The Books We Give Away

If, like me, you have been moved to do some 'spring cleaning' this time of year, do you include weeding your shelves of books? Some people love books and never let any of them go.

I, on the other hand, feel a need to send my books off into the world to find new homes. Part of my delight in that process is in choosing just the right place or person to receive my gift.

And time is finite. As one ages, it should become easier to calculate the books that may still be enjoyed. The number dwindles.

Of course, there are those titles that want a second reading (or third or fourth, etc.) that I would not dare to part with. In that category are children's books written and illustrated by Marguerite de Angeli, mysteries by Josephine Tey, Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game, Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture, among many others.

The author of the article The Books We Give Away is also a reviewer making his job all the more difficult.