Are you a bibliomaniac?
We’re back! Last week, Jennifer from Girls Gone Reading had a special edition of Friday Coffee Chat where she wrote about books that helped her through some very hard times. It was a really inspirational post that had us all talking about some of the books that have helped us through hard times. So this week, we’re looking at the lighter side of some of our *ahem* buying habits. Jennifer is writing about bookstores that fail for her side of the Friday Coffee Chat so make sure you check out her blog as well!
**Note to booksellers and authors: I promise that the fourteen of us participating in A Girl Reads a Book's September Buying Ban will not break the bank. We'll make sure to get back to our buying habits (although hopefully somewhat restrained) in October!
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You know how some friends have these crazy collections of things that you privately shake your head to? You know, the friend who has a craft collection that makes Hobby Lobby look like a mom and pop store, or how about the friend that has a shoe collection that could rival Ymelda Marcos’ closets of shoes? Well, recently on Twitter a bunch of us book bloggers have admitted that we have our own “collections” that others might think we are crazy to have.
I’ve asked two bloggers with sizeable collections to write up a short blurb about their TBR list of books they own. We’ve been laughing about our ridiculous collections that we can almost never hope to significantly reduce because let’s face it…we book bloggers LOVE books! However, our TBR Lists are so out of control that Bella from A Girl Reads a Book has promised to lock herself (and anyone who will join her) in her TARDIS for the month of September and not buy any books to give our poor neglected shelves full of unread books some much needed attention. I mean, I’m sure authors like us to buy their books, but I think they probably would love it if we actually read them!
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| Image taken from CafePress.com |
Did you know that bibliomania is a real thing? According to WrongDiagnosis.com, it is "A type of obsessive compulsive disorder where the patient compulsively collects books. The books bought are generally not even looked [at] but are simply bought and hoarded." Are any of us that bad? I'm thinking "no", but we might have bibliophilia which according to Merriam-Webster.com means, "A lover of books especially for qualities of format; also: a book collector".
We have to think about those authors and booksellers too who are just trying to make a living for goodness sake! We can't let them go hungry!
But at what point are our acquisitions too much? Fiona from The Book Coop says:
“I don’t want to get to the age of 80 and look at my shelves and still see 400 odd books on my shelves and regret that I could never have read them all. It’s this that drives me on. Firstly the space issue and secondly the fact that I own more books then I’ve read. So far, of all the books I can remember well enough to say I have read, there is 321.”Bella from A Girl Reads a Book says:
“One day you are cruising along, happy as Larry with a few books, and then before you know it you've got 2,000+ books and you're being called a book hoarder. Well that is how it happened to me. I swear I woke up one morning and I suddenly had over 2,700 books.”Read Fiona and Bella’s stories about their TBR Lists by clicking here (my story is there too).
You DEFINITELY want to read their stories because they are both quite fun and entertaining. These ladies are two of my favorite bloggers and I love the honesty and the ability to make a little fun of themselves in their posts.
So my questions to you readers this week are:
- Are you a compulsive book buyer? Do you have to buy right away, or do you keep a wishlist and only purchase when you have space on your shelves?
- Do you think it is ethical to go on a formal book buying ban for a set amount of time?
- At what point do you cut your losses and just give books that have been sitting unread away to charity, friends, etc.?
Logging you in...
Posts
@gemzina · 761 weeks ago
Zee · 761 weeks ago
I inherited it. No it's true. I come from a long line of book buyers and book readers. I mean, I am a fifth generation teacher. You do not have five unbroken lines of teachers and not be lovers of books. Out of four grandparents three were teachers. Reading comes from BOTH sides of the family. Granted, my grandmother (my dads side, my mum's side is mormor), did borrow A LOT of her books (thank you Benjamin Franklin). But my family has ALWAYS bought books. My dad used to bleed for books (he would use the money he was paid to donate blood to buy himself (or me) a book). Buying books isn't a luxury in my family. It is a necessity.
I like owning books. I like going back to them. They are like old friends. Often I will re-read favourite passages and only the passages. Sometimes I re-read the whole book. I was noseying around my brothers bedroom the other night while I printed some stuff off (for the record my brother doesn't actually live here anymore, but he does still keep some stuff in his old room). Anyway, I came across the Harry Potter and the Philosophers (Sorcerers) Stone book that was my introduction to the wizarding world. I was instantly transported back in time to that day when I picked it off the stairs where someone had left it and started reading. That reminder led me back to a whole series of other memories and I spent some time that evening in a different world. If I had gotten rid of that book I would never have had that experience.
Then of course we have the fact that I am a book abuser (at least according to Carin (I'm working on that post)) and no one would really want my books once I am done with them.
