Kate wrote: "...You get 7 or 8 books out of the library when you know you'll only get to read 2 - 3 tops - before you have to take them back!"

Kate: Renew. That is the key to checking out too many library books. I currently have 15 books out, 2 are ready to be picked up, and 2 more are on reserve and not in yet. And before many more days will pass I will have put several more on reserve. My library lets me renew (I believe) 4 times (at 30 days each) as long as no one is waiting for the book. Brand new books can only be out 2 weeks and usually aren't renewable. We took a stack of books back on Thursday and picked up 10 that were in. How I choose to read them is based on when they are due back and if they can be renewed. 5 of the 10 we just picked up can't be renewed so those I will read first even though there are several that I had already checked out. What gripes me is when I look at my library account and see what books can't be renewed so I start reading one and then the next day I look and it can now be renewed but something else can't. It is a vicious cycle.

In order to curb my book buying urges (I have 10,000+ books in my house--and no I haven't read them all) when I go to a bookstore (or for that matter anywhere that sells books) or read a book that mentions other books that sound interesting, or read comments in Goodreads and other book reviews that mention books that sound interesting, I whip out my notebook that I carry and jot down the book's name and author and then see if the library has it. I still end up buying books but this cuts it down from buying a box full to maybe just a bag full.

When you work in a Library, have access to nearly any book (even brand new ones) and you still cruise Amazon for what to buy next!

George

When friends and relatives start mentioning the word "hoarding" when referencing your book collection.

I know I am addict a book when:
1. felt bad mood while waiting for someone and I do not hold any one book in my hand.
2. was attending the reunion with my old friend haven't seen years but my hands are full of books.
3. sleeping with more than 10 books on my bed.
4. my vacation backpacks, 3/4 filled by book.

When you prefer to spend your money on books than on anything else.

Hahaha or when your roommate wakes up at 2 in the morning to turn off the light... and finds you sitting against the wall in the bathroom, reading the last chapters of the book you bought that afternoon. (Yep, that was this week).

You have to set yourself a book budget limit - $30 on books every other week. And then you break it. Almost every week.

The good news - books DON'T go away! They're a lifetime investment. :)

I know I'm a book addict because all of the librarians and the owners of the local used-bookstore know my first name and greet me when I walk in the door. And, because I recognized myself in everyone else's posts.

Denise wrote: "Incommunicado wrote: "...when you see the term "bibliomania" while reading (of course while reading, what else would you be doing?!) and think, "Oooh, bibliomaniac would make a great screen name!" ..."

Or "cover slut"

Incommunicado wrote: "...when you see the term "bibliomania" while reading (of course while reading, what else would you be doing?!) and think, "Oooh, bibliomaniac would make a great screen name!"

My personal favorite for a screen name is "book whore".

Armando wrote: "1)you know your a book addict when you go on vacation and spend more time in a book store than visiting the sites.

2)you know you are a book addict if you can classify people as a light reader,..."

But Amando the bookstores are the sites, aren't they?

Adrienne wrote: "...when you coin a term specifically for that feeling you get the day after a late-night reading jag: book hangover.

...when you plan a road trip to another city so you can go on a "bookstore crawl"."

Ooh I love going on bookstore crawls! You can find a lot of neat books.I like the term "book hangover" it is quite relevant...

...when you coin a term specifically for that feeling you get the day after a late-night reading jag: book hangover.

...when you plan a road trip to another city so you can go on a "bookstore crawl".

...when you get threatened with having the book taken away from you in order to do chores

...when you buy all the books in a series in one trip to B&N

Thanks guys, I've been forced to end my denial. I'm an addict...AND PROUD OF IT! haha

When you *gasp* are without a book and you stare wildly at the person next to you who has a book. How dare they have a book and not you. I wonder if they would sell me their book. I can't believe I forgot my book. I am such an idiot. How will I ever survive this without a book. I can't believe that person has a book and I don't. Score! There is a CVS! I will just get off the train here, get a book from CVS, and get on the next train, I won't be that late...

I totally know what you're saying!! I am constantly reading while I'm walking around my campus or just walking through the store... The only problem is that I have tripped several times, or run into people...

