Alright maybe he won’t kill me, but he’ll definitely give me the stink eye if he ever gets a peek at my GoodReads account. He’s really not the killing type, lucky for me, but he has his limits.
After finally committing to taming my GoodReads account, I was shocked at how many books I own, that I have never read. I knew I had a few laying around here and there but after adding my unread e-books to my “own-need-to-read” shelf I quickly came to the conclusion that I should NEVER tell my husband about GoodReads and you shouldn’t either. GoodReads does not exist okay?
I own 27 books that I have never read. 27. These are not cook books, unsolicited self help books, much needed weight loss books etc., although I do have a few those laying around too. No, I have 27 books of my chosen genres just waiting for my attention.
I had a little sit down with myself and tried to figure out how it happened and here are my three main excuses:
- Free e-books
- Retail Therapy
- Swinging
I am a book hoarder and I love free books and insane deals. I regularly search Amazon for free or drastically reduced Kindle reads. That’s how I discovered Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed series and Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. SCORE!
I also love to sneak away by myself every now and then and visit Utopia Barnes and Noble. Fresh new books from the Fantasy/Sci Fi section at B&N are like therapy for me. The atmosphere, the camaraderie of my fellow bookworms, hard covers, paperbacks, dust covers, discount tables, it all speaks to me.
And finally my most recent gold mine find: PaperBackSwap. I’m a hoarder and the concept of swapping makes me twitch just a little bit. But, after digging around some, I managed to come up with a few swappable books and began my journey into the world of swinging, bookworm style. I’ve had a great time swapping but I haven’t managed to keep up with the reading.
I’m guessing you expect me to pledge not to purchase or download a free book until I’ve tamed my unread pile right? That was my intention at first but I can’t commit. If I see deal, I’m getting it. If it’s free and I’m interested, I’m grabbing it. I can’t help it, I love my books. I need them and they need me and I’m okay with that. Just don’t tell my husband.
What about you? How does your “own-need-to-read” shelf look? Are you out of control or do you buy it and read it?
***EDITED TO ADD***
I browsed the book section at Target today and didn’t get anything. I think that deserves a reward don’t you? Perhaps a Kindle book or something? Sure it does. 
About FV Sophia
I hear you girl.. and I so don't sympathize, because I am in the same boat….
At least you only have 27 -I have never not had a TBR pile, so I am looking at a couple dozen well and that being nice….
Every nook is filled with book…
And I am so not regretting it – YET…
Happy Shopping and Swapping…. We will have this conversation again…
E.H>
I also agree with you. We have bookcases in every room of the house and some stacked behind the TV. I share books with my children and others interested in what I have so they do make the rounds. I have 16 books on my ereader, reading a bit in each one…I also have a collection of cook books, huge selection. I have paperbacks, trade size and Hardcover. I also sell books on Amazon.com and have an account at eCrater to try to sell more. I also have some listed at paperbackswap.com We, hubby and I also have a collection of coffee table books. These are about Ireland and I also have some books that include books on occult, witchcraft etc. no I am not a witch….lol Oh yes I have a small bit of my books listed on Librarything.com
talk about OCD…hehehe
I'm afraid to see how many TBR books that I own.
And thanks a lot. Now I gotta create my own "own-need-to-read" shelf on my goodreads. You bring out my OCDness.
*scoffs*
Great post! Today I went to the flea market looking for something specific, and came home with a bag full of $2 books!! I just tell myself it's cheaper and healthier therapy than booze (it just takes up a bit more room).
Watch out…those pesky books multiply and before you know it they're in the 100's!
Only 27? From where I'm sitting that is Utopia! I have over 170 physical books I own that I haven't read yet and this doesn't include what's on my ereader.
I really like Goodreads, wonderful way to keep track of your books plus discover new ones.
170?? Crap, my husband would kill me if I was in possession of that many unread books, especially if I was still buying!! Donna, girlfriend, wow! LOL
I have close to 100 physical books in my tbr and probably 50 on my Kindle. So I will clink my books with yours and say CHEERS! Seriously, my tbr pile is like my binkie..I need it. I can't live without all of them. I like them all to have friends. I like to glance over and see them sitting in their stacks.
My Kindle is bad..I always forget about the books I buy. But I know I will never yearn for something to read.
