Recent acquisitions
Hi, my name’s Litlove and I’m a bookaholic.
I’d seen a few pictures around the blogosphere lately of blogger’s tbr piles, and I kept thinking, that’s not a pile. What I have right here, now this is a pile. It’s a composite of Christmas and birthday books, some books bought with my book grant from work, some ARCs, a few trips to the bookstore and a lot of cheap copies from amazon marketplace sellers. And looking at it, I was forced to admit that I am a bookaholic.
I find it easier to get out of bed in the morning when I think the postman may be bringing me a book in the mail.
If I’ve had to do something difficult, I need to reward myself with a book or two. Or three.
I find I am motivated to earn money in order to fund my book-buying habit.
I don’t always tell Mister Litlove what I’ve bought, and quite often I hope he doesn’t ask.
When I get on amazon I only ever intend to buy one book, but sometimes I blank out only to find three or four in my virtual basket.
I can’t help myself; books just make me happy. After a few new books, my spirits are lifted and the world seems a better place.
After years of hardened book buying, my capacity for buying books is enormous. So I barely notice a little purchase here and there.
But there is some good news, in that you can all feel better about any book excesses you may have succumbed to over the past few months. They’re bound to pale in comparison. And I’m quite unrepentant; everyone needs a vice and this is a relatively healthy one. The only way it will kill me is if – as my son fears – the book piles grow so large that one day they topple over and crush me underneath them .
What a way to go!
Tales from the Reading Room 
I love how unrepentant you are! I often feel silly for letting something that makes me so happy be tinged with guilt. (She says, while already feeling guilty about the order she plans to place later today.)
And ooh, what a pile that is! I see Lavinia, and Angela Carter’s translation of Perrault (I’d love to read that!), and a Persephone, and a Michael Dirda, and Shirley Jackson, and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, and and and…
Thank you for sharing – looking at other people’s book piles makes me almost as happy as looking at my own 😛
Goodness! Yes full of goodness. And how much better you make me feel. Thanks! Family Album is very good. I got my copy from the library. Only purchased one book since Christmas as I’m trying to catch up on the mass I’ve bought and not read over the years. I haven’t read the rest, but a lot of them look very tempting. Happy reading.
Meant to say Dancing Backwards is book at bedtime starting tomorrow.
Got to agree – I love drooling over the acquisitions of others and yours are simply wondrous! And we share a few of your aforementioned habits.
There is a book (perhaps I shouldn’t tell you about that) and an official test for bookaholism, you know. Take the test here.
“Books just make me happy.” Well put, and very true. Knowing there is a stack of books waiting to be read is as comforting to me as knowing I have a roof over my head and a good dinner on the table.
If being a bookaholic is wrong – well, I don’t want to be right.
Yup, feels like you are talking about me. I sometimes smuggle new books in my handbag, to avoid questions and tutting. 🙂
Now That is a seriously Impressive pile (piles!) of books! I can totally relate to your post–isn’t it nice to know there are others out there who can understand exactly what you are writing about? I’m pretty unrepentant, too, really. But it’s still nice to see someone with a stack of books bigger than mine! 🙂 I see The Crimson Rooms and Flapper there-hope you like them both–I really enjoyed them. And you know you can’t just buy One book from Amazon–you’re required to buy enough to get free shipping…. Now I have to scan the piles (and maybe note a title or two down myself!). Enjoy your books!!
That is a lovely pile. I’ve almost got my “pile” down to a single bookcase, which is where I’d like to get it and keep it, only because I lack the space for more and like the order. Once I’ve done that, I hope I can learn to satiate my book lust with frequent trips to the library. (And I’m lucky to have a library in walking distance!) My library books seem to make me just as happy as purchased books, so I figure that’s the way to get the best of both worlds.
What a nice pile! It makes me happy to look at yours. 🙂
Ha ha ha. That’s great. You have to come listen to my podcast. I listed the books that I got in the mail this week. It took me 13 minutes to go through all of them.
