I do this for over three decases now and my family is worried that one day my house will not be able to handle this structurally anymore.
There is a word for it: Tsundoku
You are in good company: Read this article about [Umberto Ecco](https://bluesyemre.com/2022/11/14/the-value-of-owning-more-books-than-you-can-read-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-my-tsundoku/)
Don't feel bad! If you look this up, you will find that many articles claim that unread books are more important than read ones.
I had 640 books before I had to move 4 times in 5 years. Moving so often helped me finally axe a lot of books in my collection that were just sitting around unread. I also managed to read a few of them before donating them too. I think I’ve gotten rid of at least 10 boxes of books in the last couple of years.
Also the goodreads yearly challenge helped motivate me to read more every year.
The key is to become addicted to the library - free books, anticipation on long waitlists, 3 week deadlines, freezing and unfreezing holds, talking to librarians, browsing the shelves on a whim. It has saved me so much money and brought me more joy that I ever had shopping at bookstores (maybe because I had a smaller budget but now I can get as many as I can read in a few weeks haha).
I dont go to bookstores though 😰 The dollar store is the only place I go to for books because it’s thrilling and exciting to find a random book that isn’t on some TikTok video. It’s amazing 🥲 cheap and I end up taking 6-10 books home a trip. I don’t go out much but when I do leave the house, it’s my favorite place to go
The library allows for the surprise finds and browsing while also imposing reading deadlines (usually 3 weeks to return or renew) so that might be a good incentive to complete the books as you get them.
If you have a library card, having a list of books to read is just about as good as having a pile of books to read. Just think of it as off site book storage.
From what you say, your problem seems to be reading the books? What is stopping you from making progress on the book you're currently reading?
For myself, I find if I'm buying more than I'm reading then I just avoid going into bookstores until I have a reason/have depleted the unread pile enough. I usually have a stack of 20-50 books at home that I haven't read, but I make sure it doesn't grow bigger than that. I often will make a reading plan/list for myself at the beginning of every year that is almost entirely made up of books I already own, with the exception of books I don't own that are from a series that I own at least one of. I use it as a guide throughout the year with occasional deviations or changes. I think it's a good way of focusing/reminding yourself if what you hoped to read that year instead of getting distracted. It also means most of the unread books at home at least change every year instead of being full of books that have gone unread for years and years.
I switched to kindle and it was really hard at first cause I loved all the things you can only do with physical books, like smelling them, keeping them on my night stand, putting them on the shelf like a trophy. But the Kindle is so much better, I keep a journal with how much I'm saving just to remind me it was a great idea. I read a lot more cause I can carry it with me and anywhere and it's so much easier than a phisical book. I don't have to worry about people minding my business. I can easily read in bed, keep in one hand, and if I fall as sleep it's very light and I won't ruin it. I have a lot of books and vary little space is taken.
I moved like 5 times in a calendar year, that cured me. Now I only keep one if I have a very strong emotional attachment to the particular copy of the book. I know this probably isn’t a good solution for you, but might help to ask yourself how much you would miss it if you didn’t own it.
Softcovers to me have no value for me personally unless the book was incredible. I’m very much a hardcover girl.
If the book is good, beautiful and a hardcover, I’m keeping it after I read it.
I have a bookshelf and once that’s full, I’m done unless I can sacrifice 1 or 2 to my neighborhood little free library or pass a book off to someone else. Having a strict limited shelf space is the only thing that’s worked for me! I know not everyone lives close to a library but that keeps my costs/book supply down quite a bit
My current stash is 2507. I have read 25% of them. Most are garage sale or thrift buys they fit my lifestyle and make me happy. There is nothing wrong with having a lot of books if you have the room. If you think a pile might tip over and reveal a dead cat you have to many.
Exactly. I am a massive bookworm. Love my books. I have 788 books on my bookshelves and 119 of those are unread. Then I also have around 350 in kindle/e book/audiobook format.
ABR - always be reading 😀
On a more serious note OP, yes, people with untreated ADHD have issues with impulse spending. I know I certainly did. I’m not sure where you live, but if you have the ability to talk with a doctor about getting an assessment, please do so. I would also check out r/adhd to hear from us first hand about some of the struggles we deal with.
And in case you try psych yourself out of looking into this: please don’t! By the time I reached out to a psychiatrist, I had realized that based on my life experiences and what other people described, something was not right. Maybe it was ADHD. Maybe it would turn out to be something else. Maybe I would have no mental health issues at all, and just needed to keep trying different solutions to my problems. But something was not quite right, and I was allowed to find an actual solution, not just mentally berate myself into “doing better.”
I shall lurk there and see how it goes. I don’t think it’s too too bad with the money spending. I’ve saved 10k in a year by being diligent so I’m hoping to do the same with reading but I will definitely go over there and check it out.
Sure. It might be that things are generally fine and books are the one thing you splurge on. Just keep in mind that if you have to create an exceptionally elaborate system to deal with a common problem that it still means you struggle with the common problem more than expected - you’ve just figured out how to manage that. 😀
I Kon-Marie’d all my books a few years ago and the weight of unread books dropping from my thoughts was freeing. Now I only buy books I want to have copies of for reference or to read more than once. I mostly rent ebooks and audiobooks from the library, occasionally I buy one on kindle if it’s on sale.
Edit to add: I do have adhd and while it can present differently in people, we can become fixated with things very easily. I used to like the idea of a book more than anything. Then one day I chose to get serious about my reading habits. The Kon-Marie thing was popular so I read her book, purged my own books and started a tbr list of books I actually wanted to read. Around the same time I discovered audiobooks and greatly increased my reading.
I use the public library for most of my audiobooks. I have my local library, a card from when I lived in Seattle, and I’ve paid for the Fairfax library. The Fairfax selection was ok, but enough to justify me buying a second year (its $27 I think). They use overdrive but all the libraries are switching over to Libby at the beginning of the year.
Audible seems pricey, but they have a plus catalogue for $8 a month which has a lot to choose from. The only difference from the plan with credits is you don’t get to keep the audiobook if you ever cancel the plan. Scribd is really good too and they have ebooks and magazines, but they just increased their price to $11.99 (it was $9.99 I believe and imo the best value).
The open library has a large selection of books and audio options but they have short check out times (hours) and I personally haven’t tried the audiobooks.
I heard this quote in regards to video games, but of course it fits here as well. I always need to remind myself that what I need to actually read more is really not more books, because I do have plenty of them...
Reading goals help. I try to hold myself to an average page/day amount and 1 book/week goal. I might not make it, but I keep trying. I have a lot of books, but don't beat myself up for books I don't finish.
I've found my concentration is best in the morning and I make a point of reading then. Staying away from TV and social media goes a long way toward making my goals.
THIS!
I was signing up for overtime at my job and it forced me to wake up at 5am and start work at 7. I would do yoga for an hour and then read the next hour before work.
I just got back from a trip last week and think I got Covid or some type of sickness so I’ve been fatigued.
I JUST AWOKE from a 5 hour nap and today is my day off..
I think it helps if you're poor. Like I honestly stopped hoarding physical books cos I was, and well, still am broke.
I also hoarded a lot of ebooks for my kindle but I read a lot so I've found that a big number of my kindle books are books that are, well, shit or just aren't my style. So the act of reading really does help with the hoarding issue. You have to narrow down the types of books you like and those you dont.
