I’ll be the first to admit it: I have a book buying problem.
A bad one.
Every time I step into a bookstore, I come out with at least one book in my hand. This is especially bad because I go to a bookstore at least twice a week.
And let’s not talk about Strandbooks. For those who don’t know, Strandbooks is a bookstore in NYC that sells most books for 50% off. That’s right, that means hardcovers are $9 while paperbacks are $5. How can I ever resist? Ever since I discovered Strandbooks, I always leave with at least three books in my hands.
To make things even worse, I have this rule: If I buy a book that is in a series, I have to buy the entire series. No matter what. Even if the series is ten books long. This is my downfall, especially since every book that came out lately seems to be part of a series.
My book buying problem has gotten so bad that I have not read 75% of the books I bought on my bookshelf. I sadly didn’t notice this until yesterday, when my sister pointed this out.
What do I plan to do about this?
Starting from June, I’m going to limit myself to buying four books per month. (That will be hard, I know!) I’ll reward myself to buying an extra book per month for every ten books I read. Hopefully I can stick to this plan. To start, I’ll be making a list.
What about you? Do you have a book buying problem? What will you do about it?
There is no need to speculate, I have a BAD book buying problem. Just this month I got 25 new books. Yes, 25. I’m crazy. I bought 14 in London when I visited, and the rest got from orders (and 2 from giveaways and 1 arc), so technically I just bought 14 this month, but that’s still a lot. My parents are thinking of putting me in a mental hospital for it! :D
Like you, I always get out with at least one book when I go to bookstores, and I got about 4 times a week, to 4 different ones.
Though, I find that if I avoid getting in, I don’t buy the books (shocking, isn’t it?) so lately I have been stirring clear of bookstores, like, literally. When I go into the mall I switch to the other side of the lane when I get close to a bookstore to ease the temptation.
So. Yeah. Bad, bad, bad buying books problem.
I’ve pretty much made a pact with myself that by the end of 2014 all the books on my shelves will be read! Problem is, I seem to have made the same promise every year for as long as I’ve been alive and it never seems to work!! :(
(This time it will! I’ll make it come true!)
Nitzan Schwarz recently posted…Amazon Bargains: Freebies and Cheapies
WHOA. 25. That’s, like, wow.
But I can understand you buying 14 books from London. In fact, I’ll buy at least 20 books from London because they have totally different book covers than the US.
I should REALLY avoid bookstores too, but the thing is, I have no self control. There. I said it. ):
Every time I’m near a bookstore area, I NEED to step inside, even if it’s a small used bookstore that doesn’t sell any books I normally read.
And I should make that pact to do that too, but I’m afraid to. Every week, there’s new books coming out and I have to check AT LEAST two of them out.
Good luck with you goal Nitzan! (:
Kelly recently posted…Let’s Speculate: Do You Have A Book Buying Problem?
I didn’t use to have that self control, but I do now. It only took, oh, I don’t know… years of training.
And I have the same problem with bookstores. I actually have a ritual to enter every bookstore I see… which of course I’m working hard to cure myself off. When I can’t fight the temptation, I now have a rule; if I DO go into a bookstore, and they have nothing I really want, I won’t buy that one book on the shelf that I may be slightly interested in. I’ll keep the money for next time when I find something I really want. We don’t have that many books in English here (hence me ordering on line xD) so that happens more and more. All the book I wanted to have are already on my shelves xD
Nitzan Schwarz recently posted…Amazon Bargains: Freebies and Cheapies
Aww, lucky! If I see a book on the shelf that has a gorgeous cover and sounds like something I’ll probably be into, I buy it. Just like that.
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I’ve Read
The only book buying problem I have is that I don’t have enough money to buy them all! Haha. But I’m like you. If I visit a bookstore, I have to buy at LEAST one book. So I don’t visit them that often, only when I have enough money :p
Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted…Fairytale News 10. About DNF.
Oh yes Mel, that’s definitely a book buying problem! I want them all! I want The Eternity Cure and Invisibility, and even What’s Left of Me. I want EVERYTHING. ;D
You’re so lucky you don’t visit bookstores often, I have absolutely no self control. I should lock myself up in my house for a month and save tons of book buying money.
Kelly recently posted…Let’s Speculate: Do You Have A Book Buying Problem?
I don’t have a super huge problem with buying books, even though I put on a lot of bans on myself. However, this is because I don’t have a a lot of money to spend on books. If I had some more money, or close to a book store like Strandbooks, then I would have a huge problem.
And why I keep putting bans on myself is so my TBR pail doesn’t get to big. I just hate the feeling of having more TBR books then actual read books.
Kimberly recently posted…Update for the Bout of Books Read-A-Thon
You’re so lucky you have so much self control Kimberly! I give up my lunch money just to buy books, that’s why I can buy so much books. o:
I can never put bans on my TBR pile because I want to read EVERYTHING that looks good. Book blogger problems. ):
Kelly recently posted…Let’s Speculate: Do You Have A Book Buying Problem?
I maaaaay have a slight problem in this area, lol. No, it’s actually a big one. There are just so many new books coming out all the time! Stuff it seems like I just have to have, especially if it’s a series (which, as you pointed out, everything is lately). It’s nice that you’re doing something to help out the issue. Maybe I should consider doing something similar.
