Book Buying Addicts Anonymous discussion

I sometimes sneak Amazon packages past my husband, or take the book(s) out of the bag and casually carry them to my home library...
Not that he doesn't want me to buy books (just not so many) or that I don't have my own money (and he's into model aeroplanes), I just kindda want to avoid comments...

A colleague of my husbands bought huge amounts of books on auctions, and kept all the boxes of books in his office, and then smuggled one or two home each day. (His wife - I must admit a little rightfully - thought they didn't have room for more books, and was afraid the floor would collapse). THEN one day he and my husband came out from a meeting, and the woman in the reception told them, that the man's wife had dropped by (which she never usually did), and was waiting in his office...

Nah, I am deeply uncomfortable hiding anything from someone I live with. Besides, I don't feel guilty at all about my book buying habit. :p

But I do try to do my best about finding space to store my books to avoid too much clutter, even if that means putting old ones in the basement or under chest of drawers.

Only everytime I return from the bookstore... I'm also running into the problem of finding shelve space for my wonderful finds... over half of my collection is unfortunatly in storage due to lack of shelves... at last count my library has over 1100 books, but I'm so far behind in entering them into my library database I created that only roughly 400 are entered. I need a house and more time to read... =(

I couldn't hide them from a spouse either. Then again, I also don't think my fiance would tell me I couldn't buy any more books either (especially since I usually get them supercheap at thrift shops or the library's annual summer sale, so I rarely pay full price.)

I don't, I used to when I was a kid because I would starve myself to just buy new books. My mother hated that fact and thought she's a bad influence -- she reads just as much as I do... These days, since I got my own cash, I just brought it into the house without thinking twice. But, my mom still hides her books. Well, the new ones that I bought for her at least -- she hadn't bought anything new for herself... She usually hide 'em because my stepfather isn't a big fan of 'wasting' money on books. He's too much of a sensible person and honestly, have no hobbies and/or collection for himself. I find it amusing how my mother would pretend she had the book for ages. Heck, just because my stepfather (he's a nice person really) doesn't like it when we buy too many new books (I can really see why he doesn't, we have too many books in the first place), doesn't mean I'd stop buying 'em for myself and for my mother ^^

Nah, never hidden book purchases. No need to do that.

i haven't necessarily hidden the purchase... but I have downplayed them and sort of "slipped" them in like they had always been there ;)

Well, my hubs pays the bills, so he knows what I buy, but that doesn't stop me from ripping open my boxes as soon as they plop on my doorstep and rushing off to read them like they've been on the shelves for decades.

I never hide my book purchases......I like to see my husband roll his eyes!!!!

Jill wrote: "I never hide my book purchases......I like to see my husband roll his eyes!!!!"
lol

Lol! I thought I was the only one having this thought, especially when I just bought few (ahem ahem) few days prior. But he'll just narrow his knowing eyes with 'is that new?' So, basically, im always caught. ;-)

Jill wrote: "I never hide my book purchases......I like to see my husband roll his eyes!!!!"

My stepfather just shook his head lol... My mom would be making faces... It's always funny to watch 'em agree to disagree.

I too am smuggling my books in the house when my husband is not there and hurry to get the post-slip notification before he gets home. He knows I own/read a lot of books, but I believe he'd become nuts if he knew how many books I'm still buying while having over 100 books unread in the bookcase.

I have certainly done this and I am not proud of myself. My mom gets on my case a lot about it so I try to get into the mailbox first when I order something from Amazon. I try to hide online purchases from my parents in general but it's not always easy to do.

I'm ashamed at the huge amount of unread books I have and the fact that I keep on buying more and adding to the pile.

I have stopped announcing my purchases, but the only person I still "hide" them from is myself. I can't face how many unread books I've got laying around, so I'll keep my newer purchases in the bags or in my purse until they don't feel new anymore.

When I was younger, I was addicted to Rurouni Kenshin, which is a manga series I still adore today. Unfortunately, the series is rated T+ for older teens, so I used to hide the backs of the volumes from my parents.

