Hi friends,
Today’s discussion topic was triggered by my bookstagram photo shooting of the week.
You see I added books to my shelves while my TBR is …never ending! Let’s say that if I was lucky and won the lotery even if I stopped working and read most of my days I think it would be years before I read all these books!
And so I thought: “Sophie, really you just bought two (but 5 others are incoming) more books while your new shelves are already crammed! What were you thinking?”.
And so I was feeling GUILTY!
Because I am like Becky Bloomwood from Confessions of a Shopaholic only I don’t buy clothes all the time but books!
There is a scene in the book and in the movie where she opens her wardrobe and is instantly burried under clothes from all colors jumping/falling/cascading from that cramped space well this could be my shelves before I bought my new Ikea Billys!
And another scene where Becky is walking on the street and then she sees THE green scarf in a store. She has huge bills waiting at home but is lured into the shop nonetheless. That inner conversation could be me when faced with a bookstore!
When I buy books knowing I already have many waiting to be read I feel guilty but then my reasoning is:
1) You earn a living and are not going to get broke so what’s wrong in doing so?
2) You know life is short and you’ll never know what could happen tomorrow so carpe diem!
3) You work so hard all the time outside and inside the house so you deserve to get spoiled!
4) Everyone is talking about that book! What would I look like as a book blogger if I didn’t read it?
5) The cover is so pretty and I have the right prop to make it a gorgeous picture to post on Instagram!
6) All the books that you buy will never amount to all what my hubs spent on a bike or a sportscar or any of his expensive hobbies! So why not?
But some days I think I should just stop for some time and just read my books!
But…how to resist temptation???
Here are some schemes I’ve thought about:
1) Go on a huge book spree (because you are attending a book event) and then go on a book ban because your book allowance has just exploded!
2) Avoidance! Don’t go on any social media that you usually follow and that’s talking about books! No Goodreads, no bookstagram, no … But then I would not be able to follow YOU and it would never work for my blog!
3) Give my credit card to my husband and ask him to hide it for three months! As I buy all my books online that should work pretty well provided that I don’t have to buy something else with my card!
4) When I see a new book somewhere, instantly beginning to chant : “Resist! Resist! You can do it! You don’t need it!”. Don’t know if it would be very efficient though …
5) Join the book addicts anonymous. “Hi my name is Sophie and I am addicted to books.” “Welcome Sophie. Thanks for your honesty and sharing this with us.”
6) Bargain. Make a contract with myself and only buy a book after that I have at least read eight books on my shelf. It should slow down my buying to once or max two books a month so a huge improvement.
7) Stop reading. But that will never happen!
At the end of the day I think that I don’t have to stop altogether to buy books but slow down to get to read the books already waiting on my TBR!
Now let’s chat! Do you have a huge TBR but keep buying books? Do you have tips to stop buying all the time, succumbing to their siren’s call?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
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Awww what an adorable post Sophie!! I don’t know how you resist TBH!! Romance books especially. ❤️ I personally don’t have a big book buying budget so I buy books I’ve already read and loved. If I bought every book I thought I might like I’d have quite being a bookworm in despair.
There is NO stopping me buying books. It’s a sickness I tell you!!!!
Lol, Sophie! I’ll definitely have to join your Book Addicts Anonymous group! =D
Number six is one I have DEFINITELY employed regarding ARC requests, but I have a decent handle on buying books, and I am also an avid library user. I don’t know that I could ever give up buying books all together, though.
But this whole post – really ringing a bell with my old make up obsession! LOL
Fun post, Sophie. 🙂
Hahahah this was a fun post, Sophie! I love the techniques you share here. I honestly don’t know what’s best to avoid getting more books than we could ever handle. I think going on a spree and then go on a book ban is totally what I would do hahaha 😛
Great post, Sophie! I fail very badly when it comes to not buying books so I have no advice to give, lol. I do try to use my local library for books that I want to read but don’t necessarily want to own but that doesn’t put much of a dent in what I still buy.
