My TBR consists of four boxes atop a footlocker. With some loose books on top. And a stack atop a nearby bookshelf, which is also full of TBR, all of it nonfiction. And a box completely full of short story collections. And various books on the shelves, mingled in with other books I have already read. And that little box I tried to hide beneath the couch. That's not counting my wishlists, of course.
Does my giant collection make me stop buying books? Or even consider stopping? No. Because there might be an apocalypse, and I would definitely need something to read after civilization collapsed. After I read them, I could use them for insulation, or perhaps stitch covers together to make clothing. Best of all, I might be able to trade books for...more books.
I am trying to do better about getting rid of books. These days, I continually remind myself it's all right not to finish reading a book if I'm not enjoying it. As soon as I've finished reading a book, or even when I'm close to the end of one, I try to think about whether I should keep it or share it. ("Share" feels better to me than "get rid of.") I'm trying to be more ruthless about sharing books I didn't adore.
I only have so much room in my apartment, after all. And I need room for the To Be Read.
I have the same problem. I have a few boxes plus a TBR shelf bursting with books waiting to be read, but does it stop me from buying more? Of course not. Some books are hard to find in stores later when you're actually ready to read them, so you HAVE to buy them when you see them.
ReplyDeleteAnd sometimes when rifling through a TBR box you haven't been through in a while you make a discovery you forgot about or did not realize you had. For example, in the GR Cozy Mysteries group I've seen a lot of people mention Phyllis Whitney. Never read her. Then yesterday while searching for a book I never did find, I discovered not one, but four books by Phyllis Whitney. Now to actually read one...
Some books are hard to find in stores later when you're actually ready to read them, so you HAVE to buy them when you see them.
ReplyDeleteI should print this out and hang it on a bookshelf.