I have a touch of bibliomania. At last count (which was this morning, starting at around 5am, because I couldn't sleep), I have 1,037 books in my house that I haven't read. Haven't. Read. I moved into this apartment three years ago with only 200 books I had read. Since then, I have been gathering books like a crazy little red book squirrel, apparently storing them for when I have years of free time to read. I admit I have a problem - and that problem is the most awesome problem you can have! *high five*My apartment is now like a tiny bookstore. Every few weeks I introduce the newest books into the stacks, most likely to be forgotten for a while. My next read usually ends up being the last book I brought home. Many times, I have accidentally purchased a book I already own. But it's a delight to go over the shelves and look at all the shiny books, waiting to be picked. It's a great habit, if you can get it.
Some numbers, at a quick glance:
-1, 037 unread books
- 486 are nonfiction titles
- 297 are hardcover
- 187 are advanced reading copies
- 78 are for young readers
- 45 are by authors I met on Twitter
- 28 have the word 'murder' in the title
- 23 feature vampires
- 19 have cats on the cover
- 17 have the word 'girl' in the title
- 13 have the word 'city' in the title
- 7 have the word 'tattoo' in the title
- 7 feature zombies
- 6 feature Abraham Lincoln, in some capacity
- 5 I bought to impress @bookavore
- 4 feature superheroes
- 4 feature pirates
- 3 feature ninjas
Imagine how much reading I could have done in the time it took to count all that? Does anyone else have it this bad?
Oh, Miss Liberty, how guilty I once felt about all the books, read and unread, lying around the house! Like Carrie Bradshaw realizing she'd amassed the equivalent of a down payment on an apartment on her shoe collection.
ReplyDeleteBut I worked my way past the angst, and now I just tell myself that books are my decorating theme. While other women in my neighborhood waste their time and money matching colors and fabrics, I just stack books everywhere. Saves a fortune in bookcases, and distracts observers from the stains on the upholstery. Everyone's a winner!
Ooo I'm green with envy. My book pile is sad in comparison. I've been trying to resell books after I read them. Of course the money is put towards more books, but I'm trying. Some books one can never part with. Read and reread, put on the shelve like trophies to savor the joy of the story they told.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting rid of almost 200 books, and that will still leave me with about 600 books by my estimation. *high five*
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I find this incredibly beautiful. I would love to be surrounded so.
ReplyDeletePlease ignore the previous comment and replace it with the following:
ReplyDelete"Why did you take a picture of the inside of your closet. Oh, wait, that's your apartment? My bad."
LOL Love that you have those numbers! I only have one bookshelf of unread non-fiction books (and probably half of my fictions books are unread). I'm trying to read them, but every time I pick one up, another book calls to me and I have to buy or borrow it!
ReplyDeletePerhaps you should punish yourself...every day that goes by without you reading one of the ones you already have, you have to get rid of one of unreads!