We were dirt poor when my mom and dad separated. My mom got to keep all her books but that was about it. We didn't have a TV till I was in college. :) So I read everything we had from cookbooks, thrillers, and even erotica. .:P
My mom had to sell almost half of her books when I was 15 because we needed money for food. My sister and I bought back the titles when we got jobs. :)