I live alone, so the only one I have trouble with is my cat (he hates to hear the doorbell, which UPS rings upon leaving a package). Growing up, I was fortunate to have parents who indulged my love of reading to the fullest. I can remember getting books as a reward for a good test grade or report card. Since I was an honor roll student, I made out pretty well on the book acquisition front.

Jill wrote: "I never hide my book purchases......I like to see my husband roll his eyes!!!!"

Yep, mine rolls his eyes and giggles as he carries them in for me.

Yes I have, I recently purchase 6 books and I have them hidden in plain sight.

The best thing about buying Kindle books is that there's no visible evidence on the front porch!

But I love tangible books. I certainly don't always call book purchases to my husband's attention, but I've never hidden a book purchase from him unless it was a gift for him. Having said that, I am about to lose my job so during the time when I am not earning any money I am determined to be very disciplined about the way I spend.

I openly ask(demand) for donations for my books, so I'm pretty open about my purchases and since my parents own the money I can't freely, buy books when ever I feel like it. le sigh~

Nope he has his things like spending money on cigs and playing in his pool leauges I have my reading:)

Lately my reading has picked up and I have been buying many more books. I haven't really told him about the books that I have purchased. He knows that I've bought one, but since I've told him, I've bought about 6/7 more books which I haven't told him about :). I suppose he's just lucky I didnt get down to the thrift store today...but there is always tomorrow :D

It's hard to hide all the 50 some books I've bought in the month of February and my boyfriend has commented on them taking up so much space. I don't have too many things so my books just take up space I'm already entitled to and leaving him with no argument :P

I never felt the need, i have a book problem so does my father brothers keep buying cars, mum kitchen tools and pillows soo we al have our problems haha makes it all very easy

When I am out and in a bookstore (or more than one) then either I come home so late at night that anybody can see how many books I really bought or I carry them hidden in my big backpack - books are the reason it has to be big :P
It's not that my family hates books but when I come home and they see me with my new books or see me reading a book they tell me not to waste all my time on them. Those comments are annoying so I only show my new books to my sisters who sometimes are allowed to read one of them even befor I read it, and friends, who don't understand why I buy and read so many books, but they have their computergames so I can have my books :)

I am so glad to see I'm not the only one! Haha! Whenever he busts me and gives me crap about it, I just mention that I could go back to buying expensive shoes, and he quiets down in a hurry!

I used to hide all my book purchases. Or lie about how much it really cost me. Lol I don't have to anymore though. And if I live with anyone in the future they're going to have to be okay with it from the beginning.

Everytime I buy a book at Walmart I hide it from my dad lol. Because he wants me to be responsible with my money, and I doubt he'll think buying a few books with my paycheck is responsible. Oh well :)

I have so many books that he can't keep track of them all. So when I get new books I put them with the others before he can see me walk in with them. lol He won't say anything though, he'd just roll his eyes. He doesn't understand how anyone can just sit and read.

I use that technique although my daughter is a lot more observant than my husband was :( Also, the books on Kindle of course are easier to track.
Although this may slow me down a bit but it hardly stops me.

I don't think I could ever get a Kindle or Nook. I love to smell pooks and hold them too much. I also like seeing them lined up on the shelves not on a list on a machine. I'm kinda OCD I guess.

You know what, he is pretty observant! Maybe he DOES notice and just doesn't say anything?! He knows I'm "thrifty" and don't spend money on make up, clothes, or getting my hair or nails done. So maybe he's okay with it?
He is having trouble understanding just how BIG of a book case I'm going to need. Most of my books are at my parents, they are gonna bring them up in a few weeks, so when those books get here he might change his mind on being okay with my books. hehehe

I don't necessarily hide them, but I don't announce them either. I just very quietly try to slip them into a spot on the bookshelf and hope he doesn't notice. :)

Jennifer wrote: "I don't necessarily hide them, but I don't announce them either. I just very quietly try to slip them into a spot on the bookshelf and hope he doesn't notice. :)"

EXACTLY! No need blowing a trumpet and announcing a new books arival! lol Okay I just pictured that in my head.