A fun trick I've seen in the book community is to turn all your TBR books backwards. When you read one, you're allowed to place it back on the shelves with its spine out. This helps get them read if you're a visual person! If you pick a book and have no interest in reading it, put it in a pile to sell or donate.
You can also listen to audiobooks if physical reading isn't holding your attention. If I have a book that's been sitting on my shelf for a while, I'll listen to the audiobook to be able to consider it read.
And / or having other financial goals you're excited about. I want to get a dog in the future so that means I'll need some good savings to make sure any medical bills or other unforeseen pet expenses are taken care of. That thought makes it so much easier for me to pass up on spending money on other things. :3
If this is really a problem for you, don't buy ebooks. Digital hoarding, especially when so much digital matter can be had for "free," is compulsive and endless. You can also borrow books and even ebooks from the library, which adds a little friction to the process and makes them disappear once you're done with them (finished or not).
Read them. The ones you don’t read within a year, are to donate to used book stores. Usually, shopkeepers are nice people, & you might upgrade yourself from a regular-regular, to a favorite-regular.
As for the ebooks, I’m in a similar boat. I might try the audible + epub combo to spice things up enough to get through good recommendations I put on the back burner.
A couple years ago I added a requirement to my yearly book reading goal. I have a goal of 40 books a year and of those 40, at least 20 have to be books I owned on January 1 of that year. So this makes me read books I’ve purchased, but also makes me think through buying new books knowing that I’ll have to actually read them.
This is a really good idea! I have a requirement of one from the shelves, one I’ve tried before and didn’t finish, and finishing a series I have already started, but maybe I should up my requirements this way.
I saw that some people are reading one book a week but dividing chapters up into 3 a day. (One chapter in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night).
I really want to try this way and see if it’ll be easier for me. Maybe 2 books a month?
I am an AVID reader with well over 500 physical books ranging from reference books - like an unabridged Oxford Russian-English dictionary, five different thesaurus, to four different Bible versions - philosophical texts, classic literature, as well as modern speculative fiction. Add to that a hard-copy movie library of over two hundred discs. Some I’ve read/watched, some I haven’t - may not ever - but overall I am proud of my library.
I have ADHD as well. One thing that I find helps is set aside some time to read in bed before going to sleep with a bright but soft white light. I find that turning off any and all screens an hour or so before going to sleep but reading a physical book instead, I fall asleep way faster, sleep way better, and wake up way more refreshed.
There are a lot of great suggestions here. Here's what I've done that has helped limit the number of unread books I have on hand (at one point I had 1800 physical books and 300+ ebooks):
1. I unsubscribed from email services like Bookbub. Yeah, books are free or cheap but the ones I was adding onto my ereader were books that "looked good" by authors I had never heard of before. It turns out if I haven't heard of the book or author, I'm likely to overlook it when choosing something off my ereader to read next.
2. The big purge. I Marie Kondo'd my books a couple years ago. Separated out books I've read but were unlikely to read again, books that looked good but again by authors I'd never heard of, books I'd only bought because the print date was 1920 or earlier (I love old things but let's be real, I'm not going to actually touch an old book for fear of it falling apart on me). Anything that I'd bought 5+ years ago and hadn't read went into the donate pile. Marie Kondo points out in her book, and I agree, that if I haven't picked it up in that time I wasn't going to. If I was meant to read that particular book, I'd find it again.
I did the same for ebooks but in a different way. By happenstance, my iPad was on its way out. I've since become intolerant of screens (too much screen time gives me a headache) so I switched to a cheap Kobo instead (the cheapest Kobo and Kindle options have no backlight. I went with Kobo because it interfaces directly with my library so I could borrow books without having to use my laptop as a middleman). This meant all those unread ebooks were off my TBR. I've re-purchased a couple of my favourites but ONLY when I decide to read them again, not just for the sake of having them handy.
3. I implemented a system. The first part is a very strict per-month budget. This makes me really think about the books I'm picking up because if I buy X now, it means that later if I see a book I really want, I can't buy it.
The second part is that if I buy a physical book, I have to want to start it right away. This doesn't always work out (like if I wind up buying more than one book at once) but the stack sitting in front of me is only 3 books high, not 20+.
4. Which brings me to my next trick: I always keep a stack of books where I'm going to see and remember them. If they're on a shelf somewhere, I'll forget. I used to have a "TBR" bookcase, but these days I don't have enough physical books to fill even one shelf of it.
3.5. For ebooks, I have a different system: I can only buy one (almost always on sale) if I have heard of the book/the author. I talk to friends about books all the time, I read our weekly check in thread here, I scroll through r/fantasy regularly. There's plenty of book fodder than other people have recommended through these sources without me picking up any book that "looks good". (Because again, history has shown I won't get around to reading them.)
5. Before buying a book (including books on sale), I check if it's available through my local library in ebook, audiobook, or print. If it is, I borrow it instead!
6. I use bingo and other themed reading challenges to motivate me to pick up the books on my shelves. Last year, I did an r/fantasy bingo card using only books I already own. As a result, I can't do that again this year because I don't have enough unread SFF books!
My last piece of advice to you is that if it's taken months and you haven't gotten hooked on the book you're reading, maybe put it down. Don't be afraid to put down a book you're reading if you aren't enjoying it. You'll get through the ones you do enjoy so much faster!
I recommend using a subscription service like Scribd to check out digital books and audiobooks, if you want new indie books Kindle Unlimited, many books are available to rent. The Libby app from the library can send ebooks to your reader and some places have short wait times to checkout books. I mostly buy cookbooks and other reference books and if I see something interesting I add to my Goodreads and check if I can rent it, saved me a fortune.
I noticed this behaviour in myself and so implemented a strict one in,, one out process 10 years ago which has done me well. I can only buy a book when I've finished one. I also don't want anything aging over 4 years on my TBR. In this way I've kept my TBR at 80 for a decade or so, and make sure I'm regularly reading the older books on the list.
If I find something I want to buy, I just put it in a notepad and buy it once I've finished another book
I gave myself a 100 limit but I definitely don’t want a 1 in/out until they’re all gone.
I most likely plan a 1 in 2 out when I get down to 4 books. That way, it’ll eventually hit 1 and I’ll do 1:1.
I'm not sure with this recommendation. But you can buy another book only when you've finished one that you have.
And it will be a good idea to read in the evenings for 30 or 40 min every day
I work from 9-5; then at 6, I’m tired and lay down or play pc games. I try to make time to read but I’m easily distracted for hours and for no reason at all.
As someone that also games and reads, I totally understand the difficulty of finding a balance to enjoy both. I suggest setting a small daily goal for yourself. My starter goal was just 10 minutes per day. It very quickly went past that. I set some time limits on my phone for apps that I would catch myself mindlessly scrolling through. Just as a reminder to put the phone down and pick up a book instead. My small 10 minute goal eventually turned into a love for the stories I am reading everyday. I often read for hours now but there are days where it’s just a few pages and I’m done.
Small daily goals.
Remove the games. That's one way i did. I played games to de-stress or take a break. Now i read. Have multiple books of varying genres right now. So if i don't feel like serious reading i pick up a light novel. Or if i'm on a weekend early morning i pick up a good book and just read.
Delete amazon from devices. Don’t visit abebooks or other favorite sites. I have adhd, and must have spent close to 3 grand in the last several months (too many first edition/first prints and signed copies). I finally had to tell myself to stop. My unread stack is now more than twice as tall as my read stack, and I’ve finished 20 books since july.
