TBR 911!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Dude.

After 7 months of blogging, I finally reached meltdown mode with the pile of books taking over my living room. What once used to be a few precious winnings, gradually became boxes and piles of books won, gifted, bought (damn you Borders closing sales! *shakes fist*), or received for review. I began to fear for my sanity, as well as my marriage.

Bless his heart, the hubs hasn't mentioned the three piles of books sitting on the floor. Or the pile on the shelf. Or the mail that brings bookish things with increasing regularity. I just had a feeling it was coming.

The talk.

"Listen, honey. I know you love blogging and all, but I thought the Kindle was supposed to reduce the number of books we had laying around."

In an effort to avoid that little conversation starter, I went on a frenzy this weekend. I organized the books into a "keep" pile and a "don't need to keep" pile. The "keep" books went on a special shelf in the living room to be gazed at adoringly.

And, erm...the "don't need to keep" pile? It's, um, *whispers* it's still on the floor.

When all was said and done, I counted 67 books that I have acquired over the last seven months. It easily needs its own bookshelf. The pile is cuh-razy. And it doesn't even include ebooks! I did buy a Kindle to avoid massive piles of books. Blogging has changed that.

Now I crave real books. I want to look at the covers and feel the pages. The only problem is that it takes me forever to read them because I only take my Kindle on my commute, and that's when I get the most reading done. What's a girl to do?

I feel a little bit better now that it's organized, but it still feels overwhelming. I thought about putting myself on a book buying ban, but I know I wouldn't follow it, so what's the point? I'm not sure the best way to handle this going forward. Stay organized? Buy a new blogging-only bookcase? Never enter another contest again? (HA!)

Do you have unmanageable book/review piles? How do you handle them? Hit me with your best advice, because I need it!


Amazingly beautiful and painstakingly crafted signature courtesy of Small Review

12 comments:

DebraZ said...

Of the 67 books you don't need to keep, I assume you won't review them? Then donate the copies to a youth reading program, or anyplace else YAs without bucks could enjoy the copies. Maybe you can't do that with ARCs--don't know the rules. But it's a thought.

67 books over the next year is 5.6 books per month to read. However, you're sure to keep receiving more appealing titles. Throw some of these in as a "mystery" bonus with other giveaways?? Struggled unsuccessfully with my own piles of paper books. Don't recommend the flooded basement solution.

Logan E. Turner said...

@DebraZ - The 67 books includes my keep and don't keep piles. You're right in that some of the "don't keep" pile, particularly the review copies I got unsolicited, I don't have to read. It's just so hard to turn away from free books! I feel like I need to read them before sending them off.

I definitely think most of the pile will get gifted, and I just need to decide which ones I really, truly want to read.

Melissa (Books and Things) said...

LOL! Oh I feel you! Tell the hubs to consider what the books would look like if you didn't have the kindle! Bet he didn't think of that! lol

I have no advice b/c you should take your own advice before giving it and if you saw my piles... Well, you know... ;) As for those you don't know where to gift them or who... Well, you can go to paperbackswap.com and get an account there. That way you can save points for those books that you really want. 0:) Just an innocent suggestion. ;D

Smash Attack Ash said...

There isn't any easy way to tackle the unmanageable TBR piles, unless you can clone yourself. :) Are you ready for this? After 1 year of blogging, I accumulated over 400 physical and ebooks! YIKES. It won't stop, so get used to it, and get hubs used to it. lol. I do giveaways of ones I know I won't re-read, but I also plan to have a library room one day, so I'm in collect mode, too. I have two large bookcases, and 2 shorter ones, and they're all full. Not sure where to go from here...lol

alimo said...

O-to-the-M-to-the-G! I 1,000,000% understand! I too have places a book buying ban on my household...which I broke (twice) this week. It's not fair, when did having books become a bad thing? Books are like any addiction: It's not the number of [insert addictive substance here, in this case, books] you have, it's what happens when you do. In other words, having too many books causes guilt, anxiety, and the need to apologize to life partner for taking up too much square footage with the "hobby". :)

Small Review said...

Duh, the solution is simple: You send them to me :) So then *I* can put them on my massively overflowing piles on my floor, desk, clothes drawer, every available space...

Oh, wait. Well there goes my appearance of being well-organized and totally not-hoardey. Shoot.

You don't have a book problem, BTW. You have a space problem. So the answer is to get more space. Surely your husband doesn't need as much closet space as he's currently using, right??



(and just in case he reads that, I'm TOTALLY KIDDING!!)


(sort of)

Aylee said...

I've noticed that I've acquired an intense craving for owning physical books since I started blogging as well. I get book envy so easily from seeing all the books other people get and spend so much time coveting covers whenever there is a new cover release, that I feel like I just need to have them on my shelves to gaze lovingly at, like they're my children or something. Hmm, what an odd thing for me to say, I'm sorry.

Missie, The Unread Reader said...

I'm with you and Aylee. Somehow book blogging makes me want to own physical books. Why is this?

I do have an overstuffed library /treadmill room in my house. It is so unsightly that I keep the door lock. I actually fear going in there. I also keep a smallish pile of books on my coffee table and bedside tables. I'm totally running out of room of where to place them. I feel like the main reason I pay my mortgage is to keep my books and my dog comfortable, because I'm certainly not. LOL

I've put myself on book diets too, and I always cheated.

Oh! And are you really asking for advice? You are the one that told me about Amazon Prime for students and now that I get free shipping, I'm even more tempted to order on a whim. *sighs*

Emma said...

i definitely understand where you're coming from! I just keep hoping that the BF doesn't notice or mention the growing pile of books... I have noticed that since I started its gotten even more out of control.

I don't know what it is about blogging that makes me want so many physical copies.

Logan E. Turner said...

@Melissa - I've been meaning to join paperbackswap or one of those other swap sites - but then it means I get books back and I need this to be one way! :)

@Smash - Yep, I think the answer may just be more bookcases. Our apartment is so tiny, though...

@alimo - Yes, it's the guilt that's probably worse than the actual books. It's how I know I have a "problem." :D

@Smalls - Pffft. Him? Read this blog? AS IF. Disparage him all you want. And frankly, I have a feeling a lot of my blogger buddies will be getting address inquiries from me soon...

@Aylee - Glad I'm not the only one! I think it's the blogger emphasis on cover lust that has me craving those real books.

@Missie - Eventually I'm going to have to build my furniture out of book piles. Won't you come sit in my comfy paperback chaise longue?

@Emma - I was all set to swear off physical books...until blogging came along. Sigh.

Alison Can Read said...

Haha! I wish I had that many books to get that lecture. I get almost all my books from the library b/c I'm too cheap to buy them. But once my husband is done with his medical training, I plan to start shopping :-)

BookGeek said...

Read faster?

Sorry that probably doesn't help all that much but there you go! :P

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