Anyone else addicted to buying books?

28 replies

ThumbTowers · 27/08/2025 09:55

I love reading, always have. I prefer physical books to reading on kindle etc. I seem to have developed a book buying addiction. I buy way more books than I can read, to be added to my TBR pile. By 'pile', I mean bookcase(s).

Every now and then I try to get a handle on it. For example, I have started to reserve the psychological thriller type books that I am unlikely to ever read again from the library rather than buy them (although it's a pain, as they come in to the library in drips and drabs and my library has short opening hours, so i feel i'm constantly trying to work out when i can get to the library around my working hours and kids!). I also tend to buy second hand from Ebay, particularly when World of Books or similar are running a 4 for the price of 3 deal, or ask for books for birthday/Christmas presents so that I am not spending ridiculous amounts of money. But my dream is to have a huge floor to ceiling bookcase in every room of the house (will never happen) so I would love to own all the books I have ever read. I have been on holiday this week and made myself read 3 books from my TBR rather than buy anything new. Hurray! But, I have just undone my good work by spending my evening ordering a few new ones for Ebay and the library!

Anyone else have this addiction?

OP posts:

Aubrielle · 27/08/2025 10:13

Yes. Obsessed. I grew up in a book filled house and we ourselves now have a house full of books.
I go through phases where I buy a lot in one go, then won't get any for a while. My TBR pile is generally between 30 and 50, but I also regularly re-read favourites so it never really lessens.
My biggest indulgence is buying hardbacks or special editions. I've just treated myself to The Forsaken Trilogy by RJ Barker in hardback, because I know they're books I wont want to part with.

AgentPidge · 27/08/2025 10:07

Yep. Need more shelves! I do try to get rid of ones I haven't loved, and I use the library too. But I justify it that one day when I can't drive and I'm living alone I'm going to need them!
I stayed at an AirB&B this June and the living room had a huge floor -to-ceiling bookcase (with a step ladder!). It was all good quality stuff, obviously collected over generations, no trash - first editions, a huge range of classic novels, guide books. I re-discovered Guy de Maupassant's short stories and ordered three other books as soon as I got home because they looked so interesting. haven't looked at them yet.
I went to a fete on Monday and they had a big book stall. Some books were in the wrong place (Lessons In Chemistry was in the Reference pile!) so I was rearranging them. I also couldn't resist recommending books to all and sundry. Eventually the bloke on the stall wearily asked me to be on the stall next year 😂
I'm also in a book group, and get annoyed that I have to read someone else's choice that I don't want to, when I could be tackling my TBR pile. So I feel your pain, but it's not a vice or morally wrong, so feel no shame!

RuthandPen · 27/08/2025 10:02

No, it sounds a bit mad, and as though there's a disconnect between your buying and your reading. I am a voracious reader, so obviously I buy and borrow a lot of books, and read a lot via online resources like Gutenberg and Archive.org or Faded Page, and I own vast numbers (we have a big house, and there are entire walls of book cases in several rooms, and two studies that are entirely booklined, and there are still boxes left to unpack from our last move), but my addiction is reading and rereading them.

I think if you're buying huge numbers of books and then not reading them, you're buying too indiscriminately. If you read a few pages of a book in a shop and don't immediately want to sink into a chair and keep going, then I'd put it back and keep walking.

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