I have two problems that are really just one: (1) I have too many books in my house; (2) I spend too much money on books. I’ve done a good job this year of trimming my spending down in almost every area, but my financial dieting seems to hit some problem areas when it comes to books and electronics. Since I’ve just shelled out some major cash for a new iMac, I think the electronics issue will take care of itself for a little while. I know I have to control my impulses to gadget up to the max. Even I can remember that in the aftermath of a large purchase. So that’s that, but I’m still left with the book problem.
I used to be one of those people who thought you could never have too many books, but that was before I ran out of room to walk through the house (and that’s only the slightest bit of a hyperbole).
I teach English. I’m supposed to be an expert on books. I feel totally justified in every single purchase. At some point, though, I just have to admit I’m an addict. I crave books. I crave them faster than I can read them.
I’m absolutely susceptible to suggestion. If you tell me you love a book, chances are I’ll own a copy by the end of the day. If Amazon tells me I would love a book, I’ll probably buy it too even if no actual human being has ever mentioned it to me.
Then there are book sales. Sometimes the big salvage store in town has these enormous clearance sales on books where you can walk away with sacks and sacks of them for very little money at all.
And do you know how many people give books to the chick they know will read anything? Let’s just say I have all of my impulse purchases and all of my friends’ impulse purchases piled up in my one little house. This place just wasn’t built to be a public library. Some of these puppies have to go.
The Nook and the Kindle help with the pile up issue in the house. They’re fantastic for allowing me to continue collecting books without adding a new wing on the house, but they do nothing for the fact that I blow out my budget every month on books.
I’m slowly working on my first problem of too many books by sacking up stuff I know I’ll never read again and taking it to the used book store where I get a credit toward — you guessed it — more books. I come home with two or three books for every ten I give up. This is a workable solution. Really. Plus, the books there are much cheaper than anywhere else. That helps.
Now all I need to do is to move more of my books into the “done with that” category. I can only accomplish this by catching up on reading things I’ve collected faster than I could process. Hence, my “read what you have plan.”
For the next few weeks I plan to bring no new books into my house. Not by hook. Not by crook. Not by Nook. I’m going to just read what’s already here. When I finish a book, then, I’m going to either put it into a sack to go to the used bookstore, or I’m going to put it into a stack to give to a friend. I’m only going to keep the ones that are instant favorites. Meanwhile I’ll keep myself busy reading things I already own so that I am not listening to the siren call of the instant download, that miracle of instant gratification and delayed financial responsibility.
As it happens, there are some remarkable books on my shelf of “I don’t know why I never read that.” I can’t wait to wade through them. If you need me, that’s what I’ll be doing. And if you have a suggestion for a book you think I’d enjoy, don’t tell me. I’m not allowed to speak to you right now.
