Book Buying Addicts Anonymous discussion

Chandler wrote: "I have so many books that I haven't read on my bookshelf, but I can't stop buying books! It's ridiculous. I need serious help, hahaha"

Is that a bad thing :)

Chandler wrote: "I have so many books that I haven't read on my bookshelf, but I can't stop buying books! It's ridiculous. I need serious help, hahaha"

I feel your pain, Chandler! I have soooo many books just sitting in piles around my house waiting to be read, and what do I do every single week several times? Go to Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart looking to buy more books, and buy at least one on my many trips.

*Shaking head while mentally scolding myself*

It's a good thing we have this group to come and air our book laundry too! LOL

I have the same problem. Do they make medication for this ailment?

New to the group. Just thought I would air my dirty laundry. I can relate to all the comments I read so far. I have many books in my "library" that I have yet to read. Been on a bit of a buying rush the past few days. Friday I bought 7 books at the used book store and last night came home with 4 from Barnes & Nobles.

Hi, My name is Jaime, and I am a book hoarder...Happy Reading!

Hi! I'm Rhys..and I've been buying books and this addiction, I doubt, if curable.. :)

I am new to this group and I am a book addict! I have so many books that I have to read on my bookshelf, but I keep bringing more home. Every time I pass our local UBS I hear it calling my name and have to stop. The employees know me by name now!! LOL
I ALWAYS leave with at least 2 books or more. I keep buying and I know that I should finish what I already have before buying anymore, but I just can't!

Welcome to the club Audrey! I am the same way I have piles all over my room of books that I have bought or have been given that I still need to read, yet I STILL buy more! But it's a good addiction to have right!:)

Susan (Suz) wrote: "Welcome to the club Audrey! I am the same way I have piles all over my room of books that I have bought or have been given that I still need to read, yet I STILL buy more! But it's a good addicti..."

Yes, it is a very good addiction to have! Does anyones elses heart race and blood start REALLY pumping when they are in a book store or is that just me?? LOL

Oh Susan, you have me pegged! Ever heard the old saying "like a kid in a candy store." Well that applies to me when I see a bookstore. My heart pumps faster and I am just so excited to see what treasure I can find! I'd much rather book shop than clothes shop and I love clothes too.

I so feel you Rene!!!! I actually went into one of my fav bookstores the other day but couldn't really find anything that I had to have, what is up with THAT! I felt pressured tho cuz we were waiting for a movie, so that might have been the problem, but I actually walked out with out a book! *hangs head in shame*

Suz, I do understand about being pressured in a bookstore. I like to spend HOURS not just minutes. If nothing more than to say, "I've read that" and "I've got this one." Pure bliss. My daughter, who is a college sophomore at UNC-CH, jokes that she was lovingly raised in libraries and bookstores. I just beam with pride when she tells that! It has always been one of our favorite places to go.

Yep totally! And I love to look for the bargains so it takes awhile! The bookstore I frequent sells new and used and it's HUGE! So it's so much fun to just go thru my fav sections and pull out my notebook and try to figure out what i have, what I need, what they have used, etc... so much fun!

I am new and I need an intervention...lol. I have books in 2 states and even had to rent a storage unit because they were taking over my apartment. I've come to the conclusion that it's a form of shopping addiction that I justify on the grounds that
1) I usually buy or trade only for used books
2) It's not vain, like buying clothes, shoes, make-up, etc.

o yay - so glad that i found this group. now i no longer feel like a freak :) i can't help myself - i love books so much. i ran out of money on 28 dec because i spent too much on buying books!! had to borrow money to make it through to the next pay day. now i refuse to go into or even walk past a book shop because otherwise i see all these lovely beautiful books & they want to come home with me - how can i just leave them in the store? at the moment i have about 150 books that are unread - have decided i can only buy new books once i have read these 150 books. it is so hard though cause i see a review or some one says how nice a book is & then i want to have it!! eish!

Welcome to the group Bluemoon, you are definitely in the right place :)

How fun to find a group as addicted to books as I! I have about 2,000 books in my apartment and several hundred more in storage.

