Monday 21 June 2010

Weekly Geeks: 2010-22: Hoarding Behaviour, or I Have a Problem

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This is my bookcase. As I explained in my previous post, The Book Ban & General Ramblings, I have a problem that is currently in the shape of 415 books yet to be read.

<---These are all the 415 books, all stuffed into this one massive bookcase that is actually bending outwards at the back where they have been stuffed in every which way.

I started trying to organise this bookcase into my TBR shelves and read shelves. Unfortunately nowadays I just shove them wherever they fit – but for the most part the top 3 shelves contain my TBR paperbacks – the forth shelf down contains the majority of my read books and an overflow of my TBR and the bottom shelf contains some books that I have read – hard backs and an overflow of TBR books. Each shelf is 3 layers deep – so you can’t really see those books and loads more stuffed on top.

If you read my previous post you will see exactly what my Problem really is – and that’s a monster of a problem. I have recently been trying to chuck books out – those that I think I’ll never read because I picked them up without really looking and trying to only keep the books I really like and getting rid of them as I read, either to charity or through bookmooch.

What you see is actually the tidied up, cleaned out version. No, you do not want to know what it looked like before. Let’s just say it was a complete mess that was overflowing into piles all over the floor.

However, my book ban has actually been going quite well. I have successfully abstained from books for a whole month. Yes, a month and I have not bought one single book. However, the reason that really held my book ban together was that I was saving up to take my dad out for Father’s Day – and we went out today for sushi and had a deliciously good time. I need to save up to go again – which might be persuasion enough to keep up the ban.

So far so good – I did have a few panics where I rushed to the Book Depository website and my mouse hovered over a few books but I have resisted all urges. I have even walked in a bookshop and walked out again WITHOUT buying anything. Once upon a time I’d never have been able to do that.

I pretty much know what I’ll be reading through July – Harry Potter, so I won’t feel the need to browse and think of all the books my bookcase doesn’t yet contain.

However after July here lies the danger – I want some Japanese books and my library doesn’t have them so alas, I will have to buy them. However that won’t be until much later so I have time  to make some room for them.

So currently, my problem is under control and no longer ruling my life. I do miss it though.

13 comments:

  1. I laughed while reading this post. I am having the same problem. It might not be quite as bad, but it's pretty bad! I also am just starting to give books away. It's just too much to have and I have to decide whether I think I'll ever read some of them again.

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  2. How's your local library? I had not visited mine since I was a little gal and was shocked to go in as an adult. I told my husband... "This is crazy. They just gave me the book. They didn't even take a credit card number!"

    Using my town library has helped me A LOT with my book buying addiction. I use the inter-library loan feature quite a bit as well!

    Also - I love the new background! Looks fantastic. I usually read in my google reader but clicked over to comment and I REALLY love it!

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  3. Thanks Kate!

    My local library - well I have a huge fine there which I should I suppose pay off one day but... I don't really like it. It is loud and noisy with the cafe downstairs and the kid's area where instead of reading with them they just run around banging things.

    So I go over to the library in the neighbouring city - only get to go there once a week usually. It's actually really good - I reserve what I want online and pick it up at the desk. But so often I take most back unread and I feel guilty for that.

    I have been using it more recently, but at the same time I just love the feeling of reading a fresh, virgin book - y'know? I guess that's my addiction - library books can't replace that.

    I have used it a lot more then I would before but it hasn't reduced my book buying - it's just introduced me to a new author which results in me buying up the rest of their books! Ooops!

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  4. LOL. I understand what it's like when there's no space for books! Wow, it must be a really huge shelf too if it can store up to 400+ books. :)

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  5. I have two bookshelves that look like that, but they're only one layer deep. All my TBRs are in knee-high stacks in the floor. =/ I'm dying to know what that gigantic book at the top right of your bookcase is. That thing's huge!

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  6. The one with the green and red? Actually, I'm sorry to say that is just (the excellent) North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell that I squashed in there so it is front cover is facing outwards rather then it's spine.

    It's all quite precarious to tell the truth - I took one out the other day and a load fell out, almost on top of my head. Not very good as books don't fly that well especially from great heights.

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  7. wow thats A LOT of books!
    You have an award waiting for you over on my blog!

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  8. Okay....whew, now I don't feel so bad about my TBR pile. lol

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  9. great post, i loved the scribbled on TBR lol

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  10. I have almost succeeded in a book buying ban for 2 months, however I did not call it that because I know that once I start calling it a ban I probably won't be able to stick to it.

    I hope you manage to keep it up!

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  11. Oh dear but you've just called it a ban!

    Good luck Iris.

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  12. I know how hard it is not adding books to the library. In trying to read books I already own, I haven't purchased any since last year. My books are in double rows and I don't have room for another bookshelf.

    Welcome to Weekly Geeks.

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  13. Since last year? Oh no that's giving me nightmares already. I know I'm on a ban but y'know I still want to be able to get some new books.

    I should I suppose wait until I've got the TBR to below 400 again. Last year I said something about "getting it below 300 again" next year I hope I won't be saying "getting it below 500"!

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