Yes, we’ve been told the books are a distraction Have volumes in every room in our home except bathrooms/ kitchen/living room.
Not willing to give away a whole personal collection of, 50+ years though planning to donate about half of TEXAS EXILE’s inventory to my volunteer gig and other non-profits. ..Rid ourselves of 2000+, with another 5000 to be donated(books, due to weight, are very expensive to move interstate)..
Husband says, if we end not selling the house, I can have the fun of buying more inventory. But at our age, starting over would be more martyrdom than joy!
Am reading H.L. Mencken’s Letters, published(unexpurgated) in 1977 from his originals at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore. A publisher of today wouldn’t dare publish an unedited version due to his ethnic/racial slurs w/ admittedly, are often shocking to modern readers(the letters begin in 1905, when he was 25) One reason he’s fallen out of favor– except as a curmudgeon.
Came upon the Letters after reading his often-charming three-volume autobiography- Happy Days, Newspaper Days, Heathen Days- and then there’s THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE. Years ago, was lucky enough to scout later editions and the several supplements which sold within a month.
Due to editing both the Smart Set and The American Mercury magazines, he corresponded/was friends with Upton Sinclair, Edna Ferber, Sinclair Lewis, Edna St. Vincent Millay, F..Scott Fitzgerald, Walter F. White(future head of NAACP), Edward Arlington Robinson, William Manchester and nearly all authors/poets/essayists of the first half of the 20th century.
Wikipedia has a balanced view of his opinions, if you decide to do research before reading him!!