Yvensong wrote: "How fun to find a group as addicted to books as I! I have about 2,000 books in my apartment and several hundred more in storage. "

Wow! I'm impressed! Now I don't feel as bad about how many I have.

Hi, my name is Tiffany, and I have a book buying problem!

I am so glad that I am not alone in my book buying problems. I actually used to do a lot through my local library - then I moved to a town with a library that isn't very well stocked, costs me $2.50/book to send them to the library and I can't keep them. I don't think so. If I spend money on a book I wanna show it off. Now the problem is - I love shopping for books, but can't read them as fast as I buy them...
Someday! ;)

Tiffany wrote: "Hi, my name is Tiffany, and I have a book buying problem!

I am so glad that I am not alone in my book buying problems. I actually used to do a lot through my local library - then I moved to a town..."

I'm right there with you! Buying books faster than I read them, and just can't seem to stop.

Add me to the club of buying them way faster than reading them. My TBR piles are shocking.

*Waves to Michelle* - thought about you when I was at McKay's yesterday. :)

LooLoo wrote: "Add me to the club of buying them way faster than reading them. My TBR piles are shocking.

*Waves to Michelle* - thought about you when I was at McKay's yesterday. :)"


Hey LooLoo! McKay's is so bad for my bank account. I can't drive by without stopping. I don't how I survived before I lived near a used bookstore, lol!

Susan (Suz) wrote: "Yep totally! And I love to look for the bargains so it takes awhile! The bookstore I frequent sells new and used and it's HUGE! So it's so much fun to just go thru my fav sections and pull out m..."

a note book,[slap forehead:] that's genius. I recently re-bought a book I didn't know I had. I need to do that.

Yay, I am not alone! Hi, I am Toni, book buying addict and I am powerless over buying them. I seriously cannot stop. This website does not help because I always find 10 other books I just have to have. It is ridiculous. I wish I could read faster (and I am a pretty fast reader) because I want to read so many at the same time!!!
The library does not work for me either really because I end up wanting to buy most of those too. I get a high off of buying books, being in a bookstore, remembering I have some on the way in the mail etc...
I need to exercise moderation in my book buying but not sure how. :)

Toni:
Sorry, but there is no help here. We are all like you! I love bookstores! I love searching on line for books and reading reviews. I love goodreads. I love owning books!

No you are NOT alone!!!!

I felt really bad today when my mother came into my living room and asked me why I have so many books. Considering the ones in my living room are only the books I haven't read and not my enteire collection I felt a bit shamefaced. Thank goodness for this group! I don't feel as alone anymore.

I am exactly the same way. Luckily, my husband indulges my book-buying ways. I can't stop buying books. There's just something about them. *sigh* It's a beautiful thing. Thank God there are others out there just like me!

Big book sale coming up in two weeks. It last for 3 1/2 days. The last day end as a paper bag sale- whatever fits in bag for several dollars- the day before is half price day. Most paperbacks on that day go for 35 to 75 cents!

Ilean wrote: "Big book sale coming up in two weeks. It last for 3 1/2 days. The last day end as a paper bag sale- whatever fits in bag for several dollars- the day before is half price day. Most paperbacks on th..."

Ilean! You can't tempt us with that and not tell us where it is! lol

Belleville, Il - 15 min or so east of St Louis, Mo. Proceeds benifit Belleville Mem. Hospital.

I just got the NOOK yesterday. Now I can shop for more books at 3 AM in my jammies if I so desire. Maybe that is not such a good idea for a book buying addict. Oh by the way, I downloaded THE QUEEN'S GOVERNESS by Karen Harper -- I just couldn't resist.

Oh, I am nodding in agreement to all your posts.!! I love spending hours in the book store going over and over books. and I love doing the 'got it, read it, ordered it' its so satisfying... thank god there are so many other people with the same addiction, I feel better now..

I too agree with much of what is said here. My books are taking over my house! I am going to have to turn a bedroom into a library full of shelves for all the books I have! I love them and have a hard time parting with them once I have bought them!