Here it is
Lovely book piles! It may be time to update my pictures of my TBR shelves, since I recently moved a bunch onto a new bookcase! Book buying is definitely a great vice to have, if we must have one, which I think we probably do. Enjoy all that reading! 🙂
Yeah, I know the feeling about hoping family members don’t find out how many books you’ve purchased. When I was younger and still living with my parents, during the summer as an undergraduate, I would go to the bookstore frequently. I almost always end up buying something there, so it got to the point where I would leave the books in the car if anyone was home and sneak them in when everyone else went to sleep or was out.
Wow, great stash. Wishing you many happy hours of reading (and reviewing).
That is one pile. I have envy now and am off to scan the big image for titles. Congratulations on inserting your first photo 🙂
Okay, that really is a pile. And in true fellow Bookaholic fashion, the main thing I feel squinting at it (trying to make out the titles, of course…) is envy. A belated happy birthday, dear LL. Judging from this TBR loot, it was a good one!
Oh, it’s not envy at all, actually. It’s fellowship.
What an excellent pile of books litlove! I love that you’re unrepentant. I became an unrepentant book buyer after reading your post about why we should buy books. 🙂 Although after a couple of months of opening sharing my new purcahses I recently snuck two new books from the post box into my bag and hid them under the bed…
Such a lovely photo of all those books! You know admitting you are a bookaholic is the first step to recovery, but who really wants to recover? I think bookaholism has the highest recidivism rate of any addiction going. Enjoy all the books. I look forward to the posts they will undoubetedly inspire 😀
I am so envious! I feel no guilt about book buying, since reading is like breathing. But I am forced to keep my habit in check. I never hide my purchases, though. And now, I think I’m going to put in a big order somewhere…
Beware. My mum’s a bookaholic, and although Dad’s told her repeatedly to stop buying books as they are causing the house to sag in the middle (seriously), she just can’t stop. 😛
My name is Kathleen and I am proud to also be a bookaholic!
Your sentiments match mine perfectly! But due to the whacking the economy has been taking, I’ve had to make myself happy going to the library and taking out dozens of books. And it’s worked. Well, most of the time. I’m still Pavlov’s dog in Barnes and Noble, the nearest bookstore (52 miles away). I drive 36 miles to this special library once a month, and I’m lucky its collection is so comprehensive. Try it if you run short of money. J.
Big mistake. I clicked on the picture, it grew, and now I’m drooling all over your blog (sorry). Yes, I’m a bookaholic, too. Not only do I buy them & borrow them, I even take them off the shelves of incapacitated neighbors (not as heartless as it sounds, she wanted to be rid of them & asked another neighbor to do the “honors”). Buying is a luxury justified only by a whopping coupon, but for the rest, I find that book piles make excellent side tables 😉
Happy reading!
Not bad for a beginning. I’m averaging a book purchase a day for the last 3-4 years, plus review copies, desk inspection copies, etc.. I’m certainly not reading that fast (damn job).
Love this post and well of course I can relate 🙂
You posted a photo! of books!! makes me happy…
I saw the picture. My hands began to sweat, my mouth went dry, the room began to spin. I excused myself and went into the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror – glazed haunted eyes staring back. Your TBR pile is a thing of beauty.
Nymeth – when the day is gloomy, I am always grateful to a blogging friend who has posted a picture of a book pile. It DOES make things that little bit better! I ought to have typed out the list of titles, but I just couldn’t! And I do feel guilty sometimes, but I always manage to talk myself out of it. 🙂
Bookboxed – thank you! And delighted to know you enjoyed Family Album. That was a present (and not from my amazon wish list!) and I was thrilled with it. Will let you know what I think very soon, I daresay. Oh and thank you for the Radio 4 tip, too!
lizzy – it will not surprise you to know I am a raging bookaholic! Thank you for the fun link and delighted to have your solidarity.
Becca – you put that very well indeed! Someone somewhere said books on shelves and food in fridge make a home. I second that!
Dabarai – brilliant! Love the idea of handbag smuggling and will practice it forthwith!
