Ive been buying books like never before. Buying books is a pleasure, a joy, a release. Its a way to feel like Im buying possibilities for the future. I buy books for my 8-year-old son, to give him the same pleasure and possibility. I buy them for my husband and friends. My rate of book-buying has increased during the pandemic because it cheers me up. We all need cheering up.
Ive been thinking a lot about that the feeling getting a new book gives me: its a feeling of openness and space. Ive bought myself potential. This is a book that wont just give me hours of entertainment and absorption, but it will become a part of my brain, it will take its place next to all the other books Ive read, on my shelf and in my mind. It will become part of me. I could be a new person because of this book.
Each new book also opens up new channels of possibility because, as every avid reader knows, reading books leads to more even books. I think of all the areas I like to read in: contemporary literary fiction, essay collections, memoirs, books in translation, genre-bending nonfiction books, contemporary poetry, collections of letters and diaries, small-press books, books by and about Romantic-era writers, weird novellas, group biographies of writers, books about books, craft books, and on and on and on. Every book I buy opens each reading interest up a little further.
I learn about new books and authors because the author Im reading raves about them. I discover I want to read a writers backlist. A blurb or review of a book by another writer resonates with me, and I want to read that persons books as well. Someone on Twitter tells me that I because I liked X author, I will probably like Y as well. The TBR list grows. The books Im currently reading offer all this richness while Im reading them, and the books I decide to buy hold the promise that they will do this for me in the future. They will not only introduce me to new books, but they will introduce me to new fields of reading that I will love. I dont know what they are, but I know they are out there.
But! I dont have time for all this! Im not a fast reader, but that doesnt matter. I could be the fastest reader in the world, and Id never read all the books I want to. I hate to admit it, butI will die before I can read all the books I want to. They multiply out before me, more every day. Im accumulating books faster than I can read them.
Today In Books Newsletter
Sign up to Today In Books to receive daily news and miscellany from the world of books.
Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.
Some numbers: in my personal library, I have 2,194 print books. Of those books, 938 are on my TBR list, unread. I have 531 ebooks, 379 of which are unread, and 53 audiobooks, 12 of which are unread. That means I own 1,329 books I havent read. (I know all this because I keep stats on LibraryThing.)
Over the last ten years, Ive acquired about 100 print books a year on average. So far in 2021, as of the end of July, Ive acquired 168. The number of ebooks I buy has varied a lot, as I loved reading ebooks for awhile and then stopped loving it. But I have averaged about 50 ebooks a year for the last ten years. My audiobook-buying habit is fairly limited so far.
Some of those books were sent to me for free by publishers, and I cant fully control that, but I am pretty good about getting rid of galleys I wont read, so for the most part, these are books I plan to read eventually. I also keep a list of books I want to read but that I dont own (I do this on Goodreads). Right now, that list has 1,158 books on it.
Now, how many do I read? In a good year, its 100 or so, counting all formats. Last year was my highest ever, with 111. In 2017, which was a terrible year, I read 56. Usually its between 80 and 100. Only some of the books I read come from my personal collection, as I love to read books from the library, too. So Ive been accumulating 150+ books per year while reading between 70 and 90, after accounting for library books. This is how I ended up owning 1,329 books that I havent read. You can see the problem. That number is going up all the time.
Theres another issue that weighs on me, one that is uncomfortable to talk about, but that gets more pressing the older I get. My husband and I have thousands of print books. My son is an only child. If we keep those books until we die, he will be left having to dispose of them. Who knows how that will work out anything can happen but there is a real possibility he will be left having to clear out a house stuffed with books. I dont want to burden him with this.
Im also aware that buying all these books means spending a lot of money on entertainment, and its entertainment I might die before experiencing, or entertainment I might lose interest in because it takes me so long to get to it. As a privileged person, maybe surely Im not spending my money well. Wouldnt it be better to send at least some of that money to social and political causes I care about? I already do donate money, but I could always send more.
Even with all these questions lingering in my mind, I still keep buying books. Im buying them like Im immortal, like I will actually get to all of them because I have endless time. On the one hand, this habit is a problem, a problem that is based on delusions of immortality. On the other, it feels life-affirming. It feels life-affirming during a time of pandemic and social and political upheaval.