I am really liking Goodreads..one day I will have all my books on there!
I had no idea there were others worse off than me! I have tons of books on my "to-read" shelf at GR, but at least I haven't acquired all of those yet LOL. You all make me want to break into your libraries and dig around!
I can top that. I have thousands of books in my home to choose from when I want to read something. I run a bookstore from home.
http://www.buythebookcv.com
Tip-toes in to the conversation and whispers the number 515…ssshhhh After birthday loot is recounted all my books on shelves and that is the number I came up with. I can tell you I am officialy out of control *its alive, alive I tell ya*
And you know what? I know certain peeps with even higher numbers 0-0
But Fiction Vixen, there was once a time I had a TBR pile of 27 too *wicked grin* and you know, each booklover has to start somewhere :0) Happy book swapping and browsing for great deals…be sure to share those great deals (it is in my Dutch nature to love a good deal, I am so cheap LOL)
This is really embarrassing. I actually have read books, forgotten that I own them, see them at a bookstore, think, "Wow! That looks great…I gotta get it!"…buy the damned thing again, start reading it at home, think, "Hmmm…this seems sort of familiar…." and then I go down the the dungeon (my basement where I store hundreds and hundreds of pastel covered romance novels) and discover I already own the freaking book. My mind is a sieve.
Bf luckily hasn't noticed this pile so far so I will keep a low profile in this discussion.
I don't have that much unread books at home but I think it's connected to the lack of money. Still being a student sucks sometimes but it keeps the tbr done.LOL
Wow. I can't believe how big some people's TBR-that-I-own piles are!! I'm with Fiction Vixen; I would LOVE to go thru some of their libraries.
If any of you need to downsize, I'm your girl! I'd love to take some books off your hands. *winks*
If you had to *hide* your stash (hubby/wife/BF/GF has a fit about you buying and buying when you already have tons to read), ereading would be the way to go. So hush-hush.
Penelope – I'm jealous of your basement book nook. I can't even get a shelf on my hubby's book shelf, which get this HOLDS MODEL CARS! I'm in dire need of a bookshelf.
Leontine – 515?!! Wow. Are you on GoodReads? I'd love to see what you have
If I had to guess, I'd say I probably have around 25-30 TBR books that I own. I'll have to do inventory.
I was pretty close in my estimate; I have 30 books on my TBR list that I own. But I'm thinking that I might have some more books still packed away because I know I own The Giving Tree but I don't see it….
Fiction Vixen – I cannot believe that I have more own-need-to-read books than you. That is just not acceptable. You must go out right now and buy more books!
27 is nothing, girl! I think I have 150 plus that I need to get to at some point. And the sad thing is that I'm still buying more!!!
VFG, yes, I'm starting to realize I'm in much better shape than most of my bookworm buddies LOL. I have always tried to buy and read, before I buy again so 27 is way out of hand for me. But after reading some of the confessionals here, I'm not going to sweat it anymore LOL. I'm in good company.
Fiction Vixen…you would not be jealous of my dungeon "Book Nook" if you could see it. I have to crawl over bags of garbage and old suitcases to get to the bookshelves. Furthermore, the "upstairs" bookshelves are filled with my husband's medical books, which he has deemed "respectable" and thus able to live in the light of day. Grumble, grumble.
Outstanding post! Suddenly I feel better about my reading list… however, I can't touch that gal with the 170 unread.. phew, man!
Great blog…
Oh, thank God another book addict er I mean connoisseur. I think I just blew $30.00 dollars on ebooks alone this weekend, this does not count PRINT BOOKS. I think all spouses should never, ever, find out how much we spend on books or how many bk accounts we open. I swear online book buying is like gambling, my fingers shake when I don't hit "submit" so 9 times out of 10 I hit submit.
Air five for not buying any books at Target!
I wanted to connect with you on goodreads but the links are only for the site not you….:(
After you see my tbr list you will feel so much better…
Although most are not on my shelves at home, and some that are are not posted in goodreads yet.
Take Care!
@The Book Vixen, Yes, I have an account with Goodreads and the thought alone to enter all of my books TBR is making my shiver in fear…the time it would take girl! I will at some point enter all my unread books but it is going to take a while
27 – not bad at all, I wouldn't say!
I should probably count how many I have lying around waiting to be read. I am sure there are more. Agh!