Hi, my name is Heather and I’m a book hoarder.
There, I’ve said it. The first step is admitting you have a problem. Mine (well, one of mine) is that I’m a book hoarder. I love to read but I also love to buy books. There are times when I’m taken over by a compelling need to go to the book store and pick up some new books. I could be in the middle of reading a book that I love and don’t want to put down, but the need to buy new books completely takes over. My “to read” pile is ever-growing – last count of the books I will actually read is about 15 (this is not counting the books I’ve bought and are in my I’m never going to read but I’m not getting rid of them pile). I’ve even gone so far as to buy books that I already have, not realizing my error until a few days later when I go to read the book and it strikes me that I already have this book, and read it! Thankfully, this has only happened about three times. I’m also not a fan of lending my books out. I’m a bit OCD in terms of keeping a book in as nice of condition as I can. I don’t dog ear the pages, if I have a paperback, I make every effort to not bend the spine, I don’t mark pages I love. I’m compelled to keep the book looking nice and new, just like it was when I brought it home.
I’m not a e-book person. I do think e-books are great and I truly see the lure of them and how much easier it would be to travel with one. I just love an actual book – the look, the feel, the smell, all wonderfully addicting. I love seeing the print an author chooses to use, the look of the paper the book is printed on, the weight of a good long book in my hands. All of these give cause to possess books and to buy more. I was at the book store just the other day and left regretting I only bought two. The other three I didn’t pick up are calling my name right now, begging to be taken home. I know I’ll be back again on Tuesday when another new book comes out that I just need to have. Certainly, I’ll be compelled to buy at least one of the three that are screaming for a new home.
As far as addictions go, my guess is this is a good one to have. I hope one day to have a library in my home for all my books rather than having massive piles of books in various rooms. Until then, I’ll keep on buying with the hopes that one day I’ll catch up with my “to read” pile.
Anyone else out there a book hoarder? Have you ever bought a book you already have? Do you have the need to keep books in pristine condition?
thedailyopine 
I too am a book hoarder… My boyfriend recently bought me a kindle and I love it. BUT there is this super huge flaw in it’s system. I can want any book in the world and its basically at my fingertips. Great right! Yes. I download it… consume it and then it sits…. never to be touched again on a digital bookshelf. Well that seems pretty wasteful because when I started my book addiction… I made a deal with myself that if I buy the book, I must share it afterwards with someone that will love it as much as I did. This cuts down on the collection of books because you and I both know I’m not getting 80% of them back. Also, it encourages reading which I love. HOWEVER, I can not simply pluck my book out of cyberspace to lend to someone else. Maybe one day…. but not right now. The other problem I have is I have no use for the book store. I loved the book store so… and now it sits at my fingertips no feeling of wonderment lurks in amazon marketplace…. the only big plus sides to this kindle is that I can carry a stack of books with me when I travel without loading down my bag and I can read at night in the car, in bed, etc without the light on!
I can see how letting a book sit in the virtual libary would be easy to do. No pile staring at you. Ease of travel is a definite upside to an e-reader. Maybe one day I’ll come around.
Hopefully the lending will become a better process. Some books you can lend out which is nice but I have yet to find one! Oh the other thing I really like about it is the ability to preview a book before you buy. Very nice feature. Includes comments and reviews from other readers. I tend to rely on goodreads.com. Very good site! If you haven’t found it check it out! It has a shelf you can put down what you have read, would like to read, and gives you recommendations off of those. It might help your hoarding problem. That way there are all there so you don’t forget what you want! One last thing is that the classics are free to very cheap to download. Until they go for a book/movie remake…. then they get back on the expensive side. This suggestion probably won’t help much but I just checked out book mooch.com and I seem to have better books than most of the people on there but it might be worth a look. You post what you have. They post what they have. You send a book. You get a credit. They send a book to you… you loose a credit and gain a book. It only cost you shipping. Which for media mail through the usps…. isn’t bad.
I’ve perused goodreads but haven’t spent much time on it. Sounds like it might be worth more of a look. Thanks for the suggestions!
I’m definitely a book hoarder! I’m addicted to buying books, but thankfully only used books. I bought the last 4 books in a series I love but still haven’t got a chance to read them. Yet I just bought more books. It’s rather annoying and I’ve actually pledged not to buy any more books until I’ve finished my 30+ book reading pile. There really needs to be a Book Hoarders Anonymous program or something.
Book hoarders anonymous – great idea! 30 + to read pile is pretty impressive.
It’s actually terrible, but I know what you mean. 😉
I’m not a book hoarder. I like to borrow from the library to avoid the clutter. I’m OCD about some things but hoarding books not one of them. 🙂
I’ve borrowed books from friends but if I end up really liking the book, I’ll go out and buy it. Truly a sickness :-).
I am exactly the same, right down to the OCD of keeping a book pristine, the idea that people buy a new book and enjoy cracking the spine when they open it gives me shivers, lol! 🙂 I have around 170 books on my to read pile right now, I am a massive book hoarder. :S