What do I do with all my books?

I’ve decided to wrap-up my 2.5-year living abroad stint. At the end of next month I head back to Dubai where I start working, get a “real” job, and all that stuff. I wonder how long I will last.

While living in Spain and traveling around Europe, I have collected at least 4 dozen books. They’ve either been bought on the road, have been sent to me to be reviewed, have been swapped with other travelers, or have been gifted to me by people I’ve met while traveling. I’ve read all of them, and probably will not read them again. Of the 4 dozen, I’m happy to part with a dozen. I will give them to people I think will enjoy them, but what about the rest?

Each book means something to me. Just a glance at them and they bring back a string of wonderful memories. Other than that, they are just great books to own. However, shipping them back means spending about €200 to have them reach me so that I can put them on a rack. For that amount, I could buy 2 dozen new books.

I suppose the best would be to donate them to friends. That way they will have a good book to read and memories that I gave it to them. You don’t really need books to keep memories, and sometimes you just have to be practical. But they’re MY books!

What should I do? What do you do with books you’ve read when you’re on the road?