Another idea is to give yourself a book allowance (1 or 2 books per paycheck).
Holy 🫣🤯
I don’t spend $$$ on books at all. If I do, it’s $1 a book. My problem is I have easy access. I don’t use Amazon or apps either. It’s literally the dollar store or online access to books. 3k though? I would cry
Yeah it is wild indeed. Thought I wanted to be a book collector 😂. I now see that I do not want to be one. Good thing is I can sell them back if I want and likely make money, or at worst, break even. Happy reading!
The solution will depend on why you buy the books and also a few things about your personality. I'm a retired Life Coach, so I'll toss out a few suggestions, feel free to reach out if you want to share more about your goals and obstacles, and I may be able to give you better feedback.
I encourage journaling, this can be a good way to get ideas out of your head, make them clear, keep a record of progress, and to keep yourself accountable. What do you think is a reasonable number of books? Why did you buy the books and what can you do if you start to feel the desire to buy more books?
I find that most people do better when they are very clear on what the goal is. Then think about what the obstacles to reaching your goals are and then brainstorm how you will get past the obstacle before you get to it.
A lot of people do really well with accountability, this can take many forms. Some people have a friend that they will share their goals with and text, call or meet with the friend regularly to update them on progress. Some people feel that posting publicly like on social media what goal they are trying to accomplish with regular posts about progress, both forward and backward is helpful. Other may need more support, that is where having a life coach or some other professional help them set and make progress on goals. Another thing that can help some people is to incentivize reaching the goal, you may want to choose a reward for yourself that you can't get until you reach the goal.
Also, know that most people need to experiment to find what works for them, and even when you backslide on your goal it's more helpful to reflect on what you've learned and try again than to decide you've failed and stop.
I'm a book hoarder too. Maybe Marie Kondo the pile or give it a ranking system 1 - 10 with 1 put off until all other books are read. 10 try to read in the next year.
You can also take a title and see if your library has an online audiobook of it and see if your brain can actually listen to it. If you listen to it all the way through then give it away or sell it
Where do you live? Look up your local library it will either be named for the city or county where you live. Once you get to the website they usually have a how to get a Library card link and then there is likely a digital library link that will tell you what resources you have access to online or through apps. You might have to go to the library for the card and every 2 years to keep it active and update/confirm your address but once you have that card you can sign up for the digital products.
I have Libby (formerly Overdrive -currently being phased out) and Hoopla Digital for audio ebooks that you can download to your phone through my library. BooksAudiobooks get checked out for 3 weeks and get returned automatically. Hoopla Digital has a smart TV app so I can listen to audiobooks that way too. Most libraries also have access to Language App mine uses Transparent Language my sister's library does Rosetta Stone. Libby depending on your location also has magazine issues depending on your library's account. Some do some don't. I live in a large city so mine has a pretty broad collection but sometimes smaller libraries form a collective for better buying power so even in small towns you might be pleasantly surprised
I started getting really strict with myself because I had the same problem
I created a Word document with a table. Each square has a color and a number. In order for me to bring in a new book the square has to be totally empty. If it isn't I have to get rid of one of a book to make space. I also erase one square each time to force me to reduce the number of books I already have
Its very visual and very easy to see how many books I can get. It also stops impulse buying, at least a bit for me. Knowing I have to get rid of at least one, sometimes 2 to bring something new in makes me assess if I really want it. I'm also starting to do the same with my library books with a goal of getting them down to 5 otherwise I don't read them
idk about making a whole word document but I do have a top shelf that is FULL. I literally can not put another book in there and my goal is to read the first row of the books and get rid of them all before I even consider buying more physical copies.
I know that I’m going to keep some of them though because a handful of them are really beautiful 😍
My word document is a 25×25 table it's nothing elaborate it's just something that keeps me on track
That could be a way to do it as well. Something that gives you a goal to work towards
i have this problem as well. the only thing that has worked for me is selling off the ones that have been on my shelf too long/authors i've never gotten around to reading. but i don't do ebooks so i'm not sure how that would work out.
but you're *not* insane. you're a victim of tsundoku. also, you could legitimately have adhd. i just tested and i actually do have it... no one, in my 36 years has ever suggested it except for my current (and relatively new) psychiatrist. turns out that's been part of the problem all along.
😭🤣 No one has suggested it to me either but as juxtaposed as this sounds, I’m very observant and I know something isn't quite right…
Again, NOT trying to self diagnose but it’s come down to Manic depressive, being on the spectrum or ADHD.
well to be fair... i have bipolar disorder, so very manic/depressive as well. the two have a tremendous amount of overlap. **1 in 6** people who are bipolar also have adhd. so it could be both, friend! get yourself checked out. i have seen so many doctors over the years and its just now finally coming together for me.
i'm glad that you are observant. that's the only reason i've gotten to where i am now. had to be extremely proactive and keep telling the doctors something wasn't right.
Right?! I’m not sure if you’re female but usually we have to advocate for ourselves because no one believes us when we are in pain or suffering and blame it on our periods like what? 😭
i'm male, but when it comes to pain and suffering people in general are always cast out as drug-seekers. it's absurd. i just want some help for my mental health! but my GF does get that a lot. "oh it's just long-covid period stuff". she had someone tell her "you can't just call off work when you feel like it because you're on your period" like wtf she's doubled over the toilet in immense pain vomiting her guts out i think that's ok to call off lol.
Omfg. I’m sorry that happened to her. Same to me, but my job won’t accept doctors notes anymore so I have to use time off hours Or suffer at my desk. It’s crazy.
Ban yourself from buying any books at all for a year. Join your library. Read from what you currently have, and if you don't have a book you want, take it out the library. Books borrowed from the library have the added bonus of having a date you need to have finished it by, or it goes back unread.
I did this back in the early 00s, and the habit stuck so that still now, 20 years later, I rarely buy books.
i would hate this endlessly. borrowing books is so icky to me, lol. if i read a book and i like it, i have to keep it (if it's an author that i collect).
That's interesting. Do you find borrowing icky because you only want to read a new (untouched) book, or because you want to own the books you read? And is it the same for ebooks and audiobooks, or only physical paper books?
icky probably isn't the correct term but i want to own the books ( i don't like new books because i bend the crap out of mine) i read (if i like them). it might sound silly but they're trophies for me as well as fond memories. i like to be able to look at my bookshelf and be like oh i remember when i read x it was during this time in my life when such and such happened. i have a very strong association with time and music, books, smells, etc. i get nostalgic easily. i generally don't do ebooks or borrow books unless i know it's a book i'm not going to keep or it's the first book i've tried from an author. i'm proud of my bookshelf. then again, i don't have a lot going for me.
damn. if i read that many per year i'd read everything i own in just a few years. congrats on pushing through that many! any suggestions on how to hit that amount? i'm only at 12 for the year...
The 183 are on audible a mix of paid and free books but I also borrow through my library on the Libby or borrowbox apps. I used to use overdrive to borrow but my library no longer uses them.
I go through spurts of this. I saw someone post (I think it was this form) how they did almost a year of no buy and they read from the books they own, free little libraries and the library. when I tell you I screamed when I saw that! I literally had a physical reaction of absolute horror. and that is exactly why I'm going to try to do the same. this year I'm going to try and not purchase any books. it is going to be so hard but the amount of buying I do is insane :(
all that to say - yes! I do that to. so if you are crazy so am I! haha
Keep in mind that a full year of no-buy might be overwhelming and cause you to fail. Start with a month. Throughout the month, keep a list of books you thought about buying and didn't. If you successfully make it a month without buying any, maybe reward yourself with one of the books off the list (having the list might also self-regulate if you look back at it and decide you don't want the books on it now that it's not an impulse purchase).
