You know you're in trouble when .....

[Nikks]

..... your 'to-read' list is longer than your 'read' list. LOL

The more I look around on the Goodreads website, the longer my 'to-read' list becomes. Anyone else have that problem ?

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

My to read list is far longer than my read list! I have ebooks that aren't listed as most don't exsist on GR as they are free ones I have picked up here and there.

[A.L.]

Mine too:)

[Angela]

Absolutely! It's getting a bit out of control now!

[Dave]

Ditto my TBR is getting unmanageable

[A.L.]

I supposed I should read some:)

[Sarah]

Most definitely!

[Em]

Also, same. I buy far more than I can read yet I still go to library, borrow from friends etc then book group chooses something I don't own so I buy that. It is endless!

On the up side, when I categorise books to-read on good reads, I don't necessarily buy them or own them. Sometimes, adding it to the list is enough and my visa card isn't required!

[Angela]

Em wrote: "Also, same. I buy far more than I can read yet I still go to library, borrow from friends etc then book group chooses something I don't own so I buy that. It is endless!

On the up side, when I ca..."

Exactly what I wanted to say, Em:))

[Nikks]

Reassuring to know its not just me with this problem. Somehow we need to invent more time in each day to read ! lol
Sometimes people in my bookclub have a theme of : whats on their bookshelf. But that doesn't necessarily help me if its not on mine !!!

[Bill]

Em wrote: "Also, same. I buy far more than I can read yet I still go to library, borrow from friends etc then book group chooses something I don't own so I buy that. It is endless!

On the up side, when I ca..."

Unfortunately for me, pretty well every book listed on my TBR shelf are actually sitting on my shelf. Not that I'm complaining, but I'm like the rest of you, finding it difficult to read more than I buy..

[Nikks]

But I bet they look really really good on your bookshelf - read or not.

[Em]

Had a friend over on Sunday, was showing her upstairs bedrooms (just redecorated the kids rooms) and she noticed there are book shelves in every room and asked me why I keep my books?!

The truth is I don't keep them all, just the meaningful ones and ones I loved or want to read again, she likes to read but never keeps any. Who is most strange? Me or her?

[Susan]

I love to keep the books I've read....I used to keep them all, but a while ago I gave lots away to charity, as it was getting out of hand!
I kept those that I really liked, and which I felt I may read again, but they seem to be building up again....it helps that I read quite a lot on my iPad....I've never deleted any that I've read, though, and my read shelf is getting bigger and bigger.

I think it's strange not to keep books, Em....I'm with you on this one.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Bill wrote: "Em wrote: "Also, same. I buy far more than I can read yet I still go to library, borrow from friends etc then book group chooses something I don't own so I buy that. It is endless!

On the up side..."

My tbr list are all on my bookcases except a few marked 'one for the future' which I think are a less than 10!

[Bill]

Nikks wrote: "But I bet they look really really good on your bookshelf - read or not."

Actually I should reorganize again as they are now starting to be sort of just thrown on the shelves.. lol

[Bill]

Fiona wrote: "My TBR outweighed my read pile long ago. My physical TBR at the moment is causing me issues as they are out growing every bookcase or shelf they are in."

Read faster?.. ;0)

[Nikks]

I like to keep books I've enjoyed too. Which is why I won't ever be able to get a kobo or kindle. I think this must be a hoarding issue ! Lol

[Esther]

Em wrote: "Had a friend over on Sunday, was showing her upstairs bedrooms (just redecorated the kids rooms) and she noticed there are book shelves in every room and asked me why I keep my books?!

The truth ..."
She is definitely the strange one.
Some people seem to read books from the bestseller lists to be fashionable but never get emotionally attached. I just don't get that. I rarely even lend books for the fear that favourites won't be returned.

[Nikks]

I read somewhere that having books around your home is a talking point, a reflection of yourself as a person & reader etc, etc. To appreciate this though I think you have to be a reader. If I go to someone's house - I am half in the conversation, half perusing their book shelf.

[Em]

Yes, me too. Checking out the books and music is practically the first thing I do!

[Bill]

Ditto, and I kind of like it when visitors notice my books and comment on them.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

No body can miss my bookcases! I tend to use my library more than my lounge so friends usually sit in there!