I know exactly what you mean.. I just got on Borders.com; my favorite authors have new books coming out- 30-46%off if I buy online so how could I not get them lol BUT now my bank account is really low. I know when they come out I'll be first in line to get them anyway so at least this way it's cheaper to get them

you are so right.. I'd usually rather have a good book than a good meal

I think so too Bluemoon.

Barnes & Noble's Clearance Sale is the devil. I've been hooked by them twice this month, but I just can't help myself. Who can pass up brand new books for $1.99 each? So what if I haven't touched the 11 I bought the 1st time around?

I hear you Shannon! I recently attended the American Library Association national conference and came home with 6 boxes of books!! Many were free but they also had many books deeply discounted and I just could not resist!

Lisa wrote: "I hear you Shannon! I recently attended the American Library Association national conference and came home with 6 boxes of books!! Many were free but they also had many books deeply discounted an..."

Wow! I need to go to the next one! LOL! I can't even stop planning to buy books.

You people are sick. Get a life. I am soooo tired of my wife making excuse after excuse about her book addiction that ..... ahhh..... none of you care. She can justify getting them, she tries to hide them, she makes excuses cuz she got this one for my mother, this one for our grandson.... and she thinks I won't see the new pile of books on the floor of her car she just picked up at another freeking sale. Maybe I should go out and start buying lighter fluid. And you people think it is funny.

everytime I have money to spend I always buy books or stuff for my dog, But I mostly buy books.

Mark wrote: You people are sick. Get a life. I am soooo tired of my wife making excuse after excuse about her book addiction that ..... ahhh..... none of you care...

Did this guy become a member of Goodreads just so he could bitch at us? That' a bit extreme.

Tayla36 wrote: "Mark wrote: You people are sick. Get a life. I am soooo tired of my wife making excuse after excuse about her book addiction that ..... ahhh..... none of you care...

Did this guy become a member o..."

it seems so. maybe he should find a good book if he needs entertainment.

I was wondering the same thing. After all, a book addiction isn't as bad as most other addiction. Maybe Mark needs to get a life.

Hey Mark, be grateful it's books she's addicted to, not drugs. Those suckers cost a whole lot more!

And Sue, Mark may very well need to get a life, but more importantly his wife needs to get a new man!

Jenny:)

I'm very addicted, but thankfully have a loving Fiancee who understands that at least I'm not out at bars! I'm high-tech with my buying, though. I have an Iphone with the Amazon.com app so I can access my wish list from where ever I may be. I love wandering through B&N, Borders or a used book store with my Iphone checking to see how much it would cost me to have the book I'm interested in shipped to me, used. I pretend that it saves money. The only bad part is I can also see how much I've spent on books through Amazon this year already...gulp!

This old duck's got high tech too, Kristopher: I've got me a lurvey new iPad and will very shortly be buying e-books. The only reason I bought the pad was so I would hopefully spend less on books. A lot of new releases I've seen so far, though, aren't quite as cheap as I'd hoped. If I'm going to outlay $20, I may as well buy a print book, I reckon.

Jenny:)

That's what stinks about E-books, Jenny. I've got the Kindle app on my Iphone, and the cost for the new books is usually right in the same neighborhood as the cost for print books. I like the tactile sensation of reading a print book, anyhow, so I'm going to stick with them for the forseeable future. Check out the free books for the Kindle app, though. You can get a lot of classic books for free, or close to it.

Jenny, you may be right. But then, my DH and I support each other's (healthy) addictions. He never says I have too many books and I turned him loose in Cabela's (sporting goods) to let him by stuff for fishing on Father's Day.

I do have a Kindle that I like traveling with, but when I am at home I much prefer a book in hand. I don't see books ever going away...in fact I think book buying is on the rise with the economy where it is. Many people can't afford to travel, so they lose themselves in a book instead.

I'm kinda hooked on the feel and smell or actual books too, Kristopher. Plus, an e-book sort of doesn't really exist, does it? I mean, accidentally delete it and there's nothing left, no sign that it ever existed. OMG I'm going all Matrix-y now!

Sue - if other half loves fishing, that's great! If he ever gets cranky overy your book buying, all you have to do is drag him into a sporting goods shop and he'll soon forget what you spent.

Jenny:)