book hoarders anonymous

[katsnmouse]

I can't help myself! walked into waterstones today and came out with 3 new non fiction books (used up my waterstones points and an xmas voucher), knowing fine well I have 3 books on my kindle to read, and umpteen more on my 'to read pile'. I have a full time job, and a 14mo so dont have masses of time to sit around indulging in my passion. I feel its almost an overwhelming obsession/compulsion to buy! If I left the shop empty handed I would have been upset! Anyone else want to join me in confessing there inability to resist purchasing literature, in all its forms?

Jonquilly I totally agree with re-reading books. Of course, if it's a really trashy read then no, but I've got to the age when I won't read anything I don't think will be worth reading again. Even books which I've read several times have things in them I've forgotton or a phrase which I love.

Lucky you to have a small bookworm to read to

ah, jonquilly the smell of books! I love the smell of books, old and new. 'do no harm' was another impulse purchase, AND skipped the 'to be read' queue'! I am looking forward to re-reading child hood favourites with my DD...it also allows me to get books for her!

There isn't such a thing as having too many books! Like friends, the more,the happier I am

I think I need help. I have a kindle and a nook and between them I have over 500 books, with maybe 200 of them unread

I also have shelves and shelves of 'actual' books (mainly from charity shops) that I just haven't gotten round to reading.

I wish I could just stop sleeping so I could use those hours to read.

I have two rooms full of bookshelves and a kindle with at least 100 unread books on, and I've infected my 7 year old, prising him out of a bookshop is nearly impossible
I'm hopeless I probably won't read half of them again but last time I got rid of some I ended up rebuying most.
There just something comforting about books, I get twitchy if my favourites aren't to hand.

Me too mama. When I moved house over 3 years ago I decided to be ruthless and donated 3 large bookcases worth of books. I had almost instant regret and have built up my collection again :-/

I also like to have my absolute faves on an e reader and in paper form so I decide which to read depending on my mood.

Me too MyIronLung! I have the ones I cannot do without both in book and on the kindle, so they are to hand in any given moment
I'm so glad I'm not alone

I'll join you with top favourites in both paper & on Kindle.

My New Year's resolution was to buy no more books until I had made headway through the to read piel, both on kindle & in paper.

It lasted less than 24 hours as several books came up at 99p on Kindle that had been on my wish list.

There is no hope - I surrender.

I thought I was the only one crazy enough to have the same books in different formats! This makes me happy

I hoard kindle books, not so much real ones.

I'm joining. Loads in the too read pile and tons on the kindle. I have book tokens to spend from my birthday in November. The only reason they haven't been spent is I need time to browse. Can't do that with an almost 3 year old in tow trying to destroy the shop

mama1980 glad to see you are passing on the baton to the next generation :D but Iron having two different formats of the same book..truely hardcore hoarding! Rugby shopping with a small toddler is tricky, i keep sending her into the childrens bit, and she heads straight back out to destroy browse the adult fiction!

I'm drawn to books more than any other purchases - more than clothes, for instance. But I don't think we should be considering it as hoarding, do you? Hoarding is automatically considered, at best, "bad," and at worst, "deranged."

Here's something I have discovered. Although it is a huge wrench to get rid of books, I feel better afterwards - and if you give them to oxfam books and get an account number, not only are they sold on for realistic prices £1.99 plus gift aid, but every so often they email you to tell you how much your donations have raised. I find it a real struggle to clear out books - I have hundreds - and an out of control habit - but I do find giving to oxfam the easiest and most satisfying way to purge my collection when it gets out of hand.

I have just donated about ten [shame] stored boxes of books to a local charity sale. I plan to work my way through the books now left boxing up to do the same as they are finished. I had charity shopped, car booted and jumble saled my way to a ridiculous number and needed to regain a bit of control.

I love books but getting rid feels good

Figment- Oxfam bookshops are so overpriced for 'ordinary' paperbacks, I don't donate there any longer!

I'd much rather give them to a charity shop that will sell them at half that price, but someone will actually buy, and enjoy.

Temptation is everywhere I went into tthe local chemist and they had a box of books at £1 each for Marie Curie.

What do you fellow addicts use to keep track - I've used Collectorz.com Book Collector for years now - keeps track of who I've lent to as well and I can use it to generate a hit list a list of non-returners.

I have recently given away over 100 books, I can't think about the real amount because if probably have a mental breakdown and I'm still almost in tears thinking about it I have several book apps and a ridiculous number of books on each, I am a member of my library and get out a minimum of 2 books each week. I can't even pass a book store without getting annoyed if I can't go in and buy something, anything. I have a 9mo ds so my obsession takes place between 9pm and 3am even ds has an impressive book collection and library history. I think I need help

Thank you all! I recently stated following a thread about finding cosy crime similar to Louise Penny and an avalanche of suggestions came through. I became addicted, and my wish list spiralled out of control! After having four deliveries of books week before last, clearing space on a chest of drawers and stacking super sized piles, I then finally bit the bullet and bought a kindle to continue my stash...... I'm trying to ease out of this obsession, but it is just too easy to click on the kindle! I have agonised over whether to download the next in a series (book one finished last night) or start on the stash on the drawers...... Of course, I bought the kindle for my DD so I could track her progress, but sadly (?) she prefers the kindle app on the iPad because it is in colour! Looks like I will be downloading this evening so I can read in peace and my fiancé will not be groaning about the light being on! Win win I would say!

Love this thread! I'm s book hoarder too. My to read pile is very tall and could potential fall on me in the middle of the night. My wish list on Amazon runs to pages and pages. My wAterstones one would too but they only let you have so many. Love books, the feel, the smell. They are like friends to me!! My dream is to have a wood panelled library with an open fire and walks of books!

BTW, if you want to keep track of ebooks, calibre is brilliant! It can be used on PC or Mac. The kindle books downloaded onto Mac are a little tricky to find, as the file needs to be accessed to send to calibre. I made an Alias of the kindle book file an put it on my desktop, so can drag and drop with ease. Calibre is a bit geeky, but it is open sourced software that is very easy to use and tailor for your own use. I love it and it means I don't have to fill up the kindle so it looks like I only have a couple of books on it!

Books are wonderful! I have about 150 lovely, lovely, brand new, awesome smelling, wonderful books on my bookcase waiting for me. I have just ordered 6 more from Amazon.Ii am doing the '50 challenge' again this year though so I feel my -ahem- collection is somewhat justified

I am now sitting next to my bookcase, choosing what to read next, my favourite bit!

If I die under a mountain of books I won't be too upset.