[Helen]

My friend gets rid of her read books and deletes her e-books. I have a little over 100 dtbs to read and have just reached 146 kindle tbr books. HOwever my to read shelf has more again. I have started bracnching into samples as reminders.

[Nikks]

It always surprises me when people get rid of their read books, although when I shop in my second hand bookstore I am glad :-)

If I have a friend over, I really enjoy discussing my bookshelf. But with the huge pile of tbr's it can be a bit embarrassing ! Lol

[Nikks]

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "No body can miss my bookcases! I tend to use my library more than my lounge so friends usually sit in there!"

Ooooh you have a library - how lucky are you ! Lol I have two big bookshelves in the hall - do you think that can class itself as a library ? ;-)

[Helen]

My friend said to me you could get rid of these, every book she pulled out I had to admit I hadn't read it yet. The reason I started hoarding was publishers making me wait for a whole series. I like to read together when I can. Then Waterstones started doing buy 2 get one...

[Wendy]

Bill wrote: "Ditto, and I kind of like it when visitors notice my books and comment on them."

Not only am I magnetically drawn to a shelf of books anytime I visit someone's home and there is a bookshelf w/in sight, but when I see someone sitting and reading a book I always try to peek at what they are reading and ask them if it is good. I just can't seem to help myself. I am w/ you on keeping books that you love, though I've tried to start using the libray more and haven't minded not being able to keep those books as much as I had thought I would.

[Nikks]

Ditto. Sometimes though it's hard not to judge and make assumptions about a person by what's on their bookshelves. Lol my hubby reads rubbish - in my opinion - so I am always quick to point out "oh no, that's not my book etc".

[Em]

The book divide at home is obvious - there are kids books belonging to my children, sports books belonging to my husband and every other book is mine!

[Bill]

Wendy wrote: "Bill wrote: "Ditto, and I kind of like it when visitors notice my books and comment on them."

Not only am I magnetically drawn to a shelf of books anytime I visit someone's home and there is a boo..."

I find myself looking over people's shoulders at book stores and trying to recommend books to them.. Stalker much.. lol

[Nikks]

Again, i am reassured that its not just me who does these things. Perhaps we are in need of some sort of readers anonymous support group ? Hahaha

[Nikks]

Em : lol same as my house, although I have a fellow avid reader, my 8-yr old. He just read the hobbit & is now working his was through gullivers travels. I think It's hard when they are so young to find books that will keep their interest but are also appropriate.

[Esther]

Nikks wrote: "I read somewhere that having books around your home is a talking point, a reflection of yourself as a person & reader etc, etc. To appreciate this though I think you have to be a reader. If I go to..."
I love perusing people's books and I'm afraid I judge them if they don't have 'enough' on display.
In my house the books about cars or sharks are my husband's and the rest, including all the novels stacked higgledy-piggledy on every flat surface, are mine.
Due to space issues I use Bookmooch to dispose of all books 3 stars and under. But there is still plenty for visitors to peruse though some people make me nervous by grabbing half a dozen from my TBR pile and asking "Can I borrow this?" while I'm trying to serve dinner.
I'm a nervous lender and although I try to be generous with friends I like to record who walks out of my house with which books.

[Nikks]

I keep a record too. Nothing worse than looking for a favourite book & not remembering who you loaned it to ! Nowadays I am more selective who I lend to as I have had some books returned in bad condition. Its So rude really to trash someone's book.

[Bill]

Esther wrote: "Nikks wrote: "I read somewhere that having books around your home is a talking point, a reflection of yourself as a person & reader etc, etc. To appreciate this though I think you have to be a read..."

My strategy is not to have any friends. Then I don't have to worry about lending them.. :0).. Luckily the majority of my TBR books are sort of hidden by my desk in the study... A long weekend ahead, thinking I may rearrange them again.. :0)

[Nikks]

Haha that's one way around loaning books out I suppose, although a little extreme.

[Helen]

I have a to read pile on my floor that just keeps growing as I'm buying books faster than I can read them...I will drown in them eventually. But what a way to go!! Death by books...yes please!

