Book Buying Addicts Anonymous discussion
General
>
Talk some sense into me please!
date
newest »
newest »
Gladstone (the 19th Century four-time British Prime Minister) wrote a little book called On Books and the Housing of Them (which gets a chapter in Anne Fadiman's excellent Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader), in which he devised a shelving system by which a room of 20x40 feet (6x12m) could comfortably hold 20,000 books. This gives me hope that I'll be able to keep collecting for at least a little while longer!
I wonder how much 20,000 books weigh and what the load-bearing capability of a standard house floor is!
I can't even imagine reading 20,000 books in a lifetime, let alone figuring out how to store them all.
Assuming a reading life of 70 years that's 286 books per year. Of course you might have a large number in that total that are reference books rather than books you would read cover to cover.
Paulfozz wrote: "Laura wrote: "Moneywise, or even strictly speaking amountwise, my husband is not overly bothered with the amount of books I buy. I use my own money after all. His main concern is space. Where to pu..."That makes perfect sense, yes. BUT. I have very few books I could easily give up/sell onwards, so that would not solve much of the space issue. Whilst I know that there are only few books I'll ever get around to re-read (mainly due to the size of my to-read pile of first timers), I am very emotionally attached my books. You never know, I just might re-read them one day. ;)
Laura...I agree...I can't just give them away...:) you never know when or if you will want to re-read a book...
I am emotionally attached to my books, too. I don't think it's such a bad thing. At least we're not emotionally attached to drugs or alcohol!
I am also emotionally attached to some of my mugs! :D
I am emotionally attached to my crafts too! lol and mugs...I love coffee mugs :)
We haw way too many mugs. I think I need to sell some.
And we got two more mugs for christmas. Ugh!
I just got like 33 books at a library book sale!
So cool! I can't believe we don't have many library sales in Australia!
yeah...except I have so many to read yet...the good thing is I got parts to series....now I just have to complete them...and they were all so cheap!
I fear I will return this week (probably Mon) again..to pick up more!
I have so many books on my TBR pile, so I know how it feels. Actually, my TBR ROOM. But it doesn't stop me buying more and I have an overwhelming need to own complete series. After all, who wants to read just part of a series?
Oh yes I collect plushes too. I actually had to get rid of some because they were almost to the ceiling!
One thing I will never throw out (apart from my books) is my writing. I have so many scraps of paper with stories and part stories and ideas etc, but no matter how old they get, I cannot get rid of them because they are my creative journey.
Kiera wrote: "I have so many books on my TBR pile, so I know how it feels. Actually, my TBR ROOM. But it doesn't stop me buying more and I have an overwhelming need to own complete series. After all, who wants t..."holy cow! we are kindred spirits! you should see my room! lol
Fiona wrote: "I'm emotionally attached to books as books but I can throw them away - well donate to charity I mean. Some I bought second hand and now think I'll never read them maybe cos I've read one of the author or two and been less than impressed, tastes have moved on, etc."I feel much the same way Fiona.
Laura wrote: "That makes perfect sense, yes. BUT. I have very few books I could easily give up/sell onwards, so that would not solve much of the space issue. Whilst I know that there are only few books I'll ever get around to re-read (mainly due to the size of my to-read pile of first timers), I am very emotionally attached my books. You never know, I just might re-read them one day. ;) "
I can understand emotional attachment to certain books; there are quite a number of books in my collection that I would never part with, either because they are favourites that I re-read often, or because they are very difficult to replace (either through rarity/cost or because they are signed by favourite authors - I'd never part with the autobiography that David Attenborough signed for me or the Gerald Durrell book I found during a wonderful holiday that has a full page inscription; they're just too precious to me). However for the most part the books I own are not terribly difficult to replace, and in fact I find copies of some very regularly in my trawls of the local charity shops so I wouldn't feel much concern about reading them and then passing them on to charity.
Despite that even if I really enjoyed a book then I don't usually emotionally bond to that particular object - the exact copy I read rarely has a hold on me and I'll replace favourite books if I find a better copy, which I've done with many of my Terry Pratchett books when I've found nice hardback copies to replace my some of my worn and tattered paperbacks.
The hoarding tendency runs in my family so I try to moderate it in myself, trying not to become emotionally attached to objects to the extent that I must keep everything. That's not to say that I discard books lightly, but I've become quite pragmatic about it because whilst it is lovely to have a lot of books around I do not want them to completely take over my house!
Kathryn wrote: "Erin have you read any of the ones you bought last year?"A few but still plenty left to read, you know how that goes
Mmmmm.. Hanging my head. I have same problem.
I know I did read one or two books I bought last year, fairly soon after buying them. I am trying to buy less this year (though I know there are 3 or 4 books not yet released that I know I will buy eventually!), just so that my to-read pile would shrink at least a little bit.
I don't think mine will ever shrink, especially once I have kids!
