wickeltish - "Poor James Michener did not leave much of an impression on some readers, at least not so much that they remember his name correctly."

True, but for the most part, he was a brilliant writer (although he had a few clunkers). For the most part, he led a brilliant life. It's worth mentioning that he grew up an orphan who never knew his parents and grew up in complete poverty.

Although "Tales of the South Pacific" was his big break and he won the Pulitzer (I never cared for the book), he later said the real stories about his adventures in the South Pacific could not be printed in the 1940s, and some of those stories as he related them decades later were far more interesting (and scandalous).

But I agree with other posters, if my house was burning down, books would be the last thing on my mind.

There's an edition of Wind in the Willows I'd be sorry to lose.

Still not read it. I was bought a copy for xmas when I was 6. Seemed a bit silly to me at the time, and since.

I think you have to play the game of the thread. In reality any books would be way down my list of what to save.

I forgot my PhD thesis, but I'd let it burn, it's shit and I've never opened it since finishing the corrections.

I have an ancient copy of Les Miserables that is very fragile. If I had time, I'd grab that.

I thought about my dissertation (and master's thesis), but heck, let 'em burn. They're part of a past that's so distant it's lost in the fog of time.

<<I think you have to play the game of the thread.>>

thank you! my small effort was to get people to say which books they own they would most miss....

though of course people are free to say, as I will, that I'd grab my wife and run for the hills.

or down the stairs, actually.

I'd forgotten my PhD thesis. It should have been burnt years ago. I'm certainly not wasting any time over it - I'm at one with AdonisBlue there.

I'm still fond of my Dissertation as basically I discovered something new.

While books can be replaced I'd rescue my signed books (Pratchett, Banks, Moorecock, Moore/Gibson).

I'd be more concerned about the artwork tbh.

I discovered something new.

That you'd rather have a job?

Nope.

Something I turned into a job.

Probably just the signed picture of Art Garfunkel.

Nothing. Let it all burn.

I have just hired a van and rescued my books, ok, library, from my burned down marriage. Along with a load of other stuff I left behind when I quit, ok, fled; but, mainly, the books. Three generations of book buyers/collectors in my family.

I think the prize is the 1st Ed. Child's Garden of Verses, followed by an early, 2-volume edition Paradise Lost.

Tomorrow I drive the final leg of a 1600-mile round trip to the south of France (overnighting at Reims). I'm very tired but so pleased to be able to do this after all the travel restrictions over the past 14 months.

Also liberated some bookcases!

I suspect the bookcases will not be free for long...

Hoh, no!

I'm so looking forward to this weekend!

The question begged here is what is the best way to unload a mixed collection of books. Value not that much, but the more there are, the bigger the need to sell them properly.

Frank Key's 'Sidney the Bat is awarded the Order of Lenin'

Unbalanced apostrophes

<Ugh>