All that said, I do have a bag of books that needs to go to the charity shop (okay so the bag contains 4 books, but you know, progress). And when I finished uni I did donate a bunch of books to charity shops before moving. I do very occasionally get rid of books, most often ones that I have picked up at airports for traveling somewhere :D
So yes, I am a collector of books.
chachic 47p · 761 weeks ago
I tried to go on a book buying ban this August and I was pretty successful up until the last week. I didn't buy any books for three weeks and then on the last week, I bought 7. :( They're all used books though so they're cheaper than if I buy them new. I love the feeling of getting new books even if I know that I won't be able to read them anytime soon.
I do give books to friends but I only give them books that I've read that I don't plan on re-reading. I'm trying to organize my bookshelf so I might do a couple of giveaways on my blog for the books that I don't want anymore.
Sorry for the long reply! Just wanted to answer all questions.
ABookGeek - LLM · 761 weeks ago
leeswammes 78p · 761 weeks ago
At first I thought maybe it's a little unfair to authors and book shops to have a book buying ban, but look at it: you've already bought the books! That's the whole trouble. They don't miss out, you already spend the money!
Compare it with buying 15 cakes one week and then say that you won't buy any cakes the next. Is that unfair to bakers? Don't think so!
amymckie 73p · 761 weeks ago
Seriously though, a bit of an issue with buying books. BUT my wishlist is at almost 1,300, so I suppose it could be worse right? I am definitely going to try my best to participate in the ban, as I'd really love to read some of these books that are threatening to topple my bookshelf through the floor. As long as we are reading, very ethical I think!
thegirlwallace 43p · 761 weeks ago
I love books. Not just to read but the actual books themselves, so that is a BIG part of the problem. :)
By the way, am loving the IntenseDebate on here. It makes it easier to comment!
Rikki 49p · 761 weeks ago
I am not a compulsive book buyer. That is not meant to say we have no books. We have. A lot. But the books I bought I have read, the books my husband bought he has read. When I see a book I like in a book store I usually do not buy it right away. I check whether it is cheaper on amazon, I check whether I can buy it used, I check whether I can swap it. Usually the book turns up sooner or later at my swap site, and then I'll get it. I don't mind waiting and I don't mind used books either.
I usually read books pretty soon after I got them, that's why my TBR pile is not that high. And I prefer to keep it that way. If I had hundreds of books to read at home I'd go nuts.
I had one comment on my blog about the ban being unfair to authors. Excuse me? It is my decision whether I buy a book and when I buy it. Participating in a book buying ban only makes it more official. If I go and say today "I can't afford to buy books in September because I have no money" or "I won't buy books in September becaue I have tons to read still" it is nobody's business than my own. This is supposed to be unethical? It's my money I am spending and I decide to not buy books for whatever reason I want. Give me a break!
Unread books I try to swap when I know that I will never feel inclined to read them.
About Intense Debate: I like it. I just did not like it for my blog. :)
maestardown 26p · 761 weeks ago
I jest. But not really.
I seem to go in cycles. For months at a time, I'll go to the library and enjoy myself, then all of a sudden, I remember that my office building is walking distance from a big book retailer, and then I start buying like mad. It's almost like I'm making up for those months of borrowing. My roommie and I combined probably have 3000 books, and I'd bet that 80% of those are mine...so I think I do have a problem, but not to such a degree that I'd call it hoarding. If it weren't for the fact that I have a very limited budget, though, and need to eat & pay rent, I could slide into that compulsive buying mindset.
If I get to the point where my book purchases are interfering with my ability to feed and house myself, then I'll certainly have a problem. Right now, though, I'm not quite there...though I don't read everything I buy (especially non-fiction), I don't buy and buy and buy without reading.
scrabblequeen 40p · 761 weeks ago
@ratsinabag · 761 weeks ago
Sometimes, I just feel a compulsion to buy a book and then I get stressed out because I can't find one I want. I start to have a panic that I'll never find a book I want again so I spend two hours tramping up and down the shelves until it is one minute before closing time and I have to just grab a book, any book and buy it. Then feel like absolute crap for having spent money on a book I don't really want. Especially when I remember a book that I did actually want but didn't get because I was in too much of a panic about getting a book in the first place.
I love going into a bookshop and coming out with a book I didn't expect. I'm easily persuaded in a bookshop - secondhand or new.
My recent post Crazy Book Swap and the Book Ban- again
@ratsinabag · 761 weeks ago
I hate courier, I just can't read it back to myself.
My recent post Crazy Book Swap and the Book Ban- again
chewdigest 47p · 761 weeks ago
*I didn't need a whole shelf on herbal medicine when there was one book that I always used.
*The Sunset Gardening book is fine for what I need.
*Who needs an unabridged dictionary or three when you have the internet?
Now, if there isn't room on the wee two shelf bookcase for another book, I don't buy or borrow another. I roll with the book out/book in system. All bets are off when it comes to work though. I do get a rather large box of new books every month thanks to work.
My recent post Cross-Bloggination with Danielle from There’s A Book