To think keep buying books when you haven’t read the ones you’ve got is odd

I opened this thread expecting to see loads of people agreeing with the OP only to find the complete opposite - thank you Mumsnet! Book buying and reading are absolutely two separate hobbies. I love finding independent book shops, great finds in charity shops, waiting for special editions of my favourites etc. My DC both also love reading and have tons of books (although I do try to use the library more for them!)
My dream is to have a home library (in the style of the one in Beauty and the Beast) but at the moment my shelves will have to suffice!

Marie Kondo doesn’t strike me as a vociferous reader

I love books, I love buying books. I love reading books. I have loads of unread books, I will not stop!

I have a special dedicated TBR bookcase.

Reading Involves picking the right book at the right time. I definitely have moods where I want certain specific genres - crime, history, literary fiction, trashy fiction.
I have a huge Amazon wish list and snap up books when they’re heavily discounted rather than wait until I’m in the mood to read that specific book.

You are not a book person then OP? Sounds perfectly normal to me.

This!!!

Your advice is spot on - thanks! Funnily enough, I started to read a book last night after feeling inspired by this thread, and definitely feel it’s sucked me in.

Well she's blethering rubbish - I started a book on Sunday that's been sitting on my bedside table for 3 years!

I have 2 other physical books sitting there that I'll get to at some point, (I also have Mr Large in Charge sitting there because DGS thinks that's where his books go too), a box of them under my bed & god only knows how many on my kindle.

Did my husband write this ?! 🤣 seriously , it's two separate things. I see books I know I will read at some point but once I'm finished with the book I'm on I won't necessarily fancy that particular book I've just bought. We are moving soon and I've bought a huge bookcase to make myself a mini library in the new house and I cannot wait to have this little book nook with all these books at my disposal ready for me to pick and choose from. Would be pretty boring if it only contained ones I'd read and an extra one ready for me to read. I also have a kindle which I like to read shorter easier books on occasionally. And if I book is really good on the kindle I buy the hard copy! It's a hobby op , we are book lovers ♥️

OMG these responses have made me feel so normal! 🤣 (looks at pile of half-read books on bedside table)

thanks!

I always read all the books I buy but don't always finish them. I feel guilty keeping the ones I haven't enjoyed and have given up on as it makes my shelves look like I am more well read than I am. I just gave up on Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children yesterday for example (anyone read it? I just couldn't...).

I've found my people!

It depends. I have probably over 1000 books and I've read most of them, but I have some I've bought for reference or to read to the children when they're older. If I saw a good book at a reasonable price then I certainly wouldn't let the fact I've got some books I haven't read put me off buying it!

Someone described our house as having 'second hand bookshop vibes'. It was probably meant as an insult. I was flattered 🤣
I can't walk past a charity shop or a second hand bookshop without having to go in and have a nose at their books.

My pile of books keeps on growing thankfully

I'm a total convert to my kindle, which means reading a paper book feels odd to me now and I also read a lot in bed so its better for that too.

I have about 1000 unread books, all of which have been 99 p offers as I only allow myself to buy them when the books I want get to that price.

But I do also have a bookcase full of non fiction, coffee table books, travel guides etc and another bookcase in the kitchen full of cookbooks.

And I spent a happy hour browsing Waterstones the other day where I could have added many more books to my wishlist, but I just bought a hiking guide I wanted.

I read at random pockets of the day - after eating, evening, in the bath, morning, bed time.

I find once I start a book if I am drawn to it I will want to keep picking it up. I think you need to pick a book off the shelf you will enjoy and allocate 15 minutes to it tonight. See if it suck's you in.

I only buy favourite books. I use a library mostly, which is good as it's a time limit to read them.

I'm also in two book clubs so have those to read every month

Maybe some of us are scared of running out of reading material because that used to happen loads as children, when we couldn't just get more!

I certainly am. The idea of not having something to read scares me, so I always make sure I have plenty of books waiting to be read. This served me well when lockdown happened and the libraries closed - I was prepared and had a big pile of books I got out of the library as soon as they started talking about closing them, plus all the books that I've bought over the years but not read yet. Did not run out of reading material.

Such a waste of money! Try visiting the local library ;-)

I'm a bit weird with my reading.

I was reading in the garden a few years ago. It was a lovely sunny day. I was trying to read a Rebus book, set in a cold wet Edinburgh.

My brain could not cope with the cold wet and the lovely sunshine.

I had to swap to something else.

Now I have a kindle and download things I like the look of but might not read for a while.

DP said to me yesterday evening shall we have a car boot sale, waved at my bookcases, and said for this lot?

I think that's grounds for separation!

I've got a pile on my bedside cabinet -- I'm working my way through. Not counting all the holds on Libby and 200 samples downloaded on my Kindle.--

I've got so many books on my night stand and can get rather annoyed at not being able to have the energy to read them, or the time. It's my plan to make time shortly once I've got kiddies in a better routine. Easter holidays are full on

🤣@Saymyname777

I do this lol

@Saymyname777

Thanks for so entertainely so judgemental about people like myself,

I see it also akin like a form of home decour or home ornaments of libarey of books with eye catching artisically designed covers reaveling tanitilising glimpse into a different parellell world ect,

Pure escapism is like magic