I'm not gonna lie...I am the book buying police. Bella from A Girl Reads a Book confessed on Twitter a week or two ago that her TBR list was out of control. Not a virtual TBR list--these were actually books she owns. Want to know the number she gave us? 2,840!!!! That's right. She owns almost 3,000 unread books. So, in and effort to get her to read her own books before she buys even more, a group of us helped convince her (but really I think she made the decision on her own) that she should whittle her list down to a more manageable size. I mean, what kind of gems must she have in her library that she has yet to discover?
Which brings this post to me. I am no saint. I own 101 paper books and 107 e-books (most of the e-books I got for free)! So even if I say that Bella has a book buying/hoarding/spendthrift behavior problem, I clearly cannot throw stones because I have the same problem.
My proverbial cup runneths over! So what am I doing? I am joining Bella's September Book Buying Ban! Some of my poor, neglected books are going to finally be read.
Here are my rules:
- I am not allowed to purchase or borrow any books during the month of September except for the following:
- Shelfari Fantasy/Science Fiction BotM Group or
- The Thrill Me! Book Club I meet up with every month
- No requesting any new review copies
- No entering giveaways or contests on blogs, Twitter, or otherwise
- My goal is to get down to 80 paper books before I buy any others (with the exception of my book club books)
Crazy you say? Maybe, but Bella is also setting up a bookish swap at the end of the ban so we will be able to swap books, bookmarks, book totes, or any other bookish thing with someone participating in the ban with us at the end of September. Oh, and we also get to mercilessly make fun of each other's terrible spendthriftiness on Twitter for the entire month!
If you have a problem, come and join us in the book buying ban! We're all in it together and we're going to have a great time giving love to our unread books!
**Update: I miscounted and found that I have 102 paper books not 101.
**Update: I miscounted and found that I have 102 paper books not 101.
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22 comments:
Good luck with the book-buying ban, Carin! I will ponder over this a little before deciding whether I'll join. I have been really good with not buying books - except last week but that was planned long in advance. :-)
My only problem with joining this is that I am sent review copies automatically and have to receive new books for the publication that I write for. However, my shelves aren't quite as full as yours:)
Make you a deal, no requesting books on my own, no buying, and no downloading. Then I am golden.
Oh ladies! It's a "set your own rules" kind of ban. So if you know you will receive or have to buy books (or even need to preorder), you can always set exceptions. Bella I think says that in her "rules"--that they are really just make up what works for you. Does that make it more enticing? I mean c'mon. You two will get to make terrible fun of us with ridiculous lists (and mine is just somewhere in the middle--don't be too hard on me! hehe)
"Spendthrift behavior" "hoarder" ... oh dear!
Next you know they will have one those D-grade reality shows knocking on my door to inspect my books!
Although to be fair I think of my spendthrift behavior as helping out the book world, hmmm... maybe I should buy B & N. Imagine all the books I could have then, lol.
I'm off the track as usual... SO HAPPY you are joining me, not like you had a choice or anything since you were the one that started all this, but still :)
Happy to have you on board, and anyone else that wants to join. It is totally create your own rules. We want to survive and have fun. That's all :)
Once I moved I gave away at least a hundred books. Now I miss them.
http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
Wow, 2,840 is an insane amount of unread books! I'm thinking the September book buying ban is a great idea.
You don't have a problem at all. That to me is a shelf of books. Nothing. :P
Yep I'm on this ban. I was on a ban before but I would up with 15 books in 3 days kind of fail... hope that won't happen again!
Oh, yes, we will have fun on twitter, lol.
But you see, Bella already wants to go on a binge again afterwards. Carin, you have to do something about that!
Yes, Carin you have to stop her!
Good thing I bought all my son's school books in August? I truly think I will not BUY any books in Sept, but I'm not ruling out the use of library books...in my world, they don't count as acquisitions! And, I'm getting rid of tons of books from off the shelves, here. Some, will go back to their rightful owners (sons, who left them here) some to new homes, possibly even some to the trash?!
I'm in and looking forward to it. The question is: will I have the willpower to follow through?
I have to stock up on extra books before September now. ;)
Wallace has the best kind of notion. Stock up before the winter! Perfect :)
Did I say binge? I meant SHOPPING SPREE!
Bella, you have 18 years worth of books you do not need to stock up on books, you are not going to run out!
I still can't decide if I'm going to join the book buying ban! I have books coming in from the local bookstore, the ones that I had them order for me because they didn't have them on stock and I want to try out The Book Depository now that they deliver to the Philippines. *undecided*
Another one! you are strong :) goodluck!
Fiona - you never know I could run out or there could be nothing good in there to read. You just never know. I could wake up and decide I want to read non-fiction and there isn't much non-fiction in there!
You know, I don't buy many books but I do currently own quite a few I haven't read. I think I might attempt to do this only alter it a bit and do a "September Library Ban" instead. I really need to attack the pile I currently have.
@agirlreads - Yes, I've already called those shows to come to your house for an intervention. :P Is it easier for you to buy more books since you have a Kindle and the books don't take up physical space (i.e., you don't see them so you must have room for more)? That is my current theory about why you have as many as you do (and also why I have as many as I do).
@manoflabook - I definitely understand that. I've rebought books a few times, but I always keep the ones I love most.
@Brenna - Haha! Brenna is on my side Bella (agirlreads)!!! I think I will keep you, Brenna! :P
@Fiona - LOL...I bet you hit 600 books before September with your spendthriftiness. I need to come up with a name for this phenomenon I'm seeing...this whole idea of book buying withdrawal. *wags a finger*
@Rikki - *high five* ...and to think that I can now call you my champion on this issue when just a week ago we were arguing about bookmarks. Come over here and give me a big hug, you! Hehehe
@Scrabblequeen - Buying books for other people definitely doesn't count. Do you have a huge TBR list? It doesn't ever seem like you do, but maybe I am just mistaken.
@Wallace - haha! You have more unread books than I do! Do I need to pull out my waggy finger? Hehehehe! I actually am excited about seeing your list. I like lists. :)
@Fiona - 18 years...I have 4.2 years worth if I read around 50 books a year. How sad is that. I actually like that little statistic you threw out there.
@Chachic - You should join. The hilarity on Twitter will be reward enough and it's only one month. You can still do your preorders and stuff!
@Rachel - I know. It's just out of control. I have to stop buying books! I have no shelf space anymore...and that thing called the library keeps me from reading my own stacks at times! Ack!
@Sarah - If you do the Library Visit Ban, make sure you get The Fall of Hyperion before September! hehehe. You are a fast reader. Do you really have a lot of unread books in your home? I have a hard time believing that. You seem to inhale books!
I'm in, Carin! Officially now ;) It was hard, and I nearly backed out, but it's too late now. Signed up, blogged about it, was promised ultimate shame and ridicule if I didn't follow through...The works ^_^
Now I have all of August to start regretting...
@Kemendraugh - Awesome! I went over to your blog and commented! Yay for joining in on our misery! LOL! I totally believe that you can do it.
I may join you! I need to stop accepting review copies!
@theliterarypop - Awesome! Yeah, I keep acquiring books that people recommend and give me. I need to stop accepting and actually read them before I get more!
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