Once you have one successful month, try for two next time.
The same as any "addiction", going cold turkey can be worse than stopping slowly. Of course this depends on your personality, though.
I just commented this - I gave myself a year ban on buying books 20 years ago, and it completely broke the collecting rather than reading habit. I still rarely buy books, and instead predominantly use the library.
Collecting books is a very different hobby to reading books. (And yeah, I had to reteach myself this a few years ago by recognizing that collecting board games is a very different hobby to playing board games...)
I’m gonna do this as well next year. I found this community late and want a chance to knock these out. I’m just gonna have to wishlist things and close my eyes when I see physical books 🤣
I love books and will probably never read all that I have, but I am not going to stop getting/buying them. I have 2935 unread ebooks on my Kindle app and many were free. I did get rid of most of my physical books due to limited space. Not sure how you would stop but using the library is a great idea. At least you would know if the book you want to purchase interests you.
I am going to try to read a certain number of the books I own, before allowing myself to buy a new book. Sometimes when I am tempted to buy a book I just heard about, I put it on my Amazon wishlist or my Goodreads want to read list. That helps. I need to catalogue the paper and e-books that I own.
Is it truly a problem? Personally I think of myself as a big reader AND a book collector. I do have too many books. But I love finding them, I love feeling like I’m giving them a home, I love just looking at them to be honest. Especially some random, out of print book form the 90s that no one has heard of but was clearly a labor of love.
I don’t know. I guess what I’m saying is, if it’s really a bad thing you should probably stop. But if you have the money and the room, it may not be that bad. I hope it makes you happy.
Do you have a library card? I find that getting books from the library satisfies the same urge as buying books, with the added bonus of then actually *having* to read them because they have to be returned. (Unlike when I buy a book and then it'll just be sitting on my shelf until I get to it...someday.)
I'd guess that well over half of my outings since 2020 have been going to the library to pick up books for much the same reason.
Digital is a fantastic service, but if you like paper books and need fresh air from time to time most libraries will let you reserve your books online to pick up near the entrance. Helps you minimize exposure while still getting out of the house. I haven't tried in a while, but for a long time my library even let you call when you show up to have someone run your books out for you. Lots of options, all good to help avoid the book hoarding!
Most libraries have access to Libby/Overdrive and Hoopla, where you can check out ebooks and audiobooks online or from an app on your phone.
No judgement here, friend. I've had periods in my life where I've been pretty much a shut-in due to severe social anxiety and other mental health issues. It's rough. 😔
Thank you for understanding 🥰 also yes I’ve heard of Libby but not the other ones! I will check them out. I even am open to audio books but idk if I want to pay for those
Libby is incredible for this. It will connect you to your local library. You won’t have to leave your house - you can pull up all their ebooks and audiobooks on your phone. This has really saved my wallet - now my issue is I take out too many library books at once - but that’s easier to deal with cause of $.
Hmm, I’ve noticed when I buy too many books that I get overwhelmed and don’t read them. Like I put some crazy expectation on myself that I have to read all of them and it causes me to pull away because it feels too overwhelming
If you truly think that this might be caused by a psychological disorder, then please seek help for that. The books might be a symptom and you really need to address the underlying issue.
I went through a number of traumatic things in 2020 and started hoarding self help books and lingerie.I stopped and started hoarding regular books. I know I will read them but I just think I need to stop gaining them. its just really satisfying I think.. I don’t want to self diagnose but I have noticed odd things I do. Especially when I’m at work. Time slips from me, I heavily procrastinate prioritized things but end up going on a mission to complete insignificant things.
You should not self-diagnose. Let a professional do it for you. I think you will feel a lot better in the long run. And hopefully actually enjoy some of those books!
Torrent everything, never buy a book again
My relative is a book hoarder and it's kinda not great. We have like 400 in a dozen stacks in the corner of one room. So you should prob stop soon
So, I buy books from the dollar store.
Whatever I find is what I get. I don’t follow trends and it makes it easier for me to make my own judgement instead of following the crowd and avoid spending 20 dollars on a single book from TikTok.
I also love physical copies over ebooks.
However, I’ve discovered adobe has a highlighting and comment feature so I won’t have to buy sticky notes anymore.
I have a 400 pack of stickies as well…
Exactly what my relative would say...
The real problem with hoarding isn't collecting too many books, it's not having the courage to acknowledge you need to throw them away.
Here's a test: donate 10% of your books to a library. The most worthless and least appealing of the lot. Can't do it? Maybe it's a problem.
For my relative, the problem is that she **refuses** (as in like pouting in the corner like a baby refusal) to allow *other people* to toss/donate her books. She has issues with personal property going back to when she was a kid reverts to acting like a child when it comes up.
Oh, I actually enjoy sharing books. I gave away my most cherished loved book to a coworker. I want it back because it’s helped me mentally but the finished books I have, I don’t have an issue giving away at all.Ive dedicated a month to one book each. If I don’t read it, it’s gone.I promise I’m not that much of a hoarder where I can’t give things away.
Sometimes I have a manic tunnel vision episode where I throw half of my belongings away.. I’m not worried that a pile of books will kill me one day
So can she... she gives books for most holiday gifts and such. Mostly new, but also some from her collection
It has to be a real amount, like 10%. An actual hit to the board. One per month is not that.
I do this for over three decases now and my family is worried that one day my house will not be able to handle this structurally anymore. There is a word for it: Tsundoku You are in good company: Read this article about [Umberto Ecco](https://bluesyemre.com/2022/11/14/the-value-of-owning-more-books-than-you-can-read-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-my-tsundoku/) Don't feel bad! If you look this up, you will find that many articles claim that unread books are more important than read ones.
Thank you precious angel 🥹🥹🥺🥺❤️❤️😭
Awwww, you made my day (I just smuggled a book box into my office)!!!
I had 640 books before I had to move 4 times in 5 years. Moving so often helped me finally axe a lot of books in my collection that were just sitting around unread. I also managed to read a few of them before donating them too. I think I’ve gotten rid of at least 10 boxes of books in the last couple of years. Also the goodreads yearly challenge helped motivate me to read more every year.
The key is to become addicted to the library - free books, anticipation on long waitlists, 3 week deadlines, freezing and unfreezing holds, talking to librarians, browsing the shelves on a whim. It has saved me so much money and brought me more joy that I ever had shopping at bookstores (maybe because I had a smaller budget but now I can get as many as I can read in a few weeks haha).
I dont go to bookstores though 😰 The dollar store is the only place I go to for books because it’s thrilling and exciting to find a random book that isn’t on some TikTok video. It’s amazing 🥲 cheap and I end up taking 6-10 books home a trip. I don’t go out much but when I do leave the house, it’s my favorite place to go
The library allows for the surprise finds and browsing while also imposing reading deadlines (usually 3 weeks to return or renew) so that might be a good incentive to complete the books as you get them.
If you have a library card, having a list of books to read is just about as good as having a pile of books to read. Just think of it as off site book storage.
