Thursday, January 05, 2006

Compulsive Book Buying

Melissa and I were talking about our compulsion to buy books.  I buy more books than I can possible read in a year.  Why do I do this?  Looking through my TBR, I think I can categorize my book buying and the logic behind each category.

Books I gotta have:  These are books I honestly want to read.  They are favorite authors or series.  Charlaine Harris and Kim Harrison fall into this category.  Angela Knight too.

The Buzz: Books I’ve heard great things about so I need to read it.  These can either be a boon (it was how I found Kim Harrison) or a bite (Elizabeth Kostova’s “The Historian” comes to mind).

My Friends’ and Chapter Mates’ Books:  Every year this number increases as more people I know get published.  My pride and excitement in their accomplishments means a trip to Border’s or Barnes & Noble on Tuesdays.

Eclectic:  Something about a book strikes my fancy.  Maybe it’s the cover, maybe the author spoke at a meeting I went to.  Could be I liked the writer’s website.  Who knows?  Sometimes I’ve one a book in a contest and feel the need to go out and buy the rest of the series.

Book Signings: I’m a sucker for a book signing.

Book Signings, Part 2:  This is truly my worse book buying category.  If I go to a signing and see an author all by themselves without anyone coming up to their table, I will buy a book from them.  Not smart on my part but I try and think of myself in that position.

I think the biggest reason I have so many books is because I like to shop.  When I was a cute young thing, I spent money on clothes.  I don’t buy clothes anymore unless I have to.  I like to buy shoes but that gets really expensive fast.  Books fit.  And they don’t cost as much as shoes.

Is your TBR like Mt. Everest?  Is there a 12-step program for people like us?