or at least on their way.

This press release says the books should be reviewed and returned by January of 2008.
(Here is the post where I first mentioned religious books being removed from prison chapel libraries.)

I did the count I promised in that post– of the books that are still accessible (i.e., not boxed under the house): 627

I’m actually certain this number isn’t accurate, since I counted in 8 catigories in 11 different areas (shelves and piles) in my house, so there was too much room for confusion and flubbing.

Approximate percentages:

25% ———– Children’s picture and board books
25% ———– Non-fiction/ thinking/ reference
16% ———– Novels (all ages)
10% ———– Bibles, studies and “religious” books
10% ——— Folktales (individual picture books and collections)
6% ———— Music and How-to books
5% ———- Entertainment (plays, Calvin and Hobbes, etc.)
3% ———— Poetry

Amazing, really, how many books I own. Interesting, too, that most of those I choose to keep accessible are the ones I’ve already read.

I suppose there’s two main reasons for owning books (anyone want to suggest more?):

1. To have something new to read when you want it.
2. To be able to refer to something you’ve already read.

I’ve decided all the books I buy at the used-book stores must come from the first type of owner. That type of reading/ownership is utterly foreign to me. I almost never let something leave if I think I might want to refer to it again.