[Wendy]

Helen wrote: "I have a to read pile on my floor that just keeps growing as I'm buying books faster than I can read them...I will drown in them eventually. But what a way to go!! Death by books...yes please!"

I can think of no better way to go Helen :-)

[Nikks]

A good title for a crime novel. Lol

[Bill]

lol.. The body was found in a locked room with no windows. The only other objects were a pile of books. Who was the murderer?.. lol

[Nikks]

As I entered the room, there was an eerie silence. The volumes of twilight, hunger games and 50 shades of gray made me nervous as they stared silently at me ! Lol

[A.L.]

Lol

[Em]

Nikks wrote: "Em : lol same as my house, although I have a fellow avid reader, my 8-yr old. He just read the hobbit & is now working his was through gullivers travels. I think It's hard when they are so young to..."

My daughters had their 8th birthday yesterday! There seems to be quite a lot of books which appeal to them but there may be a boy/girl divide here I don't know. They both love Jacqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl, Jeff Kinney and Louis Sachar among others. I hadn't though about suggesting The Hobbit though, that's a good idea. They read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as their guided reading book at school and seemed to cope ok with that so it may not be too much of a stretch for them.

[Em]

Bill wrote: "Esther wrote: "Nikks wrote: "I read somewhere that having books around your home is a talking point, a reflection of yourself as a person & reader etc, etc. To appreciate this though I think you ha..."

Very healthy and well adjusted Bill!

[Esther]

Bill wrote: "My strategy is not to have any friends. Then I don't have to worry about lending them.. :0)...."
My mother doesn't need friends for that. She lends books to almost complete strangers who we never meet again and so have no opportunity to return the books even if they wanted to.
One of my cousins came round with a girlfriend that we knew he was about to dump ('waiting for the right moment'!). My mother lent her so many of books that the top of the pile was tucked under her chin!!
Of course we never saw the girl again and after a few months my mother began bemoaning the fact so many of her favourite books and disappeared.

She does consult me before lending people books I've lent her but is not so scrupulous about books she knows I want to read. Despite the crowded state of my shelves I have several of her books in protective custody at my house so she can't lend them out before I have read them.

[Bill]

Em wrote: "Nikks wrote: "Em : lol same as my house, although I have a fellow avid reader, my 8-yr old. He just read the hobbit & is now working his was through gullivers travels. I think It's hard when they a..."

Your daughters are very well read, Em. At that age, I think mine were reading The Baby-Sitters Club books and series such as that. I didn't mind what they read as long as they enjoyed the stories and wanted to read more.

Esther wrote: "Bill wrote: "My strategy is not to have any friends. Then I don't have to worry about lending them.. :0)...."
My mother doesn't need friends for that. She lends books to almost complete strangers w..."

That's awful, Esther. I'm somewhat less precious about my books than I used to be, I do vet nowadays, but there are still series I collected back in my high school and university days that I'd be aghast if my wife lent them out without consulting me.

Em wrote: "Bill wrote: "Esther wrote: "Nikks wrote: "I read somewhere that having books around your home is a talking point, a reflection of yourself as a person & reader etc, etc. To appreciate this though I..."

Thanks, Em, I always thought so. :0)

[Dave]

I do tend to get rid of books once I've read them. Although there are a few series that I've kept - Harry Potter, Dresden Files and Tad Williams/Terry Goodkind hardcovers.

However the rest of my shelves are taken up with books I haven't read - one of these days I'll get round to updating my TBR list on here.

Hmm looking behind me there's clearly space for one more Ikea bookshelves in my 'study' - this would enable more books to be purchased :)

[Ian, Moderator]

My bookshelves have heaved a huge sigh of relief since I got my kindle.....haven't bought a DTB for nearly 2 years now. I really like my tbr shelf....I use it as a place for anything that takes my eye and browse it occasionally like a virtual bookstore. Anything I particularly fancy I add to my Amazon wishlist which I then buy from if the price drops to something suitable.

[Kim-Lost-In-A-Book]

So many books, so little time. It's the biggest reason why I don't stick with a book if I'm not enjoying it or getting "something" out of it. It's also why there are so few books that I've read more than once. I'd love to reread some books but there are just too many to read in one lifetime ;-)