Im not sure what to do with all this, except to think that maybe as we emerge from the pandemic, my need to buy books will lessen. Maybe as I get older, Ill get better about getting rid of books I wont read. Maybe Ill use the library more. Im not sure, but in the meantime, its a comfort to have huge TBR stacks that will keep me going for a long, long time.
Go here to read the rest:
Buying Books Like Im Immortal: Death and the TBR - Book Riot
- Immortality Versus Mortality - BIBLE TRUTH KEYS [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- 536. Ode. Intimations of Immortality. William Wordsworth ... [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- Immortality Devices by Alex Chiu [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2016]
- Immortality - The Atheist; scourge of religion and scammers [Last Updated On: June 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 21st, 2016]
- Immortality (Celine Dion song) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: June 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 25th, 2016]
- Immortality | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy [Last Updated On: July 29th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 29th, 2016]
- Immortality Immorality - TV Tropes [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2016]
- Immortality - Superpower Wiki - Wikia [Last Updated On: August 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 25th, 2016]
- Immortality - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2016]
- immortality | philosophy and religion | Britannica.com [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2016]
- IMMORTALITY. An outline study of what the Bible says about ... [Last Updated On: November 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 21st, 2016]
- Immortality | Dragon Ball Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia [Last Updated On: November 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 21st, 2016]
- Immortality | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia [Last Updated On: November 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 21st, 2016]
- Quotes About Immortality (482 quotes) [Last Updated On: November 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 21st, 2016]
- CELINE DION LYRICS - Immortality [Last Updated On: November 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 21st, 2016]
- Who Wants to Live Forever? - TV Tropes [Last Updated On: December 4th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 4th, 2016]
- Xian (Taoism) - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: December 4th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 4th, 2016]
- Real Vampires, Immortality, Gothic, Pagan, Eternal Life ... [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2016]
- Crown of Immortality - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2016]
- Amrita - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2017]
- Brian Dawkins: One day away from pro football immortality - Inside the Iggles [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- 'Rick And Morty' Theory: Rick Gifted Morty With Immortality, But Chose To Die Himself - moviepilot.com [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Jeff Jacobs: Near NFL Immortality, Tom Brady Shows Human Side - Hartford Courant [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Is Brain Augmentation Leading The Way To Immortality? - Wall Street Pit [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- 3 former Cowboys ready to fight for immortality in Super Bowl LI - Cowboys Wire [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Eating Toward Immortality - The Atlantic [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- The best evah? Not everybody at parade rated this year's comeback number one - The Boston Globe [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Immortality of written words - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Sleepy Hollow: Ichabod Comes Home and Malcolm Achieves Immortality - TVOvermind [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Immortality | The Institute for Creation Research [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Quotes About Immortality (489 quotes) [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Reality Of Immortality: Oregon State Is Five Games Away From ... - Building the Dam [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- New Yorker seeks pinball immortality - Fox5NY [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- McGraw One Step From Hoop Immortality :: Notre Dame Women's ... - Notre Dame Official Athletic Site [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- Blind love and immortality haunt 'The Invention of Morel' | Chicago ... - Chicago Sun-Times [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Aussies should prep for immortality, as life expectancy rises - Techly [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Johnson chasing 8th title, racing immortality - La Crosse Tribune [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Fighting McGregor Just Another Easy Step to Immortality for Mayweather - The Sweet Science [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- Faces of Russia: Mila Arutyunyan on Immortality - Argophilia Travel News [Last Updated On: February 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 26th, 2017]
- Living Immortality, Russian Economy in 2017, How Big Is Russia's Inequality Gap, and the Kremlin's Risky Plans - Institute of Modern Russia [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]
- The mortal side of biological immortality - Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]
- Georges St-Pierre Takes Aim at Immortality in Title Shot Against Michael BIsping - Bleacher Report [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]