You know you are a book addict when you have sit here and read through the threads and have nodded "uh huh" at 97-99% of them saying to yourself "I've done that"

Lasairfiona wrote: "I tend to be labled a book addict when people notice that I carry books around everywhere. I don't even put them in a purse or anything so it is quite noticeable. I have been known to walk around..."
I walk around reading all the time too, on my way to school I read. It is amazing I haven't been run over yet! I always have at least three books in my bag, and one under my arm, just in case I finish one or something...

You know you're addicted to books when the only stop on your shopping round is the bookstore, though you really need clothes or shoes you end up buying books 'cause you can always borrow some clothes from your friends.

I know I'm a book addict when I get the annual AMEX statement and I get to see the grand total for the year spent in Borders. Or when the indie booksellers email me asking me if there's anything special they can bring for me at last weekend's annual Festival of Books.

Jess wrote: "I know that I am an addict because I totaled how much money I spent on books in just one months time and it was about 75.00. Ever since then, I keep buying books, I just don't keep track of how muc..."


$75 in a week is good -- I can't get out of Barnes and Noble with a bill under $80 -- on one trip!

You know your an addict when you have to keep a book in the passenger seat next to you -- just in case for all red lights, and construction zones!

You know you're a book addict when..while walking at the same time reading you suddenly realize that you are lost.

...because you cant stop to read a good book untill you have read it...

Mont'ster wrote: "Sarah, I wish we had a decent mass transit system where I live for just this exact reason! I could let somebody else drive while I read."

I never said it was decent lol but Auckland's bus system is based on cutting costs by giving us the longest possible bus trip into the CBD so its a good three hour commute everyday... that's two novels a week... unless they're small, then it could easily be four. But I would almost trade it all for a shorter commute... almost.

Sarah, I wish we had a decent mass transit system where I live for just this exact reason! I could let somebody else drive while I read.

I know I'm a book addict when i don't drive to uni so I can catch a bus and fit another couple of novels into my week...

I realized I was addicted during my college years. I did a lot of research papers (English major, go figure) that lead me to buying several books that I wouldn't use for said papers. I just wanted them because they looked interesting to read. And it wasn't just for my English courses, but philosophy and history as well. On a trip to Fort Davis with my astronomy class, I bought an astronomy book that I still haven't come around to read yet. My final year of college, I bought several zombie based books for a philosophy paper that was only supposed to be 3-4 pages long - that was my huge realization. To this day, I can't walk into an used bookstore without fighting temptation to buy more books than I had planned to. Does this work? Well, let's just say that for the last month or so, I've been going to that store to see if they have any copies of Salem's Lot and have come out with $20 worth of books. I'm still yet to find a copy of the Stephen King novel.

Rob wrote: "When the suitcase you take on your vacation contains more books than clothes."

I'm guilty of this. Last year, I went on a three day trip to Waco with a few friends. I took enough clothes for three days plus the collected Sylvia Plath poems, Pablo Neruda poems, the book I was reading at the time, a short story collection for the road, a lit magazine, one horror book, my journal (doesn't count as an actual book, but nonetheless a book), two dictionaries (one regular, one philosophy) and the essential Nietzsche. My girlfriend took one look at my "luggage" called me a strange and then saw what our friend was taking with him, which amounted to more books than clothes.

I just want to say I love B&N every birhtday...christmas i get gift cards because my family knows they cant go wrong with that gift. I could easily spend hours in that store wich is why my husband wont go in there anymore with me. You know your a book addict when the purse your using has to fit your book as well.

You start cleaning your room and realize you have a stack of books to read when you thought you were all caught up... =)

http://www.cardshark.com/content/view_ar...

Just this past week! A stack of 20 books! Geez!

Oh, also, you have a stack of books at home that you have checked out from the library and you keep requesting more.

You know you are a book addict when your husband points out that he can't leave you in a room by yourself for too long or you will be absorbed in a book and will not want to leave to go to dinner, the movies, a friend's, etc.

Hmm... I just had to join this group because of the name.

Hi, I'm Sherrie and I'm a Bookaholic.

... when all you ask for for <insert holiday where you receive presents> is gift certificates to B&N, Amazon &/or the local bookstore, and you're deeply disappointed when you only get one.

