my books which is fun. Besides, I think it ever so much nicer than packing glassware, which also doesn’t always fit nicely, but also is breakable.
I see why they’re a pain though, and I do have an e-reader also.
Every single time we move (which has been A LOT), my husband gets on my case for all of the books I own. And the worst part is, most of them are hardback too. My book collection is slowly taking over our house, so I don’t even want to think about our next move. I really don’t have any book-packing tips to offer, because I just end up with tons of overly heavy boxes. I think I might have to steal some of the tips you’re receiving here for the next time we move. (Why didn’t I think of packing boxes only 1/2 full with books and topping them off with lighter stuff??? Derp.)
Good luck with your moving! And just think, when you unpack all those books it will be like Christmas! 🙂
Good luck with your move, Rebecca. I’ve never really moved anywhere (lived in the same house since I was born), but we did have to move all my books from upstairs to downstairs…Oy vey…. That’s 4 or 5 bookshelves worth plus 4 boxes. I hope your move is easy and not too stressful. Like Jaime says above me…opening the boxes will be like Christmas 🙂 🙂
YES. A few years ago, I experienced what I affectionately refer to as The Year of the U-Haul. The only thing I learned is that books are so hard to pack. Even when I pack them in the small, book-designated boxes … they’re so heavy. And they’re the bulk of what I own too. I actually think I could click with e-reading pretty easily. I do it a little bit, and it makes traveling so much easier. But I think book-clutter all around me will always be my security blanket. Or something. 🙂 (When I saw your pic, I leaned in toward the screen to see what all was in the box … SO MANY awesome reads 🙂
How exciting that you’re moving! Have fun getting settled in 🙂
I had to go through this not too long ago so I feel your pain! The best feeling will be when you get to your new place and get to take the books out of the boxes again. 🙂 Good luck with the move!
Ugh, I feel your pain–I’m sitting in a room full of boxes waiting to be packed this very moment. I’ve already switched to mostly e-books for reading, but I have a massive collection of cookbooks that are a massive pain to pack. Good luck with your move!
Oh, man… Been there! We’ve always had contracted movers (thank you, Army) and they ALWAYS comment on our insane amount of books.
The best part? Unpacking them and lining them up all pretty on their shelves. 🙂
Good luck with the move. I’ll be thinking of you!
I hate hate hate moving – so may the force be with you this week!!
In various moves, I have reduced my fiction and fun reading books (my heart breaks taking them to half price books). Still my collection of books for work remains – as well as my husband’s. And virtually all are hardcover and many are textbooks. Heavy…
Yes! We just moved cross-country for the third time in two years, and even with all the downsizing I did, there were still enough heavy book boxes to make me seriously consider reading only ebooks forever after. I would say that when we made our move, 50% of our belongings were books. 25% was a couch. 25% was everything else, lol.
Moving is such a pain. Hope you get through it relatively unscathed! 🙂
Oh, I feel for you. We moved twice in the course of a month one summer and it was so frustrating. But no – I don’t think I’ll ever change to e-readers. Heck – I don’t even own an iPad or a Kindle. I’ll probably break down one day, but I love the print book too much too.
Good luck with your move! I hope you get settled in quickly!
Thanks for all the moving moral support. 🙂 I *am* looking forward to unpacking all of these lovely boxes–into some nice, new bookcases, hopefully!
I’m going to be moving in the next month or so and I am DREADING this. Oh man.