Erm, I Think I Might Have a Book Problem...


We always kick start the new year with a thorough tidying up, especially our respective studies. Mine's still a work in progress because things have got even more out of hand than usual. This pile of books was rescued from various corners and is awaiting a new home somewhere. That's not counting the enormous pile by the side of my bed either. Nor the box of 6 which arrived from Amazon on Monday (thank you Premium Bonds).

We bought Billy last year to cope with a similar sized problem, but he's full now. NAH's adamant I can't have a giant new bookcase on the landing even though there's loads of room for one. All the other bookcases are full to collapsing point. I feel like part of me goes out the door when I get rid of a book, even if I'm donating it to charity, so I've only managed a measly 7 for that particular pile. Even so, they're threatening to play hide and seek back into the house whilst I'm not looking.

Hmm, what am I to do?

My name is VP and I'm a bookaholic...

Comments

  1. Hermes25 January 2009 at 13:04

    I know the feeling I have books everywhere but realised I have a problem when a grossly overloaded bookcase collapsed on me during the week. Still there are worse addictions.

    ReplyDelete
  2. petoskystone25 January 2009 at 13:06

    my wish list is embarassing at this point (on amazon). having only a room (boarding) at this point has forced some economy. only a few hundred books now. but i bet i can squeeze a few dozens more into what i have (keeping in mind that the only physics i practice is how far a shelf can sway before it breaks!) :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous25 January 2009 at 13:08

    I sympathise but thankfully I'm a readaholic but not a bookaholic.
    At any one time I'm usually reading several books but I actually keep very few. Most go to the local Barnardos's charity bookshop.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Susan Tomlinson25 January 2009 at 13:33

    Ha! Don't look to me for a solution to your problem--I have my own book troubles that, coincidentally, I need to start dealing with today...:-D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Carol Michel25 January 2009 at 15:48

    As someone who also has a lot of books, I don't think you have a book problem... I think you have a storage of books problem!

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rose25 January 2009 at 17:32

    Welcome to the club, VP! I have tried in the past year to check more books out of the library, saving purchases only for books I really, really want. Even so, the shelves are stuffed. I'm just waiting for youngest Daughter to move out, so I can put in more bookshelves:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous25 January 2009 at 18:45

    So am I but I'm seriously thinking of having a cull - cutting out the weak, damaged and never to be looked at again books. I will harden my heart.
    Then I will have space for some new ones!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Helen/patientgardener25 January 2009 at 18:54

    I think this is contagious. I wasnt too bad before I started blogging but I have definately caught this addiction - not sure if its from you or GM. I acquired 6 new gardening books over Christmas and there have been others that I'm not going to count in the months before.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous25 January 2009 at 19:43

    lol - I think Carol has hit the nail on the head - definitely a storage problem Shedman despairs of my book (storage) problem. Bookshelves first on the to do list when the walls have dried out.
    K

    ReplyDelete
  10. Unknown25 January 2009 at 19:47

    How about starting up a book swap :)

    Oh... and hands up everyone who has had a bookcase fall on them!

    Me! Me!

    ReplyDelete
  11. CanadianGardenJoy25 January 2009 at 19:49

    VP .. I'm still laughing over Skimble being a "sleeping partner" in the company .. but what was Jess doing all this time ? .. taking kitty notes ?? LOL
    The book thing .. well .. I have some hidden in drawers .. some under the bed .. lots in the proper book shelf .. but, hum ? what do you do when you don't want to give them up .... and by some strange activity they seem to be multiplying ?? like bunnies ??? LOL

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anna25 January 2009 at 21:24

    Same addiction here VP ! My bookshelves have curved with the strain. After our last house move twenty odd years ago himself said never again, unless I get rid of some of my books. I am trying to be more restrained now and I am parting with some of them. I know that I have not looked at some of them for years, but it is still hard ..........

    ReplyDelete
  13. Juliet25 January 2009 at 23:42

    I agree with Carol :-D

    Strangely enough, I was thinking of doing a post about book addiction too, at some point (though knowing me it will probably be March by the time I get around to it) - do you mind, as you got there first?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Gail26 January 2009 at 03:32

    Just as sure as I give away a book that is the very one I need...so I stopped giving them away! Gail

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nutty Gnome26 January 2009 at 09:39

    Having spent a large part of yesterday attempting (- and failing miserably) to sort out books to give away, pass on to charity shops or whatever, I sympathise. I got so distracted by books I'd forgotten I'd got that I ended up sitting reading instead of sorting.....ho hum!

    ReplyDelete
  16. VP26 January 2009 at 11:46

    Hi everyone thanks for your comments - it's so great to see I'm not alone in my book addiction and have your sympathy!

    Carol, Karen and Juliet have been particularly helpful in telling me I don't have a book problem, it's quite sensible to have an overflow of books, it's storage that's the real problem :)

    As for falling bookcases Muppet - take heed at what Hermes has said already and it also happened to me only yesterday! A bookswap's an idea worth considering, though I'm worried by Gail's observation that giving away a book means it's likely to be the one you need next!

    And I can't harden my heart EG - for even books I know are rubbish. If only I could have a similar attitude as you Flighty! And yes, PG it is contagious and dangerous to look at blogs like mine and GM's.

    And yes, Nutty Gnome (a hearty welcome and thanks for following BTW), reading instead of tidying is one of the reasons why I haven't completed my new year's tidy up project yet.

    I am aiming to join a library so that I only buy the outstanding books I find, rather than everything. That should help to reduce the problem to more manageable proportions. Though yes Joy, I do think they multiply by themselves too!

    As for my current problem, I'm now looking at it more laterally to see what could be stored elsewehere to free up some space in my study so that I can place the new Billy we bought on Friday to house all those books you can see on my chair, the ones by my bed etc. etc.

    As for everyone else who's commented (Petoskystone, Susan, Rose and Anna) - thanks and happy book reading!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Juliet26 January 2009 at 20:11

    We were very good and took 8 books to the Oxfam bookshop today.

    We then had a wander round the other charity shops.

    We came home with 11 books.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Benjamin Vogt27 January 2009 at 03:53

    Bookaholic? I must get 1-2 every week from Amazon or its indie sellers who piggyback on the site. You know what we need to be now? Bookshelfaholics. My floor is a mess.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen27 January 2009 at 12:01

    LOL, you are not alone that much is clear. I don't think I got rid of a book, ever. Once it's mine it's for keeps, even bad ones. There are humongous bookcases in my livingroom and study (yes, all Billy) and even one in the cat room. I'm fast running out of bookstorage space. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Linda29 January 2009 at 15:54

    You know it's bad when you're on first-name terms with an item of IKEA furniture. Billy has also moved in with us recently, but he's camping out in the hall just now while his permanent quarters are prepared for him.

    ReplyDelete
  21. VP2 February 2009 at 17:30

    Juliet - that made me laugh so much as it's the kind of thing I'd do. Were the 'new' books thicker too?

    Benjamin - welcome! So's my floor. I think Alex at Shedworking can help us though, I seem to remember he has a sister blog all about bookshelves :)

    Yolanda - I find it so hard to part with books - even the ones I hated. I've been eying up som more Billys - for that landing that's out of bounds...

    Lindab - Billy's always stuck in my mind as it makes me giggle every time I open the IKEA catalogue!

    ReplyDelete

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