Hello, my name is Jackie and I am addicted to buying books.
It was only recently that I accepted the fact that I have a problem, as I sat on my bed surrounded by the books I'd purchased on my fifth trip to Barnes & Noble in the one month since I'd returned from college. My whole life I've always been a bit obsessive when it came to my love for books. I loved how they looked on my shelf, I loved how it felt turning the pages, I even loved how a new book smelled. I imagined fictional characters were my friends and talked about my favorite authors as if I knew them personally. Loving books is nothing to be ashamed of - books can transport a reader to vast fictional worlds, introduce them to complex and interesting characters, and help expand their knowledge all at the same time. However, when you are living off a college student's budget (i.e. not a whole lot), buying books constantly may become a bit of a problem. Here are five signs that you may be a book buying addict like me.
You've owned some books for years but haven't read them yet.
Sometimes when I examine my shelf I find a book I don't even remember purchasing. When did I buy this? How long have I had it? Why didn't I read it? Do I still intend on reading it? It got to a point where I had to reorganize my shelf into 'read' and 'unread' sections just to keep them straight.
You own multiple copies of the same book or series.
Do I need a box set of the Game of Thrones book series when I already own one? No, BUT these are leather bound volumes and that totally makes the $50 I'd spend on them worth it. Right? Right?!?!
Okay, in retrospect maybe buying books purely for the #aesthetic isn't a great use of money, but in my defense those books were really pretty.
You keep lists of books you want to buy in the future.
On Goodreads, on your notes app, on physical paper...and inevitably, when you do go to the bookstore, you still end up buying books that weren't on your list.
You have so many books that they don't fit on your shelf.
If you keep books on your shelves, on your night stand, in boxes on the floor, and you still find yourselves buying more books, then you might have a book buying addiction. Or you might just need bigger shelves. Whichever works.
You try to rationalize your book purchases to yourself or others.
Look, I know I probably won't be reading this 900-page book any time soon, but it was on sale for $6, so buying it was really a smart decision. At least, that's what I tell my parents when they give me a judgmental look after my order from Book Outlet arrives.
If you are showing any of these five signs of book addiction, then you may be a book addict. Maybe it's time you cut down on your weekly trips to Barnes & Noble (or don't, cause books are awesome).
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