As of this moment I own 78 crime fiction books and 61 books from a range of other genres that I haven’t read. There’s a tall pile of books borrowed from friends in the corner and I also have seven bookmooch requests making their way to me across the seas, am expecting two books I bought online to arrive in a week or so and several ARC books are due any day. Despite this embarrassment of riches (that’s more books than I will read in the next 12 months) I came home with these books yesterday.
I can, of course, justify my purchases because the books were extraordinarily cheap (new books for $5 is almost unheard of here in Oz and having books of quality at that price is something I’ve never seen before) and all were titles or authors I’m interested in.
But even I, master of the righteous justification, can’t claim that I needed them.
I have started to feel troubled about this propensity to acquire more than I can use. Isn’t that the very thing that, on a collective scale, has been partly responsible for the current global financial crisis? I know for a fact that rampant consumerism is having a detrimental impact on our fragile planet but even the guilt that knowledge engenders in me doesn’t stop me acquiring more books than I can read.
I know I’m not alone. In a recent discussion on the 4 Mystery Addicts reading group many members discussed their TBR piles containing hundreds of books and several admitted to having thousands of unread books. Are we all just plain greedy? I find it and odd trait in myself as I’m not naturally acquisitive. I don’t own loads of clothes or shoes or houses and am the opposite of a hoarder. I like my life as de-cluttered as possible. But I can’t seem to stop acquiring books.
Nor, it seems, can I stop worrying about the fact that I am acquiring too many books.
This is a hard one because if you don’t buy them when you see them that cheap, you will have to pay more, but then again when are you going to get to read them.
I have the same issues in terms of the number of books here to be read … one day.
Do people need love, children, sunshine, hot baths?
I might live without work but I am sure I would pine away if I didn´t have books! Fortunately, my husband and children agree with me
Each unread book is a reminder of another adventure that you have in front of you! TBRs should be a joy, not a burden. So much better than spending your money on something that was bad for you!
I have no problem with buying enough books to read. But I’m still uncomfortable buying more than I can possibly read.
Greed is a good word for it. I wish I could get to a stage where I have only 1 or 2 to read, but then I might panic!
This post resonates how I feel to be one of my biggest issues in my life. I borrow a lot more from the libraries, and vow to finish my TBR pile (usually management books!). I never did. This year alone, I had walked into charity shops and bought 6 Dilbert comics for £5.50, and Michael Palin’s Himalaya for £1. Cheap books are everywhere in the UK. If you ever need to read any popular fictions, it usually costs £0.01, almost nothing in Amazon.co.uk, just pay £2.75 for local shipping. I don’t beat myself up, I acknowledge that I am and proud to be known as a “bibliojunkie”. Incorrigible.
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I’ve been asking myself the same question. I have around 150 books that are unread on my bookshelves. Some of my books have been sitting for a year or more while others have only been here a couple of months. I just banned myself from buying books until July. . .
I don’t think it’s greed but the love of a good book (and deal) that keeps us buying books. I rarely buy hardcovers and it’s only when my library does not carry the book. I don’t have a nice and neat answer, but I do plan on reading just books on my shelves this summer. I have tons to read.