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Monday, September 12, 2011

The problem with being a book person...

...is, well, all the books.

They are a blessing and a curious. A joy and a pain. A magical escape and an unbearable burden. And I love them. All shapes and sizes. Every format and itteration. I adore the brand new, uncracked and smelling of freshly pressed paper. I cherish the used, well-loved and reeking of age.

But they are my downfall, my weakness, the focus of my shiny object complex... I see a cover, hear a recommendation, read an awesome review, or learn one of my favorite authors is coming out with a new book, and I get the itch. I want to buy a new book, even if I have an amazing to-be-read stack at home.

These new additions overrun my shelves, stack up on my desk and in corners, and generally invade whatever space is available. I actually told someone once that, if I had to, I would build them a bed out of books because the futon in my office was covered while I did a little reorganizing. Why was I reorganizing? To fit more books of course.

If you're anything like me, you stick to the party line when a knew one comes into the house. You'll just shift a few things, make a space on the shelf, and you'll read it soon. Scouts honor. Sound familiar?

I'm not ashamed of my love of all things literature, but I will admit I'm kind of a book floozy. I gravitate toward whatever will hold my attention, and that's true of shopping and reading. The impending avalanche of books that is my home office (those who know me can attest to this)  is actually what spurred me to participate in September is Read Your Own Books Month. The books I spend my hard earned money on deserve just as much attention as the ones sent to me for review, and this month I'm giving it to them.

So ladies and gents, fess up! Are you a book floozy?

Tell me what your TBR looks like these days. Is it a small pile, a shelf, or a whole room? Are books taking over your space? Do you have enough to build furniture out of? Would you if it weren't for your e-reader?  Inquiring minds want to know!

6 comments:

  1. I am so guilty of the same thing. I buy books because I love books. I buy books that I want to read desperately, but often in the time it takes for them to get to me, I'm in the middle of something else and they get put on the shelf to be read soon... some have been waiting for at least a few years. I'm not supposed to be buying anything new until I've read the old. I'm pretty proud that I only purchased about 6 in the last two weeks. That's an improvement. Right!?

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  2. Guilty as charged. We still had our Borders, so I may have spent a good chunk of what my car payment had been there this summer. Good thing its paid off and I have no kids.

    The majority of what is on my physical book shelves are on my tbr pile. I've been shuffling things around, so will be moving some of the read ones to the storage loft. I also have a couple of cardboard boxes with books that are also on the tbr pile. And several on my Nook. I also joined Paperback Swap, so I could send off any books I've read and don't like, don't want to keep, or I upgrade to a better edition (this is my downfall. Buy a book used one month, then later see a nicer copy used, so I swap them, before reading them). I am going to try and not buy any until I preorder Crossed and Inheritance in November. Then be good until Christmas.

    I suspect, that my tbr pile would make a bed, and if I had my whole book collection unboxed, I could make bunkbeds, and still possible line the walls of my bedroom.

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  3. I have small...piles yes as in plural. Small piles of books all over my room - the desk, the little shelf, my closet, my drawers, the box on the floor, the night stand, the stool next to my bed >.> and I have a kindle which isn't helping. Well its helping cause if I get a new book its not taking up space, but it makes it easier for me to download new books instead of reading the books I already have in my drawer or on my desk waiting for me to get to them. I am pretty good at actually getting through TBR books before I buy another batch though. I buy a large batch every 4 months or so with individual books in between so if I can get through my current pile before spending a lot more money and um make space I think I'll be good.

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  4. Oh goodness its huge. REALLY HUGE. I check out an average of 4 books a week from the Library but I normally only read 2 a week. Yeah, it adds up. Lets just say I have about 20 Library books sitting on my bedroom floor right now waiting to get read..... >.<

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  5. I have a serious problem. I can't stop buying books! I haven't counted in a while but I have well over 150 books sitting on shelves, tables, and dressers, waiting to be read. (Didn't help that my Joseph-Beth and Borders both went OOB and I bought tons of discounted books!)

    Hopping over from Twitter, btw. Nice place! New follower :)

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  6. I am a book floozy, and I love the term "book floozy."

    An e-reader, should I ever get one, won't help. My computer is cluttered with files, and I'm sure an e-reader would be cluttered with unread books just the way my house is currently cluttered. But you know, books are a nice clutter. I did make a deliberate effort this year to bite into my TBR pile, and so far I have put a little dent in it!

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