When to go to sleep you need to clear about 15 or so books off the bed. Just reading that day.

when all of your friends give you gift certificates to barnes and noble or other bookstores on your birthday and you can wait about 2 days before spending them all

and when you start some sort of catalogue or inventory system to keep track of all your books and where they are (I loan a lot of books to family and friends)

When the suitcase you take on your vacation contains more books than clothes.

When you go into a used bookstore to look for one book and end up spending hours there and walking out with an armful!

when your favorite hangout is a bookstore!

You know you are a book addict when you look at your bookshelves and see empty spaces for more books - and your husband just sees full bookshelves.

Also, you know you are a book addict when you read a paragraph or two of whatever you are currently reading at stoplights (yes, that's me you are honking at). And when you think you might have a library problem because you request too many books and never worry about finishing them before they are due back.

When your wife complains and worries that the walls will collapse on top of you some night from the weight of all the books on the bookshelves.

When you tally up your monthly expenses and books rate right up there.

I was raised in the mid-west & a few years ago I was in Portland for a week long business conference. A co-worker said "I think I know a place you'll like" and she took me to Powell's. My reaction - "How have I never heard of this place before?!?"

My wife finally gave up on trying to stop me from buying used books (I pointed out how much we were saving over new books) and now she uses her flair for design to find inexpensive book shelves that match each room.

Most treasured family heirloom? Antique bookcases from one side of the family and a handmade bookcase from the other side of the family.

Every time I visit my parents, I leave with a book. Every time they come to visit they bring at least one book for someone in the family.

Most treasured childhood memory - Every year going to the huge Book Fairs in our town on opening day, finding cool books - buying a few and putting other books on the bottom of the stacks. Then going back on "Bargain Bag Day" (last day of the Book Fair) and filling our bags with our 'hidden' goodies that hadn't yet been taken.

Seems to me that Goodreads members are the most normal people I've encountered. (Aren't we? :-)

I know that I am an addict because I totaled how much money I spent on books in just one months time and it was about 75.00. Ever since then, I keep buying books, I just don't keep track of how much I'm spending!

I also have no limit as to how many books I can read in a week. I think my highest total was up to like 7 books in a week. Awesome. Too bad my graduate work suffered, but I eventually got my work done. :)

You know you're a book addict when....

you call books/reading your "drug" of choice. It's to the point now that I've been buying so many books they have taken over my both my coffee and kitchen table not to mention my home office.(My husband has asked me to "clean" 'cause if he has to I won't be happy. Erm, that's what he thinks: if he cleans he'll be miserable. For months. :P)

Also, the thrift store next door to my office just went out of business. I have acquired all of the paperback books. I know have even more books that I need to try to read. In this lifetime, preferably.

When you packed 8 books+comics+essentials in your carry on bag and then missed your connecting flight so you have to RUN across DFW (football field length) to catch the next one which leaves in 6 minutes so your backpack is flopping all around and people are laughing and you wind up missing it anyway and then you are sore for DAYS...but you are glad you still brought your books for the 3hr flight.

Also, you are on Goodreads constantly...

I tend to ignore people. And if they don't respect my polite methods of ignoring them, they get snapped at. I'm sorry, but not sorry enough to put down the book. kthnx.

Also: You know you're a book addict when your parents have resorted to "grounding" you from reading. It's been a few years since they've had that authority, but all the same.

Tamara
Have you been stalking me because you've described my visits to the library.

You know you're a book addict when you are trecking through the Amazon jungle and you have to bring the hardback omnibus edition of the Forsyte Saga because you've already started. However, as I read each page I ripped it off and used it for... so it kind of made sense.

You know you are an addict when everyday you force yourself to drag back to the library two large over-stuffed tote bags full of books that you were sure you would read at least one renewal ago. Your arms absolutely ache from the weight of your addiction and you huff and puff to the door, bruising your thighs and straining your back and all the while you are racing to be the first one to cross over the golden threshold into the promised land of new reads. You also must return these books because you have 320 (just an estimate) others on the hold shelf to pick up before the hold expires and someone else may actually get to read the book before you... I am not guilty of this sick and twisted behavior.

I read that JFK was leaving on a trip and had a bag packed with books. Someone asked him why so many books. He said 'I'll be gone for seven days so seven books is not too many'. I too take too many books when I'm away from home but they are my friends and comforter. One reason I like to include non-fiction books as they can be picked up at random and open to any page for a quick read. Gwen