I too like your bubble world!
I must say though I don't subscribe to your book philosophy. That would not work for me. I like books. I collect books to match the bubbles. Interestingly - although some bubbles don't appear at first glance to have much in common, the books (the research material) that service them often do, and one book may well work with a multitude of bubbles.
I don't often read books (or look at the pictures) from cover to cover, indeed some don't get much more than a cursory glance when they arrive but are kept until required. I use them more as an archive of sorts - dipping into a handful when a bubble calls for it.
Thus my books certainly wouldn't get fully read within 2 years (if ever!). The plus side of that is that when I open up a book that may have been on the shelf for donkeys years, it may be just like looking at a new book. One downside is occasionally forgetting what books I have - this year alone i've acquired 3 s/h copies of books I already have but didn't realise. Another is trying to work out where to put all the shelves.....
Generally I'd agree but my railway interest have changed as I have fine tuned my path of modelling and not all books not read in two years are not disposed of. But for bubbles that have been downsized or set free then the reference material goes to. I've slowly sold off all my aircraft books except the the few micro bubbles that still interest me but even then these are under constant supervision to see if they really are interest bubbles or flights of fancy. So far they have netted over £300 which is put toward expanding long standing bubbles which will never be set free or downsized, Class 40, Deltics, UP, PRR NEC or other US speciality books), Essex class carriers etc.
Bubbles are not set free on a whim, it takes a lot of thought and hard decisions to refine your interests, but in the end you have to take a pinch of fantasy and a huge fistfull of reality to justify a bubbles existance. Plus, as bubbles grow and their printed reference material acquired their environment does not, so for high interest bubbles to flourish they need space and dead wood needs to be trimmed to accommodate that.
I have made mistakes before by setting free something that I later wanted but as time goes by and I fine tune the process it happens less and less. I also organize my books in order of accessibility, those of high interest I can reach from my study chair, those of less interest require me to get up
and I organize them by bubble, a shelf for merchant shipping, military shipping, Euro trains, UK trains, US trains etc, I have to as I have one or two to keep in order LOL. I have what I consider a moderate purpose built study but it still needs maintenance and as you can see below its about time for the big clean (usually monthly) where the work bench gets tidied up as does the research desk and outstanding chores, items to scan or put away safe.
Basically to the left of the PC is the research bench, filled with US diesel books and class 40 books, when clear it can hold an A0 sheet for working on drawings, currently two A3 US loco drawings being processed for CAD work. To my top left are two shelves of UK steam and diesel books, the long one above the PC is all Euro interest books. The large bookcase at the end, top left mish mash of books that won't fit elsewhere, below are the folders with all my drawings in, next two down are more UK books, usually high detail or technical books, not general interest, bottom are what remains of my military aircraft, once was three full shelves. Top right is all my US stuff, below military shipping, below that and partially behind the lathe are all my spotting books and small niff naff books for rail or shipping, below and virtually covered by the lathe is merchant shipping and at bottom the least accessible are a few more aircraft books ready for selling.
To the right is the lathe bench and in front the workbench in sadly to say untypical mess, as is much of the study to be fair since my hand injury. What you can't see are what's under the desk and bench, all my kits and boxes full of magazines, below the camera are plastic crates full of 4mm models that didn't get sold off in the big clean up of 05 mostly specials or gifts and presents, below the camera is another book shelf rammed with more magazines LOL.
It is 'busy' little area, but it's mine and I built most of it, all the shelves and bookcases, the reference bench, all the walls floors doors and ceiling, electrics, heating, lighting. The only thing I had no hand in are the two chairs and the old table under the workbench (thick MDF cover), the roof, the walls and the window.
Ohh and the floor is chipboard over insulating sheeting, why?, keeps the heat in and I can whizz up and down my study on my roller chair, also doesn't matter if you spill paint, glue or anything else either, and, makes it easier to find small bits you drop!
Below photos of the hobby room in progress, I also cut a door into the rear of the garage which I then sealed half for SWMBO to have her own study. The patio doors were removed and became the new study access but with a small L shaped corridor to close off my area.
Footings
Interior I was left with when the builders left, other than plastering I did everything else.
Standing where my new desk would be.
The plasterboard is where my desk is now, a new wall was put in to close of the kitchen entrance and create a new utility room.
Outside still looking a bit like a building site
I love my extension, it was designed to fulfil my exact needs and gave me two other important rooms, I'm 47 and this so far as been the best, most rewarding and most beneficial to the family £10K I've ever spent! I spent years planning it and it has turned out exactly how I wanted and planned, even nine years down the road.
So......! back to the lack of Mojo, y'all can guess by now that I've no lack of skills, interest, hobbies or distractions to even begin to think about having, let alone losing a mojo LOL and why I keep a tight reign on my bubbles and their associated baggage.
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