I just … don’t buy them. What can I say? Will power of steel over here.
Hahaha yes and access to a library Katie!
I’m horrible at book bans. The best I can do is avoid browsing books for a while. But then I get all anxious, wondering what I might be missing. LOL
Well Laura that’s true that when I came back to social media after a few days off if I was extra busy I often discovered that my favorite author had a google doc for her next book and I nearly missed it!!!
I am HORRIBLE at limiting myself when it comes to buying books. I have tried all kinds of bans and rules for buying and I just never stick with it. Its a tough life but clearly I am destined to live it.
Us both Samantha!!!!
I’m super guilty of avoiding all social media… but I think the biggest thing that stops me is books don’t put a roof in my head so I’ll wait until I graduate or my birthday to treat myself. I keep adding to my TBR though… but to be fair I clear out some books that have been on there for a million years so I’m feeling less guilty?
Sophia I should do that keep or discard tag to help sort my TBR!
How do I avoid buying more books? Oh, I’ve stopped trying, lol! Now I just embrace it and accept that it will never happen 😉
That’s what I should do too Mogsy! LOL
When it comes to rationalizing, I’m right there with you on #1 and #6. #1 – the husband and I are both employed, no children, no fear of ending up in the poor house, so why not. And #6 – his hobbies are typically more expensive than mine so of course I deserve the books! That usually does the trick. 🙂
I know that he loves vintage cars and fast cars Tanya so yes his hobby should cost more than your books ;-))))
Stop reading! That’s insane. I really don’t buy a lot of books. I am lucky enough to get a lot of approvals, and I have great electronic library resources. I will say, that if buying books makes you happy (and you are still taking care of all your bills), than buy books. You earned the right to spend your money on things that make you happy, and really, can you ever have too many books?
haha you are right Sam!
I usually have around 50 unread books on my shelf, so I feel guilty whenever I get a new one! I make rules for myself in an attempt to keep my TBR down. I never impulse buy books. I put them on my spreadsheet and wait a few months before I buy them. I don’t want to impulse buy something and then lose interest in it. I also don’t buy full-price books. I only get them used, on sale, or from the library. Being broke forces me to be selective about what I add to the shelf.
Some of the books I want I put on my wishlist for some months too AJ but not all!
Your post really made me laugh, Sophie, because I think this pretty much describes every book blogger in existence, and then some. We cannot resist. I have stopped buying (for the most part) but I do a weekly visit to the library instead, which means I’m not wasting MY money on books I might DNF and can now read again, for pleasure! 😀
I wish I could go to the library too Alexandra but sadly they do not lend books in English or maybe Emily Bronte or Jane Austen! Not that there is anything wrong with these two famous writers but I could not get my hands on something recent ….
I would like to see a psychological study on WHY we do this. Why????
Well Jinjer that’s a very good remark and I’d be interested in knowing the why too!!!!
haha I buy way more books than I should and I have piles that I need to read! And I have no advice on how to buy less books as long as you are staying in budget and not putting yourself in debt then why not buy all the books?!?!
That’s a good point Brittany! I guess I feel like indulging too much sometimes, must be my christian education 😉
Oh wow, that is SO me. I keep adding to my TBR and the guilt piles up. I’ll be dead and gone before I can read everything I want to read cause new stuff keeps coming out. But then I think, there is nothing wrong with the old books. New isn’t always better. I like the idea of shunning social media for awhile, but…that is so hard
I know Tracey! yet when I manage to stay away from social media I feel lighter, less pressure. The only down is once you’re back and realize that you missed something great from your favorite author!!!!
When I saw the title for this post, my immediate reaction was, “Are you crazy, woman?” lol. There are so many great new releases, deals and freebies out there, as long as my Kindle has space, I’m loading up!
Bwahahaha yes maybe I am crazy Jacquie! I try to be sensible but fail miserably!