Shannon wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "I don't necessarily hide them, but I don't announce them either. I just very quietly try to slip them into a spot on the bookshelf and hope he doesn't notice. :)"

EXACTLY! No need blowing a trumpet and announcing a new books arival! lol Okay I just pictured that in my head...."

Shannon, I know there's no need, but for some reason, even though I know it's going to get them nagging, I just love to announce a new addition to my library. :-)

Joseph wrote: "Shannon, I know there's no need, but for some reason, even though I know it's going to get them nagging, I just love to announce a new addition to my library. :-) ..."

Sounds like someone likes to instagate! (I have never seen that word printed anywhere. And I'm too lazy to look it up, so if it's spelled wrong it's spelled wrong.)

Nadiyah wrote: "Shannon wrote: "
they ask any further questions, i hit them with my tolkien collection and run off. (..."

That should definitely teach them

Hilary wrote: "i haven't necessarily hidden the purchase... but I have downplayed them and sort of "slipped" them in like they had always been there ;)"

Yeah, I do that all the time! Actually, just today I came home with two books from a fund-raiser that immediately went into the pile of Harry Potter books that were on my table, I walked away quite nonchalantly if I do say so myself. But my mam did notice a little bit later, when asking me to take them upstairs. They only cost me a pound together though, so I didn't get the 'look'

I am so happy to find out I am not alone in my book buying/hiding addiction! Can't tell you how many times I have gotten the mail, opened up new book order and then stacked them somewhere so when I finally grab one to start reading and am asked by my husband if that's a new book I can say "Nope, I've had it for a while.".

Thats funny this comes up, because when I take up reading, I usually buy books on Ebay or Amazon.I buy many at a time and my husband always says its like Christmas for me cuz of all the packages in the mail.LOL!

Nadiyah wrote: LOL!!! When my family moved my mother packed all my books.."

My parents are coming up in 2 weeks and they are bringing SOME of my books. I'm trying to explain to him just how BIG the bookcase needs to be and he's not understanding me. He said 4 feet long by 3 feet high should be pleanty big. I said, that won't even hold all my Stephen King books. he said Oh sh*t! He'll finally understand just how BIG the book case needs to be when my parents start unloading box after box after box of my books. Then of course I'll want it twice the size I need for new books! lol

I most certainly do. My parents just can't tolerate spending time n cash at novels. I m supposed to study fat engg. buks. They actually come to know wen i hung on them for an eternity. Nd they scold(wid a smile)

vard wrote: "The best thing about buying Kindle books is that there's no visible evidence on the front porch!

But I love tangible books. I certainly don't always call book purchases to my husband's attention, ..."

I am really sorry to hear aout your job good luck finding a new one

I do a bit of both - can't hide the post as always arrives whist at work and so parents know.

Any I buy in the shop if my daughter is not there I try and wait till she is distracted so can bring it in or she will call attention to my bags and thuis purchases.
Parents give up on saying anything apart from the occasional " there somany "stuff" in your roo how are we going to move everything and change carpets

Nope, but it's not like I'd have a hard time hiding it if I wanted to, seeing as how my bookshelves are full to bursting.

I have to hide my book bought outside Philippines or else my parents will push me to a creek and I'll die with my books. Haha.

Kwesi 章英狮 wrote: "I have to hide my book bought outside Philippines or else my parents will push me to a creek and I'll die with my books. Haha."

why?

Afsana, they don't like me to buy books outside the Philippines, it was expensive because of the shipping fee. Haha.

I have to hide mine, because my mum would frog march me back to the shop and make me get a refund back. So I hide them in my bag or in my car untill I can safely get them in and under my desk, where all my unread books are (I cant get my legs under anymore)

The shop assistants all know to say havn't been in if my mum goes in and asks. (which she does) I may be 22 next week but my mum would still give me a good slap for the amount of money I spend on books.