I don't think my pile will ever shrink! in fact I thin it's growing! lol I do read them...really I do!!! but somehow...they are multiplying before I can get enough read to shrink the pile!
Instead of reading one of my own I'm now reading a library book. That doesn't help the pile shrink!
It's an addiction. I definitely feel your pain.
I'm now 10 days without buying a book (if I get thru today). In the last 10 days I've finished 4 books, but only 2 that I actually own. Progress!
I have just finished two books as well and am now reading two more at the same time.
But I haven't wheedled my pile down, coz I just received three of my Amazon Marketplace book orders.
I'll fess up and give everyone some statistics about my TBR list. *Currently I own 906 unread (actual paper) books.
*Of the 152 books I read last year only 3 of them were paper books that I own.
*So far in 2014 I have read 1 paper book that I actually own (and I'm reading that right now)
In my mind I decided that I would read one book I own every month but then I get over whelmed by new releases and it never quite happens. I have hope that it will someday. (Notice I refrained in talking about digital books)
Dear God, may we all be blessed with insurmountable stacks of unread books. Life without books is a meal without spices.
Kathryn wrote: "Instead of reading one of my own I'm now reading a library book. That doesn't help the pile shrink!"lol...that's not good! the pile should shrink!
Shannon wrote: "I'll fess up and give everyone some statistics about my TBR list. *Currently I own 906 unread (actual paper) books.
*Of the 152 books I read last year only 3 of them were paper books that I ow..."
I don't do digital books! so my pile will always be there! I am always trying to read multiple books at the same time...because I get into certain moods, or it's for a challenge or something :) but then there are all those pretty new releases that come out every week!
Catherine wrote: " I don't do digital books! so my pile will always be there! "My wallet has a love/hate relationship with ebooks. I seem to come across a lot of things I like under $3.00, and I love when I'm reading on my Kindle and can read in the dark. Book lights bug me so it's not really an option with paper books. But I do still love paper books and will always have them.
I'm almost always listening to an audiobook and reading one or more other books depending on how on the go I am. I love the juggling but my sister says I'm crazy and can't see how I keep up. To me it's like watching multiple TV shows. Just because another one is on at the moment doesn't mean I've completely forgotten the first.
so...I broke down, and went back to the book sale at the library...and got a few more books! 7 to be exact!
Well, I've caved. Yesterday I visited a vintage/junk/used book store and bought 2 books. This seems to have opened the flood gates as I just ordered 16 books off of Amazon and have plans for visiting a charity shop on my lunch break! Ahhhhhh!
I'm afraid that is usually what happens to me when I say I'm going to stop buying books too.
Thom wrote: "Dear God, may we all be blessed with insurmountable stacks of unread books. Life without books is a meal without spices."Thom,I really like what you say -- this is a positive viewpoint as I feel guilty sometimes, like yesterday when I was paying a short visit in my hometown, I saw I was ...4 minutes early for a business meeting... and my favourite bookshop was on the way between the parking lot where I left my car and the meeting place... so guess what I did? quickly found the last paperback edition of a book I just heard of, and... a miracle, nobody at the till, just the lady sitting at the desk and smiling at me! so what could I do? I bought it, with a strange guilty feeling when I thinking of the nearly 500 books waiting for me at home! and 2 other are on the way from Amazon!And still managed to get punctually to the appointment :)
ASP wrote: "Thom wrote: "Dear God, may we all be blessed with insurmountable stacks of unread books. Life without books is a meal without spices."Thom,I really like what you say -- this is a positive viewpoi..."
That's awesome!
I am definitely a book buying addict. My husband says I have hundreds. He doesn't want me getting any more books until I empty my two bookcases. So I sneak them in. I even delete email receipts and use Kindle gift cards so there is no credit card record. Between my Kindle, tablet and physical books it is a lot and now I feel like I should count them. I'd really like to know the actual number. I also have books in a closet, a windowsill, and a blanket chest. Right now I am reading The Forgotten Garden, In Name Only, Dracula Chronicles, Love's awakening, The Invention of Sarah Cummings, and Rapture's Witness.
ackkk I ALMOST picked up Gone Girl when I was grocery shopping today -- beautiful glossy covers. I'm amazed I talked myself into putting it back down, to be honest.
You go girl. If the bills are getting aid, food s in the house, tell hubby to give it up. I have 8 bookcases double stacked, and probably. close to 2000 e books. I spend less for reading than hubby does for fishing,
Book Buying Addicts Anonymous
Books mentioned in this topic
On Books and the Housing of Them (other topics)Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader (other topics)
Plant Galls (other topics)
The Divine Comedy: Inferno - Purgatorio - Paradiso (other topics)
I think you reach a point where you have to let some go; though my collection is relatively modest (about 500 books) I have often filled my shelves and had to 'thin the herd' as it were, picking out ones I know I won't re-read, decided I won't actually read at all, or have little emotional attachment to and donating them to charity. Of course I've added bookcases from time to time too... you can't be pragmatic ALL the time! ;-)