Rebecca recently posted…Review: Breaking Point by Kristin Simmons
Yeah, the whole series thing is just DRAINING my money. I have to stop buying books that are in a series I guess. :l
And I’m so addicted to buying books that I absolutely HAVE TO do something about it. I’m buying a lot more than I can read. It’s so weird, I buy books I want to read so bad, but once I bought it, I don’t actually read it. I read library books instead.
Kelly recently posted…Let’s Speculate: Do You Have A Book Buying Problem?
I have the same problem! Only mine is with ebooks since I can’t buy physical books (I don’t have any English bookstores near me D:) When I went to the USA last week I bought about 20 books and then STILL ended up getting 2-3 new books on my kindle. This week… six. I just can’t resist! I had to make a rule too… I will ONLY buy a book (on kindle) if it’s on sale for $2.99 or less. And it HAS to be one that I want to read/ has been on my TBR list. The only way I’ll let myself buy a new release is if I’ve been DYING for it. So far… it’s not really helping my book buying but it IS helping my wallet…
river recently posted…Stacking the Shelves (3)
I’m lucky I don’t have a eReader (even though I want one SO badly). I would be exactly like you – buying ebooks like crazy, especially if it’s $2.99 or less. It all adds up eventually. ):
I wish I have your self control for new releases. They are my weakness. I see one that I want to read and I immediately buy it because they just came out. (My thinking is weird, I know.)
And grats on saving your wallet! :D
I hope I can save mine by just buying three books per month.
Kelly recently posted…Let’s Speculate: Do You Have A Book Buying Problem?
I have a major book buying problem. I’m always trying to cut back, but blogging has made it so much harder! I don’t have quite as much time to read, but I am constantly finding out about intriguing new books. I think it’s about time to give myself a time out again and read some from the TBR pile….
Christine @Buckling Bookshelves recently posted…More Bookshelves!
Yes, blogging definitely helped cause my book blogging problem! Ever since goodreads, I’ve been putting more and more books on my to buy list.
And good luck on your TBR pile, mine is at least a hundred books long! ):
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I’ve Read
Mine is significantly longer than 100. Like more than triple that Ridiculous, I know… Time to clean out the shelves and take a rest already!
Christine @Buckling Bookshelves recently posted…Spine Speak (#1): April Showers Bring May Flowers
Yay, I’m not alone! :D
I’ll LOVE to read the books on my shelves, but I don’t want to ruin them. Every time I read a book I that I bought, I would accidentally bang them, wet them, or something along those lines. ):
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I’ve Read
OMG! 4 books a month? That’s going to be tough. I’m not one to buy much at a bookstore, but I’ll order tons and tons of books from the library (so they usually come all at once) and I buy a bunch of books for my kindle/ipad, even when I have so many to read already.
I’m totally addicted to ebooks, since paper books are much harder to fit in my room. :) haha Good luck with the book ban!
Nancy @ Tumbling Books recently posted…Audiobooks feel like cheating
I’m equally guilty of ordering all those library books! Then I’ll keep renewing and renewing them if I didn’t get to reading it.
Kindle ebook deals are so tempting huh? :P
Thanks! :D
Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I’ve Read
I have a 1-click buy problem! It’s just so easy! So now I have a whole bunch of books on my kindle I don’t have time to read yet!!
Wendy recently posted…Teaser Tuesday: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Oh yes, the 1-click buy button is AWFUL. Why make things so easy and so tempting? ):
Kelly recently posted…ARC Book Review: Ten Tiny Breaths – K.A. Tucker
“Do you have a book buying problem?” Is that even a question? Haha. Maybe I do? Well, obviously I do. I buy more books than I read, and it’s even worse that I mostly buy hardcovers (THEY’RE JUST SO PRETTY) because they’re more expensive. I thought that getting my e-reader would make me buy less books, but uh, nope. That didn’t help at all.
Judith recently posted…Blog Tour + Interview: The Rules for Disappearing
I’m afraid of buying an eReader, because then, one glance at the bargain ebook page and I’ll go CRAZY buying everything.
And I have the same problem you do, when books are available in hardcover, I always buy them instead of waiting for the paperback version to come out.
Kelly recently posted…ARC Book Review: Ten Tiny Breaths – K.A. Tucker
I borrow all my books! haha
I wish I would just borrow books! That’ll save me SO much money!
Kelly recently posted…Monthly Wrap Up: May 2013
I definitely have a book buying problem. I think it’s an addiction, because I can’t stop myself. Whenever I see a bargain, I have to buy it. When I see a book I really, really want, I buy it. I visit bookstores and like you, always end up buying at least one book. I’m now on a ban and so far, so good. I’m trying to read away the piles (and piles and piles) of unread books. It’s a great feeling to finish your own books :)
Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted…Review 187. George R.R. Martin – A game of thrones.
Bargains are the absolute WORST for me. When I see books that are 10% off, I’m like OMG 10% OFF. A STEAL! and immediately buys it. My poor wallet. D:
Good luck with your ban! I wish I had that much self control.
Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [47]