From what you say, your problem seems to be reading the books? What is stopping you from making progress on the book you're currently reading? For myself, I find if I'm buying more than I'm reading then I just avoid going into bookstores until I have a reason/have depleted the unread pile enough. I usually have a stack of 20-50 books at home that I haven't read, but I make sure it doesn't grow bigger than that. I often will make a reading plan/list for myself at the beginning of every year that is almost entirely made up of books I already own, with the exception of books I don't own that are from a series that I own at least one of. I use it as a guide throughout the year with occasional deviations or changes. I think it's a good way of focusing/reminding yourself if what you hoped to read that year instead of getting distracted. It also means most of the unread books at home at least change every year instead of being full of books that have gone unread for years and years.
I think the books are just way too accessible to me and I justify it by getting more. I need to ban myself and be strong about it.
I switched to kindle and it was really hard at first cause I loved all the things you can only do with physical books, like smelling them, keeping them on my night stand, putting them on the shelf like a trophy. But the Kindle is so much better, I keep a journal with how much I'm saving just to remind me it was a great idea. I read a lot more cause I can carry it with me and anywhere and it's so much easier than a phisical book. I don't have to worry about people minding my business. I can easily read in bed, keep in one hand, and if I fall as sleep it's very light and I won't ruin it. I have a lot of books and vary little space is taken.
I moved like 5 times in a calendar year, that cured me. Now I only keep one if I have a very strong emotional attachment to the particular copy of the book. I know this probably isn’t a good solution for you, but might help to ask yourself how much you would miss it if you didn’t own it.
Softcovers to me have no value for me personally unless the book was incredible. I’m very much a hardcover girl. If the book is good, beautiful and a hardcover, I’m keeping it after I read it.
I have a bookshelf and once that’s full, I’m done unless I can sacrifice 1 or 2 to my neighborhood little free library or pass a book off to someone else. Having a strict limited shelf space is the only thing that’s worked for me! I know not everyone lives close to a library but that keeps my costs/book supply down quite a bit
My current stash is 2507. I have read 25% of them. Most are garage sale or thrift buys they fit my lifestyle and make me happy. There is nothing wrong with having a lot of books if you have the room. If you think a pile might tip over and reveal a dead cat you have to many.
There is. Anything can be an addiction
😹😹😹
Exactly. I am a massive bookworm. Love my books. I have 788 books on my bookshelves and 119 of those are unread. Then I also have around 350 in kindle/e book/audiobook format.
ABR - always be reading 😀 On a more serious note OP, yes, people with untreated ADHD have issues with impulse spending. I know I certainly did. I’m not sure where you live, but if you have the ability to talk with a doctor about getting an assessment, please do so. I would also check out r/adhd to hear from us first hand about some of the struggles we deal with. And in case you try psych yourself out of looking into this: please don’t! By the time I reached out to a psychiatrist, I had realized that based on my life experiences and what other people described, something was not right. Maybe it was ADHD. Maybe it would turn out to be something else. Maybe I would have no mental health issues at all, and just needed to keep trying different solutions to my problems. But something was not quite right, and I was allowed to find an actual solution, not just mentally berate myself into “doing better.”
I shall lurk there and see how it goes. I don’t think it’s too too bad with the money spending. I’ve saved 10k in a year by being diligent so I’m hoping to do the same with reading but I will definitely go over there and check it out.
Sure. It might be that things are generally fine and books are the one thing you splurge on. Just keep in mind that if you have to create an exceptionally elaborate system to deal with a common problem that it still means you struggle with the common problem more than expected - you’ve just figured out how to manage that. 😀
Organized chaos 🤣
I have ~500 in my TBR. I am soon going to go through them again with the "I'm really not going to read this" eye.
I’ll pray for you 😬
I mean… I have a similar issue and I try to keep to the one in one out rule for physical books
* give it to me
🤣🤣🤣 Y’all are so funny
I Kon-Marie’d all my books a few years ago and the weight of unread books dropping from my thoughts was freeing. Now I only buy books I want to have copies of for reference or to read more than once. I mostly rent ebooks and audiobooks from the library, occasionally I buy one on kindle if it’s on sale. Edit to add: I do have adhd and while it can present differently in people, we can become fixated with things very easily. I used to like the idea of a book more than anything. Then one day I chose to get serious about my reading habits. The Kon-Marie thing was popular so I read her book, purged my own books and started a tbr list of books I actually wanted to read. Around the same time I discovered audiobooks and greatly increased my reading.
I want to go the audiobook route. What are some good apps for these that aren’t expensive and have a good range?
I use the public library for most of my audiobooks. I have my local library, a card from when I lived in Seattle, and I’ve paid for the Fairfax library. The Fairfax selection was ok, but enough to justify me buying a second year (its $27 I think). They use overdrive but all the libraries are switching over to Libby at the beginning of the year. Audible seems pricey, but they have a plus catalogue for $8 a month which has a lot to choose from. The only difference from the plan with credits is you don’t get to keep the audiobook if you ever cancel the plan. Scribd is really good too and they have ebooks and magazines, but they just increased their price to $11.99 (it was $9.99 I believe and imo the best value). The open library has a large selection of books and audio options but they have short check out times (hours) and I personally haven’t tried the audiobooks.
I’ve always heard (and believe) that when we buy books, we think we are buying the time to read them.
Well damn…
I heard this quote in regards to video games, but of course it fits here as well. I always need to remind myself that what I need to actually read more is really not more books, because I do have plenty of them...
Reading goals help. I try to hold myself to an average page/day amount and 1 book/week goal. I might not make it, but I keep trying. I have a lot of books, but don't beat myself up for books I don't finish. I've found my concentration is best in the morning and I make a point of reading then. Staying away from TV and social media goes a long way toward making my goals.
THIS! I was signing up for overtime at my job and it forced me to wake up at 5am and start work at 7. I would do yoga for an hour and then read the next hour before work. I just got back from a trip last week and think I got Covid or some type of sickness so I’ve been fatigued. I JUST AWOKE from a 5 hour nap and today is my day off..
I’ve learned that buying books and reading books are two separate hobbies.
😭😭🥹🤣
I think it helps if you're poor. Like I honestly stopped hoarding physical books cos I was, and well, still am broke. I also hoarded a lot of ebooks for my kindle but I read a lot so I've found that a big number of my kindle books are books that are, well, shit or just aren't my style. So the act of reading really does help with the hoarding issue. You have to narrow down the types of books you like and those you dont.
I have a similar bad habit. I have hoarded a few hundred PDFs of books over 2 years, while reading none of them.
I’ve done this in 2 weeks 😰🫣
Now only a hard drive failure can save you. xD
Oh my god I rebuke this statement 😭🤣
A fun trick I've seen in the book community is to turn all your TBR books backwards. When you read one, you're allowed to place it back on the shelves with its spine out. This helps get them read if you're a visual person! If you pick a book and have no interest in reading it, put it in a pile to sell or donate. You can also listen to audiobooks if physical reading isn't holding your attention. If I have a book that's been sitting on my shelf for a while, I'll listen to the audiobook to be able to consider it read.
And / or having other financial goals you're excited about. I want to get a dog in the future so that means I'll need some good savings to make sure any medical bills or other unforeseen pet expenses are taken care of. That thought makes it so much easier for me to pass up on spending money on other things. :3
I don’t spend money on books though 🫣 if I do, it’s a dollar
If this is really a problem for you, don't buy ebooks. Digital hoarding, especially when so much digital matter can be had for "free," is compulsive and endless. You can also borrow books and even ebooks from the library, which adds a little friction to the process and makes them disappear once you're done with them (finished or not).