Danielle – I do so love the blogging world for the way it brings me solidarity with friends who feel exactly the way I do about books. And I wondered whether this monster pile might actually end up bigger than yours – I’m delighted to make you feel better, whilst you do at the same time possess all those lovely books I’ve noted down so many titles off your new acquisitions (mostly library lately, it should be pointed out) I’ve lost count! 🙂
Teresa – whatever works for anyone is the right solution. Library books are marvellous too. We only have a teeny library in the village and I have tended lately to take all my extra copies to it, rather than checking books out. I’m all for supporting libraries too, in whatever way suits a person best.
Lilian – you are welcome! Glad to give you a smile. 🙂
Bluestocking – that, my friend, is wonderful – I love it!!
Dorothy – oh, yes please to pictures. I won’t be posting any more here for a while, but I would like to get my fix of pretty books, please. 🙂
Andrew – lol! A man after my own heart. Keeping them in the car is another fine idea. My husband tells me the inside of my car is like a gerbil’s cage anyway. He’d never notice!
Pete – thank you. Some considerable time and trouble went into building that book barricade. 🙂
Jodie – I did it ALL by myself thanks to your instructions – they were marvellously clear! 🙂
Doctordi – I really ought to have posted all the titles – but at the same time you can probably see why I didn’t! This is all the books that have come into the house since Christmas, although I’d be perfectly happy to receive that many for my birthday! 🙂
Doctordi – and just to add, I’m delighted to have the fellowship – thank you!
Apiece – lol! I am so loving these stories of subterfuge! Under the bed sounds just great to me – in fact a perfect location for when you’ve just finished one book and really need to start another. You don’t have to stir – just reach a hand down to the hidden stash! 🙂
Stefanie – lol! And what really impresses me is that perfect use of recidivism, which is a great word that I can never seem to work into a conversation. I am on my knees to you here saying I Am Not Worthy! I Am Not Worthy! And you’re quite right – not about to recover any time soon, either. 🙂
Becky – oh I like that. Reading IS like breathing. And let me know what you order. That’s almost as good as a picture some days. 🙂
Jenny – My husband is quite worried that one day I will bring a floor down. I might not show him your comment. 🙂 But the person I do worry about is my PhD supervisor’s mother, who has way over 30,000 books in her little house. Now THAT is a collection. Until I get anywhere near that, I’m a newbie.
Kathleen – sister!
Judith – the library works for me, too. I’m not picky where the books come from, so long as they come! 🙂 I feel for you with those great distances between you and the source of books. But it must make going to find them quite special in its way!
ds – you can do so much with books! I’m hoping to fully insulate the walls of our house with mine. You may drool, be my guest. The virtual world was designed for private drooling, I am quite sure! 🙂 I wish I had neighbours with book collections that had become a burden. That sounds like the perfect charitable act to me!
plashing Vole – I take my hat off to you – that is good, fierce collecting, my friend. You set a standard I can only hope to one day match. 🙂
iliana – thank you and delighted to have you in bookaholics non-anonymous! 🙂
Care – you are welcome! Such pictures make me very happy too!
Grad – LOL! I feel quite dizzy still when I’m up close to my piles. They are just as nice in the woodchip. People have to help me out of bookstores as I often suffer the reaction you have so ably described. 🙂
Wow that’s definitely an impressive TBR list! I wouldn’t be unrepentant about it though, if it makes you happy and isn’t hurting anyone, go for it!
Oh, me too! Me too! Actually, I was just thinking the other day that not only am I a bookaholic, but I am also an obsessive compulsive reader (plan to blog about that soon).
I would love to send you my book in the mail. ‘Love, Revenge & Buttered Scones’ – a real page-turner that will make you very happy. But where shall I post it? Please let me know at bobbie[dot]darbyshire[at]ntlworld[dot]com
Hello fellow bookaholic! I just love looking at other people’s TBR piles so I don’t feel so bad about mine (not that mine is any smaller, of course!)
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