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I couldn't think of a suitable title for what I was talking about this week other than How soon after purchasing a book do you get round to reading it! That seemed a long title so I went with Book Hoarding!
This is a topic where I don't understand my own beahaviour. There I am, grumpily noting that the publication date for the hardback has come and gone and it is almost a year until paperback release. (I never buy hardbacks!) I complain about it to my dad. I complain about it on my blog. I anxiously watch that release date get closer and the anticipation rises...then finally I can order the book from Amazon or snap it up on a rare visit to a bookshop!
Yes I have that shiny book in my grubby little chuckle-paws and I feel that wonderful buzz of a much wanted purchase. I then go up to my overflowing bookshelves in my room and carefully try to find it a safe place where it won't get damage. I brag on my Saturday post about this wonderful purchase and how much I'm looking forward to reading it! It's so exciting isn't it! Then I leave the book on the shelf and go through that whole excitement all over again for another precious book or ten...or twenty...before I know it a year has passed and I haven't read the book I was so excited about buying. It just sits on my shelf, endlessly waiting and it can sometimes take years before I finally get round to reading it. Why is this?
Here is the answer. 'Hello, my name is Chuckles and I'm a Book Hoarder/Bookaholic!'
Yes I am a book hoarder. I WANT to read all these great sounding books that I have on my shelves but as soon as I see a new book I want to get, suddenly all that goes out the window and I'm off buying again. I think at times I get more excitement out of ordering and receiving the books than I do actually reading them and that it kind of worrying! Surely the excitement should be in the reading of it? Don't get me wrong, I love it when I find that great book or series that I'm really enjoying but I do feel that I actually enjoy that rush of buying them more than reading at times.
I guess that's why retail therapy works. Have a crap day or bad week, no problem, buy a pile of books! That's my answer anyway and it does make me feel better...at least until I set eyes on the growing TBR and feel a sense of despair! I tell myself that there are worse things to be addicted to. I don't drink, smoke, gamble, go clubbing, I don't spend on useless things (most of the time) and books don't damage your health. Still, I do get a bit concerned about this buying habit when it will already take me years to read the blasted things and that is if I never buy another book!
On average, it can take between 6 months and 3 years to read something from the time I bought it. That can be down to mood reading. I bought a Bigfoot horror book and read it quickly as I was having a monster month but that is quite rare. Sometimes, like when I did my Deep Blue Terror readathon, I bought books specifically to read for that. But these are exceptions rather than the rule. For example, I shelved the Morganville Vampires book three on Goodreads back in March 2010 and I read it earlier this year. SEVEN YEARS??? That is pretty bad by anyone's standards. And I might have bought it a while before I shelved it. I can't really remember! I'm sure there are others that have been sitting just as long. Maybe longer. This is something I really need to tackle and either read them or hand them in to charity shops!
Do you take a long time to read that book you just couldn't wait to get? Do you read it as soon as it arrives? Do you sometimes get more fun out of the buying rather than the reading? Are you a book hoarder? How long does it take you to get round to reading the books you buy?
I am pretty sure I fall in the same category because a lot of this sounds hauntingly familiar. I think for me it's that I want to know if the mood strikes, then I can grab a book when I want it because it always sits on my shelves. Also, sometimes I forget about books if I don't grab them when I see them. That's probably a poor excuse to buy a book buy hey...what can I say? I've never really tracked how long it takes me to read a book I bought and I probably don't want the answer anyway :)
ReplyDeleteI've got a long list of excuses for buying books in-I'm a professional excuse-maker! I have enough books to do me through the apocalypse but I'd like to read more of them next year!
DeleteInteresting! I guess the anticipation thing doesn’t really happen to me because I’m always broke. I usually can’t buy books when they first come out. I have to wait until I have money, and then I have to wait until cheap used copies show up online or in stores. I do get excited when I find a book I’ve been waiting for, and I love opening bookmail. If I’m really excited about a book, I’ll read it right away. Currently, I have 60-something books on my TBR shelf. It’ll probably take me 5-8 months to read them all.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I think you might value the books more because you are waiting longer for them if that makes any sense. I'll be honest in saying I can't remember half the books I have on the e-reader at times. A tbr of 60 odd is a decent number-enough to give you choice but not enough to overwhelm. I'd love to get down to that or even 100 but it's not happening anytime soon.
DeleteThis all sounds so familiar. Sigh. I even pre-order. Does that count. LOL One thing I do know. WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS!
ReplyDeleteI've only pre-ordered a few in my time...I'm usually playing catchup on a series I finally started reading! There are lots of us afflicted aren't there!
DeleteI do this kind of thing too, but I blame it on my mood reading. But also, it is just a good feeling getting a new book! Even if you don't end up reading it for a long time lol.
ReplyDeleteI guess there are worse things we could be addicted to. One of my excuses is that I don't really go out so I need entertainment in the house. I have a lot of excuses...
DeleteI am such a big book hoarder! I really want to read everything and I justify buying more than I can read by telling myself that the books would go bad but the problems is I keep adding to the pile!
ReplyDeleteI haven't used that excuse before...I must remember that one!
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