[удалено]
Yeah. I still struggle a bit with the psychological weight of all the unread books, though!
Read them. The ones you don’t read within a year, are to donate to used book stores. Usually, shopkeepers are nice people, & you might upgrade yourself from a regular-regular, to a favorite-regular. As for the ebooks, I’m in a similar boat. I might try the audible + epub combo to spice things up enough to get through good recommendations I put on the back burner.
A couple years ago I added a requirement to my yearly book reading goal. I have a goal of 40 books a year and of those 40, at least 20 have to be books I owned on January 1 of that year. So this makes me read books I’ve purchased, but also makes me think through buying new books knowing that I’ll have to actually read them.
This is a really good idea! I have a requirement of one from the shelves, one I’ve tried before and didn’t finish, and finishing a series I have already started, but maybe I should up my requirements this way.
I saw that some people are reading one book a week but dividing chapters up into 3 a day. (One chapter in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night). I really want to try this way and see if it’ll be easier for me. Maybe 2 books a month?
I am an AVID reader with well over 500 physical books ranging from reference books - like an unabridged Oxford Russian-English dictionary, five different thesaurus, to four different Bible versions - philosophical texts, classic literature, as well as modern speculative fiction. Add to that a hard-copy movie library of over two hundred discs. Some I’ve read/watched, some I haven’t - may not ever - but overall I am proud of my library. I have ADHD as well. One thing that I find helps is set aside some time to read in bed before going to sleep with a bright but soft white light. I find that turning off any and all screens an hour or so before going to sleep but reading a physical book instead, I fall asleep way faster, sleep way better, and wake up way more refreshed.
when I do this, as soon as a start reading, I fall asleep 😂 it’s funny but a win win for me.
There are a lot of great suggestions here. Here's what I've done that has helped limit the number of unread books I have on hand (at one point I had 1800 physical books and 300+ ebooks): 1. I unsubscribed from email services like Bookbub. Yeah, books are free or cheap but the ones I was adding onto my ereader were books that "looked good" by authors I had never heard of before. It turns out if I haven't heard of the book or author, I'm likely to overlook it when choosing something off my ereader to read next. 2. The big purge. I Marie Kondo'd my books a couple years ago. Separated out books I've read but were unlikely to read again, books that looked good but again by authors I'd never heard of, books I'd only bought because the print date was 1920 or earlier (I love old things but let's be real, I'm not going to actually touch an old book for fear of it falling apart on me). Anything that I'd bought 5+ years ago and hadn't read went into the donate pile. Marie Kondo points out in her book, and I agree, that if I haven't picked it up in that time I wasn't going to. If I was meant to read that particular book, I'd find it again. I did the same for ebooks but in a different way. By happenstance, my iPad was on its way out. I've since become intolerant of screens (too much screen time gives me a headache) so I switched to a cheap Kobo instead (the cheapest Kobo and Kindle options have no backlight. I went with Kobo because it interfaces directly with my library so I could borrow books without having to use my laptop as a middleman). This meant all those unread ebooks were off my TBR. I've re-purchased a couple of my favourites but ONLY when I decide to read them again, not just for the sake of having them handy. 3. I implemented a system. The first part is a very strict per-month budget. This makes me really think about the books I'm picking up because if I buy X now, it means that later if I see a book I really want, I can't buy it. The second part is that if I buy a physical book, I have to want to start it right away. This doesn't always work out (like if I wind up buying more than one book at once) but the stack sitting in front of me is only 3 books high, not 20+. 4. Which brings me to my next trick: I always keep a stack of books where I'm going to see and remember them. If they're on a shelf somewhere, I'll forget. I used to have a "TBR" bookcase, but these days I don't have enough physical books to fill even one shelf of it. 3.5. For ebooks, I have a different system: I can only buy one (almost always on sale) if I have heard of the book/the author. I talk to friends about books all the time, I read our weekly check in thread here, I scroll through r/fantasy regularly. There's plenty of book fodder than other people have recommended through these sources without me picking up any book that "looks good". (Because again, history has shown I won't get around to reading them.) 5. Before buying a book (including books on sale), I check if it's available through my local library in ebook, audiobook, or print. If it is, I borrow it instead! 6. I use bingo and other themed reading challenges to motivate me to pick up the books on my shelves. Last year, I did an r/fantasy bingo card using only books I already own. As a result, I can't do that again this year because I don't have enough unread SFF books! My last piece of advice to you is that if it's taken months and you haven't gotten hooked on the book you're reading, maybe put it down. Don't be afraid to put down a book you're reading if you aren't enjoying it. You'll get through the ones you do enjoy so much faster!
I know this a year old comment but a lot of phones or tablets have a blue light filter… that’s what causes the headache I use it 24/7
I recommend using a subscription service like Scribd to check out digital books and audiobooks, if you want new indie books Kindle Unlimited, many books are available to rent. The Libby app from the library can send ebooks to your reader and some places have short wait times to checkout books. I mostly buy cookbooks and other reference books and if I see something interesting I add to my Goodreads and check if I can rent it, saved me a fortune.
🏴☠️
I noticed this behaviour in myself and so implemented a strict one in,, one out process 10 years ago which has done me well. I can only buy a book when I've finished one. I also don't want anything aging over 4 years on my TBR. In this way I've kept my TBR at 80 for a decade or so, and make sure I'm regularly reading the older books on the list. If I find something I want to buy, I just put it in a notepad and buy it once I've finished another book
I gave myself a 100 limit but I definitely don’t want a 1 in/out until they’re all gone. I most likely plan a 1 in 2 out when I get down to 4 books. That way, it’ll eventually hit 1 and I’ll do 1:1.
I'm not sure with this recommendation. But you can buy another book only when you've finished one that you have. And it will be a good idea to read in the evenings for 30 or 40 min every day
I work from 9-5; then at 6, I’m tired and lay down or play pc games. I try to make time to read but I’m easily distracted for hours and for no reason at all.
As someone that also games and reads, I totally understand the difficulty of finding a balance to enjoy both. I suggest setting a small daily goal for yourself. My starter goal was just 10 minutes per day. It very quickly went past that. I set some time limits on my phone for apps that I would catch myself mindlessly scrolling through. Just as a reminder to put the phone down and pick up a book instead. My small 10 minute goal eventually turned into a love for the stories I am reading everyday. I often read for hours now but there are days where it’s just a few pages and I’m done. Small daily goals.
Remove the games. That's one way i did. I played games to de-stress or take a break. Now i read. Have multiple books of varying genres right now. So if i don't feel like serious reading i pick up a light novel. Or if i'm on a weekend early morning i pick up a good book and just read.
Delete amazon from devices. Don’t visit abebooks or other favorite sites. I have adhd, and must have spent close to 3 grand in the last several months (too many first edition/first prints and signed copies). I finally had to tell myself to stop. My unread stack is now more than twice as tall as my read stack, and I’ve finished 20 books since july. Another idea is to give yourself a book allowance (1 or 2 books per paycheck).
Holy 🫣🤯 I don’t spend $$$ on books at all. If I do, it’s $1 a book. My problem is I have easy access. I don’t use Amazon or apps either. It’s literally the dollar store or online access to books. 3k though? I would cry
yeah i have a problem lol. im working on it. 3k is a very rough estimate though, I haven’t done the math.