- Middletown's Bertoni is 4 wins away from 4 titles, state-wrestling immortality - Frederick News Post (subscription) [Last Updated On: March 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 4th, 2017]
- Immortality | RuneScape Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia [Last Updated On: March 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 5th, 2017]
- Immortality (Celine Dion song) - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: March 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 5th, 2017]
- Lecture 18 - The Badness of Death, Part III; Immortality ... [Last Updated On: March 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 6th, 2017]
- An Undervalued Notion of Life Beyond Death: Created World Immortality - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2017]
- CBS picks up Young Sheldon, ensuring The Big Bang Theory's immortality - A.V. Club [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2017]
- Eddie Jones and England one game from rugby immortality - The Week UK [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2017]
- Can Immortality be Achieved Through Science? - Anti Aging News [Last Updated On: March 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 17th, 2017]
- We will have cracked secret of ETERNAL LIFE by 2029 says GOOGLE chief - Express.co.uk [Last Updated On: March 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 19th, 2017]
- Cahill poised to achieve Socceroos immortality - SBS - The World Game (blog) [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2017]
- Crazy conspiracy theorists think that Nicolas Cage is an immortal vampire and here's why - The Sun [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2017]
- Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert chasing 1000 / 1000 / 200, immortality in NBA History books - SLC Dunk [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2017]
- 'Your animal life is over. Machine life has begun.' The road to immortality - The Guardian [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2017]
- Peter Higgs on knowledge, immortality and the future of physics - New Scientist [Last Updated On: March 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 29th, 2017]
- Just a slip from mortal to immortality - The Nation [Last Updated On: March 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 31st, 2017]
- How two trades pushed Patrik Elias into Devils immortality - New York Post [Last Updated On: April 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 2nd, 2017]
- NBA: Westbrook nears NBA immortality - Manila Bulletin [Last Updated On: April 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 3rd, 2017]
- The baseball immortality of Beaver County's James Madison Toy - Tribune-Review [Last Updated On: April 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 3rd, 2017]
- Atlassian aims for corporate immortality in the cloud - The Australian Financial Review [Last Updated On: April 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 5th, 2017]
- Black Mirror's San Junipero: Technological Immortality - The Georgetown Voice [Last Updated On: April 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 7th, 2017]
- Why the Grand National is the holy grail and sporting immortality the prize - Telegraph.co.uk [Last Updated On: April 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 7th, 2017]
- The quest for immortality ... an an exotic beast: reviews of Girl In The Machine and Dr Stirlingshire's Discovery - Herald Scotland [Last Updated On: April 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 10th, 2017]
- The Shining and the immortality of evil - Den of Geek UK [Last Updated On: April 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 10th, 2017]
- Saskatchewan gymnast Gagnon finds immortality in a name and a skill - Saskatoon StarPhoenix [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2017]
- The Shining and the Immortality of Evil | Den of Geek - Den of Geek US [Last Updated On: April 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 13th, 2017]
- The Guardian view on immortality: not for the faint-hearted - The Guardian [Last Updated On: April 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 13th, 2017]
- Three Forms of Immortality - Patheos (blog) [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2017]
- Soaring Into Immortality: Norwich Ski Jumper Enters Hall of Fame - Valley News [Last Updated On: April 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 21st, 2017]
- Henrietta Lacks' story gains greater immortality in HBO film - SFGate [Last Updated On: April 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 21st, 2017]
- Jimmer Fredette Has a Decision: Immortality in China or Role Player in America - Bleacher Report [Last Updated On: April 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 21st, 2017]
- Immortality found in cyberspace - Otago Daily Times [Last Updated On: April 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 28th, 2017]
- Psychic Stabs Himself To Prove His Immortality And Then Dies - Crave Online [Last Updated On: April 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 28th, 2017]
- Psychic trying to prove his immortality stabs himself to death | Metro ... - Metro [Last Updated On: April 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 28th, 2017]
- Nietes seeks immortality - Manila Bulletin [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2017]
- Startup Promises Immortality Through AI, Nanotechnology, and Cloning - Big Think [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2017]
- Musical Immortality: What Does it Take to Become a Legend? - Noiseporn [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2017]
- Ending Aging: Scientists Say Telomeres May Be the Key to Unlocking Near-Immortality - Futurism [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2017]
- A Beginner's Guide to Immortality: From Alchemy to Avatars - Boing Boing [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2017]