Sometimes the sheer volume of books in your house can get out of hand. Not only have books taken over your walls, but they are piled by your bed, and on the end of each stair. There’s a stack in the toilet, and they’re filling up the windowsills, the boot rack, the bed. Sometimes you have to remove them from the sink before you can do the washing up. Reader, cull your books. Do it every six months, and aim to cut your library by at least ten per cent each time. Give away any books you failed to finish or forced yourself to finish (see: give up halfway through, refusal to). Take to a charity shop those books that disappointed you. Keep only books that fit into the following categories: books you loved, books which are beautiful objects in themselves, books you consider to be important, edifying or otherwise necessary, books which you might return to one day, and books to keep for your children. Everything else is just bits of paper taking up space. This way, you will keep your library fresh and make room for new additions.