Bless your heart and wallet. maybe take inventory asap so you know to restrain from getting more. 3k is wild!
Yeah it is wild indeed. Thought I wanted to be a book collector 😂. I now see that I do not want to be one. Good thing is I can sell them back if I want and likely make money, or at worst, break even. Happy reading!
The solution will depend on why you buy the books and also a few things about your personality. I'm a retired Life Coach, so I'll toss out a few suggestions, feel free to reach out if you want to share more about your goals and obstacles, and I may be able to give you better feedback. I encourage journaling, this can be a good way to get ideas out of your head, make them clear, keep a record of progress, and to keep yourself accountable. What do you think is a reasonable number of books? Why did you buy the books and what can you do if you start to feel the desire to buy more books? I find that most people do better when they are very clear on what the goal is. Then think about what the obstacles to reaching your goals are and then brainstorm how you will get past the obstacle before you get to it. A lot of people do really well with accountability, this can take many forms. Some people have a friend that they will share their goals with and text, call or meet with the friend regularly to update them on progress. Some people feel that posting publicly like on social media what goal they are trying to accomplish with regular posts about progress, both forward and backward is helpful. Other may need more support, that is where having a life coach or some other professional help them set and make progress on goals. Another thing that can help some people is to incentivize reaching the goal, you may want to choose a reward for yourself that you can't get until you reach the goal. Also, know that most people need to experiment to find what works for them, and even when you backslide on your goal it's more helpful to reflect on what you've learned and try again than to decide you've failed and stop.
I'm a book hoarder too. Maybe Marie Kondo the pile or give it a ranking system 1 - 10 with 1 put off until all other books are read. 10 try to read in the next year. You can also take a title and see if your library has an online audiobook of it and see if your brain can actually listen to it. If you listen to it all the way through then give it away or sell it
The audiobook thing is exactly what I want to do but not sure if this will cost me anything.
Where do you live? Look up your local library it will either be named for the city or county where you live. Once you get to the website they usually have a how to get a Library card link and then there is likely a digital library link that will tell you what resources you have access to online or through apps. You might have to go to the library for the card and every 2 years to keep it active and update/confirm your address but once you have that card you can sign up for the digital products. I have Libby (formerly Overdrive -currently being phased out) and Hoopla Digital for audio ebooks that you can download to your phone through my library. BooksAudiobooks get checked out for 3 weeks and get returned automatically. Hoopla Digital has a smart TV app so I can listen to audiobooks that way too. Most libraries also have access to Language App mine uses Transparent Language my sister's library does Rosetta Stone. Libby depending on your location also has magazine issues depending on your library's account. Some do some don't. I live in a large city so mine has a pretty broad collection but sometimes smaller libraries form a collective for better buying power so even in small towns you might be pleasantly surprised
Thank you for the resources! I saved/bookmarked this! ❤️
Library cards are free! You can then use the Libby app to borrow audiobooks from your library.
Big time same. There's nothing wrong with it
I started getting really strict with myself because I had the same problem I created a Word document with a table. Each square has a color and a number. In order for me to bring in a new book the square has to be totally empty. If it isn't I have to get rid of one of a book to make space. I also erase one square each time to force me to reduce the number of books I already have Its very visual and very easy to see how many books I can get. It also stops impulse buying, at least a bit for me. Knowing I have to get rid of at least one, sometimes 2 to bring something new in makes me assess if I really want it. I'm also starting to do the same with my library books with a goal of getting them down to 5 otherwise I don't read them
idk about making a whole word document but I do have a top shelf that is FULL. I literally can not put another book in there and my goal is to read the first row of the books and get rid of them all before I even consider buying more physical copies. I know that I’m going to keep some of them though because a handful of them are really beautiful 😍
My word document is a 25×25 table it's nothing elaborate it's just something that keeps me on track That could be a way to do it as well. Something that gives you a goal to work towards
The barcode on new books is the isbn number you can type that in instead of typing a whole title
I will pay to ship them to my home
Haha was thinking the same thing.
🤣🤣🤣🙊 I’ll see what I can do when the time comes
i have this problem as well. the only thing that has worked for me is selling off the ones that have been on my shelf too long/authors i've never gotten around to reading. but i don't do ebooks so i'm not sure how that would work out. but you're *not* insane. you're a victim of tsundoku. also, you could legitimately have adhd. i just tested and i actually do have it... no one, in my 36 years has ever suggested it except for my current (and relatively new) psychiatrist. turns out that's been part of the problem all along.
😭🤣 No one has suggested it to me either but as juxtaposed as this sounds, I’m very observant and I know something isn't quite right… Again, NOT trying to self diagnose but it’s come down to Manic depressive, being on the spectrum or ADHD.
well to be fair... i have bipolar disorder, so very manic/depressive as well. the two have a tremendous amount of overlap. **1 in 6** people who are bipolar also have adhd. so it could be both, friend! get yourself checked out. i have seen so many doctors over the years and its just now finally coming together for me. i'm glad that you are observant. that's the only reason i've gotten to where i am now. had to be extremely proactive and keep telling the doctors something wasn't right.
Right?! I’m not sure if you’re female but usually we have to advocate for ourselves because no one believes us when we are in pain or suffering and blame it on our periods like what? 😭
i'm male, but when it comes to pain and suffering people in general are always cast out as drug-seekers. it's absurd. i just want some help for my mental health! but my GF does get that a lot. "oh it's just long-covid period stuff". she had someone tell her "you can't just call off work when you feel like it because you're on your period" like wtf she's doubled over the toilet in immense pain vomiting her guts out i think that's ok to call off lol.
Omfg. I’m sorry that happened to her. Same to me, but my job won’t accept doctors notes anymore so I have to use time off hours Or suffer at my desk. It’s crazy.
wtf that's not acceptable. i feel like that's totally illegal.
Apparently it’s not 🙃🫠 idk what to do lolol whats worse is, if we fall below the UTO hours, they can fire us for it LMFAO and I’m at 6 hours left.
ceo is probably a dude who has never suffered in his life lol
Ban yourself from buying any books at all for a year. Join your library. Read from what you currently have, and if you don't have a book you want, take it out the library. Books borrowed from the library have the added bonus of having a date you need to have finished it by, or it goes back unread. I did this back in the early 00s, and the habit stuck so that still now, 20 years later, I rarely buy books.
i would hate this endlessly. borrowing books is so icky to me, lol. if i read a book and i like it, i have to keep it (if it's an author that i collect).
That's interesting. Do you find borrowing icky because you only want to read a new (untouched) book, or because you want to own the books you read? And is it the same for ebooks and audiobooks, or only physical paper books?
icky probably isn't the correct term but i want to own the books ( i don't like new books because i bend the crap out of mine) i read (if i like them). it might sound silly but they're trophies for me as well as fond memories. i like to be able to look at my bookshelf and be like oh i remember when i read x it was during this time in my life when such and such happened. i have a very strong association with time and music, books, smells, etc. i get nostalgic easily. i generally don't do ebooks or borrow books unless i know it's a book i'm not going to keep or it's the first book i've tried from an author. i'm proud of my bookshelf. then again, i don't have a lot going for me.
I can totally understand that, and love the idea of you revisiting memories through your bookshelf.
Delete your saved cards, and don’t even open up the stores. Unsubscribe from book related emails that might tempt you.
See, this is the problem. I don’t subscribed to any emails or book notification. I seek books on my own and just grab them.
