Let’s Talk Bookish – Buying Too Many Books

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

April 21: Buying More Books than You Can Read (Laura @ Life Love Read)

Prompts: Do you buy a lot of books? Do you read all of the books you buy right away? Or do you buy more books than you can read? How do you choose which books you buy? 

Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! The weather has been a rollercoaster recently but I think spring is coming…kind of. Today’s topic is, I’m sure, quite the relatable one, but I think I know what most people are going to say already—that our bookshelves are all overflowing and that we are mostly moving to non-traditional media like e-books and audiobooks. Let’s see if I’m right!

I don’t generally buy a lot of books. But that is not for want of trying. If I had the funds and the space, I think I would always go to bookstore and buy books. I’ve recently really enjoyed going to old/used bookstores and looking for little treasures there too. It is honestly so hard to resist, but I think I already have way too many books, so I definitely have to remember to pace myself, which I do!

I do usually read books that I buy right away, because I bought them for that very purpose. However, books I receive as gifts might take some time to get to. Or if I buy (gasp) multiple books at once, that can take me some time. But if I end up buying the occasional book, it’s usually to satisfy a curiosity right away, which usually means instant reading session.

I usually limit myself to one book that I really want at a time. But if there’s a good sale, like those $5-$6 books…it’s just so hard to resist sometimes. There are a few classics out there I haven’t read yet, and those are usually the opportunities for me to pick it up and get to it.

I usually choose books that look good on a shelf even after I’ve read them to buy. After all, it’s unlikely that I read the average book more than once. So it better serve at least some aesthetic value in my home! Or at least, sentimental value or meaningful in some way. In general though I’ve been trying to limit my book buying for only my very favourites—that helps to slow the purge of books I have to do every so often!

How about you all? Book-buying crazes or nah? I feel like most of us have been a lot more conservative with how much we buy and tend to stick to digital versions for the sake of space and perhaps paper/tree conversation. But let me know in the comments below what you do!