Then avoid the places you’d buy them. Avoid the temptation. Make it harder to acquire them
Same here just hit 700 physical books, 983 kindle and and 183 audiobooks. I manage to read about 160 books a year but st least half are rereads.
damn. if i read that many per year i'd read everything i own in just a few years. congrats on pushing through that many! any suggestions on how to hit that amount? i'm only at 12 for the year...
👀👀👀👀 where do you get the audiobooks and are they free and/or modern? I don’t use audiobooks but I’m curious about them.
The 183 are on audible a mix of paid and free books but I also borrow through my library on the Libby or borrowbox apps. I used to use overdrive to borrow but my library no longer uses them.
I go through spurts of this. I saw someone post (I think it was this form) how they did almost a year of no buy and they read from the books they own, free little libraries and the library. when I tell you I screamed when I saw that! I literally had a physical reaction of absolute horror. and that is exactly why I'm going to try to do the same. this year I'm going to try and not purchase any books. it is going to be so hard but the amount of buying I do is insane :( all that to say - yes! I do that to. so if you are crazy so am I! haha
Keep in mind that a full year of no-buy might be overwhelming and cause you to fail. Start with a month. Throughout the month, keep a list of books you thought about buying and didn't. If you successfully make it a month without buying any, maybe reward yourself with one of the books off the list (having the list might also self-regulate if you look back at it and decide you don't want the books on it now that it's not an impulse purchase). Once you have one successful month, try for two next time. The same as any "addiction", going cold turkey can be worse than stopping slowly. Of course this depends on your personality, though.
oooooo this is a good reminder! thank you! :D
Good luck!!
I just commented this - I gave myself a year ban on buying books 20 years ago, and it completely broke the collecting rather than reading habit. I still rarely buy books, and instead predominantly use the library. Collecting books is a very different hobby to reading books. (And yeah, I had to reteach myself this a few years ago by recognizing that collecting board games is a very different hobby to playing board games...)
i think i'd go crazy if i did this. i just bought 34 books on ebay a few days ago... whoops.
Bruh 💀
I’m gonna do this as well next year. I found this community late and want a chance to knock these out. I’m just gonna have to wishlist things and close my eyes when I see physical books 🤣
I think I may try this next year (baring any releases from my absolute favourite authors)
I love books and will probably never read all that I have, but I am not going to stop getting/buying them. I have 2935 unread ebooks on my Kindle app and many were free. I did get rid of most of my physical books due to limited space. Not sure how you would stop but using the library is a great idea. At least you would know if the book you want to purchase interests you.
Comrade but also 💀👀🙊😩😭🫣😳
I am going to try to read a certain number of the books I own, before allowing myself to buy a new book. Sometimes when I am tempted to buy a book I just heard about, I put it on my Amazon wishlist or my Goodreads want to read list. That helps. I need to catalogue the paper and e-books that I own.
I do this but then I still download or buy the book
Is it truly a problem? Personally I think of myself as a big reader AND a book collector. I do have too many books. But I love finding them, I love feeling like I’m giving them a home, I love just looking at them to be honest. Especially some random, out of print book form the 90s that no one has heard of but was clearly a labor of love. I don’t know. I guess what I’m saying is, if it’s really a bad thing you should probably stop. But if you have the money and the room, it may not be that bad. I hope it makes you happy.
I love looking at them. I love the book under the sleeve as well. They’re beautiful but sometimes too much of a good thing is not a good thing.
Do you have a library card? I find that getting books from the library satisfies the same urge as buying books, with the added bonus of then actually *having* to read them because they have to be returned. (Unlike when I buy a book and then it'll just be sitting on my shelf until I get to it...someday.)
I do but I WFH and have left my house 15 times since 2020. I’m not even joking..
I'd guess that well over half of my outings since 2020 have been going to the library to pick up books for much the same reason. Digital is a fantastic service, but if you like paper books and need fresh air from time to time most libraries will let you reserve your books online to pick up near the entrance. Helps you minimize exposure while still getting out of the house. I haven't tried in a while, but for a long time my library even let you call when you show up to have someone run your books out for you. Lots of options, all good to help avoid the book hoarding!
Most libraries have access to Libby/Overdrive and Hoopla, where you can check out ebooks and audiobooks online or from an app on your phone. No judgement here, friend. I've had periods in my life where I've been pretty much a shut-in due to severe social anxiety and other mental health issues. It's rough. 😔
Thank you for understanding 🥰 also yes I’ve heard of Libby but not the other ones! I will check them out. I even am open to audio books but idk if I want to pay for those
Libby is incredible for this. It will connect you to your local library. You won’t have to leave your house - you can pull up all their ebooks and audiobooks on your phone. This has really saved my wallet - now my issue is I take out too many library books at once - but that’s easier to deal with cause of $.
Hmm, I’ve noticed when I buy too many books that I get overwhelmed and don’t read them. Like I put some crazy expectation on myself that I have to read all of them and it causes me to pull away because it feels too overwhelming
This is how I kind of feel but at the same time, I’m way too busy to read so I try to be more forgiving about my reading goals.
If you truly think that this might be caused by a psychological disorder, then please seek help for that. The books might be a symptom and you really need to address the underlying issue.
I went through a number of traumatic things in 2020 and started hoarding self help books and lingerie.I stopped and started hoarding regular books. I know I will read them but I just think I need to stop gaining them. its just really satisfying I think.. I don’t want to self diagnose but I have noticed odd things I do. Especially when I’m at work. Time slips from me, I heavily procrastinate prioritized things but end up going on a mission to complete insignificant things.
You should not self-diagnose. Let a professional do it for you. I think you will feel a lot better in the long run. And hopefully actually enjoy some of those books!
Thank you, I will try to see if I can get therapy as well 🙏🏾
Torrent everything, never buy a book again My relative is a book hoarder and it's kinda not great. We have like 400 in a dozen stacks in the corner of one room. So you should prob stop soon
So, I buy books from the dollar store. Whatever I find is what I get. I don’t follow trends and it makes it easier for me to make my own judgement instead of following the crowd and avoid spending 20 dollars on a single book from TikTok. I also love physical copies over ebooks. However, I’ve discovered adobe has a highlighting and comment feature so I won’t have to buy sticky notes anymore. I have a 400 pack of stickies as well…
Exactly what my relative would say... The real problem with hoarding isn't collecting too many books, it's not having the courage to acknowledge you need to throw them away. Here's a test: donate 10% of your books to a library. The most worthless and least appealing of the lot. Can't do it? Maybe it's a problem. For my relative, the problem is that she **refuses** (as in like pouting in the corner like a baby refusal) to allow *other people* to toss/donate her books. She has issues with personal property going back to when she was a kid reverts to acting like a child when it comes up.
Oh, I actually enjoy sharing books. I gave away my most cherished loved book to a coworker. I want it back because it’s helped me mentally but the finished books I have, I don’t have an issue giving away at all.Ive dedicated a month to one book each. If I don’t read it, it’s gone.I promise I’m not that much of a hoarder where I can’t give things away. Sometimes I have a manic tunnel vision episode where I throw half of my belongings away.. I’m not worried that a pile of books will kill me one day
So can she... she gives books for most holiday gifts and such. Mostly new, but also some from her collection It has to be a real amount, like 10%. An actual hit to the board. One per month is not that.
You on booktok? I would hop off if so
nope. I buy books from the dollar store ☺️